2014 Toyota RAV4

TAKATA RECALL. ALL OF THE DOORS ON MY 2014 RAV4 LOCK AND UNLOCK WHEN THEY CHOSE TO. NORMALLY WHEN THE CAR IS IN DRIVE THE DOORS ALL LOCK HOWEVER AS OF JANUARY 2019 THEY HAVE BEEN LOCKING AND UNLOCKING WHEN THEY DECIDED TO WORK. USING THE EXTERNAL KEY BUTTON TO LOCK AND UNLOCK THE DOORS WORKING MAYBE 50% OF THE TIME ON ABOUT 2 TO 3 OF THE DOORS. THE SAME GOES FOR THE INTERNATIONAL LOCK BUTTONS AND WHEN THE CAR IS SHIFTED INTO DRIVE. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS FOR ME AND MY CHILDREN WHO I AM NOT TERRIFIED TO HAVE IN MY CAR. SHOULD THE DOORS CHOSE TO NOT LOCK AND THEY ACCIDENTALLY PULL THE DOOR OPEN IT WOULD BE A HORRIFIC ACCIDENT. AND MY YOUNGEST HAS A PANIC ATTACK WHEN I GO TO GET HIM FROM THE CAR BUT CANT BECAUSE THE DOORS NEVER UNLOCKED WHEN WE PARKED. PLEASE FIGURE THIS PROBLEM OUT I LOVE MY RAV BUT IT IS NOT SAFE RIGHT NOW.

THE RADIO/INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM ON THESE VEHICLES ARE FAILING (OURS FAILED LAST WEEK), WITH NUMEROUS EXAMPLES POSTED BY OWNERS ONLINE. A DEALERSHIP EVENTUALLY DETERMINED THAT THE ENTIRE RADIO UNIT NEEDED REPLACEMENT AT QUOTED COST OF $1160 TOYOTA CUSTOMER SUPPORT IS COURTEOUS BUT UNWILLING TO ASSIST WITH REPAIRS. THE RADIO SYSTEM APPEARS TO ENTER A BOOT LOOP WHERE A LOADING TYPE SCREEN APPEARS FOR SEVERAL SECONDS FOLLOWED BY THE SCREEN TURNING OFF FOR A TIME BEFORE RESTARTING THE LOOP. WHILE I WOULDN'T CONSIDER THE RADIO/INFOTAINMENT TO BE A CRITICAL SAFETY COMPONENT, THIS CONSTANT ON/OFF OF THE RADIO SCREEN IS A DISTRACTION FOR THE DRIVER. AT NIGHT ESPECIALLY, THE CHANGE IN BRIGHTNESS FROM SCREEN OFF TO SCREEN ON LIGHTS UP THE ENTIRE CABIN. FURTHERMORE, THE BOOT LOOP CANNOT BE STOPPED- NO BUTTONS WORK AND THE SEQUENCE REPEATS ITSELF FOREVER AS LONG AS THE KEY IS ON.

WHEN I HAD MY CAR IN PARK MY STEREO STOPPED WORKING. NO RADIO, NO SATELLITE, NO NOTHING OTHER THAN BACK UP CAMERA. WHEN I START THE CAR I GET A BLUE PICTURE OF THE STEREO AND A STATUS BAR LOADING LIKE ON COMPUTERS WHEN A PROGRAM IS LOADING. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE TOYOTA DEALER AND HE EXPLAINED THAT THE REPLACEMENT WOULD COST 2,500 DOLLARS TO REPLACE AND HE EXPLAINED THERE WAS NO MEANS TO FIX IT. I WENT TO ANOTHER MECHANIC AND HE TOLD ME THE SAME THING. I HAVE HAD THE CAR FOR ONLY 1 YEAR AND 6 MONTHS WITH 45000 MILES AND IT JUST SUDDENLY STOPPED WORKING. I BELIEVE THERE IS A DEFECT IN THESE RADIOS THAT CAUSE THIS ENDLESS LOOP TO OCCUR. MANY OTHERS HAVE EXPERIENCED SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THE SAME MODEL OF CAR AS WELL.

WHILE VEHICLE IS STOPPED AND PARKED THE SMART KEY SYSTEM INDICATOR LIGHT FLASHES IN YELLOW FOR 15+ SECONDS WHEN BOTH ELECTRONIC KEYS ARE IN THE VEHICLE. VEHICLE WILL NOT START. SYSTEM WORKS NORMAL WITH ONLY ONE (EITHER) ELECTRONIC KEY. BOTH KEYS HAVE NEW DURACELL 3.0V CR2032 LITHIUM BATTERY INSTALLED AND ISSUE PERSISTS. USER CHECKED FOR PRESSED BUTTON(S) ON ELECTRONIC KEY. KEY IS NOT ENCLOSED IN CASE, PURSE, OR HOLDER. NO IR OR RF INTERFERENCE. ISSUE HAS ALSO BEEN OBSERVED WHILE VEHICLE IS RUNNING WITH TRANSMISSION IN (P)ARK AND SECOND ELECTRONIC KEY IS INTRODUCED INTO VEHICLE (PICK UP PASSENGER WITH SECOND KEY) AND THE SMART KEY SYSTEM INDICATOR LIGHT FLASHES IN YELLOW FOR 15+ SECONDS. THE ISSUE HAPPENS ON RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY, COMMERCIAL PROPERTY, AND AT ANY ELEVATION (PARKING GARAGE ABOVE OR UNDER GROUND) OR INSIDE A GARAGE. THIS ISSUE BEGAN AFTER 50,000 MILES (4 YEARS OF SERVICE). VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED NEW AND ONLY ONE OWNER.

WHILE TRAVELING WESTBOUND ON INTERSTATE 295 IN JACKSONVILLE FLORIDA, WE HAD JUST GOT ON TO THE BUCKMAN BRIDGE WHEN THE CAR SLOWED, UNCOMMANDED TO 20MPH. I LOOKED AT THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER AND THE ALTERNATOR AND THE AUTO LSD OR TRACK LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED. THE ENGINE OPERATING TEMPERATURE WAS NORMAL. SINCE THE ENGINE TEMPERATURE WAS NORMAL I TOLD MY DAUGHTER TO KEEP DRIVING TO GET OFF THE BRIDGE, I FELT AS THOUGH THE BRIDGE WAS A BAD PLACE TO PULL OVER. AFTER ABOUT A MINUTE WE STARTED TO SMELL SOMETHING BURNING AND AT THIS POINT WE DECIDED TO PULL OVER. WHEN WE CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP WE SAW SMOKE COMING FROM THE DRIVERS SIDE OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THREE OF US THEN EVACUATED THE VEHICLE AND STARTED WALKING AGAINST TRAFFIC ON THE BRIDGE. AS WE WERE WALKING AWAY THE SMOKE INTENSIFIED AND THEN ERUPTED INTO FLAMES THAT EMANATED FROM THE DRIVERS SIDE JUST BELOW THE WINDSHIELD. I CALLED 911 AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. I HAVE ATTACHED PICTURES OF THE DAMAGE. I BELIEVE IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL FIRE.

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN THE CAR SHUT OFF COMPLETELY AND TURNED ON AND OFF REPEATEDLY, AND INSTANTANEOUS FOR A FEW SECONDS (LIKE IT WAS BLINKING) SUPER FAST. EVERYTHING WAS GOING ON AND OFF. AS I WAS PULLING ONTO THE SHOULDER FROM THE MIDDLE LANE ON THE HIGHWAY, IT SHUT OFF COMPLETELY!!! I COULDN'T EVEN PUT MY HAZARDS ON. I WAS WAITING IN THE CAR FOR A TOW TRUCK AND MY HUSBAND, I WAS WITH MY DAUGHTER. THE CAR STARTED TO SMOKE AND FLAME AND WAS ON FIRE. WE JUMPED OUT AND YET WAS UP IN FLAMES!!!!!!!

ISSUE FIRST STARTED WHEN BATTERY HAD TO BE JUMPED. THEN A FEW DAYS LATER WHEN IN MOTION DRIVING TO THE BANK, THE RADIO STARTED ACTING UP AND GOT STUCK ON STATION AND SONG AND THEN JUST WENT BLACK THEN A PICTURE OF THE RADIO APPEARED THE ON THE SCREEN AND WAS ATTEMPTING TO UPDATE BUT WOULD GO BLACK AGAIN AND THEN START OVER SO WAS STUCK IN SOME KIND OF REBOOT. NOT SURE IF ELECTRICAL PROBLEM OR WHAT SO TOOK IT IN TO DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD ME I SHOULD ONLY HAVE TO PAY $50-60 TO REBOOT IT. THEY CHECKED THE BATTERY AND SAID THE BATTERY WAS LOW CHARGE AND REPLACED IT AT NO CHARGE BUT SAID THEY WERE UNABLE TO REBOOT THE SYSTEM BECAUSE IT WOULD NOT STAY UP LONG ENOUGH BEFORE IT WOULD BLACK OUT AGAIN. SINCE IT WAS BARELY PAST THE WARRANTY PERIOD TOYOTA WOULD NOT COVER THE SYSTEM AND I WOULD HAVE TO PAY $1000 TO HAVE REFURBISHED SYSTEM INSTALLED. AFTER RESEARCHING ONLINE I FOUND THIS WAS A COMMON COMPLAINT AND FOUND ONE HERE AT THIS SITE AS WELL SO ADDING MINE. I SENT LETTERS AND EMAILS TO TOYOTA TO STAND BEHIND THEIR LONG TIME CUSTOMERS AND PRODUCTS BUT THEY WOULD NOT BUDGE. MULTIMEDIA SYSTEMS SHOULD NOT FAIL AFTER 3 YEARS. I CALL THAT A DEFECT BUT I GUESS BECAUSE IT IS NOT CONSIDERED A SAFETY ISSUE IT IS NOT IMPORTANT TO TOYOTA. WE ARE A TOYOTA FAMILY AND HAVE BEEN DRIVING TOYOTA'S SINCE MY FIRST CAR BACK IN THE 70'S. I WILL PROBABLY GO AHEAD AND REPLACE WITH REFURBISHED SYSTEM HOPING THIS IS NOT AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE AND REPEAT BUT I WILL CERTAINLY RECONSIDER BEFORE PURCHASING ANOTHER TOYOTA IN THE FUTURE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 TOYOTA RAV4. WHEN THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO LOCK THE VEHICLE DOORS, BOTH THE FRONT DRIVER AND PASSENGER DOOR LOCKS FAILED TO LOCK AND UNLOCK ELECTRONICALLY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DOORS HAD TO BE LOCKED AND UNLOCKED MANUALLY. IN ADDITION, THE REAR PASSENGER DOOR LOCK ALSO FAILED TO UNLOCK WHEN LOCKED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER (DICK DYER TOYOTA, LOCATED ON 240 KILLIAN COMMONS PARKWAY COLUMBIA, SC 29203) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT DOOR ACTUATORS ON BOTH SIDES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER ALSO STATED THAT THE WARRANTY WAS EXPIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED DUE TO THE COST. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,312.