2020 Toyota RAV4

In preparing for a trip, the automatic tailgate went out of alignment and would not close. A local body shop diagnosed the issue as a bent hinge. There was no incident that caused this - the hinge appears to be insufficiently sturdy for a heavy tailgate. The body shop temporarily hammered the hinge back into place, but the seal of the tailgate is imperfect, allowing exhaust fumes to enter the cabin when driving at low speeds. This may also have been true before the gate failed to close, but was not noticed. This is beginning to show up on other RAV4s. The local Toyota dealer would not accept a warranty claim for the issue. A permanent repair is scheduled, but will require several weeks due to scheduling.

On several occaisions the vehicle has incorrectly detected an impending collision, disconnected the adaptive speed control and applied the brakes forcefully. On one occasion, it happened while driving in heavy slushy snow. Speed control wouldn't reengage. The dealer suggested cleaning off the Toyota logo in front and that resolved the problem. The other times the problem occured, the vehicle was being drive in late afternoon daylight on I 80. The vehicle was in the left lane, going around a tight (for an Interstate) curve with another vehicle in the right lane and slightly ahead. It apparently thought that the other vehicle was in the same lane. i.e., the vehicle had inadequate knowledge of it's position relative to the roadway. Up to that point, it understood that it was in it's own lane. Each time this occurred, the road was (fortunately) relatively empty so no crash occurred.

The vehicle fails to start if it has been sitting for only 2-3 days, once it failed to start just after an extra long day at work. I have it serviced faithfully every 5,ooo miles and have brought it in an additional 4 times for this problem. I filed a report with Toyota Corporate on January 5, 2023 and they had someone call the next day while I was at work. I called back 6 times but have never been able to actually speak to a case manager. I keep getting promised a call back multiple times but never received one. I even called tonight when I was promised a call, the case manager was available, but told the agent on the phone with me that he would call me by the end of the day. He never did. I called back again and was promised a call tomorrow. I keep getting the same run around. I have literally spent hours on the phone with them, many many hours at the service shop, and many hours inconvenienced by having my car battery jumped.

Due to recent rains in CA I noticed the headliner near the upper a-frame pillar was damp on both the drivers and passenger side. With a quick search online it is a common problem among 2019-present Toyota Rav4 owners. As of this writing I do not know of a public Toyota approve fix. https://www.rav4world.com/threads/potential-safety-issue-for-rav4-adventure-owners.304363/#post-2770286 https://www.rav4world.com/threads/2019-roof-rack-leak.305629/ I took the car in for service with a Toyota dealer to have the leak addressed within a couple days of noticing the damp headliner. They performed a repair and said all was good. Less than a week later, the same issue occurred. Again, I brought the car back as soon I as I noticed the leak and they did a more thorough repair, replacing more roof rail components. A little over 3 weeks later I noticed the same issue with condensation build up in the car and after looking behind the a-frame covering there were puddles of water in the plastic covering. Again the dealer notified me the repair was done and everything was good, when I picked up the car the head liner was still wet, and I left the car with them. Currently the vehicle is still is possession of the dealer pending next steps. In total the dealer has had the vehicle for 15+ days as of this writing. I am concerned with what other damage is occurring to the airbags, airbag systems, electronic components, electrical connections, and Toyota Safety Sense systems due to prolonged water exposure that could prevent safety systems from operating as and when intended. I am also concerned about mold growth due to the prolonged water exposure and the effect it may have on myself and my passengers. Other than visual indicators of seeing water dripping and damp headliner, there was no indication that the roof was leaking.

The original battery completely drains when the car is off and no electrical equipment is kept on. This has happened on at least four occasions and car is unable to be turned on or even jumped with another car. The dealer (Toyota Umansky - Charlottesville, VA) has been unable to fix the problem and it it reoccurs. Based on my reading of this issue in similar models of the 2020 Rav 4 Hybrid, the "parasitic battery" can cause other electric malfunctions that would affect safety. Also, the description of this defect is substantially similar to the problems I face with my vehicle. I would like to add my model/ vin to the known batch of defective models with this problem.

The battery in my hybrid Rav 4 repeatedly goes dead if I don't drive the vehicle for 2 days. I reported the issue to my dealership and they charged the battery but it didn't fix the problem. The next time I brought it in for the same issue they did a software update they said would fix it. However, I have had the same problem once more and they again claim it's just a software update to fix, even though there have been no technology changes to my vehicle since they last "fixed it". In consequence, my vehicle will not start reliably which has left my husband stranded after work on a cold January day, and left me stranded at home from getting to work two additional times. Every time I bring it to the dealership they dismiss the problem but none of their attempts have resolved the issue.

After 20 minutes of driving, the vehicle caught fire under the hood and was completely destroyed. When I first started driving the car that morning, I noticed an odd smell coming from the heater. It didn't smell like smoke or burning; I best equate it to the smell of a hair dryer. This is the first time I'd ever smelled that odor in this car. At this point there were no warning messages or alerts on the dashboard that would indicate an issue. After driving for around 20 minutes, I noticed smoke coming from under the hood. There were still no warning lights on the dashboard. I immediately pulled over into an open parallel parking spot on the side of the road (busy city street) and shut the car off. While I was assisting the other 2 passengers out of the car, flames became visible coming from under the hood. The source of the flames appeared to be the top driver's side under the hood (in front of steering wheel). We called 911 and stepped back to a safe distance. The fire was extremely aggressive and the entire vehicle was engulfed in flames in just a couple minutes. The fire was so intense that it caught the car parked in front on fire (which also became completely destroyed). The fire department responded after roughly 5 minutes and put out the fire. Fortunately, no injuries resulted from this incident. There was so much damage to the vehicle that the fire investigator was not able to offer a definitive opinion as to which specific engine/battery component likely started the fire. The remains of the car are currently in possession of GEICO. I was the original owner of the vehicle, which had no history of accidents, repairs, or modifications. It had been regularly serviced for routine maintenance at the local Toyota service department, most recently in early December 2022 (approximately 3 weeks prior to the fire).

-Windshield cowl not properly screened from manufacturer in order to protect from rodents entering . Mouse/rodent infestation found in various compartments, including nests, droppings, and "other material" that made its way into the engine and HVAC, and even a dead mouse in the main cabin- all resulting from entering through windshield Cowl. Service report available if needed -Breathing in mice droppings, urine, and decomposing animals is a major health risk that can cause severe illness. -Service department performed removal, cleaning, disinfecting, and replacements of components. Service Department stated this has been happening much more frequently with the newer Toyota's as the wires used attract these rodents. This one service department in particular has even created a "Rodent Pro Service" for rodent infestation which includes cleaning and disinfecting of affected areas, and also installing a steel mesh screen to avoid future entrance from windshield cowl -Only warning was a dead mouse found inside main cabin