2007 Toyota RAV4 Visibility & Wipers Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE SUN ROOF DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE WITHOUT WARNING. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE AND OPENED CASE NUMBER: 1710231754. NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE WAS OFFERED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 70,000.

THE DRIVER-SIDE SUN VISOR FALLS DOWN, AND WILL NOT STAY UP WHEN STOWED. THIS BLOCKS THE DRIVER'S VIEW OF THE ROAD, PRESENTING A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD.

DRIVER SIDE SUN VISOR WILL DROP DOWN INTERMITTENTLY, DURING DRIVING, OBSCURING DRIVER VIEW OF THE ROAD.

VISOR ON THE DRIVER SIDE STARTING FALLING DOWN AND WILL NOT STAY PUT AT ABOUT 14000 MILES WHEN YOU ARE DRIVING IT WILL FALL HALF WAY DOWN TO REPLACE WILL BE OVER 150.00

THE SUN VISOR LOST THE ABILITY TO SHADE THE SUN CAUSING A VERY UNSAFE CONDITION WHEN DRIVING INTO THE SUN. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM ON THIS MODEL.

DRIVER'S SIDE SUN VISOR WILL NOT STAY IN CLOSED POSITION AT ANY TIME. IT IS HANGING DOWN ABOUT 45 DEGREES FROM THE ROOF HEADLINER, PARTIALLY BLOCKING THE DRIVER'S VIEW AND PRESENTING AN OBVIOUS SAFETY HAZARD. IN ADDITION, AN INJURY HAZARD EXISTS IN THE EVENT OF A FRONT END CRASH, SINCE THE DRIVER'S HEAD WILL IMPACT THE SUN VISOR FIRST. THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS OTHER REPORTS OF THIS DESIGN FLAW.

DRIVERS SIDE SUN VISOR WILL NOT STAY IN POSITION, DROPPED DOWN AND BLOCKED VIEW OF ON COMING TRAFFIC

THE DRIVER'S SIDE SUN VISOR HANGS DOWN BLOCKING THE DRIVER'S VIEW. THERE IS NO ADJUSTMENT. PAT LOBB'S TOYOTA OF MCKINNEY REPORTS THAT WHILE IT MAY BE A SAFETY HAZARD, THERE IS NO RECALL. THEIR SOLUTION IS TO BUY NEW VISORS. THERE IS NO ADJUSTMENT TO TIGHTEN IT MYSELF. IT IS UNSAFE AND $250 FOR NEW VISORS. FROM REPORTS ON THE WEB, MANY PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE CREATING AN UNSAFE VEHICLE. *TR

THE VISOR ON THE DRIVERS SIDE DOES NOT STAY UP AND COMES DOWN DURING DRIVING AND CREATES A SAFETY HAZARD WHERE IT BLOCKS OUR VIEW WHEN DRIVING. THERE ARE SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET OF THIS ISSUE WITH SEVERAL TOYOTA MODELS (RAV4, HIGHLANDER ETC.), YET TOYOTA HAS 'NOT' ISSUED A RECALL ON THIS SERIOUS DEFECT AND SAFETY ISSUE! I HAVE ALREADY HAD TO TAKE MY TOYOTA IN FOR 4-5 RECALLS ON OTHER ISSUES SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR IN 2007! TOYOTA NEEDS TO ADDRESS THIS VISOR ISSUE IMMEDIATELY! *TR

2007 TOYOTA RAV4 SUN VISORS WILL NOT STAY UP, WHICH RESTRICTS VISIBILITY. AT FIRST, THE PASSENGER VISOR STARTED TO HAND DOWN, ABOUT AN INCH FROM THE ROOF. EVENTUALLY, BOTH THE PASSENGER AND DRIVER SIDE VISORS REMAIN IN THE DOWN POSITION. THE VISOR COMPLETELY RESTRICTS VISIBILITY AND APPARENTLY, HAS BEEN A SAFETY ISSUE WITH TOYOTA FOR YEARS. 15 SEP 2014, I TOOK MY RAV4 IN FOR RECALL WORK AND ASKED THEM TO FIX THE VISORS. I WAS TOLD THE NEXT DAY, THAT IT WOULD COST 240 DOLLARS TO REPLACE BOTH VISORS. I TALKED WITH THE SERVICE MANAGER AT THE DEALERSHIP, AND BASICALLY STATED, THAT TOYOTA WAS RESPONSIBLE AND THEY WOULD HAVE TO APPROVE THE REPLACEMENT. CALLED TOYOTA 800-331-4331 AND TALKED WITH CUSTOMER CONCERNS. SHE TOLD ME THAT THIS IS A WARRANTY ISSUE AND THAT MY 36K MILE WARRANTY HAS ALREADY PASSED. I TOLD HER THAT THIS WAS A SAFETY AND DESIGN FLAW THAT PRESENTS A HAZARD TO ANYONE WHO DRIVES THE VEHICLE. CUSTOMER CONCERNS STATED THAT SINCE THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON THIS MATTER, THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THAT TOYOTA WOULD DO. SINCE BEING TOLD THAT TOYOTA DOES NOT CONSIDER THIS A SAFETY ISSUE, I HAVE RESEARCHED SEVERAL CONSUMER BLOGS, TOYOTA OWNERS, AND HAVE SEEN SEVERAL BLOGS/COMPLAINTS CONCERNING TOYOTA CAMRY'S, RAV4'S, HIGHLANDER'S AND TUNDRA'S, ALL HAVING THE SAME SUN VISOR SAFETY ISSUES. MANY HAVE REPLACED THEIR VISOR'S TWO AND THREE TIMES. MOST BLOGS DISCUSS REMEDIES TO FIX, ONLY FINDING THE MATTER A PAIN AND SAFETY ISSUE NO ONE WANTS TO REMEDY. OWNERS OF THESE VEHICLES SHOULD BE ABLE TO ADJUST THE VISORS SO THAT THEY CAN BE SAFELY ADJUSTED TO SAFELY STAY UP AND OUT OF THE WAY WHEN NOT IN USE. I DON?T THINK WE SHOULD WAIT FOR NUMEROUS ACCIDENTS OR INJURIES AND DEATH TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE SAFETY DESIGN FLAW AND SERIOUS SAFETY COMPLICATIONS! *TR

THE DRIVER'S SIDE SUN VISOR NO LONGER STAYS IN PLACE WHEN STOWED AND INSTEAD DROOPS DOWN AT APPROXIMATELY A 40 DEGREE ANGLE. THIS IMPAIRS DRIVER'S VISIBILITY AS IT FALLS SQUARELY WITHIN THE DRIVER'S FIELD OF VISION. IT ALSO BECOMES A DISTRACTION IN THAT THE DRIVER IS CONSTANTLY PUSHING THE VISOR BACK INTO PLACE, TO NO EFFECT. THE PROBLEM IS IMPAIRED VISIBILITY DUE TO A FAILING PART. THIS IS A WELL DOCUMENTED ISSUE FOR TOYOTA AND YET TOYOTA REFUSES TO CORRECT THIS OBVIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

DRIVER'S SIDE SUN VISOR FAILURE TO WORK PROPERLY CAUSING A SAFETY ISSUE AND POSSIBLE BODILY INJURY OR DEATH. THE SUN VISOR IS NOT STAYING IN THE STOWED POSITION WHICH IS FLAT AGAINST THE INTERIOR ROOF OF THE CAR DUE TO A KNOWN FAILED MECHANISM WITHIN THE SUN VISOR SUCH AS THE SPRING LOADED MECHANISM WHICH IS FAILING. INSTEAD, THE SUN VISOR IS DROPPING DOWN AT A 45 DEGREE ANGLE. THIS HAS CAUSED MY HEAD TO HIT IT SEVERAL TIMES WHILE ENTERING THE VEHICLE. AND, IF INVOLVED IN A HEAD ON COLLISION, THIS COULD CAUSE THE SUN VISOR TO SLICE THROUGH MY NECK BECAUSE IT IS AT A 45 DEGREE ANGLE GOING ACROSS MY NECK SINCE IT WILL NOT STAY UP DUE TO THE FAILED SPRING MECHANISM WITHIN THE SUN VISOR. AFTER RESEARCH OF MY OWN, I HAVE FOUND AND BEEN TOLD BY RELIABLE SOURCES IN THE TOYOTA INDUSTRY THAT THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM AND THAT I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE HAVING THIS PROBLEM WITH THE FAILURE OF THE DRIVER'S SIDE SUN VISOR AND POSSIBLY THE PASSENGER SIDE AS WELL OVER TIME. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY A TOYOTA REPRESENTATIVE AT TOYOTA HEADQUARTERS THAT THIS PART IS ONLY COVERED BY A 3 1/2 YEAR WARRANTY INSTEAD OF THE SAME WARRANTY AS THE CAR. THIS TELLS ME THAT TOYOTA MAY KNOW THAT THIS PART WILL FAIL OVER TIME. ALL OTHER VEHICLES I HAVE OWNED WITH MANUAL SUN VISORS HAVE NEVER FAILED FOR THE LIFE OF THE CAR SINCE THEY DO NOT HAVE INTERNAL PARTS LIKE THE TOYOTA MODEL HAS. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP THAT I HAVE TO PAY ABOUT $85 TO HAVE IT REPLACED WHEN THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND IT SHOULD NOT FAIL. IT'S NOT A MOVING PART WITHIN THE ENGINE. *TR

DRIVER'S SIDE SUN VISOR FAILURE TO WORK PROPERLY CAUSING A SAFETY ISSUE AND POSSIBLE BODILY INJURY OR DEATH. THE SUN VISOR IS NOT STAYING IN THE STOWED POSITION WHICH IS FLAT AGAINST THE INTERIOR ROOF OF THE CAR DUE TO A KNOWN FAILED MECHANISM WITHIN THE SUN VISOR SUCH AS THE SPRING LOADED MECHANISM WHICH IS FAILING. INSTEAD, THE SUN VISOR IS DROPPING DOWN AT A 45 DEGREE ANGLE. THIS HAS CAUSED MY HEAD TO HIT IT SEVERAL TIMES WHILE ENTERING THE VEHICLE. AND, IF INVOLVED IN A HEAD ON COLLISION, THIS COULD CAUSE THE SUN VISOR TO SLICE THROUGH MY NECK BECAUSE IT IS AT A 45 DEGREE ANGLE GOING ACROSS MY NECK SINCE IT WILL NOT STAY UP DUE TO THE FAILED SPRING MECHANISM WITHIN THE SUN VISOR. AGAIN, THIS COULD RESULT IN DEATH OR BODILY INJURY IF IT IS NOT TAKEN CARE OF. AFTER RESEARCH OF MY OWN, I HAVE FOUND AND BEEN TOLD BY RELIABLE SOURCES IN THE TOYOTA INDUSTRY THAT THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM AND THAT I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE HAVING THIS PROBLEM WITH THE FAILURE OF THE DRIVER'S SIDE SUN VISOR AND POSSIBLY THE PASSENGER SIDE AS WELL OVER TIME. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY A TOYOTA REPRESENTATIVE AT TOYOTA HEADQUARTERS THAT THIS PART IS ONLY COVERED BY A 3 1/2 YEAR WARRANTY INSTEAD OF THE SAME WARRANTY AS THE CAR. THIS TELLS ME THAT TOYOTA MAY KNOW THAT THIS PART WILL FAIL OVER TIME. ALL OTHER VEHICLES I HAVE OWNED WITH MANUAL SUN VISORS HAVE NEVER FAILED FOR THE LIFE OF THE CAR SINCE THEY DO NOT HAVE INTERNAL PARTS LIKE THE TOYOTA MODEL HAS. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP THAT I HAVE TO PAY ABOUT $85 TO HAVE IT REPLACED WHEN THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND IT SHOULD NOT FAIL. IT'S NOT A MOVING PART WITHIN THE ENGINE. *TR

THE SUN VISOR IS BADLY DESIGNED AND DOES NOT STAY UP. AFFECTS BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE VISORS. FOR A TALL DRIVER LIKE MYSELF THIS IS A SECURITY RISK SINCE IT LIMITS OUTWARDS VISIBILITY. THE VIEW OF TRAFFIC LIGHT AND ROAD SIGNS MOUNTED HIGH IS IMPEDED. THE LOOSE AND FLAPPING VISOR IN LINE OF SIGHT ALSO CONSTITUTE A DISTRACTION WHICH IS IN ITSELF A HAZARD. *TR

DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW VISOR LOOSE AND DOES NOT STAY IN POSITION. FALLS DOWN INTO DRIVERS VIEW OBSTRUCTING VISION AND DISTRACTING DRIVER. *TR

I OWN A 2007 TOYOTA RAV4 4 WD. I WAS CHECKING RECALLS AND DECIDED TO READ COMPLAINTS.. I WAS AMAZED TO FIND OUT ABOUT THE DRIVERS SIDE VISOR. THAT DOESN'T STAY UP.. WE HAVE THIS SAME PROBLEM. I DON'T KNOW WHEN THIS HAPPENED, BUT WITHIN THIS PAST YEAR OR SO. IT WILL NOT STAY UP. IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE, I AM SHORT SO ITS DOWN, BUT , MY HUSBAND WHO IS TALL CREATES A PROBLEM WITH HIM. I THOUGHT IT WAS KIND OF FUNNY THAT, IT WAS JUST OUR CAR, THAT MAYBE MY HUSBAND HAD DONE SOMETHING, WHEN HE MOVED IT.. UNTIL I READ ALL THE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME THING. THAN WHEN WE TOOK THE CAR FOR OUR REGULAR MAINTENANCE, TO THE TOYOTA DEALER, HE SAID IT WOULD COST 125.00 DOLLARS TO FIX IT. , HE SAID IT WAS A MECHANISM INSIDE THE ARM HOLDER. MY HUSBAND DECLINED AT THAT TIME. NOW AFTER READING THE COMPLAINTS, I NOW KNOW IT WASN'T' JUST OUR CAR. I BELIEVE TOYOTA KNOWS THIS AND BECAUSE IT IS A HAZARD THEY SHOULD FIX IT. ITS IRONIC THAT THE 2007 RAV HAVE THIS SAME PROBLEM. PLEASER HAVE THEM FIX IT. THANK-YOU *TR

THE DRIVERS SIDE VISOR BEGAN FLOPPING FORWARD AND WILL NOT STAY IN THE UPRIGHT POSITION. SOMETIMES IT JUST DROPS DOWN WITHOUT BEING TOUCHED AND OF COURSE IT INTERFERES WITH VISIBILITY. I HAVE READ THAT THERE IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THIS ISSUE. IT WAS MENTIONED AT ONE OF MY SERVICE VISITS AT THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP BUT I DO NOT FEEL THAT I SHOULD HAVE TO PAY $150.00 DOLLARS TO FIX IT. SINCE READING MORE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE IT SEEMS IT IS A DESIGN FLAW. IT WILL DROP DOWN WHEN I HIT THE BRAKES OR SOMETIMES BY ITSELF.

THE VISOR ON THE DRIVER SIDE CONTINUALLY DROPS INTO THE VISION OF THE DRIVER. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW EXHIBITED AN ABNORMAL NOISE FOR AND THE POWER SWITCH AILED INTERMITTENTLY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A BURNING SMELL THROUGHOUT THE VEHICLE WHENEVER CONTACT USED THE POWER SWITCH FOR THE WINDOWS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER WHO INSPECTED VEHICLE AND DETERMINED THAT THE MOTOR FOR THE POWER SWITCH PASSENGER WINDOW NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MOTOR WAS NOT REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 42,000.

DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW VISOR LOOSE AND DOES NOT STAY IN POSITION. FALLS DOWN INTO DRIVERS VIEW OBSTRUCTING VISION AND DISTRACTING DRIVER. *TR