NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2013 Toyota RAV4. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
The battery caught on fire while driving causing a loss of power. I could pull over and a driver passing by jumped out and extinguished the fire.
Engine started smoking and a few minutes later the vehicle completely engulfed in flames.
My battery was not secure and caused a fire under hood
The contact owns a 2013 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated when she attempted to start the vehicle, it hesitated to start, once the vehicle started the contact noticed smoking was coming from under the hood. The contact was able to shut down the vehicle. The contact stated that more smoke was coming from under the hood of the vehicle turning into flames causing the vehicle to burn. The fire department was contacted, and they were able to extinguish the fire. No police report was filed. No one was injured. The vehicle was not towed. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 45,000.
The vehicle has experienced premature and widespread paint peeling and clear coat failure on multiple body panels. The paint began deteriorating without impact, collision, or environmental damage and has progressively worsened over time. This condition is consistent with a known manufacturing defect affecting certain Toyota vehicles, which Toyota acknowledged through a Customer Support Program. The defect results in exposed metal and body surfaces, increasing the risk of corrosion and long-term structural damage. The issue has been visually confirmed and documented and is reproducible across affected panels. No warning indicators were present prior to the failure. The vehicle remains available for inspection upon request.
I turned the key and started the RAV4 parked in my driveway. It immediately made unusual noices (gurgling, spitting, etc.). Within a minute, there was a loud "BOOM" under the hood and fire began coming out from underneath the car. I got out of the car and got a safe distance from it. My neighbors came running over as they heard subsequent explosions and saw black smoke billowing from my direction. Within a matter of a few minutes, the entire car was engulfed in flames. The fire department came and extinguished it. There is nothing left! BTW, I am 91 years old. This could have had a very different and sad outcome!
While driving , the dashboard lights start flicker off first as a warning before the entire car shuts completely down. The car was start having those issues back in 2014 and delaer told us it was the battery negative wire that causing the issue. Suddenly, it start doing the same thing and in my opinion very dangerous to drive on street and highways. No one wnats to have a car that just suddenly stalled on highway.
Paint peeling on car. Paint could come off hood while driving and obstruct vision while driving.
The battery on my 2013 Toyota Rav4 burst into flames while the engine was going and I was at a traffic stop/intersection. The electrical system failed, car died in place, luckily while at a stop and smoke from the engine compartment filled the car. I had just pulled off the highway and had come to an intersection in a residential neighborhood of a densely populated city center. Residents came from the street to help put the engine compartment fire out. Driver and passenger (a dog) were able to get out safely, police and fire department came to the scene and asked people to move away from the vehicle in case of explosion. Fire was extinguished. Car was towed to local Toyota dealership, Car insurance agent has done preliminary inspection as well as dealership service manager. Both state that the battery did catch on fire. Battery installed was correct size as per service technician's initial report. At this time, total damage to the car is unclear, as a full inspection of the vehicle and electrical system has not been done. two or three times sporadically over the two days prior, the lights on the dashboard flickered on momentarily as though there was some kind of electrical short circuit happening somewhere. At present the vehicle remains at the dealership awaiting full Toyota inspection, since as a result of this office's investigation of numerous battery fires, Toyota has issued a Consumer safety recall.
car is consuming 2 Quarts of oil in a very short time.
The contact owned a 2013 Toyota RAV-4. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at an unknown speed, she detected a burning odor inside the vehicle as smoke was coming through the vents. As well as flames from under the hood. The contact's daughter pulled and stopped upon exiting the vehicle the front was engulfed in flames. The fire department was called and extinguished the fire. A fire department report was not filed nor a police department was not filed as they were on the scene. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed by a dealer or an independent mechanic. The insurance company deemed the vehicle a total loss. The manufacturer was notified and a case was opened. The contact stated researched failure online and found an investigation by NHTSA. The approximate failure mileage was 63,000.
The car when driving around 30 to 45 mph starts shuddering. Looks apparently it's the torque converter
On Jan 3, 2022 while my daughter and granddaughter were using my 2013 Rav4, traffic was stopped on Rt 11, and they stopped and the car behind them stopped. But the drunk driver in a Dodge pickup did not stop, pushing the car behind my car into on coming traffic and then slamming into the back of my Rav4, pushing it into the bumper of a dump truck. The pickup truck stopped in the back seat of the Rav4. The Rav4 stopped when it hit the bumper, just short of going through the windshield. It is unknown how fast the drunk driver was traveling, but my Rav4 was totaled. However, no airbags deployed. Fortunately, my daughter and granddaughter, although completely shaken, walked away from the collision.
Brakes failed to stop while parking vehicle with a speed of less than 5 mph hitting landscaping with a young pine tree that made the vehicle stopped. Hit and went over some matured bushes on the landscaped parking lot. The SUV cannot be stopped even brakes were depressed all the way. I needed to have my vehicle towed out of the bushes and the broken young tree in order to get out of the rubble. I need to have my brakes inspected by the dealership this week as it happened this Christmas Eve and the service are closed.
Please see letter attached. Thank you!
11443340 FILE number please add this commentary. Toyota provided and extended warranty for this vehicle due to torque converter defects. I was not notified because I was not owner at time. Extended warranty expired on 10/13/21 . My car developed problem around 11/22/21. Toyota now refuses to help in any form.
The contact owns a 2013 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated while his wife was driving 30 MPH, the vehicle failed to shift automatically to the next gear. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The driver was able to drive to her destination. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the torque converter to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired but was pending repairs. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 132,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that the front driver’s side windshield wiper was not functioning properly when activated. The front driver’s side windshield wiper would get stuck in the upright position. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V577000 (Visibility/Wiper). The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
While driving the vehicle it experiences an intermittent shutter in the drive train. On flat roads it is an annoyance; when driving on mountain roads or with a loaded vehicle it becomes more severe to the point the vehicle feels like it will lose control. At its worse the issue impacts the ability of the driver to maintain control (e.g., braking down a mountain), at a minimum it causes significant distraction in situations requiring constant focus on the road. The Toyota dealer diagnosed the issue as a torque converter flex lock up. Toyota corporate is aware is this defect and issued a Warranty Policy Bulleting (No. POL17-06) to address it. While the company issued a warranty enhancement to address the issue, they are treating it as a minor defect affecting customer satisfaction instead of the safety issue it is. Due to Toyota's approach, they limited the time period they would cover safety related repairs. This leaves 2013-2015 RAV4 vehicle owners to either not correct the issue and hope for the best, pay to correct the defect themselves (expensive due to the need for a Toyota drivetrain expert or master technician to perform the repair), or pass the problem off to the next owner. I contacted Toyota Corporate on and even though the vehicle has low mileage (95K), because the problem appeared after a Toyota established date they would not correct the defect. In my conversation with Toyota Corporate they confirmed it was a safety issue and advised me to have it repaired right away at my own cost. This manufacturer defect in 2013-2015 RAV 4s, in certain road conditions, creates an unreasonable safety risk to drivers. Toyota's approach to resolving the issue is insufficient and does not protect owners from unreasonable risk of an accident because of this safety flaw. Please start an investigation into this safety defect and initiate a safety recall compelling Toyota to correct the issue regardless of the vehicle's age. Thank you
The contact owns a 2013 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that an abnormal clicking sound was coming from the steering column without warning. The contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer where he was informed that the steering gear and rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The contact was also informed that there were no recalls associated with the VIN. The contact then took the vehicle to an independent mechanic who provided the same information as the dealer. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 103,000.
The Fuel Pump entire system failed. I have a receipt of $731.50 to have it fixed. I was stranded coming off Belt Parkway in New York City, I feared for my car as the cars came flying off of the exit ramp. The Toyota Company has sent recalls on most of their Fuel Pumps except my 2013 Toyota Rav4. All of my alerts went on immediately but then the car just stopped and I managed to coast to the off the ramp. There were no warnings but when I looked up Toyota Recalls the main problem is their Fuel Pump Injectors in most of their cars and I had no knowledge of this.
On June 17 the tread separated on a tire that was purchased on 4/2/21. I was driving on the interstate at 65 mph with the tire separated.
Note: This is a fully electric vehicle. It was made by Toyota, but the drive train (electric motor, battery, etc.) is made by Tesla. Earlier this summer (Around June 2021) while starting the vehicle from a stop, the vehicle either shifted to neutral (halfway through an intersection) or stalled. The vehicle displays a message saying "Check EV System". We have since taken it to two Toyota dealerships. The first (Toyota of Tacoma in Tacoma WA) said the 12V battery needed to be replaced, but the issue happened again almost immediately after we took the vehicle off the lot and completely stalled in the middle of a busy intersection. We brought it back to the same dealership who then said nothing was wrong with the vehicle. We also took the vehicle to a local auto repair shop that specializes in electric vehicles where they were able to recreate the issue but unfortunately were unable to work on the car as Tesla had locked the codes needed to diagnose the issues. The second dealership (Titus Will Toyota in Tacoma WA) was able to reproduce the issue, but they didn't have the equipment to work on the vehicle. They said that they spoke to the Toyota engineering team who told them that the speed sensor had moisture on it, and the coolant on the right side was low which indicates that coolant was leaking into the electric motor and the vehicle needed a new drive train. Toyota said that since the drive train was made by Tesla, they are unable to work on the vehicle and we would need to figure out how to get the vehicle from Washington to California to find a shop that could service the vehicle and completely replace the entire drive train - a diagnosis made and given over the phone. We purchased the vehicle just over a year ago in Washington and now it has a dangerous safety issue that neither Toyota nor Tesla is wanting anything to do with and that local repair shops cannot address.
THE CAR WAS PARKED AND OFF. THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT BURST INTO FLAMES. FIREFIGHTERS HAD TO EXTINGUISH. CAR IS A TOTAL LOSS.
DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY THE SUNROOF EXPLODED
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 TOYOTA RAV-4. THE CONTACT STATED THE WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE CONTACT STATED THEY NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE HOOD FROM THE ENGINE. THE CONTACT GOT OUT THE VEHICLE AND CALLED 911. THE VEHICLE ENGULFED IN FLAMES AND NO ONE WAS INJURED DURING THE FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS NOTIFIED AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. A FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORT WAS FILED. THERE WAS NO WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A TOW YARD. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED OR DIAGNOSED BY INSURANCE COMPANY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,000.
INDICATES A MALFUNCTION IN THE EV SYSTEM. HIGH BATTERY TEMP SHOW MALFUNCTION ON EVSYSTEM WHILE ON ROAD AND SUDDEN POWER LOSS MAY BE CREATE DEADLY ACCIDENT. WHILE CHARGING IT SHOW MALFUNCTION IN EV SYSTEM.
DRIVING ON HIGHWAY @70MPH. TIRE LIGHT CAME ON DASHBOARD. LESS THAN 2 MINUTES LATER, DRIVER-SIDE REAR TIRE FAILED. SLIGHTLY LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE AND SWERVED FROM THE FAST LANE TO THE RIGHT SHOULDER OFF OF HIGHWAY. WE COULD SMELL SMOKE AND UPON GETTING OUT OF THE CAR SAW THAT THE TIRE WALL HAD SEPARATED FROM THE TIRE RIM AND OBSERVED TIRE RIM MARKS IN ASPHALT. WE FOUND A NEARBY TIRE STORE AND HAD THE TIRE REPLACED WITH A NEW DIFFERENT NAME OF TIRE. TIRES WERE PURCHASED LESS THAN 6 MONTHS PRIOR. TIRE: COOPER HERCULES TERRA TRAC CROSS-V
I SAW ARTICLE IN USA TODAY. EXACT SAME THING WAS HAPPENING TO MY RAV4 A MONTH AGO. I BROUGHT BACK TO DEALER AND THEY CHANGED THE BATTERY- BUT I PAID FOR IT.
VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN PARKING LOT, IGNITION TURNED OFF. LEFT CAR FOR APPROXIMATELY 1-2 MINUTES, RETURNED TO PARKING LOT TO FIND VEHICLE HAD CAUGHT FIRE. FIRE APPEARED TO ORIGINATE IN FRONT OF VEHICLE. FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED AND FIRE EXTINGUISHED. MOST OF DAMAGE DONE TO FRONT OF VEHICLE AND PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. VEHICLE DESTROYED.
AFTER NOT HAVING USED THE CAR FOR A WHILE, I DECIDED TO SEE IF THINGS WERE GOOD. I COULDN'T TURN THE CAR AT ALL, SO I DECIDED TO JUMP START IT. THE CAR TURNED ON BUT THERE WAS A WARNING SAYING "PROBLEM WITH EV SYSTEM, TAKE TO DEALERSHIP". ON MY WAY TO THE DEALERSHIP, I FELT THE ACCELERATION OF THE CAR HAD BEEN REDUCED SIGNIFICANTLY. WHEN I ARRIVE AT THE DEALERSHIP, THEY SAY LEAVE YOUR CAR HERE AND WE TAKE A LOOK AT IT. I LEFT IT THERE AND START TO HEAD BACK HOME. AS I AM GOING BACK, THE DEALERSHIP CONTACTS ME AND SAYS "WE CAN'T WORK ON THIS CAR BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE ANYONE WHO IS EXPERIENCED WITH THIS. COME BACK AND PICK IT UP." SO I HEAD BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP. ON THE PHONE, I MADE SURE THEY KNEW IT WAS A FULLY ELECTRIC CAR AND THEY SAID WE WOULD TAKE A LOOK AT IT. ANYWAYS, AS I AM DRIVING BACK HOME, THE ACCELERATION IS STILL VERY POOR. IT TAKES 30 SECONDS TO GO FROM 0 TO 40MPH. I GET A DIFFERENT WARNING SAYING "BATTERY OVERHEATED, LIMITING ENERGY SUPPLY". THERE ALSO IS THIS NASTY ROTTEN EGG TYPE SMELL AS WELL. I AM KIND OF SCARED NOW BECAUSE BATTERY POWERED CAR HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO CATCH ON FIRE. SO FAR NO ONE HAS BEEN ABLE TO HELP ME WITH THIS ISSUE.
GIVE HIGHT STARTING
DROVE THE CAR 8 BLOCKS ON CITY STREET TO THE FILLING STATION, WHILE TURNING INTO THE FILLING STATION FROM ACCESS ROAD THE CAR SHUT OFF AND THE DASH WENT COMPLETELY BLACK JUST SHORT OF FUEL PUMP. STOPPED THE CAR AND RESTARTED, DROVE 50 FT. TO FUEL PUMP. SHUT CAR OFF TO FILL WITH GAS. WENT INTO STATION TO PRE-PAY FOR FUEL. RETURNED TO THE CAR, FILLED WITH FUEL AND TRIED TO START. WHEN TRYING TO START THE CAR IT WAS COMPLETELY BLACK, NO ELECTRONICS AT ALL, CALLED MY WIFE TO GET A TOW TRUCK TO HAVE IT REMOVED FROM THE GAS STATION, THEN WENT IN TO STATION TO TELL ATTENDANT THE SITUATION. WHILE EXITING THE STORE I NOTICED SPARKS AND GLOWING EMBERS DROPPING TO THE GROUND FROM INSIDE THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL AREA. I TURNED BACK AND ASKED THE STATION ATTENDANT FOR A FIRE EXTINGUISHER, RETURNED TO CAR, WITH 5 LB EXTINGUISHER, HOOD WOULD NOT RELEASE SO SPRAYED EXTINGUISHER UP UNDER WHEEL, AROUND HOOD CRACKS, AND BY THIS TIME THE HEAD LIGHT HAD A HOLE WHERE THE FLAMES WERE SHOOTING OUT, SO SPRAYED FIRE REPELLENT INTO THE HOLE. AFTER ABOUT 10 SEC EXTINGUISHER WAS EMPTY. TOLD GAS STATION ATTENDANT TO CALL FIRE DEPARTMENT AS THE VEHICLE WAS GOING UP IN FLAMES. APPROXIMATELY 5 MINUTES LATER THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED TO EXTINGUISH THE FLAMES.
The brake line on the on the driver's side leaked brake fluid on the rotors and pads leading to an increased risk of crash due to lubricated brakes
STRUTS ARE MAKING A LOT OF NOISE IN THE REAR OF THE CAR, ALSO HEAT SHIELD GROMMETS ARE LOOSE AND PRODUCES A BANGING SOUND UNDER THE CAR. ALL THE NOISES ARE NOTICEABLE WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS. TORQUE CONVERTER AND 6 SOLENOIDS HAD TO BE REPLACED
DRIVING MY 2013 TOYOTA RAV4EV WHEN THE VEHICLE SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL AND WOULD NOT SHIFT BACK TO DRIVE AND LOST POWER WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AT 70 MPH. LUCKY TO BE ABLE TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY. THERE WAS A MESSAGE IN THE DISPLAY OF "CHECK EV SYSTEM. HAVE YOUR VEHICLE CHECKED BY DEALERSHIP IMMEDIATELY"
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DOOR LOCKS WERE INOPERABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE LOCKS WERE UNABLE TO BE LOCKED OR UNLOCKED FROM INSIDE THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN UNKNOWN DEALER AND THE CONTACT WAS PROVIDED AN ESTIMATE OF $1,800 FOR THE REPAIRS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 59,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE HIS WIFE WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE SUNROOF EXPLODED WITHOUT IMPACT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SUN ROOF SHADE PREVENTED SHATTERED GLASS FROM ENTERING THE CABIN OF THE VEHICLE. SLOANE TOYOTA OF MALVERN LOCATED AT 593 LANCASTER AVE., MALVERN, PA 19355, WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE WAS APPROXIMATELY 80,000.
WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE STARTED TO SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING WITH ALL LIGHTS COMING ON ON THE DASH BOARD. IT CUTS ON WHEN YOU PUT CAR BACK IN PARK THEN TURN THE KEY, BUT STILL TURNS OFF AGAIN WHEN YOU TAKE IT PAST A CERTAIN SPEED OR WHEN STOPPING TO HARD.
I was traveling south on [XXX] when the vehicle stalled. I started the engine and proceeded. I noticed my Rav4 smoking from the engine so I turned off into a Extra Space Storage parking at 1415 Bergen Boulevard, Fort Lee N.J. 07024 were it stalled again. I then exited the vehicle and opened the hood and observed a burst flames coming from the engine/battery area. I ran to a Wendy's and asked for a fire extinguisher, but the fire escalated rapidly, burning the entire interior and exterior of the vehicle. It was towed to Sanos Towing Company 344 Bergen Blvd. Palisades Park. N.J. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
I WAS DRIVING ON A LOCAL ROAD. AS I TURNED INTO THE PARKING LOT OF A STORE, THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF AND SMOKE AND FUMES BEGAN TO FILL THE CABIN. I PULLED TO THE SIDE,GOT OUT OF THE CAR, AND RAISED THE HOOD. THERE WAS A FIRE IN THE AREA OF THE BATTERY. A PERSON NEARBY NOTICED THE FIRE AND CAME TO PUT IT OUT BEFORE THE ENTIRE VEHICLE WAS ENGULFED. LOCAL POLICE AND FIRE ALSO RESPONDED.
TRANSMISSION IS NOT WORKING CORRECTLY. IT SHAKES A LOT WHILE DRIVING I TOOK IT TO THE MECHANIC AND HE CONFIRMED THAT THE TRANSMISSION IS NOT WORKING CORRECTLY AND SHOULD BE REPLACE UNDER WARRANTY RECALL SINCE MY VEHICLE ONLY HAS 77000 MILES.
I AM ENTERING A SAFETY COMPLAINT REGARDING THE HEADLIGHTS ON MY TOYOTA 2013 RAV4. TODAY, I WENT TO MY LOCAL CAR REPAIRMAN TO FIX A HEADLIGHT THAT BLEW OUT. THIS IS THE 3RD TIME IN 6 MONTHS. IN SEPTEMBER, WE HAD TO COMPLETELY CHANGE BOTH HEADLIGHTS BECAUSE PARTS IN THE HEADLIGHTS WERE MELTING. YET, LESS THAN 6 MONTHS LATER, MY PASSENGER HEADLIGHT BLEW OUT AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THERE IS SOMETHING SYSTEMATICALLY WRONG WITH MY HEADLIGHTS. ACCORDING TO MY CAR MECHANIC, IT LOOKS LIKE THEY ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO BURN OUT. THIS CREATES HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS FOR ME AND MY PASSENGERS.
TOYOTA RAV4 WITH THE BLIZZARD WHITE PAINT HAVE A PAINT PEELING PROBLEM WHICH CAN QUICKLY BECOME A SAFETY ISSUE WHEN IT PEELS OFF THE ENGINE HOOD AND FLIES UP ON THE WINDSHIELD BLOCKING YOUR FIELD OF VISION ON I-84 AT 90FT/SEC.TOYOTA WILL ONLY PAINT PARTS OF THE CAR AS THEY PEEL FROM THE PRIMER BUT THEY SHOULD PAINT THE ENTIRE CAR SINCE THE PAINT AND PRIMER ARE THE SAME ON THE ENTIRE CAR.THEY DID SOME BOGUS TESTS AND TOLD ME THE REST OF CAR WAS OKAY.I PICKED THE CAR UP ON FEBRUARY 6 AND ONE WEEK LATER THE PASSENGER CAR DOOR STARTED TO PEEL.I HAVE ANOTHER APPOINTMENT ON MARCH 9 TO PAINT THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR.THE WORK IS BEING DONE AT GREENTREE TOYOTA IN DANBURY,CT.TOYOTA IS PROCRASTINATING HOPING THESE PROBLEMS WILL DISAPPEAR.
THE CAR BURST INTO FLAMES SPONTANEOUSLY IN THE PARKING LOT. NOBODY WAS INSIDE THE CAR AT THAT TIME. IT HAPPENED A FEW MINUTES AFTER THE CAR WAS PARKED.FIREFIGHTERS PUT OUT THE FLAMES LATER. HOWEVER, THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED. FORTUNATELY, NOBODY WAS INJURED OR HURT.
WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE ON A CITY STREET, ALL THE LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD FLASHED ON, THEN OFF. VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY LOST ALL ENGINE AND ELECTRICAL POWER. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD AND ON TO A PARKING LOT. THINKING THAT A BATTERY CABLE POSSIBLY HAD COME LOOSE, I RAISED THE HOOD. THE AREA AT OR NEAR THE BATTERY WAS ON FIRE. I CALLED 9-1-1, BUT BY THE TIME THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED, THE ENTIRE FRONT PART OF THE VEHICLE WAS IN FLAMES. THE 2013 TOYOTA RAV4 WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED. I WAS NOT INJURED, BUT I AM CONCERNED THAT OTHER RAV4 DRIVERS MAY NOT BE AS FORTUNATE.
STEERING RACK IS BAD AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED.
MY CAR IS ONLY 70,000 MILES AND FROM THE PAST I AM EXPERIENCING MISSED MISFIRE OF MY TRANSMISSION FROM 2ND TO 3RD GEAR. THE CAR IS DRIVEN DAILY, BUT BEING FAIRLY LESS NUMBER OF MILES THIS IS A VERY UNEXPECTED BEHAVIOR. I CHECKED WITH A CERTIFIED MECHANIC, WHO ASKED ME TO GET IT REBUILT FOR MORE THAN $3,000. BUT COULD NOT TELL ME THE REASON FOR THIS ISSUE. HE SAID LIKELY TO BE TOYOTA TRANSMISSION ISSUE.
THE PAINT ON THE HOOD IS BUBBLING AND PEELING OFF.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEAT BELTS FAILED TO LOCK. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE MECHANISM AND PANEL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE LOCAL DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026