2017 Toyota RAV4 Body & Structure Problems

Yesterday March 25th 2026 I went to work and parked my 2017 Toyota RAV4 and about 30minutes later it was on fire in the parking lot. The fire happened around the battery area

The contact owns a 2017 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that condensation was present inside the vehicle causing the carpet to become moist and damp. The contact stated that the front and rear carpets on the driver's and passenger's sides of the vehicle were moldy. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was contacted, and a service appointment was scheduled. The manufacturer was not yet notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 100,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO OPEN THE TRUNK, THE HYDRAULIC CYLINDER FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE HYDRAULIC CYLINDER NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO CONFIRMED THE DIAGNOSTIC RESULT. THE VEHICLE WAS BEING REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THERE WAS NO WARRANTY ON THE PART. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

WHEN APPROACHING A STOP SIGN I APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THE CAR LUNGED FORWARD FORCING ME TO HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. SINCE I'VE OWNED THIS CAR, THIS HAS HAPPENED MANY TIMES FORTUNATELY CAUSING AN ACCIDENT ONLY TWICE, 9/4/2018 AND 11/2 2019. IN BOTH CASES THIS OCCURRED ON A CITY STREET. I BELIEVE THE CAUSE OF THIS IS BECAUSE THE GAS PEDAL AND THE BRAKE PEDAL ARE TOO CLOSE TOGETHER . IF I DON'T APPLY THE BRAKES ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE BRAKE PEDAL, I WILL HIT THE GAS PEDAL CAUSING THE CAR TO LURCH FORWARD. I HAVE A NORMAL SIZE FOOT - SIZE 10 SHOE. THIS IS AN UNSAFE CAR I DO NOT ALLOW MY WIFE OR GROWN CHILDREN TO DRIVE IT. THE CAR IS LEASED AND EXPIRES SEPT 1ST OF THIS YEAR. I CAN'T WAIT TO GET RID OF IT *TR

FROM THE IIHS WEBSITE: "THE TOYOTA RAV4 WAS REDESIGNED FOR THE 2013 MODEL YEAR. ALTHOUGH TOYOTA REINFORCED THE STRUCTURE IN LATER MODEL YEARS ON THE DRIVER SIDE TO IMPROVE OCCUPANT PROTECTION IN SMALL OVERLAP FRONTAL CRASHES, NO SUCH CHANGES WERE MADE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE." FOR THE 2013 REDESIGN, TOYOTA KNEW ENOUGH TO CORRECT THE STRUCTURE ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE TO REMEDY THE IIHS'S RATING OF POOR; HOWEVER, THIS CORRECTION WAS NOT MADE BILATERALLY AND THE PASSENGER SIDE IS STILL COMPROMISED. AT THE TIME I PURCHASED THE RAV4, THE PASSENGER SIDE SMALL FRONT OVERLAP TEST WAS NOT BEING CONDUCTED BY IIHS, AND IT WAS NOT DISCLOSED THAT THE CHANGE WAS MADE ONLY TO THE DRIVER SIDE. THE SALES GM AT THE DEALERSHIP ASSURED ME THAT MY CAR IS STILL SAFE AND REMAINS AN IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK. I OPENED A CASE WITH TOYOTA AND RECEIVED A CALL FROM A CASE MANAGER WHO SAID THE CAR MEETS FEDERAL SAFETY GUIDELINES AND HAS A FIVE-STAR SAFETY RATING WITH NHTSA. HE CALLED THE SMALL OVERLAP FRONT CRASH TEST SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT OF "OVERLY AGGRESSIVE" AND "VERY SPECIALIZED." HE STATED THAT BECAUSE THERE IS NOT A "CHRONIC PRODUCT DEFECT" TO MY SPECIFIC VEHICLE AND THAT MY "COMPLAINT IS WITH THE PRODUCT DESIGN" THAT THERE IS "NOTHING FOR TOYOTA TO DO." IF THIS PARTICULAR TYPE OF CRASH TEST WERE SO SPECIALIZED AND UNIMPORTANT TO TOYOTA, THEY WOULD NOT HAVE MADE ADJUSTMENTS TO THE DRIVER SIDE, WHICH AT THE TIME WAS THE ONLY SIDE BEING TESTED. I AM EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED IN TOYOTA FOR FAILING TO MAKE THE ADJUSTMENT BILATERALLY, IN MY OPINION, PUT ME IN A POSITION WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR UNDER FALSE PRETENSES. I CHOSE THE RAV4 BECAUSE AT THE TIME, IT RECEIVED ALL GOOD RATINGS IN THE VARIOUS CRASHES WHICH HAD BEEN CONDUCTED. THE FACT THAT TOYOTA IS UNWILLING TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS MISREPRESENTATION IS STARTLING FOR A COMPANY THAT HAS USED SAFETY AS THE FOUNDATION FOR ITS REPUTATION.

THE SUNROOF EXPLODES / SHATTERS FOR NO APPARENT REASON. DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE AT ABOUT 70 MPH, NO OTHER CARS ANYWHERE CLOSE TO ME IN A WOODED AREA AND THE SUNROOF SHATTERED. I GOT OUT AND LOOKED AT IT AND THERE WAS NO DAMAGE ANYWHERE NEAR THE SUNROOF, NO CHIPS, SCRATCHES, JUST A SHATTERED SUNROOF. YOU WOULD THINK THAT IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A ROCK THROWN UP FROM A CAR IN FRONT OF ME, BUT AS I STATED, THERE WERE NO OTHER DRIVERS EVEN REMOTELY CLOSE TO ME ON THE INTERSTATE.

I PURCHASED A NEW 2017 TOYOTA RAV4 IN APRIL AND THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED IN AUGUST. WHILE DRIVING ON I15, I HEARD A LOUD EXPLOSION LIKE A TIRE BLOWOUT FOLLOWED BY SOUNDS OF BREAKING GLASS AND THEN WIND. MY SUNROOF HAD "EXPLODED". I PULLED OFF THE ROAD AND EXAMINED THE ROOF. THERE WAS NO INDICATION ANYTHING HAD STRUCK THE GLASS OR MY VEHICLE. THE INSIDE "VISOR" WAS CLOSED AT THE TIME AS WAS THE SUNROOF. I HAD NOT PASSED UNDER ANY OVERPASS OR OTHER OVERHEAD STRUCTURE I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE NEAREST DEALER AND THEY REPORTED THE INCIDENT TO TOYOTA. TOYOTA DENIED THE "WARRANTY" SINCE I COULD NOT "PROVE" THE GLASS HAD NOT BEEN STRUCK! THE DEALER REPLACED THE GLASS AT NO COST "ONE TIME WARRANTY". I AM CONCERNED THIS PROBLEM WILL REOCCUR SINCE THERE WAS NO CAUSE DETERMINED. PHOTOS ATTACHED

AFTER SITTING AT A RED LIGHT ON A CITY STREET, I MADE A LEFT TURN. WHILE TURNING THE DRIVER'S DOOR POPPED OPEN (IT MADE A POPPING SOUND). IT WAS AJAR, NOT FULLY OPEN. I WAS ABLE TO CLOSE IT BACK WHILE CONTINUING TO DRIVE.