Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | ||||||
| EA12006 | TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION | 06/14/2012 | 02/12/2013 | Power Window Master Switch Fire | 12V491000 | |
| On october 10, 2012, toyota initiated a safety recall of approximately 2.5 million u.s. vehicles involving the following models and model years:2007-2009 camry and camry hybrid, 2009 corolla and corolla matrix, 2008 highlander and highlander hybrid, 2007-2009 rav4, 2008-2009 scion xb and xd, 2008-2009 sequoia, 2007-2008 tundra, 2007-2008 yaris, and 2009 pontiac vibe.see nhtsa recall number 12v-491 for more details, including the affected vehicle manufacture dates for each vehicle model.note that only early-production 2009 model year vehicles are included in the recall.toyota and gm dealers will inspect the power window master switch (pwms) assemblies and apply a specialized grease that inhibits heat build-up.the circuit board in the pwms may be replaced with a new one if notchy or sticking feeling is observed during the inspection.the failure report summary above shows counts for the vehicles identified at the start of this engineering analysis, specifically the approximately 1.4 million vehicles that share an identical pwms assembly design including, model year 2007-2009 camry, camry hybrid, rav4, and yaris built from september 2006 through august 2008, as well as all 2008 highlander hybrid.toyota subsequently identified approximately one million additional vehicles that have a slightly different pwms design but contain the same defect condition.note that the totals for complaints and fires shown above may include duplicative reports (between odi and manufacturer reports).this engineering analysis is closed.see attached report for additional information.the odi reports cited above can be viewed at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/complaints under the following identification numbers: 10323848, 10360414, 10392622, 10394453, 10411328, 10429983, 10436663, 10446699, 10447416, 10447417, 10447419, 10447444, 10447515, 10447845, 10447947, 10449270, 10450133, 10450568, 10450606, 10450641, 10451821, 10455540, 10455614, 10456353, 10456438, 10457854, 10457955, 10459730, 10460166, 10460691, 10461220, 10462140, 10462200, 10462247, 10462404, 10462705, 10462761, 10464451, 10464769, 10465421, 10466279, 10466667, 10468126, 10468265, 10475230, 10470313, 10470684, 10471551, 10471824, 10472336, 10472910, 10473753, 10473967, 10473969, 10476921, 10477469, 10478563 and 10478657. | ||||||
| EA12006 | TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION | 06/14/2012 | Power Window Master Switch Fire | |||
| Odi has identified certain toyota vehicles experiencing a higher rate of fire and thermal event incidents among all toyota vehicles that use the same power window master switch design.they include a total of approximately 1.4 million model year (my) 2007 through 2009 camry, camry hybrid, rav4 and yaris vehicles built from approximately september 2006 through august 2008, as well as all my 2008 highlander hybrid vehicles.this engineering analysis is being opened to further study the alleged defect and its consequences.the odi reports cited above can be viewed at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/complaints under the following identification numbers:10461220, 10460691, 10460166, 10459730, 10457955, 10457854, 10456438, 10456353, 10455614, 10455540, 10451821, 10450641, 10450606, 10450568, 10450133, 10449270, 10447947, 10447845, 10447515, 10447444, 10447419, 10447417, 10447416, 10446699, 10436663, 10429983, 10411328, 10407290, 10394453, 10392622, 10360414, 10323848. | ||||||
| PE12002 | TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION | 02/06/2012 | 06/14/2012 | Power Window Master Switch Fire | ||
| Odi has identified certain toyota vehicles experiencing a higher rate of fire and thermal event incidents among all toyota vehicles that use the same power window master switch design.they include a total of approximately 1.4 million model year (my) 2007 through 2009 camry, camry hybrid, rav4 and yaris vehicles built from approximately september 2006 through august 2008, as well as all my 2008 highlander hybrid vehicles.this preliminary evaluation has been upgraded to an engineering analysis (ea12-006) to further study the alleged defect and its consequences.the odi reports cited above can be viewed at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/complaints under the following identification numbers: 10461220, 10460691, 10460166, 10459730, 10457955, 10457854, 10456438, 10456353, 10455614, 10455540, 10451821, 10450641, 10450606, 10450568, 10450133, 10449270, 10447947, 10447845, 10447515, 10447444, 10447419, 10447417, 10447416, 10446699, 10436663, 10429983, 10411328, 10407290, 10394453, 10392622, 10360414, 10323848. | ||||||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - SOFTWARE | ||||||
| RQ10003 | TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION | 02/16/2010 | 03/01/2011 | Unintended and Uncontrolled Acceleration | 11V112000 | |
| On february 16, 2010, nhtsa's office of defects investigation (odi) opened rq10-003 to determine whether the scope of prior toyota recalls relating to potential unintended acceleration were sufficiently broad, including, among others, toyota recalls 07e-082, 09v-388, 10v-017, and 10v-023.nhtsa also requested information regarding potential electronic causes of unintended acceleration in toyota and lexus vehicles.i. pedal interference from floor mats, carpet covers and plastic pads in carpets.during the rq10-003 investigation, odi reviewed a large volume of documents to assess whether additional vehicles should be recalled.following the agency's analysis, nhtsa requested that toyota recall additional vehicles.toyota complied with the agency's request.the details of these recalls are set forth more fully in toyota's reports to nhtsa pursuant to 49 cfr part 573.these recalls are as follows:recall 11v-112: (1) model year (my) 2004-2006 toyota highlander and highlander hybrid; and, (2) my 2004-2007 lexus rx330,rx350, and rx400h (hybrid model). the total estimated population under this recall is 769,379 vehicles.this recall remedies potential accelerator pedal entrapment caused by a loose floor carpet cover (trim panel). recall 11v-113: (1) my 2003-2009 through 2009 toyota 4runner; (2) my 2006-2010 toyota rav4; and, (3) my 2008-2011 lexus lx570.the total estimated population under this recall is 1,381,000 vehicles.this recall supplements recall 09v-388 and remedies potential accelerator pedal entrapment by an unsecured floor mat.recall 11v-115: (1) my 2006-2007 lexus gs300 (all wheel drive vehicles); and, (2) my 2006-2007 lexus gs350 (all wheel drive vehicles). the total estimated population under this recall is 19,647 vehicles.this recall remedies potential accelerator pedal entrapment caused by inadequate clearance between the pedal linkage and a plastic pad embedded in the vehicle's carpet.ii. potential electronic causes of unintended acceleration.after nhtsa opened rq10-003, nhtsa launched a ten-month study of potential electronic causes of unintended acceleration in toyota vehicles.nhtsa launched the study in the spring of 2010 in light of concerns aired in congressional hearings.nhtsa enlisted engineers at the national aeronautics and space administration (nasa) with expertise in areas such as computer controlled electronic systems, electromagnetic interference and software integrity to assess whether electronic systems or electromagnetic interference played a role in incidents of unintended acceleration in toyota vehicles.that study has concluded.two reports are associated with the study and are available on nhtsa's website.nasa's report is entitled technical support to the national highway traffic safety administration (nhtsa) on the reported toyota motor corporation (tmc) unintended acceleration (ua) investigation, nesc assessment no. ti-10-00618 (jan. 18, 2011).nhtsa's report is entitled technical assessment of toyota electronic throttle control (etc) systems (feb. 2011).both reports should be read in conjunction with each other. as stated in its report, nasa did not find an electronic cause of large throttle openings that can result in unintended acceleration incidents. nhtsa did not find a vehicle-based cause of unintended acceleration incidents other than the physical pedal interference causes that are being addressed by toyota's recalls. this rq is closed. | ||||||
| RQ10003 | TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION | 02/16/2010 | 03/01/2011 | Unintended and Uncontrolled Acceleration | 11V115000 | |
| On february 16, 2010, nhtsa's office of defects investigation (odi) opened rq10-003 to determine whether the scope of prior toyota recalls relating to potential unintended acceleration were sufficiently broad, including, among others, toyota recalls 07e-082, 09v-388, 10v-017, and 10v-023.nhtsa also requested information regarding potential electronic causes of unintended acceleration in toyota and lexus vehicles.i. pedal interference from floor mats, carpet covers and plastic pads in carpets.during the rq10-003 investigation, odi reviewed a large volume of documents to assess whether additional vehicles should be recalled.following the agency's analysis, nhtsa requested that toyota recall additional vehicles.toyota complied with the agency's request.the details of these recalls are set forth more fully in toyota's reports to nhtsa pursuant to 49 cfr part 573.these recalls are as follows:recall 11v-112: (1) model year (my) 2004-2006 toyota highlander and highlander hybrid; and, (2) my 2004-2007 lexus rx330,rx350, and rx400h (hybrid model). the total estimated population under this recall is 769,379 vehicles.this recall remedies potential accelerator pedal entrapment caused by a loose floor carpet cover (trim panel). recall 11v-113: (1) my 2003-2009 through 2009 toyota 4runner; (2) my 2006-2010 toyota rav4; and, (3) my 2008-2011 lexus lx570.the total estimated population under this recall is 1,381,000 vehicles.this recall supplements recall 09v-388 and remedies potential accelerator pedal entrapment by an unsecured floor mat.recall 11v-115: (1) my 2006-2007 lexus gs300 (all wheel drive vehicles); and, (2) my 2006-2007 lexus gs350 (all wheel drive vehicles). the total estimated population under this recall is 19,647 vehicles.this recall remedies potential accelerator pedal entrapment caused by inadequate clearance between the pedal linkage and a plastic pad embedded in the vehicle's carpet.ii. potential electronic causes of unintended acceleration.after nhtsa opened rq10-003, nhtsa launched a ten-month study of potential electronic causes of unintended acceleration in toyota vehicles.nhtsa launched the study in the spring of 2010 in light of concerns aired in congressional hearings.nhtsa enlisted engineers at the national aeronautics and space administration (nasa) with expertise in areas such as computer controlled electronic systems, electromagnetic interference and software integrity to assess whether electronic systems or electromagnetic interference played a role in incidents of unintended acceleration in toyota vehicles.that study has concluded.two reports are associated with the study and are available on nhtsa's website.nasa's report is entitled technical support to the national highway traffic safety administration (nhtsa) on the reported toyota motor corporation (tmc) unintended acceleration (ua) investigation, nesc assessment no. ti-10-00618 (jan. 18, 2011).nhtsa's report is entitled technical assessment of toyota electronic throttle control (etc) systems (feb. 2011).both reports should be read in conjunction with each other. as stated in its report, nasa did not find an electronic cause of large throttle openings that can result in unintended acceleration incidents. nhtsa did not find a vehicle-based cause of unintended acceleration incidents other than the physical pedal interference causes that are being addressed by toyota's recalls. this rq is closed. | ||||||
| RQ10003 | TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION | 02/16/2010 | 03/01/2011 | Unintended and Uncontrolled Acceleration | 11V113000 | |
| On february 16, 2010, nhtsa's office of defects investigation (odi) opened rq10-003 to determine whether the scope of prior toyota recalls relating to potential unintended acceleration were sufficiently broad, including, among others, toyota recalls 07e-082, 09v-388, 10v-017, and 10v-023.nhtsa also requested information regarding potential electronic causes of unintended acceleration in toyota and lexus vehicles.i. pedal interference from floor mats, carpet covers and plastic pads in carpets.during the rq10-003 investigation, odi reviewed a large volume of documents to assess whether additional vehicles should be recalled.following the agency's analysis, nhtsa requested that toyota recall additional vehicles.toyota complied with the agency's request.the details of these recalls are set forth more fully in toyota's reports to nhtsa pursuant to 49 cfr part 573.these recalls are as follows:recall 11v-112: (1) model year (my) 2004-2006 toyota highlander and highlander hybrid; and, (2) my 2004-2007 lexus rx330,rx350, and rx400h (hybrid model). the total estimated population under this recall is 769,379 vehicles.this recall remedies potential accelerator pedal entrapment caused by a loose floor carpet cover (trim panel). recall 11v-113: (1) my 2003-2009 through 2009 toyota 4runner; (2) my 2006-2010 toyota rav4; and, (3) my 2008-2011 lexus lx570.the total estimated population under this recall is 1,381,000 vehicles.this recall supplements recall 09v-388 and remedies potential accelerator pedal entrapment by an unsecured floor mat.recall 11v-115: (1) my 2006-2007 lexus gs300 (all wheel drive vehicles); and, (2) my 2006-2007 lexus gs350 (all wheel drive vehicles). the total estimated population under this recall is 19,647 vehicles.this recall remedies potential accelerator pedal entrapment caused by inadequate clearance between the pedal linkage and a plastic pad embedded in the vehicle's carpet.ii. potential electronic causes of unintended acceleration.after nhtsa opened rq10-003, nhtsa launched a ten-month study of potential electronic causes of unintended acceleration in toyota vehicles.nhtsa launched the study in the spring of 2010 in light of concerns aired in congressional hearings.nhtsa enlisted engineers at the national aeronautics and space administration (nasa) with expertise in areas such as computer controlled electronic systems, electromagnetic interference and software integrity to assess whether electronic systems or electromagnetic interference played a role in incidents of unintended acceleration in toyota vehicles.that study has concluded.two reports are associated with the study and are available on nhtsa's website.nasa's report is entitled technical support to the national highway traffic safety administration (nhtsa) on the reported toyota motor corporation (tmc) unintended acceleration (ua) investigation, nesc assessment no. ti-10-00618 (jan. 18, 2011).nhtsa's report is entitled technical assessment of toyota electronic throttle control (etc) systems (feb. 2011).both reports should be read in conjunction with each other. as stated in its report, nasa did not find an electronic cause of large throttle openings that can result in unintended acceleration incidents. nhtsa did not find a vehicle-based cause of unintended acceleration incidents other than the physical pedal interference causes that are being addressed by toyota's recalls. this rq is closed. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | |||
| 02/23/2013 | 154402 | 1 | |
| My airbag light was on. when i took my car in for the annual state inspection, i was informed that i would have to replace the spiral cable for airbag light that had shorted out. the assembly was replaced at a total cost of $442.01. this vehicle has had an earlier recall for an airbag sensor and i feel that this should be a safety recall issue as well and not the financial responsibility of the car owner. *tr | |||
| 02/23/2013 | 154402 | ||
| My airbag light was on. when i took my car in for the annual state inspection, i was informed that i would have to replace the spiral cable for airbag light that had shorted out. the assembly was replaced at a total cost of $442.01. this vehicle has had an earlier recall for an airbag sensor and i feel that this should be a safety recall issue as well and not the financial responsibility of the car owner. | |||
| 11/03/2012 | 98000 | ||
| With no warning, the three lights came on: 4wd, vsc, engine. now the dealer tells me that coil #5 failed and needs to be replaced for a staggering $350 parts and labor. amazing, because the part costs only $40, what is there worth labor for $310? i researched this issue and it turns out that this is a very common issue with these toyota rav4 cars. i fixed it and two weeks later, coil #4 failed, this one for another $350! what is going on with this car. it is a big problem with coils failing. | |||
| 09/18/2012 | 85000 | 1 | |
| I was driving down forest ave in brockton, ma, the driver side door stated smoking, i quickly turned the engine off, got me and my son out of the car and called the fire department who disconnected the battery and suggested that i got it towed to a repair shop. so i did, to copland toyoyta where it was troubleshoot to a master switch ass. it was repaired and i had to pay $580.70 because they said its not covered by warranty. *tr | |||
| 09/18/2012 | 85000 | ||
| I was driving down forest ave in brockton, ma, the driver side door stated smoking, i quickly turned the engine off, got me and my son out of the car and called the fire department who disconnected the battery and sugested that i got it towed to a repair shop. so i did, to copland toyoyta where it was troubleshot to a master switch ass. it was repaired and i had to pay $580.70 because they said its not covered by warranty. | |||
| 09/22/2012 | 46000 | ||
| Traveling approximately 45 mph on dry pavement. went to apply brakes prior to approaching turn lane and could not stop. brakes were there (petal was firm and did not go to floor) but accelerator seem to override the braking system. proceeded to stand on brakes to attempt to stop as there were three lanes of stopped traffic and no where else to go. shifted car into park to come to an abrupt stop to avoid hitting 8+ cars and pushing them into a very large intersection. car had approximately 46000 miles on it and had had new brakes installed 8 months prior. car had been serviced 1 month prior for general service point checks. took car to dealership same day of this incident - they could not find nothing wrong with the car. offered to service based on a previous recall to remove the current floormat and adjust accelerator. one month prior to this incident the radio stopped working for a couple of days then started working intermittently sometimes displaying garbled text on the radio display. | |||
| 09/22/2012 | 86600 | 1 | |
| My wife left home to drive to the store - a 3-mile trip, all in-town driving. after traveling about 1/2 mile, smoke started coming into the car from behind the panel on the inside of the driver's door. she stopped the car. the volume of smoke accumulating in the car increased. a passer-by stopped, called 911, reported the fire, and assisted my wife, who climbed into the front passenger seat and exited the car out the front, right passenger door. by the time the firemen and police arrived, approximately 3-5 minutes later, smoke was dense and flames were surrounding the edges of the door panel. firemen sprayed water on the panel, pulled the panel off the door, and continued to apply water until the fire was extinguished. thankfully, my wife was able to stop and exit the car quickly. had she been in heavy, fast-moving traffic, it could have been a life-threatening situation. also, the non-availability of firemen would have resulted in much more fire- damage to the car and possibly an explosion. *tr | |||
| 09/22/2012 | 46000 | ||
| Traveling approximately 45 mph on dry pavement. went to apply brakes prior to approaching turn lane and could not stop. brakes were there (petal was firm and did not go to floor) but accelerator seem to override the braking system. proceeded to stand on brakes to attempt to stop as there were three lanes of stopped traffic and no where else to go. shifted car into park to come to an abrupt stop to avoid hitting 8+ cars and pushing them into a very large intersection. car had approximately 46000 miles on it and had had new brakes installed 8 months prior. car had been serviced 1 month prior for general service point checks. took car to dealership same day of this incident - they could not find nothing wrong with the car. offered to service based on a previous recall to remove the current floormat and adjust accelerator. one month prior to this incident the radio stopped working for a couple of days then started working intermittently sometimes displaying garbled text on the radio display. | |||
| 09/22/2012 | 86600 | 1 | |
| My wife left home to drive to the store - a 3-mile trip, all in-town driving. after traveling about 1/2 mile, smoke started coming into the car from behind the panel on the inside of the driver's door. she stopped the car. the volume of smoke accumulating in the car increased. a passer-by stopped, called 911, reported the fire, and assisted my wife, who climbed into the front passenger seat and exited the car out the front, right passenger door. by the time the firemen and police arrived, approximately 3-5 minutes later, smoke was dense and flames were surrounding the edges of the door panel. firemen sprayed water on the panel, pulled the panel off the door, and continued to apply water until the fire was extinguished. thankfully, my wife was able to stop and exit the car quickly. had she been in heavy, fast-moving traffic, it could have been a life-threatening situation. also, the non-availability of firemen would have resulted in much more fire- damage to the car and possibly an explosion. *tr | |||
| 09/22/2012 | 46000 | ||
| Traveling approximately 45 mph on dry pavement. went to apply brakes prior to approaching turn lane and could not stop. brakes were there (petal was firm and did not go to floor) but accelerator seem to override the braking system. proceeded to stand on brakes to attempt to stop as there were three lanes of stopped traffic and no where else to go. shifted car into park to come to an abrupt stop to avoid hitting 8+ cars and pushing them into a very large intersection. car had approximately 46000 miles on it and had had new brakes installed 8 months prior. car had been serviced 1 month prior for general service point checks. took car to dealership same day of this incident - they could not find nothing wrong with the car. offered to service based on a previous recall to remove the current floormat and adjust accelerator. one month prior to this incident the radio stopped working for a couple of days then started working intermittently sometimes displaying garbled text on the radio display. | |||
| 09/22/2012 | 86600 | 1 | |
| My wife left home to drive to the store - a 3-mile trip, all in-town driving. after traveling about 1/2 mile, smoke started coming into the car from behind the panel on the inside of the driver's door. she stopped the car. the volume of smoke accumulating in the car increased. a passer-by stopped, called 911, reported the fire, and assisted my wife, who climbed into the front passenger seat and exited the car out the front, right passenger door. by the time the firemen and police arrived, approximately 3-5 minutes later, smoke was dense and flames were surrounding the edges of the door panel. firemen sprayed water on the panel, pulled the panel off the door, and continued to apply water until the fire was extinguished. thankfully, my wife was able to stop and exit the car quickly. had she been in heavy, fast-moving traffic, it could have been a life-threatening situation. also, the non-availability of firemen would have resulted in much more fire- damage to the car and possibly an explosion. *tr | |||
| 04/04/2011 | 72000 | 2 | |
| I was driving the rav4 in april 2011 and again on september 14, 2012 when the same incident occurred.the first time there was no warning, the battery light did not come on, first the radio quit playing and then the car went dead as i was moving in traffic. needless to say it was very stressful being struck in traffic. thanks to some kind ladies, the car was pushed out of the way. we suspected it was a battery malfunction, although the battery was only 8 months old. we took the battery to place of purchase and they tried to charge it, it would not charge so they replaced the battery for free because it was still under warranty. on friday, september 14 i was driving in heavy traffic and this time the battery light came on for a few minutes, then the radio went out and the car died. this was extremely stressful as traffic was speeding behind me and i was afraid i would get rear ended. once again there were two females that helped me push the car out of traffic. once again the battery was replaced as it was still under warranty, however this time the battery light will not go out. after doing some investigating, i believe the problem stems from the rav 4 's electrical steering and the fact that it pulls to much power. there is not reason why the car should just quit while your driving in traffic. it is hard to trust the vehicle when it suddenly stops in traffic and will not start again. *tr | |||
| 09/16/2012 | 42000 | ||
| 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. kmj | |||
| 04/04/2011 | 72000 | 2 | |
| I was driving the rav4 in april 2011 and again on september 14, 2012 when the same incident occurred.the first time there was no warning, the battery light did not come on, first the radio quit playing and then the car went dead as i was moving in traffic. needless to say it was very stressful being struck in traffic. thanks to some kind ladies, the car was pushed out of the way. we suspected it was a battery malfunction, although the battery was only 8 months old. we took the battery to place of purchase and they tried to charge it, it would not charge so they replaced the battery for free because it was still under warranty. on friday, september 14 i was driving in heavy traffic and this time the battery light came on for a few minutes, then the radio went out and the car died. this was extremely stressful as traffic was speeding behind me and i was afraid i would get rear ended. once again there were two females that helped me push the car out of traffic. once again the battery was replaced as it was still under warranty, however this time the battery light will not go out. after doing some investigating, i believe the problem stems from the rav 4 's electrical steering and the fact that it pulls to much power. there is not reason why the car should just quit while your driving in traffic. it is hard to trust the vehicle when it suddenly stops in traffic and will not start again. *tr | |||
| 09/16/2012 | 42000 | ||
| 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. kmj | |||
| 04/04/2011 | 72000 | 2 | |
| I was driving the rav4 in april 2011 and again on september 14, 2012 when the same incident occurred.the first time there was no warning, the battery light did not come on, first the radio quit playing and then the car went dead as i was moving in traffic. needless to say it was very stressful being struck in traffic. thanks to some kind ladies, the car was pushed out of the way. we suspected it was a battery malfunction, although the battery was only 8 months old. we took the battery to place of purchase and they tried to charge it, it would not charge so they replaced the battery for free because it was still under warranty. on friday, september 14 i was driving in heavy traffic and this time the battery light came on for a few minutes, then the radio went out and the car died. this was extremely stressful as traffic was speeding behind me and i was afraid i would get rear ended. once again there were two females that helped me push the car out of traffic. once again the battery was replaced as it was still under warranty, however this time the battery light will not go out. after doing some investigating, i believe the problem stems from the rav 4 's electrical steering and the fact that it pulls to much power. there is not reason why the car should just quit while your driving in traffic. it is hard to trust the vehicle when it suddenly stops in traffic and will not start again. *tr | |||
| 09/16/2012 | 42000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2007 toyota rav4. the contact stated that the passenger window made a noise for some time and the power switch worked intermittently. the contact stated there was a burnt smell when contact used power switch for window. there was no smell if not in use. the vehicle was taken to dealer, who inspected vehicle and determined motor for 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. yn | |||
| 04/04/2011 | 72000 | 2 | |
| I was driving the rav4 in april 2011 and again on september 14, 2012 when the same incident occurred.the first time there was no warning, the battery light did not come on, first the radio quit playing and then the car went dead as i was moving in traffic. needless to say it was very stressful being struck in traffic. thanks to some kind ladies, the car was pushed out of the way. we suspected it was a battery malfunction, although the battery was only 8 months old. we took the battery to place of purchase and they tried to charge it, it would not charge so they replaced the battery for free because it was still under warranty. on friday, september 14 i was driving in heavy traffic and this time the battery light came on for a few minutes, then the radio went out and the car died. this was extremely stressful as traffic was speeding behind me and i was afraid i would get rear ended. once again there were two females that helped me push the car out of traffic. once again the battery was replaced as it was still under warranty, however this time the battery light will not go out. after doing some investigating, i believe the problem stems from the rav 4 's electrical steering and the fact that it pulls to much power. there is not reason why the car should just quit while your driving in traffic. it is hard to trust the vehicle when it suddenly stops in traffic and will not start again. *tr | |||
| 04/04/2011 | 72000 | ||
| I was driving the rav4 in april 2011 and again on september 14, 2012 when the same incident occurred.the first time there was no warning, the battery light did not come on, first the radio quit playing and then the car went dead as i was moving in traffic. needless to say it was very stressful being struck in traffic. thanks to some kind ladies, the car was pushed out of the way. we suspected it was a battery malfunction, although the battery was only 8 months old. we took the battery to place of purchase and they tried to charge it, it would not charge so they replaced the battery for free because it was still under warranty. on friday, september 14 i was driving in heavy traffic and this time the battery light came on for a few minutes, then the radio went out and the car died. this was extremely stressful as traffic was speeding behind me and i was afraid i would get rear ended. once again there were two females that helped me push the car out of traffic. once again the battery was replaced as it was still under warranty, however this time the battery light will not go out. after doing some investigating, i believe the problem stems from the rav 4 's electrical steering and the fact that it pulls to much power. there is not reason why the car should just quit while your driving in traffic. it is hard to trust the vehicle when it suddenly stops in traffic and will not start again. | |||
| 07/23/2003 | 80200 | 1 | |
| The car filled with the smell ,and smoke of burning wire. *tr | |||
| 04/04/2011 | 72000 | ||
| I was driving the rav4 in april 2011 and again on september 14, 2012 when the same incident occurred.the first time there was no warning, the battery light did not come on, first the radio quit playing and then the car went dead as i was moving in traffic. needless to say it was very stressful being struck in traffic. thanks to some kind ladies, the car was pushed out of the way. we suspected it was a battery malfunction, although the battery was only 8 months old. we took the battery to place of purchase and they tried to charge it, it would not charge so they replaced the battery for free because it was still under warranty. on friday, september 14 i was driving in heavy traffic and this time the battery light came on for a few minutes, then the radio went out and the car died. this was extremely stressful as traffic was speeding behind me and i was afraid i would get rear ended. once again there were two females that helped me push the car out of traffic. once again the battery was replaced as it was still under warranty, however this time the battery light will not go out. after doing some investigating, i believe the problem stems from the rav 4 's electrical steering and the fact that it pulls to much power. there is not reason why the car should just quit while your driving in traffic. it is hard to trust the vehicle when it suddenly stops in traffic and will not start again. | |||
| 07/23/2003 | 80200 | 1 | |
| The car filled with the smell ,and smoke of burning wire. *tr | |||
| 07/23/2003 | 80200 | ||
| The car filled with the smell ,and smoke of burning wire | |||
| 08/30/2012 | 55000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2007 toyota rav4. the contact stated that while driving 40 mph burning fumes were emitted into the vehicle and smoke started to come out from the door. the contact mentioned that right before he was able to stop the vehicle it engulf into flames. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was no longer under warranty. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for repair. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 55,000. | |||
| 08/30/2012 | 55000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2007 toyota rav4. the contact stated that while driving 40 mph burning fumes were emitted into the vehicle and smoke started to come out from the door. the contact mentioned that right before he was able to stop the vehicle it engulf into flames. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was no longer under warranty. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for repair. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 55,000. pmb | |||
| 09/04/2012 | 93000 | 1 | |
| Was driving normal - only a few minutes after ignition - strange scent of plastic burning. looked down to find a thick white smoke coming from window switches, flame seen through cracks. had to pull over immediately @ gas/service station to extinguish the flame - i had no liquid to extinguish at time of incident. went directly to toyota dealership and dropped off vehicle. they are saying there is no recall - so they would not purchase me a rental had to pay for it myself. i found these links right away once i got in front of a computer: http://www.ktvu.com/news/news/toyota-recalling-778000-rav4-suvs/np8cr/ this is the latest issue for the popular rav4, which is currently involved in a government investigation of door fires that have been linked to power window switches. http://wot.motortrend.com/burning-toyota-camryrav4-window-switches-prompt-nhtsa-investigation-168895.html end of report. *tr | |||
| 08/30/2012 | 55000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2007 toyota rav4. the contact stated that while driving 40 mph burning fumes were emitted into the vehicle and smoke started to come out from the door. the contact mentioned that right before he was able to stop the vehicle it engulf into flames. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was no longer under warranty. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for repair. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 55,000. pmb | |||
| 09/04/2012 | 93000 | ||
| Was driving normal - only a few minutes after ignition - strange scent of plastic burning. looked down to find a thick white smoke coming from window switches, flame seen through cracks. had to pull over immediately @ gas/service station to extinguish the flame - i had no liquid to extinguish at time of incident. went directly to toyota dealership and dropped off vehicle. they are saying there is no recall - so they would not purchase me a rental had to pay for it myself. i found these links right away once i got in front of a computer: http://www.ktvu.com/news/news/toyota-recalling-778000-rav4-suvs/np8cr/ this is the latest issue for the popular rav4, which is currently involved in a government investigation of door fires that have been linked to power window switches. http://wot.motortrend.com/burning-toyota-camryrav4-window-switches-prompt-nhtsa-investigation-168895.html end of report. | |||
| 08/30/2012 | 55000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2007 toyota rav4. the contact stated that while driving 40 mph he smelled smoke. he then saw smoke coming from the door and it began to bellow and then the vehicle caught fire. the vehicle was brought to a stop. the manufacturer was notified but stated the vehicle was not under warranty or recall and would not provide assistance. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for repair. the vehicle was in the process of being repaired. the failure and current mileages were 55,000. dt | |||
| 09/04/2012 | 93000 | ||
| Was driving normal - only a few minutes after ignition - strange scent of plastic burning. looked down to find a thick white smoke coming from window switches, flame seen through cracks. had to pull over immediately @ gas/service station to extinguish the flame - i had no liquid to extinguish at time of incident. went directly to toyota dealership and dropped off vehicle. they are saying there is no recall - so they would not purchase me a rental had to pay for it myself. i found these links right away once i got in front of a computer: http://www.ktvu.com/news/news/toyota-recalling-778000-rav4-suvs/np8cr/ this is the latest issue for the popular rav4, which is currently involved in a government investigation of door fires that have been linked to power window switches. http://wot.motortrend.com/burning-toyota-camryrav4-window-switches-prompt-nhtsa-investigation-168895.html end of report. | |||
| 08/12/2012 | 78000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2007 toyota rav4. the contact stated that while driving 35 mph, there was smoke and a burning smell coming from the driver side electrical panel. the vehicle was pulled into a tire shop and the fire was extinguished. the vehicle was later taken to the dealer who advised that they would need to replace the control panel because all of the wires were melted. the manufacturer was notified who sent out a representative to inspect the failure, advising the contact that they would respond within thirty days. the vehicle was not yet repaired. the failure mileage was 78,000. kmj | |||
| 08/12/2012 | 78000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2007 toyota rav4. the contact stated while driving 35 mph there was smoke and a burning smell coming from the driver side electrical panel. the vehicle was pulled into a tire shop and the fire was extinguished. the vehicle was then driven home with no other injuries. the vehicle was taken to the dealer the next day who stated they will need to replace the control panel because all the wires were melted. the manufacturer was notified who sent out a representative to inspect the failure and they will respond back to the contact within the next thirty days. the insurance company was also notified. the vehicle was not yet repaired. the failure mileage was 78,000. mw | |||
| 07/30/2012 | 64000 | 1 | |
| My 2007 rav4 driver side rear window wont go up and down. the driver side control switch for the rear driver side window does not move. the switch for the rear driver side window on the back door does not work all the time. when it does work just one tap and the rear window (driver side) goes down all the way by its self. the other three switches for the windows and the other three windows seem to work and respond how they should. only problem is with the rear window and the switch on both the driver door and the rear window door (driver side). also while driving to work driving aprox 10 mph my rear passenger side wheel bent in toward the wheel well. the tie rod was broke and the tie rod was very rusted . the dealer said it was a freak occurrence and fixed it while under warranty. problem is that the other side of the rear suspension (driver side) is also rusted but they did not fix it at the same time. this happened june 14th at about 6:10 am i was not told of the recall of this tie rod issue at the time of it getting fixed . they played it off as it were a freak occurrence.. toyota/scion dealer of berlin city toyota. *tr | |||
| 08/12/2012 | 78000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2007 toyota rav4. the contact stated while driving 35 mph there was smoke and a burning smell coming from the driver side electrical panel. the vehicle was pulled into a tire shop and the fire was extinguished. the vehicle was then driven home with no other injuries. the vehicle was taken to the dealer the next day who stated they will need to replace the control panel because all the wires were melted. the manufacturer was notified who sent out a representative to inspect the failure and they will respond back to the contact within the next thirty days. the insurance company was also notified. the vehicle was not yet repaired. the failure mileage was 78,000. mw | |||
| 08/21/2012 | 111731 | 1 | |
| I was driving when suddenly i saw smoke coming out of the power window switch on the driver's-side door. when i stop to check i saw fire inside the door. i immediate ask for assistance. when he uncover the switch it has a nickel side hole. there is no major damage to my vehicle other than the switch not working or my windows. i really think i was lucky that i was near my brothers home when this happen. if i was somewhere (like the freeway) i really taught my whole car would of caught on fire and lucky my child was not in the vehicle with me. *tr | |||
| 07/30/2012 | 64000 | 1 | |
| My 2007 rav4 driver side rear window wont go up and down. the driver side control switch for the rear driver side window does not move. the switch for the rear driver side window on the back door does not work all the time. when it does work just one tap and the rear window (driver side) goes down all the way by its self. the other three switches for the windows and the other three windows seem to work and respond how they should. only problem is with the rear window and the switch on both the driver door and the rear window door (driver side). also while driving to work driving aprox 10 mph my rear passenger side wheel bent in toward the wheel well. the tie rod was broke and the tie rod was very rusted . the dealer said it was a freak occurrence and fixed it while under warranty. problem is that the other side of the rear suspension (driver side) is also rusted but they did not fix it at the same time. this happened june 14th at about 6:10 am i was not told of the recall of this tie rod issue at the time of it getting fixed . they played it off as it were a freak occurrence.. toyota/scion dealer of berlin city toyota. *tr | |||
| 08/21/2012 | 111731 | 1 | |
| I was driving when suddenly i saw smoke coming out of the power window switch on the driver's-side door. when i stop to check i saw fire inside the door. i immediate ask for assistance. when he uncover the switch it has a nickel side hole. there is no major damage to my vehicle other than the switch not working or my windows. i really think i was lucky that i was near my brothers home when this happen. if i was somewhere (like the freeway) i really taught my whole car would of caught on fire and lucky my child was not in the vehicle with me. *tr | |||
| 07/30/2012 | 64000 | 1 | |
| My 2007 rav4 driver side rear window wont go up and down. the driver side control switch for the rear driver side window does not move. the switch for the rear driver side window on the back door does not work all the time. when it does work just one tap and the rear window (driver side) goes down all the way by its self. the other three switches for the windows and the other three windows seem to work and respond how they should. only problem is with the rear window and the switch on both the driver door and the rear window door (driver side). also while driving to work driving aprox 10 mph my rear passenger side wheel bent in toward the wheel well. the tie rod was broke and the tie rod was very rusted . the dealer said it was a freak occurrence and fixed it while under warranty. problem is that the other side of the rear suspension (driver side) is also rusted but they did not fix it at the same time. this happened june 14th at about 6:10 am i was not told of the recall of this tie rod issue at the time of it getting fixed . they played it off as it were a freak occurrence.. toyota/scion dealer of berlin city toyota. *tr | |||
| 08/21/2012 | 111731 | ||
| I was driving when suddenly i saw smoke coming out of the power window switch on the driver's-side door. when i stop to check i saw fire inside the door. i immediate ask for assistance. when he uncover the switch it has a nickel side hole. there is no major damage to my vehicle other than the switch not working or my windows. i really think i was lucky that i was near my bother's home when this happen. if i was somewhere (like the freeway) i really taught my whole car would of caught on fire and lucky my child was not in the vehicle with me. | |||
| 07/30/2012 | 64000 | ||
| My 2007 rav4 driver side rear window wont go up and down. the driver side control switch for the rear driver side window does not move. the switch for the rear driver side window on the back door does not work all the time. when it does work just one tap and the rear window (driver side) goes down all the way by its self. the other three switches for the windows and the other three windows seem to work and respond how they should. only problem is with the rear window and the switch on both the driver door and the rear window door (driver side). also while driving to work driving aprox 10 mph my rear passenger side wheel bent in toward the wheel well. the tie rod was broke and the tie rod was very rusted . the dealer said it was a freak occurance and fixed it while under warrenty. problem is that the other side of the rear suspension (driver side) is also rusted but they did not fix it at the same time. this happond june 14th at about 6:10 am i was not told of the recal of this tie rod issue at the time of it getting fixed . they played it off as it it were a freak occurance.. toyota/scion dealer of berlin city toyota | |||
| 08/10/2012 | 95329 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2007 toyota rav4. the contact was traveling 30 mph when a gray smoke and burning smell emitted from the drivers side window panel. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who confirmed the master cylinder switch needed to be replaced after a fire burned a hole through the switch. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 95,329. rvk | |||
| 08/10/2012 | 95329 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2007 toyota rav 4. the contact was traveling 30 mph when grayish smoke and a burning smell emitted from the driver side window panel. the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the dealer confirmed the window master cylinder switch needed to be replaced after a fire burned a whole through the switch. the manufacturer was contacted. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were 95,329. rds | |||
| 07/26/2012 | 85000 | 1 | |
| This just happend to me on the morning of 07/26/2012. i was on a business trip and leaving the airport. as i was about to pay my parking fee the driver side door started smoking and i saw a small fire starting to flare up on the driver's seat door by the window switch. i turned off the car and within 3 minutes the whole door was up in flames. *js | |||
| 07/26/2012 | 85000 | ||
| This just happend to me on the morning of 07/26/2012. i was on a business trip and leaving the airport. as i was about to pay my parking fee the driver side door started smoking and i saw a small fire starting to flare up on the driver's seat door by the window switch. i turned off the car and within 3 minutes the whole door was up in flames. | |||
| 07/09/2012 | 107802 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2007 toyota rav4. the contact stated that while driving 20 mph, the driver | |||
| 11/20/2010 | 1 | ||
| The driver door's window/lock control panel spontaneously caught fire while i was operating the vehicle. i was not using the controls at the time. i could hear the sound of burning and feel heat behind the panel, however no actual flames came outside of the panel. copious amounts of smoke began to billow from the openings in the control panel. i stopped the car and turned off the ignition. after several seconds the sound of burning ceased. the smoke continued to billow from the openings in the control panel for a couple of minutes. i called the toyota dealer where i purchased the car and was told by the service department to come in. i restarted the car and drove about one mile to the dealership. while i was driving small amounts of smoke continued to come out through the openings in the control panel. at the dealership they placed some kind of lock on the driver's side control for the front passenger window. i have since seen the actual control mechanism. a portion of the electrical component is charred, and where this char is there is a hole burned through the plastic enclosure. *tr | |||
| 07/09/2012 | 107802 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2007 toyota rav4. the contact stated while driving 20 mph the driver side door caught on fire inside the panel. the vehicle had not been diagnosed by a dealer at the time. the vehicle had not been repaired. the failure and current mileages were 107,802. dt | |||
| 11/20/2010 | 1 | ||
| The driver door's window/lock control panel spontaneously caught fire while i was operating the vehicle. i was not using the controls at the time. i could hear the sound of burning and feel heat behind the panel, however no actual flames came outside of the panel. copious amounts of smoke began to billow from the openings in the control panel. i stopped the car and turned off the ignition. after several seconds the sound of burning ceased. the smoke continued to billow from the openings in the control panel for a couple of minutes. i called the toyota dealer where i purchased the car and was told by the service department to come in. i restarted the car and drove about one mile to the dealership. while i was driving small amounts of smoke continued to come out through the openings in the control panel. at the dealership they placed some kind of lock on the driver's side control for the front passenger window. i have since seen the actual control mechanism. a portion of the electrical component is charred, and where this char is there is a hole burned through the plastic enclosure. *tr | |||
| 11/20/2010 | |||
| The driver door's window/lock control panel spontaneously caught fire while i was operating the vehicle. i was not using the controls at the time. i could hear the sound of burning and feel heat behind the panel, however no actual flames came outside of the panel. copious amounts of smoke began to billow from the openings in the control panel. i stopped the car and turned off the ignition. after several seconds the sound of burning ceased. the smoke continued to billow from the openings in the control panel for a couple of minutes. i called the toyota dealer where i purchased the car and was told by the service department to come in. i restarted the car and drove about one mile to the dealership. while i was driving small amounts of smoke continued to come out through the openings in the control panel. at the dealership they placed some kind of lock on the driver's side control for the front passenger window. i have since seen the actual control mechanism. a portion of the electrical component is charred, and where this char is there is a hole burned through the plastic enclosure. | |||
| 06/20/2012 | 59000 | ||
| Tl - the contact owns a 2007 toyota rav-4. the contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, smoke started to emit out of the driver side door panel. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who was not able to diagnose the problem. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 59,000. kmj | |||
| 06/20/2012 | 59000 | ||
| Tl - the contact owns a 2007 toyota rav-4. the contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle smoke started to emit out of the driver side door panel. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who has not been able to diagnosed the problem. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 59,000. pm | |||
| 05/19/2012 | 10000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2007 toyota rav 4. while parked, the front driver's side door ignited into flames. the fire department reported to the scene and a report was filed. the fire began in the front driver's side power master switch. there was an investigation open under nhtsa action number: pe12002 (electrical system) that may be related to the failure. the vehicle was destroyed. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 100,000. kmj | |||
| 05/19/2012 | 10000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2007 toyota rav 4. while parked the front driver side door ignited into flames. the fire department reported to the scene and a report was filed. the fire began in the front driver side power master switch. there was an investigation open under nhtsa action number: pe12002 (electrical system) that may be related to the failure. the vehicle was destroyed. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 100,000. kmj | |||
| 01/20/2012 | 125000 | ||
| When i turned the car on a smell emanated and smoke came from the window switch area of the front driver door. the passenger side window would no longer work. the smell lingered but the smoke stopped. | |||
| 05/11/2012 | 80000 | ||
| Tl -the contact owns a 2007 toyota rav-4. the contact stated that while driving 45 mph, smoke was emitted from the driver side window power switch and the door panel. the contact was able to extinguish the fire. the fire department was not contacted and no injuries were reported. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer and the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and the current mileage was 80,000. kmj | |||
| 05/11/2012 | 80000 | ||
| Tl -the contact owns a 2007 toyota rav-4. the contact stated that while driving 45 mph smoke started emitting out of the driver side window power switches and door panel. the fire department was not contacted and no injuries were reported. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 80,000. pm | |||
| 05/09/2012 | 90440 | ||
| Master window switch burned and emmited smoke with high concentration of irritating fumes throughout the suv while enroute in maryland. | |||
| 04/07/2012 | 70943 | ||
| It was a sunny day, and i drove my 2007 rav4 at the speed of 40 miles per hour. suddenly, i heard a noise ziiiii from the master window switch at the driver side. i saw an electrical fire at the master window switch at the driver side. the smoke came out from the master window switch. i pulled over my car, turned off the engine and left the car. when the flame went out, i saw a burned hole about quarter size in the switch. note: there is no water leaked / coffee spilled inside the switch. i went to toyota dealer. the mechanics stated that the fuse did not blow out. dealer denied to replacing the switch without charging. | |||
| 01/10/2011 | 47500 | ||
| Neutral start switch hidden within the confines of the engine management system can fail to work and thus not send a signal to start the engine. according to the head mechanic, the defect is uncertain why it happens other than the standard response that it is normal aspect of wear. i don't agree, since the component is under no stress like for example a spark plug. thank you for looking in the matter. | |||
| 02/15/2011 | 77950 | ||
| My wife started vehicle in garage to warm it up when she smelled smoke. she then noticed smoke and flames coming from the drivers side window/power lock switch area. she poured her cup of coffee on the flames to extinguish them. vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who had to replace the drivers side master window switch which had burnt up. | |||
| 02/16/2012 | |||
| A car pulled out of driveway and i touched the brake pedal and my engine increased acceleration when it should have slowed acceleration and i pushed my car into neutral and i pulled cruise control lever towards me and the engine slowed down-my car had been set to cruise at 52 mph. after the incident i shut the cruise control off as i was heading into town. i then pulled into big scoop(canton,il business) parking lot going less than 5 mph-a lady walked in front of my car and i touched the brake and again i experienced unwanted acceleration and again i was quick in shoving car into neutral preventing a serious injury. i went home and called fort toyota in pekin, il and i took car in feb, 17, 2012 at noon. they had their top mechanic check it out-he said he could find nothing wrong. they called toyota's headquarters and they told them it was a floormat issue. they told me that and i told them it had nothing to do with the floormats but rather after touching the brake pedal is when i received unwanted acceleration in both incidents. they asked me several questions about that and they gave me toyota's headquarters number and gave me a rental car to use. when i called their headquarters they said it was a floormat issue and that was their final statement on the matter. i told them it was a brake issue but they stuck to floormats as the cause and that is why i'm reporting this matter to you as i feel for the safety of all drivers; this issue needs to be resolved by any automaker with unwanted acceleration problems. a first step is to admit that they have the problem then good(safe) things will result. thank you for hearing me out. it is appreciated very much, john. | |||
| 07/02/2011 | 88000 | ||
| After driving for approximately 15 minutes, i saw a small amount of smoke coming from the drivers door panel and it smelled like an electrical fire. afterwards, the drivers side power window switch and the passenger side power window switch was not functional. the passenger window would only let down (very slowly) but wouldn't go back up. i took the vehicle to a toyota service center and they showed me that the main power window switch on the drivers side had a hole burned into it the size of a dime. the service manager said he had never seen anything like this before. prior to this the passenger window switch was replaced twice between september 2010 and november 2010. however, the replacements still never took care of the problem of the passenger window switch intermittently working. in fact, a couple months ago i was just at the dealership complaining that i was still have the problem with the window switch on the passenger side intermittently working. i never guessed that my car could catch on fire! now i'm a little worried about driving my vehicle! | |||
| 04/03/2011 | 68850 | ||
| Electrical fire starting inside master window control switch. i was cleaning my car with the ignition on battery power (in order to listen to the radio). after approximately 30 minutes i noticed a burnt plastic smell, considerable smoke pouring out of the driver | |||
| 09/03/2010 | 55000 | ||
| 1. while driving a 2007 toyota rav4 at low speed, the steering wheel lock engaged, instrument cluster lights flashed and the radio silenced for about 5 seconds. the car was able to be safely stopped. normal steering resumed radio came back on and cluster lights stopped flashing. the car was driven approximately 2-3 miles and parked for apprx. 1 hour. 2. the car would not start, again no radio, but lights were illuminated to full brightness. no warning/fault light was illuminated. the car was jump-started. when pulling out of the parking stall, the steering wheel lock engaged again. a tow truck was called. the car engine remained running normally. 3. while loading the car, the tow truck driver had the steering wheel lock engage and disengage repeatedly 4 - 5 times. the toyota of walnut creek (california) technician states that the problem is a discharged battery, causing the electric power steering assist to not operate and stated that the seering wheel lock cannot engage while the car is in motion. the problem was that the steering wheel lock did engage, not a lack of steering assist. the technician stated he cannot duplicate the problem. | |||
| 08/17/2010 | 45000 | ||
| Tl. the contact owns a 2007 toyota rav 4. the contact state after the have the vehicle jump started the power steering lock up and the lights started to blink while driving 15 mph. the contact took the vehicle to dealer and the dealer informed the contact the battery needs to be replaced and that's what caused the steering wheel to lock. the dealer is currently replacing the battery. the contact stated she doesn't feel safe driving the vehicle and if the vehicle was on the highway the lack of power steeering could have caused a serious crash. the failure mileage was 45,000. jo | |||
| 10/10/2007 | 100 | 1 | |
| Complaint:second complaint i purchased my toyota rav 4 2007 in october of 2007. a few months after i had the car i started noticing that the car, for no reason would hesitate, leaving me at times in the middle of crossing an intersection with no power. after others began making comments that there was something wrong i brought it into leith toyota. the first time was april 24th 2008. i explained to the service advisor i was having intermittent problems with the car. i told him i would start accross an intersection(4 lanes) and all of a sudden the car hesitated, there was no power.i would press the gas peddle to the floor and approximately 10-15 seconds later the car would lunge forward. i told them it concerned and scared me. i was told that they could not find any problems. april 28th 2008 i returned again to the dealership advising them there was a problem, i was afraid to drive the car and wanted it fixed. i again was told there was not any problem with the car. this time i refused to leave until the problem was fixed. they finally brought the car back in and told me the models have a problem with the ecm system. i was told they reflashed the ecm system with an update sent by corporate and things should be fine. yesterday i returned to the dealership. i told them the car was ok for a number of months but again this week i was almost in an accident because the car has started to hesitate again,and i am left in the intersection without power and on-coming traffic. they took the car out and of course the problem is intermittent so they were unable to find anything abnormal. they told me they would check to see if there were any additional computer updates for the problem. the car also looses power on highway at 60mph,shuts down after a while they advised me there were no additional updates. i told them the problem is putting me in danger of having an accident. they told me toyota does not feel this is a problem. *tr | |||
| 02/10/2008 | 16000 | 1 | |
| I purchased my 2007 rav4 used in early 2008. it has the factory installed premium jbl 6-disc stereo. since the day that i have owned it, i have had problems with radio reception. the radio's display was also malfunctioning, so the dealer replaced that, but i still have poor reception. the reception is fine if i am within about 5 miles of a radio tower, but just outside of city limits, i either get static or the signal is lost completely. when i had the display replaced, i told the dealership (bill penney toyota, huntsville, alabama) about the poor reception, but they didn't do anything about it. *tr | |||
| 12/23/2008 | 24113 | 1 | |
| 2007 rav4 ltd v6 - alarm system that kills engine -- malfunctioned. short in electrical system between alarm system and battery. dealer supposedly fixed, but i hear a buzz noise like a wire shorting out and the one beep the alarm system is to make when locking car doesn't beep. system malfunctioned 2 x and last time was leaving airport at midnight. luckily pulled off interstate. car died. could have happened while driving on interstate. car horn continuously beeped when malfunctioning - which could have caused me to be car jacked by someone who thought i was intentionally doing the beeping or it could have killed the engine while driving on interstate. dealer said problem was battery then said short between battery and alarm system. supposedly fixed it but it appears that it's still not working properly 2 weeks later so taking back to dealer today. *tr | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - BATTERY | |||
| 09/17/2009 | 19250 | 1 | |
| The battery on my wife's 2007 toyota rav4 went out without warning, & so on the advice of the folsom lake toyota garage, i jump started her car to get her home. the next morning i did the same, so that she could drive it to the garage to get fixed. when she started to drive the car however, the steering lock would not allow her to turn the wheel & she ended up driving towards the middle of the road. she immediately stopped, & told me, & so as i thought she meant that the power steering simply wasn't working, i said that i would drive it to the garage for her. when i started off however, the car steering lock stopped me turning the wheel, although only for a second or two, before the steering began to work correctly, & so i very slowly & carefully drove the car to the garage. the garage checked the car & said that it was just a faulty battery, but when i pointed out that if a faulty battery could cause the steering lock to engage while driving, this was a safety hazard, they said that when they asked toyota, they simply said that it was working as designed, & so there was nothing they could do. consequently, i called toyota, & they told me that as the car has an electronic power steering module, the steering lock could engage with a bad battery. when i suggested to the customer services rep that they needed to address this issue as a safety hazard, she wasn't interested in helping, & point blank refused to give me contact details for her boss, or anyone at toyota north america or japan, only the customer services dept., i.e., people like herself. i find it insulting that toyota not only appears not to care about the safety of their customers, but also doesn't appear to want to hear from their customers, e.g., when i took a survey after my call, & entered some very low numbers for service care, the call was deliberately cut off by toyota. so much for japanese service! *tr | |||
| 11/10/2007 | 19000 | 1 | |
| Leads to battery were colored wrong. the positive lead was painted black and the negative lead was painted red. when i jump-started the car i put the battery cables to the associated colors. it was connected for about 1 minute when i noticed something smoking. after i found out what the problem was i corrected the connection and started the car. the car would only idle due to a blown fuse, which the car dealership had to find. *tr | |||