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. | ||||||
| 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. | ||||||
| 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. | ||||||
| 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 | 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. | ||||||
| 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. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | |||
| 10/01/2012 | 65000 | 1 | |
| I was making a slow speed turn when, without warning, it became very difficult to steer, as if the power steering quit working. as i accelerated the steering started working again. a few days later it happened again and this time the battery warning light came on. both times this happened it almost caused a collision. i ended up taking it to the dealer and learned the alternator was going bad. an alternator on a four year old vehicle with 60k miles should last longer. i've since learned, from safety sites, that this is a common safety issue with the rav as the steering is electrically powered. there is also some indication the alternators are failing too soon. *tr | |||
| 10/01/2012 | 65000 | ||
| I was making a slow speed turn when, without warning, it became very difficult to steer, as if the power steering quit working. as i accelerated the steering started working again. a few days later it happened again and this time the battery warning light came on. both times this happened it almost caused a collision. i ended up taking it to the dealer and learned the alternator was going bad. an alternator on a four year old vehicle with 60k miles should last longer. i've since learned, from safety sites, that this is a common safety issue with the rav as the steering is electrically powered. there is also some indication the alternators are failing too soon. | |||
| 08/14/2012 | 69402 | 1 | |
| Approximately 5 minutes after i started up my car and began driving today i began to notice a strange and strong odor. i had my driver's side window down (power windows) and initially attributed the odor to a large truck that was several car lengths ahead of me. i noticed that the odor persisted even once the truck was no longer visible to me or in close proximity. at that point i then entered onto a major highway via the entrance ramp, and got my speed up to the speed limit of 65 miles per hour. as i was driving i noticed a large amount of smoke coming up from my power window switches on the driver's door. in addition to the smoke i could see an actual flame burning underneath the switches. my initial response was fear and panic, but i was able to find a safe spot to pull off to the side of the highway after a couple of minutes. my first thought was to dial 911, but i was afraid by the time someone arrived the car might burst into flames and blow up!! i immediately thought that i needed to try to extinguish the fire somehow as my car was filling with smoke and the odor was overwhelming. i quickly looked around to see if i had any bottled water in the car-but i did not. the only liquid i had accessible to dowse the flames was my iced coffee-so i poured a small amount over the smoke and flames coming from the switches to extinguish the fire, but it continued to burn. i then proceeded to pour half of my iced coffee over the switches which did finally extinguish the fire. as a result of the fire the only window that will actually move now is the driver's side window. the passenger's window will not move at all and the two rear windows will only move if using the switches on the back doors. as a result of the fire my car now has a very distinguishable burnt odor to it! needless to say this was one of the scariest experiences i have had when driving my car. *tr | |||
| 08/11/2012 | 70000 | 1 | |
| I have a 2008 toyota rav4 and it has had a whining sound when idling or accelerating for a week. today i was driving it and the power steering quit while i was driving it. i could barely steer it, if my wife was driving, she could not have turned the vehicle. many of the warning lights came on- brake light (checked the parking brake), abs, srs, battery, vsc, maintenance, and slip indicator lights. also the radio quit working, all at once. new battery installed last month. we have owned this vehicle since new from the dealership, had 2 recalls fixed for air bag sensor and floor mats, but no other problems until this. *tr | |||
| 08/14/2012 | 69402 | 1 | |
| Approximately 5 minutes after i started up my car and began driving today i began to notice a strange and strong odor. i had my driver's side window down (power windows) and initially attributed the odor to a large truck that was several car lengths ahead of me. i noticed that the odor persisted even once the truck was no longer visible to me or in close proximity. at that point i then entered onto a major highway via the entrance ramp, and got my speed up to the speed limit of 65 miles per hour. as i was driving i noticed a large amount of smoke coming up from my power window switches on the driver's door. in addition to the smoke i could see an actual flame burning underneath the switches. my initial response was fear and panic, but i was able to find a safe spot to pull off to the side of the highway after a couple of minutes. my first thought was to dial 911, but i was afraid by the time someone arrived the car might burst into flames and blow up!! i immediately thought that i needed to try to extinguish the fire somehow as my car was filling with smoke and the odor was overwhelming. i quickly looked around to see if i had any bottled water in the car-but i did not. the only liquid i had accessible to dowse the flames was my iced coffee-so i poured a small amount over the smoke and flames coming from the switches to extinguish the fire, but it continued to burn. i then proceeded to pour half of my iced coffee over the switches which did finally extinguish the fire. as a result of the fire the only window that will actually move now is the driver's side window. the passenger's window will not move at all and the two rear windows will only move if using the switches on the back doors. as a result of the fire my car now has a very distinguishable burnt odor to it! needless to say this was one of the scariest experiences i have had when driving my car. *tr | |||
| 08/11/2012 | 70000 | 1 | |
| I have a 2008 toyota rav4 and it has had a whining sound when idling or accelerating for a week. today i was driving it and the power steering quit while i was driving it. i could barely steer it, if my wife was driving, she could not have turned the vehicle. many of the warning lights came on- brake light (checked the parking brake), abs, srs, battery, vsc, maintenance, and slip indicator lights. also the radio quit working, all at once. new battery installed last month. we have owned this vehicle since new from the dealership, had 2 recalls fixed for air bag sensor and floor mats, but no other problems until this. *tr | |||
| 08/14/2012 | 69402 | ||
| Approximately 5 minutes after i started up my car and began driving today i began to notice a strange and strong odor. i had my driver's side window down (power windows) and initially attributed the odor to a large truck that was several car lengths ahead of me. i noticed that the odor persisted even once the truck was no longer visible to me or in close proximity. at that point i then entered onto a major highway via the entrance ramp, and got my speed up to the speed limit of 65 miles per hour. as i was driving i noticed a large amount of smoke coming up from my power window switches on the driver's door. in addition to the smoke i could see an actual flame burning underneath the switches. my initial response was fear and panic, but i was able to find a safe spot to pull off to the side of the highway after a couple of minutes. my first thought was to dial 911, but i was afraid by the time someone arrived the car might burst into flames and blow up!! i immediately thought that i needed to try to extinguish the fire somehow as my car was filling with smoke and the odor was overwhelming. i quickly looked around to see if i had any bottled water in the car-but i did not. the only liquid i had accessible to dowse the flames was my iced coffee-so i poured a small amount over the smoke and flames coming from the switches to extinguish the fire, but it continued to burn. i then proceeded to pour half of my iced coffee over the switches which did finally extinguish the fire. as a result of the fire the only window that will actually move now is the driver's side window. the passenger's window will not move at all and the two rear windows will only move if using the switches on the back doors. as a result of the fire my car now has a very distinguishable burnt odor to it! needless to say this was one of the scariest experiences i have had when driving my car. | |||
| 08/11/2012 | 70000 | 1 | |
| I have a 2008 toyota rav4 and it has had a whining sound when idling or accelerating for a week. today i was driving it and the power steering quit while i was driving it. i could barely steer it, if my wife was driving, she could not have turned the vehicle. many of the warning lights came on- brake light (checked the parking brake), abs, srs, battery, vsc, maintenance, and slip indicator lights. also the radio quit working, all at once. new battery installed last month. we have owned this vehicle since new from the dealership, had 2 recalls fixed for air bag sensor and floor mats, but no other problems until this. *tr | |||
| 08/11/2012 | 70000 | ||
| I have a 2008 toyota rav4 and it has had a whining sound when idling or accelerating for a week. today i was driving it and the power steering quit while i was driving it. i could barely steer it, if my wife was driving, she could not have turned the vehicle. many of the warning lights came on- brake light (checked the parking brake), abs, srs, battery, vsc, maintenance, and slip indicator lights. also the radio quit working, all at once. new battery installed last month. we have owned this vehicle since new from the dealership, had 2 recalls fixed for air bag sensor and floor mats, but no other problems until this. | |||
| 03/23/2011 | 65000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2008 toyota rav4. the contact stated that while the driver was traveling 25 mph, he saw smoke being emitting from the drivers side door. when he opened the door, it was on fire. he was able to extinguished the fire with water. the contact thought that it was an electrical fire originating from the wires in the door which caused the failure. the vehicle had not been inspected or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified. the current and failure mileage was approximately 65,000. | |||
| 03/23/2011 | 65000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2008 toyota rav4. the contact stated that while the driver was traveling 25 mph, he saw smoke being emitted from the driver side door. he opened the door and saw flames. he extinguished the fire with water. the contact believed that an electrical fire originating from the wires in the door caused the failure. the vehicle had not been inspected or repaired. the manufacturer had not been notified. the current and failure mileages were approximately 65,000-bk | |||
| 01/22/2011 | 47000 | ||
| At approximately 11:15am saturday january 22, i was stoppped at a stop light on spit brook road in nashua nh for about 30 seconds, when my leased toyota rav4l suddenly reved it's engine and started to move forward. as it did, i pressed on the brake as hard as i could, and the car continued to rev the engine and suddenly jumped forward hitting the car that was about 6 feet in front of me. at that time, i put the car in park, stopped the engine and checked to see if the woman in the car ahead of me was hurt. she was not. her car had no damage to it. she went on her way. there is minor damage to the from end of the rav4, including the bumper and grill. i got back into the car, and took it to the toyota dealer in nashua nh, that was a mile or 2 away, and explained to them what happened. they tried to blame this on the floor mat issue, and then tried to blame it on me, saying that they think my boot might have been on the accelerator. i told them that was not the case. the car was stopped for about 30 seconds when it suddenly reved the engine and accelerated into the car ahead of me. the car was left at the dealer for them to take a look at on monday january 24th, 2011. they told me that they would look into it and get back to me. | |||
| 12/21/2010 | 50000 | ||
| Greetings, we have a 2008 rav4 which has twice exhibited uncontrolled engine acceleration. my wife has contacted toyota to no avail. toyota has recalled other models but not the rav4. they have not heard our complaints as a mortal safety concern. it is as if we are trying to con the company. as a lifelong safety professional, this is very disturbing. please advise as to our possible actions. thanks, scott cedarquist | |||
| 06/04/2010 | 18118 | ||
| My wife returned to her 2008 toyota rav4 at the end of the workday. it would not crank. the radio and air came on, but the engine would not crank or turn over. she put the transmission in neutral and then back in park. it still would not crank. finally, she lowered the emergency brake and tried starting again. this time it started. we took it to an advance auto parts store and had them test the battery. their equipment stated the battery needs replacing, but the car (and battery) only has 18k miles on it. the report also stated that there is a power drain that needs to be investigated (we had turned off all accessories - radio, air, interior lights - and removed all 3rd party power cords from power outlets - cell phone car charger, etc - before running the diagnostic test). we will be taking the suv into our local toyota dealership for investigation, but wanted to report this based on another consumer complaint (odi #10274904). | |||
| 05/01/2010 | 15250 | ||
| My fiancee and i were driving, 2008 rav4/limited/v6/4wd. we were at a stop light. i was driving, i had my foot on the brake for about 30 seconds waiting for light to turn green. it was a busy intersection here in denver and there was a car in front of us. all of a sudden the accelerator took off and i could feel the car trying to move forward. luckily, i already had my foot on the brake and i pressed down even harder on the brake as i immediately put the car in neutral. when i put it in neutral the accelerator continued to rev higher than it was before. i slammed the gear shift into park and shut the car off. we were obviously shaken from this and just sat there for a minute as we realized what had just happened. my fiancee wanted to get out of the car and call a tow truck. i wanted to try and start the car again but leave it in park and test it out. i started the car without touching the brake and it did it again. every light on the dash board lit up like a christmas tree. we were in park so the car could not move but the rpm's were on the way to redlining and i turned off the car again. the lights around the speedometer had never lit up like that before. serioulsy every dummy light on the car was lit and flashing. we were completely scared at this point and we just turned on the emergency lights and just sat there in shock. we sat there for ten minutes at this busy intersection trying to fiqure out what to do. i decided to try it again and this time the car started normally. my fiancee was afraid to drive it but i assured her if it happend again i could just put it in neutral and we could pull over to the side of the road. we drove directly to the dealership. we explained what happened and they said the would check it out. they called later that day and said all the diagnostic tests were normal. they told me it must have been the floor mats. that is impossible since the floor mats weren't even touching accelerator. updated 05/12/10 *bf | |||
| 01/18/2009 | 42000 | 1 | |
| Hello, on jun 26, 2009 my wife and i purchase a certified toyota rav4. we have had nothing but problems. electrical problems: abs light, brake, and egf light remain lite. repairs are: brake switch replacement, igy relay replacment. in addition the cruise control would not function and sometimes the transmission would be stuck in reverse. unable to shift out of this gear position. a local mechanic found the problem in that the connections in the wiring harness are filled with water. he was unable to determine how the water got there. a few days later, the same problem returned.. i am writing to share with you my concern of the electronic problems with the 2008 rav4 from toyota. town toyota service manager, wenatchee, wa told us not to worry aboutit as it is still safe to drivewith abs, brake, and egf lights illuminated. i did contact toyota (via emai) but no response. i question the validity of that statement in light of recent recall news and thought you should know. *tr | |||
| 11/30/2008 | 1000 | 1 | |
| During normal driving, my wife and father-in-law have experienced multiple incidents of unintended acceleration or surging on our 2008 rav4 (awd, 6-cylinder). this is typically occurring at highway speeds or light acceleration above ~25mph. this has been occurring since right after we purchased the vehicle in october 2008. dealer could not verify problem and no error codes were found. the anti-skid control comes on randomly and applied the brakes also, usually while vehicle is stopped. when foot is removed from brake, vehicle stays stopped until accelerator is push and then system releases the brakes and anti-skid light goes out. dealer could not find any error codes for this either. this is a vehicle with a vin number beginning with j, which has been excluded from recent recalls. *tr | |||
| 01/25/2010 | 33574 | 1 | |
| 2008 toyota rav4 taken in for normal service schedule. dealer found rodent nests and chewed wiring/insulation under the engine cover. had to replace wiring harness. dealer said toyota uses soy based covering/insulation instead of plastic which he has seen many instances of rodent chewing. this poses a fire/safety hazard as well as a performance issue if the wires are damaged, cut or shorted. there are websites dedicated to this issue for all the money people have spent in repairs. *tr | |||
| 09/21/2009 | 1 | ||
| 2008 toyota rav4 self-combustion in driveway in the early a.m. of monday, sept 21, 2009. car had not been driven since saturday night at 11 p.m. and arson has been ruled out by fire and police departments. car was less than 2 years old and had been recently serviced and inspected on sept 5, 2009 by an authorized toyota dealer. all other warranty service requirements were fulfilled by an authorized toyota dealer at the appropriate intervals. there were no problems noted by owner during the past two years. the fire department report mentions that the most extensive fire damage occurred at or near the vehicle battery. *tr updated 03/08/10 | |||
| 06/23/2009 | 1 | ||
| On several occasions, my new 2008 rav4 would not start. the battery is brand new. when i turned the ignition, there was no sound / signal at all. sometimes, when i put down the hand brake, and try to start the car again, it works. other times, it doesn't. there are different things that can trigger it to start. how can a brand new car be so unreliable!? we've gotten it towed to the toyota dealership and they can't seem to find the problem. it's been at the dealership for 2 days and nothing has been done to fix the problem. *tr | |||