Two problems related to seats have been reported for the 2008 Toyota RAV4. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2008 Toyota RAV4 based on all problems reported for the 2008 RAV4.
My vehicle has never been in an accident. All recalls have been fixed and then I started having an issue with the occupation detector in the passenger seat. It is not registering that there is an occupant over 1/2 the time. Since this is a costly repair (about 500$) I take it to heart knowing my vehicle is not safe at all times. I do have 2 children and this is our primary family vehicle. I do not think this is a part that an owner should be responsible to fix since it is a safety issue. Every now and then it will function but it's been on solid for over two weeks. Hence my email.
The driver's seat back frame wasn't properly closed out which resulted in the degradation of padding and eventual cutting through of the seat cover fabric over the course of time. The frame has a sharp edge that should have been rounded or covered in a manner so as not to cut into the padding. At this point the frame has cut through a portion of the fabric and is cutting into the driver. The primary safety concern is the sharp frame could cause injury to the driver (especially if the vehicle was rear-ended in an off-center, driver side impact) by cutting into the driver's back. Per discussion with their customer hotline today, Toyota will not assist in the repair of the seat.