general problems of the 2012 Toyota RAV4

Unknown.

Constant brake issues sun visors won't stay in place (breaks) massive oil consumption (not leaking) oil on dipstick appears black & burnt quickly after adding or replacing oil.

While in transit I observed my Rav4 engine light 4wd light and traction control light all come on and truck kinda felt like gear slip weather was clear. I continued and went across a railroad track and all of sudden truck completely shuts down and started smoking. I I coasted to side of road had it towed to my designated location thought was on fire. After inspection following day it showed top radiator hose coupling broke causing antifreeze to spew from radiator . . . I replaced the hose thinking all would be repaired. Antifreeze and water was replaced and tried to crank it sputtered and wouldn't start . Now it still won't start. It has only 135k miles on it and I know it should be more.

Severe chipping on the top of the vehicle. If the vehicle goes over 40 mph, it chipps the paint on the other vehicles which is a hazard.

On Friday, 1/20, I got in my vehicle, turned it on and the engine maintenance light came on. First and only time in the few months I have owned it. While driving home in heavy traffic from work in lutz, my Rav4 uncontrollably accelerated at a full stop lurching forward towards the vehicle in front of me. It did this 4 times on my drive home to spring hill nearly causing multiple potentially catastrophic accidents. I stayed in the far-right lane for the duration of my drive home with the exception of two left hand turns I had to make. Each time I came to a stop I kept further distance from the vehicle in front of me. I put it in neutral, pressed firmly on the brake, once at a full stop the engine was still revving up to 4-5,000 rpms. I steered the wheels to the right to avoid the vehicle in front of me in preparation that it would not stop accelerating. It was/is not a floor mat issue, those clip into place, it was not me accidentally pressing on the gas pedal. I have 30+ years of a good driving record and experience in all types of conditions. This is something seriously mechanically and electrically wrong. This put myself and any other vehicle or pedestrian around me at great risk of major collision or bodily injury. Since this is an intermittent problem, like the abundance of other complaints, neither my mechanic nor the Toyota dealership can reproduce it.

The mechanism that controls the up/down position of the sun visors breaks after a few years of use. As a result, the sun visors will not stay in a 'closed' position (against vehicle roof) and constantly fall halfway down obstructing proper view of the road. The drivers side sun visor broke several years ago. When I took it to the Toyota dealer they stated the only way to fix this was to replace the visor (at my expense). The cost to replace one visor was >$200. The passenger side visor has now failed to hold in place as well. Toyota assumes no responsibility for this design defect (plastic part in the visor mechanism wears or breaks). This is a safety issue due to poor design on Toyota's part. Consumers should not have to pay $200 to have these replaced.

My Rav4 caught fire by its self not running in the battery compartment and burned completely to the metal.

Driver's side sun visor falls down blocking view of road.

Driver's side sun visor had to be replaced a couple years ago because it would not stay in an upright position and hung in a loose dropped position. The passenger side sun visor is now doing the same thing. This is a safety hazard as it can drop unexpectedly and block the drivers visual field.

I have a 2012 Toyota rav-4 limited . I have had the vehicle since 2020. Ever since I bought the vehicle it fogs up. All the windows fog up and it does not matter what setting I have it on, DE-foggers, fan, fresh air, ac, etc. Nothing resolves the problem. It is very dangerous as I cannot see where I am going. I cannot use the front DE-foggers in bad weather because it makes the afore mentioned problem worse. I have to put the windows down to see and this remedy is not feasible. I have researched and a lot of other people are experiencing this same safety issue in this model vehicle. I love the vehicle but dread bad weather as it is a struggle to see . Please help.

Four-wheel drive, traction stability, check engine light all went on and will not shut off. Driving in 4-wheel drive put strain on engine. Plus there are many complaints about this situation. $545 for service is cost for common to this car issue. . Read more...

My 2012 Toyota Rav4 driver side visor started falling down about 6 months ago, later would fall down and wouldn't go back up and stay. Then is was very loose. I would move it to the side because I couldn't see to drive. This last time I tried to move it to the side it completely fell off. My passenger side is doing it as well and making it hard for the passengers to see and even myself because it's constantly blocking my view of that side. I'm very aggravated because I called customer care and they will not do anything about it. This is a very dangerous safety hazard. I'm very disappointed in Toyota! my vehicle wasn't cheap but apparently the parts they put in them are. I am including the first picture of me at a 4way red light to show my view driving and at a red light, I can't see and have to bend down to do so. Also the light no longer works on the driver side mirror because of this defect. I also included pictures of the fabric bubbling off. My vehicle was garbage kept for 6 years and for the last year or so it's been outside. Also, my wipers pop and get stuck when trying to use them. Even if it's raining or just cleaning my windshield off. They will go and then it's like it can't and gets stuck but it literally will make a pop sound and bounce when trying to use them. It sounds ridiculous and everyone complains about them when riding with me. I'm so frustrated with it. They have done it the whole time I've owned it and I'm the only owner of it.

Vehicle experienced sudden unintended acceleration when exiting the highway and making a turn. Rpm went up to 7,000 until the vehicle was turned off. The accelerator pedal was depressed fully several times while the car was suspended and turned off and started back on with the brake pedal fully depressed to ensure proper safety measures in case the vehicle jolts forward. No accident or injuries occurred during the incident as the vehicle was put to a stop safely before other parties would be involved. Local dealership doesn't want to take it in for proper inspection without a diagnostic payment.

Sun visor on driver's side will not stay up. Hangs midway down causing hazard if I lean forward.

9/21/15 TN accident reported case #wc1523557 vechile towed, 04/05/216, auto auction auction announced as true mileage unknown 901-480-4250 June 7, 2018, purchased from carlock Toyota tupelo, ms. Auto check reported multiple owners, , score 68. Dealeship did not reveal any of this when purchased--only found out when direct general canceled policy because of auto condition---dealership only uses carfax--front bumper loose and crinkled, hood crinkled, brakes were not new as was told-a cover under hood missing which could cause a fire.

Driver side sun visor would not stay up all the way, obstructing view. Car is not old enough or driven hard enough for such a common component to fail so quickly. It's not a cheap fix - dealer quoted me $174 though there are some youtube videos that show how to buy the part and fix it yourself. Having read about other Rav4 owners with the same issue, it seems like a Toyota quality control issue.

The check engine, trac off and 4wd lights will all come on together and stay on for a day or two and then go off again. This keeps happening.

Passenger side mirror exploded spontaneously leaving behind only its assembly. Vehicle was driving at 15 mph thru a small town with no turns.

2013 Toyota Rav4 w/ 40k miles had third actuator power door latch fail on a third door in 5 months. Looking at other recent complaints, of a similar nature, this may indeed be the result of a manufacturing defect. Please consider issuing a recall. Most recent failure is the door my 2 year old uses, I would hate to think of an emergency where I couldn't get her out of the car because it was locked. When the first door, driver, went out (Dec 2016), I had it fixed at my mechanic thinking it was a fluke. When the second door, passenger, went out Mar 2017, I contacted Toyota & was told to get the problem confirmed by the dealership, which I did. They offered me a goodwill pymt for the second door only, not the first, despite how recently the first door failed. In may 2017 the third door, back driver, is now failing & the Toyota customer service rep said they "are declining to offer me any assistance in fixing this actuator or any future actuator locks because they go out like lightbulbs every 4 years. " I cannot believe Toyota knowingly manufactures vehicles w/ a part that it 'expects' to fail every 4 years, leaving their customers with a $2500 bill that frequently. We escalated this from the initial "cust service" rep, alex s. , to his supervisor, ashley, and they both said they are choosing not to help us any further with this problem on door number 3 (or 1) or doors 4 and 5 when they inevitably go out as well. My husband also owns a 2013 Rav4, so we are being told to expect to pay $5000 every 4 years if we want our doors to lock. We have purchased Toyotas based on their reputation of quality and I am baffled Toyota is knowingly sticking their customers with expensive parts that fail with this frequency. It is also worth noting, my car isn't even 4 years old yet and was just over 3 years old when the I experienced the first failure Dec 2016.

The door locks wont lock when you put the car in drive. . They use to work but now I have to lock them with the button and I have a 21/2 year old granddaugter who sits in the back and am afraid when the car is going can open the car when it is going down the road if the doors are not locked. This is a hazard and defect.

Tire pressure monitor system warning light icon have been showing after I got new set of tires, all tires got the proper air, 2 months after of the new tires installed, this icon showed again so, I brought my car for oil chance abd asked to check the air on the tires, the mechanic put the mandatory air on each tire, the icon still tshowing it, it did not go away so, I do not know what it is. I am very concern. . . . Thanks lucy mikusek.

The drivers side visor keeps falling down and blocking my view well driving. The visor seems to be defected or poorly made.

This has happened about three times. When I am stopping the car with my foot on the brake the engine suddenly revs up and I have to really exert pressure on the brake to prevent the car from lurching ahead. After a few seconds of braking, the engine stops revving.

New Rav4 purchased 2/2013;bought extended platnum warranty. 5 separate incidents of sudden acceleration 2/14/2015-5/25/2015-had passenger in car each time. 1st- traveling s I-79 warrendale PA 60 mph speed drops to 50 mph car in front hit brakes to slow I applied my brakes to slow Rav4 started to accelerate engine started to rev loudly passenger said shift to neutral then I hit brake again to slow. 2nd-local traffic 30 mph applied brake to slow instead car accelerated put into neutral to slow engine revving. 3rd-driving from oakland-north hills PA in traffic 30 mph hit brake to slow for traffic light instead rav accelerated engine revving loudly put in neutral to stop. 4th-traveling 20 mph at local park 3/7/15 approaching stop sign car in front applied brakes, hit my brakes & car accelerated put car into neutral engine revving loudly then applied brakes to stop-drove directly to Toyota dealership advisor checked floor mats stated were properly placed. I made appt at dealership on 3/10. Toyota's conclusion-nothing wrong stated "possible pedal misapplication", suggested I buy flat Toyota floor mats had weathertechs, I purchased new driver's mat & Toyota installed. 5th-5/25/15 leaving grocery store 10 mph went to stop before exiting lot rav would not stop engine loud threw into neutral finally stopped. 5/25/15 emailed ceo of Toyota n America received call back & made appt for 5/29/15 to have rav looked over again at dealership for sudden acceleration issues. Received call back on 5/29/15 from nicki @ Toyota executive office-stated that Toyota stands by their March 2015 assessment that there is nothing wrong with my rav & if I have it towed to dealership by aaa, I would be responsible for all costs to have my vehicle serviced at dealership, would not be covered under any warranties. I have been driving for 40+ year & possible pedal misapplication 5 x's is a bunch of bull.

I drove vehicle in the morning, no indications of any steering problems. During my drive in the late afternoon, the power steering assist stopped working. I was stopped at a left turn lane and heard a faint "click" sound from below the steering wheel area at around knee level. This sound was not that of a "turn signal switch" click, it was just a "click". The engine stayed running, the eps warning light came on, the steering wheel was very hard to turn (I have carpel tunnel in my right hand), with assistance from my passenger we were able to complete the turn. We drove vehicle home without power steering and parked it. My brother-in-law came that evening to inspect for failure. Vehicle started up and power steering worked without problems. Since no eps warning light came on, he volunteered to take vehicle home to test drive until problem recurred. The dealer told him to drive the vehicle to them to have problem evaluated. He has put 500 miles on the odometer so far and problem has not recurred. He said the dealer will just give me the run around if no "hard code" is set and condition of no" power assist" is present. I am afraid of driving this vehicle now because of this problem.

I can not give the info. That you are asking me about the damage of my vehicle in the above question ,because it keeps deleting my answers. On this past 12/16/2013 at 3:15pm I was pulled over behind a chevy,trailblaizer waiting for a emergency vehicle to pass by,suddenly my new rav-4 decided that it wanted to go for a fast ride,wether I liked it,or not. I looked down at my feet to see what was the cause of the problem and I had my foot on the brake all the way to the floor. By the time I looked back-up,it was to late for me to pull-up onto the emergency brake,or put into (n). This was my third incedent with this happening,every body keeps saying that this happened on 12/19/2013,not so ! on 01/11/2013 I almost killed a girl pushing a baby carriage and holding hands with her little boy in a crosswalk at 12/30 pm. I reported this to Toyota and they investigated it and said,"all 14 accidents where my fault ,because of the matts on my floor. "I just had my insurance CO. Investigate it the other day. I don't have all the results back yet! rockingham Toyota and scion,nh. Sold me this car ,I gave them two trade-ins,a 2010 camaro ss,rs,and my 2002 Toyota tundra which I brought to them that night for a recall on my truck,to replace the rotted-out frame,and rotted-out rear brakes. They said no to fixing my brakes,and I had the recall letter to show them. Did not help! so they sold me this lemmon,and sent me a check in the mail for $23,000. I got ripped-off,they closed the dealership while I was signing papers,and they would not let me near my truck and camaro. He said "come back tomorrow to get your belongings out of them". I went back the next day ,and was told that I was to late,the autos are on a train write now,heading to wissconsin. Help me please !.

On three occasions during 2013, the car accelerated and jumped forward as the brake was being applied to stop the car. On September 5, 2013 the acceleration and movement forward was more pronounced and was accompanied by a noticeable sound of the engine. This occurred as the brake was being slowly applied during an approach to an intersection. There was no movement or involvement of the floor mat on the driver’s side and no possibility that the driver's foot could have hit the accelerator at the same time as his foot was placed on the brake. We requested that the car be examined by the Toyota dealer in order to determine the nature of the defect and the corrective action needed. The dealer reported that it could not identify any problem.

On a sunny hot day vehicle was parked for approx 20 outside. Entered the vehicle once no mishap. Upon second entry "3 mintues apart" when door was closed rear window just fell apart. I found glass on the ground outside of the vehicle and the remaining glass in the vehicle. What appears to have happen is the rear window exploded. Not aware of any prior damage to the window. Toyota was given two attempts to review the grieavance on each occasion claiming owner fault or responsibility.

I drive a Toyota Rav4 v6 ltd, 2012 purchased on Jan 2, 2013. Prior to that we had a Toyota camry 1999 with more 200k miles on it. On July 24th, 2013, I was driving at a speed of 10 mph inside the apartment complex and was turning right to park. I was almost parked when all of a sudden the car surged and zoomed over parking stopper, breaking overhead storage bin, zoomed ahead and banged into the building stairs. I kept pumping the brake all through, but the car didnt stop until it hit on to the stairs of apartment. The wheels were still rolling but it couldnt go ahead because of the heavy stairs and finally after continuously stepping on the brake it stopped. My right foot was all along on the brake as it always is when I'm parking. Body of the car was severely damaged with glass pieces all over me. Luckily my 3 year old was safer at back in her car seat. The airbags did not deploy on impact. I'm having more than 10 years of driving experience and it was the first time that I was involved in an accident. Since I'm a woman everyone was quick to conclude that, I had stepped on the gas pedal instead of brake. But I know my foot was all along on the brake, until the car finally stopped. This has caused a lot of damage, although I had insurance to cover the car, the value is zilch now. The car was not totalled and repairs was worth more than 20k. Driving the car now, doesn't feel the same as the collision center did a crappy repair job. Now the car makes sounds while driving, as though it will come apart. We are left with no options other than just to drive the same car because we can't afford another car. After notifying Toyota and after numerous calls they collected the edr and sent us a report stating that nothing was wrong with the vehicle. It was our fault that we didn't realise Toyota had issues related to unintended acceleration prior to buying the Rav4.

2012 Toyota Rav4 rear cargo door window shattered, and glass fell inside vehicle and outside vehicle. This occured while car was parked, and the drivers door was being closed. Vehicle had been in garage, no visible damage to rear window had been noted. I feel it is a defect in the glass, as several others have been reported; however Toyota feels differently, as I can't prove there was a defect in the glass, since the glass is in a million pieces inside my vehicle and on the garage floor. I am fairly sure a space alien came down and hit the back glass sharply, exactly at the moment I was closing the drivers door. . . But I can't prove that either.