general problems of the 2014 Toyota RAV4 - part 2

59 problems related to electrical system have been reported for the 2014 Toyota RAV4. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2014 Toyota RAV4 based on all problems reported for the 2014 RAV4.

36 Electrical System problem

Failure Date: 01/01/2021

Over the past three months, the electrical system will restart while I'm driving, usually when flicking on my brights. I got the car checked and the mechanics stated it probably was from the build up on the battery. There were a couple days when the battery was completely dead. Thanks for any advice.

37 Electrical System problem

Failure Date: 10/09/2020

I've had multiple issues with this car. The lock actuators on all the doors and rear hatch constantly break, the radio completely stopped working and a new after market radio had to be installed since Toyota won't recall the radios, the ac blower motor keeps shorting out, and the usb ports short out and stop working.

38 Electrical System problem

Failure Date: 06/01/2020

Shortly after I purchased the vehicle, the entune application began sending “movement alerts” and frequently showed that it was in a different location. The dealership said that an update was required, but that did not fix the problem. About a year later, it began to drain batteries repeatedly (4 in one year). The Toyota dealership could not find a problem. After the last battery replacement, I noticed that the entune app shows that I have over 960,000,000 miles on the vehicle (when the odometer isn’t even at 85,000) and the battery voltage was 14. 6 volts! my car was broken into and the front window was broken, but the app failed to inform me of that! about a month ago, I left home and all of the lights on the dash started flashing. The engine temperature was rising (according to the temperature gauge), and then the gauges stopped functioning. The tachometer showed 0 rpms and I was unable to see the odometer, temperature, or even my speed. After disconnecting and reconnecting the battery cables, it appeared to solve the problem. I am afraid of what may happen next and would trade it in if I could afford to.

39 Electrical System problem

Failure Date: 03/17/2020

Radio will completely stop working to where you have to buy a new $1200 radio from the dealer. All door lock actuators will stop working after a period of time causing you to not being able to unlock or open your doors.

40 Electrical System problem

Failure Date: 03/07/2020

2014 Toyota rav 4. Over the past year--the electric locks on all four doors stopped working--took to local mechanic and Toyota dealership who said it was the actuators in the doors and would cost over $2000 to fix them. I wouldn't have a problem, but this car is only 6 years old and has 60,000 miles on it. I find it very hard to believe that all four would be knocked out at once, and suspect that it is a . It is a safety concern. I suspect that they used inferior/faulty parts.

41 Electrical System problem

Failure Date: 01/29/2020

The radio control unit went into a reboot cycle and never completes. The entire unit is unable to be used for any of it's functions. Radio, bluetooth, gps, etc. There are a lot of Toyota owners reporting this problem especially with the 2014 Rav4. There are many example and videos on youtube.

42 Electrical System problem

Failure Date: 11/13/2019

Navigation and entertainment panel went out while vehicle was in use. Son was driving in an unfamiliar area and was using navigation system to get home when system went out.

43 Electrical System problem

Failure Date: 10/27/2019

Car randomly stopped accelerating while on the freeway. The check ev system light came on with a turtle in a circle as well. Thankfully we were able to push to side of road.

44 Electrical System problem

Failure Date: 04/24/2019

Radio stopped working on 4-24-2019.

45 Electrical System problem

Failure Date: 03/16/2019

All the apps on the dash board, including radio are gone{whited out}. I am afraid if everything is shuting down all at once while I drive as it did on this one.

46 Electrical System problem

Failure Date: 01/09/2019

Takata recall. All of the doors on my 2014 Rav4 lock and unlock when they chose to. Normally when the car is in drive the doors all lock however as of January 2019 they have been locking and unlocking when they decided to work. Using the external key button to lock and unlock the doors working maybe 50% of the time on about 2 to 3 of the doors. The same goes for the International lock buttons and when the car is shifted into drive. This is extremely dangerous for me and my children who I am not terrified to have in my car. Should the doors chose to not lock and they accidentally pull the door open it would be a horrific accident. And my youngest has a panic attack when I go to get him from the car but cant because the doors never unlocked when we parked. Please figure this problem out I love my rav but it is not safe right now.

47 Electrical System problem

Failure Date: 12/10/2018

The radio/infotainment system on these vehicles are failing (ours failed last week), with numerous examples posted by owners online. A dealership eventually determined that the entire radio unit needed replacement at quoted cost of $1160 Toyota customer support is courteous but unwilling to assist with repairs. The radio system appears to enter a boot loop where a loading type screen appears for several seconds followed by the screen turning off for a time before restarting the loop. While I wouldn't consider the radio/infotainment to be a critical safety component, this constant on/off of the radio screen is a distraction for the driver. At night especially, the change in brightness from screen off to screen on lights up the entire cabin. Furthermore, the boot loop cannot be stopped- no buttons work and the sequence repeats itself forever as long as the key is on.

48 Electrical System problem

Failure Date: 12/01/2018

When I had my car in park my stereo stopped working. No radio, no satellite, no nothing other than back up camera. When I start the car I get a blue picture of the stereo and a status bar loading like on computers when a program is loading. I took the car to the Toyota dealer and he explained that the replacement would cost 2,500 dollars to replace and he explained there was no means to fix it. I went to another mechanic and he told me the same thing. I have had the car for only 1 year and 6 months with 45000 miles and it just suddenly stopped working. I believe there is a defect in these radios that cause this endless loop to occur. Many others have experienced similar problems with the same model of car as well.

49 Electrical System problem

Failure Date: 06/21/2018

At 46k miles, driver door lock/actuator began to fail when unlocking with keyfob/hand sensor when vehicle was stationary. Pressing the lock/unlock on key fob/door panel worked 50% of the time. At 50k miles, all doors (driver, passenger, driver rear, and passenger rear) no longer unlock/lock except when done manually through insertion of key in driver door and manually unlocking all other doors (passenger, passenger rear, and driver rear) from each individual door lock .

50 Electrical System problem

Failure Date: 03/09/2018

Tl- the contact owns a 2014 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle the navigation/infotainment system suddenly malfunctioned and the screen turned a blue color and the ststem became inoperable. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer premier Toyota located at 47190 cooper foster park rd, in amherst, OH. Who diagnosed that the entire info/navigation system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 63,194. Jft.

51 Electrical System problem

Failure Date: 01/30/2018

I was driving on the highway when the car shut off completely and turned on and off repeatedly, and instantaneous for a few seconds (like it was blinking) super fast. Everything was going on and off. As I was pulling onto the shoulder from the middle lane on the highway, it shut off completely!!! I couldn't even put my hazards on. I was waiting in the car for a tow truck and my husband, I was with my daughter. The car started to smoke and flame and was on fire. We jumped out and yet was up in flames!!!!!!!.

52 Electrical System problem

Failure Date: 01/02/2018

Issue first started when battery had to be jumped. Then a few days later when in motion driving to the bank, the radio started acting up and got stuck on station and song and then just went black then a picture of the radio appeared the on the screen and was attempting to update but would go black again and then start over so was stuck in some kind of reboot. Not sure if electrical problem or what so took it in to dealership and they told me I should only have to pay $50-60 to reboot it. They checked the battery and said the battery was low charge and replaced it at no charge but said they were unable to reboot the system because it would not stay up long enough before it would black out again. Since it was barely past the warranty period Toyota would not cover the system and I would have to pay $1000 to have refurbished system installed. After researching online I found this was a common complaint and found one here at this site as well so adding mine. I sent letters and emails to Toyota to stand behind their long time customers and products but they would not budge. Multimedia systems should not fail after 3 years. I call that a defect but I guess because it is not considered a safety issue it is not important to Toyota. We are a Toyota family and have been driving Toyota's since my first car back in the 70's. I will probably go ahead and replace with refurbished system hoping this is not an electrical issue and repeat but I will certainly reconsider before purchasing another Toyota in the future.

53 Electrical System problem

Failure Date: 12/01/2016

Hi I am writing about my 2014 Rav4 my mileage is 62,000. Prior to this car being 3 years old and 55,000 miles the radio shorted out including the bluetooth and navigation. I am shocked Toyota has not done a recall when it is evident this is a common defect. Browsing you tube shows many, many people have the same problem with their Toyota radio. After months of silence I ended up paying $1345. 41 to replace this upon reasearch seems to be a common known problem. My invoice #tocs231192 with dublin Toyota is dated 3/16/2017. I am asking for your review, consideration and response in this matter.

54 Electrical System problem

Failure Date: 10/04/2016

The contact owned a 2014 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while driving at 45-50 mph during night hours, a fellow motorist alerted the contact that her vehicle had caught fire from underneath the engine without warning. Upon opening the front, driver-side door, the fire entered the vehicle and the contact quickly shut the door. While in a panic, the contact re-opened the door and jumped out of the vehicle. The vehicle quickly became engulfed in flames and was consumed by the fire. Police arrived at the scene and a police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent tow yard and was deemed a total loss. The road was scorched as a result of the fire which led to the road being repaved. The contact injured both knees and left baby finger after jumping out of the vehicle; the contact also suffered emotional distress due to the fire. The contact did not seek medical attention for her injuries. The dealer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. Recently, the contact received a recall notice for NHTSA campaign number: 23v734000 (electrical system) which she linked to the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

55 Electrical System problem

Failure Date: 08/11/2016

Recently I was driving my 2014 Rav4 near downtown tampa on adamo drive and was taking a left turn, and suddenly I heard some kind of noise and felt like my vehicle went dead without any electrical power and it started reversing on it's own and spun to right. Fortunately since I was taking a turn I was hardy at a speed of about 10 mph and hence my front right passenger side door & head light etc. Got damaged and there was a very minimal damage to the front fender on the driver side of the vehicle behind our Rav4. For the same reason none of us - either myself, my front CO-passenger or the driver of the vehicle behind our Rav4 were physically hurt and were very safe after this incident. The driver of the vehicle behind our Rav4 informed that he heard a kind of strange sound and saw our Rav4 reversing & turning right, and he moved away into the right lane. The police officer, who has come also informed that she has come across this kind of incidents with Toyota vehicles recently, and did not give me citation after reviewing my incident free driving record and also she could not find reason for this freak incident which looks more like a mechanical defect of my Rav4, and advised to take to Toyota dealer for further investigation & resolution. On further research we found that there is a serious recall - "electrical power assist system" (eps) for 2014 Rav4 which was identified & documented by Toyota on 03/13/2015 but was not notified to the customers. We have contacted Toyota company, complained about this incident, informed the recall and we are waiting for a response from Toyota after a thorough investigation, computer data analysis from our Rav4. I am herewith attaching the documentation for the recall. I am very much worried & concerned about this incident, since it is of very serious safety issue. Please review and reply as soon as possible. Thank you in advance.

56 Electrical System problem

Failure Date: 01/16/2015

At approximately 8:20 am on Friday, January 16th, 2015, I was pulling into an empty parking spot in front of my apartment complex after dropping my 6 year-old at school. This was a routine as I do this every morning. However, as I was slowing the car down preparing to park (5-10 mph), the car suddenly accelerated (approximately 25-30 mph) and ran over the sidewalk, bushes and into the side of my apartment complex. Despite my attempts to brake, the car would not stop. In the process I ran through the side of my apartment complex wall and front gate, nearly going right through my front door and living room where my 6 month old and wife were playing. I had to place the car in park and turn the car off. That stopped the car. I then turned the car back on and reversed. Luckily no one was injured, but there was substantial damage done to the side of my apartment complex and my vehicle. Should be noted, that despite the impact, no airbags were deployed. At the moment, my insurance company has me at fault. I have filed with Toyota corporate and they are having a specialist investigate the vehicle. I do not feel safe in this car. And hope that this is investigated further. Had I not turned off my car, I would have surely gone through my front door and into my living room, potentially hurting my 6 month old and wife.

57 Electrical System problem

Failure Date: 09/01/2014

Navigation screen is dangerously unreadable in sunlight; the glare is impossible to see through.

58 Electrical System problem

Failure Date: 08/11/2014

New rav-4 was slightly more than 1 month old (7/1/14 to 8/11/14). We were driving back to atlanta from vacation in the outer banks, we were using cruise control to maintain speed on the expressway. We came across a slower moving truck and pulled into the passing lane, still using cruise control. While passing slow truck, another truck came up on our tail at a higher rate of speed. I stepped on the gas to get in front of the slow truck, intending to enable the fast truck to pass us once we were in front of the slow truck and back in the normal lane. Instead of speeding up, rav-4 lost power and quickly slowed down, to the point of needing to pull behind the slow truck that we were trying to pass and having to pull to the shoulder of the road. The fast truck on our tail started to (slightly) fishtail and might have crashed into us if the truck driver had lost control of his vehicle. We pulled to the side of the road and tried to rev the engine, but got no response, the engine almost stalling. Since the engine was not responding, we shut the car off, and restarted, and were able to continue with no further problems, but didn't use the cruise control again for the rest of the ride home. We reported the incident to our dealer, and were told that this would be very difficult to trouble-shoot, and to continue to drive and bring it back if it happens again. We no longer trust the cruise control on this vehicle and will not use it again.

59 Electrical System problem

Failure Date: 06/30/2014

The contact owns 2014 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that the dealer advised that the on and off button to the bluetooth that was standard with the vehicle should shut on and off by using the power button. The contact stated that the power button was defective and would not turn the bluetooth off when it was engaged. The contact¿s heart also began to function abnormally and she became extremely weak, nearly collapsing after exiting the vehicle due to the inability to turn the bluetooth off and on in order to prevent it from interfering with her pacemaker. The contact also stated that she advised the dealer prior to purchasing the vehicle that she had a pacemaker. The contact was concerned about the safety hazard of driving the vehicle because the owner¿s manual indicated caution if the operator of the vehicle had medical devices such as pacemakers. The general manager was notified that the contact became ill and stated that she should have been careful. Additionally, the vehicle could not be locked or unlocked using the remote key fob. Instead, the vehicle would exhibit an abnormal sound and the lights illuminated. The failure mileage was unknown.



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RAV4 Safety Recalls
RAV4 Defect Investigations