general problems of the 2015 Toyota RAV4 - part 1

There were two recalls on paint chipping off the body of the car. The last one ended in Nov 2025 I think. But. . . There are many of us who had no idea there was a paint recall, me included. I brought my rav (great car btw, no issues with how it runs at all) thru a car wash over thanksgiving, and two softball size paint chips came off, probably due to high pressure water. I then researched the paint and found out that there was a recall but I just missed it. This recall needs to be extended needs for I have paint chips missing now all over my car. This is unacceptable from a great car company like Toyota, they need to stand by something so basic as paint quality. The paint color in question is white pearl, code is 070. Thanks for your time here.

Was driving on the freeway on my way to work and suddenly I heard this loud pop. I didn't know if a vehicle next to me had a tire blow out or if I had a tire blow out. I pulled over and I checked my car and then I looked on the roof as that is where the loud pop came from and I saw my sunroof broken with a hole in the middle.

I was driving on the freeway to work. It's a 40 minute commute I make every day Monday to Friday. Half way to my destination, I heard like a loud pop or explosion sound. There was an 18 wheeler on the middle lane to my right and I thought one of its tires exploded and a piece landed on my roof. It felt like something landed on my roof or hit it hard, but not sure what. I also thought maybe my tire blew out, but my tires are all new and were fine. I pulled over to the side and put my emergency break lights on and checked the roof of my car and saw that my sun roof was broken. There is a hole in the middle. \n.

Was going a route that we do daily, and thankfully it was a backroad and no one was walking. Was coming up to a turn and pressed the brake but the car accelerated. 100% sure I pressed the brake! I couldn't steer the car and lost the brakes. Thankfully a tree stopped the car. Airbags deployed, windshield cracked, all 4 tires popped.

Recall # 23tb13 manufacturer recall # 23v734 NHTSA 12 volt battery replacement still has no remedy available since recall 11/1/2023 I have had 2 batteries replaced in 4 years , not sure if due to recall and cant seem to get anyone to answer if related . The last battery kept having erosion and connection issues , finally had to replace .

When it rains, water leaks in the interior of the car where the windshield meets the roof of the car. It leaks at the both visor attachments, the light in the middle, and along the sides of where the windshield is attached. I understand there is a recall for older Rav4's for a similar issue. I think the same thing is happening here. It's is causing visibility issues when it is raining and distracts the driver.

I received the "interim notice" recall notification (not the first one about the same problem - "certain potential vehicle fire related to 12-volt battery") 1/2/24 but no parts were available until received the next notice on 3/28/25 for the "remedy". That is not in a reasonable time frame to me, over a year and almost 4 months. I received a recall prior to 1/2/24 about a similar battery issue that was supposedly taken care of in a more timely manner, then to receive another recall notice having to do with similar issues but the parts weren't available over a year and 4 months. Why wasn't the problem fixed with the first recall/fix? in the mean time my car could have caught on fire, but because I was warned, that's ok?! that is unacceptable.

Front collision in 55 miles per hour freeway after slamming on the brakes and hitting car in front with minimum damage to them, Rav4 started immediately to smell like something but burning and black smoke started on front left, after few moments car was on flames. The car burnt in it's totality.

I had a 2015 Rav4, I recently experience a horrific incident on 10/15/2023. I was driving on the freeway and the left lane was very bumpy. Then the dashboard started flickering so I pulled over. As I pulled over the car came to complete shutdown. So, my daughter and I got out of the car quickly. I called my insurance as the car didn't want start anymore, during this call I could see smoke. So, the agent had my call 911 and in seconds the car automatically went up in flames from bottom front to the top. Car was reported total loss. I saw the article on the Rav4 recalls and believe this is related. . Read more...

Last year my battery exploded while I was driving the car. This year again the sane issue. I was driving my car this past Sunday September 10, 2023 and my battery exploded once again.

There is a known issue and current recall issued for roof rail water leakage in Rav4 models 2019-2021. My current model Rav4 from 2015 is now experiencing the same issue with water leaking during a rainstorm into the interior of the car through the visor junctions in both driver and passenger side. Please be advised as I believe this is caused by the roof rail junctions not being properly sealed. It is not only affecting 2019-2021 models but affecting older Rav4 models such as mine from 2015. Hopefully the recall can be expanded to include older models as I am already currently experiencing water damage inside my car and this could be a major safety issue if unresolved.

Approximately two minutes after turning the vehicle off, smoke started coming from the engine area. Within the next two minutes, flames emerged. The fire quickly engulfed the vehicle in flames causing a total loss. The fire department declared it a loss and stated a cause will likely not be known by them. I was not in the vehicle at the time of the smoke. A truck next to the vehicle quickly moved away. Insurance company is in route to investigate. No warning signs prior.

Today I started my Rav4 in my driveway to warm it up and went back in the house. Approximatly 5-10 minutes later someone knocked on the door to let me know the car was on fire. The fire department said it was likley that the fire started in the engine and spread to the rest of the vehicle.

Radio and navigation system is not working. Dealership stated this is a factory problem that is very costly to repair. A lot of Toyota vehicles are having the same problem. It is a safety issue because driver can't use the hands free option or navigation system. So using the phone while driving is really not safe!.

The infotainment unit is stuck in a loop. Spoke to multiple dealers that said they’ve seen at least 200+ of these issues in the past year. They said their fix is a total replacement of the unit.

I own a white 2015 Rav4 limited. I bought it used in 2019. I am emailing today due to the issue, like many other Rav4 and other white Toyota vehicles - the paint is peeling. A small piece started to peel at the end of last winter. It has peeled larger in the past month. In the past two weeks with high winds, two larger portions peeled off the front hood and drivers side rear door. This is a total of three different areas on the vehicle.

Nathing everything is my car working good.

Yesterday, on 9/1/2022, my son parked the car on the parking lot of cvs in tucson, az. He turned the car off and locked it and went into the store. While at cvs the car spontaneously burst into flames. More specifically the front of the car burst into flames. The car has been meticulously maintained and was in perfect mechanical condition. No one smokes. There was nothing flammable in the car. It just caught on fire out of the blue on its own while parked. Good thing no one got hurt and no other property damage occurred, but the car is totaled. It had about 88,000 miles on it. Thank god it was not inside the garage at night or our house would most likely have burned down as well. This is a very disturbing event. No one expects their well-maintained car to catch on fire while turned off and parked. We would like the incident investigated.

The white paint on my vehicle is chipping like crazy. I was told by my insurance company that there was a problem with the white paint on Toyota vehicle from 2008-2019. This is very disheartening as I’ve always buy Toyota vehicles for their excellence.

Transaxle repair: reman transition with torque converter. The car begins to shake around 60mph as well as acceleration gets stuck at times. The Toyota dealership looked at the vehicle 2 times before the cause was addressed.

When my phone is connected to bluetooth for hands free talking, the person I’m talking to says that they can’t hear me clearly, so much background noise. After looking this up I see several hundred people saying the same thing. It’s now a law that you can’t be talking on your cell phone to your ear, wouldn’t this be considered a safety issue? thank you barbara mccleskey.

On March 14, 2022 ( about 5:05pm)got in my car to drive to the post office to mail a package. ( less than one mile from my home) I noticed when I started the car that the computer appeared to be rebooting. It was grey and had a line at the bottom appearing to progress from left to right. I drove to post office, parked, turned off the car, locked it and went into post office. Waiting in line, a man came in and said whomever owns the silver Rav4 out front, your motor is smoking. I said that’s mine, went outside in shock, called 911 and the motor was in flames within minutes. I first noticed flames coming through crack in hood by the windsheild. I have no idea why this happened. Owned the car since 2018, never had a single issue. Car is totaled. Progressive car insurance is investigating and will hopefully approve a fair settlement, minus my deductible. This is the most bizarre thing I”ve ever seen. Please advise if you know what I can do to at least get my deductible refunded from Toyota. Thank you by the way, I almost went to the gas station first, my tank was on e, it could have been a deadly situation had I done that first. Ps. I have a video of the fire that would not upload. If there is another way to get it to you, please let me know. Thank you.

My wife was driving her 2015 Toyota Rav4 on September 13, 2021 when the car stalled while on the interstate. She coasted to the side. It started back up so she continued to work which was off the next exit. As soon as she entered the parking lot, the Rav4 stalled again and she was able to coast in to a parking lot. As soon as she walked inside the building the Rav4 caught on fire. There were no warning lights are any indication of anything wrong with the vehicle up until this point. According to the dealer and the insurance company, the battery caught on fire. What exactly caused this I do not know. The insurance company deemed the vehicle a total loss per the Toyota dealers recommendation.

Was driving along when some warning lights came on, specifically the check engine light, traction control off light and the awd light. 2 seconds later I heard a loud pop, saw smoke coming from the hood. I pulled over and looked in the engine compartment and saw flames. I suspect the coolant line popped and caught fire. My safety could have been at risk if the battery exploded or oil/gas components were to catch fire. The car is currently at a dealer to be inspected. A nhp accident report was filled out and can be available if needed.

A. Mileage indicator: full thank gives any where from 325-365 miles. But indicator goes down precipitously. If it indicates 20 miles, it will go down to 0 or 8 miles after only a 5 miles drive. B: the only safety I feel is put at risk is where it can leave me when my anticipated mileage suddenly goes below what was indicated. C: have reported to dealer a couple of times but always informed nothing defective could be detected d: never received any warning signals. Just happens.

Paint is peeling off vehicle.

My car has 123,000 miles I take great care of it I just had to put a gear shift assembly in to the tune of 1100. 00. My tires were not riding well and he found it.

Pulling into parking space the engine started to rev. Put car in reverse and car was put in hish speed reverse causing car to hit another vehicle.

Rear hatch strut seized and broke causing rear hatch door to not close completely, remote and door release in car inoperable. I had my car serviced and advisor explained that water (from weather) caused rust and left strut broke. The right strut is corroded badly and recommended to replace as well. Total cost would be 1386. 00 included left strut part (427. 00), right strut part (739. 00) and about 200. 00 in labor. I called Toyota corporate for complains and they said that there was no recalls and their warranty was 3yr/3000 miles which did not apply to my situation. I called multiple Toyota parts depts, some out of state to compare prices and they remained the same. One parts employee informed me that this part I needed to provide my VIN number because these struts supply is sparse and they needed to supply local customers. I asked why there wasn't a recall and he agreed that there should be one. Agreed that the design is poor and expectation to lubricate joints to prevent water damage ( which was not in any of my maintenance manuels. ). I have the extended warranty when I purchased my new Rav4 and advisor called and presented pictures, the claim was denied.

Ongoing issues with my fuel system. Car will display one of these many symptoms: -misfire, hard start, stall or shutoff. Other symptoms include car stuttering and stalling out while driving. This last symptom is very dangerous as it often comes with no warning. When the car stalls out, the car is driving up straight up a medium grade hill. I have experienced this on several different dates and times along w 24th st. Austin, TX near 1106 w 24th st. This will happen if I'm either stopping at a light or while in motion. I don't have the exact mph I am driving, but it would be around 20 - 40 mph when this occurs. Ive taken the care to both round rock Toyota and christian auto brothers to address the issue. So far, neither have been able to diagnose the problem. On 5/22/20, christian auto brothers replaced the evaporative emissions system leak detection unit r&r, the fuel evaporative canister r&r, the evaporative emissions system leak detection pump, and the vapor canister purge solenoid. This did not resolve the issue. Current codes: p0441, p0455, p1604, p1605, p0171. While no diagnostic proof has been established, it is hypothesized by the mechanics that there is an issue with either the fuel pump or the fuel line. After reading about the 2020 Toyota fuel pump recall, I believe my 2015 Rav4 has been experiencing similar issues. However, it is not part of the recall. Therefore I am submitting this incident info to document the current situation. If I learn more, I will try to update.

Numerous times over the last couple of months my cars eps light will come on after putting my car into reverse the car does not connect and goes into neutral instead causing the car to roll forward creating hazards because it happens on hills and and flat areas. I then have to put my car into park, turn it off and restart the car to get the car to go into the correct gear. I have taken the car to Toyota but they won't do anything because my VIN is not under recall. Starting in 2019 I started noticing flakes of paint in crakes of doorways and creases of the car. Last month a big piece of paint started coming off the top of my car in front of my sunroof.

Shortly after driving with no issues, the parked car started to smoke from underneath the hood. Within seconds, a large fire had started which completely consumed the car and also spread to my wife's car and the house's carport. Insurance investigator informed us that the fire likely started in/near the engine towards the drivers side based on where the hottest parts of the fire appeared to have been. However, no conclusive determination was made regarding the cause. The car was in good condition and had not had any maintenance work performed on it recently. There were also no signs of intrusion by rodents or other animals. This happened with no warning. I've also since learned this had happened only one month before to the parents of one of our childrens' friends. They also had a Rav4, although not the same model year (I believe it was a 2013). I have also seen many other reports while researching this issue. If there is a defect or design flaw contributing to these fires, it should be addressed quickly!.

Driving down the interstate when there was a loud explosion. When we were able to stop, we saw that our sunroof had exploded. We were very lucky that the shade was closed on the window. There was nothing around us (vehicles, bridges, etc) to cause debris to hit the sunroof to cause the incident. This was an extremely scary thing that I have found out is not uncommon.

We were simply pulling out of our subdivision and the sunroof exploded. It was around 6pm and the temperature was about 28 degrees f.

Whinning noise from rear of vehicle. Happens in all drive modes including neutral.