general problems of the 2018 Toyota RAV4 - part 1

See attached document for complaint.

The contact owned a 2018 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 23v734000 (electrical system); and requested to be removed from the recall distribution list because she no longer owns the vehicle. The dealer and the manufacturer were not contacted.

While picking up my son from school, my 2018 Toyota Rav4 hybrid suddenly experienced a complete steering failure. The steering wheel locked without warning and became impossible to move, making the vehicle inoperable and creating an immediate safety hazard. My son and I were stranded for over 7 hours in a public area. Aaa was dispatched twice, but they were unable to resolve the issue. The vehicle ultimately had to be towed to a Toyota dealership. Toyota dealership diagnosed the car with a failed steering lock ecu, a critical safety component that should not malfunction under normal conditions. I was quoted over $2,000 for the repair. This issue aligns with multiple known recalls and technical service bulletins related to steering and electronic control failures in Rav4 hybrid models, suggesting a potential manufacturer defect. This sudden steering failure placed me and my child at significant risk. There were no warning lights, no prior steering issues, and no indicators of malfunction before the event occurred. I am submitting this report because a steering lock ecu failure can lead to sudden loss of steering control, which poses a serious danger to vehicle occupants and others on the road.

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notice of NHTSA campaign number: 23v734000 (electrical system). The contact stated that while changing the oil, he became aware that the battery was covered in corrosion and there was acid leaking from the battery tray. The vehicle was not diagnosed, but the contact was advised that the tray needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but refused to replace the battery. The failure mileage was approximately 66,327.

On October 27, 2025, I was housesitting and watching a friends' son and dropped him off at school. I returned to their house, shut off the car, went into the house, started cleaning home in preparation of returning to my home. I was in downstairs master suite on opposite end of home when I heard a car horn. I went to the door, looked out and saw fire emitting from under the driver’s side wheel well, front of engine, from under the engine hood and half way up the windshield of the Rav4. I called [xxx] and informed the dispatcher that my car was on fire. The [xxx] fire department responded and extinguished the vehicle. I called my insurance company and also reported the incident to Toyota bec, they assigned the incident liability case# xxx. I had also received 2 recall notifications from Toyota (NHTSA# 23v734). The car had been serviced by grappone Toyota (now known as mcgovern toytota) in [xxx] on August 14, 2025 and the recall was documented as fixed on that date. The vehicle was a total loss and towed to a coparts salvage yard in candia nh. An inspection was performed by an inspector assigned by Toyota. I later received a letter from Toyota stating that the cause of the fire could not be determined and Toyota assumes no reponsibility whatsoever. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that upon entering her carport in an attempt to park(p), the vehicle surged forward without warning. The vehicle blew through the carport's back wall and crashed into her neighbor's fence before coming to an independent stop. The air bags did not deploy upon impact. The contact did not seek medical attention but did sustain soreness in her neck, shoulders, and back. The carport's back wall, a bicycle, the neighbor's fence, and the hammock were all destroyed as a result of the accident. A police report was filed. The dealer was notified of the failure and immediately referred the contact to the manufacturer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was filed. The manufacturer informed the contact that an engineer could be sent to a nearby dealer or independent mechanic to perform an investigation into the defect. The vehicle had yet to be serviced or diagnosed for the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 134,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 23v734000 (electrical system). The dealer was contacted; however, the contact was informed that parts were unavailable to repair the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted about parts availability. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start due to a severed wiring harness. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 64,000.

My vehicle has a recall for the battery. I took my car into Toyota in san juan capistrano. Car was purchased and owner’s manual states this vehicle uses a size 35 battery. When I returned to pick up my vehicle the service technician told me that “Toyota will only honor the recall on vehicles with a size 36 battery, and in order for them to rectify the recall was for me to purchase a size 36 battery. There is no mention of that on our recall notice nor is there anything stating that on the ntsa website. What can I do to get this fix this issue. I believe this problem is also the reason we have had to replace our battery 3 times since 2021and also the cause of other malfunctions in our vehicle.

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 23v734000(electrical system) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. An unknown local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while parked at the residence, the contact turned off the vehicle and noticed that the vehicle lost power. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was repaired under NHTSA campaign number: 23v734000 (electrical system); however, the recall repair failed to fix the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure had occurred after the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 7,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 23v734000 (electrical system); however, the dealer refused to perform the recall repair. The contact was informed that the correct size battery needed to be purchased to replace the current battery before the recall repair could be performed. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that battery was not the correct size, and a new battery was needed. The manufacturer declined to assist with the cost of replacing the battery. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

After receiving a recall notice from Toyota for the battery mount I scheduled my appointment on June 24, 2025. After spending $916. 31 on maintenance products all of a sudden the dealership did not have the battery mount for my vehicle. Is this legal? why would a dealership schedule a repair and not have the product to complete the recall? I was informed that I would be called when they had the part available and I still have not heard from the Toyota dealership. Are three months later considered a timely matter to correct the problem?.

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 23v734000 (electrical system); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

The recall (manufacturer recall # 23tb13; NHTSA recall # 23v734) has been un-repaired since 1 Nov 2023. The un-repaired recall did not cause a safety issue in this case, but I have moved to canada and the recall has prevented me from registering and using the vehicle (it is not possible to complete the import process or register any vehicle that has an outstanding recall).

The recall (NHTSA recall # 23v734) has been un-repaired since 1 Nov 2023. The un-repaired recall did not cause a safety issue in my case, but I have moved to canada and the recall has prevented me from registering and using the vehicle for the last for the past year (it is not possible to complete the import process or register any vehicle that has an outstanding recall).

The vehicle's battery area caught fire. I was able to get out of the vehicle on time and call the fire department. Over 50% of the vehicle was consumed by the fire. Vehicle was my spouse's and she usually drives it alone with my [xxx] and she is [xxx]. Thankfully, I was driving it alone. Nhtsa recall 23v734 came out on 11/2023 and they expected to have the fix by the end of 2024 but it never happened. The last vehicle maintenance by the dealer was in 02/15/2025. The vehicle has not been inspected yet but the insurance will make an appointment soon to do so. The preliminary findings of the fire department pinpointed the problem in the battery area. Prior to the fire, the vehicle shut down and the steering wheel locked. I turned it on and drove it out of the road and it did it again and when I came out of the vehicle, I saw smoke coming out of the hood and that's when I saw the fire. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 23v734000 (electrical system); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 23v734000 (electrical system); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

I took a video: for at least the 6th time since owning this vehicle a multi alert shows up on dash. “brake power low, visit your dealer”, “antilock brake system malfunction, visit your dealer”, “lame departure alert, visit your dealer”, “pre-collision system malfunction, visit your dealer”, “awd system malfunction, 2wd mode engaged, visit your dealer”, I have 2 other rav 4s both of which have also shown this issue. A 2016 & a 2017. The 2017 this happened twice I believe. The 2016 at least twice. It’s currently on now in my 2018. Been on 2 days, but was off previous 2 days, but on 1 day before that.

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated while driving into a parking lot at a very low speed when the vehicles engine shut off, the contact proceeded to attempt to restart their vehicle however the engine would not start, and upon inspecting underneath the hood of the vehicle the contact noticed that a flame had began to arise from the battery. The contact immediatley proceeded to put out the fire with a towel. The vehicle was unoccupied as soon as the fire was noticed. A fire department report was not filed. A police department report was not filed. The vehicle was not destroyed. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed however the contact was advised further diagnosis was required in order to determine a cause for failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA campaign number : 23v734000 (electrical system) as probable cause for the failure experienced. The approximate failure mileage was 78,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 23v734000 (electrical system); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 23v734000 (electrical system) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

I’ve been waiting for more than a year for this recall, there is still no remedy for me. This is unacceptable and Toyota has offered me nothing to compensate for my inability to use my vehicle for such a long time. Hoping this complaint can do something before I go to a court.

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 23v734000 (electrical system); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 23v734000 (electrical system); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 23v734000 (electrical system); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. The VIN was not available.

I received a safety recall from Toyota in January 2025. I called my Toyota dealership and they told me there was currently no remedy for the recall. I checked Toyota. Com/recall and it confirmed that there has been a known recall since November 2023 on their 12 v battery and battery tray that could cause a fire. This hazard from the battery could not only affect myself, but others on the road if there were to be an accident. I am not impressed with the lack of remedy for a recall that has been known from Toyota since November 2023. My car has not yet been inspected, because there is nothing for them to address even if they do find a problem. There has not yet been a fire, but I am afraid to drive my vehicle that I paid off earlier this year.

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 23v734000 (electrical system); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the front driver's side door and the liftgate had failed to open intermittently while using the key fob. The contact stated that the front driver's side door opened upon pulling the interior door handle, and the liftgate would manually open with the key. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle had failed to smoothly shift into gear. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. Parts distribution disconnect.

Manufacturer has failed or is unable to remedy this safety recall for your vehicle in a timely manner, summary some replacement 12-volt batteries of the size specified for the subject vehicles have smaller top dimensions than others. If a small-top battery is used for replacement and the hold-down clamp is not tightened correctly, the battery could move when the vehicle is driven with forceful turns. Safety risk the movement could cause the positive battery terminal to contact the hold-down clamp and short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire. Manufacturer recall number23tb13 NHTSA recall number23v734 recall statusrecall incomplete, remedy not yet available it has been more than a year since recall. Toyota dealerships said no remede avaialble.

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 23v734000 (electrical system); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

On Dec 5, 2024, our 2018 Toyota rav 4 caught fire in our garage. We had turned on the car for a few minutes and then turned it off. Shortly thereafter smoke came out of the passenger side of the front wheel well and then flames. It just happened that we came back out into the garage and were able to put out the fire with a fire extinguisher. If we had not returned to the garage, our house would have caught on fire and perhaps with us in the house. Toyota shows no concern for us. Wouldn’t consider paying for a loaner car. Have told us it will be 40-60 days to perhaps tell us what happened. They did send an inspector to look at the car Dec 26 2024. He sent us some information that we do not understand.

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 23v734000 (electrical system); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 23v734000 (electrical system); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 23v734000 (electrical system); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

I was on the freeway driving home and a vehicle cut me on the freeway which resulted in me breaking a little heavier than usual but wasn't abnormal and resulted in the vehicle shutting down due to the battery jumping around in the engine compartment and then instantaneously catching on fire with no way of steering or guiding myself to safety the highway did arrive on scene as well as ambulance and they only asked for registration and vehicle ownership which I hadn't presented but since a tow truck was on its way already they really had no reason to be there other than to make sure I was okay I do have case number and any other information needed for my vehicles abrupt explosion. This incident has been reported to Toyota of anaheim as well as brand engagement been calling but haven't received helpful information on my loss.