Body problems of the 2020 Toyota RAV4 - part 1

I am writing to formally report a significant structural failure regarding the power liftgate system on my 2020 Toyota Rav4 hybrid xle. Recently, the trunk began failing to close properly. Upon a detailed inspection, I discovered that the sheet metal surrounding the hinges has suffered catastrophic failure. The left-side hinge mounting point is severely fractured, and the right side is exhibiting clear stress cracks. This is not a case of "wear and tear. " this is a structural failure where the force exerted by the factory power struts appears to have overpowered the vehicle's body structure, leading to metal fatigue and tearing. I would like to emphasize the following points regarding this case: maintenance & care: this vehicle has been maintained strictly according to Toyota’s recommended intervals and has been handled with the utmost care. There has been no external impact or misuse of the liftgate. Safety risk: the inability to securely latch the trunk poses a severe safety hazard. I am concerned about the liftgate's stability at highway speeds and the potential for exhaust fumes to enter the cabin. Consequently, I no longer feel safe using this vehicle for my daily commute. Request for action: given that this appears to be a known issue within the 2019–2021 Rav4 production years, I am requesting that Toyota stand behind its reputation for quality and safety. I ask that Toyota cover the full cost of the structural repairs and the replacement of the affected hinges and struts. I trust that Toyota will treat this as a priority safety matter. I look forward to your prompt response regarding a diagnostic appointment and a resolution for these repairs. Sincerely, [xxx] VIN [xxx] phone number [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The paint on my 2020 Toyota Rav4 (blueprint color) is peeling and deteriorating prematurely, on the hood. The vehicle has been properly maintained and has not been in any accidents. The paint started peeling without any external cause. I’ve noticed similar complaints from other 2020 Toyota Rav4 owners, especially those with the blueprint color, reporting the same issue. This suggests a widespread paint or clear coat defect from the manufacturer. The peeling paint not only affects appearance but also exposes the metal body to rust and corrosion, which could eventually compromise the vehicle’s safety and structure. Toyota has not issued a recall or offered repairs for this known problem, and many owners are being asked to pay out of pocket for costly repainting. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate this issue as a potential manufacturing defect and urge Toyota to take corrective action through a recall or warranty extension for affected vehicles.

The hinges for the rear door/hatch broke. The door became unaligned and would not close and I had to drive my vehicle to a repair shop with the rear door ajar. This has not been inspected by manufacturer, no police or insurance inspection either. There is no reason these hinges should be worn and literally torn after 5 years.

Liftgate hinges on my 2020 Rav4 hybrid xse failed, causing misalignment so the liftgate/tailgate does not close properly or completely. Liftgate hinges are made of materials that are not strong enough for consistent and safe operation. Toyota has not issued a recall or provided safety warnings or notifications, nor is the company providing replacement hinges. Rav4 owners are left to pay for the replacement of these hinges when it’s a quality issue that can impact the safe operation of 2020 Toyota Rav4s. Toyota recently settled a lawsuit brought by an individual because of this issue.

Power lift gate not opening and shutting then noted that the mount on the passenger side is partially sheared off the car bracket and starting to separate on the drivers side. Was unable to close the hitch all the way, and beeping continuously while driving so brought to a Toyota dealer service who ordered replacement pistons, in the mean time battery died due to being unable to close back. Once piston parts were obtained by Toyota service center, had to have the car towed due to battery not able to be charged, then they noticed the bolts starting to shear off. Stated they have never seen anything like this but when looked online, found this has been a common problem and a class action suit has been filed for this exact reason.

Right rear hinge for hatchback failed and making my hatchback unusable. I have been on several websites and this common issue it seems for rav 4. Toyota will not fix it.

The rear hatch started to get stuck. It is automatic so you would normally press a button to open and close and it would slowly move up or down and close shut on its own. When the issue started, it would "pop open" but stay stuck to a point where I would need to manually lift it open. (hitting my head on it often) right before I took it to the dealership service, it would not close properly. While it seemed close, the notification showed it open therefore, not allowing me to lock my car and the lights on the car would need to stay on while car was parked and off. Driving home, the "open door" notification was beeping non-stop. Once again I had to open and close manually until it was considered "closed" brought the car into the Toyota dealership to assess. They found that the power lift gate hinges on the door were coming off and it needs to go to an auto body for realignment. I performed research online and found this to be a very common issue with the Toyota Rav4's. . Read more...

The door lock actuators required repair on all my doors for the Rav4 2020. They stopped working after the 3 year warranty was up. This is a safety issue. I had to manually lock and unlock my doors, which left in a dangerous position at night. Over the course of a year all 4 doors needed to have the actuators replaced. This happrened in 2024.

Over a period of tme water has been collecting in the right rear door. Upon doing some research I found out that this is a problem with the Rav4 of this particle year. During my search I found out that there are drain holes at bottom of the door under a rubber gasket. I lifted the gasket up and there was a large amount of water that came out. After a couple more rains the exact same thing happened again. I took the car to the Toyota dealership where it was purchased from and told them the problem and they stated that the gasket on the bottom of the door needed to be replaced , but not only the right rear door but all three of the other doors as well, but could not explain to me how the water was getting in the doors. I had to pay over $500 in order to get this repair which I feel the cost should be absorbed by Toyota because a design flaw. Any help would be appreciated.

This vehicle is equipped with a power back door (pbd) that has begun to malfunction. March 29, 2024 was the first occurrence of the pbd malfunction when the opened back door would not fully close after clicking the appropriate button on the electronic key switch. There were no warnings that preceded the malfunction. The pbd would only close the back door a few inches before stopping. Additional clicks only closed it a few more inches and manual closing (requiring significant pressure) was required to fully close the door. Additional random occurrences of this pbd malfunction have happened over the past six months and have now become so frequent that on September 30, 2024 I turned off (via the multi-information display) the pbd function and must now resort to fully manual opening and closing of the back door. Based on multiple other complaints filed with NHTSA for this particular vehicle (2020 Toyota Rav4; NHTSA id numbers 11572353, 11572802, 11573768, 11579590, 11585733), I inspected the edges of the back door, the body's back door cavity, and the two back door spindles for damage, foreign objects, dirt, etc. That might impede pdb operation and found none. I also inspected the two back door hinges and saw no damage, no warping, no corrosion, and no movement of the hinges from their original installation locations. This pbd malfunction affects safety as the force required to manually open and close the back door is significant and operation of the back door might be impossible for people not physically able to effect the force needed. The vehicle is available for inspection and has not yet been inspected by the Toyota dealer where I purchased the vehicle in August 2020 or by others.

Tailgate hinge assembly failed/failing. It is available for inspection upon request. Failed hinge has placed the tailgate out of alignment. This prevents the tailgate to close properly, allowing for weather penetration, as well as preventing full closure of tailgate. This safety concern can potentially allow the tailgate to fall off the vehicle during travel, placing myself and others at risk of severe injury. The problem has not been confirmed/reproduced by a dealer or independent service center. The vehicle/component has not been inspected by any other representatives. There were no warning lamps, or any other symptoms prior to failure. This problem first occurred at 0625am, feb09_2024. Tailgate opened with no issues. Tailgate failed to close on its own, due to misalignment.

My 2020 Rav4 back trunk hinge is coming loose, there for the truck won't close evenly. I took it to dealership to get it fixed, but instead they blamed me but its clearly a manufacturing problem they don't want to take responsibility for it.

When driving down the road at a relatively high speed, the sunroof unexpectedly shattered, which could have led to an accident.

The rear hatch liftgate hinges are not adequately structured to withhold pressure under normal use. Over varied short durations of time from the vehicle being new, the rear liftgate hinge's structure fails. The hinges split and crack. This damage occurs despite factory liftgate struts being in plate to assist in the opening of the liftgate. In my case this issue first appeared during and after a snowstorm. A multitude of similar complaints on forums. This has caused my liftgate to misalign and not close. I have had to turn off the auto liftgate and slowly close it despite it is now rubbing the right rear fender/quarter area. As of now I have to repair the issue with new hinges that have not been redesigned, that will again likely prematurely fail. You can view the complaints within Toyota forums, all see February 2024 class action lawsuit, hughes vs Toyota attached with the below photos.

Trunk lift gate unable to close or open properly due to faulty lift gate shock and strut supports as diagnosed by dealership in January 2024. As of then there is was no eta on parts to complete repair and was blamed on Toyota not supplying enough parts beyond new vehicles and warranties vehicles. Only resolution was to not use the trunk, or as little as possible and told that I was added to a 700+ person waiting list.

Sunroof shattered while driving.

Under normal use, the rear lift gate hinge appears to be failing for no reason. A gap on passenger side of the rear lift gate and body appears to widen and the hinge is squeaking as if it's failing. This causes the power lift gate to not close from time to time. This is still an issue and has not been addressed yet.

There is a recall for the roof rails leaking water which can damage the air bags and electrical components. They will not fix the roof with new gaskets unless you actually see the water coming in. My concern is that it is leaking and I'm just not seeing it because the 110 degree weather. I do not want to be in an accident with my wife and kids in the car and have the air bags not work. They should fix the gaskets before it leaks and leads to further potential damage or even life threatening results(air bags being wet and not deploying). They will not fix my roof until it actually starts leaking even tho there is a recall in place. This is ridiculous.

In preparing for a trip, the automatic tailgate went out of alignment and would not close. A local body shop diagnosed the issue as a bent hinge. There was no incident that caused this - the hinge appears to be insufficiently sturdy for a heavy tailgate. The body shop temporarily hammered the hinge back into place, but the seal of the tailgate is imperfect, allowing exhaust fumes to enter the cabin when driving at low speeds. This may also have been true before the gate failed to close, but was not noticed. This is beginning to show up on other Rav4s. The local Toyota dealer would not accept a warranty claim for the issue. A permanent repair is scheduled, but will require several weeks due to scheduling.

Due to recent rains in CA I noticed the headliner near the upper a-frame pillar was damp on both the drivers and passenger side. With a quick search online it is a common problem among 2019-present Toyota Rav4 owners. As of this writing I do not know of a public Toyota approve fix. . Read more...

For about a year now the back hatch has not opened or closed properly. It sometimes stops just after the latch releases and will not go up. Sometimes it will not come down when you use the switch or it only comes down a few inches and stops. Recently the rear hatch is not aligned with the door opening and does not shut properly. When the rear hatch is closed, you can see that it is not seated in the opening. One side is still open. You can hear road noise from the rear hatch. I worry that exhaust fumes are getting in the rear hatch.

The roof rack side rails that come standard on the vehicle are only secured by glue on the front with minimal weather proofing rubber. When driving, the front of the rails lift up and water and dirt can get into the front supports of the car in the left and right of the windshield. This is extremely dangerous and others have reported similar issues. The front of the roof rack side rails needs to be secured with a physical bolt and not just glue.

Torn bracket holding very rear door in place.

There is water stains on passenger a and c pillar interior headliner and c pillar on the drivers side interior headliner right around the air bags.

During a road trip with my wife I discovered that the headliner started leaking down the a-frame and into the curtain airbags on the a-pillar on the driver and passenger side of the vehicle. Within 2 minutes of googling the issue I found out that 2019-2020 Rav4s with the factory installed roof rails experience a leak caused by a faulty gasket. This information was confirmed by my service advisor at Toyota of el cajon after he stated "yeah you've got the Rav4 leak, I'm finishing up a warranty claim on one right now". I expressed concerns over electrical damage, damage to the air bags, and possible mold growth in the vehicle and was told that Toyota doesn't consider water leaking into an airbag/control panel to be an issue. I would really like NHTSA to inform Toyota that water leaking into safety equipment through the roof of a new $50,000 car is indeed a safety issue and just awful quality assurance.

Rear liftgate hinges bend/broke at car body attachment appears to be a metal issue with hinges rear liftgate door will not seal, allowing exhaust gases to enter vehicle problem was reported to dealer at 25k mile mark, dealer will not repair under new car warranty.

The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that the mirror housings of the vehicle were melting. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 8,500.

The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that the mirror housings of the vehicle were melting. The dealer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist as the failure was a manufacturer defect. The dealer referred the contact to the manufacturer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure advised the contact that they would follow up with the dealer. A case was opened. The contact stated the dealer took photographs of the failure. The contact stated the manufacturer contacted her and informed her that their field experts determined that the failure was not a manufacturer defect but an environmental issue called solar conversion. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 10,000.

I bumped the car in front of me when starting from a red light at an intersection. Impact speed was less than 3 mph. The damage from this impact resulted in repair cost of almost $4,200. This is outrageous and an example of poor design on the part of Toyota. It is my understanding that the standards require vehicles to absorb up to 5 mph frontal impact with no damage. Had I known this vehicle was so poorly protected I would have chosen to purchase something else.

The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while driving in inclement weather, water leaked inside the vehicle from the roof rack into the interior cabin and a by the a-pillar. The contact was concerned that the water could corrode the air bags causing them to not deploy in the event of a crash. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to ray brandt Toyota (2460 veterans blvd, kenner, la 70062) where it was diagnosed with the roof rack seals needing to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and referred the contact to an authorized dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 8,100.

On a city street, this is a unsafe condition ,the car do not have a towing eyelet or hook. Vehicle became stuck, no way to be remove from street ,accident etc. . All Rav4 before have this towing eyelet or hook or metal ring to hook a chain and remove the car from a danger situation.

When taking the vehicle through a car wash the edge of the hood by the windshield buckles, flexes and then returns to it's normal shape. The hood also has a rippling appearance while driving at speeds around 70 mph.

Driving on interstate and heard an explosion and saw glass flying. Stopped and looked at top of car and sunroof had a large part of it missing. There were no overpasses nor did I see anything that would cause it. Toyota's statement when I took it there was, "it happens. " I do not know how it would happen. It makes me think it was a manufacturing error. If I did not have the sunshade closed, I would have been covered in glass.

Air conditioning stopped working twice, first time repaired at my expense and now it's out again less than 2 months later. Repair was 1500. 00 first time. Second continues to rattle from mirrors, front end and carrying rack. My right front fog light out and service said front end was very loose. ## #vpic# 1 - check digit (9th position) does not calculate properly #vpic#.

Side view mirrors on driver side and passenger side vibrate when traveling at any speed and vibrate/shake excessively traveling at highway speeds greater than 50mph. This reduces visibility and causes nausea.