general problems of the 2020 Toyota RAV4 - part 1

When trying to start my vehicle this morning, the car was having a noticeable issue the minute I turned on the vehicle. It was making some weird noises under the hood, and it was starting to lose power. Then the engine would cut out and a warning would appear on my dash that read, "engine stopped, steering power low" thank god this happened while I was at home. What if this had happened while I was driving down the road, at a red light. I would have been a sitting duck in the middle of the road and would not want to put my kids or I in jeopardy of being hit.

The screens will flicker and then dim on its own while driving.

Bought the car with 114k on it now with 115k and I brought it in to Toyota because I have a “engine maintenance required” on the dash now they are trying to charge me almost $1000 because my car has over 100k miles on it and they said they won’t cover it.

The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the message “engine maintenance required” was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the heater control valve had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 47,000.

Shorted coolant bypass valve, only 14500 miles on my 2020 Rav4, class action suit and dealerships want you to pay $800-$1000 to fix problem with a leaky defective plastic poorly designed valve that eventually leaks into the electrical connectors and shorts circuits the valve. There is no recall for this fix and Toyota won't honor the repair. This is a common issue and Toyota turns a blind eye. Error message: engine maintenace required call Toyota dealership. I did and they give me a song and dance stating there is no recall for this issue. If I run the heater in the car the message for a few a minutes, then shut off vehicle maintenance warning will reset, once I turn on the ac it will come back on. So, I guess I have to keep the heater on all summer.

The wiring harness to the lithium battery is corroded, and it is unregulated. My repair shop said the car is unsafe to drive because of the amount of unregulated electricity in the battery. Also, the cruise control doesn't work. My repair shop says this is happening to other vehicles. Parts and labor total almost $7,000.

"engine maintenance required. Visit your dealer" prompt after turning on air conditioning. Message of engine coolant bypass valve circuit short to battery or open upon diagnostic test.

At only 55k miles my 2020 Toyota Rav4 has shown an “engine maintenance required” sign. Not to be mistaken with general maintenance. Apparently this is a widely common issue where brand new Toyotas are having cooling bypass valve issue. However concerningly so, because there are no recalls for this problem yet seemingly every Rav4 has this problem? how is there no recall, everyone is paying out of pocket for essentially poor manufacturing, its outrageous, also considering the part itself is under $100 but some dealers are charging anywhere to $600-$1300. It’s predatory and outright wrong.

Hybrid system malfunction. The warning lights came on notifying of an issue with the hybrid system. A certified Toyota service center inspected the vehicle and found the hybrid floor wire traction cable/wiring harness corroded. Issue started 3/1/25, car was inspected on 3/3/25. This is a known issue with Toyota. Vehicle will no longer start and could have shut off while driving without warning.

See attached document for complaint.

Wire harness failure according to the Toyota dealership representative I spoke with after inspection on 12/18/24. Rep said this is a known issue with certain years and they will cover cost of replacement. Previously, I had received a message stating, "hybrid system malfunction, visit your dealer" but could not get an appointment until 12/18. The dealer rep said they needed to order parts to fix the wire harness issue and that I would be okay taking the car and bringing it back when parts were in. The day after the inspection (12/19) I was in a walmart parking lot and my car started but I could not get it to drive or reverse. A message stated "vehicle not ready to drive" and "no power to rear brakes". If I put the car into drive or reverse and stepped on the gas, the car interior lit up and the dinging sound (usually associated with unbuckled safety belt) was heard. I had my safety belt fastened. My car could be put into neutral and had to be towed to the dealership. After looking into the issue, I found out that the car could had died while I was driving it resulting in loss of power brakes, etc. I live in a more rural area and could have been stuck with out cell reception, etc. This should be a recall and they never should have let me leave the dealership in my car. Note: as of today (12/20) the dealer rep stated they will cover all towing costs and cover a loaner vehicle for me. My dealership is very helpful but this could be a serious issue for someone else. Google "rav 4 cablegate" for more information.

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...

Known coolant bypass valve issue dealership declining to cover it although it’s impacting a ton of people.

•August 19, 2022: all emergency/error code lights came on the dash while driving on highway. The vehicle was taken to don mcgill Toyota for service. In that time, all error codes came back and went away a few times on their own. Vehicle was taken on 08/20/2022 (please refer to service records) in which it was originally deemed there were no issues with the vehicle. Toyota recommended that if the problem persists, bring the vehicle back in. •August 26, 2022: vehicle emergency lights came back on while driving on the highway again. The vehicle was taken back to don mcgill Toyota for a service emergency. Was told the vehicle needed a sensor replaced. Got the vehicle back on September 15, 2022. •September 6, 2023: vehicle emergency lights come back on. The vehicle was taken to don mcgill Toyota. Another part was replaced (please refer to service records) and the vehicle was returned on September 9, 2023. •August 2024: vehicle emergency lights come back on. The vehicle was taken to don mcgill Toyota for a break service as well as getting this emergency lights issue resolved. The vehicle was picked up 5 hours later, however upon driving a little in the dealership parking lot, emergency lights came back on. Immediately went back and brought it up to the service advisor, who then took the car back for another 1 hour and deemed the vehicle needed to be “recalibrated”. This recalibration was completed, then left the dealership. •September 3, 2024: vehicle emergency lights come back on. This time the vehicle struggled to brake when the lights came on. The vehicle was taken into don mcgill Toyota for immediate service. Breaks were looked at and recalibration was completed. Vehicle returned on September 6, 2024. •September 14, 2024: vehicle emergency lights come back on. The vehicle was taken to don mcgill Toyota for emergency service. Brakes were checked and the vehicle was driven around to bring the lights up. The vehicle was given back on October 1, 2024, after the ser.

The start and stop system malfunction error message came on and warning sound . Its the second time it happened.

I have had a service engine message on my dash that would return within seconds of my hitting the button to signal I received the message. When I took the vehicle to the dealership I was told it was a leaking coolant bypass valve and would need to be replaced. I was told the cost would be $215 plus three hours of labor. The final cost was $240 for the parts and $709 for the labor. The vehicle only has 31,209 miles on it. As I have researched the part, I have found numerous people have had the same issue within a similar range of mileage.

52,000 miles, and was just informed the coolant bypass valve has failed. This is apparently an issue with all 2019~2022 Toyota Rav4 vehicles. It was a known issue to Toyota, using substandard parts. It results in an error message that cant be turned off, masking all other messages, and can only be fixed by a dealer for over $1,000 in costs.

Parasitic battery drain defect complaint: prior to 07/16/2024, I received a "low voltage" error on my Toyota Rav4 screen a few times. On 07/16/2024, I took it to the dealership. My battery tested "good" and the Toyota dealership charged me 39. 95 to tell me that everything was working well on my vehicle. The very next day (24 hours later), 07/17/2024, my vehicle would not start and had to be towed to the dealership. The tow truck driver told me the battery was "dead" (based on his measurement) and leaking acid (based on a smell). Toyota charged me 272. 52 to replace the battery on 07/18, that was supposedly "good" two days prior. This is a known issue to Toyota, part of a class action lawsuit referred to as "parasitic battery drain defect. " this is dangerous since I was stranded with a car that would not start in a summer day of high heat, but could have been much worse in other circumstances. The tow truck driver told me that the battery acid could be dangerous. Toyota should be providing a fix and a recall, but they had no solution for me other than a new battery which is a "quick fix" (but not a real solution) as described in the class action lawsuit documents.

My 2020 Rav4 (48,000 miles), when I start the engine and turn on the a/c, the warning light comes on:engine maintenance required.

Coolant bypass failed at 55,000 miles. This car has barely been used. This car is almost in mint condition and the coolant bypass has failed resulting the car not being able to be driven at all until fixed. The dealer is charging over $600 to repair. This is an ongoing issue with hundreds of Toyota Rav4 owners.

Coolant bypass valve needs to be replaced. Car under 60k miles and should be covered on the powertrain warranty but is being required to be repaired out of pocket otherwise will ruin engine.

I currently own a 2020 Toyota rav 4. About two weeks ago I got a notification on my car saying "engine maintenance required" I had taken my car to Toyota wondering what the problem was. They informed me it it the coolant bypass valve without hesitation. This is going to cost me more money than I want to spend. To make the situation better the parts needed are on back order for almost two weeks. The fact this is a common problem right now and there is no recall is unacceptable. You are causing thousands of customers to spend an unnecessary amount of money and wait weeks just to get the correct parts to fix the situation. There is currently a lawsuit against Toyota because of this issue. There needs to be a recall immediately.

My car has barely 40,000 miles on it when I received an "engine maintenance required" sign. When I went to the dealership, they said its the coolant bypass. I went on reddit and many 2020 Rav4 Toyotas are having the same issue. This should be recalled as the repair is too expensive - above $800.

I replaced my battery a little over a year ago and have come back to my battery completely dead and unable to turn the engine over. The first time it happened my vehicle had sat for 4 days. It has done it sporadically and sometimes within 2 days of incidents. I have checked to make sure no components were left on to cause this issue. It has left me stranded multiple times.

On 5/28/24 the vehicle air bag lights and front passenger seat light was flashing and an alarm continuously went off with a message to visit a dealer for service. On 5/29/24 the vehicle was brought in for inspection to a Toyota dealer. I was told an electrical wiring needed to be replaced. Dealership did that but it did not correct the issue. Codes were not resetting. They are now saying it is a wiring/electrical issue under passenger seat and saying they have been communicating with Toyota. We do not have a Toyota extended warranty but vehicle has 32k miles and are told by dealership Toyota should be covering. I am submitting this to have this on record as we have warning lights, messages, etc. Occurring which is a safety issue under NHTSA. Dealership keeps increasing charges for parts and labor and states our 3rd party warranty may or may not cover charges. They are trying to determine the issue and if Toyota will cover and resolve.

Coolant bypass valve.

Coolant bypass value failure 1000$ to replace on a vehicle that’s only a few years old Toyota refuses to fix it.

My name is hannah and I would like to file a complaint against Toyota. I purchased my Rav4 xle in 2020 after returning home from military training. This was my dream car and I was filled with joy to be able to purchase it. In the four years I have had it, I have had minimal issues, nothing to note other than normal wear and tear, until recently. The "engine maintenance required" light came on roughly 3 weeks ago. I deemed it to be my oil change notification and reset it knowing when my next oil change was due. The notification came back on to which I started investigating further. I typed in "2020 Rav4 engine maintenance required" into google and was surprised at how many car forums and complaints popped up for this exact problem. It was an astronomical number of complaints made by loyal Toyota owners. I scrolled for an hour reading everyone's story, which was almost identical to mine. I made an appointment at my nearest Toyota in bountiful, ut to get a diagnostic test done. Not to my surprise, the code that was tripping the system was for the 'coolant bypass valve. ' I was quoted $660 for the parts and labor. After getting a price breakdown and verbally stating how frustrated I was with this issue due to how many others online had the same issue and there not being a recall, I felt like my only option was to pay it and suppress my anger. I am not upset with the Toyota dealership I went to. I am upset that this is a very known issue that even the mechanic verbally stated knowing about, and that Toyota as a large corporation is not doing right by the people who swear by owning Toyota's and their reputable reputation. I called two private mechanics about the issue and they both stated that they have worked on several Rav4's with this issue. It is not cosmetic, it is a critical issue that needs to be fixed. I hope this complaint makes it to the right hands and a solution is implemented so people can enjoy their car without these worries. Thank you.

A week prior to this incident, the 2020 Rav4 was taken to Toyota for its maintenance check where everything was checked, replaced and changed. However, the last two days an incessant message keeps popping up on the dash stating “engine maintenance required… visit your dealer” taking up the entirety of the middle screen inhibiting my ability from seeing my speed, mileage, distance to empty , time, lane assist and other car information that I normally rely on. I have pressed the “arrow back” or “back” button numerous times but three seconds later the message pops again inhibiting me from being able to use necessary car controls to stay safe. The engine on the 2020 Rav4 needs to be recalled as my car only has 55,000 miles on it. I have talked to numerous professionals within the motor industry in which they state these engines have lower stability and life expectancy than previous engines used in older Rav4 models. Not only the engine, but the messaging system within the Rav4 needs to be fixed immediately as the communication of maintenance while driving is a hazard. If I cannot look at texts to even just simply read it, why is there is message bright and in the middle of my dashboard popping every 3 seconds with a bright red triangle stating that I need “engine maintenance required,visit a dealer”. This is a safety issue and one in which almost nearly cost me my life.

* coolant bypass valve * this problem costs $800 to fix at the Toyota dealership. Car is a 2020 Rav4 with only 32k miles on it. * after reading thousands of complaints on websites from other 2020 Rav4 owners with the exact same problem, I think there should be a recall as this can be a dangerous issue if the engine overheats. I am shocked that nothing has been done about this yet. Only warning was a routine maintence light that comes on every 5,000 miles.

Car operating as normal in the morning, few hours later went to start up car again and had message saying “hybrid system malfunction”. Drove it around for a few minutes then other lights started flashing, lane departure, traction control, crash detection. They all went away and except the hybrid malfunction warning.

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.

It's been a year that this situation is still under a recall and there is no remedy. Keep receiving constant notices and every time I call its something new and yet they still don't have a remedy. I was told last year not to have anyone sit in my passenger seat until a remedy is found. I feel unsafe and have been financing my Toyota Rav4 since August 2020. My recent call they wont have a remedy June 2025 which I told believe being when I called last year I was told that the remedy would be September 2024. So basically they are telling me that if I were in an accident that the airbags will not go off is someone is sitting in my passengers seat being that what needs to be fixed is the airbag sensor. To be told that I shouldnt have anyone in my passenger seat until this is fixed is insane.

The following is an issue involving my 2020 Rav4 Toyota battery manufacturing defects that ended the life of my Rav4 battery. The mentioned event occurred on December 18, 2023, and a report was created and recorded by a Toyota representative on January 2, 2024, via (800) 331-4331 phone call, with the reference report number 240102003311. The nature of the issue was that my 2020 Rav4 battery parts came loose from the inside, and the metals were rubbing with each other, causing the smoke and the battery to overheat, ending its life due to the mentioned manufacturing defects. Based on the dangerous, alarming issue of overheating and dense heavy smoke from the battery, I left it at the dealer for service to prevent any toxic fumes, fire, or explosion. I told the dealer adviser that those manufacturing defects are a serious safety concern that should be reported in the public’s best interest to avoid any possible tragedies. I noticed when I picked up my car from the dealer that the battery manufacture defect was not recorded in the paperwork I had received; the manager and the advisor didn’t show any sense of urgency to the matter, so I filed a report to Toyota motor north America headquarters, plano texas. Report number: 240102003311 the dashboard panel never displayed any safety hazard warnings or any symbols indicating the conditions of the smoke and battery overheating were jeopardizing my life and my family aboard while I drove with them. I paid $ 552. 55 for the battery and a diagnostic service; management did not want to acknowledge that a manufacturing defect ended the battery life. Customers should not be responsible for replacement costs when the event is caused by manufacturing imperfection “even though the warranty is over. ” the dealer advisor and management know that these manufacturing battery defects happen. Still, nobody ever informed me to be mindful of the dangerous state of faulty battery defects when I purchased my 2020 Rav4.

Engine bypass valve sensor is faulty. Many users have reported this past 40k miles on Rav4 2019-2021.