Electrical System Problems of Toyota RAV4 - part 1

Upon taking my 2021 Rav4 hybrid in for the rear traction motor cable corrosion recall (25td01) on 5/7/2026, I was told there are no parts, no estimated arrival time, and therefore not even a rough estimate for a timeframe of repair. I was told that no one would inspect or evaluate the part in question to indicate if the car was safe to drive. I expressed my extreme concern given the recall includes risk of power failure, even while driving. I received inconsistent, avoidant answers and an absolute denial to remedy the situation in any way. I was told the dealership is "dolan" and not "Toyota". I again expressed my concerns about safety and the dealerships' denial to, at minimum inspect the recalled part and/or housing of the part. Emily, the service manager stated that Toyota does not "allow" loaner vehicles for this particular recall. She could not provide any sources for this information. To summarize; the dealer with not provide an inspection of the recalled part and/or housing, or give an estimated timeline for repair given I am #125 on a waitlist. There is a complete lack of regard for mine or my children's safety as the dealer will not provide any assessment of how bad the damage could be. They suggested that I continue to drive the vehicle, acknowledging all of the safety hazards that could occur. I am terrified of the possibility of having an accident with my kids in the car due to this recalled part failing, not having a vehicle to get to and from work, and the potential additional costs that this unaddressed recall issue could cause. Please advise!.

See all problems of the 2021 Toyota RAV4 🔎.

The Toyota app has stopped updating vehicle data and there’s information missing entirely. The satellite symbol has a line through it on the media screen as well. When I try to opt out on the app, I get an unexpected error and to try again. It seems as though the dcm in my car has stopped communicating with Toyota’s servers.

See all problems of the 2025 Toyota RAV4 🔎.

The rear hatch hinges are undersized causing them to fail and undue stress on the motor.

See all problems of the 2019 Toyota RAV4 🔎.

The contact owns a 2024 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that on several occasions while attempting to start the vehicle, the message to "place key fob next to start button" was displayed. The contact placed the key fob on the start button, and the vehicle started. While driving approximately 35 mph, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road. The contact pressed the start button, but the vehicle failed to restart. The contact stated that the message was displayed again, and the key fob was placed next to the start button, and the vehicle restarted. The dealer was contacted and advised to change the battery in the key fob. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 11,000.

See all problems of the 2024 Toyota RAV4 🔎.

There is a parasitic drain on my battery coming from the ecm and electrical system causing it to drain my 12v battery.

Braking while pulling into a parking space. Instead of slowing down the car accelerated and went over the curb. Maintained pressure on the break but it did not slow the car. Instead the car kept accelerating down an embankment, across an empty street and towards a telephone pole. Turning the steering wheel to the left to avoid the telephone pole the car further descended into a ditch. The car had to be towed and is now deemed to be totaled. The brake- pads had been inspected during a routine maintenance check the day before this accident occurred and they were good. No other vehicle was involved. My personal injury was an abrasion and bruise where my seat belt did it's job. My muscles are sore. The side airbags did deploy after the car stopped. The floor mats were locked in place.

I have a limited service campaign from Toyota 25td01 that my local authorized Toyota dealer refuses to repair. The dealer is classic Toyota of henderson.

See all problems of the 2023 Toyota RAV4 🔎.

Safety defect: data communication module (dcm) failure affecting hands-free microphone and safety connect / sos emergency system vehicle: 2019 Toyota Rav4 hybrid le the dcm (which controls both the carplay/bluetooth hands-free microphone and the safety connect sos emergency button) suddenly failed without any warning or accident. Symptoms: - no one can hear me during carplay or bluetooth calls (microphone inoperative). - safety connect / sos light became intermittent or inoperative (directly impacts emergency calling, crash notification, and roadside assistance). This is a known recurring issue documented in Toyota tsbs t-sb-0112-20 and t-sb-0089-21. Toyota of hackensack diagnosed it and quoted $1,300 for dcm replacement/update while charging me $200 for diagnosis. They did not disclose during the multipoint inspection that this is a documented safety-related dcm fault. I performed the manufacturer-recommended 12v battery disconnect reset (standard TSB procedure), which fully restored the microphone and returned the sos light to solid green. However, this is only a temporary fix for a known defect. This failure compromises hands-free calling while driving and the emergency sos system — both critical safety features. I request NHTSA investigation and urge Toyota to issue a recall or service campaign for all affected 2019–2025 Rav4 hybrids.

When I put my car on park. The driver side (left door) lock actuator makes a long click noise. Also when I press on unlock it makes that sound as well.

See all problems of the 2022 Toyota RAV4 🔎.

This 2025 Rav4 hybrid xle premium is in permanent shape of inoperable due to continues electrical system that drains the 12v battery. Anytime I want to drive the car I have to charge the 12v battery for 3-4 hours before I can attempt to drive the car. This is all the time problems that start about 2 weeks into the purchase of the vehicle.

On two separate occasions, my car has shaken violently and stopped both times while idling one in my driveway one at a stoplight and then an alert that says engine stopped steering power low came on.

After turning my car on and the car running for several minutes, the engine shut off on its own and it said “engine stopped steering power low”. This is the second time this has happened. The vehicle is available for inspection. My safety was put at risk because I am concerned about this happening while driving, or being stranded somewhere. I have not taken my vehicle in yet, but many other Rav4 owners have this issue from my internet searches. This has happened twice to me in the past two weeks. The vehicle has not been inspected. There were no warning lamps/messages/lights prior to failure.

Please see attached complaint letter. Overall, this is related to the 2022 Toyota Rav4 hybrid electronic hybrid system. This issue related to campaign 25td01. The issue can cause the car to not start at any time because of the vehicle's start/stop hybrid system. If this happens in traffic, you could cause a safety issue that could lead to an accident and possibly fatalities.

See attached document for complaint.

See all problems of the 2018 Toyota RAV4 🔎.

Few days back got a message "voltage abnormality steering power low" a few times. Today, got a message saying the sensors indicated on the form are malfunctioning. Car is 2. 5 yrs old with 23. 5k miles on it.

Everything working properly and just fine until Monday 3/2/26 when I started the vehicle to go to work, the main radio multimedia screen was black and did not display anything. No sound was playing either along with when I placed the car in reverse, there was not the backup camera display as well. Everything was pitch black. I then proceeded to drive the car to work and then decided to take it to the Toyota dealership near my house at the earliest convenience which was today (3/4/26). In the mean time until I brought the car to the dealership, I researched information and videos on how to diagnose it myself and try troubleshooting my self. Also, when car is running, I got a message stating malfunction with aeb/fcw. Tried the fuse route and tried disconnecting the negative battery terminal for 15 minutes and tried holding the main power knob for 30 plus seconds. All of those did not work. I then took into dealership and once I got there, the service technician saw the screen working and then also saw the screen acting up and turned on but had lines in the middle of the screen. The technician had me turn vehicle off and once we turned back on it went back to the black screen. So once I went the route of having them diagnose it, they said they could not duplicate concern that we saw with the lines in the screen etc. , therefore the technician gave the vehicle back with the screen not working still until we do have it working with the lines. I was about to leave and then the issue with the screen and lines cam up on the screen and I was able to have the technician look at it and diagnose. That is when advisor came to me and said the radio head is completely not working and cannot be fixed or saved. Repair is $2,769 with labor for a new radio head per the advisor. Car is not under warranty because of how many miles are currently on vehicle so I cannot get this fixed for free under warranty. Would have to be out of pocket and I denied that. Please help me get this fixed.

The driver side door lock actuator makes a long click noise. Also when I unlock my car it makes the same sound.

On Friday February 27, 2026 as the vehicle was being driven it caught fire. Fire department and sheriffs office was called to the scene. Vehicle fire was put out but the whole front end burned.

See all problems of the 2015 Toyota RAV4 🔎.

My infotainment screen went black while I was driving at night and it will not come back on. There was no warning. I took it to the dealer and they said that the system had failed. I saw on line that there was a recall for this very issue but my car is a '22 and not included in the recall, but I think it should be. This poses a safety hazard and I don't believe that this should happen under normal circumstances for a car of its age and relatively low mileage. I think this model year should be included in the recall and that Toyota should pay for the repair, which is quite expensive. The receipt on the diagnostic says the radio works, but it does not. It goes on when you push the power and immediately goes off.

I was driving home in the rain for about 75 minutes and when I arrived in my driveway I saw steam coming from the front grille area. It wasn't due to a high engine coolant temperature so I decided to carefully open the hood and check for the source. I saw water inside the bottom of the engine bay behind the radiator steaming from the heat of the engine. A few seconds later, the engine stalled and the following message appeared: "engine stopped, steering power low" which came on with a check engine light, red battery light, and steering light. I used my scan tool and obtained the code: p0171, system too lean. After doing research, I've come up with a conclusion to the potential cause. Starting with the 2022 model year Rav4 non-hybrid (and onwards to the 2025 model year Rav4), the air intake inlet was redesigned from the prior one in the 2019-2021 Rav4 non-hybrid models, as seen in numerous comparison images online. This new design presents a dangerous fault. When driving in rainy conditions, especially at higher speeds with mist kicked up from cars in front, the air intake will take in water. The water will flow to the air filter and then reach the mass air flow sensor (maf). The maf sensor monitors the amount of air entering the engine and sends signals to the car's computer to help determine how much fuel to send to the engine to maintain an ideal ratio for optimal efficiency. Considering that water is getting to the maf sensor, it thinks that the water is excess air, so less fuel is sent to the engine as a result. Since I came to a stop in my driveway, the engine is now at its idle speed and only commands a small amount of fuel to remain running. Now, when combined with the water, that lower fuel flow is practically cut off, leading to the stall. This happened to me before when driving in the rain, but in more dangerous conditions in stop-and-go traffic. Toyota must follow up on t-tt-0763-24 because it has been well over a year since their initial investigation.

The contact owns a 2019 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while seated in the vehicle, while the vehicle was parked, there was an abnormally strong plastic burning odor inside the vehicle. The contact stated that a top light was plugged in the trunk, but the light was turned off. After opening the trunk, the contact became aware that the wiring in the trunk had overheated and burned the laundry that was inside the vehicle and the rear passenger's side seat. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 129,000.

This complaint is being filed as a follow-up to a previously submitted NHTSA complaint regarding door lock failures on my 2021 Toyota Rav4 hybrid. Since the original complaint, a second door has now failed. In addition to the front passenger door, the rear passenger-side door will no longer lock or unlock electronically using the key fob or interior power lock button and must be locked manually. When attempting to lock the vehicle, the vehicle emits a warning beep indicating a door is unsecured, even though some doors appear locked. Upon inspection, the rear passenger door was found unlocked. This issue appears to be progressive, affecting multiple doors. Doors may appear locked when they are not, creating a security concern.

The vehicle's dashboard and 9. 5" screen go blank while driving down the road. It is random at times and you have no idea how fast you are traveling, viewing screen, etc. . It just goes completely black. The certified Toyota dealer says that there is a recall on the 12. 5" screens blacking out randomly but not on the 9. 5" screens so the vehicle does not qualify for the recall and Toyota is saying they don't have a fix for the vehicle. Have tried to contact higher level Toyota contacts (claims) and they have not been of any help. With the screen going completely black, an individual has no idea how fast they are driving, what service indicator lights might be on, no idea how much gas there is in the car. The entire dash and associated screen which also houses the back up camera are completely useless. It happens at random points in time while driving. This is a safety issue as one does not know speed of vehicle or any warning lights. Dash and screen are completely blank.

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.

See all problems of the 2020 Toyota RAV4 🔎.

I attempted to remote start my 2022 Toyota Rav4 hybrid from inside my home using the Toyota mobile app. I received a confirmation notification stating that the vehicle had started and would automatically shut off in 10 minutes. Approximately six minutes later, I exited my home and approached the vehicle, which was not running. After unlocking and entering the vehicle, the interior temperature confirmed that the vehicle had not been running. I attempted to start the vehicle by pressing the brake pedal and pushing the start button. No dashboard lights illuminated, no warning messages appeared, and the vehicle was completely unresponsive. I attempted this process two additional times with the same result. After exiting the vehicle and closing the driver’s door, I attempted to lock the vehicle using the touch sensor on the driver-side door handle. The vehicle would not lock. I attempted this a second time and it still would not lock, indicating a complete loss of electrical power. This failure occurred in cold weather conditions and involved the hybrid battery and associated electrical system. The loss of power created a safety risk because the vehicle could not be secured and could have left me stranded in cold weather. Later that day, I contacted my insurance company for roadside assistance. A tow truck arrived and jump-started the vehicle using a portable jump box, which allowed the vehicle to start and the battery to recharge. A Toyota service appointment is scheduled to inspect the vehicle. The issue has not yet been confirmed by a dealer. The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer or other representatives. Only the roadside assistance tow truck driver responded. The vehicle and battery are available for inspection upon request.

The contact owns a 2025 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 25v595000 (electrical system); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. An unknown 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.

‘voltage abnormality, power steering low’ error message has appeared three separate times. All while vehicle is idle at stop light or parked, last incident car was unable to restart immediately. All dashboard lights came on, including message saying parking hold unavailable. Mechanic confirmed no issues with 12v battery health and unable to recreate issue. Loss of power is risk to safety, possible draining of battery due to unknown issue.

Driver door lock actuator. When using the vehicles remote key, the driver door does not lock and unlock with the rest of the vehicles locks. This failure can cause theft of personal property in the vehicle or theft of the vehicle itself. The problem has been confirmed by other Toyota owners with similar models. No warning lights of the problem appeared.

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.

Short in the steering wheel heater mat leads to localized hot spot of greater than or equal to 134° f. Risk of burn injury to customer and risk of electrical fire.

Toyota Rav4 le gas pump burst and caught fire leading to total fire damage along with major water damage from the firefighters putting out the fire. The vehicle was idle for hours at the time of explosion of the fuel pump. This was a major safety hazard/risk especially being that myself and two others were minutes away from going out to the vehicle before it all happened as I was getting ready to take a friend home for the night. A claim representative will look into this matter in coming days.

I am reporting a safety defect involving the front passenger door lock actuator on my 2021 Toyota Rav4 xle hybrid. The front passenger door will not lock or unlock using the key fob or the interior power door lock button. The door must now be locked manually. This defeats the vehicle’s automatic locking system and creates a safety and security concern. This condition prevents all doors from being secured properly when driving or when parked. A passenger may believe the door is locked when it is not, increasing the risk of unauthorized entry, theft, or passenger safety issues. The failure occurred during normal use and without warning. The vehicle has been properly maintained. I have learned that multiple Toyota Rav4 owners have reported similar door lock actuator failures, indicating a potential widespread defect. This issue occurred shortly after the factory warranty expired. Due to the safety implications, I believe this issue warrants investigation and possible recall or manufacturer repair program. “this failure occurred without warning and with no dashboard alerts. ”.

My 2019 Toyota Rav4 experienced a dangerous electrical and transmission failure that ultimately caused the vehicle to stall while driving and made me lose control. For several weeks before the incident, the vehicle showed subtle hesitation when accelerating but no warning lights. After the car stalled and spun out coming off the ben franklin bridge onto I-76 near downtown camden, police responded, confirmed the vehicle had unexpectedly shut off, and verified there was no crash damage. I later brought the car to the Toyota dealership, where they discovered corrosion on the battery cable, failed abs sensors, and a weak battery. I paid $668 for a new battery, new cable, and abs sensor repairs. At that time, the dealership did not inform me of any transmission issues and released the vehicle back to me. I made it only a short distance up the road before realizing the vehicle could not accelerate past 40 mph and was still malfunctioning, so I immediately returned it. The next day, the dealership initially claimed there was nothing wrong with the vehicle, but after I insisted they re-evaluate the car, they then informed me that the transmission was failing and needed replacement. This sequence of electrical instability, combined with the transmission malfunction, ultimately led to the earlier stall where I lost all power steering and braking assist and spun out into the median. The vehicle, diagnostic records, and replaced components are available for inspection. The sudden loss of power and control created a major safety risk to me and other drivers in a high-traffic area.

I am submitting this complaint to document an unresolved vehicle safety concern and loss of confidence in safe operation. My vehicle experienced serious safety-related malfunctions and warnings, and despite service visits, I was not provided written confirmation that the vehicle was safe to operate. After repairs were reportedly completed, I repeatedly requested written safety verification, which was not provided. Due to the unresolved safety concerns and lack of written safety assurance, I did not feel it was safe to resume driving the vehicle. A loaner vehicle was provided while the safety issues were being addressed. The loaner was later recovered before my safety concerns were resolved and without advance notice, leaving me without a vehicle that I could confirm was safe to operate. I am reporting this because I continue to lack confidence in the safety of the vehicle and want this documented as a safety concern. This complaint is not about customer service, but about unresolved safety issues and the absence of written confirmation that the vehicle is safe to drive.

Formal complaint to Toyota motor corporation (manufacturing) regarding: serious manufacturing defect and failure of new vehicle safety customer: [xxx] customer contact: phone – [xxx] | email – [xxx] vehicle purchased: (new/recently purchased Toyota model) date of purchase: [xxx] selling dealership: round rock Toyota vehicle identification number (VIN) (last 4 digits): [xxx] ________________________________________ I. Overview of complaint: critical safety defect I am filing this formal complaint directly with Toyota motor corporation regarding a vehicle that, due to an apparent critical manufacturing defect, failed dangerously and repeatedly within days of purchase. This failure represents a lapse in Toyota's quality control and a serious threat to consumer safety. The vehicle, purchased new or recently, on [xxx], exhibited critical operational defects less than three days after leaving the dealership. This vehicle is demonstrably defective and unsafe, having compromised my life during a near-fatal failure on a major interstate. As the manufacturer, Toyota is ultimately responsible for the quality and safety of the product delivered to consumers. Ii. Factual timeline of critical defects and safety incidents the vehicle exhibited multiple critical failures less than 77 miles and three days after purchase, severely compromising my safety and confidence in the quality of the Toyota product: •immediate operational failures: the vehicle began experiencing multiple mechanical failures shortly after purchase. •near-fatal highway stall: the most severe incident involved the vehicle suddenly failing and stalling while traveling on a major interstate. This catastrophic failure is indicative of a serious underlying manufacturing or component defect and severely endangered my life and the lives of others. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).