Electrical System Problems of Toyota RAV4 - part 1

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.

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The contact owns a 2000 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while inspecting the battery, there were white hard stains on the battery and the parts holding the battery in place, causing the battery to move independently, allowing the battery to leak. An independent mechanic was contacted. The contact stated that the failure had occurred several times. The vehicle was not taken to an independent mechanic. The battery was replaced at jiffy lube, and the contact was informed that a screw was missing and that the battery was loose. The contact was informed to be careful while driving the vehicle. The contact related the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 23v734000 (electrical system); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was 172,000.

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My driver side door caught on fire and was completely destroyed to include all associated wiring. Toyota had my contact information but never contacted me about any of the recalls.

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The contact owns a 2024 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 25v595000 (electrical system); however, the part for the recall repair was not available. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at the dealer for service, the contact inquired about the unrepaired repair. The contact was advised not to drive the vehicle because of the safety concerns. In addition, the contact was informed that if the failure occurred while driving the vehicle, the instrument cluster would be disabled. The contact was informed that the safety features would not be available because of the unrepaired recall. The contact was not satisfied with the information. The contact was very frightened to drive the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle was the only means of transportation. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The contact had not experienced a failure regarding the unrepaired recall repair.

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After driving for 35 minutes (in the rain), I pulled up to work and let someone out. While car was sitting there in park, it bucked in the back, I then put it into park and almost immediately, it shut off with this on the display "engine off, steering power low, do not drive". My lights and windshield wipers remained on. I tried to turn it back and and it shut off again. I waited a few minutes, turned it on and went to pull out onto main road and the car shut off again with the same message. Thankfully I was turning onto the main road so close to shoulder and able to keep my car pretty close to side of the road. I called the Toyota dealer who told me not to drive it and it would need to be towed. I towed it to the closest dealer and when they checked the codes (the next day), they said there were no codes and they could not replicate the problem. As a note, the rain was off and on, nothing that was worse than anything I have driven in previously. I drive main roads and did not go through any large puddles or anything similar. This is a major safety issue and I am terrified that it could happen while driving on a highway where I may not have time to get out of the way of other traffic (car literally stopped with no option of continuing to coast). I am also shocked that there were no codes triggered as there was obviously some event and that the car is only one month outside of warranty.

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The first time I was stopped at a red light and the car started acting like it was missing and then it shut off this was during rain the message on the dash said engine stopped steering power low. The next time this happened I was parking it a parking lot and the engine did the same it rpm started going up and down like it was missing then it shut off and showed the message engine stopped steering power low this was also during rain after I had been driving in the rain. After about 20 minutes both times the car would start and drive as normal. I have looked online and multiple people have had the same issue.

Component: main engine wiring harness. Cause: rodent caused damage: the rodent severely damaged this component and made the vehicle inoperable. Fix: required the replacement of this component. Insurance covered the 8,500 repair bill (minus deductible). A check engine light appeared eventually.

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

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Message "voltage abnormality steering power low" was displayed several times while stopped at traffic lights and the auto stop/start engine feature was engaged. Took vehicle to dealership nothing was done since they could not replicate the issue.

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The vehicle on board information screen will either fail to connect to phone for gps service, or will disconnect mid drive causing the gps service to stop. When the phone fail to connect with the screen it forces me to use the map on my phone causing me to look away from the road and at times have to hope my phone in my hand or risk missing my stop/exit.

Vehicle states engine maintenance required. Is a consistent reoccurring problem according to dealer. System failure due to manufacturer always puts the user at risk.

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Had to have my 2024 Toyota rav 4 towed for a second time in 2 month after driving in heavy rain. During the first instance, I drove less than 10 miles on the highway in very heavy rain. Arrived at my destination, put the car in park and the engine and rpm meter started pulsating, revving feeling as if the car were going to stall. Turned the engine off, had the vehicle towed to the dealership who found "no issues" with the car. Again on September 23, 2025, I drove through a heavy rain storm, arrived a my destination and again the engine/rpm were pulsating/revving. An hour later when I went to leave (in no rain), started the vehicle and the engine began to sputter, all warning lights on the dash board went on including in part "parking support brake malfunction visit your dealer", "pre-collision system malfunction visit your dealer" and "engine stopped steering power low", and the engine sputtered and shut off. Had the vehicle towed to another dealership where it has been for 5 days with the technician telling me he cannot replicate the issue. This is a serious problem for a new vehicle with 17k miles. Not only is this is a safety risk due to vehicle failure/shut down, it is a serious defect in a product that I paid $40,000 for. Please do all that can be done to force Toyota to fix this issue, as it appears based on review of similar complaints on this website that this is happening quite a lot. Separately, it is more than concerning that total engine failure does not generate codes sufficient for Toyota technicians to diagnose such a fatal problem.

Year: 2014 make: Toyota model: Rav4 approx. Mileage: 60k 2. Incident details date of most recent incident: 9/18/2025 problem: vehicle stalls and loses power steering while turning. Engine shuts off suddenly, causing complete loss of steering control. Consequence: on 9/18/25, my son lost control of the Rav4, hit a curb, and went through bushes before stopping. Previous stalls also occurred while turning, with loss of steering assist. This is a severe safety hazard. Frequency: has occurred multiple times, even after dealership inspection and repairs. 3. Dealer/repair info dealer name: sarasota Toyota address: 7435 s tamiami trail, sarasota, FL 34231 repair attempts: dealer inspected in August 2025, charged nearly $900, but problem persists. Car is now back in the shop (not Toyota) for a second opinion at an additional cost of over $200. 4. Description my 2014 Toyota Rav4 repeatedly stalls and loses engine power and power steering without warning, especially while turning. On September 18, 2025, my son lost control of the vehicle, hit a curb, and went through bushes before managing to stop. This is extremely dangerous and could have resulted in a serious accident. Sarasota Toyota has inspected the vehicle and charged nearly $900 for repairs, but the defect was not fixed. The vehicle continues to stall and is unsafe to drive. I am pursuing a second opinion at additional expense. This issue places my family and others on the road in danger. I am filing this complaint so that Toyota and regulators address this defect.

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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.

The contact owns a 2025 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that upon leaving the keys in the ignition overnight, the battery was drained. The contact stated that the jumper cables were in a compartment located inside the trunk. The contact stated that due to the battery failure, the contact was unable to unlock the vehicle. In addition, there was no keyhole for the trunk of the vehicle. The contact entered the trunk through the inside of the vehicle; however, the compartment where the jumper cables were located had failed to open due to the battery failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact was referred to the NHTSA hotline to file a complaint. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 5,500.

1. My vehicle had a hybrid warnings and stopped running altogether, but the issue went away after clearing the codes. It came back at 105000mi, Toyota won't help with the $6000 repair. High voltage under floor cable and traction motor cable on my vehicle (2021 hybrid Rav4 xle registered in massachusetts) is affected by excessive and dangerous corrosion due to a Toyota design issue. 2. The vehicle could suddenly shut off at highway speeds per matt with service at autofair Toyota tewksbury. Sudden stoppage or deceleration may result in fatal collisions at speed. This failure also leads to fatally high-voltage energizing of the chassis and other frame components in some cases. 3. This is a known design flaw on Toyota hybrid, high-voltage cables/connectors, leading to excessive corrosion and dangerous failure of the hybrid system. There is an extended Toyota customer support program (csp: 22te09) valid through 8 years or 100000mi. I purchased the vehicle at 92,000mi but the dealership (carfive nashua, nh) and Toyota failed to inform me of this issue (a standard procedure per the csp) so I could make an informed decision and perform preventative maintenance. Toyota did send me notice of an airbag recall after purchase, so I know they had my information. Now they have left me without options at 105000mi. 4. Yes. It has been inspected and the high voltage cable corrosion confirmed by autofair Toyota tewksbury (MA). Image from diagnosis video attached. 5. Warning messages in obd2 screenshot attached. 6. I'm looking for Toyota to cover the repair for this issue; I've had to repair a valve head gasket and replace the ac system condenser already and this car is barely 4 years old.

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.

While starting my Rav4 prime, the instrument panel (gas gauge, speedometer, battery life, etc) went black. Took it to 3 different Toyota dealers; 2 sent me away and the 3rd said I can’t drive the car anymore. Service tech said it’s the 3rd one he’s seen with the instrument cluster black in the last year! they’re still running official diagnostics on it.

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For over month on multiple random events, the car shuts down while traveling at hwy speeds. The car light prompt to shift the vehicle into neutral and push the start button to re start the engine. We have had the car at the dealership 4 separate occasions and they can not find the issue because it does not cause an engine light to come on when this happens. They also supposedly can not get it to duplicate so they are refusing to go any further. We have video of this occurring at 50mph. This causes lost of steering and braking. We reported this to Toyota and opened a case. They to will not pursue fixing the issue as they are not getting a trouble code. I fear this is going to cause a major accident and this poses a severe safety risk as you loose control of the vehicle.

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 contact owns a 2015 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the battery, abs, and brake warning lights illuminated, and the vehicle stalled on several occasions. The vehicle was jump-started, and the vehicle operated normally. Additionally, the steering wheel became difficult to turn on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to the local auto zone which replaced the battery, but the failure persisted. The local dealer was notified of the failures, but no assistance was offered. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 110,000.

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While getting gas the car was running and I got a warning that said engine stopped power steering low. I started the car and everything was fine and was able to drive with no issues and haven't seen the warning. I know sometimes dealerships have reminders for maintenance and not sure if this was just a glitch. After reviewing forums this seems like a known issue on Toyota but the vehicle hasn't been recalled some users have said car was fine while others say battery or alternator. This should be looked into. Thank you.

The dcm is nonfunctional, which renders the safety connect features of the car inoperable. Additionally, the bluetooth microphone is powered by the dcm causing the driver to have to switch the call output on their phone manually taking their focus off the road. This seems to be a widespread issue with many reporting this on online threads and Toyota offering many internal service bulletins. To me this is a major safety concern that is extremely costly to repair.

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 2024 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 25v595000 (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 contact stated that the instrument panel and the infotainment center had blacked out intermittently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but was not diagnosed. The dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2017 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 23v734000 (electrical system); however, upon taking the vehicle to the dealer for the recall repair, the dealer refused to perform the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. The VIN was not available.

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See attached document for complaint. Text from attached document: to my disappointment, the remedy was not perfo rmed totally. The reason for this was, "improper battery size" . Cont inuing with the message I was texted : "this means we cannot fully complete the recall without replacement of the battery. The recall is to replace hardware that keeps the battery secure due to this happening, this smaller size battery which had been installed in your car is not properly secured.

The contact owns a 2014 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 not yet available for the recall repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The contact stated while driving 20 mph, and making a right turn, the vehicle lost motive power. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer. The approximate failure mileage was 170,000.

After a battery recall was performed on the vehicle at the dealership, a serious safety issue occurred. A short circuit in the battery cable caused a fire in the engine compartment. Fortunately, I was able to extinguish the fire with an extinguisher before it spread, but it happened very close to the gas line and posed a severe danger. We believe the fire may be related to the recall service. The fire caused visible damage to the battery area, and we have documented it with photos and video. We are very concerned about the safety of this vehicle and potential negligence in the recall repair. We are requesting that NHTSA investigate this matter and take appropriate action.

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 vehicle began displaying intermittent warning messages and slipping into "mud & sand" mode without cause. Later, multiple dash lights illuminated, including 4wd malfunction, check engine, and coolant system warnings. The vehicle became undrivable due to overheating. Dealership diagnostics indicated a failure in the coolant bypass valve actuator the electronic water pump was receiving a signal but not responding, resulting in loss of coolant circulation and overheating. There may also be a shorted control panel causing related system failures. This problem has been confirmed by a Toyota dealer, and the vehicle remains at the service center pending resolution. The issue appears related to a known customer support program (csp 24te04), which covers the coolant bypass valve actuator. There was no prior accident or abuse of the vehicle, and the vehicle only has 52,000 miles. Safety was compromised due to unexpected power loss and overheating while in motion. The issue has not yet been resolved. The vehicle has also experienced prior water intrusion through the roof rails, which may have contributed to electrical damage.

I am submitting this complaint regarding a recurring issue in the coolant bypass valve of my 2019 Toyota Rav4 xle premium. Although there was no check engine light, the vehicle displayed a persistent warning: “engine maintenance required – visit dealership. ” this message repeatedly appears on the instrument cluster and blocks critical driving information, including the speedometer, fuel economy, and other key displays. Even when the driver manually cancels the message, it returns within minutes. This creates a constant distraction and obstructs visibility, which poses a safety risk during driving. I took the vehicle to the dealership, where they diagnosed the issue as an internal short circuit in the coolant bypass valve and retrieved diagnostic trouble code p268115. This code relates to a malfunction in the valve’s electrical control system, which affects the engine’s ability to regulate temperature effectively. Toyota currently offers a customer support program (csp) for the coolant bypass valve, but only if the valve is leaking coolant. However, my vehicle's failure was due to an electrical defect, and Toyota does not cover this under the same program. This creates an unfair burden on owners and fails to address the full scope of the issue, even though the results—loss of proper cooling function—are the same. Many Rav4 owners have reported similar problems online, but no recall or technical service bulletin has been issued for this kind of failure. I believe this defect raises genuine safety concerns, including: driver distraction due to persistent warning messages obstruction of critical dashboard information potential for engine overheating or reduced performance I respectfully request that NHTSA investigate this issue as a potential safety-related defect and determine whether Toyota should be required to expand support or issue a recall for this component, regardless of whether the failure is due to coolant leakage or internal electrical malfunction.

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.