Electrical System Problems of Toyota RAV4 - part 1

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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‘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.

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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.

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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.

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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).

While traveling back from out of state, the fuel sensor and fuel gauge failed causing me to run out of gas when the fuel gauge stated I had just a tick under a 1/4 tank of gas left and the app read 35 miles left. While driving on freeway at freeway speed, the car sputtered, bogged down and then stalled, placing me in a very dangerous situation broken down on the shoulder of the freeway in the desolate country at night with semi trucks and cars flying by at estimated between 70-80 mph. While stalled and waiting for help, all the lights except the hazard flashers went out. The sheriff assisted and added 2 gallons of gas that finally got the car restarted and I was able to get to the gas station which was 1 mile ahead of where I had been stranded. I kept filling the gas tank not allowing it to go under 1/2 tank on the fuel gauge the remainder of the trip home. I took the car to tansky sawmill Toyota for service, who thought it was a fuel sensor in fuel tank, which had to be dropped, resulting in a tube from the fuel sender being disconnected and not taking fuel from the other side of the tank and corrosion was cleaned out. They had to go through electrical system to check the fuel gauge which had corrosion on the electrical harnesses and sensors not caused by water or rodents - still unknown cause - resulting in $6500. 00 to replace both electrical harnesses 82152-0r370 wire fr door lh and 82141-orb80 wire instrument panel! known Toyota defect as the 2019 Rav4 hybrids have already been recalled. Issues of this type with the regular Rav4s are posted all over the online Toyota boards. My platinum extended warranty on my well cared for 2019 Rav4 with 45,131 miles (purchased at 3 year lease end) refused to all of the charges and the dealership did not budge, sticking me with 6 hours of diagnostic fees over what the warranty allowed in the sum of $1014. 37. These harnesses need recalled so no one else is stranded in a very dangerous place on the side of the freeway!.

While driving the vehicle on an uphill stretch of highway with cruise control set at approximately 65 mph, the vehicle suddenly slowed down without warning. A distinct clunk was heard at the same moment. The cruise control system attempted to restore speed, and the engine became noticeably louder, but the vehicle struggled to return to the set speed. The driver tapped the brake to disengage cruise control and manually pressed the accelerator to resume normal speed. The trip was completed without additional events. After parking, the check engine light illuminated and the cruise control system became disabled on all subsequent drives. No warning indicators were present at the time of the initial failure, and there were no vehicles ahead that would have triggered the collision-avoidance system. Two days later, the vehicle became an intermittent no-start and eventually failed to start entirely. The vehicle was towed to a dealership for inspection. Technicians confirmed an electrical malfunction and reported that the multiplex ecu was likely experiencing an internal short. A parasitic draw test showed an abnormally high current draw of approximately 113 MA, which disappeared when the dome-light fuse and later the multiplex ecu were disconnected. The failure is intermittent and appears to involve an internal electrical short within the multiplex ecu. The sudden loss of cruise control function, abrupt deceleration, and subsequent intermittent electrical behavior created a safety risk, as the electrical malfunction occurred without warning while the vehicle was in motion. The issue was confirmed by a dealership service department.

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I was driving home, about a 30 min drive, in heavy rain. Once I got home, I left my car running to run inside. When I came back out the car was shaking and idling funny. A "low steering power" diagnostic came up and then also a parking malfunction. I turned the car off. It would barely turn over and still multiple diagnostic lights on. I pulled in into the garage and after sitting off for about 10 minutes, it started fine. I've seen multiple posts about this same issue. It's definitely a safety concern.

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 2019 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated while driving 70 mph, the vehicle experienced a loss of motive power. No warning light was illuminated. The contact managed to push the vehicle over to the shoulder of the road, and the vehicle was towed to the residence. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

One week ago one section of the heated steering wheel was very hot. So much so that I could not touch that area. I took it to the anderson Toyota dealership in rockford today. On the way there, I turned on the heated steering wheel, and it started smoking. They said they couldn’t find what was wrong with it, and to replace it would be $1800 because it isn’t in warranty. They suggested I not use it.

It was a rainy day and I had come home to pick up someone, didn’t turn my car off but had it in park. I went to reverse and pressed on gas, all of a sudden my engine started to aggressively shake/vibrate while showing on the dash that power steering was off, I couldn’t move my car anymore. I turned it off and same thing. Finally after 15 minutes, it started back up like normal. Scary to think others have been experiencing this with or without rain involved, and also while driving. Toyota is suppose to be reliable. Taking it in to Toyota service department tomorrow, but scared to drive it and just be told nothing is wrong like others have been told.

While waiting in a drive-thru with “hold” feature enabled, car vibrated abnormally and shut off by itself. When I attempted to restart the vehicle, I received an error message “engine stopped. Steering power low” and another screen also appeared that said, “not ready to drive. Press brake and push engine start switch. ” I followed those instructions several times and the car wouldn’t start. Eventually had to put in neutral to get out of drive-thru. Once out of drive-thru, I once again attempted to restart the car, but this time it worked. Should mention it was raining pretty heavily outside when this happened.

Front camera quit working and it costs 2000 to replace which is absolutely ridiculous for a 2024 car. It should not have went out in a year and a half. It causes all the safety things on the car to not work properly.

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.

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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The contact owns a 2025 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the interior digital rearview mirror image was distorted, hazy and foggy. The contact stated that the rearview mirror image was distorted while operating the vehicle at night, but the image was clear while operating the vehicle during the day time. The contact had cleaned the rear window and the rearview mirror camera lens, but the failure persisted, which the contact considered a visibility hazard for the driver. The local dealer was notified of the failure and advised the contact that no failure was found, and the rearview mirror camera was operating as designed. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 30.

While driving at highway speeds (approx. 65 mph), the vehicle suffered a sudden and catastrophic loss of motive power. The "hybrid system malfunction" warning illuminated, followed immediately by a "check engine" light. The vehicle entered a fail-safe mode, then completely shut down. The steering wheel locked, making it extremely difficult to maneuver the vehicle to the shoulder in a dark, remote area with freezing temperatures. This presented an immediate life-safety risk to all occupants. Following the incident, the vehicle was presented to two separate authorized Toyota dealerships in the us for emergency assistance. Both failed to provide the standard of care required for a high-voltage safety failure. The first dealer refused to perform even a basic safety inspection or intake the vehicle, stating they had no hybrid technicians on weekends. They turned the vehicle away without safety warnings, forcing the operation of a chemically failing vehicle on public roads. The second dealer attempted to charge a diagnostic fee. However, when questioned, they admitted they also did not have a hybrid-certified technician on site. They attempted to bill for a diagnostic service they knowingly could not perform. This fraudulent charge was only rescinded after it was challenged. They subsequently refused further assistance, leaving the occupants stranded. The vehicle was eventually towed to a third dealer (in canada) where it was diagnosed with severe corrosion of the high-voltage floor under wire harness (mgr cable), a known defect. The dealer confirmed the rear motor cable was corroded and required replacement. The repair involved replacing the cable and installing a "splash guard" cap. No prior warning signs occurred before the sudden highway shutdown. This failure is a result of the manufacturer's failure to adequately seal high-voltage components against corrosion and the dealer network's gross negligence in refusing emergency safety support.

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.

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.

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.

The contact owns a 2015 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked or being driven, water was leaking into the vehicle from the roof, causing water damage to the electrical wiring to the air bags. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was determined that there was a hole in the roof and that the roof needed to be removed for a proper investigation. The contact was informed that the air bags could unintendedly deploy unintentionally if not repaired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure via letter and phone calls, and the contact was informed that the case had been closed. The approximate failure mileage was 65,000.

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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.

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.

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.