Electrical System Problems of Toyota RAV4 - part 1

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.

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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.

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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.

See all problems of the 2023 Toyota RAV4 🔎.

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 23v734000 (electrical system); however, the dealer refused to perform the recall repair. The contact was informed that the correct size battery needed to be purchased to replace the current battery before the recall repair could be performed. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that battery was not the correct size, and a new battery was needed. The manufacturer declined to assist with the cost of replacing the battery. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

The contact owns a 2017 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 23v734000 (electrical system). The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle failed to start. The contact removed and replaced the battery terminal and the vehicle started. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer for the recall repair. The local dealer refused to repair the vehicle; however, the contact was informed that there was a bulge on the side of the battery. The contact was informed to take the vehicle back to the dealer where the vehicle was purchased for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 108,000.

Started normally, but had a message on the screen saying “check fuel cap. ” I needed gas anyways, drove about 3 minutes to the gas station, turned engine off, put gas. Turned engine back on and within 3 seconds it shut off. The screen displayed “engine stopped- power steering low. ” I tried a handful of times to start, it did not. After 20 minutes and some rest, it started. With no more messages. Battery and alternator were tested, both were good.

The electric power steering has malfunctioned. The malfunction of the eps may cause the car to jerk or swerve. The dealership has said they have seen countless problems with the eps. There is a recall on the eps in the 2014 Rav4, however this vehicle did not fall under the previous recall. No warning lamps or messages appear for this particular issue with the vehicle. The vehicle is available for inspection. The dealership has quoted $3014. 00 for the repair. Steering column assembly replacement and eps motor replacement.

Wipers turn on by them self, the radio shuts down on its own and then comes back on.

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The battery is off . It does not work. The car does not start. It looks like the battery is not properly installed. I just left my car at the Toyota dealership in June 12 for maintenance services, for brake fluid and flush etc including the replacement of a battery mounting hardware however it does not look right. The car started to go off and today it does not start at all. Please advice sincerely, [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The contact owns a 2011 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated while reversing to park the vehicle, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated. The contact depressed the brake pedal, and the vehicle stopped. The contact stated that after turning off the vehicle and entering the residence, the vehicle independently restarted. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

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The dealer, Toyota of chula vista insists that I pay for the recall of the battery they had my car all day yesterday first they lied battery not available then they quoted me $337.

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The contact leased a 2016 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 23v734000 (electrical system) and requested to be removed from the recall distribution list because the contact no longer had the vehicle. The dealer and the manufacturer were contacted.

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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. The 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 contact owned a 2017 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while the contact's granddaughter was driving, smoke was coming from under the hood. The contact's daughter drove the vehicle to a nearby fire station. The contact stated the entire front of the vehicle was on fire, and the fire was extinguished. The vehicle was towed to the local tow yard. The vehicle was condemned as a total loss. The contact stated that all service appointments were provided by the dealer. In addition, the previous service appointment was performed by the dealer in June 2024. The contact's granddaughter sustained anxiety issues due to the failure. The contact stated that it was a very frightening situation for the granddaughter. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 23v734000(electrical system); however, the contact stated the recall notification was received the day after the failure occurred. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 102,500.

After driving for approximately 30-minutes in the rain I pulled over and the automatic engine shutoff feature activated while I was waiting to pick somebody up. When attempting to restart the car, the engine would not turn over and I got a low power steering warning message on my dash. The problem persisted for approximately 15-20 minutes. Eventually after about 15 attempts to restart the engine, the car started back up and drove fine the rest of the way home. The dealership was unable to find anything wrong with my car, but I have heard of this happening to many other Rav4s and it causes me concerning, especially when I need to drive my car in the rain.

The contact owns a 2017 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. The 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.

While parked in a commercial lot on [xxx] around [xxx], I noticed smoke coming from the front of the vehicle while sitting inside. There was a strong burning rubber smell. I exited and saw flames coming from beneath the front left bumper, directly under the fog light area. I had arrived at the location about 30 minutes earlier. I opened the hood from inside the vehicle, stepped back, and called 911. The fire rapidly engulfed the front of the vehicle. Firefighters arrived within 10 minutes and extinguished the fire. Police responded and created a report. Three nearby vehicles also sustained fire damage. The vehicle had previous front-end repairs (driver side bumper and fog light) and was well maintained. The vehicle had not shown any warning lights or messages prior to the fire. I believe the fire originated from an electrical or engine component and the vehicle is available for inspection upon request. Geico insurance has been contacted and a claim has been opened. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Engine shuts off with exposure to rain.

Driving down the highway in the pouring rain. Pulled over because the engine felt like it was about to stall. Whole engine cut off and check engine light came on with “engine stopped - power steering low”. Would act like it wanted to start again but shut back off every time. After about 30 minutes it started back up without any check engine lights or messages. This is the 3rd time its happened. Always in the rain.

During a rain storm water was able to leak into my air intake box causing my air filter to become soaked. This caused my car to malfunction, come to an abrupt stop, alerting me of a "engine and steering failure" shutting my car off and becoming stranded on the highway.

The recall (manufacturer recall # 23tb13; NHTSA recall # 23v734) has been un-repaired since 1 Nov 2023. The un-repaired recall did not cause a safety issue in this case, but I have moved to canada and the recall has prevented me from registering and using the vehicle (it is not possible to complete the import process or register any vehicle that has an outstanding recall).

When idling with intermittent wipers on, the vehicle began smoking under the hood, engine light came on dash as well as “steering power low” warning, then engine shut off. The vehicle was unable to be started again after waiting a few minutes. The gear shift could not move from parked. The vehicle was purchased new and had only 20,000 miles on it. I ended up having it towed to a Toyota dealership but by that time the battery was drained from leaving the hazards on too long. They could not identify any other problems and sent me on my way with a working vehicle. After talking to a manager at another Toyota dealership, they identified that this is an occasional problem with this vehicle. The manager was able to contact Toyota who suggested they replace the air intake tube and bezel. Hopefully after these new parts are replaced I will not experience a random shutdown again. It’s such a specific set of conditions to cause the problem but a quick search online showed that other people have encountered similar situations with the wipers on intermittent while idling. Someone mentioned pressing the switch to turn off the automatic engine shut off as a temporary fix. I was blocking traffic and police had to direct traffic around me while I waited for the tow. Thankfully the traffic was not moving fast.