2013 Toyota RAV4 Electrical System

2013 RAV4 LIMITED W/ 63,000 MILES. VEHICLE EQUIPMENT WITH SMART KEY PUSH BUTTON START. FOR TWO YEARS THIS VEHICLE HAS HAD A INTERMITTENT IGNITION FAILURE. SCENARIO: CAR IS UNLOCKED, KEY FOB IS RECOGNIZED, FOOT ON BRAKE, PUSH START AND NOTHING HAPPENS. THE ANTI-THEFT COLUMN LOCK WILL NOT RELEASE AND THE CAR WILL NOT RESPOND TO ITS START COMMAND. THEN IT WILL. THERE IS NO CONSISTENT PATTERN TO WHEN IT WILL FAIL OR WHEN IT WILL "FIX" ITSELF. RECENTLY IT HAS REACHED A LEVEL OF FAILURE THAT ITS TOO RISKY TO TAKE ANY PLACE AND EXPECT TO START AND GET HOME SAFELY. THE CAR HAS BEEN IN AND OUT OF DEALER SERVICE 12 PLUS DAYS IN THE LAST 30. DEALER HAS EXPERIENCED THE ISSUE AND HAS DONE EXTENSIVE DIAGNOSIS, CONCLUSION IS, ITS NORMAL. I PURCHASED THE EXTENDED WARRANTY IN 2013 AND WHAT TOYOTA HAS PROVEN IS THEY ARE UNWILLING OR UNABLE TO REPAIR. I NOW RESORT TO DISCONNECTING THE BATTERY BEFORE PUTTING CAR IN PARK OR CLOSING THE DOORS SO THE ANTI THEFT WON'T LOCK. DOORS AND STEERING WHEEL WON'T LOCK SO WHEN I RECONNECT THE BATTERY IT WILL START. IT HOWEVER RUNS REALLY BADLY UNTIL IT RECALIBRATES. A RELATED CONCERN OF MINE IS THIS INTERMITTENT UNLOCK PROBLEM MAY SUDDENLY LOCK WHILE DRIVING. I HAVE REPORTED THIS TO TOYOTA CORPORATE AND HAVE A CLAIM. I HAVE REPORTED TO LOCAL ATTORNEY GENERAL CLAIMING VIOLATION OF SERVICE CONTRACT. I HAVE READ ON LINE OTHER TOYOTA OWNERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS BUT I'VE NOT READ OF A SOLUTION. I SERVICE RECORDS, EMAILS AND RELATED CLAIMS DOCUMENTS. THIS FIRST OCCURRED IN 2017 AND HAS GROWN FROM AN ANNOYANCE TO UNACCEPTABLE. THANK YOU

MECHANISM THAT ALLOWS DOORS TO LOCK AND UNLOCK STARTED FAILING ONE BY ONE. I AM THE FIRST OWNER OF MY CAR AND IT WAS ONLY 3 YEARS OLD WHEN THIS BEGAN. I CAN NO LONGER OPEN SEVERAL DOORS FROM THE INSIDE. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND APPARENTLY THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE.

BOTH POWER LOCKS FOR THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE HAVE STOPPED WORKING. THE FUSES ARE FINE. IT SEEMS IT'S AN ACTUATOR ISSUE COMMON WITH TOYOTAS.

IN MAY, 2017 THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR LOCK ACTUATOR QUIT WORKING. I PAID OVER $600 TO HAVE IT FIXED. THIS WEEK, THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE ACTUATOR HAS QUIT. ON BOTH DOORS, THEY WILL ONLY LOCK IF I MANUALLY PUSH THE LOCK. WE HAVE HAD MANY CARS OVER THE YEARS AND HAVE NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM. I DO SOME RESEARCH ONLINE AND FIND OUT IT'S A COMMON PROBLEM WITH TOYOTA. NOT HAPPY! I CAN UPLOAD A PICTURE OF THE INVOICE FROM THE FIRST LOCK IF YOU NEED IT, BUT THAT'S ALL I HAVE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FAILED SEVERAL TIMES AND ALL THE GAUGES AND WARNING LAMPS FLICKERED. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V143000 (AIR BAGS) AND STATED THAT THE PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. THE DEALER DID NOT GIVE A SPECIFIC DATE FOR WHEN THE PART WOULD BECOME AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BATTERY FAILED. AS A RESULT, THE DOOR FAILED TO UNLOCK WHEN USING EITHER THE KEY FOB OR DOING SO MANUALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,005.

WHILE I WAS DRIVING, THE CAR'S ELECTRIC SYSTEM STARTED REBOOTING ITSELF A FEW TIMES, AND THE CAR EVENTUALLY STALLED ON A BUSY STREET! THE POWER WAS COMPLETELY SHUTDOWN AND I COULDN'T EVEN TURN THE FLASH LIGHT ON. I HAD TO HAVE POLICE OFFICER COME TO THE LOCATION WHERE THE CAR STOPPED TO PROTECT OTHER DRIVERS (UNTIL A TOWING TRACK ARRIVED). THIS INCIDENT APPENDED ON 4/24/12 ON EASTBOUND CARMEL VALLEY ROAD RIGHT BEFORE THE INTERSECTION WITH EL CAMINO REAL. I HAD A SIMILAR ISSUE WITH THE ELECTRIC SYSTEM TWO MONTHS PRIOR, AND HAD A TOYOTA DEALER LOOK AT THE ISSUE. HOWEVER, THEY COULDN'T IDENTIFY THE ROOT CAUSE AND SIMPLY UPDATED THE SYSTEM SOFTWARE. AS OF TODAY, 4/25/14, THE CAR IS STILL AT A TOYOTA DEALER AND BEING REPAIRED. *TR

THE INSTALLED NAVIGATION SCREEN IS IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE IN THE DRIVER'S NORMAL DRIVING POSITION AND IN ALMOST ANY DAYTIME LIGHTING CONDITION. BOUGHT A NEW TOYOTA RAV 4 LIMITED JULY 2013 WITH NAVIGATION. AMBIENT GLARE THROUGH THE VEHICLE WINDOWS AND/OR SUN ROOF WASH OUT THE DISPLAY, THIS IS DEFINITELY A DISTRACTION WHILE DRIVING AND TRYING TO VIEW THE SCREEN WHEN IT IS IN NAVIGATION MODE, BORDERS FIRMLY AS UNSAFE. THERE IS NO WAY TO SAFELY USE THAT ITEM AND ITS FUNCTIONS LOCATED THERE WITHOUT SIGNIFICANT DISTRACTION. MY 2011 TOYOTA RAV 4 LIMITED WITH NAVIGATION DID NOT PRESENT THIS PROBLEM. *TR

2013 TOYOTA RAV 4. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO A DEFECT IN THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTING. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED HE WAS UNABLE TO SEE THE INSTRUMENT PANEL DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER THE DISPLAY PANEL BACK LIGHT ONLY ILLUMINATED WHEN THE HEADLIGHTS WERE ON. EVEN IF THE HEADLIGHTS WERE TURNED ON DURING THE DAY, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WAS ONLY MARGINALLY ILLUMINATED AND THE BRIGHTNESS CONTROL THUMBWHEEL HAD VERY LITTLE EFFECT.

ENGINE CONTROL MODULE WIRING IS EXPOSED TO ELEMENTS. THIS IS A CRUCIAL PART AND IN CLIMATES WHERE SALT IS USED, LOSS OF CONTROL DUE TO FAILED STABILITY CONTROL OR ENGINE PROBLEMS COULD RESULT. SEE PHOTOS AND DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM AT HTTP://WWW.YOBYOT.COM/CARS/WHY-TOYOTA-IS-LOSING-ITS-REPUTATION-FOR-QUALITY-AND-RELIABILITY/2013/11/10/ . *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS DURING THE DAY, SHE WAS UNABLE TO SEE THE NAVIGATION SCREEN DUE TO AN INTENSE GLARE, EVEN ON CLOUDY DAYS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 6 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 1,000. UPDATED 6/4/13 *CN UPDATED 06/13/2013 *JS

2013 TOYOTA RAV 4. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO DASHBOARD SPEEDOMETER DESIGN FLAW. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED THE DASHBOARD SPEEDOMETER WAS SET BACK INTO A TUNNEL THAT DID NOT ILLUMINATE WHEN THE IGNITION WAS TURNED ON. WHILE DRIVING DURING THE DAYLIGHT HOURS, THE CONSUMER WAS FORCED TO TURN ON THE NIGHT DRIVING LIGHT IN ORDER TO SEE THE SPEEDOMETER.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE SUN WOULD SHINE ON THE DASHBOARD, IT WOULD PRODUCE A BLINDING GLARE THAT CAUSED THE INFORMATION PANEL AND THE NAVIGATIONAL SYSTEM TO BECOME UNREADABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 320.

BOUGHT NEW RAV4 TOYOTA 2013 LAST MONTH WITH NAVIGATION. SCREEN BARELY VISIBLE. DEALER NOTIFIED TOYOTA FIELD REPRESENTATIVE WHO DOES NOT KNOW TO REPAIR. DEALER SAY IT IS INDEED A PROBLEM AND COULD CAUSE ACCIDENTS. I ALSO HAVE A 2012 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER WHICH HAS A PERFECTLY CLEAR SCREEN TOYOTA TELEPHONED ME BUT NOT ENCOURAGING. *TR

NAVIGATION SCREEN DIFFICULT TO SEE IN MOST LIGHTING CONDITIONS. MUST TAKE MORE THAN BRIEF GLANCE AT NAV SCREEN TO DETERMINE FREEWAY MARKINGS, INTERSECTIONS, STREET NAMES OR SEARCH FOR RADIO STATION. HAS POSSIBILITY FOR BECOMING GREAT DISTRACTION. *JB

THE 2013 TOYOTA RAV4 HAS NO DASH LIGHTS AROUND THE SPEEDOMETER IN THE DAYTIME. THE SPEEDOMETER SITS BACK IN THE DASH AND YOU CAN NOT SEE YOUR SPEED AT A GLANCE. THEREFORE YOU CAN FIND YOURSELF GOING FASTER THAN THE SAFE SPEED LIMIT. AT NIGHT IT LIGHTS UP AND IS FINE. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. *TR