2012 TOYOTA RAV4 Complaints

TAKATA RECALL WHEN TURNING THE VEHICLE LEFT OR RIGHT, THERE IS NOISE COMING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN

MY 2012 RAV4 MAIN EVAP CANISTER WENT BAD AT ONLY 77,113 MILES. IT ALMOST COSTED ME $1550 TO GET THIS PART REPLACED, BUT THANKFULLY WAS ABLE TO CONVINCE THE DEALERSHIP TO GET ME A DEAL ON THE REPAIR. THERE IS NO REASON FOR THIS PART TO GO BAD SO QUICKLY. I DO NOT TOP OFF MY GAS AND I HAVE HAD IT IN FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE AT THE DEALERSHIP SINCE IT WAS PURCHASED. TO MAKE THE SITUATION WORSE, WHEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON, THE 4WD AND TRACTION CONTROL UNITS TURN OFF, MAKING MY CAR HARD TO CONTROL IN THE SNOW. I WAS TOLD BY TUFFY THIS IS A COMMON THING AND THAT WAS A PREVIOUS RECALL FOR OLDER VEHICLES. THE CODE WAS ON FOR A FEW WEEKS, DIDN'T CLEAR. I HAD IT DIAGNOSED AT TUFFY AND THE DEALERSHIP, SAME DIAGNOSIS. I HAVE ALSO HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION JERKING WHEN I PUT THE CAR INTO DRIVE, EVEN IN WARM WEATHER, WHEN IT'S THE FIRST DRIVE OF THE DAY. THIS HAS BEEN OCCURRING SINCE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE WITH 40K ON IT.

SUNROOF GLASS CRACKED WITH A LOUD BANG WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY, AT ABOUT 55 MPH. WEATHER WAS CLEAR AND WARM (NOT VERY HOT). NO OTHER VEHICLES CLOSE BY. NO FLYING DEBRIS OBSERVED PRIOR TO LOUD BANG. ENTIRE PANE WAS RIDDLED WITH CRACKS. DURING SUBSEQUENT TRIP INTO TOWN, SOME OF THE GLASS PIECES CAME LOOSE AND FLEW OFF, LEAVING A LARGE HOLE SURROUNDED BY UNSTABLE GLASS.

PASSENGER SIDE MIRROR EXPLODED SPONTANEOUSLY LEAVING BEHIND ONLY ITS ASSEMBLY. VEHICLE WAS DRIVING AT 15 MPH THRU A SMALL TOWN WITH NO TURNS.

THE CHECK ENGINE, TRAC OFF AND 4WD LIGHTS WILL ALL COME ON TOGETHER AND STAY ON FOR A DAY OR TWO AND THEN GO OFF AGAIN. THIS KEEPS HAPPENING

WE RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE AND BEEN CALLING THE DEALER REPEATEDLY. THEY STATE AS OF TODAY THEY STILL CAN NOT CORRECT THE DEFECT AS THEY HAVE NO PARTS AND HAVE NOT BEEN TRAINED. NOR WILL THEY SCHEDULE TO REPAIR INTO THE FUTURE. THIS RECALL EFFECTS THE SEAT BELTS IN THE BACK SEAT, WHICH IS WHERE MY CHILDREN SIT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 16V096000 (SEAT BELTS) AND 15V577000 (VISIBILITY/WIPER). THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BOHN BROTHERS TOYOTA (LOCATED AT 3800 LAPALCO BLVD HARVEY, LA, 70058) ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS WHO STATED THAT THE RECALL REMEDY PARTS WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE ATTEMPTED TO CALL THE MANUFACTURER, BUT THE WAIT TIME WAS LONG AND THE LINE DISCONNECTED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

POWER DOOR LOCK ACTUATORS IN ALL DOORS HAVE FAILED. THE DRIVERS DOOR ACTUATOR FAILED FIRST. THE ACTUATORS IN EACH REMAINING DOOR INCLUDING THE TAILGATE DOOR HAVE SUBSEQUENTLY FAILED AS WELL. (THE DATE USED IN THIS REPORT TO INDICATE WHEN THE PROBLEM HAPPENED IS APPROXIMATE AND REFERS TO THE INITIAL PROBLEM WITH THE DRIVER'S DOOR.) TWO DIFFERENT TOYOTA SERVICE CENTERS HAVE DETERMINED THE ACTUATORS NEED TO BE REPLACED. ONE DEALER NOTED THAT THEY HAD SEEN THIS ISSUE IN MANY OTHER TOYOTA VEHICLES. A QUICK INTERNET SEARCH TURNS UP SEVERAL PAGES DISCUSSING THIS ISSUE. A SEARCH OF THIS SITE ALSO REVEALED SIMILAR COMPLAINTS WITH OTHER MODEL YEAR RAV4'S. EACH TOYOTA SERVICE CENTER ESTIMATED A COST OF APPROXIMATELY $400 FOR EACH ACTUATOR PLUS LABOR COSTS TO REPLACE THE PART. IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT WHILE THE FRONT AND REAR DRIVERS-SIDE AND PASSENGER-SIDE DOORS HAVE MANUAL LATCHES INSIDE THE VEHICLE, THE TAILGATE DOOR DOES NOT. THE LACK OF A MANUAL LATCH AND KEYED LOCK IN THE TAILGATE DOOR MEANS THAT THE TAILGATE DOOR CANNOT BE OPENED AT ALL. THIS IS VERY PROBLEMATIC FOR BOTH CONVENIENCE AND SAFETY, PARTICULARLY IN THOSE RAV4'S WITH THE THIRD ROW SEAT. IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT OR VEHICLE FIRE, PASSENGERS IN THE THIRD-ROW SEAT WOULD BE FORCED TO EITHER EXIT THROUGH ONE OF THE OTHER DOORS OR BREAK A WINDOW TO EXIT THE VEHICLE. WHEN I CONTACTED TOYOTA REGARDING THIS ISSUE, I WAS TOLD INITIALLY TO HAVE MY LOCAL TOYOTA SERVICE CENTER EVALUATE THE PROBLEM AND CALL BACK TO TOYOTA TO DISCUSS AND SEE IF TOYOTA WOULD BE ABLE TO HELP AT ALL. WHEN I CALLED BACK TO TOYOTA, I WAS PUT ON HOLD FOR AN INCONVENIENT AMOUNT OF TIME, THEN SIMPLY TOLD THAT TOYOTA WOULD NOT HELP, PRESUMABLY BECAUSE MY VEHICLE'S WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED. I HOPE THAT TOYOTA WILL WORK WITH THE NHTSA TO TAKE A PROACTIVE APPROACH TO RECTIFY THIS PROBLEM FOR ALL AFFECTED TOYOTA VEHICLES AND OWNERS.

2013 TOYOTA RAV4 W/ 40K MILES HAD THIRD ACTUATOR POWER DOOR LATCH FAIL ON A THIRD DOOR IN 5 MONTHS. LOOKING AT OTHER RECENT COMPLAINTS, OF A SIMILAR NATURE, THIS MAY INDEED BE THE RESULT OF A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. PLEASE CONSIDER ISSUING A RECALL. MOST RECENT FAILURE IS THE DOOR MY 2 YEAR OLD USES, I WOULD HATE TO THINK OF AN EMERGENCY WHERE I COULDN'T GET HER OUT OF THE CAR BECAUSE IT WAS LOCKED. WHEN THE FIRST DOOR, DRIVER, WENT OUT (DEC 2016), I HAD IT FIXED AT MY MECHANIC THINKING IT WAS A FLUKE. WHEN THE SECOND DOOR, PASSENGER, WENT OUT MAR 2017, I CONTACTED TOYOTA & WAS TOLD TO GET THE PROBLEM CONFIRMED BY THE DEALERSHIP, WHICH I DID. THEY OFFERED ME A GOODWILL PYMT FOR THE SECOND DOOR ONLY, NOT THE FIRST, DESPITE HOW RECENTLY THE FIRST DOOR FAILED. IN MAY 2017 THE THIRD DOOR, BACK DRIVER, IS NOW FAILING & THE TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE REP SAID THEY "ARE DECLINING TO OFFER ME ANY ASSISTANCE IN FIXING THIS ACTUATOR OR ANY FUTURE ACTUATOR LOCKS BECAUSE THEY GO OUT LIKE LIGHTBULBS EVERY 4 YEARS." I CANNOT BELIEVE TOYOTA KNOWINGLY MANUFACTURES VEHICLES W/ A PART THAT IT 'EXPECTS' TO FAIL EVERY 4 YEARS, LEAVING THEIR CUSTOMERS WITH A $2500 BILL THAT FREQUENTLY. WE ESCALATED THIS FROM THE INITIAL "CUST SERVICE" REP, ALEX S., TO HIS SUPERVISOR, ASHLEY, AND THEY BOTH SAID THEY ARE CHOOSING NOT TO HELP US ANY FURTHER WITH THIS PROBLEM ON DOOR NUMBER 3 (OR 1) OR DOORS 4 AND 5 WHEN THEY INEVITABLY GO OUT AS WELL. MY HUSBAND ALSO OWNS A 2013 RAV4, SO WE ARE BEING TOLD TO EXPECT TO PAY $5000 EVERY 4 YEARS IF WE WANT OUR DOORS TO LOCK. WE HAVE PURCHASED TOYOTAS BASED ON THEIR REPUTATION OF QUALITY AND I AM BAFFLED TOYOTA IS KNOWINGLY STICKING THEIR CUSTOMERS WITH EXPENSIVE PARTS THAT FAIL WITH THIS FREQUENCY. IT IS ALSO WORTH NOTING, MY CAR ISN'T EVEN 4 YEARS OLD YET AND WAS JUST OVER 3 YEARS OLD WHEN THE I EXPERIENCED THE FIRST FAILURE DEC 2016.

TAKATA RECALL I HAVE RAV4 2012 FWD BASE WITH 41000 MILES, AND HAVE A REGULAR MAINTENANCE. - WHEN DRIVING AT LOW SPEED (30-40 MPG) IN CITY, THE DRIVING IS NOT COMFORTABLE BECAUSE I FEEL ALL OF THE VIBRATION IN WHEELS. ALSO, SMALL OSCILLATION DOES NOT DISAPPEAR AND MAINTAIN IN LONG TIME. - WHEN DRIVING IN A HIGHWAY, IT IS VERY DANGEROUS BECAUSE A LITTLE BUMPY ROAD MAKES MY RAV4 OSCILLATED VERY VERY SEVERELY SO THAT I SHOULD BE VERY CAREFULLY IN ORDER TO CONTROL MY CAR FOR DRIVING IN STRAIGHT DIRECTION, AND NOT TO BEING TURNED OVER. - WHEN MY CAR IS IN STATIONARY, I CAN SHAKE MY CAR WITH MY HAND. I THOUGHT IT WAS A CHARACTERISTICS OF SUV BECAUSE I HAD DRIVEN A SEDAN BEFORE RAV4. BUT, I ASKED TO INSPECT MY CAR IN A TOYOTA SERVICE CENTER, AND A MECHANIC SAID THAT THE REAR STRUTS AND SUSPENSIONS ARE WORN OUT, AND SHOULD BE REPLACED. IN ADDITION, HE SAID THAT THE FRONT SHOCK ABSORBERS WOULD SHOW A MALFUNCTIONING IN A NEAR FUTURE. THE MECHANIC SHOOK MY CAR WITH HIS HAND, AND MY CAR WAS SHAKEN ACCORDING TO HIS HAND. THE MECHANIC SAID THAT CARS SHOULD NOT BE SHAKEN BY HANDS. IT IS VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH TOYOTA AUTO. I SHOULD SPEND MORE THAN 2,000 DOLLARS TO FIX THE FRONT AND REAR SHOCK ABSORBERS WITH AFTER-MARKET PRICE. I HEARD THAT TOYOTA RECALLED FOR REAR SUSPENSION PROBLEM 2006~2011 RAV4. BUT, I THINK THIS RECALL SHOULD BE EXTENDED TO 2012 RAV4.