2019 TOYOTA RAV4 Complaints

THE ENGINE OF THIS VEHICLE CAN BE TURNED OFF BY PRESSING THE KEYLESS "OFF" BUTTON ON THE DASH WITHOUT THE TRANSMISSION HAVING TO BE IN "PARK". I TURNED OFF THE ENGINE WITH THE TRANSMISSION IN THE DRIVE POSITION ON A SLIGHT INCLINE IN A SHOPPING CENTER PARKING LOT I EXITED THE CAR AND IT ROLLED BACKWARDS. I WAS ABLE TO JUMP BACK INTO THE CAR, START THE ENGINE, ROLL FORWARD, PUT IT IN PARK AND TURNED OFF THE ENGINE. HAD THIS BEEN ON A STEEPER INCLINE I WOULD NOT HAVE HAD A CHANCE TO GET BACK INTO THE CAR AND STOP IT FROM ROLLING BACKWARDS. IT COULD EASILY HAVE HIT OTHER CARS OR PEOPLE WALKING IN THE PARKING LOT. THIS IS A SCARY SITUATION AND COULD BE REMEDIED BY THE MANUFACTURERS BY ENSURING THAT THE ENGINE CAN ONLY BE TURNED OFF WITH THE TRANSMISSION IN THE PARK POSITION. THIS WAS A RENTAL CAR FROM THE DALLAS/FORT WORTH AIRPORT.

VEHICLE MAKES A GRINDING/WINDING/LURCHING NOISE WHILE ACCELERATING, BRAKING AND DURING NORMAL DRIVING. PROBLEM GETS WORSE EVERY DAY.

AFTER CAR HAS WARMED UP, ACCELERATING AROUND 20-30MPH IT MAKES A GRINDING NOISE. TYPICALLY HAPPENS WHEN THE AWD SWITCHES TO 2WD.

WHILE DRIVING MY 2019 RAV4 ADVENTURE IN SLOW SPEEDS, SPECIALLY WHEN ACCELERATING AND BRAKING, I HEAR A NOISE COMING FROM THE TRANSMISIN. IT HAS AN 8 SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION AND WHEN SHIFTING IN THE LOWER GEARS IT MAKES A SOUND NOT USUAL IN ANY VEHICLE I HAVE PREVIOUSLY DRIVEN. ONLY HAD IT FOR THREE MONTHS AND TOOK IT TO SERVICE TO BE NOTIFIED IT IS A CHARACTERISTIC OF THE ENGINE/TRANSMISSION. FIRST TIME I GET THAT AN UNUSUAL SOUND, A SOUND I CAN FEEL IN MY FEET WHILE DRIVING, IS A CHARACTERISTIC OF THE CAR. IT WASN'T MENTIONED IN THE FEATURES AND HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT PEOPLE HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT IT IN THE DEALERSHIP. TOYOTA SHOULD ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM, IT IS VERY ANNOYING FOR A BRAND NEW CAR.

VEHICLE WILL NOT ACCELERATE WHEN PUSHING DOWN ON THE GAS PEDAL. THIS CAN OCCUR WHEN LEAVING A PARKING PLACE OR. FROM A TRAFFIC LIGHT. THE ENGINE DOES NOT STOP RUNNING. IT HAS ONLY HAPPENED THREE TIMES, BUT COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. THE TOYOTA DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE THIS AT THE 5000 MILE INSPECTION AND THERE ARE NO CODES SET NOR DOES IT SET A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WHEN IT HAPPENS.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE EXTERIOR REARVIEW MIRRORS SHOOK AND RATTLED. ALSO, WHILE DRIVING, IT LOOKED AS IF TWO VEHICLES WERE SHOWN IN THE MIRRORS EVERY TIME. THE DRIVER'S SIDE REARVIEW MIRROR WAS ESPECIALLY AFFECTED. THE CONTACT'S VISION REMAINED BLURRED WHILE USING THE MIRROR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO TOYOTA OF NORTH SCRANTON (3400 N MAIN AVE, SCRANTON, PA 18508, (570) 489-7584), BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED BECAUSE THEY STATED THE FAILURE WAS A "MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT". THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND NO ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,921.

I AM CONCERNED THAT THE DESIGN OF THE 'SMART KEY' SYSTEM IS SUCH THAT IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO INADVERTENTLY LEAVE THE CAR RUNNING AFTER PARKING THE CAR IN A HOME GARAGE, THEREBY ALLOWING DANGEROUS CARBON MONOXIDE TO ACCUMULATE IN THE HOME. THIS MIGHT HAPPEN BECAUSE OF TWO DESIGN FEATURES OF THE CAR: 1) THE SMART KEY SYSTEM ALLOWS THE CAR ENGINE TO RUN, WHEN THE KEY IS REMOVED FROM THE CAR. WITH TRADITIONAL KEYS, REMOVING THE KEY TURNS OFF THE ENGINE. WITH A 'SMART KEY,' REMOVING THE KEY DOES NOT TURN OFF THE ENGINE/HYBRID SYSTEM. THE OWNER MUST REMEMBER TO TURN OFF THE HYBRID SYSTEM. USUALLY, OF COURSE, THE OWNER WILL REMEMBER TO TURN OFF THE CAR, BUT IT WOULD BE ALL TOO EASY TO FORGET. 2) DUE TO THE NATURE OF THE HYBRID SYSTEM, THE HYBRID MOTOR SYSTEM CAN BE TURNED ON, AND NOT MAKE ANY SOUND AT ALL. HOWEVER, AFTER SOME MINUTES, WHEN THE OWNER HAS WALKED AWAY FROM THE CAR, THE ENGINE WILL TURN ON, TO RECHARGE THE HYBRID BATTERY. THIS WILL PRODUCE CARBON MONOXIDE. IT WOULD BE EASY TO DESIGN THE SYSTEM SO IT WOULD AUTOMATICALLY TURN OFF THE HYBRID SYSTEM IF THE CAR WERE LEFT IDLING, OR WITH THE SHIFT LEVER IN PARK, FOR A PERIOD OF TIME, PERHAPS AN HOUR. I BELIEVE THIS WOULD CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. IT COULD PROBABLY BE IMPLEMENTED AT LITTLE COST WITH A SOFTWARE UPDATE. I HAVE READ THAT SOME CAR MANUFACTURERS HAVE DONE THIS, BUT TOYOTA HAS NOT. THUS, I BELIEVE THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE, WHICH WOULD BE EASY TO CORRECT. I BELIEVE A FIX SHOULD BE REQUIRED FOR NEW CARS, AND THAT THERE SHOULD BE A REQUIRED SOFTWARE UPDATE AVAILABLE FOR EXISTING CARS.

TL* THE CONTACT RENTED A 2019 TOYOTA RAV4. WHEN THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO SHIFT THE VEHICLE IN REVERSE, THE GEAR SHIFTER CAME OUT OF THE TRANSMISSION BOX. THE CONTACT QUICKLY PLACED THE GEAR SHIFTER BACK IN THE TRANSMISSION BOX AND NOTIFIED THE RENTAL FACILITY. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE HOME. THE CONTACT WAS STILL WAITING TO SWITCH OUT THE VEHICLE WITH THE RENTAL COMPANY. THE CONTACT WAS UNSURE IF THE RENTAL COMPANY NOTIFIED THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5,218. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN.

I EXPERIENCED SEVERAL NEAR MISSES RELATED TO TWO ADAS FEATURES AS I RENTED THIS NEW RAV4 IN ATLANTA. FIRSTLY, THE LANE-CENTERING FEATURE ACTIVELY TRIED TO GUIDE MY VEHICLE OUT OF ITS LANE WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. THIS TYPICALLY OCCURRED WHEN DRIVING ACROSS OVERPASSES WHERE THE PAVEMENT TYPE TRANSITIONED. THE LEFT AND RIGHT LANE MARKINGS WERE PRESENT ON THE PAVEMENT THROUGHOUT THESE EVENTS. THE STEERING WHEEL MOVED WITH FORCE AND SPEED--HAD MY REACTION TIME BEEN HALF A SECOND LONGER, I WOULD HAVE STRUCK VEHICLES NEXT TO ME. SECONDLY, THE VEHICLE'S FULL-RANGE ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL BRAKED ABRUPTLY, ESPECIALLY AT LOWER SPEEDS, ON NEARLY EVERY OCCASION WHERE HIGHWAY/CITY TRAFFIC SLOWED OR STOPPED. I WAS NEARLY REAR-ENDED DUE TO THE JERKY ACTIONS OF THE SYSTEM. THE VEHICLES IN FRONT BRAKED SMOOTHLY DURING THESE EVENTS--ONLY MY VEHICLE SLAMMED ON ITS BRAKES WHEN IT COULD HAVE LIGHTLY APPLIED THEM TO SLOW DOWN SAFELY. IT APPEARS THAT TOYOTA MIGHT HAVE MY DATA FROM 3/13/2019, SINCE A STICKER ON THE OVERHEAD CONSOLE STATES: "VEHICLE DATA TRANSMISSION IS ON! YOUR VEHICLE WIRELESSLY TRANSMITS LOCATION, DRIVING AND VEHICLE HEALTH DATA TO DELIVER YOUR SERVICES AND FOR INTERNAL RESEARCH AND DATA ANALYSIS..." I HOPE THAT NHTSA CAN WORK WITH TOYOTA TO EXAMINE THESE RECORDS AND IMPROVE THESE SYSTEMS.