10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
38,503 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

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problem #12

May 202023

RAV4

  • miles
I took my car in to address the panel warning symbols. Was told that my unibody style was no longer safe to drive due to severe rust. Was informed that the car could possibly fall apart.

- Blue Island, IL, USA

problem #11

Jun 082022

RAV4

  • miles
Frame is rot

- Acton, MA, USA

problem #10

Feb 242019

RAV4

  • 155,000 miles
Hood moves when at highway speeds. Hood is properly latched.

- Pittsburgh, PA, USA

problem #9

Jan 012010

RAV4

  • miles
Paint "bubbling-up" and peeling; paint fading. Losing oil.

- James Island, SC, USA

problem #8

Sep 202017

RAV4

  • miles
The contact owns a 2007 Toyota Rav4. When the contact had the vehicle inspected, the mechanic noticed severe rust on the exhaust pipe. The mechanic informed the contact of an unknown recall regarding the failure; however, the contact found that the VIN was not included in the recall. The dealer was not contacted and the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was unknown.

- Collingswood, NJ, USA

problem #7

Mar 292016

RAV4

  • 60,035 miles
On March 29, 2016, I was driving to work in the far left lane when a gentleman driving a green pickup truck come rushing up beside me. He was waving at me pointing down at the right front side of my Toyota. I thought that maybe I was driving on a flat tire and didn't realize it so I rolled down the window. He yelled as he was still pointing down at the front of my Toyota "your car is on fire". he got ahead of me and I pulled over to the right shoulder of the freeway. He got out of his truck and ran back to my 2007 Toyota Rav4 and said "MA'am, you better get your purse and things and get out, your car is on fire". at that time, smoke was pouring out somewhere up front on the passenger side by the tire. I got my things and we moved to the back of my Toyota when at that time, it went up in flames. I took care of that vehicle because I can not afford another. My last oil change was in November 2015 with only 50035 miles on the vehicle. When it was last inspected, everything was fine. So I am not understanding how this happened. Tires were about a year old as well. Car just don't catch on fire driving down the freeway. On April 4, 2016 a friend and I took a drive to my burnt vehicle and she could not believe that was my Toyota. And I could not believe I had walked away without any injuries. There is no engine, no dashboard, no steering wheel, no front seats, and no back seats. All burned! how could this happen?

- Bowling Green, KY, USA

problem #6

May 012015

RAV4

  • miles
The contact owns a 2007 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that the vehicle was serviced under a manufacturer recall where all four tires were aligned. The dealer used an epoxy resin on the rear of the vehicle near the tie rod assemblies and the framing. Months later, after the manufacturer recall repair was performed, the vehicle was not able to receive an alignment and two independent mechanics stated that the epoxy prevented the tires from receiving a rear alignment. The contact was informed that only the front alignment could be performed. The vehicle was not repaired and the dealer refused to remedy the removal of the epoxy resin. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was not available.

- Santa Fe, NM, USA

problem #5

Jun 022014

RAV4

  • 79,000 miles
Driver's side sun visor failure to work properly causing a safety issue and possible bodily injury or death. The sun visor is not staying in the stowed position which is flat against the interior roof of the car due to a known failed mechanism within the sun visor such as the spring loaded mechanism which is failing. Instead, the sun visor is dropping down at a 45 degree angle. This has caused my head to hit it several times while entering the vehicle. And, if involved in a head on collision, this could cause the sun visor to slice through my neck because it is at a 45 degree angle going across my neck since it will not stay up due to the failed spring mechanism within the sun visor. Again, this could result in death or bodily injury if it is not taken care of. After research of my own, I have found and been told by reliable sources in the Toyota industry that this is a known problem and that I am not the only one having this problem with the failure of the driver's side sun visor and possibly the passenger side as well over time. I have been told by a Toyota representative at Toyota headquarters that this part is only covered by a 3 1/2 year warranty instead of the same warranty as the car. This tells me that Toyota may know that this part will fail over time. All other vehicles I have owned with manual sun visors have never failed for the life of the car since they do not have internal parts like the Toyota model has. I have been told by my local Toyota dealership that I have to pay about $85 to have it replaced when this is a safety issue and it should not fail. It's not a moving part within the engine.

- Portsmouth, NH, USA

problem #4

Feb 252012

RAV4

  • 115,000 miles
While driving on the interstate between 65-70 mph on January 25, 2014, we started to notice the hood of our Toyota 2007 rav 4 starting to vibrate up and down. We pulled over, opened it and slammed it shut. It continued to vibrate up and down, but not as much. Yesterday, February 3, 2014, driving to work, on the interstate, the hood starting vibrating up and down hard at 70 mph. By the time I got to the office and looked at the hood it was open 1". the front latch had evidently failed completely; the back latch had evidently held the hood on. It was extremely frightening since the interstate was packed and I couldn't get over. My rav 4 is presently at our local Toyota dealership hopefully being fixed.

- Franklin, TN, USA

problem #3

Aug 012011

RAV4 6-cyl

  • 27,000 miles
Water appears in the front of the passenger compartment when driving through a rainstorm, seems worse on the right side. Water appears to persist and drip for days after the rainstorm from below the dashboard. Concern is that the structural integrity may be compromised, especially after repeated occurrences.

- Natick, MA, USA

problem #2

Jun 242010

RAV4

  • miles
Driver's side sunvisor on 2007 Rav4 will not stay in folded upright position. The visor flops down impeding vision while driving.

- Laplata, MD, USA

problem #1

Aug 302008

RAV4

  • 26,000 miles
Jest bought a 2007 Rav4, the front bumper at the headlight seam clips are broken on both sides of vehicle. Looked at three same models with about 20,000 to 26,000 miles with the same problem.

- Cumberland, MD, USA