2014 Toyota RAV4 EV

Defect. Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2006-2012 RAV4 vehicles manufactured July 28, 2005, to December 19, 2012, and 2012-2014 RAV4 EV vehicles manufactured July 24, 2012, to August 29, 2014. In the event of a frontal collision, the rear seat belts for the outboard seats may be cut by the seat cushion frame.

Risk. A cut seat belt may not properly restrain the seat occupant, increasing their risk of injury in a crash.

Remedy. Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will install a protector over both rear seat cushion frames, free of charge. The recall began on June 24, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is G0F.

Defect. Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2009-2012 RAV4 vehicles manufactured October 27, 2008, to December 19, 2012 and 2012-2014 RAV4 EV vehicles manufactured July 24, 2012, to August 29, 2014. In the affected vehicles, water may drip onto the joint that connects the wiper linkage to the wiper motor.

Risk. Over time, the dripping water may cause corrosion and wear at the joint, potentially resulting in the separation of the wiper linkage. Once this occurs, the wipers would not function, reducing driver visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy. Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the water diverter channel. In addition, a new wiper linkage with a wiper motor crank arm will be installed. The wiper linkage will have a protective cover over the wiper linkage joint to minimize water splash and a retainer ring to prevent the wiper arm from separating from the wiper motor. The recall began on November 7, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service number at 1-800-331-4331.

Defect. Toyota Motor Engineering & manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2012-2014 Rav4 EV vehicles manufactured July 24, 2012, to August 29, 2014. Due to a software issue within a component of the Electric Vehicle Traction Motor Assembly, the electric propulsion motor may shift to "neutral" resulting in a possible loss of drive power.

Risk. A loss of drive power may increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy. Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will update the Electric Vehicle Traction Motor Assembly software, free of charge. The recall began on September 10, 2015. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.

SOMETIMES WHEN I STEP ON THE GAS IT DOES NOT RESPOND AND I HAVE TO LIFT MY FOOT OFF OF THE PEDAL AND PRESS THE GAS PEDAL AGAIN. THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM.

STARTING AROUND 24,500 MILES, TOYOTA RAV4 EV 2014 STARTED TO MAKE A LOUD NOISE WITH ACCELERATION. THIS NOISE WAS DIAGNOSED BY THE AUTHORIZED TOYOTA DEALER AS AN ISSUE WITH THE DRIVE MOTOR MADE BY TESLA, BUT I WAS TOLD THAT AT THAT TIME THE NOISE IS "NOT LOUD ENOUGH" TO GET ANYTHING DONE BY TOYOTA/TESLA. SINCE THEN, ANOTHER 2000 MILES HAVE PASSED AND THE NOISE IS ONLY LOUDER. THE DEALER HAS AGAIN DIAGNOSED THE ISSUE AS THE DRIVE MOTOR, SUBMITTED RECORDING OF NOISE TO TOYOTA/TESLA BUT STATES THAT TOYOTA/TESLA NOT READY TO REPLACE DRIVE MOTOR. THIS IS CLEARLY AN ISSUE WITH A VEHICLE UNDER WARRANTY. I HAVER NOTICED MY OVERALL RANGE IS BEING AFFECTED AND DOWN BY 10%. I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT THE VEHICLE WILL MALFUNCTION WHILE I AM DRIVING AROUND, POSSIBLY ENDING IN AN ACCIDENT WHERE SOMEONE GETS SERIOUSLY INJURED.

WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH ON A 45 MPH 2 WAY LANE, THE CAR SUDDENLY DISPLAYED WARNING "CHECK EV SYSTEM" ADVISED ME TO PULL OVER AND INFORM DEALERSHIP ASAP. I KEPT DRIVING (ABOUT 1 MILE FROM MY HOME) WITHIN MINUTE SYSTEM SEEMED TO RESTORE ITSELF. ONLY STILL DISPLAYS "CHECK EV SYSTEM" THIS HAS HAPPENED 3 TIMES IN LAST 6 WEEKS. TOYOTA REFUSES TO HANDLE MY CASE BECAUSE OF "AFTER MARKET MODIFICATIONS" WHICH ARE NOT LIMITED TO : TRAILER HITCH, VOLT/AMP METER TO MONITOR CHARGING (VERY IMPORTANT TO CALCULATE HOW LONG YOU HAVE TO WAIT TO CHARGE AN EV) BOTH THESE THINGS HAVE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH THE SHOWN PROBLEMS. THIS IS AFTER MY CAR WENT BACK FOR THE "SAFETY RECALL" FOR EXACT THE SAME ISSUE. TOYOTA HAS IMPLEMENTED A SOFTWARE UPDATE TO BASICALLY IGNORE THE LOSS OF SIGNAL FROM THE SPEED MEASUREMENT UNIT. IT IS OBVIOUS BY THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE WITH THE SAME CARS THAT HAVE THIS SITUATION AFTER THE "RECALL FIX" THAT THERE IS SOMETHING ELSE SERIOUSLY WRONG. IF THIS HAPPENS WHILE ON THE FREEWAY IT COULD BE A SERIOUS DANGER. FOR MORE INCIDENTS LOOK AT THE FORUM: HTTP://WWW.MYRAV4EV.COM/FORUM/VIEWTOPIC.PHP?F=7&T=1770

WAS DRIVING IN CITY AT ABOUT 30 MPH , CAR STOPPED HAVING PROPULSION, STOPPED WITH A SHUDDER AND WARNINGS LIGHTS POP UP. "CHECK EV SYSTEM" WAS ABLE TO RESET THE COMPUTER BY POWERING OFF/ON FOR 3 CYCLES TO MAKE IT OVER TO THE CURB. CALLED TOW TO TRANSPORT TO THE DEALER. SEND ME AWAY AFTER RESETTING THE ERROR MESSAGE IN THE COMPUTER. WEEK LATER IT HAPPENED AGAIN BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPOT. NOW TOYOTA IS BLAMING MY ADD ONS LIKE CHARGE INDICATOR (SHOWING VOLTS/AMPS OF THE J1772 INPUT) AND THE FACT I FITTED A TRAILER HITCH (FOR A BIKE RACK). WHICH HAS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH THE ELECTRICAL PROPULSION SYSTEM.

LOST DRIVING POWER ON HIGHWAY AT 45MPH. CAR SWITCHED AUTOMATICALLY TO NEUTRAL. DISPLAYED "CHECK EV SYSTEM. TAKE TO DEALER" WARNING. WAS ABLE TO TURN POWER ON AND OFF AND REGAIN MOTOR, BUT STILL DISPLAYED MESSAGE. DROVE HOME. TOOK TO DEALER NEXT MORNING.

I WAS DRIVING TO WORK AND WAS APPROXIMATELY AT 70 MPH ON CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY INTERSTATE 880 JUST NEAR THE JUNCTION ON I580, ALL OF A SUDDEN THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND CAME TO NEUTRAL AND WOULD NOT SHIFT TO DRIVE, WITH A MESSAGE ON THE DASH BOARD CHECK EV SOON TAKE IT TO THE NEAREST TOYOTA DEALER.IT WAS PRETTY SCARY AND FINALLY I MANAGED TO STEER IT TO THE LEFT SHOULDER WHICH WAS VERY NARROW AND HALF OF MY VEHICLE WAS STILL ON THE FAST LANE, EASY CHANCE OF A CRASH. CALLED CHP THEY HAD TO STOP THE TRAFFIC AND PUSH ME TO THE RIGHT SHOULDER, FINALLY ROAD SIDE ASSISTANCE SHOWED UP AND TOWED IT TO OAKLAND TOYOTA DEALER. ITS JUST A YEAR OLD. *TR

WHILST DRIVING AT 70MPH ON THE HOV LANE OF THE FREEWAY, THE CAR SWITCHED INTO NEUTRAL AND COASTED TO A STOP. BECAUSE THIS HAPPENED AT NIGHT, AND ON A LANE THAT DOES NOT HAVE A STOPPING LANE, IT WAS GROSSLY UNSAFE AS CARS WHIZZED BY. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A DEALER FOR REPAIRS. THE DEALERSHIP, TOYOTA CARLSBAD, HAS INFORMED ME THAT A NEW DRIVE MOTOR WILL BE INSTALLED. UNFORTUNATELY, THIS ISSUE WITH THE PROPULSION SYSTEM FAILING IS COMMON IN THE TOYOTA RAV4 EV (IT USES A TESLA MOTOR). THERE ARE SO MANY DRIVE MOTORS BEING REPLACED RIGHT NOW, I HAVE TO WAIT AT LEAST TWO WEEKS FOR A NEW ONE. OTHERS HAVE RECENTLY WAITING UP TO A MONTH. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY GOING ABOUT 65MPH IN THE HOV LANE WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL STOPPED WORKING AND A WARNING LIGHT CAME ON THE DASHBOARD. I WAS NOT ABLE TO GET OVER TO THE SHOULDER DUE TO NOT HAVING POWER AND ALL OF THE CARS ON THE FREEWAY. I CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP, POWERED OFF THE CAR AND THEN POWERED IT BACK ON AGAIN HOPING IT WOULD WORK AND IT DID. POWER CAME BACK TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY TAKE THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP. LUCKILY I DIDN'T CREATE AN ACCIDENT AND NOBODY WAS HURT. I TOOK MY CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP ON DEC 16 2014 AND I JUST GOT MY CAR BACK YESTERDAY JANUARY 31ST 2015. THE DEALER REPLACED THE DRIVE UNIT ASSEMBLY WHICH THEY SAID THEY WERE WAITING TO RECEIVE THE PART FROM TESLA. *TR

WHILE BACKING TO MY DRIVEWAY, CAR LOST POWER AND STOPPED. AFTER TURNING IT OFF AND BACK ON, POWER RESTORED. THERE WAS A MESSAGE ON DASHBOARD: "CHECK EV SYSTEM HAVE YOUR VEHICLE CHECKED BY A DEALERSHIP IMMEDIATELY" WHICH LATER (AFTER FEW OFF/ON CYCLES) DISAPPEARED. *TR

WHILE CHARGING THE CAR AT A SCHNEIDER PUBLIC CHARGING STATION, EXTREME HEAT AND ELECTRICAL ARCING RESULTED IN HEAT/BURNING DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE AND DAMAGE TO THE CHARGING STATION. PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT, WHILE CHARGING AT THE SAME PUBLIC SCHNEIDER CHARGING STATION, ON MANY OCCASIONS, I NOTICED AN ELECTRICAL BURNING SMELL AND HEAT. *TR