2019 Toyota RAV4 complaints

I am writing to file a formal complaint regarding a manufacturing defect in my vehicle and the refusal by Toyota to honor its responsibilities for repair despite clear acknowledgment of the issue. In October 2024, I discovered a small water leak from the roof of my vehicle. I attempted to schedule an appointment with the nearest Toyota dealer, but the timing of their available appointments conflicted with my work schedule, and it was not possible for me to get a timely appointment. In an effort to mitigate the leak, I tried to fix it myself until I could get the vehicle to the dealership. Upon visiting the dealership, I was informed that the issue was a manufacturing defect, but they refused to repair my vehicle because I had attempted to fix the issue myself. This worsened the leak, as they did not return my vehicle to its original condition. I was then informed that I would have to bear the full cost of repairs. I had no prior knowledge of any recall associated with my vehicle. After conducting my own research, I discovered that Toyota had acknowledged the manufacturing defect affecting my vehicle model but had not notified me or issued a recall. I reached out to Toyota’s customer service, and they assured me that they would approve the repair through the dealership. However, after approximately a month of waiting, Toyota informed me that they would not cover the costs of the repair, and they declined to take any further responsibility.

The contact owned a 2019 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated while driving 15 MPH and making a left turn at night, the contact did not watch the opposite direction and another driver that was driving 40-50 MPH crashed into the passenger's side of the vehicle, between the rear passenger's side door and the rear passenger's side wheel. The vehicle was propelled 2-3 feet in the air and landed 10 feet away from the collision location. The contact stated that the other vehicle was propelled more than 100 feet away. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact's wife was occupying the front passenger's side seat while the contact's daughter was in the booster seat in the rear passenger's side seat. The contact exited the vehicle. The contact did not sustain any injury. The contact's wife sustained soreness in the right leg. The contact stated that he was able to take his daughter out of the vehicle; however, the rear passenger's side door was significantly difficult to open. The contact stated that his daughter had hit her forehead against the rear passenger's side window during the incident and was crying significantly. The contact's friend transported the daughter to the hospital, where several tests were performed. The contact was informed that no internal injuries were found and that the pain would subside. The contact stated that his daughter sustained emotional trauma after the incident. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was deemed a total loss. The manufacturer was not

My car frame floods every time it rains. This flooding includes my sunroof drain clogging. As a result of the water retention in my car’s frame, my cars safety system controller units are being corroded and thus I DO NOT have any reliable safety monitoring system. I have looked into this and this a COMMON complaint for Toyota 2019-2021 Rav4 sunroof cars. I have had the sunroof drain cleared multiple times but the issue remains. So far it has impacted my tire pressure safety monitoring systems. This is a MAJOR safety issue as the electrical safety monitoring system controller units are NOT properly functioning as a result of poor water drainage.

Known DCM issue rendering emergency services button and all DCM services inoperable. Will not be able to activate emergency services in the event of collision. Toyota is aware of this design flaw and put out TSB011220, but they won't cover it outside of the warranty. Potential safety issue

In September 2023 I kept getting a warning on my 2019 Toyota RAV4 saying “engine maintenance required”. My car had roughly 50,000 miles. I was not due for an oil change and I serviced my vehicle regularly. I tried to take it to autozone to read the code but nothing came up and they said I just needed an oil change which I knew wasn’t true. I finally took it to a local Toyota dealership on September 23, 2023 and the first thing the advisor said to me after I told her about the warning message was “I already know what’s wrong with it, you’re like the 4th car today with the same issue”. The issue was a defective coolant bypass valve. The advisor said the cars most affected were RAV4’s followed by corollas and it was happening at random mileages. I asked if there was a recall and there wasn’t, she advised me to call Toyota to make a complaint which I did and nothing happened. I had to pay around $1000 to get a defective part fixed that Toyota knew about and still hasn’t issued a recall. Theres a class action lawsuit currently involving 2019-2023 corollas and RAV4s, but I still don’t understand why there hasn’t been a recall. If I didn’t get it repaired, my engine could have overheated multiple times causing more issues. They are knowingly not recalling a defective piece of a equipment that has been installed in hundreds of thousands of cars.

Coolant leaked out of a vehicle’s closed-loop coolant system, harming its ability to properly regulate engine temperature. This can cause overheating, stalling, increased emissions, and total engine failure and also allows coolant to leak into and damage surrounding engine components, including a vehicle’s electrical system, the complaint relays. Coolant leak also corroded the sensor on the RAV4 coolant bypass valve, which can caused it to remain in the open or closed position and be unable to properly direct coolant throughout the engine.

Water leaking under passenger side visor and near passenger side window near the passenger side airbags

I have been told by the Toyota Arapahoe dealer that the DCM in the car is bad. All the services the DCM supposedly provides have NEVER worked on the car, leading me to believe it has been faulty from day one. These include all safety assistance features.

Initially thought a seal on the windshield was faulty, so contacted the business who replaced the windshield. Business owner came to owner’s house Mon, Nov 4, 2024. He did a thorough inspection of all areas where water was identified by owner (dash, under the dash, on the driver side floor) and confirmed it was not the windshield. He then inspected the roof rack and determined the roof rack was defective and leaking water from the ceiling of the vehicle, down into the dash, and ultimately onto the floor. He recommended contacting Toyota because this was a known issue. By 12pm on Mon, Nov 4, 2024 owner contacted Toyota alerting them to the issue. An appointment was made to bring the vehicle in for inspection on Mon, Nov 11, 2024. Owners do not have a garage or carport, so a canopy was pitched over the car in an effort to prevent any further water damage and moisture absorbing canisters were placed in the car. The vehicle was not driven in the rain during the period after first noticing the leak and bringing it in to the dealership. Evidence of Electrical Damage: On Friday, November 1, 2024 the driver side seat became extremely hot, to the point of needing to pull over and turn the car off. The seat heater was not turned on at any point during this time. On Saturday, Nov 9, 2024 and Nov 11, 2024 while driving on the highway, the car (normally driven in Eco Mode) unexpectedly switched into Mud&Sand mode and all safety features switched off. Owner was unable to manually override

Engine maintenance required when AC is turned on. This is an issue with the coolant by pass valve, many rav4 owners have reported but a recall has not been established

My coolant bypass valve gave out and Toyota is insisting it’s not covered under warranty my 10 year warranty. Toyota knew there was a defect and didn’t tell consumers.

I was stopped at a red light. When the light turned green and I pressed the gas, the engine sputtered and almost shut off. Just before I came to a stop, the engine revved up and the vehicle accelerated. The uneven acceleration is concerning. I recently replaced the gas cap and serviced the fuel system, which leads me to believe there is a defect with the engine. Later in the day, the check engine light went on and AWD system, cruise control, and lane assist were disabled.

A distracting message “a connected device is not supported” flashes on my console screen every 10 seconds. This occurs when there are no device or cable connected. It blocks the clock and driving directions if I am projecting them through CarPlay. The SOS emergency system lights flash back and forth from red to green.

Toyota has a coolant control valve problem on the RAV4 that it has known is a problem but will not issue a technical service bulletin or recall. It is only covered by the extended warranty. Any other is 800 dollars out of pocket. The warning ⚠️ on the dash blocks the speed indicator and cannot be cleared until the fix is made.

A malfunction in the electronic control of the engine, throttle, or automatic transmission has been detected. The car then ran hot and started jerking. I took it to autozone for them to look and could not find anything, I had a mechanic come over to look at it, and he couldn't find anything either. I sent it to Toyota Wolfchase in Memphis TN. Who has stated it will be two or three days before they can even look at it. This seems to be a common problem with Toyota cars yet there's no recall I have seen numerous complaints on Google Reddit, TikTok, and more. I called corporate to make a complaint and they said they don't see any complaints which I know is not true

In July of 2023 at only 23K miles but out of warranty coverage, I received the Engine Maintenance Required warning for the failure of the Coolant Bypass Valve. I took it to the dealership (Alamo Toyota in San Antonio, TX) and they said it needed to be replaced and would not be covered under warranty. They quoted over $850 to do the replacement but the part was on national backorder. After returning home I started doing research and found that this is happening at a very high rate and thus there is obviously a defect to this part. Toyota should be treating this is a defect, fixing the issue and providing the fix as a recall fix. I should not have to pay near $1000 to replace a defective part with another defective part that will most likely fail again. Since I am a very low mileage driver, from July 2023 to now I have only driven 4K miles, I have not replaced the part but continually monitor the engine temperature and for any coolant leakage. I know there is now a class action lawsuit but shouldn't the NHTSA get involved due to the number of failures on RAV4s and Corollas and the lack of responsibility being taken by Toyota?

When I was driving the car to work the automatic system (malfunction ) failed to restart in red light, i have to stop to restart (Awd malfunction } says to take to the dealer, I was driving back tothe dealership , they are saying car had zero coolant in syystem, raditor was leaking engine overheat to blow head gasket, a week before i was taking car dealership to state inspection and found only one issue that was back brake to change, no leak nothing they found, now i spent $7679 dollars to fix it i had all the proof what the dealerships try to say from the begining even I fixed, i am trying get rid of the vehicle now , it isonly 47454 miles when the incident happend.

[XXX] - Driving my 2019 Rav4 Hybrid Se nearing [XXX] [XXX] traveling 25-30mph suddenly felt like car was moving faster, stop sign came up fast, slammed on brakes with 0 effect! Yelled [XXX]? as I shot across the highway, down the shoulder, coming to rest against a couple small trees. No air bag deployed, wearing seat belts of course, still bumped head on ceiling causing small laceration, neck trauma, and Dr found I had also suffered a Vitreous Detachment (eye). Did not lose consciousness. Vehicle damage appeared to be front left corner but enough underneath to total vehicle. Very fortunate no other vehicles involved and that debris brought car to a stop instead of a big tree or wall. Two witnesses heard brakes... INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The brake caliper remain stuck

The coolant bypass valve has leaked. It is available for inspection upon request, however this seems to be a larger ongoing problem across the country with this make, model and year. The check engine light did go on.

Engine: I got the 100k engine maintenance done. I replace my coolant and got an oil change. The engine maintenance required warning is still on my dashboard and will not go away because the diagnostic reader states I need a new coolant bypass valve. This is not apart of the factory maintenance, alot on rav4 owners are dealing with this, and it is very pricey. I think it is best for this type of situation to be recalled. Brakes: I got my front brakes replaced and I had issues with my front calipers. My mechanic said both calipers had holes in them and caused my brake fluid to leak which has affected my braking alot. It takes a long time to brake and I’ve experienced this even after I’ve paid alot of money to get my driver said caliper replaced, still need to get my passenger side replaced. My mechanic only uses toyota brand supplies so I’m not sure why there isn’t any longevity in the quality of supplies. I’ve only had the vehicle for 2 years.

The “Engine Maintenance Required” light came on, indicating issues with the coolant valve. This is become a common issue with the RAV4. If this is becoming a common issue for owners, it needs to be looked into!! I commute and my engine can overheat.

Defective coolant bypass valves on my 2019 Toyota RAV 4 have caused coolant to leak out of my vehicle’s closed-loop coolant system, harming its ability to properly regulate engine temperature. Eventually the message “Engine Maintenance Required Visit Your Dealer” appeared on my dashboard indicating an issue with the engine. An internet search of this error message on the 2019-2023 Toyota RAV4 and Corolla models shows this is a widespread defect, affecting hundreds of Toyota owners. A class action lawsuit has been filed against Toyota regarding defective coolant bypass valves in the 2019-2023 Toyota RAV4 and Corolla models [XXX] et al. v. Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc) but Toyota has still not addressed this defect with a recall. Attached is a copy of the mechanic invoice I just paid to replace the defective coolant bypass valves on my 2019 RAV4 as the engine was not maintaining temperatures appropriately and in risk of total engine failure. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Coolant valve failed ($700)shortly after warranty ended; extended warranty did not cover repair. Coolant valve then caused harness to be unusable causing for a $4500 part replacement to be required. During the whole process the Toyota dealership maintenance told me that the engine repair required alert was for normal maintenance and directed me to continue driving with it until my scheduled service every time after speaking with three different people and a mechanic at the dealerships maintenance shop. I was then told after bringing in the car that I could leave although the alert was still present. Finally after the maintenance supervisor looked at my car I was told it was not safe to have been driving. Toyota made a faulty part that they expected to break and still put it in vehicles. They then are not even aware/ do not acknowledge this widespread issue in 2019 and 2020 rav-4s and Carrolas. This defective part can cause the engine to have catastrophic issues as I was later told by the maintenance manager at a Toyota dealership. However, Toyota is leaving car owners and leaders out of thousands of dollars in repairs and not acknowledging or warning customers of a dangerous issue.

My 2019 Toyota RAV4 had been making a loud noise at random intervals when driving at high speeds such as freeway speeds. The dealer said they could not reproduce the issue. A couple years later at around 65000 miles my engine maintenance required message came up and would not go away. I took my vehicle to get the code read and there were no codes. I kept smelling fuel or different unpleasant smells when driving the vehicle. The engine maintenance required notice would turn on every single Time I used the AC. I later went to the Toyota dealer and they said the coolant bypass valve had been leaking and causing the engine maintenance notice to come up. This is a new vehicle that has been maintained properly and rarely driven far. The part and labor was $824.

I got an alert on my screen that would not go away. It said Engine Maintenance Required.” Went to auto one & there was 0 diagnostics associated with any codes. The guy said that it is the coolant bypass valve and that there is a class action in the works. He said most places charge $600 - $700 to replace and to hold on to my receipts.

Out of the sudden, the engine light started to display a message to check engine and overheating of this took place continuously. My Rav 4 only has 70k miles and I got it pre-certified from the dealer. This error is the Coolant Bypass Valve. This Valve is connected to a radiator hose.

A warning message appeared that stated: “Engine maintenance required - Visit your dealer”. At that time my vehicle had 38,796 miles on it. I contacted the Service Advisor at Toyota of Newnan who advised that it was likely the Coolant Bypass Valve on the engine and that they have had issues and repairs relating to that condition on their RAV4 and Corolla models. Their mechanics confirmed that this was the fault and that failing to have it repaired / replaced could result in engine overheating and engine seizing which could result in lose of vehicle control and endanger other vehicles on the road. Sensing the urgency, I had the repair / replacement completed at a cost of $846.68. Service advisor stated that many of the other vehicles with the same problem were still under warranty and repaired at no cost to the consumer. In my opinion this recurring defect among two Toyota model lines is occurring with enough regularity to warrant Toyota issuing at least a Service Bulletin and covering the cost of the repair and reimbursement to those that had to pay for the repair.

Check engine light came on. Ran codes in vehicle and showed code P2681-15 engine coolant bypass valve needs replaced.

2019 RAV4 with 50120 miles engine maintenance light. It is a very common problem with Rav4s. coolant bypass valve...... My brother has same model same problem. Spent $600 to replace it. Toyota is charging $600-$1000 to replace defective part.

2019 rav4 at 59,000 miles engine maintenance required popped up. Went to the dealer, service advisor knew exactly that coolant control valve needed to be replaced because it being so common. I looked it up and coolant bypass valves in the 2019–2023 RAV4 and Corolla models. Some owners have reported that this defect could affect the vehicle's performance and longevity. Now I have to spend almost 1,000 for a repair I didn’t even cause because Toyota built a faulty valve.

Engine error message showed up after extended warranty expired by 600 miles. To fix the error message Toyota charge $871 total combined diagnostic, part and labor. The problem was coolant by pass valve shorted.

Coolent valve needed to be replaced

Maxi-Cosi Emme 360… MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN! When in the locked position with confirmed “locked” emblem visible, the car seat can easily be knocked loose and rotated. There are of course several warning labels on the side that say do not attempt to rotate the seat while in the locked position without using the appropriate release handle. The amount of light force I am apply is extremely minimal and nothing compared to the torsion that will be exerted to the car seat during a serious collision. We have already contacted the manufacturer directly, this is now the second car seat we have received with the same issue. We have been on the phone with tech support. They have no idea what’s happening and cannot resolve the issue. Again, this is a very serious safety concern with the car seat.

Toyota Rav4 2019 XLE - Engine Coolant Pump Performance/Stuck Off Error code P26CB milage 56,920 Toyota says this is NOT covered by the 5 year power train warranty. For years Toyota has manufactured this water pump that freezes up due to manufacturing defect that allows the magnetic base housing to rupture. Dealers want to replace entire pump (or at least charge for it) verses replacing the frozen plastic rotor. Dealer claims this is not covered under 5 year power train warranty. Why not? My car temp started climbing and took me hours to get home (10 miles) as I kept stopping for hours waiting for engine cool and sprinkling water from bottles over the engine and trans housing where it butts against the engine (silver brading). (This was late in weekend night - repair shops not open. I do see a recall investigation started (no recall yet) and just wanted to add my complaint to the issue. At first the temp gauge read normal but later started climbing. The engine light did come on the the DB2 said P26CB.

Coolant bypass valve

“Engine maintenance required, see dealer” message appeared on dash. Message cannot be cleared and blocks important information while driving. Diagnostic was performed and no codes were observed. Toyota dealership stated that the message is due to a faulty engine coolant bypass valve.

I have the 2019 Toyota RAV4 Adventure that was manufactured with a defective differential, per T-SB-0067-20, Toyota has acknowledged that the differential were defective and that affected thousands of 2019-2020 RAV4 Adventure and Limited trim models. The defective part number is 41110-42050 and the new, superceded part number is 41110-42054. I reached out to Toyota numerous times to rectify the issue has the differential clunks and could seize causing loss of control. My vehicle was deemed a "total loss" due to hail damage and Toyota refuses to assist because of the total loss, but the vehicle was manufactured with the defective part and my vehicle suffers the VERY same issue as that a non-total loss vehicle suffers. The title status is irrelevant as the defective differential was installed BEFORE the total loss, so the title status is inconsequential. This is a safety concern because the differential could fail due to seizure, shatter, explode resulting in a loss of control and injury to me the driver and others on the road. I've expressed this numerous times with Toyota.

Upon reaching 50k miles, vehicle prompted a "engine maintenance required, please contact dealer" message. Upon inspection at the dealer, I was told this is a common issue in newer Toyota RAV4/Corollas and employees have been seeing this issue continuously. There is no way to bypass this message without getting the part replaced and the replacement runs anywhere ~$800 -$1000. How are so many people dealing with the same issue and Toyota has yet to issue a recall?

The contact's daughter owns a 2019 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that the driver’s and passenger’s side front windows became inoperable. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who diagnosed that the window regulators on the driver's side and passenger's side front windows needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact who is a mechanic stated that the steel cable in the plastic had deteriorated, and water and moisture had entered the vehicle, causing corrosion. The contact replaced both window regulators. The manufacturer was contacted, but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 63,000.

Sounds caused by the steering wheel when traveling at 40 to 60 mph. It gets louder as you turn the steering wheel.

Coolant bypass valve failure The issue has been confirmed by a service center and was told a very common failure in my make & model of car. Warning light came on dash board and immediately had checked at service center. The fix is $900, which is frustrating because a class action lawsuit is being gathered for this same defect in my same model of car.

The rear power liftgate metal hinges are peeling away from the body of the vehicle. My liftgate doesn't close properly and is out of alignment to stay safely latched closed and has become 100% unusable. There is a 1.5 inch gap (you can see light and water can enter) on rear pass. side and the door is tightly jammed closed on the rear driver side. After speaking with a Toyota service manager, he casually let me know he sees this frequently. I have learned this is a very known issue yet Toyota will do nothing to prevent these defective hinges from being installed or cover repairs. The service manager told to take it to the collision center to get quoted on a repair. I did and my out of pocket cost (because Toyota won't take responsibility for this defect) is between $700 and $2700, depending how much damage occurred to other components caused by the defective hinges (the collision company has also stated they've done many of these repairs). My vehicle showed no visible sign of failure prior to breaking. It would occasionally fail to close, as if an object was in the way, but upon re-trying to power liftgate button, it would close. Sometimes it would take 3 to 4 times to be successful. But, it never appeared as if it was out of alignment or damaged until last weekend when I tried to close it and it forced closed itself VERY incorrectly. Considering my vehicle was purchased less than 5 years ago, brand new, this shouldn't be happening. It definitely shouldn't be showing this kind

Hi there. As of June 17, 2024, there is a class action lawsuit against Toyota regarding issues with the coolant bypass valves in the 2019–2023 RAV4 and Corolla models. Some owners have reported that this defect could affect the vehicle's performance and longevity, potentially leading to expensive repairs. The plaintiffs allege that Toyota has violated the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act, and California's Unfair Competition Law, Consumers Legal Remedies Act, and Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act. They are seeking a jury trial, declaratory and injunctive relief, and punitive damages. I encountered the same issue on July 3, 2024, and visited Toyota Scott Clark (Charlotte), where I was charged $129 for diagnostics and $835.60 for further service to fix the problem. I am not willing to pay for this service, and Toyota has refused to cover the cost. I am joining the class action lawsuit against Toyota.

Coolant bypass valve

Defective coolant bypass valve. Defective valve can cause total engine failure and mechanical failure leading to accident or injury up to and including death. Has been confirmed by service center. Engine service required light is on and will not go off there was no warnings of any issues prior to the light turning on. This is an expensive out of pocket fix in upwards of $1000.00

My engine maintenance light will not shut off due to a engine coolant bypass valve circuit short to battery. I also have warm fluid dripping on my feet when ac is on. The dealer says water under the dash is from from recalled roof rails. There has been a recall for code that pops up on my mechanic Toyota number20TA04. Dealer says he does haven't code so toyota hasnt issued any issues or re all for engine bypass valve. Toyota now has a class action law suit for this part. I can't afford $700 repair, can't see the messages or my speed due to the engine maintenance required on my screen which can't be reset. This is dangerous and can cause the need to have engine replaced, start engine fires. Toyota has known this issue for 5 yrs and needs to be held accountable.

Engine maintenance required per dealership it is the coolant bypass valve. Reason for failed per Toyota “bad luck” appears to be a class action suit filed for this issue current mileage 72,384

Coolant Bypass Valve Failure Engine Maintenance Required: See Dealer message appears on the drive screen when driving and you can't remove it- which means you can't see your digital speed or what you are setting your cruise at. The failure of this valve will cause the car to overheat which will lead to radiator/engine damage if not taken care of immediately. This part needs to be recalled!!!! RECALL THE TOYOTA COOLANT BYPASS VALVE! It is a faulty part that is failing in all 2019-2020 Toyota models. Mine is a 2019 RAV4. The part is plastic and is failing across the board. It Is costing $996.00 to have this problem diagnosed and fixed so I can drive my car again. I am a teacher and this is a substantial amount of money for a plastic part that should have never been used in the first place. Toyota needs to be held responsible for its cheap and faulty parts. I didn't know if I was going to make it to the dealership or not.

THE CENTRAL ENTERTAINMENT TOUCH SCREEN /DISPLAY HAS NOT BEEN WORKING AT ALL. CARPLAY AND CHARGING DOES NOT WORK AT ALL AS DISPLAY IS NOT WORKING. SPEAKER SETTINGS AS WELL AS GAS MILEAGE INFO CAN NOT BE ACCESSED AS IT DISPLAYS NOT WORKING OR NOT RESPONSIVE. I TRIEDTO CHECK WITH TOYOTA DEALERSHIP HERE IN LOUISIANA AND THEY ARE SAYING THAT IT IS OUTSIDE WARRANTY AND HAVE TO PAY 1500 DOLLARS TO CHANGE THE RADIO AND THE DISPLAY COMPLETELY. TO ME PERSONALLY IT LOOKS LIKE A SOFTWARE ISSUE RATHER THAN A HARDWARE PROBLEM. HOPE IT HAS A SIMPLE FIX. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS ISSUE SO THAT OTHER DRIVER'S DO NOT ENCOUNTER THIS PROBLEM WHILE DRIVING AND GET INTO A LIFE-THREATENING ACCIDENT. APPRECIATE YOUR HELP.