2016 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid

TOYOTA HAS INSTALLED A DECORATIVE SILVER TRIM ON THE 2016 RAV4 DASHBOARD FACING THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. THIS TRIM REFLECTS SUNLIGHT INTO THE DRIVER'S EYES AT CERTAIN ANGLES OF BRIGHT SUNLIGHT. THIS REFLECTION CAN APPEAR SUDDENLY WHEN MAKING A TURN OR EMERGING FROM A SHADOW. THIS REFLECTION CAN DISTRACT OR PARTIALLY BLIND A DRIVER, AND OVER TIME FATIGUE A DRIVER. ACCORDINGLY, I BELIEVE THIS DECORATIVE SILVER TRIM IS A SAFETY HAZARD AS DISTRACTED, FATIGUED DRIVERS CAUSE ACCIDENTS. I BELIEVE TOYOTA SHOULD OFFER TO REPLACE THIS TRIM WITH A NON-REFLECTING MATERIAL. OTHER TOYOTA RAV4 OWNERS HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS FEATURE ON THE INTERNET (SEE RAV4WORLD.COM). I HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS DESIGN FEATURE DIRECTLY TO TOYOTA CORPORATE. THEIR TECHNICAL REPRESENTATIVES LOOKED AT MY VEHICLE ON 27 JULY. I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER'S REPRESENTATIVE THAT TOYOTA CONCLUDED THIS IS THEIR STANDARD PART FOR 2016 RAV4 AND AS SUCH IS NOT DEFECTIVE. TOYOTA TECHNICAL REPRESENTATIVES WOULD NOT MEET WITH ME OR ALLOW ME TO SEE HOW THEY EVALUATED THE SUN REFLECTION - IT WAS A BRIGHT SUNNY DAY. THE DEALER SAID TOYOTA WOULD NOT PROVIDE THEIR WRITTEN EVALUATION DISCREDITING MY COMPLIANT. IN MY OPINION, TOYOTA TOOK THE EASY WAY OUT AS REPLACING THIS DECORATIVE TRIM IS INCONVENIENT FOR THEM. YOU CAN EVALUATE THIS ISSUE ON ANY 2016 TOYOTA RAV4. MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP, APPARENTLY AGREEING WITH ME ABOUT THE PROBLEM, HAS OFFERED TO DO AN UNAUTHORIZED MODIFICATION TO THE VEHICLE AND HAVE THE REFLECTIVE STRIP REMOVED, REPAINTED BLACK AND REINSTALLED. THIS IS A LESS THAN IDEAL SOLUTION SINCE THE PAINT WILL NOT BOND WELL TO THE PLASTIC REFLECTIVE STRIP AND WILL WEAR OVER TIME. IN ADDITION, THIS DOES NOT FIX THE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF OTHER RAV4S ON THE ROAD OR REDUCE THE POTENTIAL FOR AVOIDABLE ACCIDENTS.

I AM CITING A SAFETY DEFICIENCY ON 2016 TOYOTA RAV 4 HYBRID LTD, SOLD TO ME BY GREENTREE TOYOTA, DANBURY CT, ON APRIL 27, 2016. IT IS A REFLECTIVE AREA ATTACHED TO THE DASHBOARD, WHICH CAUSES A GLARE INTO THE DRIVER'S EYES WHEN THE VEHICLE DASHBOARD CATCHES THE SUN. THIS UNNECESSARY AND DANGEROUS GLARE IS MORE THAN AN ANNOYANCE BECAUSE IT REDUCES THE DRIVER'S ABILITY TO SEE WHEN THE GLARE OCCURS. I THEREFORE REQUEST AND DEMAND THAT IT BE CORRECTED ON MY VEHICLE PROMPTLY. TOYOTA DRIVERS WHO ARE AFFECTED BY THE REFLECTIVE SURFACE GLARE POSE A THREAT TO ALL VEHICLES ON THE ROAD. IT MUST BE DELETED FROM FURTHER PRODUCTION AS WELL. IF MY VEHICLE IS NOT PROMPTLY CORRECTED BY MAY 15, 2016, I SHALL SEEK TO HAVE IT DONE EXPERTLY AT MY EXPENSE AND BILL ALL THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR SELLING ME THE VEHICLE.

IN THE TOYOTA RAV 4 HYBRID, THE "POWER" (IGNITION" BUTTON IS ABOUT 2.25" FROM THE AC BUTTON. (SEE ATTACHED PHOTO). WHEN YOU ARE DRIVING LESS THAN 10 MPH YOU CAN PUSH THE BUTTON AND THE ENGINE WILL TURN OFF, STEERING WHEEL LOCK UP, AND THE CAR KEEPS ROLLING. THIS HAPPENED TO ME. I WAS STOPPED AT A LIGHT, AS THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN, I WANTED TO TURN OFF THE AC, AND I ACCIDENTALLY PUSHED THE WRONG BUTTON (BECAUSE THEY WERE CLOSE TOGETHER), AND THE WHOLE ENGINE TURNED OFF, WHILE I WAS IN THE INTERSECTION. LUCKILY, THE STREETS WERE EMPTY SO NOTHING HAPPENED. THIS WOULD NOT BE AS MUCH OF AN ISSUE IF THE TWO BUTTONS WERE NOT CLOSE TOGETHER, BUT SINCE THEY ARE SO CLOSE TOGETHER, THE IGNITION BUTTON SHOULD NOT TURN OFF SO EASILY, TURNING OFF WITH A PUSH WITHOUT A FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, IN DRIVE AND WITHOUT THE PARKING BRAKE ON. I TESTED IT OUT WHILE IN REVERSE AND BACKING OUT OF MY PARKING SPACE AT WORK, AND THE ENGINE TURNED OFF AND THE CAR KEPT GOING. IT DOES NOT HAPPEN AT HIGHER SPEEDS, BUT I THINK IT IS STILL DANGEROUS. I CONTACTED TOYOTA ABOUT THIS, BUT THEY SAID THAT THIS IS THE WAY IT WAS DESIGNED. THEY CLAIM, "IF YOU HOLD THE POWER BUTTON FOR A NUMBER OF SECONDS WHILE DRIVING IT WILL TURN THE VEHICLE OFF. THIS TECHNIQUE MAY SLOW DOWN THE VEHICLE AS A VERY LAST RESORT IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION IF ALL OTHER EFFORTS TO STOP THE VEHICLE FAIL." THE ONLY PROBLEM IS THAT I DID NOT HAVE TO HOLD THE BUTTON DOWN FOR A FEW SECONDS, AND IT TURNED OFF. I MERELY PUSHED IT, AS I WOULD TO TURN OFF THE AC, AND THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN. MAYBE AT HIGHER SPEEDS YOU NEED TO HOLD IT DOWN FOR A WHILE, BUT AT LOW SPEEDS A LIGHT PUSH CAN SHUT THE ENGINE DOWN.

THE LANE DEPARTURE SYSTEM SHOWS AS "OFF" IN THE STATUS SCREEN HOWEVER IT IS TURNED "ON" IN THE MENU. IT HAS BEEN ON SINCE I BOUGHT IT AND RESPONSIVE, SO I KNOW HOW IT WORKS. \ HOWEVER, SINCE YESTERDAY, WHEN IT SNOWED, I RECEIVED AN ERROR ABOUT PARKING ASSIST NOT WORKING - IT WAS ASSUMED THIS HAPPENED WHEN SNOW BUILT UP ON THE SENSORS, AND AT ONE POINT IT ACTUALLY SAID THAT, WHEN I PUT VEHICLE IN REVERSE AND IT SAW SNOWFLAKES. THAT PROBLEM CLEARED, AND THAT WAS THAT. BUT OUT OF THE BLUE, THE LDA SAYS OFF, EVEN THOUGH TURNED ON, AND DID NOTHING TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN. WEIRD, I ONLY KNEW THIS AS I WAS PAGING THROUGH THE SCREEN CHOICES IN THE SMALL SCREEN BETWEEN SPEEDO AND QUASI-TACH, SEEING IT WAS "OFF" EVEN THOUGH IT WAS TUREND ON...NO WARNING IT WASN'T WORKING. AND I KNOW IT ISN'T WORKING AS I TRIED TO CROSS THE LANE MARKING AND NOTHING HAPPENED.