2011 Toyota RAV4

MY RAV4 HAS 66,000 MILES. I NOTICED AN OIL LEAK COMING FROM THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL. MY LOCAL DEALER INSPECTED THE CAR AND TOLD ME THAT THERE IS A RECALL FOR A PINION BEARING INSIDE THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL BUT AFTER ONLY LISTENING FOR NOISE OF A FAULTY BEARING THEY DETERMINED THAT MINE WAS NOT DEFECTIVE. HOWEVER THE OIL LEAK IS COMING FROM THE PINION SEAL WHICH IS THE SAME SHAFT AS THE BEARINGS AFFECTED BY THE RECALL. ONE OF THE FIRST SIGNS OF A BEARING FAILURE IS A LEAKING SEAL. THE FAILING BEARING CAUSES A VIBRATION OFTEN TIMES NOT HEARD OR FELT BUT WHICH CAUSES AN OIL SEAL TO FAIL. THE DEALERSHIP DID INFORM ME HOWEVER THAT I HAVE A FRONT WHEEL BEARING THAT IS FAILING. I DO HAVE AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE EVERYTHING FIXED WITH A TRUSTED LOCAL MECHANIC SHOP HOWEVER I AM CONCERNED THAT TOYOTA IS USING POOR QUALITY PARTS THAT COULD LEAD TO INCREASED ACCIDENTS.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2011 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED WITHOUT THE EMERGENCY BRAKE ENGAGED, IT ROLLED DOWN HILL INTO THE BACK YARD, THROUGH LAWN FURNITURE, AND STOPPED IN THE WOODS. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 94,000.

AT A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE WAS TOLD THERE WAS A "TRANSAXLE LEAK" THAT REQUIRED IMMEDIATE ATTENTION FROM AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THERE WAS NO VISIBLE LEAK IN THE DRIVEWAY, NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT OR OTHER WARNING. SO WHEN THIS DEVELOPED IS UNKNOWN. TOLD NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. REPAIR WOULD BE $3000. TRANSMISSION AND DIFFERENTIAL HAD TO BE REMOVED TO SEAL LEAKING. THIS VEHICLE HAS 34K MILES ON IT. WAS TOLD THIS ONLY SEEN IN CARS OVER 100K. HAS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED--ALL SERVICE CHECKS AND RECALLS COMPLETED. TOYOTA ACCEPTS NO RESPONSIBILITY. NO SIGN OF A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION.

AT APPROXIMATELY 67,000 MILES (OR LIKELY MUCH SOONER), THIS 4WD VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A LEAKING SEAL IN THE LEFT REAR DIFFERENTIAL/AXLE. THE LEAK WAS DISCOVERED BY THE DEALER DURING A RECENT VISIT TO HANDLE SEVERAL OUTSTANDING RECALL ISSUES. FROM DOING EXTENSIVE ONLINE RESEARCH, THIS APPEARS TO BE A WIDESPREAD AND COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE 4WD RAV4S. IT IS A VERY COSTLY REPAIR (AS MUCH AS $800 AT THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER), SO I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT THE NTSB INVESTIGATE THE RAV4 REAR DIFFERENTIAL SEAL LEAKS FOR A POSSIBLE RECALL OR TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN. PLEASE NOTE THAT TOYOTA ALREADY ISSUED A WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT NOTIFICATION (Z4F) WHICH EXTENDS THE NEW VEHICLE LIMITED POWERTRAIN WARRANTY FOR A REAR DIFFERENTIAL COUPLING ISSUE. I BELIEVE THAT THIS WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT SHOULD EXTEND TO THE REAR AXLE SEALS AS WELL. FAILURE OF THE REAR SEAL(S) CAN OF COURSE LEAD TO TOTAL FAILURE OF THE POWERTRAIN AND CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. I HAVE ATTACHED A PHOTO SHOWING THE LEAKING LEFT REAR AXLE SEAL.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT OBSERVED THAT THERE WAS LEAKAGE FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE AND THE TRANSMISSION OIL WAS VERY DIRTY. THE FAILURE OCCURRED TWICE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT CHANGED THE FLUIDS TWICE, BUT THE FAILURE WAS PERSISTENT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 68,489.

AT 34,000 MILES I BROUGHT MY 2011 TOYOTA RAV 4 IN FOR SERVICE AT VICTORY TOYOTA OF CANTON, MI 48188 FOR A REGULAR SERVICE. THE VEHICLE WAS STILL UNDER THE TWO YEAR WARRANT. MY COMPLAINT IS THAT THE AUTO TRANSMISSION SIDE COVER WAS LEAKING VERY BADLY AND EVERY SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE WAS STUNNED,AS THEY HAD NEVER SEEN THAT OCCUR SO EARLY IN ANY VEHICLE. THEY REPAIRED IT, HOWEVER I AM CONCERNED FOR THE FUTURE MANUFACTURING STABILITY OF THE VEHICLE TO HAVE SUCH A MAJOR ISSUE AT SUCH LOW MILEAGE. WE BOUGHT THE VEHICLE BRAND NEW FROM VICTORY TOYOTA OF CANTON, MI. I WILL ALSO BE FILING A SEPARATE COMPLAINT ABOUT MY 2010 COROLLA WHICH HAS AN ISSUE THAT IS STUNNING , TO SAY THE LEAST. *TR

OUR 2011 RAV4 WAS TOTALED IN DECEMBER 2013 WHEN A BMW 5 SERIES CRASHED INTO US WHILE MY WIFE WAS MAKING A LEFT TURN. THE IMPACT WAS TO THE FRONT TIRE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE AND IT WAS SO SEVERE, THE ENTIRE WHEEL ASSEMBLY WAS RIPPED OUT OF THE TRANSMISSION AND ENDED COMPRESSED AGAINST THE PASSENGER DOOR; HOWEVER INCREDIBLY NONE OF THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. MY SON, WHO WAS SITTING IN THE FRONT WAS UNHARMED, HOWEVER MY DAUGHTER IN THE BACK WAS SITTING BEHIND THE DRIVER SEAT AND FLEW ACROSS THE CAR SMASHING VIOLENTLY AGAINST THE REAR PASSENGER DOOR, LOOSING CONSCIOUSNESS. AS SHE WOKE UP SHE VOMITED AND PER RECOMMENDATION OF THE EMERGENCY CREW ON THE SCENE, WE TOOK HER TO THE ER. I HAVE WRITTEN SEVERAL TOYOTA GROUPS ABOUT THIS INCIDENT AND THEY HAVE NOT EVEN ACKNOWLEDGED MY REQUEST. I AM ENTITLED FOR A 100% REFUND ON THE ER EXPENSES AND MY DAUGHTER SHOULD BE PLACED ON A WATCH LIST, AS ANY REPERCUSSION OUT OF THESE TYPES OF ACCIDENTS SHOW UP YEARS AFTERWARDS. WHEN SHE DEVELOPS A BACK OR NECK CONDITION AS A RESULT OF THIS VEHICLE NOT FUNCTIONING AS ENGINEERED AND PROMOTED, TOYOTA SHOULD COVER ALL EXPENSES RELATED TO THEIR LACK OF QUALITY; WHICH IS EVIDENT SINCE THE ACCELERATION ISSUES AND THE MORE RECENT (AND PRECISELY) MASSIVE AIR BAG RECALL. *TR

LOUD BANG WHICH SOUNDS LIKE A HAMMER HITTING THE BOTTOM OF THE VEHICLE. PROBLEM FIRST NOTICED AROUND 1000 MILES AND HAPPENS FREQUENTLY. IT HAPPENS TYPICALLY WHEN PASSENGERS ARE IN THE MIDDLE AND OR 3RD ROW SEATS AT SPEEDS USUALLY ABOVE 25 MILES PER HOUR. THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH MY 4 WHEEL DRIVE, 3RD ROW SEAT RAV4 NOW AT 73K MILES. IT CAN HAPPEN WITHIN A FEW MILES OF EACH INCIDENT OR GO HUNDREDS OF MILES BEFORE IT HAPPENS AGAIN. VERY ALARMING. I HAVE TAKEN IT INTO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES YET EVERY TIME THEIR TECHNICIANS TAKE THE VEHICLE FOR TEST DRIVE, THEY CAN NOT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *TR

ON 1/6/14 I WAS COMING TO AN INTERSECTION AND I WAS SLOWING DOWN. I NOTICED THAT THE ENGINE WAS RAVING AND WAS TRYING TO PULL ME FORWARD. BECAUSE I WAS PRESSING THE BRAKES THE CAR WAS ABLE ONLY TO JERK FORWARD. I HAD TO SWITCH TO NEUTRAL TO PREVENT CAR JERKING FORWARD. THEN THE ENGINE RETURNED TO NORMAL RPM. THIS ACTUALLY HAPPENED THE SECOND TIME. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED IN OCTOBER 2013. ON 1/9/14 I GAVE THE CAR TO A TOYOTA DEALER. THEY SAID THAT THEY WILL TAKE THIS MATTER VERY SERIOUSLY AND THE TOYOTA ENGINEERS WILL COME TO READ THE COMPUTER DATA AND REVIEW THE VEHICLE. AFTER ONE WEEK IT APPEARS THAT NOTHING HAPPENED. I WROTE TO TOYOTA. THEY OPENED CASE #1401231137. AFTER THAT THE DEALER KEPT THE CAR FOR ANOTHER WEEK BUT "COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM". THEY OPENED THE CASE #140230518. FINALLY, TODAY 1/25/14 THEY GAVE ME THE CAR BACK WITH A STUPID ADVICE "NOT STEP GAS AND BRAKES AT THE SAME TIME". THEY SAID THEY TEST DROVE THE CAR, BUT THE MILEAGE IN AND OUT IS THE SAME (6,085). I BOUGHT THE CAR NEW AND IT NEVER WAS IN ANY ACCIDENT. NOW I BELIEVE TO EVERY CLAIM OF UNINTENDED ACCELERATIONS OF TOYOTA VEHICLES. I HOPE THE FEDERAL AGENCY WILL DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER SHIFTING INTO DRIVER FROM REVERSE, THE VEHICLE ERRONEOUSLY ACCELERATED. THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A POLE AND THEN CRASHED INTO ANOTHER SIGN BEFORE STOPPING. THE CONTACT WAS NOT INJURED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE CLAMP THAT HELD THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AND THE TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE POLICE WERE NOTIFIED AND A REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND A REPRESENTATIVE INSPECTED THE FAILURE BEFORE THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 31,000.