2013 Toyota RAV4

POTENTIALLY LETHAL TRANSMISSION FAILURE IN TOYOTA RAV4 IN MARCH 2013 I BOUGHT A NEW TOYOTA RAV4 AT ACTON TOYOTA, IN MASSACHUSETTS. ON FEBRUARY 21ST 2014, I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE IN SUDBURY, MASSACHUSETTS ON ROUTE 20 WHEN SUDDENLY IT WENT COMPLETELY HAYWIRE. THE ENGINE STALLED OUT ? RESTARTED ? STALLED OUT AGAIN ? RESTARTED. THIS WAS ALL WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS MOVING. I DROVE INTO THE LOCAL CITIZENS BANK CAR PARK, WHERE I PARKED HEAD IN TO A VERY LARGE SNOW DRIFT. I THEN DISCOVERED THAT ALL THE GEARS WERE GONE EXCEPT FOR 'D'! OI CYCLED SEVERAL TIMES THROUGH CLOSING THE CAR DOWN AND RESTARTING IT - NO CHANGE. OI COULD NOT PUSH THE CAR BACKWARDS AWAY FROM THE SNOW DRIFT ON MY OWN. OEVENTUALLY I WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. OON ARRIVAL AT ACTON TOYOTA, THE SERVICE DIRECTOR - RANDY IRWIN - TESTED THE CAR AND IMMEDIATELY ENCOUNTERED THE ISSUE - SHIFTER IN REVERSE - REVVING THE ENGINE - NOTHING. HE TRIED THIS WITH ALL THE DIFFERENT SHIFTER POSITIONS OTHER THAN 'D', ALWAYS WITH THE SAME RESULT. HE THEN ENGAGED 'D' AND MOVED THE CAR FORWARD SLIGHTLY. HE THEN SLOWLY ENGAGED REVERSE AND THERE WAS A HUGE CLUNK FROM UNDER THE CAR. AND NOW REVERSE WAS ENGAGED! THE DEALERSHIP GAVE ME A LOANER VEHICLE AND KEPT THE RAV4. ON MARCH 3RD 2014, I PHONED IRWIN - HE SAID A TOYOTA REPRESENTATIVE DROVE IT THE PREVIOUS WEEK. THERE HAD BEEN NO RECURRENCE OF THE PROBLEM - NOW THEY WERE DOING A 'VISUAL INSPECTION' (WHATEVER THAT IS!) SINCE NOTHING CAME UP IN DIAGNOSTIC TESTS. ON MARCH 5TH 2014 I PHONED IRWIN AGAIN ? HE SAID THAT TOYOTA HAD TAKEN THE CASE OVER. TOYOTA THEN CALLED - THEY SAID THEY HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET THE ISSUE TO RECUR, AND SO THEY REQUESTED THAT I PICK UP THE VEHICLE AT THE DEALERSHIP. THIS I DID. AT NO POINT DID TOYOTA EVER ACKNOWLEDGE A PROBLEM ? THEY ALWAYS STATED SIMPLY THAT THEY HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET THE ISSUE TO RECUR. *TR

THIS WAS A FRONT END COLLISION. THE OTHER PARTY SPUN INTO OUR LANE (LOCAL ROAD) AND DESTROYED OUR FRONT END. AIR BAGS DID NOT APPEAR TO CAUSE THE INJURY (FRONT PASSENGER HAD A BROKEN RIB ON THE LEFT SIDE AND A POSSIBLE SEPARATED STERNUM). THE AIR BAGS SEEM TO HAVE DEPLOYED PROPERLY BUT DID NOT DEFLATE AFTER THE INITIAL IMPACT. THIS MADE IT DIFFICULT TO GET TO THE INJURED PERSON (FRONT PASSENGER). ALSO, ONE OF THE AIR BAGS RELEASED ITS CHEMICAL INTO THE FACE OF THE INJURED PERSON CAUSING THEM A LOT OF DIFFICULTY IN BREATHING. THE DRIVER SUFFERED NO INJURIES.

ON RARE OCCASIONS WHEN DRIVING, I WILL SUDDENLY LOSE POWER. IT'S AS IF SOMEONE HAS SUDDENLY TURNED OFF THE IGNITION SWITCH. DEPRESSING THE GAS PEDAL WILL NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. THE ONLY WAY TO REGAIN POWER IS TO TAKE YOUR FOOT OFF THE GAS PEDAL AND THEN PUSH DOWN AGAIN TO REGAIN SPEED. IT CAN OCCUR AT ANY TIME ON FLAT ROADS, HILLS, SNOW OR RAIN COVERED, THERE SEEMS TO BE NO REASON FOR THIS. THE TOYOTA DEALER SAYS HE CAN'T SOLVE THE PROBLEM UNLESS I CAN DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM FOR HIM SO HE CAN SEE FOR HIMSELF WHAT IS HAPPENING & THEN SOLVE THE PROBLEM. BUT I CAN'T DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM! IT'S TOTALLY RANDOM. THIS PUTS ME LITERALLY ON PINS & NEEDLES WHEN I DRIVE BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENS IF I AM PASSING A CAR AND SUDDENLY I LOSE POWER? I HAVE 20000 MILES ON MY VEHICLE AND LOSS OF POWER HAS OCCURED MAYBE 20 TIMES. THIS IS VERY FRUSTRATING AND DANGEROUS. *JS

WHEN MAKING A LEGAL U-TURN ON A BUSY ROAD I RAPIDLY BRAKED THE CAR (FROM 45MPH TO 2-3MPH) TO A PARTIAL STOP ROLLING THROUGH THE INTERSECTION WHILE TURNING THE WHEELS TO A HARD LEFT. I PRESSED ON THE ACCELERATOR EXPECTING TO ACCELERATE OUT OF THE U-TURN AND INSTEAD THE CAR HESITATED AND SLOWED FEELING LIKE THERE WAS A MOMENTARY LOSS OF POWER TO THE WHEELS. I PRESSED HARDER ON THE ACCELERATOR WITH NO IMMEDIATE EFFECT IN ACCELERATION. APPROXIMATELY 2-3 SECONDS PASSED AS ONCOMING TRAFFIC APPROACHED IN THE LANE I WAS DRIFTING INTO WHEN SUDDENLY ALL ACCELERATION RESUMED NORMALLY. THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED JUST ONCE. ECO MODE WAS TURNED ON AND MY RAV4 IS AN AWD MODEL. I CONSIDER IT TO BE A REPORTABLE INCIDENT SINCE THE HESITATION WAS NOT EXPECTED AND INCREASED THE PROBABILITY OF COLLISION WITH TRAFFIC IN THE DRIVING LANE I WAS TURNING INTO. *TR

WHILE DRIVING DOWN A BRIDGE AT APPROXIMATE SPEED OF 36 AND BEFORE THE RED LIGHT I LEFT MY RIGHT LEG FROM THE GAS PEDAL AND PRESSED ON THE BRAKE PEDAL TO GET READY TO STOP BY THE RED LIGHT . AT THAT MOMENT THE BRAKE PEDAL DID NOT RESPOND TO MY LEG PRESSING AND THE TOTAL BRAKING SYSTEM DID NOT RESPOND HAVING CARS STOPPED INFRONT OF ME BY THE RED LIGHT I HAD TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE RIGHT AND HIT A BIG TREE. THE DAMAGE REACHED ALMOST TO THE MIDDLE OF THE FRONT HOOD; HOWEVER, NO ANY AIR BAG WAS DEPLOYED OR ACTIVATED DUE TO THE CRASH AND I WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE HOSPITAL BY THE AMBULANCE AND BEEN HOSPITALIZED FOR SEVEN DAYS AND FOR THE FIRST FOUR DAYS I LOST ANY SENSATION IN MY BOTH LEGS WITH A SEVER SPINE PAIN AND UNTIL NOW MY BOTH LEGS HURT ME AND SO DOES MY BACK ( SPINE ). PICTURES ARE AVAILABLE. THE CAR STILL UNDER THE MANUFACTURER WARRANTY AND ALL THE SERVICES WERE CONNECTED BY THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP SERVICE. THE LAST WAS CONDUCTED AT THE DEALERSHIP ON SEP 15, 2014 AT 13:25 - 14:39. I HAVE ALWAYS TAKEN THE CAR TO THE DEALER'S SERVICE EXACTLY AS THE DEALER RECOMMENDED.....UPDATED 01/23/15 *BF..........UPDATED 12/15/15 *BF *TR UPDATED 9/15/2017*CN

WE HAD A WINTER BLIZZARD WITH ICE, SHOW WIND ETC. WHERE THE WIPER BLADES REST ON THE WINDSHIELD THEY RECEIVE MINIMAL IF ANY DIRECT HEAT. (I CAN NOT GET A THIN PIECE OF PAPER BETWEEN THE DASHBOARD AND INSIDE THE WINDSHIELD. THE PAPER IS 2 1/2" ABOVE THE WIPER BLADE.) I WARMED THE RAV 4 FOR AN EXTREMELY LONG PERIOD OF TIME AND THE ICE THAT HAD FORMED ON THE WIPERS BEFORE I STARTED IT WOULD NOT MELT OFF. I THEN SCRAPED AS MUCH OF THE ICE OFF THE WIPER AS YOU CAN REASONABLY DO WITHOUT DAMAGING THE WIPER AND ICE AND SNOW OFF THAT PART OF THE WINDSHIELD WHERE THE BLADES REST. I STARTED TO DRIVE BUT ICE AND SNOW IMMEDIATELY STARTED ACCUMULATING ON THE LOWER PART WHERE DEFROST DOES NOT HEAT AND THE BLADES STARTED TO ICE UP AND THEY SCRAP ACROSS THE UNHEATED AREA. HAD TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE VISION. WOULD STOP EVERY SO OFTEN AND SCRAP EVERYTHING BEST AS I COULD. START DRIVING AND A TOTAL UNACCEPTABLE VISION WINDOW ALMOST IMMEDIATELY. I HAVE DRIVEN IN THIS AREA FOR 47 YEARS IN A LOT OF BLIZZARDS AND WITH A LOT OF DIFFERENT VEHICLES. I HAVE NEVER HAD A SITUATION WHERE I COULD NOT KEEP MY WINDOWS SO I COULD REASONABLY SEE TO SAFELY NAVIGATE. THIS RAV 4 WOULD NOT LET ME DO THAT AND I HAVE BEEN IN A LOT WORSE BLIZZARD CONDITIONS THAN THIS ONE. SOME TOYOTAS HAVE WIPER DE-ICERS WITH LINES THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD TO HEAT THIS PART OF THE WINDSHIELD WHERE TOYOTA DECIDED TO PLACE THE WIPERS. WHILE WE WERE NOT AWARE OF THIS ISSUE WHEN PURCHASING THIS VEHICLE NEW, SAFETY SHOULD NOT BE AN ADD ON YOU HAVE TO PAY FOR. TOYOTA PLACED THE BLADES WHERE THEY ARE SO THEY SHOULD DE-ICE. I UNDERSTAND HEATED SIDE MIRRORS AND THE LIKE BUT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT CAN BE SAFELY REMEDIED BY A DRIVER WHO DOES NOT HAVE THEM. THIS WIPER PROBLEM CAN NOT BE. THANK YOU. *TR

THE RAV4 WAS PURCHASED NEW FROM A DEALER. WHILE DRIVING HOME, THE BRAKE PEDAL TRAVEL FELT EXCESSIVE, AS IF THERE WAS TOO MUCH AIR IN THE SYSTEM. WITH A MODERATE BRAKE APPLICATION, IT FELT AS THOUGH THE PEDAL WAS ALMOST TO THE END OF ITS STROKE. I MEASURED THE PEDAL TRAVEL STATICALLY IN MY GARAGE = WITH 25 POUNDS EFFORT, THE TRAVEL WAS 2.5 INCHES. BUT WITH 100 POUNDS EFFORT, THE PEDAL WAS ABOUT 1/2" FROM THE FLOOR, MEANING THAT IN THE ADVENT OF A FAILED BRAKE CIRCUIT, THERE WOULD NOT BE ENOUGH PEDAL TRAVEL TO SAFELY STOP THE VEHICLE. ALSO, THE PEDAL EFFORT V. TRAVEL FELT LINEAR, AND NOT ASYMPTOTIC AS ONE WOULD EXPECT FROM A BRAKE PEDAL. I TOOK THE RAV4 TO THE DEALER SERVICE DEPT. THEY REPORTED THAT THEY FOUND NO ISSUES AND NO SERVICE WAS DONE. AFTER THE VISIT TO THE DEALERSHIP, THE BRAKE PEDAL FEEL WAS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. THE PEDAL TRAVEL AT 25 POUNDS EFFORT WAS NOW 1.5", WHICH FELT NORMAL. ALSO, THE PEDAL FEEL WAS NOW ASYMPTOTIC AND PLENTY OF TRAVEL WAS LEFT AVAILABLE TO ALLOW FOR A SAFE STOP WITH A FAILED CIRCUIT. SINCE I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT CHANGED ON THE VEHICLE DURING ITS VISIT TO THE DEALERSHIP, IT LEAVES OPEN THE QUESTION OF WHETHER THE UNSAFE CONDITION OF THE RAV4 BRAKING SYSTEM IN THE BRAND NEW STATE IS A SYSTEMIC ISSUE. ON A SEPARATE ISSUE, WHILE MEASURING THE BRAKE PEDAL TRAVEL IN MY GARAGE I NOTICED THAT THE BRAKE BOOSTER WOULD DEPLETE IN THE MIDDLE OF A BRAKE APPLICATION IF THE BRAKE PEDAL IS MODULATED SLIGHTLY (FOR EXAMPLE, PULSED UP AND DOWN SLIGHTLY WITHOUT FULLY RETRACTING IT). I CONSIDER THIS UNSAFE AS WELL BECAUSE IF AN UNUSUAL EVENT OCCURRED, SUCH AS AN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION, THEN THE BRAKE BOOSTER WOULD QUICKLY DEPLETE LEAVING THE DRIVER WITHOUT BRAKE ASSIST AND UNABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE, UNLESS HE/SHE HAD THE PRESENCE OF MIND TO FULLY RETRACT THE BRAKE PEDAL AND REAPPLY IT FIRMLY. *TR