2018 Toyota RAV4

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT OR AFTER DUSK, THE HEADLAMPS PROVIDED INSUFFICIENT ILLUMINATION TO OPERATE THE VEHICLE SAFELY. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO A FEATURE ON THE VEHICLE WHERE THE HEADLIGHTS DIM WHEN APPROACHING ONCOMING TRAFFIC. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO UEBELHOR TOYOTA (LOCATED AT 788 W 12TH AVE, JASPER, IN 47546, (812) 482-2222) TO BE DIAGNOSED AND THEY STATED THAT THE VEHICLE PERFORMED AS INTENDED. ADDITIONALLY, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ILLUMINATION WAS INADEQUATE IN RURAL AREAS, BUT WAS NOT AFFECTED IN AN URBAN SETTING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 4,200.

ON 8/28/18 MY RAV4 SUNROOF EXPLODED ON HWY. 51 IN A 45MPH ZONE JUST NORTH OF MINOCQUA, WI, ABOUT 15 MI FROM MY HOME. I DO NOT HAVE A CELL PHONE SO DROVE HOME AND IMMEDIATELY CALLED TOYOTA RHINELANDER, WI 2018. AFTER EXPLAINING THE SITUATION AND. ASKING WHAT MY NEXT STEP SHOULD BE, I WAS TOLD TO CALL MY INSURANCE REP..AS THEY DID NOT COVER GLASS BREAKAGE. AFTER I GOT THE SUNROOF REPAIRED, I WROTE A LETTER TO TOYOTA HEADQUARTERS AND TOYOTA RHINELANDER DATED 9/16/18 OUTLINING MY CONCERNS. MY REQUESTS WERE TWO-FOLD: 1) THAT THEY NEED ONLY TO REIMBURSE ME FOR MY MINIMAL REPAIR COSTS: ABOUT $350, AND 2) THAT SOMEONE TELL ME HOW, BY WHOM, AND TO WHAT AGENCY THIS INCIDENT WOULD BE REPORTED. MY LETTERS WENT UNANSWERED. I CONTACTED RHINELANDER ON OCT. 25, 2018 AND WAS ADVISED TO CALL A HOT LINE NUMBER. I DID SO IMMEDIATELY AND WAS PROMISED A CALL THE NEXT DAY. I DID NOT RECEIVE A CALL BACK; A WEEK LATER I CALLED AGAIN AND WAS ASSIGNED A CASE MANAGER. THE END RESULT WAS A DENIAL OF MY REQUEST. AGAIN, THE REASON GIVEN WAS THAT THEY COULD NOT ASSESS THE SITUATION BECAUSE II DID NOT BRING HE CAR INTO TOYOTA FOR AN INSPECTION AFTER THE EXPLOSION (AND, NOBODY TOLD ME THAT I NEEDED TO DO THIS). I UNDERSTAND THE PERSON I TALKED WITH IS NO LONGER WITH THE COMPANY. THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR HERE IS SAFETY. HAD THE DOOR TO THE SUNROOF BEEN OPEN , I COULD HAVE BEEN SPRAYED WITH GLASS, SERIOUSLY INJURED OR INVOLVED IN A TRAFFIC COLLISION. THE DEAFENING NOISE ALONE WAS ENOUGH TO POSSIBLY CAUSE A SERIOUS MISHAP.THERE ARE MANY WEBSITES, INCLUDING CONSUMER REPORTS, THAT REPORT THESE EXPLOSIONS, YET I WAS TOLD BY RHINELANDER THAT THEY NEVER HEARD OF AN EXPLOSION, AND A STONE PROBABLY CAUSED THE INCIDENT. I WILL BE HAPPY TO FURNISH A COPY OF MY LETTERS AND NOTES OR ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).' *PM

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE DRIVING 75 MPH, THE SUN ROOF EXPLODED WITH A LOUD NOISE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO LOWE TOYOTA OF WARNER ROBINS (LOCATED AT 375 S HOUSTON LAKE RD, WARNER ROBINS, GA 31088, (478) 971-5693). THE DEAKER STATED THAT THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A SMALL CRACK IN THE GLASS THAT COULD HAVE CAUSED THE EXPLOSION ONCE THE GLASS BECAME HOT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS LATER TAKEN TO BEAMAN TOYOTA (LOCATED AT 1525 BROADWAY, NASHVILLE, TN 37203, (615) 251-8400), BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND OPENED CASE NUMBER: 1810023189. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 4,400.

THE ENGINE DIES TO IDLE SPEED AND THE CAR STOPS OR SLOWS DOWN. THE DEALERSHIP SAYS THIS IS BECAUSE OF A 4 CYLINDER ENGINE CONNECTED TO A 6 SPEED TRANSMISSION. THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL TIMES WHEN I WENT TO ACCELERATE TO GET ON THE EXPRESSWAY AND THE CAR SLOWS DOWN. THE PEOPLE BEHIND START BACKING UP AND ARE MAD. I HAVE TO PULL TO SIDE AND LET THEM BY. MY CHILDREN ARE INSTRUCTED TO SUE TOYOTA IF MY WIFE AND I DIE IN A CAR ACCIDENT. THIS HAS TO BE A COMPUTER GLITCH. ITS VERY DANGEROUS.

WE WERE RETURNING FROM DAYTONA BEACH, FL ON 09/26/2018 AND APPROX. 20 MILES FROM WARNER ROBBINS, GA WHEN WE HEARD WHAT SOUNDED LIKE A GUNSHOT. WE WERE ON THE INTERSTATE IN MILD TRAFFIC WITH TEMPERATURE IN 80'S AND OVERCAST. WE SAW NOTHING HIT OUR CAR AND NO BULLET HOLES, BUT KNEW THEIR WAS A LOT OF NOISE AND SOMETHING WAS WRONG. WE PULLED BACK THE COVER ON OUR SUN ROOF AND SAW THE GLASS WAS SHATTERED AND RAISED UPWARD. IT HAD EXPLODED. WE WENT TO THE DEALER IN WARNER ROBBINS AND THEY SAID IT LOOKED LIKE IT COULD HAVE BEEN A SMALL CRACK IN THE GLASS. A DEFECT. THEY VACUUMED OUT THE GLASS AND COVERED IT WITH CARDBOARD, PLASTIC GARBAGE BAGS AND PUT MASKING TAPE ALL AROUND IT TO PROTECT US. (THEY OF COURSE DID NOT HAVE THE PART.) THE HOTEL THERE ALLOWED US TO PARK UNDER THEIR ENTRANCE WHICH WAS COVERED AS IT WAS BEGINNING TO RAIN. ON 09/27/2018 AS SOON AS WE GOT HOME TO NASHVILLE, TN WE WENT TO THE DEALER WE HAD PURCHASED THIS CAR FROM ONLY 4 MONTHS EARLIER ON 06/02/2018. THEY HAVE REFUSED OUR CLAIM. WE DON'T THINK THIS IS FAIR SINCE WE DIDN'T CAUSE THIS, BUT THAT SEEMS TO BE SOP IN THESE CASES.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT COMPLAINED ABOUT A DESIGN FLAW WITH THE VEHICLE. WHILE DRIVING IN THE FOG, THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS REFLECTED LIGHT BACK, WHICH BLINDED THE DRIVER AND MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE AT NIGHT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO TOYOTA OF POWAY (858-486-2900, LOCATED AT 13631 POWAY RD, POWAY, CA 92064) WHERE THE LIGHTS WERE CHECKED. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT NO ADJUSTMENT WAS NEEDED AND THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PERFORMING AS DESIGNED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL. THE FAILURE WAS NOT REMEDIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 7,000.

WHILE DRIVING ON SATURDAY MORNING 9/29/18, I STOPPED AT A STOP LIGHT AND MY 2018 TOYOTA RAV4 LOST ALL ENGINE POWER WHILE IN TRAFFIC. THE COMPUTER VIDEO SCREEN SHOWED THE MESSAGE "CHARGING SYSTEM FAILURE\MALFUNCTION". I THEN ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND IT DID NOT CRANK OVER, I WAITED A FEW SECONDS, MADE ANOTHER ATTEMPT , THE VEHICLE STARTED. I PULLED OVER AND PARKED THE VEHICLE, LOOKED UP THE ERROR MESSAGE IN THE CAR MANUAL AND IT INSTRUCTED ME THAT IT WAS A SERIOUS PROBLEM AND TO TAKE THE VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY TO THE NEAREST TOYOTA DEALER. I THEN TOOK THE VEHICLE TO MY LOCAL DEALER, THEY RAN A VEHICLE DIAGNOSTIC REPORT, THEY FOUND NO ERROR MESSAGES OR VOLTAGE PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE. THEY OFFERED NO REASON FOR THE LOSS OF VEHICLE POWER. THE SERVICE MANAGER STATED THAT THEY COULD ONLY DIAGNOSE THE VEHICLE SO FAR AND THAT THEY WOULD NEED "CORPORATE" TO SEND SOMEONE OUT TO DO FURTHER DIAGNOSTICS ON THE BLACK BOX. ON 10/1/18, I OPENED A PROBLEM REPORT WITH TOYOTA USA AND WAS GIVEN A CASE#. .

MY 2018 RAV4 IS EQUIPPED WITH DYNAMIC RADAR CRUISE CONTROL, A FEATURE WHICH I LIKE VERY MUCH LIKE WHEN TRAVELING ON INTERSTATE HIGHWAYS. THIS FEATURE AUTOMATICALLY DECELERATES MY VEHICLE TO MATCH THE SPEED OF THE VEHICLE AHEAD AND KEEPS YOU FOLLOWING AT A SAFE DISTANCE. HOWEVER, THE SAFETY ISSUE I HAVE DISCOVERED IS THAT WHEN THE VEHICLE AUTOMATICALLY DECELERATES, IT APPARENTLY DOES NOT ACTIVATE THE BRAKE LIGHTS AND THE VEHICLE BEHIND YOU IS NOT WARNED THAT YOU ARE SLOWING DOWN. TWICE IN THE FIRST COUPLE MONTHS OF OWNING THIS VEHICLE, WHILE TRAVELING ON RELATIVELY STRAIGHT, FLAT, INTERSTATE HIGHWAYS, I HAD THE DYNAMIC RADAR CRUISE CONTROL ENGAGED AND THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME REDUCED SPEED FAIRLY QUICKLY (FROM APPROXIMATELY 65 TO 45MPH) DUE TO ROAD CONSTRUCTION. MY VEHICLE AUTOMATICALLY SLOWED ACCORDINGLY, BUT THE VEHICLE BEHIND ME DID NOT REALIZE I WAS SLOWING DOWN BECAUSE MY BRAKE LIGHTS DID NOT ACTIVATE AND I WAS VERY NEARLY REAR ENDED. FORTUNATELY, SERIOUS ACCIDENTS WERE NARROWLY AVOIDED IN BOTH THESE INCIDENTS. I BELIEVE THE DYNAMIC RADAR CRUISE CONTROL FEATURE IS VERY GOOD, VERY USEFUL FEATURE; HOWEVER, THE SYSTEM MUST BE MODIFIED TO ACTIVATE THE BRAKE LIGHTS WHEN THE VEHICLE AUTOMATICALLY DECELERATES. ONE OF THE INCIDENTS OCCURRED IN JULY, 2018, AND THE OTHER IN AUGUST, 2018. I HAVE DISCUSSED THE ISSUE WITH OUR LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER AND ALSO WITH THE TOYOTA CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE CENTER (800 331-4331). THE LATTER ESTABLISHED A CASE NUMBER (1809280901). I WISH TO ENSURE APPROPRIATE FOLLOW-UP OCCURS TO CORRECT THIS SAFETY ISSUE.

PURCHASED 2018 RAV 4 ADVENTURE THREE DAY'S AGO AND IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO DRIVE AT NIGHT ON A ROAD WITH NO OTHER AVAILABLE LIGHTING. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. IT APPEARS AS THOUGH A VEIL COVERS 1/2 TO 2/3 OF WINDSHIELD MAKING VISIBILITY NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE. THE BEAM ANGLE OF THE HEADLIGHTS BARELY COVER THE ROAD IN FRONT OF YOU AND NOTHING ABOVE THE HEIGHT OF THE VEHICLE HOOD. YOU CAN SEE NOTHING IN FRONT OF YOU AND EVEN LESS ON THE SIDES OF THE ROAD.CHANGING THE SETTING FROM AUTO, ON AND HIGH BEAM TO NOT CHANGE RESULT. I WANT TO RETURN THE VEHICLE. THERE IS NO POINT IN HAVING A VEHICLE YOU CAN ONLY DRIVE DURING THE DAY. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND VERY DISAPPOINTING! I HOPE NO ONE SUFFERS INJURY OR DEATH AS A RESULT OF THIS POOR DESIGN.