2018 TOYOTA RAV4 Engine Problems

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while at a stop at a traffic light, the vehicle independently accelerated and rear-ended another vehicle. The engine revved during the acceleration while the brake pedal was depressed. The vehicle continued to accelerate for 20 feet. No warning lights illuminated. No air bags deployed. No injuries were sustained, and medical attention was not sought. A police report was not filed. The contact stated that the failure had reoccurred while at a stop, and the vehicle traveled approximately 20 feet before coming to a complete stop while forcefully depressing the brake pedal. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 56,368.

Mileage: 56,368

The recall (NHTSA Recall # 23V734) has been un-repaired since 1 Nov 2023. The un-repaired recall did not cause a safety issue in my case, but I have moved to Canada and the recall has prevented me from registering and using the vehicle for the last for the past year (it is not possible to complete the import process or register any vehicle that has an outstanding recall).

I was on the freeway driving home and a vehicle cut me on the freeway which resulted in me breaking a little heavier than usual but wasn't abnormal and resulted in the vehicle shutting down due to the battery jumping around in the engine compartment and then instantaneously catching on fire with no way of steering or guiding myself to safety the highway did arrive on scene as well as ambulance and they only asked for registration and vehicle ownership which I hadn't presented but since a tow truck was on its way already they really had no reason to be there other than to make sure I was okay I do have case number and any other information needed for my vehicles abrupt explosion. This incident has been reported to Toyota of Anaheim as well as brand engagement been calling but haven't received helpful information on my loss

Crankshaft Sprocket prematurely breaks the guide for timing chain and engine issues. Results in a harsh start starting around 60k miles

Vehicle check engine light comes on, followed within 20 minutes by emergency alerts stating that multiple systems are failing or unavailable. It then says to get to a safe place within .3 miles. The car shuts itself down after .3 and is bricked until it is towed to a mechanic.this has happened 6 times this year.

My car caught on fire due to the battery shifting in February. I have all documentation of the process it took for Toyota to ever reach out just to tell me there was nothing they could do. I had to file a claim through insurance and pay some out of pocket for a fix. All for them to still have no remedy almost a year later. I can’t trade it in or else I’ll be under and have nearly 4-5k in negative equity since the car is now worth nothing due to the safety recall.

I was driving my car through the mountains on a very hot day. The speed limits are 65-70mph. After driving for a couple of hours, a warning light/message appeared: Hybrid system overheated Reduced output power The car began to have trouble maintaining speed. At one point I had to pull over and wait a while because the car became unresponsive to the accelerator. After waiting a bit, I was able to continue, but only at speeds around 40mph. I put my blinkers on because I was afraid of being hit by the other vehicles/trucks going 70. I took the car to a dealer outside of Pittsburgh and they could find nothing wrong, and no indication in the car's computer that anything had happened. I took the car to my local dealer when I got back home to Maryland, and they could find nothing. If they can't find what's wrong, they can't fix it. I have been in contact with Toyota customer service and they have no answers other than "see if it happens again". I am concerned that the car is no longer safe to drive if the temperature outside is high, and I need to go up steep hills.

Incident - [XXX] Car was not accelerating, started to lose power while driving on freeway approximately 70 mph, putting myself and other drivers in danger. Car finally stalled, was not turning on and AAA towed car to my local service shop - Downtown Toyota of Oakland 4145 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94611. Downtown Toyota of Oakland quoted me for diagnostic, new battery, new alternator and labor. [XXX] Looked my vehicle up by VIN and discovered multiple recalls due to battery issues and electrical issues resulting in the risk of fire. [XXX] Downtown Toyota of Oakland replace battery due to failing battery test results. [XXX] Submitted Battery Reimbursement form through AAA because battery fell under warranty. Battery had been purchased through AAA on [XXX]. [XXX] My 2018 Toyota is on its third battery replacement and needing a new alternator after 5 years with under 55,000 miles. This to me, confirms my Toyota is experiencing battery/electrical issues outlined in the recalls and the costs incurred having to replace an alternator which typically get replaced on vehicles much older than mine with between 100,000 and 150,000 miles. [XXX] Take my Toyota into Downtown Toyota to be looked at because of recalls. I provided Toyota's numbers for this recall (23TB13 and 23TA13). They did not do an inspection or service because they said that they did not have a solution yet. [XXX] Recall displayed on your website for my vehicle's VIN number. [XXX] The message "No recalls are currently applicable to your vehicle" displayed through Downtown Toyota of Oakland's website under OEM Recalls section when provided my vehicle's VIN number. I am filing this complaint for two reasons: 1). Toyota is failing to remedy this safety recall on my vehicle in a timely manner. 2). Downtown Toyota of Oakland website not displaying the current recall information is misleading to consumers. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Had issue with intermittant engine light and all warning lights going on with certain maneuvers. When lights on, car would turn off, while driving, if washers turned on. Dealer replaced alternator and thermostat, supposedly fixing, however, 3 days later same problem recurred and car turned off while traveling 70+ mph on major highway. Luckily, despite harrowing "near death" experience, we were able to maneuver off the road to await a tow.

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle was transmitting heat and a foul odor. The contact stated that the heat and odor entered the cabin of the vehicle even though the air condition was not activated. The contact stated that the heat was coming from the engine compartment. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 55,000.

Mileage: 55,000

1. It is not clear what component or system failed. While driving at around 70 mph, after 2-3 hours of driving, there is an audible "clunk" sound from below the car. Typically this is followed by a shuddering of the engine/transmission/power train. The car momentarily looses acceleration/speed. There are typically one or two "clunks" alternating with one to four "shudders." There is no action when depressing the accellerator. At this point I typically pull over to a rest stop or side of the highway to let the vehicle rest, and then re-start the vehicle, which causes the issue to not re-occur when the vehicle is driven again. Yes the vehicle is available for inspection upon request. 2. My safety and others' safety was put at risk by the vehicle not being able to accelerate when the accelerator is depressed. 3. The vehicle has been inspected by multiple Toyota dealers, including Watertown Toyota, Wellesley Toyota, and Wesboro Toyota (all in MA). The dealers all say they cannot duplicate the issue during test-driving an so they therefore cannot fix the issue. 4. No other warning lamps, messages, or symptoms appear prior to the failure. The most recent date this incident occurred was November 12, 2023. However this issue has been occurring a few times a year since approximately 35,000 miles. At approximately 55,000 miles I tried to get Wellesley Toyota to address the issue prior to the powertrain coming out of warranty at 60,000 miles. I reported this issue to Toyota recalls on Monday November 13, 2023. Toyota's case number for this issue is 231113002026.

Approximately mid May 2023, 5:15 PM +/_, while stopped at a red light while leaving the work parking structure, the engine revved up and wanted to move forward. Forcing the driver to apply heavy pressure on the brakes to avoid being forced into the intersection. An opening presented itself, the brakes were released and the car entered the intersection. Once moving forward the "unintended acceleration" stopped and the car performed as normal.There were no check engine, need service lights or indicators on the dash. With none of the above present we didn't expect a dealership to take our word of the incident. Then, on Oct 19th, app 5:30 PM the unintended acceleration happened again. While in town driving and stopped at a red light the engine revved up and the unintended acceleration was trying to force the car forward. Excessive pressure was needed on the brakes to hold the car in place and the transmission was put into park. Once in park the revving stopped. With a foot on the brake the car was put into drive and it performed normally. The driver was upset with a high level of anxiety of not knowing if or when it could happen again. The potential of hitting a pedestrian, another vehicle or being T-boned was very high in both incidents. An appointment was made at the dealership t next day and couldn't get it in until 10-31-23, 7:20 PM. Before taking it to the dealership we tried to replicate the unintended acceleration. After 8 miles and 30 minutes we were not successful. The dealership could not reproduce the event but acknowledged with documentation that this is a known problem. I am in possession of a Toyota Dealer UA Process Flow chart specific to these events. After the dealer went into the vehicle history they are saying there is nothing wrong with the car and the cause is driver error. The dealer can not give me a specific date of the event they claim was driver error. We have driven the car for almost 4 years, majority driven by one person with no incident.

I have a similar complaint as NHTSA ID Number: 11210210. On several trips over the past few years, while traveling at speeds of 70 mph, my vehicle would have a loud bang and then start bucking and jerking when I briefly let off the accelerator. About 2 weeks ago, I was looking at my speedometer at the time when the bucking started happening. The EV light came on for a brief second and the needle on the charging gage briefly dropped down into the charging status. It seems that the EV motor was trying to engage at speeds causing the bucking. This seems like to be a major concern when traveling at highway speeds. The engagement of the EV motor at highway speeds is like unintended engine braking that possibly lockup the engine and loss of control.

The contact owned a 2018 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal odor of smoke detected from the vents. The contact pulled over and the vehicle caught fire. There were no warning lights illuminated. There were no reported injuries or air bag deployments. The fire department extinguished the fire. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot. The contact called the local dealer but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was deemed a total loss by the insurance company. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

Mileage: 120,000

We purchased a 2018 RAV 4 from a DCH Toyota Dealership in Freehold on March 16,2023. In the beginning of June 2023, we saw a message on the dashboard indicating TRAC off and AWD malfunction 2wd mode. the mechanic that we took it too to do a diagnostic to let us know what this message means says there is a transmission problem. In the end, the dealership gave us a junk of a car that was on its last leg and this is misleading your customers. We should not be facing this type of issues 3 months in driving a car.

On the morning of November 4, 2021, at 6:15 a.m., driver was driving to her job as a shuttle driver. She made no stops on her way to work. At approximately 6:30 a.m, drive exited South Padre Island Drive off of Nile Road in her silver 2018 Toyota RAV-4. As she exited the freeway, her car’s console screen went blank, all electricity to the car cut out, and the engine shut off. The car restarted once, cut out again, and then restarted again as she pulled into her employer's driveway. The car cut out once more, and coasted into the parking lot in front of employer. Driver smelled electrical burning and shortly thereafter saw black smoke coming out of the hood. She quickly got out of the car and called 911 after moving safely away from the vehicle and inside the building. A police patroller arrived first and was unable to put out the fire, and at about 6:45 a.m. the Fire Department came and put the fire out.

Bought brand new 04/02/2018. First battery died July 2018. First cooling system needed replaced December 2019 due to overheating issues. There has been 7 battery replacements, about two each year, the two most recent was July 2022 and October 31, 2022. Second cooling system replaced December 2022 due to overheating issue. Damaged engine and needed to replace engine. Other issues have been stalling while driving in traffic; stalling while turning and at traffic lights. Was told by Toyota technician that it was due to extremely low oil. I asked why no low oil light came on and he stated it must be damaged but too expensive to repair. My wife and I had our safety at risk due to stalling in traffic and being stranded due to dead batteries. One night we had to sleep in a grocery store parking lot as a tow truck wasn’t available that night. Toyota states they test the batteries and find nothing wrong even after at least two of them exploded and leaked acid. This could have created a fire and/or engine damage. They just keep replacing them over and over. I have estimate from independent repair shop of possible diagnosis for battery issue. I can not have an independent repair shop even move a bolt or warranties will be voided. During the second overheating was told by Geico insurance inspector no codes were found despite overheating had occurred and severe enough to cause engine damage. Never receive any warning lights for any problems that occurred; the problems happen with no warnings. The second overheating issue left us almost freezing to death as we could not make it back home and had to pull over; tow truck was unavailable that night. Have all service records; too many to upload here; files too big. Please contact via email [email protected].

My husband and I were driving down the road when we had warning lights and signals going off in the car and the electric was trying to reset in the car. The car was sputtering and stalled out. we managed to pull the car over as white smoke came from under the hood of the car and we jumped out and grabbed our dog as flames started to shoot from under the hood. We have never had any incident happen prior to this to indicate there would be any problems. The car is available for inspection if requested. The insurance company has not inspected the vehicle yet and is transporting it to a salvage yard for inspection.

The contact owned a 2018 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated while driving approximately at 35 MPH, the vehicle suddenly shut down completely. Prior to the shutdown, the instrument panel continuously was flashing. The contact drove safely to the side of the highway. The contact noticed smoke and fire being exhausted from under the driver side of the engine. The contact notified 911, and the fire department arrived on the scene. The fire department extinguished the fire with water and a fire extinguisher. There was a fire department report filed. There were no injuries sustained. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot. The fire department and towing company informed the contact the vehicle was completely lost. The approximate failure mileage was 68,000

Mileage: 68,000

The contact owned a 2018 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while driving at 20-25 MPH and making a turn into a parking lot, the vehicle intermittently lost power steering and electrical power twice. The contact continued to drive and as she drove over a speed bump, the vehicle stalled and lost electrical power. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that she saw smoke coming out from underneath the hood of the vehicle. The contact quickly exited the vehicle and noticed that the vehicle was on fire. The contact did not sustain any injuries. The contact was able to extinguish the fire with the assistance of the fire department. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot, where it was totaled. The Chevrolet dealer who sold the vehicle to the contact was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 107,000.

Mileage: 107,000

Multiple times the cars front left sensor when wet, after heavy rains, will beep and flash on dash for no reason. I turn off the back up assist function and the beeping stops. Also, the rav won't engage drive on occasion when going from park to drive. After waiting a bit of time, drive appears on dash and car will go. Just this Saturday (10-16-21) after this p to d problem occurred, the engine lost ALL POWER, and drive turned off In traffic. I had to push the car out of busy 3 lane traffic while my friend turned the wheel. after 10 minutes it again engaged and we drove it home. My fear is if this electric issue occurs when Iam going 70 mph, I may crash and injure myself or others. Dealer to look at. VERY SCARY!

The car lost the power and speed and got an error "AWD sytem malfunction, 2WD mode engage, see dealer". Car stopped and then did not restart. Itis dangerous situation where car lost the speed a d power the middle of the road in traffic.

WHILE DRIVING, THERE IS A LITTLE SHAKES ON THE CAR AND A MESSAGE APPEARED THAT THE ANTI LOCKING BRAKE FAILED. I STOP THE VEHICLE AND I SAW SMOKE COMING FROM THE HOOD. I TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE AND TOOK THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION. A FIRE START COMING OUT OF THE HOOD AND I TOLD MY WIFE TO GET OUT OF THE VEHICLE AND I GET OUT ALSO, THE DRIVER OF A VEHICLE BEHIND US CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND IN A FEW MINUTES THE FIRE FIGHTERS ARRIVED AND START EXTINGUISHING THE FIRE. THE FIRE ENGULF THE WHOLE VEHICLE.

VEHICLE IN MOTION. I TRIED TO ACCELERATE TO PASS ON OTHER VEHICLE AND ACCELERATION STALLED OUT. THIS HASS OCCURED ON 3 SEPARATE OCCASIONS. BUT IT IS NOT CONSISTANT ON ALL OCCASIONS.

Mileage: 21,000

CAR IS FAILING TO SPEED UP PAST 60 UNLESS USING CRUISE CONTROL THEN THE CAR USED A LOT MORE GAS THEN NORMAL. I ALSO TRIED TO PASS A CAR TO GET UP TO HIGHWAY SPEED AND WAS UNABLE TO, VERY DANGEROUS ON THE HIGHWAY. THEN THE CAR WOULD NOT GO PAST 40 I TRIED TO SWITCH FROM ECO TO SPORT TO NORMAL THINKING THAT MAYBE THE COMPUTER WAS CONFUSED BUT THAT DID NOTHING. SO AFTER TRYING TO SPEED UP MULTIPLE TIMES I GOT A HYBRID MALFUNCTION LIGHT AND TOLD TO PULL OVER. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME IN THE PAST AS WELL. TOYOTA DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE ANY ISSUES WITH IT AND JUST RESET THE COMPUTER.

Mileage: 66,000

PULLED INTO DRIVEWAY AND HAD FOOT ON BREAK. GOING VERY SLOW TO PARK . WENT TO PUT CAR INTO PARK AND CAR LUNGED FORWARD AND HIT GARAGE. BACKED UP AND CAR WENT VERY FAST SO HAD TO MOVE FORWARD AGAIN OUT OF ROAD. PUT CAR INTO DRIVE AND CAT SURGED FORWARD AND OUT OF CONTROL. ABLE TO AVOID GARAGE BUT CAR WENT BESIDE GARAGE, AND INTO SLIGHT DROP OFF. I WAS ABLE TO STOP CAR BY FLOORING BREAK AND PUTTING INTO PARK. CALLED POLICE THEY MADE REPORT, CALLED ROADSIDE SERVICE AND TOWED TO DOWNEAST TOYOTA IN BREWER MAINE. IT'S NOW GOING TO HAVE INFORMATION PULLED AND RESEARCHED TO DETERMINE WHAT HAPPENED. NO PICTURES. A LOT OF DAMAGE TO FRONT AND MAYBE UNDERNEATH. CAR WENT OVER A CEMENT BLOCK.

Mileage: 47,800

WHEN I'M DRIVING AT SLOW SPEEDS THE ENGINE FEELS LIKE IT STALLED OR DOWNSHIFTED AND THE DISPLAY GETS DARK BUT CAR IS STILL 'ON', HOWEVER, IT WILL NO LONGER ACCELERATE. THE STEERING SEEMS TO BE AFFECTED TOO. UNFORTUNATELY, IT ONLY RESOLVED BY TURNING THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON, CAUSING TRAFFIC TO STOP OR SWERVE TO AVOID HITTING ME 3X THE PAST 2 WEEKS.

Mileage: 8,000

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2018 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED AFTER PARKING AND RETURNING TO THE VEHICLE IN THEIR GARAGE, SMOKE WAS SEEN COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT QUICKLY ENTERED THE VEHICLE AND REVERSED THE VEHICLE OUT OF THE GARAGE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED BY THE FIRE. THE CONTACT CALLED FRANK FLETCHER TOYOTA (2209 S RANGELINE RD, JOPLIN, MO 64804 (417) 622-5447) AND WAS INFORMED THAT SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS MOVED THEY COULD OFFER NO ASSISTANCE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 48,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

Mileage: 48,000

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH OR LESS, THE VEHICLE HAS STALLED WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS RELEASED IN MOVING TRAFFIC 5 TIMES. THE FAILURE OCCURRED FOUR TIMES IN APRIL, 3 TIMES WHILE DRIVING TO WORK. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO TOYOTA ESCONDIDO (231 E LINCOLN PKWY, ESCONDIDO, CA 92026, (760) 300-1112) TO BE DIAGNOSED AND THREE ABNORMAL CODES APPEARED, WHICH INDICATED ROUGH IDLING AND FAILURE WITH THE VEHICLE STARTING. THE MANUFACTURING WAS CONTACTED AND COULD NOT LOCATE A FAILURE. THE CONTACT WROTE TO THE DEALER'S OWNER AND REQUESTED THAT THEY EXTEND THE WARRANTY; HOWEVER, THE REQUEST WAS DENIED. THE MANUFACTURER PROMISED TO CALL THE CONTACT BACK, BUT DID NOT CALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,652. *BF CONSUMER STATED TOYTOA WAS UNABLE TO ESTABLISH A ROOT CAUSE. 'PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).'*JB

Mileage: 8,652

WHILE DRIVING THE CAR JUST SHUT DOWN AND THE CODE READ CHARGING SYSTEM MALFUNCTION, WE HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY ERASED THE CODES BUT THEY ACKNOWLEDGED THEY EXISTED HOWEVER THEY SAID THERE IS NOTHING WRONG AND WANT US TO CONTINUE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE WITH NO ASSURANCE IT WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN

Mileage: 4,700

AFTER PURCHASING OUR BRAND-NEW 2018 RAV4 FROM AUTHORIZED TOYOTA DEALER, WE WERE HEADING BACK HOME. ON OUR WAY, WE NOTICED BURNING SMELL FOLLOWED BY BLACK SMOKE FILLED FRONT SIDE OF THE CABIN. I QUICKLY MOVED MY CAR TO THE RIGHT SIDE PARKING LOT. WHILE CHANGING THE LANE I COULD NOT EVEN SEE THE RIGHT MIRROR BECAUSE OF THE BLACK SMOKE IN THE CABIN. AS SOON AS I PARKED THE CAR AND WE GOT OFF THE CAR, WITHIN A FEW SECONDS FLAMES FROM THE HOODS WERE NOTICED I CALLED EMERGENCY SERVICE (911) AND TO OUR DISBELIEF TO WATCH OUR NEW CAR BURNING IN FRONT OF US. IT WAS ONLY 15 MINS DRIVE FROM DEALER WHEN WE THE INCIDENT HAPPENED. IT TOOK ONLY 10 MINS TO SEE MY CAR WAS DESTROYED BY FLAMES. I COULD NOT GET ANYTHING OUT FROM FRONT OR BACK SEATS

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#. .

Mileage: 3,500