Short stories about Toyota RAV4 recalls, lawsuits, and other interesting bits. Signup to have these stories emailed to you for free from CarComplaints.com.
I'm hoping that'll catch on. So far there have been 11 fire incidents stemming from an issue with electrical shorts in the B+ terminals of the SUV's 12-volt batteries.…
keep reading article "4th Generation RAV4 Under Investigation For Battery Fires"The plaintiffs claim the vehicles have defective heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems that cause smells and health problems from mold that collects on the evaporators. Numerous complaints have allegedly been filed with the government, Toyota and Lexus dealerships nationwide since at least 1999.
This isn't the first time Toyota has been sued for musty A/C units.
keep reading article "Air Conditioner Lawsuit Complains About Mold Smell From Toyota HVAC"A judge in California has ruled in favor of dismissing a soy-wiring lawsuit because, in the court's eyes, the problems don't violate the terms of Toyota's express warranty.…
keep reading article "Judge Doesn’t Buy Claims of Soy Wiring Lawsuits"While an insurance company paid the bulk, a new lawsuit filed in Massachusetts wants to know when Toyota is going to pay for the decision to go with soy?…
keep reading article "A Second Soy-Wiring Lawsuit Has Been Filed in Massachusetts"According to the plaintiff, she learned the hard way about the soy wiring when her Avalon wouldn't start and a look under the hood showed wires chewed, so she had the car towed to a dealer. Toyota told her rodents had caused the damage and it would be no problem to repair the problems as long as she could cough up $6,000 to cover the bill.
The soy-based wiring is allegedly attracting in rodents, who love to chew it up and use it for nesting material. The lawsuit, Heidi Browder vs. Toyota Motor Corporation, et al. follows a similar lawsuit filed against Honda earlier this year.
keep reading article "Lawsuit Says Toyota’s Use of Soy-Based Wiring is Attracting Rodent Damage"The automaker thinks it's time to try something different. Gee Toyota, you think? Rear suspension arm failures first popped up four years ago in the 2006-2011 Toyota RAV4 and 2010 Lexus HS 250h. Toyota issued a recall and blamed the problem on some nuts that weren't tightened to spec. Cool, seems like an easy fix.
About a year later the same vehicles were recalled again for, you guessed it, rear suspension issues. This time dealers were told to inspect the tie rods for corrosion and slap some epoxy on there to prevent future damage.…
keep reading article "SUVs Recalled a Third Time for the Same Problem"If you like it really toasty — as in, with an actual flame — you’ll probably love one of 7,700 Toyota vehicles with seat heaters that catch on fire. The vehicles have been recalled because fire and cars don’t get along, what with their tanks of highly flammable liquids and all. All the affected vehicles are equipped with aftermarket accessory seat heaters that contain copper strand heating elements. The recall is being handled by Southeast Toyota Distributors (SET) which is the world’s largest distributor of Toyota and Scion vehicles.
The recall is expected to begin on July 14, 2016 and the seat heaters will need to be disconnected. Owners will be reimbursed.
keep reading article "Toyota Wants to Stop Seat Heaters From Setting Owner's Buns on Fire"Toyota says it's possible a component inside the actuator could have been damaged during manufacturing and could cause a loss of vehicle stability control.
I sure wish they could have stopped this before leaving the factory. I mean, these cars are brand new! When will owners catch a brake? (sorry folks, bad puns are part of the deal)
Toyota says your local dealer will need to check the serial number of your brake actuator to see if it needs replacement. For a full list of affected vehicles, visit our site.
keep reading article "Faulty Brake Actuators Can Cause a Loss of Stability Control"A new lawsuit says that the 2006-2008 model years have a nasty habit of chugging oil at the rate of 1-quart per 1,200 miles. That's just a tad bit off the 1-quart per 5,000 miles Toyota recommends for maintaining the engine's warranty. It's easy to see why you might be confused when the "CHECK ENGINE OIL" light comes on 3,800 miles early. It's also easy to see why you might be more confused when your Toyota dealer says its normal.
The lawsuit says Toyota dealers are being told to repair the engine, under warranty, if the consumer complains enough and their vehicle fails a test. However, consumers aren't being told the problem exists. So is it up to the owner to ask for repairs? Should Toyota be forced to repair all the defective engines? Is this just a ploy from the *United Auto Engine Oil Maker's Alliance?
*not a real agency ... we think
keep reading article "RAV4 Oil Consumption Lawsuit Filed in Illinois"The circuit board was probably messed up during assembly and can cause a sudden loss of power steering. If you're traveling at slow speeds and your power steering suddenly goes away, pulling over to the side of the road is going to feel like you're steering through a vat of caramel. That sounds delicious, by the way.…
keep reading article "Power Steering Circuit Recall"The distributor recently admitted that many accessories probably weren't attached with the proper torque and can fall off. Whoops! Since dropping a running board at 70mph on the highway is a serious safety concern, Toyota is recalling 3,942 vehicles to address the problem. That includes some:…
keep reading article "Optional Accessories Keep Falling Off"The best way to find out what's wrong with a vehicle is from the people who drive them. Not only do owner complaints help us rank vehicles by reliability, but they're often used to spark class-action lawsuits and warranty extensions. Plus, they're a great way to vent.