2018 Toyota RAV4 problems and owner complaints

MY RAV4 CAUGHT FIRE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT WHILE PARKED ON THE STREET IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE. IT HAD BEEN PARKED FOR 12+ HOURS. AFTER BURNING FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES, IT EXPLODED WITH A FORCE SO GREAT THAT IT LIFTED THE CAR ONTO THE CURB, KNOCKED OVER A FIREFIGHTER, AND DAMAGED OUR BOAT PARKED 10 FEET ACROSS THE STREET. THE INSPECTOR FROM THE FIRE DEPARTMENT DETERMINED THE INITIAL FIRE WAS FROM FAULTY ELECTRICAL WIRING BUT SAID HE HAD NEVER SEEN A CAR EXPLODE IN HIS 25 YEARS ON THE FORCE. TOYOTA CONDUCTED THEIR OWN INVESTIGATION AND AGREED IT WA…

Owner-reported narrative. 500 miles reported. Look up ODI 11121578 at NHTSA ↗

I HAVE A NEW XLE AND THE HEADLIGHTS ARE DANGEROUS. THESE ARE PROJECTOR HEADLIGHTS THAT CAST A VERY FOCUSED BEAM FORWARD. IT IS FRIGTENING WHEN YOU DRIVE IN SOME ROADS WITHOUT A LOT OF AMBIENT LIGHT. WITH THE LOW BEAMS ON, IT IS LIKE SOMEONE PAINTED THE TOP HALF OF MY WINDSHIELD BLACK. THERE IS LITTLE PERIPHERAL ILLUMINATION, SO I CAN SEE WHAT IS DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ME, AND NOTHING ELSE. WHERE THE ROAD INCLINES DOWN, THE ILLUMINATION CUTS OUT JUST A FEW FEET OFF THE GROUND, BELOW THE LEVEL OF THINGS LIKE STOP SIGNS. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO PERIP…

Owner-reported narrative. 11,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11183530 at NHTSA ↗

I WAS DRIVING IN A FAST FOOD DRIVE THROUGH. IT WAS A STOP AND GO PACE BECAUSE THERE WERE AROUND 5 CARS BEFORE ME AND WAS TRAVELING APPROX 3 MPH. I BEGAN TO PROCEED BUT THIS TIME AS I WENT TO APPLY MY BRAKES THEY WENT TO THE FLOOR AND I COULDN'T STOP THE CAR. IN ORDER TO AVOID THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME I TURNED MY WHEEL TO THE RIGHT AND JUMPED THE CURB AND HIT A WALL. THE VEHICLE WAS 3 DAYS OLD.

Owner-reported narrative. 134 miles reported. Look up ODI 11056950 at NHTSA ↗

THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY IN A DRIVEWAY FOR APPROXIMATELY 2 HOURS. AFTER PULLING AWAY FROM THE HOUSE, DASH PANEL INDICATORS WERE SHOWING MALFUNCTIONS ON BRAKE SYSTEMS, AWS, ETC. IT SHOWED THAT ALL COMPUTER SYSTEMS WERE MALFUNCTIONING. I DROVE IMMEDIATELY TO THE DEALER. INSPECTION SHOWED THAT THE WIRE HARNESS ON THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN CHEWED APART, OFF, AND INSULATION HAD BEEN REMOVED. I INVESTIGATED THE INTERNET ON THIS PROBLEM AND IT SEEMS THAT SEVERAL VEHICLE MAKES AND MODELS WERE AFFECTED. IT SEEMS THAT THE MANUFACTURES WERE USING A FOOD BASE…

Owner-reported narrative. 980 miles reported. Look up ODI 11076389 at NHTSA ↗

MY 2018 TOYOTA RAV4 HAS STALLED 5 TIMES WHILE DRIVING ON CITY STREETS IN MOVING TRAFFIC, FIRST TIME IN FEB 2019 WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK, IN APRIL THREE TIMES WHILE DRIVING TO WORK AND ONE TIME WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK(RUSH HOUR). ALL DOCUMENTED WITH TOYOTA. OCCURS WHEN I TAKE MY FOOT OFF THE GAS WHILE DRIVING, AND DIFFICULTY RESTARTING AFTER IT STALLS WITH LOSS OF POWER AND SPUTTERING. 'CHARGING SYSTEM MALFUNCTION' WARNING MSG APPEARED ON DASHBOARD(I TOOK PHOTO AND EMAILED TO TOYOTA). I FOLLOWED INSTRUCTIONS IN 2018 TOYOTAL RAV4 OWNE…

Owner-reported narrative. 8,940 miles reported. Look up ODI 11205338 at NHTSA ↗

MY 2018 TOYOTA RAV4 HAS STALLED 5 TIMES WHILE DRIVING ON CITY STREETS IN MOVING TRAFFIC, FIRST TIME IN FEB 2019 WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK, IN APRIL THREE TIMES WHILE DRIVING TO WORK AND ONE TIME WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK(RUSH HOUR). ALL DOCUMENTED WITH TOYOTA. OCCURS WHEN I TAKE MY FOOT OFF THE GAS WHILE DRIVING, AND DIFFICULTY RESTARTING AFTER IT STALLS WITH LOSS OF POWER AND SPUTTERING. 'CHARGING SYSTEM MALFUNCTION' WARNING MSG APPEARED ON DASHBOARD(I TOOK PHOTO AND EMAILED TO TOYOTA). I FOLLOWED INSTRUCTIONS IN 2018 TOYOTAL RAV4 OWNE…

Owner-reported narrative. 8,940 miles reported. Look up ODI 11205340 at NHTSA ↗

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.

Owner-reported narrative. 5,760 miles reported. Look up ODI 11139303 at NHTSA ↗

I PURCHASED MY RAV4 BRAND NEW MID/LATE YEAR 2018. IN DECEMBER AT APP. 10000 MILES I STARTED HAVING ISSUES WITH THE GEARS. SHIFTING FROM PARK TO ANY GEAR I WOULD HEAR A LOUD BANGING TYPE NOISE AND THE ENTIRE CAR WOULD JERK. ALONG WITH THAT ISSUES I HAVE NOTICED A DELAYED ACCELERATION AT GREEN LIGHTS SOMETIMES TO THE POINT WHERE I GET A TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT ONCE IT HAS KICKED IN OR EVEN JERKING WHILE FINDING THE CORRECT GEAR TO BE IN. ONCE I HAVE ACCELERATED AND LET OFF THE GAS, AND THEN RETURNED TO THE ACCELERATION PEDAL AFTER BRAKING OR JUST …

Owner-reported narrative. 10,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11299733 at NHTSA ↗

THE AIR CONDITIONER / HEATER / VENTILATION SYSTEM IS IMPOSSIBLE TO OPERATE WITHOUT THE DRIVER TAKING THEIR EYES OFF THE ROAD. THE RADIO IS VERY DIFFICULT TO OPERATE WITHOUT THE DRIVER TAKING THEIR EYES OFF THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE REQUIRES DISTRACTED DRIVING. THE HORN CANNOT BE SOUNDED BY PRESSING THE STEERING WHEEL SPOKES; THE DRIVER MUST TAKE A HAND OFF THE STEERING WHEEL AND PRESS THE CENTER HORN "BUTTON". IF THERE IS A COLLISION AT THAT TIME, THE AIRBAG WILL EXPLOSIVELY FORCE THE DRIVER'S HAND INTO THEIR FACE. THE SPEEDOMETER IS VERY …

Owner-reported narrative. 14 miles reported. Look up ODI 11119743 at NHTSA ↗

THE TOYOTA RAV4 WAS HEADING EAST ON I-10 FREEWAY NEAR SKY HARBOR AIRPORT ARIZONA. A SUDDEN POP SOUND WITH STEERING PROBLEM FOLLOWED... LUCKILY IT WAS 11PM (11/27/2018) AND NO CARS AROUND, AND ABLE TO QUICKLY AND SAFELY DRIVING THE RAV4 TO THE SHOULDER OF FREEWAY. ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE (PRE-PAID PROGRAM) DISPATCHED A TECHNICIAN TO REPLACE DEFECTIVE FRONT PASSENGER-SIDE TIRE WITH SPARE TIRE.

Owner-reported narrative. 19,650 miles reported. Look up ODI 11154684 at NHTSA ↗

I PURCHASED MY 2018 RAV4 IN NOVEMBER 2019. I HAD THE CAR FOR ABOUT 3 MONTHS WHEN I DROVE TO WORK, THE CAR ACTED SLUGGISH, WAS PRESSING ON THE GAS PEDAL BUT WASN'T GOING FASTER. THEN I HAD TO GO TO BANK, MY CAR WOULDN'T MOVE THE RPMS WENT UP TO 5 BUT CAR DIDNT MOVE, FINALLY CAR JUMPED SO I PRESSED ON GAS AN IT TRIED TO STALL SO I LET OFF, THEN CAR ACTED LIKE IT HAD POWER AGAIN THE CAR DID THIS ALL THE WAY TO BANK. IT SAT IDEAL WHILE I WAS AT THE BANK I NOTICED THE CAR SMELLED GASSY, THEN IT DID THE SAME ALL THE WAY BACK TO WORK. WHEN I GOT BACK…

Owner-reported narrative. 1,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 11316432 at NHTSA ↗

GAS NEEDLE SHOWS EMPTY WHEN GAS TANK IS HALF FULL. THIS OCCURS WHEN AUTO IS STATIONARY, AND IN MOTION.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11320248 at NHTSA ↗