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Clearinghouse for issues with the Gen5 Rav4.

70K views 103 replies 46 participants last post by  Robert with a Camry 
#1 · (Edited)
I was thinking that it might be helpful to have a thread where folks could list any/all "legit" issues that they've experienced with their new Rav4. The point is not to bash Toyota, etc., but rather provide insight to trends with the new model and to encourage people with issues to not be bashful in asking dealerships and/or Toyota to deal with them. Maybe the moderators can make this thread a "sticky".

Please post when you purchased the vehicle, and where it was manufactured (Japan or Canada) followed by the issue(s).
 
#49 ·
My 2019 Rav4 limited hybrid driver's side mirror shakes a bit... but it seems only on hightways ? ? It is not a terrible shake, just something I have not seen in my 40+ years of driving cars. The passenger side does not (that I can see), nor the backup mirror. I will try something (when I get it back - see below), turn off the radio. I'm wondering if it's bass from the speaker ? I tried a Ford Edge base model and their Platinum with fancy B&O system. Almost bought it... but the Rav4 sound is head over heels... due to the base sound. I'm wondering if the speakers are TOO good and vibrating the door. Hence speaker shake. The mirrors just shake every once in awhile, not all the time.

Right now it's sitting at the dealer, the memory seats don't work (right from the lot) and they had it today and want it tomorrow. I only had it two days...they will have it two days. I found the solution in a forum, why can't the dealer ? A number of others are having the same memory seat problems.
 
#50 ·
I had already worked out a resolution with the dealer prior to Toyota Corporate calling me back. She said the same bunch of garbage about it being a normal characteristic and at the same time acknowledging the issue. Since I have a resolution, I didn't push back or engage with her. I wasn't surprised. I was able to work out a fair trade for another vehicle with the dealer. That's my resolution. While disappointed with my experience, I'm grateful that the dealer cares and is working with me. I'll have a different vehicle early May, and it will be my last Toyota and my last brand new car. Maybe the 2020's will be better, but I'm done after this.


My next car will be a gently used Honda, Subaru or Mazda in about 3 years. I'll ask for an extended test drive.



As far as resolving this, It seems the best way to is to work with the dealer, or of course live with it as Toyota wants you to. Be as polite and professional as you can, don't yell or swear. Keep on explaining your concerns and asking for them to help resolve it. last resort, since this is a Toyota, it will hold its value (hopefully) enough so that even if you did 100% financing you will be break even in 3 years.
 
#51 · (Edited)
Hummm, glad I got the hybrid, but the gas model the wife said was to noisy.

Mirrors: Not a bad shake, but I can notice it. Dealer fixed the memory seats but said they could not do anything about the shaking driver's mirror.

Heated seats: or as I call them "warm seats" Again the dealer said it was normal. Even I say these are not hot and I have 3 heat levels.

Directional "tick": Barely hear them. Again dealer says they are not adjustable. He says he looked in the Techstream settings program. I can make them blink a number of times... how about volume in those settings.

Blind Spot: My Hyundai will 'Beep" if I have the directionals on and someone is in (or comes in) my blind spot. Toyota has no option for that. YET, Rear Sensor Monitor.... that beeps !

Remote start: I have the wonderful opportunity to pay $80 a year since I have the Entune Plus or Platinum version and the remote start (and stop when you open the door) is built in for the FOB or App version !

Remote start until you open a door. Hyundai, Ford, Buick, Chevy, Cadillac all will remote and keep running when you open the door. I know as I drove each of those during test rides the past month. Toyota, Volvo, Infinity, Subaru and BMW are the ones that will stop when you open the door. My Hyundai, I can remote start, open the door. If I don't have the key on me and hit the brake, off it goes. No aftermarket can fix the Toyota problem either.
 
#53 ·
Got a call back from TC yesterday and they again state that there's nothing wrong with my vehicle (I'd like to know their rationale). Since I had asked that Toyota do a buy back if they are not going to acknowledge or try fix the problem the rep said she was going to submit the paperwork for that and that it would be around 45 days until I hear back about it. I'm not sure how certain a buy back with no fight from Toyota will be at this point.

I can say that I'm disappointed. I like the vehicle a lot minus the problems, and they've made no attempt to diagnose or fix anything other than the distorted mirror. No fluid check, no attempt to reset the computer, etc.

I can understand caution on their part when it comes to saying that their transmissions may have an issue that they will need to address, but I don't have much tolerance for them to flat out state that the transmission is functioning normally when it's clearly not (their crappy internal, low-bar standards not withstanding) nor the ridiculous arguments given by the specialist when he came out to look at the vehicle. Not to mention the dealer service manager getting angry and rude with me.
 
#55 ·
Greetings! Monday I picked up my Hybrid LE. What a difference! 40MPG and drives like a dream. I'll share some of the details as to how I accomplished this without paying a penny more:



I had been going back in forth with both the dealership, and Toyota corporate. I was about ready to just trade it when I decided to make some phone calls. First to inquire about the lemon law, which may have ultimately been an option. I spoke with an attorney who handles lemon law complaints. She advised me to get it into the dealership 2 more times, or to another dealership or even a private mechanic to document the problem. After that, it would have been possible to file the lemon law complaint. I did some additional research after talking with the attorney, and discovered the Consumer Assistance Program, part of the Attorney Generals office. I filed a complaint with them. It took about 15 minutes to complete an online form. The next day they sent it to the dealership and Toyota Corporate, both were named in the complaint. I was sent a notification that the my complaint was submitted to the business(s). Within 2 hours I had an email from the GM at the dealership offering me the Hybrid for the same terms. Same payment, same months, nothing down. Basically a "do-over". I was even offered a rental car for the 3 weeks it would take before they came in. I accepted this offer, but not the rental car since I was going away for 2 weeks. The next day he called me and he reserved one of the Hybrids for me. I went on vacation and the day after I got back the new one was in, and I went and picked it up.



My payment even went down 5 bucks and I added some additional coverage for lost keys and tire road hazard. I figured why not, the payment was still lower and it gives me some piece of mind. I drive 3000k miles a month (Uber and Lyft) so needed a reliable car, which is why I bought a Toyota to begin with. Throughout this process I was polite, professional, and calm. The dealership was very generous in this, as they had no legal obligation, as they would have if I had won a lawsuit or lemon law complaint. They legitimately wanted to make me happy. I also suspect that they profit margins are so good that they still didn't lose money overall in working with me on these two deals.



I do feel Toyota has an issue here, and at some point it may be resolved. Until then, if you haven't bought one I'd recommend the Hybrid. The price is nearly the same, and as I mentioned, you get alloy wheels and climate control, plus 25% better MPG.
 
#56 ·
ApplesVT, well that's great you had the problem taken care of by the dealer. I am waiting on Toyota to process my buyback request. Not sure what to expect. I will be sad if they do buy it back and upset if they don't... It would be nice if they just fixed it.

Right now my last tank mpg, hand calculated was 35. I've had up to 43 mpg reported on the computer on trips home from work. It's nice.
 
#57 ·
Thanks to all you folks and many on the new car review websites, I will now wait until 2020 or 2021 if it takes it for Toyota to correct the many issues (problems) with this new 2019 RAV4 model.
Our 2007 Sienna has 115K miles and I hope it is reliable enough for the wait.
Thanks for starting this most informative post subject.
montegutman
 
#58 ·
not sure why there are any surprises here. This is a totally, all new vehicle, even with Toyota there are bound to be problems.

Toyota ain't what it used to be, becoming more like GM every day. We've had many Toyotas, Hondas, BMWs, Chrysler/Jeep etc.

Our 2011 is running strong with 160k, but had a transmission replaced (TSB), rear hatch completely failed, tore away from body, (replaced under warranty)....our 2017 Corolla has CVT problems (widely discussed here, TSB)...

and the 8 speed auto has had problems in the Camry LAST YEAR, not resolved yet, and not sure why any of you are surprised you're having problems with the transmission here.

Google Toyota 8 speed transmission and you'll see lots and lots of complaints....pick whatever source you deem trustworthy.

again, this isn't a new issue, they were having problems with this stupid transmission in the Camry more than a year ago, and research highlights this. THat's why i was taking a wait and see approach on the 2019 Rav4, because the problems were well documented and not resolved yet.

Buying a first generation model, with a known faulty transmission, is asking for trouble.

Im a big Toyota fan but honestly there seem to be way more problems than there used to be. My neighbor has a plain jane Ford Fusion sedan with 160k miles, runs like a top.

I'd avoid Rav4 until mid cycle, they have a lot of issues to resolve. This caused me to look at Hybrid, but battery replacement if you need it is $6,000, and there are LOTS of problems that people can only put 10 or 11 gallons of gas in it, the fuel filler canister or neck appear to be incorrectly designed.

I'm waiting to see if they can resolve these first model year problems. I can live with a lot of little issues, but transmission problems is such a basic function....not acceptable...their 6 speed is bullet proof, but 8 speed is garbage. Its even noted in the reviews, surprised you guys didn't notice this.

And to top it off, the Adventure model is having big problems with the driveline disconnect feature, from FWD to AWD, they are already replacing transfer cases and can't figure out what is wrong. Ugh.

I thought I could just buy 2019 Rav4 and drive it to 150k...but...not sure at all now. Don't like CRV, and Rogue is garbage, CVT problems...
 
#59 ·
Sound Logic - tagheuer's post

I too have my Last GM vehicle in my stable - a 2005 K2500 Yukon LX (My last work vehicle before retiring in 2009). Will keep it til it dies and that will require much nursing.
I'm thinking of looking into the 2020 Subaru Outback as a replacement for my wife's 2007 Sienna??
I am trying to avoid Turbo engines and not fond of CVTs. I have not found complaints about their CVT.
Will have to take a look and do some serious searches. Hopefully they have resolved their cylinder head and gasket corrosion issue?? I much appreciate this website discussions forums as all participants conduct themselves civilly and most with some logic. Sure wish Toyota would pay serious attention to this website.
 
#60 · (Edited)
I took my RAV4 Limited in Friday for the rolling stop lurching problem. I have had the RAV4 3 months and put 1,000 miles on it. Have had the problem since day 1. The technician came and told me this was normal for an 8 speed. I asked for the manager and he called the shop foreman to take it for a test ride with me. He did notice the problem and arranged for a rental and to leave the car for a couple days. I got a call today that they did i think was a hard reset to get the car to new specifications and it was better. When I picked it up it was no better. They then said it is the way this car is, all RAV4's on their lot are like this and there was no fix just a characteristic of the design. Since there was nothing they could do they said I could call Toyota if i wanted to but there was no fix.
 
#61 ·
After reading about all the problems here and on other forums with the new RAV4, mirrors shaking, memory problems, transmission clunking and having problems getting a full tank of gas with some of the hybrids, I am glad that I cancelled my order for the 2019 RAV that I ordered back in May. Also cancelled because now the latest delivery was to be late September. My 2016 Hybrid has always been trouble free.
 
#70 ·
Purchased 2019 limited RAV 4 in March, made in Japan. Problem is with the dynamic torque vectoring AWD rear wheel disconnect. When it engages or disengages the rear wheels get an annoying loud "clunk". Toyota says this is "..characteristic of the vehicle..." and they "..may fix it later when they get more complaints.. " !! Here is what it does: the car must be driven a few miles before the "clunk" starts. Appears the problem is temperature related i.e. fluid in transfer case or expansion of drive train components. So at about 22 MPH at light throttle the rear wheels disconnect for fuel economy purposes. There is a "ker-clunk"noise at disengagement . In situations where vehicle is slowing down as speed reduces to about 20 MPH there is a "ker-clunk" noise as the re-engagement of the rear wheel drive occurs. Have been to several dealers but they say this is ".. characteristic of the vehicle.. " Only does this in eco or normal mode. In sport mode do not get the noise. This is clearly not an engineered noise and is very disturbing. Has anyone had this problem and what did Toyota tell you. tks
 
#74 ·
Wow! I'm a BMW guy and I wanted for once to buy a reliable vehicle for my family lol. After reading all these issues, I am second guessing myself now. What is going on? Judging by this thread my BMW has a lot less issues compared to RAV4 lol. Did Toyota managed to produce worst model ever build in their history with 5th gen RAV4?! I'm also considering Highlander as it has 3rd row, but now after reading all this issues - I might think twice before buying something. :(
P.S. I decided to look at Toyota/Lexus thanks to Scotty Kilmer lol, but I guess old Scotty might not be right this time.
 
#76 ·
I also owned two 3-Series BMW's over the last 16 years and they were awesomely engineered and very reliable cars, for my next vehicle I wanted something I could take camping, so I did not want an X3 or an RX350 (which is what my wife drives). I also wanted some power, as both of my BMW's were 6-cyl and I was pretty sure I did not want a wimpy 4cyl. engine. I also thought the 2019 RAV4 would be a great fit as it was described initially by Toyota. (BUT AFTER PRODUCTION RELEASE) All the problems started being revealed: the 203hp was not much faster than the competitors 180hp engines, cheap interior, mirrors that shake, transmission issues, a premium stereo that was anything but and then upon seeing a loaded Adventure model topping out at $40k and dealers unwilling to bargain, I sorta stumbled upon the Honda Passport and seemingly everything I saw as a problem with the RAV4 was better; 6cyl engine, awesome premium stereo, AWD that puts up to 70% (NOT 50% like the RAV4) to the rear wheels, bigger roomier, beefier, super smooth and quiet and get this: a Touring AWD was about the same price as the Adventure AWD, and it's made in the USA (RAV4 = Canada or Japan), supporting US workers, I bought one and 9 months later I could not be happier. Sure it gets worse mileage, but former BMW owners understand the power trade off right?
 
#79 ·
It's Back! Hard Lurching/Hard Shifting from rolling stop. Purchased March 2019 and was fixed with TSB in August. The dealership did not do the required brake stops as stated in the TSB and also did not place the sticker in the engine compartment. However the RAV4 was OK for the first time in a few days after driving it, probably because of my driving and braking. It was good for 4 months and now the problem is back, same as before. Anyone else have the problem come back after it was fixed?
 
#80 ·
I had enough, the engine also makes an annoying ticking sound. I said never another Toyota and looked at Grand Cherokee, Ford Edge, Equinox, Terrain, Subaru and Santa Fe. But when I saw a Hybrid in stock in our favorite color Blizzard Pearl, I bought one today at another dealer, had to take a loss but did the best we could, got a fair deal and am now happy, very smooth and quiet.
 
#86 ·
2021 Rav4 XLE Premium Hybrid. Primary problem no security alarm and no trim sells the option it states is available option, but not option has it (great for car vandals). Dealer in area try to sell KARR (crap) alarms which is GPS location equipment only so forces one to go aftermarket an hopefully get one that does not screw up the built in electronics. Secondly, most dealers in the are will not recalibrate the toyota safety sense sensors if one decides to get it lifted. Third, BSM is useless with the sun just happens to be reflecting in the mirror, no audible alert even though the cross traffic alert that uses the exact same sensors has one. If I had a do over, even though I don't like the rounded look of the CRV I should have bought one instead.
 
#87 ·
2021 Rav4 XLE Premium AWD (VIN 2T3a1RFV...) - Purchased at West Coast Toyota in Long Beach, CA in April 2021

Left rear door/window has a loud wind noise. Noticeable at 25mph and increases with increase in speed. At 65mph it drowns out the radio. Requested it be corrected/fixed at South Bay Toyota in Gardena. They advised the noise level is "normal". Which I interpreted as they believe it is acceptable. I'm going to try the dealer I bought it from and see what they say. Vehicle has less than 2500 miles on it and has had this issue since I first drove it home from the dealer.

If the issue is not addressed I will be taking legal action to have it corrected. This is not acceptable under any circumstances. Even passengers can point to where the problem is.

If a Toyota rep is here and reads this, please help me avoid having to take legal action to get this corrected.

Thanks...
 
#88 ·
I have a 2021 Hybrid XLE and gas tank was only taking 10.5 to 11 gallons when it says I only have 5 miles to go. Local dealer "fixed" the issue and now my car takes 10.5 to 11 gallons when it says I have 5 miles to go. Took the car in three times and they say it is within Toyota specs. I'm not gonna spend my life chasing this. BUT, after the first time where they "replaced the gas tank and sensors," my front driver side door panel, the inside plastic part, is coming off. You can see that it is not sitting flush and plastic part close to the door handle is coming off. Took the car in couple of times for that and they say that there is nothing wrong with it.

Does anyone know if they have to open inside door panel on driver side to work on gas tank and sensor stuff? It was perfectly fine before my first visit so I am pretty sure it happened then.

Talked to one of the shift manager, he can clearly see that it is damaged, he acknowledges that it is damaged but they are refusing to fix it. Car is one year old with 12000 miles to it should be under warranty at least?
 
#89 ·
My car is only 1 week old (2022 RAV4 XSE hybrid) and around 600 miles. While I have not noticed any mechanical or safety related issue, the only issues I have noticed so far are:
1- Qi charger does not charge iPhone 13
2- radar range is not reliable, very frequently does not detect vehicles or obstacles stopped in less than 100 meters away, specially at night.
3- battery never reach 100% charging.
so far I have not noticed anything with the transmission or the mirrors on this model. I’ll give it more time to see.
 
#90 ·
My car is only 1 week old (2022 RAV4 XSE hybrid) and around 600 miles. While I have not noticed any mechanical or safety related issue, the only issues I have noticed so far are:
1- Qi charger does not charge iPhone 13
2- radar range is not reliable, very frequently does not detect vehicles or obstacles stopped in less than 100 meters away, specially at night.
3- battery never reach 100% charging.
so far I have not noticed anything with the transmission or the mirrors on this model. I’ll give it more time to see.
How are you liking the car now? I'm thinking about getting an XSE Hybrid. Should I go for it or not??
 
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