What 301 owners told NHTSA about the 2017 Toyota RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid

The contact owned a 2017 Toyota RAV4. The contact stated that while the contact's granddaughter was driving, smoke was coming from under the hood. The contact's daughter drove the vehicle to a nearby fire station. The contact stated the entire front of the vehicle was on fire, and the fire was extinguished. The vehicle was towed to the local tow yard. The vehicle was condemned as a total loss. The contact stated that all service appointments were provided by the dealer. In addition, the previous service appointment was performed by the dealer in June 2024. The contact's granddaughter sustained anxiety issues due to the failure. The contact stated that it was a very frightening situation for the granddaughter. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V734000(Electrical system); however, the contact stated the recall notification was received the day after the failure occurred. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 102,500.

NHTSA ODI 11668915

The contact owns a 2017 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that the vehicle had been parked. The contact stated that upon returning from an errand, the contact noticed that flames and black smoke were coming out from underneath the front end of the vehicle. The contact called the fire department who arrived at the scene and extinguished the flames. A police report was filed. There was no injury sustained. There was no property damage. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed to an impound lot. The contact stated that the insurance company had referred him to the NHTSA Safety Hotline to report the incident because the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V734000(Electrical System), which involved a fire safety risk. The vehicle had not been declared a total loss by the insurance company. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. No further information was available. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 114,000.

NHTSA ODI 11642575

The contact owns a 2017 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V734000 (Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 30 MPH he observed that smoke was emitting from under the hood. The contact stopped the vehicle and when he opened the hood he observed that the battery had fallen off of the battery platter and that the battery clamp was loose. The contact stated that he extinguished the flames with a towel that was in his vehicle. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and drove to his residence. The contact replaced the battery, however he used the OEM battery clamp. The failure mileage was approximately 78,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11635027

As the driver was making a right hand turn, the dash lights came on and the vehicle lost power. The driver was able to get the vehicle to roll to a stop in the middle of the road after making the turn. As the driver exited the vehicle to check the engine, the passenger stated smoke could be smelled coming into the cabin. Before the hood could be disengaged, flames engulfed the engine compartment and began raising above the hood of the vehicle. The occupants of the vehicle activated 911 and emergency personnel extinguished the fire. The fire was contained to the engine compartment. The vehicle does have a recall for aftermarket batteries causing fires. The vehicle was purchased on December 13, 2023 at which time the recall wasn't communicated by the independent dealer. Currently, there isn't a known fix for the recall.

NHTSA ODI 11605730

The contact owns a 2017 Toyota Rav4. The contact had received notice of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V734000 (Electrical System). The contact was aware that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle was losing forward momentum. The contact stated that he depressed the accelerator but the vehicle did not gain any forward momentum. The contact stated that all of the instrument cluster warning lights were illuminated and the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the power steering failed and also noted that the brake pedal took more than normal force to depress the pedal. The contact stated that as he was pulling over he saw smoke being emitted from under the hood. The contact stated that he was able to stop the vehicle and when he opened the hood he saw that flames were coming from the location of the battery. The contact was able to extinguish the flames with his shirt. The contact had the vehicle towed to his residence. The contact had notified the manufacturer who sent an investigator to inspect the vehicle. A dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

NHTSA ODI 11580940

The contact owned a 2017 Toyota RAV4. The contact stated that while his friend was driving at an undisclosed speed, a collision occurred ahead of her, and she was unable to avoid colliding with the rear end of another passenger vehicle. As a result, the engine compartment burst into flames, engulfing the entire vehicle within minutes. The contact was unsure if local fire emergency services were able to extinguish the flames or if the fire had exhausted itself. The air bags did deploy. No warning lights were illuminated. A fire report was not filed. A police report was filed, with no injuries reported. The vehicle was towed to a total yard and deemed a total loss by the contact's insurance provider. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V734000 (Electrical System), and the VIN was included, but parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 97,000.

NHTSA ODI 11575579

This vehicle was involved in a T-Bone crash, where the battery came out and the vehicle caught fire. The driver of this vehicle died at the scene. This involves NHTSA recall number 23V734 & Manufacturer Recall number 23TB13.

NHTSA ODI 11567168

--Battery terminal/wiring for negative terminal came into contact with the metal hold down clamp --Caused a two alarm structure fire and loss of two vehicles --Current recall in place but remedy of situation not available until 2024 --Current recall in place --Maintenance required light appeared and owner took vehicle in for service two weeks prior to the incident

NHTSA ODI 11563588

The car was sitting in the driveway and caught fire around 11:29am. The car had not been driven or moved from the driveway for at least 2 days, and is up to date on all maintenance. The fire inspectors hypothesize the fire began from the battery and spread. After Googling, I have learned that Toyota Rav 4s from 2013 to 2018 had a large recall; 1.8 million vehicles taken because of the battery catching fire randomly. The remains of the vehicle are in the driveway of the residence. Both the police and fire department came to the scene. The safety of others was put at risk because it is only luck that nobody was in the car, or going to drive the vehicle as it caught fire randomly, bringing the residents of the home and owner of the car in extreme risk from both the fire and any explosions, damage to the house, and damage to others.

NHTSA ODI 11546441

A fire occurred in the engine compartment of the vehicle while the vehicle was parked in a garage with the engine off. Fire patterns and physical evidence suggest the fire originated as a result of a high resistance connection between the positive battery terminal and conductor to the power distribution center. The battery is original. The vehicle has not had any repairs beyond normal maintenance. The vehicle was not involved in a crash.

NHTSA ODI 11514101

I WAS DRIVING COMING FROM THE STORE WITH MY GRAND KIDS AND MY TRUCK STALLED ON ME SO I TURNED IF OFF AND TURNED IT BACK ON BUT IT KILLED ON ME AGAIN AND THIS POINT MY GRAND BABY SAID HE SMELLED SMOKE SO I LOOKED UP AND THE HODD WAS SMOKING SO I GOT MY BABIES AND MYSELF OUT THE TRUCK AND RAN TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STREET AND THERE I WATCHED MY TRUCK START A FIRE SO I CALL THE POLICE AND THE FIRE PEOPLE , MY TRUCK WAS TOTALED I CONTACTED TOYOTA MAIN OFFICE TO LET THEM KNOW THEY SENTED OUR THEIRE PEOPLE TO LOOK AT THE TRUCK AND DECIDED THAT IT WAS NOT THERE FAULT AND THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO FOR ME , MY TRUCK CAUGHT ON FIRE I DID NOT SET IT ON MY FIRE MY GRAND KIDS WERE IN THAT TRUCK WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPEN HAD HE NOT SMALLED SMOED AND IT DID NOT STALL BUT CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE I WAS DRIVING IT . BUT NO ONE WAS TO DEAL WITH IT YOU WHETHER JUST WALK AWAY WHAT IF WAS SOMEONE IN YOUR FAMILY THEN WHAT

NHTSA ODI 11504621

While driving the vehicle I smelled something burning and saw smoke coming out of the air vents. I immediately pulled to the side of the road and got out. I noticed fire and smoke coming from under the hood. I called 911 and the Fire Dept. arrived to put the fire out. It was towed to a nearby storage yard until the insurance company could be notified. After talking with and submitting photos to the insurance company the vehicle was considered a total loss. We are waiting to hear back from the insurance company concerning our claim. Upon researching engine fire related to defective battery in these vehicles I learned that almost 2 million 2013-2018 Toyota RAV4 have been affected. I am just thankful everyone was able to get out of the vehicle safely before it caught on fire.

NHTSA ODI 11491354

On Saturday, May 14, 2022, my vehicle burned. and has since been totaled. The car had been trouble-free since I bought it in 2018. I was so pleased with it that I had just paid off the balance on the loan the week before because I wanted to keep it for 10 years. Prior to it burning, I had just driven it a couple miles for the first time in 2 weeks (it had been parked in a friend's garage). There were no warning lights visible during that time. I got out of the car for 3 minutes and was about to get back in when I noticed white smoke coming out of the hood. Within 30 seconds the hood had become engulfed in flames. The entire front and interior of the car was destroyed in the blaze, which the Fire Department had to extinguish. No one was injured, but two cars on either side were damaged by the fire. The car had last been serviced by Headquarter Toyota in Miami on January 22, 2022. They had not done the government-recommended inspection of the engine area during the servicing.

NHTSA ODI 11465496

I bought my Rav4 in September of 2017 brand new and within 6 months I had a dead battery needing replacement so I replaced it via AAA. Since then, I have had the battery replaced an additional 3 times! I always serviced my car at the dealer and took very good care of it. Then after 50k miles, I started having odd lighting issues…both headlight bulbs had to be replaced within 3 weeks of each other and one high beam bulb, and then my tail lights went out! Then I would occasionally have trouble starting the car and with a natural gas smell, rotten eggs. Which could be a catalytic converter or fuel pump issue but can also be the battery. Well, my Rav was in the driveway with a dead battery and with no tail lights and had been sitting there for a month since I mainly drive our Sienna.My Rav just caught on fire and was completely destroyed. No one was hurt but if the Sienna had been out there it would’ve caught on fire and it burned the garage door…Rav totaled! I also had a very expensive brake job last year and think those are faulty too. But this fire….was bad and I can’t get a car of equal value with what i received for the total loss. What is Toyota doing about this? Less than 4 yr old well taken cared of Rav 4 XLE that I paid cash for and now can’t even replace with a Corolla! There were no warning lights ever, not even for the dead battery’s. And less than 6 months prior to the fire, it was serviced at my Toyota dealer and they said all was good. The firemen that came also told me that Rav4 fires have increased and I searched on Consumer Reports and sure enough…what was explained was a carbon copy of my experiences. Thank god no one was in it when it started, but the house could’ve caught fire as well. Toyota needs to do something for those of us who had their cars totaled due to fire…just the time invested finding a replacement is worth something….not to mention the time vested researching vehicles before I bought the Rav4. plus the depreciation, etc….

NHTSA ODI 11420682

2017 RAV 4 STRUCK A CONCRETE LIGHT POST IN PARKING LOT. CAR WAS MOVING FORWARD APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, IMPACTED DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT AND FENDER. AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. NO COLLISION ALARM SOUNDED. ENTIRE FRONT PANEL DESTROYED, MAJOR ELECTRICAL SENSOR DAMAGE, DRIVER'S DOOR UNABLE TO OPEN. HOOD DAMAGED. SUSPENSION BENT. DRIVER SUFFERED MAJOR BRUISING AND CHEST PAIN. BOTH ELBOWS IMPACTED SOMETHING IN COLLISION. *TR

NHTSA ODI 11321413

WHILE I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK ON THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 2020, I SMELLED SMOKE. I LOOKED AT THE TEMPERATURE ON THE DASHBOARD AND IT SHOWED THAT THE TEMPERATURE WAS A LITTLE BELOW THE MIDDLE LINE INDICATING THE VEHICLE WAS NOT HOT. I CONTINUED DRIVING FOR A COUPLE MORE BLOCKS AND CONTINUED TO SMELL SMOKE SO ATTEMPTED TO PULL OVER INTO A PARKING LOT. WHEN I TRIED TO PULL OVER, THE VEHICLE STOPPED ON ITS OWN SO I WAS HALF WAY BETWEEN THE STREET AND PARKING LOT. I SAW SMOKE COME OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE. ABOUT TWO MINUTES LATER, FLAMES STARTED COMING OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE.

NHTSA ODI 11317639

I HAD TO VISIT TOYOTA BECAUSE MY RADIO WILL TURN ON BY ITSELF, WHEN I PARK. EVEN AFTER VISITING TOYOTA FOR AN UPDATE, MY RADIO WILL CHANGE ON ITS OWN, NOT FROM THE STEERING WHEEL) BUT ON ITS OWN.SO IT IS NOT FIXED. WIPERS WILL TURN ON THEN STOP. THERE SEEMS TO BE A DEVICE BEHIND THE DASH THAT I CAN HEAR CLICKING ON AND OFF WELL AFTER THE IGNITION IS OFF OR WHILE THE CAR IS IDLE FOR A BIT. MY CLIMATE CONTROL CHANGES ON ITS ON EVEN THOUGH IT WORKS FINE MOST OF THE TIME. IT IS AS IF MY CAR IS RECEIVING ADDITIONAL COMMANDS FROM ANOTHER SOURCE. LAST WEEK, AT NIGHT, I WITNESSED TWO MEN STANDING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET, SOMEHOW ACTIVATING CAR ALARMS FROM RANDOM CARS. JUST YESTERDAY, NOT FAR FROM WHERE I LIVE A DRIVER "LOST CONTROL" AND RAN INTO TWO HOMES. THE DRIVER WAS THROWN FROM THE CAR, WHILE THE CAR AND THE HOUSE CAUGHT ON FIRE, THAT WAS STRANGE TO HEAR ABOUT. IF THERE IS SOMETHING THAT CAN BE DONE FOR MY CAR, PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT TO DO. THANK YOU.

NHTSA ODI 11192165