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

While driving the vehicle on an uphill stretch of highway with cruise control set at approximately 65 mph, the vehicle suddenly slowed down without warning. A distinct clunk was heard at the same moment. The cruise control system attempted to restore speed, and the engine became noticeably louder, but the vehicle struggled to return to the set speed. The driver tapped the brake to disengage cruise control and manually pressed the accelerator to resume normal speed. The trip was completed without additional events. After parking, the check engine light illuminated and the cruise control system became disabled on all subsequent drives. No warning indicators were present at the time of the initial failure, and there were no vehicles ahead that would have triggered the collision-avoidance system. Two days later, the vehicle became an intermittent no-start and eventually failed to start entirely. The vehicle was towed to a dealership for inspection. Technicians confirmed an electrical malfunction and reported that the multiplex ECU was likely experiencing an internal short. A parasitic draw test showed an abnormally high current draw of approximately 113 mA, which disappeared when the dome-light fuse and later the multiplex ECU were disconnected. The failure is intermittent and appears to involve an internal electrical short within the multiplex ECU. The sudden loss of cruise control function, abrupt deceleration, and subsequent intermittent electrical behavior created a safety risk, as the electrical malfunction occurred without warning while the vehicle was in motion. The issue was confirmed by a dealership service department.

NHTSA ODI 11702258

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2017 Toyota RAV4. The contact stated that it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 85,887, and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 237,660.

NHTSA ODI 11678566

The contact owns a 2017 Toyota RAV4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V734000 (Electrical System); however, upon taking the vehicle to the dealer for the recall repair, the dealer refused to perform the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA ODI 11676968

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 dealer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the battery power was drained, and the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was jump-started. The vehicle was taken to AutoZone, and the battery was replaced. The dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and instructed the contact to take the vehicle to another dealer. The failure mileage was unknown. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ODI 11675883

The contact owns a 2017 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V734000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle failed to start. The contact removed and replaced the battery terminal and the vehicle started. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer for the recall repair. The local dealer refused to repair the vehicle; however, the contact was informed that there was a bulge on the side of the battery. The contact was informed to take the vehicle back to the dealer where the vehicle was purchased for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 108,000.

NHTSA ODI 11671178

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 received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V734000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ODI 11666302

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 vehicle failed to start. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11659546

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 local dealer was contacted. 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 had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11657134

The vehicle as an active recall that can cause fire. I haven’t received any mail yet, I need to fix it so I can start driving it again.

NHTSA ODI 11655536

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 local dealer was contacted. 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 had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11654424

The contact owns a 2017 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while driving 20-25 MPH, the vehicle shuddered while the transmission was shifting into the next gear. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that upon scanning the vehicle with an OBD II code reader, the contact retrieved diagnostic trouble codes indicating a starter failure. However, upon investigating the failure online, the contact related the failure to Toyota Warranty Bulletin Number: POL17-06. The contact stated that a preventative service was previously performed on the vehicle, however, the failure occurred. The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered under the warranty. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.

NHTSA ODI 11654479

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 unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11648995

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 unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11649007

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 dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11648789

Toyota has had this open recall for well over a year and has not implemented a fix which is far outside the NHTSA guidelines for a quick remedy. Please use your authority to motivate Toyota to do the correct thing.

NHTSA ODI 11647422

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 unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had experienced a failure, causing the vehicle to stall while driving, and the back over prevention camera and collision warning features were inoperable. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 100,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11643616

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

All wheel drive disengages while driving. It has disengaged several times while driving up a steep hill in the rain resulting in loss of control of vehicle. First time car skidded into a ditch. Warning on dash said return vehicle to dealer. Vehicle has been returned 3 times. They blame the problem on a defect in the emission control system which turns off the AWD system when a leak in the vapor control system is detected. Dealer first replaced the fuel filler cap. That worked for a couple of weeks, then something under the hood which worked a few days. Now the car is scheduled for a gasket on the fuel tank to be replaced for $1,500! I am all for controlling emissions to the environment, but it should not be at the cost of safety. A fix is needed to separate the AWD from the emission control system. SAFETY FIRST!

NHTSA ODI 11642427

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 local dealer was contacted. 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 had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11641276

See attached document for complaint

NHTSA ODI 11636302

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

The contact owns a 2017 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V734000 (Electrical System) however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11635096

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. Several local dealers were contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11634324

Toyota has yet to resolve this safety recall.

NHTSA ODI 11630466