What 134 owners told NHTSA about the 2022 Toyota RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid

Engine shuts off on its own with the car continuing to run. No battery issue. Notice of “engine died steering power low” on the dash. Only happens in heavy rain.

NHTSA ODI 11653316

Car starts and then turns itself off immediately. It shows the message “Engine Stopped Steering Power Low”. It is raining where I live and I’ve read online that this is an issue that is happening to these vehicles when it rains.

NHTSA ODI 11650254

When wet, during rain or after a car wash. The engine will rev, the car will shake, and then shut off. I believe it’s the alternator.

NHTSA ODI 11649050

As I was driving my car jolted and I saw a message that read engine off steering power low go to safety but my car turned off shortly right after. I was lucky it wasnt A busy hour otherwise I could have been in an accident. I was driving and the car turned off on me! Took it to Toyota no codes showing up and battery is 100%. This is so scary and im too scared to drive my car. Went online saw so many people reporting the same issues on RAV4 and no solutions.

NHTSA ODI 11649151

When back seat is empty, car incorrectly detects a person sitting in the back and dings until the back seat belts are buckled. Toyota dealer claims this is a known issue and claims it will not affect which airbags deploy in a collision. This is a daily issue, and can only be addressed by buckling the back seat belts at this time, according to the Toyota service department.

NHTSA ODI 11644293

Tailgate will not close when button on the back or by the driver's seat is pressed. After pressing the close button at tailgate or driver's seat with tailgate open, it will lower an inch then beep several times and lift open again. Toyota dealer claims this is a known issue and the solution is to "reset" the tailgate, which they would do for me. Resetting immediately failed, and the issue persisted. Toyota service department said, "there is a button on the hatch that will reset it. you will hold that button until it does a sequence of beeps (beeeeeeeeepp, beep beep beep) then let go an press it again like you would want to close it and you should be good to go! :)" (sic). This solution worked once and immediately failed the second time I attempted to close the tailgate. This is a daily issue that was replicated at the dealer but not fixed.

NHTSA ODI 11644294

APPEARS TO BE A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. SIDE DOORS BACK AND FRONT FILL WITH WATER. WINDOWS ROLLED UP AND DOWN HAVE STREAKS OF WATER(WET ALL THE TIME). WATER POURS OUT OF DOOR FRAMES. SLOSHING OF WATER IN DOORS. CAR HAS NO MORE THAN 15,000 MILES ON IT. ALWAYS KEEP COVERED IN GARAGE. CAR DOES NOT ACCUMULATE DEBRIS OR LEAVES. HAVE TAKEN INTO TOYOTA PALO ALTO TWICE NOW. NO REAL HELP. CANNOT SEE WELL FROM WINDOWS - SAFETY ISSUE AS SIDE WINDOWS STAY STREAKED OBSCURING VIEW AND MOLD CONCERNS WITH WET INTERIOR DOORS.

NHTSA ODI 11643227

It’s been raining for about 4-5 hours by now, I drove to church (1 hour drive) left my car outside in the parking lot in the rain while I was there. Then drove home (another 1 hour) and when I came home just now I sat in my car parked with the engine on for about 5 minutes when suddenly the car started shaking and then it turned off with a message “Engine Stopped - Power Steering Low, ignition on” on my 2022 Toyota RAV4 XLE. I think this issue needs to be investigated ASAP as it is a big safety concern, what if it happened when I was driving on the highway in the rain, at night? My Google and Reddit search revealed that a lot of people are experiencing this issue and this is a place to help start an investigation. I had a full inspection on my car at the Toyota dealership just a few weeks ago and everything including the battery was fine.

NHTSA ODI 11639786

Power lift-gate lowered on its own as I was putting groceries in the back compartment. My hands were nowhere near the button you press to lower the lift-gate. If I hadn't quickly ducked out of the way, I could have been seriously injured or killed. This has never happened before. Now I'm reluctant to use the back compartment for fear the lift-gate may lower on its own again. This incident happened this morning in a Target parking lot about 9:30 AM.

NHTSA ODI 11638085

On [XXX], I was driving in a rain storm on [XXX]. I pulled off the highway into a parking lot and the car stalled out. The check engine light and the power steering light came on. I tried to start the car 3-4 times over the next fifteen minutes and it did not start. I waited a few more minutes and the car started and the lights cleared from the dashboard. I was able to drive 120 miles home with no issues with the vehicle. I called the Toyota of Massapequa dealership service department the next morning and they offered to inspect the car. I declined as the dashboard lights were gone and the car seemed to be running fine. I did have them check out the car when I brought it in for the annual NYS inspection and oil change in August 2024. The technician found no issues with the engine and there were no codes in the computer. The car has not given me a problem since this happened. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11638122

Front HVAC Blower Motor High Pitched Noise around 15khz frequency when fans are turned on. Causes discomfort to driver and passengers. Confirmed to be also heard by our local toyota dealership manager. Contacted toyota customer service about the issue and they are aware of the TSB that was issued but my vehicle is just out of the short warranty period to have it fixed according to Toyota. This issue seems to be common among online forums with this vehicle. The Sunvisors on the driver side and passenger side also sag and are very difficult to move up and down. Potentially a safety issue in the future if they fail to work properly when needing to block bright light such as the sun, no TSB issued from Toyota.

NHTSA ODI 11636908

I have taken vehicle to Toyota service center numerous times and showed them what the vehicle is doing and they are telling me it’s normal. Its not normal when every bump, manhole, railroad tracks you hit in the road with your foot on the brake when your trying to slow down when the abs or traction control is activated and the car skids forward and comes close to causing a crash. When that is activated sounds like a electric grinding noise is activated. I only have videos no pictures

NHTSA ODI 11635315

Yesterday while sitting in a drive thru, my Rav4 began shaking forwards and backwards a few times and then an error popped up saying Steering Power Low, Engine Off. At this point, I turned off my car and put it in park and it took a multiple times to get the car to power back on. This also threw a check engine light. After looking into this issue, we found other owners of 2019-2024 Rav4 also experience this issue and when the dealership runs their diagnostic they cannot find anything. We read it with a personal car code reader and had codes 7E8 and 7E9 but the dealership found nothing.

NHTSA ODI 11625555

The contact owns a 2022 Toyota Rav4. The contact heard an abnormal sound coming from the driver's side rear door. The contact stated that the sound was a "sloshing" sound of water. The contact stated that when she had parked the vehicle on a road with an upgrade with the front of the vehicle facing up, she observed that water was leaking out from the bottom of the door. The contact stated that when it rained, the noise and water leak were more noticeable. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 26,000.

NHTSA ODI 11621924

The contact owns a 2022 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while either driving at various speeds or coming to a stop, a moving water sound would emit from both the rear driver and passenger side doors. The contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer on multiple occasions to have the doors drained to prevent mold from developing inside the vehicle. The contact was also informed by the dealer that the failure was a result of the vehicle's design and that no other repairs could be made to address the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 12,000.

NHTSA ODI 11620340

While driving in stop-and-go traffic on a major highway, the auto braking system engaged and the brake would not release. The car came to an abrupt halt and the brake would not release, the gas pedal would not depress. I had to turn the car off, place the car in park and restart the car, the car then continued driving. There was a message on the dash about EPB.

NHTSA ODI 11619738

The contact owns a 2022 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while driving and coming to a stop, there was a sound of moving water coming from the rear driver's side and passenger's side doors. The contact stated that upon opening the doors, she was able to partially drain the water; however, water was still leaking inside the rear driver's side and passenger's side doors during rainy weather. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 42,000.

NHTSA ODI 11612314

Rear passenger door does not drain and holds water. This is a potential mold issue which is a health problem. This will also cause the doors to rust.

NHTSA ODI 11606352

Fuel Injector failed, causing the engine to run extremely rich, misfire, and cause severe drivability issues. Issue occurred just outside vehicle base warranty. Problem was verified and confirmed by vehicle dealership. MIL was illuminated when drivability issue and malfunction started.

NHTSA ODI 11603374

NO ACCIDENTS

NHTSA ODI 11601597

On [XXX], I opened the unblemished retractable glass roof of my 2022 RAV4 XSE. The rear windows were rolled down approximately 4 inches. No other cars/people were in front, next to, or behind me. As I accelerated to approximately 35 mph, I heard an explosive blast and peered upward. I noticed that the retractable glass roof panel had completely shattered. Shards of the roof rained on me as I drove home. Once home, I closed the roof just enough to secure my vehicle. The motor /closing mechanisms were operable. Glass shards were present in the tracks as well as on the top of the intact remainder of the glass roof. Glass shards were present in both the front and back seats of the vehicle. Upon inspection, there were NO visible pits/holes in the shattered roof; however, the roof was almost completely displaced from the edges of the moonroof’s seal/frame (see pictures). I contacted my Insurance to file a claim, and my SUV was towed to Toyota. 6/24 Toyota’s estimator left a voicemail stating that the glass roof was being assessed. I left a message asking for the cause of the damage. On 6/25, Toyota called and stated that the roof panel was being replaced. The estimator was unable to determine the cause of the breakage and mentioned that this was the first time they had to replace a panoramic sunroof. No other outside agencies (only Toyota Carlsbad Collision) inspected and/or addressed the damaged glass roof. A faulty design and /or improper manufacturing of the glass was never addressed or considered. 6/27 Toyota billed my insurance $1971.52 minus the $500 deductible I was required to pay per the terms of my insurance. *** It should be noted that there are a number of RAV4 cases involving sudden glass roof explosions. These lawsuits allege that glass sunroofs of RAV4s shatter under normal driving conditions. In fact, on May 3, 2024, a class action suit brought before the US District Court in California, rejected Toyota’s rebuttal, and the lawsuit is moving forward. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11597369

I had another incident this week where I was stranded in a parking lot and had to call Triple A to get my car running properly again. They tested the battery and belts and all were good. When trying to start my car, it locked and said: "ENGINE STOPPED, POWER STEERING LOW". Not only was my car locked, but it was shaking and making scary noises. The same thing happened to me at a drive-thru a year ago. My car is a Toyota Rav 4 LE 2022 with 20K miles on it and is too new to be having these problems. Through looking up this issue on Google, I have seen that there are a good amount of Rav 4s that are newer dealing with this same issue.

NHTSA ODI 11593362

The Multimedia dashboard is completely blank. Not able to use sound, gps, music, etc. Cant set time or any adjustments to vehicle. This seems to be a manufacturing issue. Dealer said there is nothing they can do about it. Was told will need to pay $1600 to replace it. Don't know how long a new won will last. Can't keep spending $1600 everytime the electrical system Malfunctions. Please help.

NHTSA ODI 11592006

The Blind Spot Warning system fails to alert the driver when a vehicle in the adjacent lane is partially behind the current vehicle. It only activates when the nearby vehicle is completely behind the current vehicle. Due to this limitation, the system does not provide adequate warnings for nearby vehicles, which has nearly caused several accidents when the driver attempted to change lanes.

NHTSA ODI 11589842

The radio screen in this vehicle keeps going black. When it is connected to CarPlay, the GPS will randomly shut off. At times, the radio steering wheel controls and the volume knob on the radio will not adjust the volume creating a safety hazard as I not able to lower or turn off the volume. Freeway Toyota in Hanford California did a software update about a year ago in relation to the same issue but the issue persists.

NHTSA ODI 11588206