Lemberg Law is investigating consumer complaints about the fifth-generation 2024 Toyota RAV4. Well-established in the U.S. market since its launch in 1994, the Toyota RAV 4 was the first compact crossover SUV to hit the market. Although generally considered to be a reliable vehicle, it’s had its problems over the years. The automaker assures new owners of the 2024 model that they will get an “exceptional ride, handling, and comfort.” However, our investigation reveals some alarming consumer complaints that the SUV isn’t safe. There are several reports of 2024 RAV4 crashing, while some owners say they are afraid to use the vehicle. Issues include loss of engine and steering power, vehicles shutting off while driving, and brake failure.
2024 RAV4 Overview
Complaints to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) about the 2024 RAV4 relate to a broad range of components and systems. However, the most common problems concern the electrical system (22%), steering (15%) and brakes (15%). The engine is highlighted as a problem in multiple complaints, but most of these are also linked to electrics and steering. There are also several complaints highlighting spontaneous acceleration, a couple that are filed as powertrain problems.
Other components and systems identified as problematic in NHTSA complaints include the structure (including moonroofs that shatter spontaneously), forward collision avoidance (most combined with electrical problems), airbags, hybrid propulsion system, seat belts, tires, and visibility.
Safety issues are a primary concern that owners highlight in complaints. They are varied, as these examples show.
An owner reporting a crash after the SUV lost power and was “bucking,” states he is grateful he was traveling fast or on an express highway. “Otherwise Toyota would (have) found 5 dead bodies including a 5-year-old child in (the) car.” He goes on to say, “I really don’t feel safe taking the car out on the road.”
In a complaint listed as an “unknown or other” problem, an owner from Texas reports that the cover and insulation detached from the steering shaft. He states that Toyota won’t cover this under warranty, but believes it is “a safety risk” that could “eventually cause an accident.”
Another “unknown or other” complaint states that there is no tune knob on the radio. This is “dangerous when using the touchscreen to change channels while driving.”
Nevertheless, we analyzed all the complaints in an endeavor to pinpoint major problems, not all of which are necessarily dangerous.
Complaints filed under the electrical system range from alarms defaulting randomly, preventing the driver from starting the SUV, to spontaneous acceleration causing a crash. Others mention power loss of the engine and steering, which are regarded as safety issues. There are also complaints about batteries being defective.
Several of the complaints listed under electrical, engine, and/or steering, were due to failures that happened in rainy weather. One, from a New Hampshire owner, mentions “water intrusion.” The complaint, filed under the engine, states, “The vehicle simply shut off while driving. I am told Toyota is aware of the defect related to water intrusion in the air intake. It causes water to intrude into the air filter and map sensor which in turn causes the vehicle to simply shut down.”
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Loss of Steering
Complaints about loss of steering power are not isolated to this issue. Several appear to be related to the water intrusion problem mentioned above.
An owner from Canada, driving a new, eight-day-old 2024 RAV4 with 300 km, lost power. After several minutes, the message, “Steering Power Low” displayed along with warning lights. The dealer found battery issues but didn’t rectify the problem. Soon afterward, the same thing happened. The vehicle lost power and hit a roadside wall. The same message displayed and he wasn’t able to restart the SUV.
An owner from Massachusetts states that the “Rav 4 will randomly shake and turn off saying engine stopped steering power low.”
Several others say the problem occurred in rainy weather.
Could Rain Be a Factor Leading to Steering Problems?
Our investigation reveals that it might be!
An owner from Texas states that after driving through deep puddles in heavy rain, the message, “Engine Stopped. Steering Power Low” displayed. The dealer said it was because the engine had got water in it. However, two days later the message appeared again, momentarily, while the SUV was parked. This owner believes, after searching online, that it is more likely to be because of a faulty battery or alternator.
Another owner from Canada reports that after Toyota had investigated the problems he reported, his vehicle was still not safe. While traveling at 80 km on a dark, rainy night, a big red steering wheel image with an exclamation mark appeared. There was also a warning sound and for a few seconds, the steering lost all power, “putting me and (my) family in a dangerous situation.”
An owner who was driving in the rain stated that having pulled into work, “the car died.” Even though it started up and dove normally later, she did some research. “Most people reporting the same issue have had their cars die on them while on the highway in stop-and-go traffic, which could lead to a wreck. I don’t want this to happen to me or anyone else as I travel a lot with my two small children in the vehicle.” She also noted that many reports stated it was raining when this happened. Also, the windshield wipers and the start-stop function were on.
Spontaneous Acceleration
An owner from Ohio stated in a complaint filed under the electrical system, service brakes, and forward collision avoidance that spontaneous acceleration caused a crash. While pulling into a parking spot, with his foot off the accelerator, the car suddenly accelerated and hit a wall. “The red brake light came on and I slammed on the brake but the damage was done. The front bumper was cracked on the left side and dented on the right side. The whole front end was scraped and scratched. The collision sensor is damaged.”
An owner from California had a similar experience. While attempting to park, “the vehicle accelerated without warning. The vehicle crashed into a tree while the contact’s foot was firmly depressed on the brake pedal.” The airbags didn’t deploy, but luckily the driver wasn’t injured. The complaint states that two days before this, a warning message, “Hybrid System Fail” had appeared on the instrument panel.
The owner of a 2024 RAV4 Prime from Illinois was also pulling into a parking space. Going less than 5 mph, “I took my foot off the accelerator and, coasted in while intending to brake, stop, and turn the car off. Suddenly, the car accelerated forward quickly, propelling the car over a tall curb, over a small grassy area, and onto the open parking lot. I subsequently applied the brake. The car stopped. I drove back to the same spot and was able to park and turn the car off.”
Brake System Problems
low speeds, to total brake failure. We have already mentioned a couple of brake incidents, including the spontaneous acceleration crash in California, above. Here are a few more examples.
An owner from Maryland was driving with the brake depressed to avoid crashing into an ongoing vehicle when they failed. The SUV crashed into the curb while the brake was still depressed, but it didn’t stop and hit a pole. The vehicle was badly damaged and the driver sustained injuries to his wrist and lower left leg. He received medical treatment at the scene, and a police report was filed.
An owner from a different part of Maryland experienced a rented RAV4 rolling just after he got out of the SUV. He had turned off the engine but was still in Drive. Somebody yelled “car rolling,” so he ran back, “opened the door, and jammed on the foot brakes.” Adding that this is “a recipe for disaster,” he states, “With no engine-transmission torque against the wheels. The car is proximity-keyed but does not require the transmission to be in the Park position, to turn the engine off. This has happened twice in my driveway as well. In retrospect, I’m lucky not to have been struck or run over by the car or clipped by the door.”
For the record, Toyota maintained that the noisy brake sounds mentioned above were caused by the anti-lock braking System (ABS) activating. Despite the owner stating that the “banging is loud enough to sound like (the) vehicle hit something,” they said it was totally normal for newer hybrids.” They also stated that there was “no fix at this time.” The owner drove other 2024 Rav4 Primes and they all had the same noise!
Experiencing Issues With Your RAV4? What to Do?
Even if you are convinced that your RAV4 is a lemon, the best way to be sure is to approach a lemon law firm like Lemberg Law for help. We will assess your problems free of charge.
Lemberg Law has undertaken countless investigations related to vehicle problems and negotiated settlements for many lemon owners. We may be able to do the same for you. It’s not going to cost you anything because the law says Toyota must pay the legal fees for lemon law cases. All you have to do is call our Helpline or fill out a contact form.
About the Author:
Sergei Lemberg is an attorney focusing on consumer law, class actions related to automotive issues, and personal injury litigation. With nearly two decades of experience, his areas of practice include Lemon Law (vehicle defects), Debt Collection Harassment, TCPA (illegal robocalls and texts), Fair Credit Reporting Act, Overtime claims, Personal Injury cases, and Class Actions. He has consistently been recognized as the nation's "most active consumer attorney." In 2020, Mr. Lemberg represented Noah Duguid before the United States Supreme Court in the landmark case Duguid v. Facebook. He is also the author of "Defanging Debt Collectors," a guide that empowers consumers to fight back against debt collectors and prevail, as well as "Lemon Law 101: The Laws That Lemon Dealers Don't Want You to Know."
