2014 Toyota RAV4 other reported problems

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

I am filing a complaint regarding Toyota’s handling of a known paint defect affecting my 2014 Toyota RAV4 Limited in Blizzard Pearl paint. Over the past several years, the paint on my vehicle has progressively peeled and deteriorated. Approximately 50% of the vehicle’s paint is now damaged. This issue is clearly consistent with Toyota’s known Blizzard Pearl paint defect program. However, I was never notified by Toyota about this defect program through mail, email, or phone call. In addition, I regularly serviced my vehicle at authorized Toyota dealerships during the years the program was active, yet no dealership or Toyota representative informed me that my vehicle qualified for repair coverage. I only recently learned about the existence of this program after visiting a Toyota dealership regarding another issue. At that time, I was told the program had already expired in April 2024 and that Toyota would no longer provide assistance. I believe this is unfair because: - Toyota acknowledged this as a manufacturing-related defect. - I was never properly notified. - Toyota dealerships had multiple opportunities to inform me during regular service visits. - The defect became progressively worse over time. I am requesting that Toyota reconsider my case and provide goodwill assistance or repair coverage despite the expiration date, due to the lack of notification and the severity of the defect. Toyota Brand Engagement Center still told me the recall expiated.

NHTSA complaint #11737937 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

My vehicle's factory applied paint which is Blizzard Pear 070 is failing and peeling on entire vehicle in multiple areas including roof, hood, interior doors, side panels, and rear door. This started as chipping back in 2019 and then peeling around late 2019 and has progressively gotten worse with even being garaged. This is a know issue acknowledge by Toyota customer support program that has since expired. The paint is delaminating down to the primer with bare metal exposed. Yes it is available for inspection and actually had my local Toyota dealer who I purchased from take pictures last month and tell me the peeling paint is from the know manufacture defect. This is a could pose a safety risk as peeling paint can detach while driving and and also the exposed metal is susceptible to corrosion which could lend to body panels deterioration over time. Toyato manufacturer was contacted and I was told the customer support warranty is expired. Although Toyato said they sent out recall noticed I never received them. Back in 2019 I approached the dealership service dept with issue but they didn't document it and at the time told me it was general wear and tear. Now Toyato manufacturer is not standing behind it. They dealership also told me there are many others having the same issue when I took my car in to get assessed. If there are this many people Toyato should stand behind the paint defect and extend the opportunity for it to be fixed.

NHTSA complaint #11735636 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

2014 Toyota RAV4 AWD XLE purchased June 2025. Multiple pre-existing safety defects confirmed by dealership personnel were never disclosed at time of sale. POWER TRAIN: Torque converter failure — vibration documented at pre-sale inspection, never disclosed or diagnosed. Axle bracket corroded so severely it was fused to axle and required cutting off — confirmed by service advisor on recorded call. BRAKES: Aftermarket brake parts installed pre-sale without disclosure. Brake system rated RED by dealership within 9,734 miles of purchase. Severe brake pedal pulsation confirmed on multiple invoices. ODY/STRUCTURE: Severe underbody and structural corrosion — subframe, crossmembers, fuel tank surfaces — never disclosed. Swollen lug nuts documented. Prior welded exhaust repair undisclosed. Exhaust flange separation and catalytic converter failure — repair quote $4,745. SEAT BELT: Rock found lodged in seat belt buckle — safety restraint failure — not noted on pre-sale inspection. RECALL 23V734000 / 23TA13: Aftermarket battery used as recall remedy — OEM replacement required — non-compliant — fire risk not disclosed at sale. All defects confirmed by dealership invoices, MPI video, and recorded calls. Vehicle out of service since February 2026. Complete documentation available.

NHTSA complaint #11728692 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

All four of my door lock actuators are not working properly. All four usually don’t work, however once in a great while they will actually lock or unlock. This is a big safety issue because when I think they lock, they don’t. When I drive at night with my daughter in the backseat I do not feel safe. I always have to check all 4 doors a couple times, because sometimes they will unlock but not lock. Also note that they do not work all at the same time. It always varies by the day. I was going to pay for them to be fixed myself, but it was too costly.

NHTSA complaint #11721326 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Lift gate struts quit working.The lift gate is no longer is accessible or responsive to the proximity key commands to open or close, even after changing proximity key batteries. You cannot open the lift gate by hand because of the resistance of the hydrolics of the struts. I have complained to Toyota, and the dealership where it was purchased. Both said they would contact me if there was a recall and suggested I file a complaint, which I am doing now. The is a huge inconvenience when grocery shopping, or traveling to spot events, or trying to get the dog to the vet. Luckily I don't use a wheelchair yet. I'm very late in filing this complaint, as the liftgate failure took place in April of 2021. I cannot afford to get them replaced on my limited income. I'm just looking for a little help.

NHTSA complaint #11691021 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Year: 2014 Make: Toyota Model: RAV4 Approx. mileage: 60K 2. Incident Details Date of most recent incident: [XXX] Problem: Vehicle stalls and loses power steering while turning. Engine shuts off suddenly, causing complete loss of steering control. Consequence: On [XXX], my son lost control of the RAV4, hit a curb, and went through bushes before stopping. Previous stalls also occurred while turning, with loss of steering assist. This is a severe safety hazard. Frequency: Has occurred multiple times, even after dealership inspection and repairs. 3. Dealer/Repair Info Dealer name: Sarasota Toyota Address: 7435 S Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34231 Repair attempts: Dealer inspected in August 2025, charged nearly $900, but problem persists. Car is now back in the shop (not Toyota) for a second opinion at an additional cost of over $200. 4. Description My 2014 Toyota RAV4 repeatedly stalls and loses engine power and power steering without warning, especially while turning. On [XXX], my son lost control of the vehicle, hit a curb, and went through bushes before managing to stop. This is extremely dangerous and could have resulted in a serious accident. Sarasota Toyota has inspected the vehicle and charged nearly $900 for repairs, but the defect was not fixed. The vehicle continues to stall and is unsafe to drive. I am pursuing a second opinion at additional expense. This issue places my family and others on the road in danger. I am filing this complaint so that Toyota and regulators address this defect. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11688355 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

My 2014 Toyota RAV4 (Blizzard Pearl, paint code 070) began experiencing hood paint peeling in early 2023. I first assumed it was simply a disappointing paint quality issue. However, this past weekend, the problem significantly worsened when large sections of paint on the roof suddenly flaked off completely, leaving exposed metal vulnerable to rust and corrosion. After this severe flaking occurred, I researched the issue online and discovered this problem is widespread among Toyota's with paint code 070. Toyota acknowledged this known manufacturing defect through their Customer Support Program (ZKG), but I was never notified of this program, despite receiving other recall notices. Additionally, my local Toyota dealership did not inform me about ZKG during a service visit before the program expired in 2024. On March 28th, 2025, I called Toyota’s customer service line to request goodwill assistance and was informed that they are not willing to offer any support or extend the program. I was told that the only thing they could do was “document” my case, and that if enough complaints were received, Toyota might reconsider extending the program in the future. I believe this response is quite unreasonable, especially given that this is a clear manufacturing defect now manifesting in catastrophic failure for many customers shortly after the 10-year ZKG window closed. The cost of a full repaint is commonly quoted around $4,000 to $5,000. For many RAV 4's currently valued at approximately $10,000, that repair cost represents nearly 50% of the car’s value—essentially totaling the vehicle due to a known paint defect. It’s an extreme hardship for customers that a widely acknowledged exterior manufacturing issue can result in such significant devaluation and repair costs. For this to happen to so many people just outside the expiration window (which only ended recently in 2024), and for Toyota to decline any extension or support, does not seem fair. Thank you for your time.

NHTSA complaint #11651340 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

At least three time this happened while driving upon stopping at a stop sign or traffic light I was proceeding while making a turn after getting the clearance to do so. However the engine shut down and I was perplexed as to what was happening. I discovered the car had shut down and I had to restart the car. Additionally this occurred at a stop sign, while trying to make a sharp turn the car once again shut off and I was in the middle of intresection and other cars were behind me, and other coming towards me and I realized this SUV had stopped running again, putting me in direct harms way.

NHTSA complaint #11553645 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

My car was glitching and stuttering, then one day the transmission did not engage and the car would not move forward or in reverse. This only happened one time, we were told it is not the transmission, it is the torque converter. I checked on this NTHSA site and found that many Rav4s throughout the years have had torque converter problems and that the warranty has been extended.

NHTSA complaint #11507612 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

I left to go to work, and the transmission would not engage. I pulled out of the garage, the engine was revving but the car just slowly rolled. I thought it would warm up, but it did not. I was in the street, and I was able to slowly rev and roll the car back into the garage. It was very frightening and dangerous. My husband drove the car, the transmission worked, but sometimes it is still slipping. I'm afraid to drive it. It is only 8 years old and has 126k miles and we maintain it very well. I am so disappointed, we have been driving Toyotas for over 30 years, never had a big problem like this.

NHTSA complaint #11505219 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

As I drive the multimedia system reboots on its own. Also as I was exiting the freeway coming off a curvy ramp, the car shut down as I was driving and the steering wheel locked for a second and then it came back to life. As this happened the dashboard lit up as if it was in accessory mode. Luckily there was not a lot of traffic on the ramp. Also about 5 months ago i had it repaired at the dealer because of a torque converter extended recall

NHTSA complaint #11491642 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Shortly after I purchased the vehicle, the Entune application began sending “movement alerts” and frequently showed that it was in a different location. The dealership said that an update was required, but that did not fix the problem. About a year later, it began to drain batteries repeatedly (4 in one year). The Toyota dealership could not find a problem. After the last battery replacement, I noticed that the Entune app shows that I have over 960,000,000 miles on the vehicle (when the odometer isn’t even at 85,000) and the battery voltage was 14.6 volts! My car was broken into and the front window was broken, but the app failed to inform me of that! About a month ago, I left home and all of the lights on the dash started flashing. The engine temperature was rising (according to the temperature gauge), and then the gauges stopped functioning. The tachometer showed 0 RPMs and I was unable to see the odometer, temperature, or even my speed. After disconnecting and reconnecting the battery cables, it appeared to solve the problem. I am afraid of what may happen next and would trade it in if I could afford to.

NHTSA complaint #11442707 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Vehicles transmission torque converter has issues and makes entire vehicle shake while driving. It causes issues when going up and down hills and shifting gears to maintain appropriate speeds. Vehicle shakes aggressively when at high speeds making highway travel impossible and unsafe. Toyota dealerships quote $3000 in repairs to replace defective part.

NHTSA complaint #11440515 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

All but one lock has now failed. The truck is not able to be opened. There were no warnings/indications, and now the company is telling me that it is no longer under warranty and it cannot be repaired unless paid for. I do find similar stories online and that the locks fail a second time in some cases.

NHTSA complaint #11417929 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

I'VE HAD MULTIPLE ISSUES WITH THIS CAR. THE LOCK ACTUATORS ON ALL THE DOORS AND REAR HATCH CONSTANTLY BREAK, THE RADIO COMPLETELY STOPPED WORKING AND A NEW AFTER MARKET RADIO HAD TO BE INSTALLED SINCE TOYOTA WON'T RECALL THE RADIOS, THE AC BLOWER MOTOR KEEPS SHORTING OUT, AND THE USB PORTS SHORT OUT AND STOP WORKING.

NHTSA complaint #11363684 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

THE RADIO SCREEN ONLY DISPLAYS THE TOYOTA SIGN. IT WILL CHANGE STATIONS WITH THE PRE SET ON THE STEERING WHEEL BUT YOU CAN NOT DO ANYTHING ELSE CUZ THE SCREEN DOES NOT DISPLAY ANYTHING OTHER THAN THE TOYOTA SIGN.

NHTSA complaint #11362799 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

RUSTING INSIDE VEHICLE AND BOLTS FOR HATCH BACK IS RUSTING OUT

NHTSA complaint #11348761 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

MY RAV4 2014 XLE RADIO/BLUE TOOTH STOPPED WORKING ABOUT 3 YRS AGO. I CALLED TOYOTA, BUT THEY REFUSE TO FIX. THE RADIO SCREEN IS BLUE , AND KEEP REBOOTING. IT WAS ONLY 3 YRS OLD AND WE ARE TAKING CARE OF THE CAR VERY GOOD. IT COST 1500 TO REPLACE A NEW ONE, BUT I THINK IT'S NOT CUSTOMER FAULT, AND I'M STILL DRIVING WITHOUT THE RADIO. I FEEL THAT IT'S NOT CUSTOMER FAULT AND TOYOTA MAY GET THE DEFECT RADIO TO INSTALL IN THE CAR. I DID RESEARCH AND SEE LOTS OF CUSTOMER HAS SAME ISSUE. I SEE THERE IS FEW RECALLS FOR RAV4 2014, BUT I NEVER GET A LETTER FROM TOYOTA TO GET THE CAR FIXED.

NHTSA complaint #11327437 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

RADIO WILL COMPLETELY STOP WORKING TO WHERE YOU HAVE TO BUY A NEW $1200 RADIO FROM THE DEALER. ALL DOOR LOCK ACTUATORS WILL STOP WORKING AFTER A PERIOD OF TIME CAUSING YOU TO NOT BEING ABLE TO UNLOCK OR OPEN YOUR DOORS.

NHTSA complaint #11320480 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

VEHICLE WAS PARKED, JUST TURNED THE CAR FROM ENGINE ON TO OFF WITH JUST THE BATTERY ON RUNNING THE RADIO WHILE I WAS PREPARING TO EXIT THE VEHICLE. SUDDENLY THE ENTIRE RADIO SYSTEM COMPLETELY STOPPED WORKING. I LOOKED AT MY INFOTAINMENT SCREEN AND IT WAS CERTAINLY HAVING A ISSUE BECAUSE EVER SINCE THAT DAY OVER ONE YEAR AGO I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO LISTEN TO RADIO, USE GPS, USE BLUETOOTH, ETC. I BELIEVE THIS TO BE UNDER A SAFETY ISSUE DUE TO 1) LOSS OF PHONE/BLUETOOTH (USE OF MOBILE PHONES WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE IS REQUIRED IN MANY STATES TO GO THROUGH BLUETOOTH) AND I CANNOT COMPLY WITH THESE LAWS IF MY SYSTEM HAS MALFUNCTIONED, 2) I PAID FOR A VEHICLE WITH A GPS NAVIGATION FOR A REASON AND NOW I LOST THAT EXPENSIVE CAPABILITY AS WELL, 3) RADIO'S ARE USED TO KEEP THE DRIVER ALERT AND FOCUSED AND THIS WAS LOST 4) THE LOOPING SCREEN IS EXTREMELY BRIGHT, CANNOT BE DARKENED AND IMPOSSIBLE TO DRIVE AT NIGHT WITH IT. I HAVE HAD TO COMPLETELY COVER OVER MY SCREEN SO NOW IT'S LIKE I'M DRIVING A FLINTSTONES VEHICLE WITH NOTHING TECHNOLOGY WISE IN THIS $25,000 VEHICLE I PAID FOR. "TOYOTA CUSTOMER CARE CONTACT US - I CONTACTED TOYOTA VIA PHONE CALL EARLIER TODAY WITH LIMITED RESULTS, BUT LATER EMAILED TOYOTA AND PROVIDED A LINK TO THIS PAGE. THE CUSTOMER CARE REPRESENTATIVE SUGGESTED THAT ANYONE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THEIR RADIO/NAVIGATION SYSTEM SHOULD CALL AND EMAIL THEIR COMPLAINTS. TOYOTA IS NOT CURRENTLY OFFERING ANY REMEDY OR ASSISTANCE TO PREMATURELY FAILING RADIO SYSTEMS THAT ARE OUT OF WARRANTY, BUT ALL CALLS AND EMAILS ARE MONITORED AND WHEN THERE ARE MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS, TOYOTA WILL RECOGNIZE A PROBLEM AND MAY OFFER ASSISTANCE OR REIMBURSEMENT." HTTPS://WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM/TOYOTA/RAV4/2014/ACCESSORIES-INTERIOR/

NHTSA complaint #11288506 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE, THE NAVIGATION/INFORMATION SYSTEM SUDDENLY MALFUNCTIONED. THE SCREEN TURNED A BLUE COLOR AND THE SYSTEM BECAME INOPERABLE. SCREEN KEEPS ATTEMPTING TO RELOAD BUT IT FAILS. RADIO OR NAVIGATION INOPERABLE BUT THE REAR VIEW CAMERA DOES WORK. OCCURRED AT 60,000 MILES.

NHTSA complaint #11287661 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

RADIO IN MY 2014 RAV4 WON'T TURN ON OR OFF. THE SCREEN LOOKS LIKE IT IS TRYING TO REBOOT BUT GETS TO A CERTAIN POINT THEN STOPS AND STARTS AGAIN. IT CREATES SAFETY ISSUES AS IT DIVERT DRIVER EYES WHAT HAPPEN AND HAVE TO USE CELL PHONE WHILE DRIVING TO CHECK ROAD CONDITIONS. IT PREVENTS DRIVERS FROM UP TO DATE TRAFFIC CONDITIONS AND CAR CONDITION. EVERYTHING USED TO DISPLAY IN RADIO SCREEN.

NHTSA complaint #11268220 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

NAVIGATION/BLUETOOTH/MEDIA FUNCTION SCREEN NO LONGER WORKS, IT HAPPENED WHEN I STARTED IT ABOUT A MONTH AGO AT 65,750 MILES ON MY CAR. I'VE READ THAT THIS USUALLY HAPPENS AROUND 65,000 MILES TO 70,000 MILES FOR THIS MODEL AND CAN COST UP TO $2,000 TO $3,000 TO GET IT FIXED. IT STARTS OFF AS A BLACK SCREEN THEN LIGHTS UP LIKE ITS DOWNLOADING SOMETHING THEN GOES BLACK AGAIN. ITS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE DRIVING AT NIGHT OR EARLY MORNING WHEN ITS DARK NO MATTER HOW LOW OF A SETTING YOU HAVE FOR YOUR DASH LIGHTING SETTING WHEN IT LIGHTS UP ITS EXTREMEY BRIGHT. AND EVEN THOUGH I KNOW IT WILL HAPPEN IT STILL MAKE ME TAKE MY EYES OF THE ROAD TO LOOK AT IT. AND LIVING IN THE COUNTRY THAT IS A COUPLE OF SECONDS I CAN'T AFFORD, LUCKILY I HAVE YET TO HIT A DEER OR OTHER LIVING THING.

NHTSA complaint #11254248 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

ALL THE APPS ON THE DASH BOARD, INCLUDING RADIO ARE GONE{WHITED OUT}. I AM AFRAID IF EVERYTHING IS SHUTING DOWN ALL AT ONCE WHILE I DRIVE AS IT DID ON THIS ONE

NHTSA complaint #11191655 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

THE RADIO/INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM ON THESE VEHICLES ARE FAILING (OURS FAILED LAST WEEK), WITH NUMEROUS EXAMPLES POSTED BY OWNERS ONLINE. A DEALERSHIP EVENTUALLY DETERMINED THAT THE ENTIRE RADIO UNIT NEEDED REPLACEMENT AT QUOTED COST OF $1160 TOYOTA CUSTOMER SUPPORT IS COURTEOUS BUT UNWILLING TO ASSIST WITH REPAIRS. THE RADIO SYSTEM APPEARS TO ENTER A BOOT LOOP WHERE A LOADING TYPE SCREEN APPEARS FOR SEVERAL SECONDS FOLLOWED BY THE SCREEN TURNING OFF FOR A TIME BEFORE RESTARTING THE LOOP. WHILE I WOULDN'T CONSIDER THE RADIO/INFOTAINMENT TO BE A CRITICAL SAFETY COMPONENT, THIS CONSTANT ON/OFF OF THE RADIO SCREEN IS A DISTRACTION FOR THE DRIVER. AT NIGHT ESPECIALLY, THE CHANGE IN BRIGHTNESS FROM SCREEN OFF TO SCREEN ON LIGHTS UP THE ENTIRE CABIN. FURTHERMORE, THE BOOT LOOP CANNOT BE STOPPED- NO BUTTONS WORK AND THE SEQUENCE REPEATS ITSELF FOREVER AS LONG AS THE KEY IS ON.

NHTSA complaint #11162462 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

WHEN I HAD MY CAR IN PARK MY STEREO STOPPED WORKING. NO RADIO, NO SATELLITE, NO NOTHING OTHER THAN BACK UP CAMERA. WHEN I START THE CAR I GET A BLUE PICTURE OF THE STEREO AND A STATUS BAR LOADING LIKE ON COMPUTERS WHEN A PROGRAM IS LOADING. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE TOYOTA DEALER AND HE EXPLAINED THAT THE REPLACEMENT WOULD COST 2,500 DOLLARS TO REPLACE AND HE EXPLAINED THERE WAS NO MEANS TO FIX IT. I WENT TO ANOTHER MECHANIC AND HE TOLD ME THE SAME THING. I HAVE HAD THE CAR FOR ONLY 1 YEAR AND 6 MONTHS WITH 45000 MILES AND IT JUST SUDDENLY STOPPED WORKING. I BELIEVE THERE IS A DEFECT IN THESE RADIOS THAT CAUSE THIS ENDLESS LOOP TO OCCUR. MANY OTHERS HAVE EXPERIENCED SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THE SAME MODEL OF CAR AS WELL.

NHTSA complaint #11155457 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

RADIO NAVIGATION QUIT WORKING AFTER BATTERY REPLACEMENT. IT IS CONSTANTLY REBOOTING. DEALER SAYS NEED NEW RADIO WHICH WILL COST ABOUT $1200.00. CANNOT USE BLUETOOTH, HANDS-FREE, CD PLAYER, OR RADIO. TOYOTA WILL NOT REPLACE EVEN THOUGH MANY OTHERS HAVE SAME ISSUE BECAUSE IT IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE.

NHTSA complaint #11130650 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.