The car was under warranty and experienced a transaxle failure while on a highway between Yuma, AZ and Tucson, AZ. The dealer who inspected and repaired the car determined the cause to be a flawed cooler replacement by a body shop in which transmission fluid was not properly replaced subsequent to a left front fender bender accident, which voided the warranty. (Fluids were dry on inspection; no leaks/issues identified at our residence or during "Toyota Care" X2 following the body shop repair.) The car worked flawlessly for one year after the body shop repair until the transaxle failed. Issue: There were no warning messages to indicate a problem with the fluid level until immediately before the catastrophic failure; we were able to get the car to the side of the road right before the wheels locked but had we not, a serious crash could have occurred. Toyota tells us there is no alert for fluids since they have designed the transaxle as a "closed system". However, conditions exist that could compromise this closed system so consumers (and service dealerships) should have a way to proactively identify a fluid level problem so it can be remedied to avoid potential safety hazards related to an abrupt failure.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11728891 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

The contact owns a 2024 Toyota Rav4 Prime. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V595000 (Electrical System); and requested to be removed from the recall distribution list. The local dealer and manufacturer were contacted.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11724902 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

I am reporting a serious safety issue involving my vehicle where the braking system did not respond as expected during an emergency. While traveling southbound on I-575 in Georgia, I experienced a sudden tire blowout. As I moved to the shoulder and applied the brakes firmly, the vehicle did not slow down as expected. Despite pressing the brake pedal continuously and with significant force, the vehicle continued traveling for approximately 1–2 miles before finally coming to a stop near Exit 11. This was a highly dangerous situation, as the brakes appeared to be ineffective during a critical moment. Fortunately, there was no crash or injury. After the incident, the vehicle was towed to a Toyota service center (Cherokee Toyota) where the damaged tire was repaired/replaced. I was informed that no other mechanical issues were found. However, I remain concerned that the braking system may have a defect or intermittent issue that was not detected during a standard inspection. Given the severity of the incident, I request a thorough investigation into the braking system performance under such conditions. A failure or significant delay in braking response presents a major safety risk.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11729161 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Hazard (fishtailing risk): In rain with LTA ON, small but critical driver steering corrections near center are overridden by EPS/LTA, which apply centering torque into steering dual compliance creating a real steering wheel deadband canceling the driver’s turning of the wheel across the deadband; then the steered wheels snap abruptly to the steering wheel position. The significantly delayed response and snap overcorrection, caused cause fishtailing (causing a miss with a car, then a semi), just like the car suddenly had loose ball joints. Conditions: 40–50 mph, intermittent heavy rain, wipers high, spray, occasional false lane detections. Dealer response: Acknowledged the general behaviour. Refused diagnostics; advised turning LTA OFF or lowering sensitivity. Reference: Technical appendix in Toyota.txt (mechanism, thresholds, dual‑compliance explanation, SAE 2019‑01‑1516). SAE Technical Paper 2019-01-1516 (Fu et al., "Control Strategy to Reduce Torque Oscillation of the Electric Power Steering System") Observer credentials: Retired 39-year integrated circuit design engineer; 23 US patents (8 involving nonlinear feedback/deadband control).

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11700388 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov