2013 Toyota RAV4 Engine Problems

Over the course of the past two days, 2013 Toyota RAV4 has engine cut-off while moving on surface streets, tollroads, and Interstate Highways. Thus far, this has occurred 9 times without any warning whatsoever. Car is in otherwise fine mechanical condition, with all four new tires, new brake rotors & ceramic brake pads, new battery & cables inspection, professional throttle body cleaning, 5,000 mile full-synthetic oil change & oil filter, new engine air filter, and all features and functions in what was known as 100% condition with no Engine Fault indicator on or subsequent OBD II codes. Yet it stalls at all speeds, including street traffic speeds and cruise at 70mpg. No indication whatsoever.

Pulled into driveway, turned off car. Entered house within a couple of minutes front end of car burst into flames. Fire Dept. was called to put out fire. Car was towed to Newburgh NY for insurance adjustor inspection. I was on my way to store and stopped at in-laws. Had I not made this stop, I would have been on thruway. If car had been a few feet closer to garage, it would have set the garage, with car inside, on fire, and house. Car in garage could have exploded (gas tank). The recall was received days prior to incident, and indicated remedy would be ready in June 2024. Police and Fire Dept were called, insurance reps, I believe have inspected the car. It was towed and I did not meet with insurance rep. There were no warning lights or problems, passed inspection in August 2023. Police Incident Rep #[XXX], 12/20/23, 12:05 p.m. Yonkers PD INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

While driving , the dashboard lights start flicker off first as a warning before the entire car shuts completely down. The car was start having those issues back in 2014 and delaer told us it was the battery negative wire that causing the issue. Suddenly, it start doing the same thing and in my opinion very dangerous to drive on street and highways. No one wnats to have a car that just suddenly stalled on highway.

car is consuming 2 Quarts of oil in a very short time.

The contact owned a 2013 Toyota RAV-4. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at an unknown speed, she detected a burning odor inside the vehicle as smoke was coming through the vents. As well as flames from under the hood. The contact's daughter pulled and stopped upon exiting the vehicle the front was engulfed in flames. The fire department was called and extinguished the fire. A fire department report was not filed nor a police department was not filed as they were on the scene. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed by a dealer or an independent mechanic. The insurance company deemed the vehicle a total loss. The manufacturer was notified and a case was opened. The contact stated researched failure online and found an investigation by NHTSA. The approximate failure mileage was 63,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 TOYOTA RAV-4. THE CONTACT STATED THE WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE CONTACT STATED THEY NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE HOOD FROM THE ENGINE. THE CONTACT GOT OUT THE VEHICLE AND CALLED 911. THE VEHICLE ENGULFED IN FLAMES AND NO ONE WAS INJURED DURING THE FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS NOTIFIED AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. A FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORT WAS FILED. THERE WAS NO WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A TOW YARD. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED OR DIAGNOSED BY INSURANCE COMPANY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,000.

I was traveling south on [XXX] when the vehicle stalled. I started the engine and proceeded. I noticed my Rav4 smoking from the engine so I turned off into a Extra Space Storage parking at 1415 Bergen Boulevard, Fort Lee N.J. 07024 were it stalled again. I then exited the vehicle and opened the hood and observed a burst flames coming from the engine/battery area. I ran to a Wendy's and asked for a fire extinguisher, but the fire escalated rapidly, burning the entire interior and exterior of the vehicle. It was towed to Sanos Towing Company 344 Bergen Blvd. Palisades Park. N.J. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2013 TOYOTA RAV-4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN A PARKING SPACE WHEN SHE SHIFTED THE GEAR SHIFTER INTO REVERSE AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE RESTARTED ITSELF. THE CONTACT DROVE THE VEHICLE AROUND THE CORNER AND THE VEHICLE STALLED ONCE MORE. THE CONTACT LOOKED UP AND SAW GRAY SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD AND ALL OF THE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT EXITED THE VEHICLE WHEN SHE SAW GRAY SMOKE BILLOWING AND WITHIN SECONDS OF EXITING THE VEHICLE, IT WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THE POLICE AND FIRE RESCUE WERE ON THE SCENE AND A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOT AND THE INSURANCE COMPANY DEEMED IT TOTALED, BUT COULDN'T DIAGNOSE WHAT THE FAILURE WAS SINCE THE VEHICLE'S EXTERIOR FRAMES WERE ONLY LEFT. THE CONTACT INFORMED CHARLES MAUND TOYOTA (8400 RESEARCH BLVD, AUSTIN, TX 78758) OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE AND OPENED A CLAIM, HOWEVER THEY LATER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE CLAIM WAS DENIED SINCE THERE WAS NO INDICATION THAT A DEFECT CAUSED THE FIRE. THE MANUFACTURER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT UPON INSPECTION, THE J HOOK WAS MISSING AND THE POSITIVE BATTERY CABLE WAS WELDED TO THE BATTERY HOLD DOWN BRACKET AS THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE SAW A NEWS ARTICLE THAT NHTSA WAS PROBING ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE FOR 2013-2018 TOYOTA RAV4, AND BELIEVED THE FAILURE WAS RELATED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 39,187. *BF*LN

OUR TOYOTA 2013 RAV4 HAD A SUDDEN ACCELERATION. WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, THE GAS PEDDLE SUDDENLY DROPPED TO THE FLOOR, AND THE RPM'S WENT FROM 3-8 INSTANTLY. UPON BRAKING, THE ACCELERATOR WENT BACK TO NORMAL, BUT AS SOON AS THE BRAKE WAS RELEASED, THE PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY HAPPENED AGAIN. AT THIS POINT, THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED AGAIN, AND THE CAR WAS PULLED OVER. THE CAR WAS SHUT OFF, THEN RESTARTED. AT THIS POINT THE CAR DROVE NORMAL FROM THEN ON.

THE RAV4 2013 IS NOT EVEN 5 YEARS OLD YET. THE CAR DOES NOT SPEED UP WHEN PRESSING GAS AND JERKS SUDDENLY. PER DEALER, THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE COMPUTER CONNECTED TO THE TRANSMISSION AND HAD A LOT OF CUSTOMERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM.

WHILE BACKING OUT OF MY GARAGE, SATURDAY 12/12/15, MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE, SUDDENLY THE ENGINE SPEEDED UP RADICALLY AND I SPED BACKWARD TO THE END OF MY DRIVE. I BRAKED AND SHIFTED TO NEUTRAL AND SWITCHED OFF THE ENGINE. IT STOPPED AND UPON RESTARTING, WAS OK. THIS COULD BE DEADLY IF IT HAPPENED IN TRAFFIC.

WHILE BACKING UP, VEHICLE ACCELERATED RAPIDLY HITTING A PARKED VEHICLE DOING MUCH DAMAGE. WIFE DRIVING MANY YEARS, NEVER HITTING ACCELERATOR WHEN SHE MEANT TO HIT THE BRAKES. DO NOT KNOW WHY RAPID ACCELERATION OCCURRED. HAS NOT HAPPENED MOVING FORWARD. *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 TOYOTA RAV 4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE ENTIRE INSTRUMENT PANEL ILLUMINATED AS THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO BE RESTARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,600.

I HAVE BROUGHT MY 2013 RAV 4 BACK TO THE TOYOTA DEALER TWICE FOR THIS PROBLEM. THERE IS A DAMP AND MUSTY SMELL COMING THRU THE AIR VENTS. TOYOTA HAS REPLACED THE AIR FILTER AND SPRAYED SOME AIR FRESHENER BUT THE SMELL IS STILL THERE. THE SERVICE REP HAD EXPLAINED TO ME THAT THERE IS A DRAIN AND THIS DRAIN ALLOWS WATER TO BUILD UP AND THAT IS WHAT CAUSES THE ODOR. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED SEVERAL TIMES WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 4,800. UPDATED 6/8/2015 *JS

I PURCHASED THE 2013 RAV4 IN APRIL, 2013. WITHIN A FEW MONTHS, I BEGAN TO SMELL AN ODOR COMING FROM THE AC WHEN I START THE CAR. THE DEALERSHIP STATES THAT THE BOX THAT HOLDS THE AC CONDENSATION IS TOO SMALL DUE TO MANUFACTURING CHANGES. ON MY SECOND TRIP TO THE DEALERSHIP WITH THIS COMPLAINT, THEY SPRAYED AC FRESHENER IN THE PART UNDERNEATH THE CAR. THIS HELPED WITH THE ODOR BUT ONLY TEMPORARILY. I AM CONCERNED THAT WHAT I AM BREATHING IS MOLD AND THAT THIS WILL ONLY GET WORSE AS LONG AS I KEEP THE CAR. I BELIEVE THIS COULD HARM MY HEALTH OVER TIME. THE DEALERSHIP REP STATED THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM ON THESE CARS FROM TIME TO TIME. I LIKE MY CAR (MY 5TH TOYOTA) BUT I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND IT TO ANYONE DUE TO THIS ISSUE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED THEN STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE ENGINE, THE TRACTION CONTROL, AND THE FOUR WHEEL DRIVE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AFTER THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES FOR THE FAILURE. THE DEALER PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC THAT WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE A FAILURE CODE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 2,120.