2018 Toyota RAV4

Malfunction: Mechanical failure of the Torque Converter Clutch. The vehicle exhibits a persistent transmission shudder during acceleration between 25–50 mph. Warning Signs: None. There were no dashboard warning lights or error messages prior to or during the failure. The only indicator was the physical shuddering of the vehicle. Safety Risk: The malfunction causes unpredictable hesitation when merging or changing lanes, creating a dangerous speed differential and risk of rear-end collision. Documentation: Comprehensive maintenance records are available to prove the vehicle was serviced according to the manufacturer’s schedule at a third-party facility.

See attached document for complaint.

3/4/2026 5:10 pm Vehicle (2018 RAV4) was sitting in backed up traffic waiting to exist highway and was hit from behind by a sedan travelling at 65+ mph, pushed into a pickup truck in front, then deflected left into a guardrail. SO, three separate impacts with extensive damage to the entire rear of the car, the front end, and right front quarter. Two occupants in the car, driver and front passenger, no airbags deployed. Driver's head contacted the steerring wheel (back eye, cut lip, swelling on forehead and around eye, headache), and legs and arms of driver and passenger contacted other portions of the interior of the vehicle and experienced severe whiplash, but no broken bones per initial ER xrays and scans. Vehicle towed and is currently available for inspection.

Both headlights and taillights are stained on the inside of the lens with a white residue. My headlights are very streaky and it makes it difficult to see out of. Not the outside of the headlight, because when i rub my hands along the outsides, i do not feel any grabbing, scratches, film, etc.

The automatic lift gate started failing and became misaligned causing the back lift gate to be unable to be closed and damaged my passenger rear tail light as well due to the malalignment issue resulting in having to drive without the back gate fully shut until I can afford the 2k cost quoted to fix it. My research shows this is a very common issue with the rav4's in this production cycle

Iam having transmission issues. I have been to 3 different Mechanic shops, 2 being transmission specialist. Going to a Toyota dealership on 3/26/26 to confirm. Was told I need a whole new transmission, My rav4 is a 2018 with only 115k for miles No engine light on or have any codes. I have spent a bit of money trying to address this issue. and was told that this particular year has a lot of transmission issues and have over 100 on back order. why is this not a recall?

The contact owned a 2018 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V734000 (Electrical System); and requested to be removed from the recall distribution list because she no longer owns the vehicle. The dealer and the manufacturer were not contacted.

While picking up my son from school, my 2018 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid suddenly experienced a complete steering failure. The steering wheel locked without warning and became impossible to move, making the vehicle inoperable and creating an immediate safety hazard. My son and I were stranded for over 7 hours in a public area. AAA was dispatched twice, but they were unable to resolve the issue. The vehicle ultimately had to be towed to a Toyota dealership. Toyota dealership diagnosed the car with a failed steering lock ECU, a critical safety component that should not malfunction under normal conditions. I was quoted over 2,000 for the repair. This issue aligns with multiple known recalls and technical service bulletins related to steering and electronic control failures in RAV4 Hybrid models, suggesting a potential manufacturer defect. This sudden steering failure placed me and my child at significant risk. There were no warning lights, no prior steering issues, and no indicators of malfunction before the event occurred. I am submitting this report because a steering lock ECU failure can lead to sudden loss of steering control, which poses a serious danger to vehicle occupants and others on the road.

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notice of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V734000 (Electrical System). The contact stated that while changing the oil, he became aware that the battery was covered in corrosion and there was acid leaking from the battery tray. The vehicle was not diagnosed, but the contact was advised that the tray needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but refused to replace the battery. The failure mileage was approximately 66,327.

On October 27, 2025, I was housesitting and watching a friends' son and dropped him off at school. I returned to their house, shut off the car, went into the house, started cleaning home in preparation of returning to my home. I was in downstairs master suite on opposite end of home when I heard a car horn. I went to the door, looked out and saw fire emitting from under the driver’s side wheel well, front of engine, from under the engine hood and half way up the windshield of the RAV4. I called [XXX] and informed the dispatcher that my car was on fire. The [XXX] fire department responded and extinguished the vehicle. I called my insurance company and also reported the incident to Toyota BEC, they assigned the incident Liability Case# XXX. I had also received 2 recall notifications from Toyota (NHTSA# 23V734). The car had been serviced by Grappone Toyota (now known as McGovern Toytota) in [XXX] on August 14, 2025 and the recall was documented as fixed on that date. The vehicle was a total loss and towed to a Coparts Salvage Yard in Candia NH. An inspection was performed by an inspector assigned by Toyota. I later received a letter from Toyota stating that the cause of the fire could not be determined and Toyota assumes no reponsibility whatsoever. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

I had just gotten off my vehicle, we were at a shopping center specifically Marshall’s, the employee announced a blue Toyota, I went outside and my car was in flames, the Fire Department said it was an electrical fire. I had never received a letter of a recall let alone Toyota calling me to tell my car was defective. Not only until after my vehicle was damaged I received a call from them which made it suspicious.

On September 3, 2025, I was driving down the I-10 in Biloxi, MS, at 6:45 a.m. It was around 75-80 degrees and the sun was just barely coming up. All of the sudden the glass in my sunroof completely shattered. There were no cars around me and it was an open portion of the road, so no rocks were flung up by nearby vehicles. Luckily, my kids were not with me, because a majority of the glass ended up in my backseat, ranging from huge chunks of about 3-4 inches in diameter to smaller shards being everywhere. I cut myself several times while trying to clean it up, so I can only imagine what it could have done to my kids! Luckily, I was able to keep my cool and not swerve off the road, as it was quite startling.

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that upon entering her carport in an attempt to park(P), the vehicle surged forward without warning. The vehicle blew through the carport's back wall and crashed into her neighbor's fence before coming to an independent stop. The air bags did not deploy upon impact. The contact did not seek medical attention but did sustain soreness in her neck, shoulders, and back. The carport's back wall, a bicycle, the neighbor's fence, and the hammock were all destroyed as a result of the accident. A police report was filed. The dealer was notified of the failure and immediately referred the contact to the manufacturer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was filed. The manufacturer informed the contact that an engineer could be sent to a nearby dealer or independent mechanic to perform an investigation into the defect. The vehicle had yet to be serviced or diagnosed for the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 134,000

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V734000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). The dealer was contacted; however, the contact was informed that parts were unavailable to repair the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted about parts availability. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start due to a severed wiring harness. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 64,000.

The tailgate does not lift all the way. The hinges are intact. I believe its a pistón or sensor problem.

My vehicle has a recall for the battery. I took my car into Toyota in San Juan Capistrano. Car was purchased and owner’s manual states this vehicle uses a size 35 battery. When I returned to pick up my vehicle the service technician told me that “Toyota will only honor the recall on vehicles with a size 36 battery, and in order for them to rectify the recall was for me to purchase a size 36 battery. There is no mention of that on our recall notice nor is there anything stating that on the NTSA website. What can i do to get this fix this issue. I believe this problem is also the reason we have had to replace our battery 3 times since 2021and also the cause of other malfunctions in our vehicle

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while at a stop at a traffic light, the vehicle independently accelerated and rear-ended another vehicle. The engine revved during the acceleration while the brake pedal was depressed. The vehicle continued to accelerate for 20 feet. No warning lights illuminated. No air bags deployed. No injuries were sustained, and medical attention was not sought. A police report was not filed. The contact stated that the failure had reoccurred while at a stop, and the vehicle traveled approximately 20 feet before coming to a complete stop while forcefully depressing the brake pedal. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 56,368.

The passenger side mirror and the collum that holds the windshield on the right side makes a complete blind spot that you can't see anything on that area. If you are turning you can't see even a whole car. The left side mirror and collum that holds the windshield is ok, but not the right one. I got into an accident with the fire hydrant at a parking lot in town because I could not see it. I was turning right into the street and hit the fire hydrant.

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota RAV4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V734000(Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. An unknown local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while parked at the residence, the contact turned off the vehicle and noticed that the vehicle lost power. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V734000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); however, the recall repair failed to fix the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure had occurred after the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 7,000.