2019 Toyota RAV4 Complaint Log

Engine maintenance required visit your dealer alert on screen. Seems to happen when the A/C is in use. Took it to a Toyota dealership for a diagnostic test and they said it was the Engine coolant bypass valve. The diagnostic test was $180. They mentioned the part was on backorder and I have been waiting for the part for a month now. The alert will not go away at all if the A/C is in use. The dealership mentioned this has been happening frequently with RAV 4s. It will cost approximately $771 to repair and $189 for a coolant flush.

A recall was issued for a roof leak defect that allowed water intrusion into my vehicle. The recall repair was performed at Autonation Toyota of Weston dealership, where the roof was replaced due to water staining. However, water intrusion which led to black mold growth into the interior carpeting and floor board remained after the repair. The dealership stated that the remaining water intrusion affecting the carpeting was caused by another source. Documentation showing that the recall repair procedure was completed according to the manufacturer’s requirements was requested but has not been provided. The defect involving water entering the vehicle interior remains unresolved. I was last told by the General Manager that my requests and concerns were forwarded to legal, but I have not heard back from October of 2025.

Vehicle is switching to mud and sand mode on its own, which according to a quick google search is a common electrical problem. Possible cause listed by other drivers is a roof rail leak. Upon inspection I see water stains on the inside of my headliner where the roof rails sit. So confirmed roof rail leak. I have not yet had this looked at to learn the full extent of the damage.

Engine maintenance required light came on. Vehicle was diagnosed with needing a new coolant bypass valve. Researching online and in Toyota groups, this is a widespread issue. Even the dealer said they have had many of these repairs yet Toyota has not issued a recall. This is a repair with a cost of $500-$1000 and a safety concern but Toyota has not addressed it.

Driver was in the process of parking. While driver had foot on brake and about to put vehicle in park, vehicle suddenly lurched forward uncontrollably, jumped the curb, ran over thick bushes, and ran into the front window of a store. as soon as vehicle stopped, driver placed the vehicle in park. None of the safety features prevented this.

The contact owns a 2019 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while attempting to refuel the vehicle, it was discovered that the interior latch to open the fuel door had malfunctioned, and the fuel door failed to open. The contact was unable to refuel the vehicle due to the failure. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 27,900.

I was pulling into a parking space and when I applied the brake to stop, the vehicle did not slow down and hit a building. The driver side airbags deployed (steering wheel and knee airbags). The was no one else in the vehicle. The vehicle was declared a total loss by the insurance company. I have reported the issue to Toyota and signed an authorization for them to obtain the vehicles electronic data. The consumer has yet to receive a response from Toyota.

The contact owns a 2019 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The contact then stated that while the vehicle was idling, he heard a beeping sound coming from the front driver’s seat. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the battery needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure recurred. The dealer was notified of the failure, but no further assistance was provided. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 8,000.

Car stalled. Towed to dealer. Dealer diagnosed failed electric water pump. Refused to repair under powertrain warranty. I took car to local mechanic for replacement. Upon investigation the rotor in the water pump swelled up causing it to seize, upon reading blogs it appears to be a common problem caused by the antifreeze and material they use to manufacture the rotor in the water pump. I did submit formal complaint to Toyoya Corp and was reimbursed because they agreed it was a powertrain issue. However, I think it possibly should be a recall.

Engine warning that cannot be cleared - "Engine Maintenance Required" displays on Multi-information display. Coolant Bypass Valve is the problem according to Toyota, and they want $1000 to fix it. Happens to many right after warranty expires.

The rear passenger side hinge of my lift gate is cracked on both sides. As a result, the lift gate does not open, close, or seal properly. The cracks were noticed a few weeks ago after multiple issues with the rear lift gate freezing as opening or closing. It has never been in an accident, nor has it ever been hit. The car has exclusively only been serviced at the Toyota dealership where it was bought. The rear liftgate issues have been brought up multiple times with no resolution. I’ve contacted the dealership about the hinges and they’ve told me that I need to take it to a private body shop to have repaired. Having the hinge of the liftgate cracked on both sides impacts the integrity of the rear of the car in a collision and the safety of the user one opening and closing lift gate should break entirely. I’m doing research on this issue online. It seems to be some thing. Other people have experience with the rear liftgate hinge. There’s even a complaint about it on consumer affairs.

2019 Toyota Rav4 Premium Engine Maintenance light visit dealer popped up on the vehicle. Researching online apparently the coolant bypass valve malfunctioning is a recurring issue with the 2019 Toyota Rav4, not sure why a recall has not been done yet for this vehicle. Went to the dealer to have the vehicle looked at, before having it diagnosed the service person stated it is probably the coolant bypass valve and that the part is on back order, vehicle was put on the machine to have it diagnosed and confirmed that the Coolant Bypass Valve will need to be replaced. The only warning light that it gave me was Engine Maintenance light came on. The service advisor said the vehicle is perfectly fine to drive till they get the part in, which still concerns me because of the engine. I am having to pay out of pocket to get it repaired but after talking to the service people and researching online from other people, there really should be a recall for the Coolant Bypass Valve.

All four doors retain water from an issue with wax/debris/substance that blocks the door drain holes and restricts water from draining properly. There is a TSB on this but it is not a recall level. I am told that standing water in a vehicle is not an issue, however I fail to understand how standing water would not rot away the doors as well as breed mold/bacteria. When calling the national hotline they are aware of the issue but since it is not a recall they would not honor covering the cost because it falls outside the standard warranty. For vehicles it affected (2019) the time the TSB was updated would fall outside the warranty time frame therefore making it that they would not need to cover the cost. There is nothing that could be done to prevent this since it is a defect with manufacturing and thus no warnings except when the car retains too much water it starts to pour out of the doors.

On May 13, 2023, ‘Engine Maintenance Required-Visit Your Dealer’ warning appeared on my console. I immediately brought the vehicle to the Toyota dealer. I was told the Coolant Bypass Valve went bad. This was at roughly 45,000 miles. I had previously purchased a ‘No deductible extended warranty’ from this same Toyota dealer. Now they tell me this ‘Valve’ is not covered under warranty. I was charged $887.99 for repair of this ‘Valve’. As this could cause the engine to overheat, causing additional damage, it most certainly is a safety issue.

We have a 2019 Toyota Rav4, win VIN JTMK1RFV8KD******, about a week ago this message appeared: "ENGINE MAINTENANCE REQUIRED. VISIT YOUR DEALER." The Mileage was still 74,104. After a week, I took it to a mechanic shop; I had the oil changed and discovered that the message cannot be removed. I had the vehicle system scanned and one of the items that came up is "Engine and engine cooling". My mechanic went on line to find out if there's a RECALL issue on my vehicle with its VIN. There are 8 Recall issues on the KELLY BLUE BOOK website but not on the Toyota website. We called the dealership and they confirmed that my VIN is not included in the list. Toyota is charging $180 or more just to Diagnose. WHY do we have to pay for the Manufacturer's defects?

The DATA COMMUNICATION MODULE - the DCM does not work properly. At first the Mic for the phone did not work when using the phone , then my clock and information page on the screen went in and out. I went to a dealership and they charged me $150 for diagnostic and now $1300 to fix. This is a vital piece of equipment for using communication devices hands-free. There is already a campaign to 21-22 RAV 4 models, and I believe this is the same issue only to the 2019 and 2020 also. Here is the link to the campaign. Please help me. https://www.toyoheadquarters.com/threads/2021%E2%80%932022-toyota-vehicles-dcm-data-communication-module-reprogramming-special-service-campaign-ssc-22tc01.2566/

The contact owns a 2019 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, a message displayed reading "All Wheel Drive Malfunction”. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V064000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 123,000.

The Coolant Bypass Valve went bad, and apparently it’s been happening frequently to a lot of peoples Toyotas. Also unsafe because I have to wait for the part, which is on back order, because so many of them are faulty. This need to me recalled!

Hybrid Harness Malfunction. As reported on FaceBook by my wife to [XXX] of LIA Toyota: "Well my husband's RAV 4 wasn't safe and you knew it. And corporate knew it. You are in the business of saving lives by informing your customers when you find a defect in your cars. This faulty harness is dangerous. And the repair is costly and there aren't many of these parts available to make the repair. You put my husband and countless others in danger. Shame on you." Not only has the problem been confirmed: On May 11th, I received a letter from TOYOTA Motor Sales, USA, Inc. entitled, Certain 2019-2022 Model Year Rav4 Hybrid Vehicle (AWD Only) Coverage for High Voltage Floor Under Wire Harness and Rear Traction Motor Cable Corrosion CUSTOMER SUPPORT PROGRAM 22TE09 NOTIFICATION... There was a YouTube Video made by [XXX] about this problem A YEAR AGO entitled, "CableGate," AND an article at TorqueNews. (I have links if needed) The vehicle has been inspected and repaired by LIA Toyota in Rockland County. OVER $5,500 that I'm looking to get a FULL refund. LIA gave me back $1,000 for over-charging me. I want the FULL refund from Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. A warning lamp/message appeared on May 6. I have emails, reports to corporate & screenshots of conversations with LIA service...all lasting almost 2 months. Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. and LIA Toyota BOTH new of this problem a year ago BEFORE they sent out the letter. The letter states they would repair it for free if under 100,000 miles. I had 114,000, BUT...if I knew a year ago, I would have brought it in...UNDER the 100,000 miles, and got a FREE repair. Thank you for helping me get a full refund and for helping others with this same problem. USA Toyota owners NEED TO KNOW THIS! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

My power steering fails due to low voltage, even while I'm traveling at high rates of speed.

The contact's daughter owns a 2019 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that the driver’s and passenger’s side front windows became inoperable. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who diagnosed that the window regulators on the driver's side and passenger's side front windows needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact who is a mechanic stated that the steel cable in the plastic had deteriorated, and water and moisture had entered the vehicle, causing corrosion. The contact replaced both window regulators. The manufacturer was contacted, but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 63,000.

I have now had two spontaneous, large cracks form in my windshield without any impact of debris.

Received multiple malfunction alerts. BSM & RCTW. Other safety features also inop. Dealership told me it was due to non-factory installed Cross Bars, faulty gasket allowed water into vehicle and flowed down onto the Engine Control Module. There was no way the amount of water said to have been in vehicle could have come from that 1 gasket, over 1" above roof. After $825+ and removal of cross bars water still leaking into car. Concerned issue will re-occur making safety features worthless, as well as damage side air-bags. These issues would all need to be corrected via out-of-pocket expense. Believe the issue is design flaw from Toyota.

The contact owns a 2019 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the "Engine Maintenance Required, Take to Dealer" message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a coolant leak and that an unknown part needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V064000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 31,000. The contact wants to cancel this complaint.

Vehicle stalled while driving 60mph , vehicle overheated upon restarting

Sunroof suddenly shattered as we are just starting up the car. We are not parked under a tree or any structure. We just heard a loud noise of something shattering from the roof. I went outside and saw the roof completely shattered.

Roof rack design and grommet failure allows for water to flow into cabin headliner and down a-pillars and other areas where curtain airbag and other electrical components are housed. This can cause malfunction and/or failure of the vehicles crucial functions at any given moment. A class action lawsuit is filed on this. You need to step in and make it a recall and hold toyota responsible.

Outside water (rain, carwash, etc) is leaking through the roof into the A-pillar and C-pillar areas and into the interior. Water is likely entering the air bag components in the front A-pillars on both sides, potentially causing a safety issue. Also concerned that water could be entering the electrical components in the dashboard. When researching the issue, found multiple complaints of this issue and also at least one class action lawsuit. Dealer is pushing back on covering this under the "Certified Pre-owned Comprehensive Warranty". https://www.carcomplaints.com/news/2023/toyota-rav4-roof-rail-leaks-class-action-lawsuit.shtml https://www.classaction.org/toyota-rav4-leaking-lawsuit https://www.motorbiscuit.com/lawsuit-alert-toyota-rav4-roof-leak-causes-water-damage-electronics-airbags/

Sudden Unintended Acceleration....ONCE AGAIN! I was pulling into a parking stall of a shopping center at about 2-3 mph. I started to apply the brakes. Simultaneously, the car lurched forward hitting a retention pole. In an attempt to stop the car from going any further, I continued to press down on the brake pedal and shifted into reverse. The EDR shows that the gasoline engine reached 2200 rpms, while the hybrid electric motor reached 2300 rpms. The car performed a backward semi circle maneuver, eventually hitting a cement wall and coming to a stop. Even though there were two (2) impacts (one going forward and one going backward) no air bags were deployed. If there had been people in the area, they easily could have been killed. The damage to the car was extensive and the car was "totaled". The car manufacturer inspected the car and downloaded the Event Data Records. SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION CAN'T BE REPRODUCED!! There were/are no error codes and all car manufacturers, including my automobile's, refuse to acknowledge the issue. At the very least, could NHTSA PLEASE REMIND THE PUBLIC THAT THIS IS A SERIOUS, ALBEIT INFREQUENT, DANGER?

Driving home from work on 3/25/23 at 9:15 pm my dash lights starting going on and off flicking. “Power steering malfunction. Steering power low visit your dealer” “abs” also multiple dash lights came on at the same time. Brake light steering light. Got home and took video while parked to safely show the issue

The roof rack appears to be leaking and water is coming into the car. The glove box was saturated with water and there was a puddle on the floor. There is water in the headliner. We're concerned about the side impact airbags no longer working and the wiring harness. I'm not sure how long it has been leaking but it was only just discovered yesterday.

Many things

A couple of months ago, I noticed water had somehow entered the inside of my car, collecting along the interior roof panel and inside the C-pillar close to the top of the driver door. I did a little research to see if I could figure out what the cause of it was. I found that many other owners of 2019 and 2020 Rav4's had similar problems. Their findings indicated that Toyota had equipped poor quality gaskets, along the the area in which the roof rail trim were fastened to the roof of the car. I also read that this problem could be fixed by the owner, but was unaware that the water leakage would come in contact with electrical components. Yesterday, I experienced first hand the result of this situation. When starting my car, the display board was indicating a multitude of warnings for system malfunctions. These included power steering malfunction, brake system malfunction, pre-collision warning malfunction, lane-monitoring, and on top of this the RPM gauge and engine temperature gauge were both malfunctioning. These warning/indicators persistently flashed and caused a loud beeping sound to go off. The warnings also informed me to not drive the car and see a dealer immediately. After taking it to the dealer, the technicians were able to confirm that water has leaked through the roof rail panels from the area I previously specified. They found water on fuse box/junction connectors. They also found corrosion on pins on driver front door connector, under dash harness connector and body harness connector. While the water damage did not lead to a car accident, it did cause serious concern for the potential risk of car malfunctions. This information will be soon be reviewed by my insurance provider.

My RAV4 does not hold a full tank of gas. It only allows half a tank get full of gasoline. Toyota says they don't know how to fix, as well as two other shops I have brought it to. There are no engine messages or any other signs of issues. Gas will gush out of the tank when filling up if I do not stop at half way.

The engine on my Rav4 suddenly stopped without any notification while I was driving it on the freeway. I could have been severely injured from the risk of being rear ended by vehicles behind me. I have experienced this twice now, and both times, I have been on a busy highway in the middle of rush hour traffic. While driving, the engine would start sputtering and the vehicle will jolt and shake, eventually causing a warning message to appear that says power steering low, engine shutting off, place vehicle in Park. Then, when I turn the engine off, and try to restart it, it would flash a message that read Not ready to drive. After towing the vehicle to a service department, the vehicle would start up like normal, and the techs could not get vehicle to duplicate the issue. No codes would come up when they place it on a scanner, either. I researched the issue online, and it appears I am not the only one who has experienced this issue with the Rav4. Please reference https://www.rav4world.com/threads/engine-stopped-steering-power-low.323916/ This incident happened twice, once on 3/6 and again on 3/8. I thought the issue was fixed after having my vehicle towed on 3/6 to Freeman Toyota Service where they determined the issue was due to a recall on the fuel pump. However, the incident occurred again on 3/8, and I had to have the vehicle towed as the engine shut off while I was driving on the freeway blocking one lane of traffic on the interchange that connects one freeway to another. I was very fearful of other vehicles crashing into me as some of them were squeezing by between my vehicle and the retaining wall to get around me. It took the wrecker over an hour to get to me due to high traffic time. I have uploaded 2 tow bills I had to pay, and the service invoice for the recall work done. My vehicle is currently at another Toyota Service department where they are telling me they are unable to duplicate the issue.

UNKNOWN

I purchased a brand new 2019 Toyota RAV-4 XSE Hybrid on August 13, 2019. In 2020, I noticed my fuel tank would not fill past 10 gallons. I had the Toyota of Hollywood dealership fix the gas tank issue in March 2022. Pre-fix, the tank was only filling 9-10 gallons when the low fuel light turned on. Post-fix, I am getting 11 gallons filled which is much less than I thought it would since the tank should hold more. I had the dealer check the tank capacity just in case, and got 14.8 total capacity. I am wondering if this is a software or fuel gauge issue now. Why would you do a customer support program to “fix” a fuel tank so we only get one more gallon of gas in the tank? You should be fixing it so we get a minimum of 13 gallons in the tank. This significantly reduces the range I can drive, 345 miles, according to the computer. After my fuel tank diagnostic on February 22, 2023, Oscar at Toyota of Hollywood told me my tank is operating normally and my tank will only accept 11 gallons and has 3.5 gallons in reserve? So I can drive 100 miles after the empty light comes on and won’t run out of gas? This is a big safety issue. How do I know when my car will run out of gas? The answer is, I don’t.

Car randomly switches into different driving modes, BSM and anti collision goes off while driving. Seat warmers randomly come on high and can’t be turned off. Dealership identified water damage from leaking roof rack resulting in mold and electrical damage. Possible damage to airbags as water leaking into the pillar at front window. Many instances documented online.

Steering wheel is blistering/ peeling in the areas that heat up. I have asked Toyota to address the issue and the refuse to do so.

I was recently driving my 2019 RAV4 when it started switching to mud and sand mode and turns of all my safety features. This would occur at random when I was parked and driving. I was able to find several discussion boards about this issue by searching ‘ 2019 rav4 switching to mud and sand mode.” I took it to the dealership and they discovered that there is a leak from the roof racks that is causing water to get in my car and is now impacting the driving ability and safety features on this car. I was able to find many discussion boards and even YouTube videos on how to fix this issue by searching “2019 rav4 roof rack leak.” It was reported in Australia, Japan, Taiwan, and the US. Many reported they had this issue fixed for free under warranty but now warranty has run out on the car and to fix the roof rack costs approximately $5000. Fixing the roof rack does not cover potential water damage that my airbags may have experienced as well and does not ensure there is not permanent water damage to the driving mode buttons

Vehicle has absolutely no safe way to hook up to tow. My wife got the car stuck in the snow and needed a tug out with a tow strap. The owners manual states that only some vehicle of this model are equipped with a towing eye. Mine is not, and from what i hear all subsequent year rav4 are not equipped. I crawled underneath the car front and back and dug snow out to find there is no place to hook to. No holes, frame members, nothing to put a hook on, a clevis around, or a loop of rope to loop to. All plastic and smooth sheet metal. I had to strap around one wheel and drag it fighting the allwheel drive system, against my owners manual instructions. How can this be that there is absolutely no recommended way to tow/recover this vehicle or secure it to a towtruck? I have heard stories of tow companies refusing to tow Rav4’s because of this.

On January 17th 2023, I discovered a leak coming from the roof rack on the passenger side. The water leaked onto the passenger seat. When I brought this to the attention of my dealership, I was told that they did not handle these problems and sent me to an independent repair shop, where the roof rack was removed and an adhesive was applied to stop further leaks. I want this problem documented with Toyota, in case any further problems like this develop. I understand from other Toyota owners that this is not an uncommon problem with this model vehicle, and that these leaks can damage wiring and ultimately the airbags.

WATER LEAKING FROM LEFT AND RIGHT UPPER LINERS NEAR AIRBAGS ON PILLAR ,. LEFT DRIVER'S GRAB HANDLE . CAR MILES AROUND 17.000 MILES . WARRANTY OR EXTENDED WARRANTY PLATINUM FOR EXTRA 4 YEARS NO COVER PROBLEM ? LOOKS TOYOTA DESING FOR DRAIN WATER IS NO CORRECT DESING ...

Hatch hinge cracking, bending, and breaking causing hatch door to pull to one side. Hatch door pulling to one side caused the door to rub on the tail light when opening and closing and door doesn’t not seal when shut. This issue was not caused by any foreign objects or accidents. The issue is available for inspection. The issue has been seen by a dealership. The issue has not been inspected by any other entities. The first sign of the issue occurred in January 2023 with visible evidence the door was pulling to one side. The issue has continued to worsen.

The contact owns a 2019 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled with unknown warning lights illuminated and blinking. The contact stated that the steering wheel became very firm. The contact pulled over on the side of the roadway and turned off the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to restart and was towed to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that water enter the cabin of the vehicle through the roof rails and caused electrical damages to an unknown wiring harness connector. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and a case was filed; however, no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 70,811.

I have had my RAV 4 since it was brand new. Today while i was driving, the mud and sand screen popped up automatic with traction control light, later i was able to turn it to normal then the light would go off for a while and it comes back again. It all happened while i was driving in I 355 going down to Lemont, IL from Palatine IL. I had the same problem but not with the mud and sand but with snow back in 2019 when it was a brand new, took it to a dealership and they said they have never seen like this before and they just reset the computer and it went off. I am pretty sure when I first bought it, even i push each and every button of either snow, sports or mud, the traction light wouldn’t come off. While driving on i 355 today, my car slide for a while which was the most scary part, first I assume it was raining but after when the rain stopped too, it was skidding while applying the brake. I have the regular maintenance, just did the brakes with rotors, changed tires, oil change every 3-4k miles. I tried to talk to Toyota 800 number but wasn’t able to connect with them.

Tailgate problem since Purchase. Tailgate won't close. Gets stuck open. Dangerous. Known issue. Fixed 3 times at Toyota dealer. Faulty hinge and other real parts problems. Dealer says there is a class action lawsuit about the problem. 1st occurred only during Winters starting 2022. Gas door broken 2023. Water leaking into passenger front door 2022. Also door actuator . Have had to replace front 2, now rear broken. Can report separately.

As I was turning into a parking spot my car made a growling noise and suddenly lunged forward and accelerated at high speeds, hitting two cars and only stopping once the car hit a wall. I had no control of the car as it accelerated and the brakes did not work.

The vehicle enters mud/sand mode spontaneously, causing the ABS, traction control, and forward collision warning to turn off. I cannot enter mud/sand mode myself when pressing the button. Must turn on normal or eco mode to get out of mud/sand mode once it activates. It has happened over a dozen times in a week.

We have a 2019 RAV4 the mud and sand mode kept randomly turning on in the highway. The car loses traction when it goes into the mode. Toyota claimed they are not responsible. This is a very danger issue.