RoadVitals

2001 Toyota RAV4 Visibility Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the visibility system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Visibility reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
8
Latest Nov 16, 2012
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
3%
of 309 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2001 Toyota RAV4 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 8 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming visibility

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

ElectricalVisibility
Filed Nov 16, 2012

ON 10/13/2012 WE PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE. WE HEADED SOUTH ON A BUSY FREEWAY AND HAD THE DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW DOWN AS WE PROCEEDED UP THE ENTRANCE RAMP GAINING SPEED TO SAFELY MOVE ON THE FREEWAY WE ATTEMPTED TO CLOSE THE POWER WINDOW BY PULLING UP ON THE DESIGNATED SWITCH AND EXPERIENCED THIS WINDOW AS SOON AS IT CLOSED WOULD INSTANTLY GO BACK DOWN. REPEATED ATTEMPTS SAME OUTCOME. CARS WERE ON ALL SIDES, THE GUST OF RAIN HITTING MY FACE MADE IT HARD TO SEE WHILE MY ATTENTION WAS FOCUSED ON GETTING THIS WINDOW TO STAY CLOSED AND AT THE SAME TIME AVOID COLLISIONS DUE TO THE DISTRACTION OF A WINDOW THAT WOULD NOT STAY SHUT. *TR

NHTSA ID
10484982
Incident
Oct 13, 2012
Mileage
111,000 mi
Visibility
Filed Mar 22, 2005

WHILE DRIVING MY 2001 TOYOTA RAV 4 ( 31000 TOTAL MILEAGE ), WITH THE HEATER MOTOR ON HIGH, I HEARD ALOUD WHIRLING NOISE. AFTER A SHORT TIME ( 5 OR 10 MINUTES ) THE HEATER FAN STOPPED WORKING AND THE SMELL OF BURNING WIRING FILLED THE VEHICLE. I IMMEDIATELY SHUT THE FAN SWITCH OFF. A WISP OF SMOKE CAME OUT OF THE DASH VENT. EXAMINATION OF THE FUSE BOX SHOWED THAT THE FUSE FOR THE FAN HAD NOT BLOWN. I BELIEVE THAT IF I HAD NOT TURNED THE FAN OFF THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A VEHICLE FIRE. AFTER FURTHER INSPECTION I DISCOVERED THE DASHBOARD WAS COVERED WITH FINE PARTICLES OF AN UNDETERMINED ORIGIN WHICH I ASSUMED CAME OUT OF THE WINDSHIELD DEFROSTER VENT. REPAIRS HAVE NOT BEEN MADE.*AK

NHTSA ID
10114457
Incident
Mar 21, 2005
Mileage
31,000 mi
Visibility
Filed Jan 24, 2002

CONSUMER COMPLAINS OF RATTLE NOISE IN THE WINDSHIELD, VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT TO DEALER FOR REPAIRS, BUT DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM. *TT

NHTSA ID
564128
Incident
Feb 9, 2001
Visibility
Filed Jan 23, 2002

CONSUMER WENT TO THE GARAGE, OPENED THE DRIVERS DOOR, GOT IN AND PUT ON SEAT BELT, AND CLOSED THE DOOR. CONSUMER HEARD AN EXPLOSIVE SOUND OF SHATTERING GLASS, WHEN SHE LOOKED BEHIND HER SHE SAW A LRAGE GAPING HOLE IN THE WINDOW OF THE REAR DOOR. THE MANAGER AT RITE-WAY AUTO GLASS STATED IT MAY HAVE BEEN THAT THE ROBOT AT THE FACTORY PUT THE GLASS IN WRONG. *JG

NHTSA ID
564079
Incident
Oct 15, 2001
BrakesVisibility
Filed Oct 2, 2001

THE BRAKES SCREETCH WHEN APPLIED. THE SOUND IS PARTICULARLY STARTLING IF THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED QUICKLY. THIS SOUND IS NOT THE "WEAR SENSOR" SOUND (DEALER CHECKED BRAKES AND SAID THEY ARE FINE). THIS SOUND IS DIFFERENT THAN THE STANDARD SQUEKY BRAKES YOU HEAR ON SOME CARS AND IS VERY CONCERNING. THE WINDSHIELD WOULD RATTLE WHILE DRIVING (DEALER PUT IN A GASKET AND SOUND STOPPED).*AK

NHTSA ID
752835
Visibility
Filed Aug 4, 2001

NO SUMMARY LISTERD FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID
749814
Incident
Aug 3, 2001
Visibility
Filed Jan 22, 2001

THE WINDSHIELD AND REAR-VIEW MIRROR ARE NOT SET INTO THE WINDOW FRAME CAUSING VIBRATION AT ANY SPEED AND MAKING IT HARD TO SEE OUT THE REAR VIEW MIRROR. *AK

NHTSA ID
739749
Incident
Nov 20, 2000
Visibility
Filed Nov 2, 2000

IS THE PLASTIC SUN ROOF SAFE? WILL IT SPLINTER IN A CRASH?*AK

NHTSA ID
735629
Incident
Oct 28, 2000

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .