Owner-reported complaints naming the electrical system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2006 Toyota RAV4 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 42 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.
The 25 most recent of 42, in the owner's own words
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2006 Toyota Rav4. The contact discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 122,000, and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 199,694.
FOR SOME TIME THERE HAS BEEN AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM WITH THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS COMING ON AND LOSS OF POWER STEERING. THE CAR HAS BEEN CHECKED BY MECHANICS, INCLUDING ONE AT A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP, BUT THE PROBLEM WAS NOT FOUND. I HAVE EXPERIENCED THE PROBLEM WITH THE CAR STATIONARY, BUT I BELIEVE MY SON SAID IT HAS HAPPENED TO HIM WHILE IN MOTION.
LOSING OIL ENGINE MAKING NOISE NO POWER
STEERING FROZE UP WHILE LEAVING MY DRIVEWAY AND P/S LIGHT CAME ON. SHUT ENGINE OFF AND BACK ON, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE. I RECALL AT LEAST ONE OTHER TIME THAT STEERING LOCKED UP TEMPORARILY WHILE AT A STOP. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP FOR DIAGNOSTIC AS MANUAL RECOMMENDS. DIAGNOSTIC SHOWS DTCS U0105 AND U0121. FOUND TAB ST005-06 RELATED TO THIS ISSUE AND "UPDATED POWER STEERING ECU AVAILABLE". DIAGNOSTIC $150, PARTS AND LABOR $1600+ CLEARY THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE REQUIRING A RECALL. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THERE ARE MANY MORE SIMILAR COMPLAINTS.
MOST LIGHTS ON DASHBOARD ARE LIT UP. VSC, ENGINE 4WD. ALSO MY MECHANIC SAID OUTS THROWING OFF A LOT OF FALSE READINGS. LIGHTS ARE ALWAYS ON SOMETIMES FEELS LIKE THE TRANSMISSION IS SLIPPING WHEN I GO FROM STOPPED TO GO ON A HILL. OUTS BEEN THIS WAY SINCE I BOUGHT IT.
AT INTERSTATE SPEEDS AND SOMETIMES QUICK ACCELERATION ALL THE LIGHTS COME ON THE DASH AND YOU LOSE ALL STEERING , IT LOCKS UP THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES , TO MY SEVENTEEN YEAR OLD DAUGHTER SHE WAS LUCKY THERE WAS NOT A CORNER WHEN IT HAPPENED SHE WOULD'VE SHOT STRAIGHT OFF THE ROAD . THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL ON THIS I HAVE LOOKED IT UP AND THERE HAS BEEN SEVERAL COMPLAINTS OF THIS SAME ISSUE ON THE RAV4S AND SEVERAL OTHER TOYOTA'S. IF I KNEW THIS ISSUE WAS A PROBLEM I WOULD NOT OF PURCHASED THIS CAR FOR MY DAUGHTER.
COMPUTER PROBLEMS CAUSING ALL THE LIGHTS TO COME ON THE DASHBOARD AND DISABLING THE SHIFTING SOLENOID. IT ALSO DISABLES THE SAFETY BRAKING AND FOUR WHEEL DRIVE. THIS CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO BE UNSAFE.
I HAVE 2006 TOYOTA RAV4-BATTERY WARNING LIGHTS FLIPS AND GO,- WHEN I WAS DRIVING IN FREEWAY 68MPH, BATTERY WARNING SIGNALS FLIPS TWO TIMES WHILE I TRY TO ACCELERATE THE VEHICLE. AND ALSO ALL WARNING SIGNALS, CHECK ENGINE, TCS, VSC, 4 WD, BREAK, AND AIRBAG SIGNALS CAME AND VEHICLE LOST ALL ELECTRICAL POWER, STEERING BECOME HARD AND BREAK DIDN'T WORK, I HAD TO PULL OVER THE VEHICLE IN FREEWAY. IT HAPPED TWO TIMES, STILL THE BATTERY SIGNALS ARE FLIPS WHEN PUSH THE GAS. I HAD TO TOW THIS VEHICLE TWO TIMES. I CHECK THIS CAR WITH THREE MECHANICS AND AUTOZONE, THEY COULD NOT FIND OUT ANY PROBLEM,. THEY ALL SAID BATTERY AND ALTERNATORS ARE WORKING GOOD ( BATTERY AND ALTERNATORS ARE REPLACED TWO EARS AGO. I HAVE SEEN MANY 2006 TOYOTA RAV4 CUSTOMERS EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM. DRIVING THIS VEHICLE IS SCARY AND LIFE THREATENING. I HOPE HIGHWAY SAFETY IS; AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND THEY WILL MAKE AN ENQUIRY/ACTION.
TRANSMISSION HARSH SHIFT, NO ACCELERATION, EXTREAMLY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE, ECU NEEDS REPLACED, POOR QUALITY VEHICLE.
2006 TOYOTA RAV 4. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO DISAPPOINTMENT WITH ALTERNATOR REPAIR WORK AT DEALERSHIP. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED SHE DID NOT THINK SHE NEEDED AN ALTERNATOR REPLACEMENT. AFTER THE ALTERNATOR WAS REPLACED, THE BATTERY LIGHT ILLUMINATED. ACCORDING TO THE INVOICE, THE DEALER REPLACED THE SHORT ENGINE BLOCK. THE DEALER NOT CHARGE THE CONSUMER FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE ALTERNATOR AND ENGINE SHORT BLOCK. HOWEVER, THERE WAS A CHARGE FOR AN ENGINE GASKET AND CYLINDER. *JB
UNSAFE DEFECTS MALFUNCTION
TOYOTA DEFECTS MALFUNCTIONING
WHILE SITTING IN SLOW 5-10MPH TRAFFIC ON THE FREEWAY, THE POWER STEERING SEIZED AND THE AIRBAG DASHBOARD WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AT THE SAME TIME (FOR ABOUT 2-3 SECONDS AT A TIME). A FEW MILES LATER, OTHER WARNING LIGHTS (VSC, SLIP, ABS, ENGINE, BATTERY) ALL ILLUMINATED ON AND OFF RANDOMLY. TOOK IT TO THE MECHANIC TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT. THEY REPLACED THE BATTERY, BUT THE PROBLEM HAPPENED AGAIN ABOUT 12 HOURS LATER. THE ALTERNATOR IS A YEAR OLD AND THE BATTERY, TIRES, ALIGNMENT, AND ENGINE COILS ARE ALL BRAND NEW. AFTER HALF A DOZEN CALLS TO THE DEALERSHIP, COME TO FIND OUT, THE PROBLEM IS THE COMPUTER THAT CONTROLS THE POWER STEERING... A PROBLEM WHICH HAS BEEN ACKNOWLEDGED AND RECALLED FOR 2014-15 MODEL YEAR RAV4S. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY FLAW, AND IT IS INSULTING AND NEGLIGENT THAT TOYOTA IS PRETENDING THIS ISN'T A SERIOUS PROBLEM FOR OTHER MODEL YEARS.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW WAS ACTIVATED, BUT FAILED TO FUNCTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 16V096000 (SEAT BELTS), 15V689000 (VISIBILITY), 13V383000 (SUSPENSION), AND 11V113000 (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL). THE PARTS NEEDED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 73,000. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.
SUDDEN ACCELERATION WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STARTED. WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STARTED AFTER A HUMID NIGHT, THE ENGINE GOES TO FULL POWER WITHOUT DEPRESS OF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. WHEN THE ENGINE IS SHUT DOWN AND RESTARTED THE SITUATION IS CLEARED. THIS A SAFETY CONCERN AS THE VEHICLE IS OUT OF CONTROL IF PUT IN GEAR. THIS CONDITION HAS HAPPENED 5 TIMES IN THE LAST 60 DAYS. I CONTACTED TOYOTA AND AM NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THEIR DIRECTION BASED ON THE SAFETY CONCERN.
THE POWER WINDOW MASTER SWITCH IT DOESN'T WORK WELL . SOMETIMES WORKS AND SOMETIMES NOT, TO MALFUNCTION OVERHEAT.. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE VSC AND THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE COMPUTER SOFTWARE NEEDED TO BE UPDATED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY ABOUT 60 MPH AND POWER STEERING WENT OUT. CAR MADE A NOISE AND ALL THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS CAME ON LIKE IT WAS SLIDING ON ICE, NO BAD WEATHER THAT DAY. COULD NOT TURN STEERING WHEEL AND SPEEDOMETER WENT TO 0 AND WOULD NOT WORK THE REST OF THE JOURNEY. MADE IT TO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP WHERE I WAS TOLD NOTHING WAS WRONG, AND IT WAS "THE COLD WEATHER" THAT PROBABLY CAUSED IT. THEY RAN A FEW TESTS BUT NOTHING WAS DONE TO THE CAR. NO ANSWERS TO MY PROBLEM AND NOTHING HAPPENED SINCE. BUT NOW I AM WORRIED BECAUSE OF THE RECENT RECALL AND MAKES ME THINK THIS INCIDENT WAS RELATED. *TR
I HAVE ALWAYS BELIEVED IN TOYOTA'S RELIABLE VEHICLES TILL I BOUGHT MY RAV4. LATELY I HAVE HAD THE UNFORTUNATE EXPERIENCE OF HAVING TO REPLACE ALL SIX COILS WITH NEW ONES, BECAUSE TOYOTA MAID A BAD DESIGN FOR THE 2006 RAV4. AND NOW I NEED TO REPLACE THE STEERING SHAFTS BECAUSE THEY ARE BAD TOO. TOYOTA PLEASE HELP WITH COVERING THE COST OF PARTS AND LABOR. *TR
CAR AT ABOUT 37,000 MILES. ONLY DRIVE TO STORE AND DROP KIDS OFF TO SCHOOL. CAR PARKED FOR 10 MINUTES WHILE AT STORE SHOPPING. CAME BACK, STARTED THE ENGINE. THE ENGINE LIGHT, VSC AND 4WD LIGHTS ALL LIGHTED UP. WHEN TO LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER, DEALER SAID CAN'T SERVICE IT AT THIS TIME NEED TO MAKE APPOINTMENT. DEALER STATED BASED ON THE LIGHTS, THIS MIGHT BE THE IGNITION COIL.. IT'S KNOWN TO HAVE PROBLEM. ESTIMATED COST TO FIX ABOUT $1500. BUT WE NEED TO COMPUTERIZED THE CODES.. *TR
WE WERE ON THE ROAD (ON A FAMILY VACATION). THE DAY THAT WE WERE COMING BACK THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, THE VSC LIGHT AND THE SLIP WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AS WE WERE PULLING OUT OF THE HOTEL PARKING LOT. ON THE WAY TO THE DEALER, I ALSO FELT LIKE THE CAR WAS MISFIRING. THE DEALER FOUND "MULTIPLE CODES P0304, P0305, P0306, P0356, P1578, C1201. #6 COIL MALFUNCTIONING. RECOMMEND REPLACE #6 COIL PACK AND RECHECK. POSSIBLE THAT OTHER COIL MAY FAIL FROM THE RESULT OF #6 COIL FAILING." #6 COIL PACK WAS REPLACED AND THE RAV4 HAS BEEN RUNNING FINE SINCE. THE DEALER ALSO SAID THAT "TYPICALLY AFTER ONE COIL GOES THE OTHERS FOLLOW SHORTLY AFTER", SO I WILL KEEP AN EYE OPEN FOR THAT. IT IS STRANGE SINCE IGNITION COILS HAVE A LONG LIFE EXPECTANCY. I CHECKED ON-LINE AND THERE SEEMS TO BE A HIGH FAILURE RATE WITH COIL PACK PART # 90919-02251, WHICH IS THE ORIGINAL PART THAT CAME WITH THE CAR. I MADE SURE THE PART WAS REPLACED WITH THE LATEST REVISION (90919-A2007) OF THE NEW PART NUMBERS (90919-A2002, 90919-A2004 OR 90919-A2007) THAT TOYOTA CHANGED TO. IT IS ALSO INTERESTING THAT MOST OF THE FAILURES HAPPEN WITH #6, #4 AND #5 COILS (IN THAT ORDER). THE FAILURES SEEM TO CONCENTRATE AROUND THE RIGHT FRONT CORNER, WHICH IS CLOSE TO THE RADIATOR (HOT FLUID) EXIT. MAYBE THAT IS WHY THE LATER REVISION PART # COIL PACKS HAVE A DOUBLE METALLIC SCREEN OUTSIDE THE PLASTIC HOUSING, TO PROTECT THE ASSEMBLY. *TR
AFTER CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON I TOOK IT TO THE TOYOTA DEALER FOR SERVICE AND I WAS TOLD IT WAS FAULTY IGNITION COIL. THIS ALL STARTED WHEN I NEGLECTED CLOSE THE GAS CAP ALL THE WAY ABOUT A WEEK BEFORE. AT THAT TIME I CALLED TOYOTA AND THEY SAID TO TIGHTEN IT AND THE LIGHT WOULD GO OFF. IT DID FOR AWHILE BUT SOON STARTED A SERIES OF EVENTS THAT ENDED UP WITH THE COIL "D" HAVING TO BE REPLACED. *TT
DRIVING BACK FROM GAS STATION ALL THREE LIGHTS CAME ON IN DASH -- VSC, CHECK ENGINE & 4WD. RESEARCHED AND FOUND THAT GAS CAP NOT SEALING COLD CAUSE PROBLEM, REMOVED / RETIGHTENED GAS CAP NUMEROUS TIMES. LIGHTS WON'T GO OFF. I HAD CAR TESTED WITH OBD READER ATTACHED AND CODES (PO300, PO303, PO305 & PO356 SAYS IT'S IGNITION COIL F--PRIMARY/SECONDARY CIRCUIT MALFUNCTION. CAR ONLY HAS 43000 MILES AND CHECKING ON THE INTERNET, SEEMS TO BE A LOT OF TOYOTA IGNITION FAILURES BETWEEN 40000 & 55000 MILES. *TR
2006 TOYOTA RAV 4. CONSUMER STATES IGNITION COIL AND PLUG FAILURE *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED WHILE DRIVING, VARIOUS DASHBOARD LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AND THE TRANSMISSION SHIMMIED AND THE ENGINE MISFIRED AND THE VEHICLE BECAME DISABLED. AN INSPECTION BY THE DEALER REVEALED A MISFIRE CODE AND THAT A NUMBER TWO COIL AND PLUG HAD TO BE REPLACED. A MONTH AND A HALF LATER, THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM AGAIN. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT ANOTHER IGNITION COIL HAD FAILED AND THE SUV WAS OPERATING IN FOUR CYLINDER MODE. THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED HIS MODEL VEHICLE HAD A DESIGN/ENGINEERING PROBLEM WHICH WAS IDENTIFIED AND DOES NOT OCCUR ON SUBSEQUENT YEAR RAV 4 MODELS. *JB
A WARNING LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD INDICATING AN AIRBAG MALFUNCTION. I CALLED TOYOTA SERVICE AND WAS TOLD THE CAR REQUIRED A REPAIR, AND THE AIRBAGS WOULD NOT FUNCTION AT ALL UNTIL THIS REPAIR WAS DONE. TODAY THE TOYOTA TECH TOLD US A "SPIRAL CABLE ASSEMBLY HAD GONE BAD." HE SAID IT WILL COST $514.00 TO MAKE THIS REPAIR, AND AGAIN, THE AIRBAGS WILL NOT WORK UNLESS IT IS DONE. I ASKED IF THIS WAS A RECALL ISSUE WITH TOYOTA AND THE SERVICE MANAGER REPLIED, "I HAVE NO IDEA." I ASKED IF THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR AND HE REPLIED, "WE SEE IT ALL THE TIME IN RAV3'S AND TUNDRA'S." I INDICATED THE CAR IS ONLY 5 YEARS OLD WITH JUST OVER 60K MILES, AND THAT I HAVE NEVER (EVER) HAD AN AIRBAG FAILURE IN ANY VEHICLE UNTIL NOW. HE AGAIN SAID, "WELL, WE SEE IT ALL THE TIME WITH THIS MODEL." THIS SURELY APPEARS TO BE A DESIGN FLAW THAT IS VERY COSTLY TO AN AVERAGE CONSUMER. CAN THEY GET AWAY WITH THIS? PLEASE HELP! (THANKS MUCH-)
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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