Owner-reported complaints naming the body or structure system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2008 Toyota RAV4 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 19 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.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
The paint on my car is peeling all over. There has been a recall with other years of this vehicle but my specific year is not included in the recall. The paint peeling is the same color and issue as with the current recall. Please add my year into this recall so I can get some assistance from Toyota.
Severe rust on frame and undercarriage. Other 2008 Toyota models were recalled due to the same rust issues. Unsure of when rust first started.
This vehicle will not pass inspection due to unsafe frame/rotted frame. I've brought it to three different shops to see if it was just one area of the frame, but the whole framework has been declared unsafe. It has been well cared for and is in excellent condition otherwise and since it's well known that the Toyota frames have a long-standing bad reputation I feel I should get a frame replacement. Its scrap value is just $200! A massive rip-off to me!
I purchased this vehicle used in 2013 it had a recall in 2014 for pin welds and Rocker panels and now they are rusted out again.
VEHICLE LOST POWER AND SHUT DOWN AS I WAS DRIVING ON A BUSY MAIN ROAD WITH LOTS OF TRAFFIC. AS IT CONTINUED TO SLOW DOWN I WAS ABLE TO PULL INTO A DRIVEWAY AND STOP. I TRIED TO START VEHICLE AGAIN WITHOUT SUCCESS BUT IT MADE LOUD GRINDING NOISE. AFTER SHORT TIME I ATTEMPTED TO RESTART VEHICLE MADE A LOUD GRINDING SOUND BUT WOULD NOT START. CALLED FOR TOW AND THEY DETERMINED IT WAS NOT THE BATTERY AND TOWED VEHICLE TO MY HOUSE. PAINT PEELING OFF VEHICLE IN LARGE PATCHES. WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL NOT WORK BUT NOT A RESULT OF LATEST INCIDENT. WIPER MOTOR HUMS BUT DO NOT WORK. CD PLAYER STOPPED WORKING FEW MONTHS AGO. MAKES CLICKING NOISES BUT WILL NOT PLAY CD OR EJECT DISCS. *TR
MY TOYOTA RAV WHITE PERIL PANT IS PEELING OFF. HAS BEEN FOR TWO YEARS. THIS IS SUPPOSE TO BE A LIMITED EDITION RAV OME PAINT. I BELIEVE THERES A DEFECT IN THE PAINT.
2008 TOYOTA RAV4. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO SEVERELY RUSTED FRAME THAT WAS BEYOND REPAIR. *AS THE CONSUMER ALSO STATED THERE WAS A BROKEN FRONT SPRING THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *TR
TOYOTA RAV4 2008 LIMITED SUNROOF EXPLODED GOING 70 MPH ON INTERSTATE (NO OTHER FACTORS, SUCH AS WE WERE NOT UNDER/HAD NOT JUST GONE UNDER AN INTERSTATE OVERPASS). I WAS DRIVING - SOUNDED LIKE A GUNSHOT. HUSBAND IN PASSENGER SEAT AND SOUNDED LIKE A LOUD POP. GLASS SHATTERED ALL OVER US. WE PULLED OVER, PATCHED IT THE BEST THAT WE COULD AND TOOK STATE ROADS HOME (3 HR INTERSTATE DRIVE VS 5 1/2 HOUR, 55 MPH BARELY DRIVE HOME. TOOK TWO REPLACEMENT SUNROOF KITS TO GET IT RIGHT. INSURANCE PAID IN FULL UNDER GLASS POLICY.
HOOD LATCH FAILURE. DRIVING FOR OVER 3 HOURS ON HIGHWAY, SUDDEN GUST OF WIND, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE HOOD POPPED UP. WAS ABLE TO SLOW DOW, PULL OVER, AND CLOSE HOOD. BACKED UP WITH BUNGEE UNTIL I GOT HOME. I'VE REPLACED THE LATCH, (WITH TOYOTA OEM LATCH) BUT HAVE NOTICED WHEN SPEEDS APPROACH 65 PLUS, THE HOOD REALLY VIBRATES.
THERE ARE 2 ISSUES WITH THE CAR: 1. THE AIR DYNAMICS OF THE CAR MAKES ALL SMALL PEBELS RUN INTO THE WINDSHIELD. MY CAR PROBABLY CAUGHT 10 OR MORE OF THEM. MY WINDSHIELD WAS REPLACED TWICE. THERE IS A BULL EYE AND OTHER SMALL ROCK-CONTACT INCIDENTS 2. SPARE TIRE MOUNTED ON THE BACK HAS A COVER THAT TENDS TO LOOSE IF GOING THROUGH THE CAR WASH. TOOK PLACE TWICE. IMAGINE THE HAZARD IT PRESENTS TO CARS NEXT IN LINE IN CONVEYOR BELT WHEN THE COVER FALLS OFF RIGHT UNDERNEATH OF THEIR CARS AND THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO
DRIVING ON AN INTERSTATE AT ABOUT THE LEGAL SPEED LIMIT OF 75 MPH, PART OF THE PLASTIC WHEEL WELL COVER ON THE UNDERSIDE CAME LOOSE AND CAUGHT BETWEEN THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT TIRE/WHEEL AND THE CAR BODY, AT FIRST SOUNDING LIKE WE MIGHT HAVE A FLAT TIRE. I PULLED OVER AND SAW THAT THE PLASTIC COVER WAS WEDGED BETWEEN THE TIRE AND THE CAR BODY. I HAD TO UNSCREW THREE SCREWS TO REMOVE THIS PIECE. IT EXPOSED SOME OF THE CAR BODY AND WHAT MIGHT BE OPENINGS INTO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. WE TURNED AROUND TO HEAD HOME. AS WE PROCEEDED, DRIVING MORE SLOWLY BACK THE WAY WE CAME ON THE INTERSTATE, WE COULD HEAR SOME SCRAPING NOISE AROUND THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT WHEEL. AS I PULLED INTO MY DRIVEWAY, ANOTHER LARGE PLASTIC UNDERSIDE WHEEL WELL, (AND ENGINE COMPARTMENT?) COVERING FELL OUT BESIDE THE SIDEWALK AND STREET. UPON PARKING IN MY GARAGE, I COULD SEE THE UNDERSIDE OF THE WHEEL WELL EXPOSED LIKE THE OTHER WHEEL AREA AND WHAT MIGHT BE UP INTO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. SEVERAL PLASTIC PINS USED TO HOLD IT IN PLACE HAD FALLEN OFF BY THE SIDEWALK. FOR THIS SET OF PLASTIC PIECES TO COME LOOSE, CREATING A HAZARD, WAS VERY CONCERNING. PIECES POSSIBLY COULD HAVE FLOWN AWAY ON THE HIGHWAY, HARMING OTHER CARS OR DRIVERS. WE WERE GRATEFUL WE WERE NOT HURT AND DID NOT GET INTO AN ACCIDENT. THIS APPEARED TO HAPPEN ON ITS OWN, WHICH REVEALS POTENTIALLY SHODDY MATERIALS AND ANCHOR MECHANISMS FOR THIS SET OF UNDERSIDE PIECES. THIS WAS A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION AND I WONDER IF OTHER RAV4 OWNERS HAVE HAD THESE PIECES COME LOOSE OR FALL OFF.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SOFTWARE WAS UPDATED IN THE VEHICLE DUE TO A MANUFACTURER'S RECALL. WHILE TRAVELING AT ANY RATE OF SPEED, THE CONTACT'S ANKLE WAS IMPACTED BY THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND THE BRAKE PEDAL, WHICH GENERATED AN UNSAFE CONDITION AND A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER. THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED THE FAILURE MORE THAN ONCE AND HAD TO MOVE OVER TO THE RIGHT LANE TO GET THE VEHICLE TO PICK UP SPEED EACH TIME THE FAILURE RECURRED WHILE IN DRIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 11V113000 (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL). THE DEALER'S TECHNICIAN CAME TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE FOR A TEST DRIVE AND THE TECHNICIAN INDICATED THAT THE POWER LOSS WAS DUE TO THE PLACEMENT OF THE CONTACT'S FOOT ASSOCIATED WITH THE SPACING NEAR THE ANKLE BY THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED FROM THE RECALL REMEDY OF THE SOFTWARE UPDATE AND THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT THE FAILURE MAY RECUR WITHOUT WARNING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND PROVIDED NO REMEDY. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 57,315. UPDATED 09/10/15*LJ UPDATED 12/06/2017*CN
DRIVER DOOR, FRONT PASSENGER DOOR, AND TAILGATE DOOR LOCK MECHANISMS HAVE MALFUNCTIONED, NOT LOCKING OR UNLOCKING WITH THE REMOTE. HAD FRONT DRIVER DOOR LOCK AND REAR TAILGATE DOOR LOCKS REPAIRED EACH COSTING APPROX. $500. HOW CAN SO MANY LOCKS GO BAD? HAVE OTHER CAR OWNERS HAD THIS PROBLEM? *TR
I WAS PULLING INTO MY GARAGE. I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR AND WENT FOR THE BRAKE AND THE CAR SUDDENLY LURCHED FORWARD AND STRUCK A FOLDED DECK CHAIR WHICH WAS PUSHED THROUGH THE GARAGE WALL. *TR
AFTER MY CAR RECEIVED THE FIRST RECALL SERVICE (EARLY 2014) FOR THE REAR SUSPENSION, ABOUT 5000 MILES LATER I BEGAN TO HEAR NOISES AT FREEWAY SPEEDS FROM THE PASSENGER REAR TIRE AREA. NOT LONG AFTER THIS NOISE STARTED, I RECEIVED THE (MAILED FROM TOYOTA) SECOND RECALL NOTICE REGARDING THE BACK SUSPENSION. THIS WAS IN SEPT 2013. EACH MONTH I CALL TOYOTA FOR THE SECOND RECALL SERVICE AND THEY NEVER "HAVE THE PARTS NECESSARY" FOR THE SECOND RECALL SERVICE. EACH TIME THERE IS NO "IDEA" WHEN THESE PARTS WILL BE IN. THE NOISE IS CONTINUALLY GETTING WORSE AND NOW APPEARS AT MUCH LOWER SPEEDS. FOR THE FIRST SERVICE, I WAS TOLD BY TOYOTA MY CAR WAS TOTALLY RUSTED (EVEN THO THE CAR WAS FROM THE SOUTH US) AND HAD BEEN "DANGEROUS". I SEE THIS SAFECAR SITE MENTIONS THESE SECOND STAGE RECALL ARE TO BE COMPLETED BETWEEN SEPT 2013 AND APRIL 2014. TODAY IS 4/9/2014 AND THE TOYOTA DEALERS IN THIS AREA STILL CLAIM THEY DO NOT HAVE THE PARTS. ALSO TODAY THERE NOW ARE NEW RECALLS FOR THIS SAME CAR HOW LONG WILL WE WAIT FOR THOSE PARTS? *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE AT THE DEALER, THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE TO THE EXTENSIVE RUSTING OF THE FRAME, DRIVESHAFT, FRONT CONTROL ARMS, REAR SUSPENSION, REAR SHOCKS, AND THE PASSENGER REAR RIM. THE CONTACT WAS ALSO INFORMED THAT RUST WAS NOT A DEFECT BUT ENVIRONMENTAL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 42,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA RAV 4. THE CONTACT OBSERVED MICE ENTERING THE VEHICLE FROM THE CLEAN AIR INTAKE AND STATED THAT SHE HAD CAUGHT FIFTY-SEVEN MICE TO DATE. THE DEALER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THAT THEY COULD DO TO PREVENT THE MICE FROM ENTERING THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC IN 2008, WHERE THEY PLACED SEALANT ONTO THE VEHICLE TO KEEP THE MICE FROM ENTERING BUT TO NO AVAIL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT FURTHER REPAIRED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 78,000 AND THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT NOTICED MICE ENTERING THE VEHICLE WHEN IT WAS PARKED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE CLEAN AIR FILTER NOT EXHIBITING A SCREEN TO SHIELD THE MICE FROM ENTERING THE VEHICLE. THE TECHNICIAN RECOMMENDED THAT TRAPS BE SET TO CATCH THE MICE. THE TRAPS WERE SET, BUT THERE WERE NO RESOLUTIONS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 13,500.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE DRIVING 35 TO 45 MPH WITH BOTH REAR WINDOWS OPENED, THE AIR PRESSURE IS VERY STRONG AND UNBEARABLE ON THE CONTACT'S EARS. A REPORT WAS FILED WITH THE MANUFACTURER, BUT THEY STATED THAT NO ACTION WILL BE TAKEN AT THIS TIME. THE CONTACT WILL TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSIS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,500 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 5,300. UPDATED 09/13/08.*LJ UPDATED 09/17/08. *JB
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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