2008 Toyota RAV4 Visibility Problems

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

NHTSA ID

11321287

Incident

Apr 15, 2020

Mileage

223,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE IN PARK, THE POWER WINDOW MASTER SWITCH CAUGHT FIRE. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

NHTSA ID

10888674

Incident

Jul 9, 2016

Mileage

120,000 mi

I HAVE A TOYOTA RAV4 THAT CONTINUES TO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE DRIVERS SIDE VISOR SUDDENLY DROPPING OUT OF THE CEILING MOUNT. OF COURSE THIS HAPPENS WHEN I AM DRIVING AND BECOMES A HUGE DISTRACTION WHILE TRYING TO GET IT BACK IN PLACE. I HAVE TALKED TO MANY OTHER RAV4 OWNERS AND NEARLY EVERYONE HAS HAD THE SAME ISSUE . IT SEAMS THAT THE VISOR STUB ARM THAT GOES INTO THE CEILING MOUNT WEARS OUR WHATEVER IS HOLDING IT INTO THE SOCKET . THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE LAST 5 YEARS AND DOES SEEM TO BE MORE OFTEN IN THE SUMMER TIME

NHTSA ID

10872402

Incident

May 25, 2016

Mileage

96,500 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS DID NOT WORK. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 113,000.

NHTSA ID

10810960

Incident

Oct 1, 2015

Mileage

113,000 mi

THERE IS A RECURRING PROBLEM WITH DRIVER SIDE SUN VISOR WHERE IT DOESN'T STAY WHERE I PUT IT. IT REGULARLY SLIPS DOWN AND AT TIMES BLOCKS MY VIEW OF THE ROAD. THIS IS A KNOWN/RECURRING PROBLEM WITH MANY OTHER OWNERS OF THIS VEHICLE MAKE/MODEL (BASED UPON INTERNET SEARCH OF THIS ISSUE). WHEN THE VISOR IS PLACED OVER THE DRIVER DOOR WINDOW, WHEN I GO AROUND A CORNER (TURN), THE VISOR WILL ROTATE AND HIT ME IN THE HEAD, AGAIN DISTRACTING ME FROM THE ROAD AND FORCING ME TO MAKE REGULAR VISOR ADJUSTMENTS AGAIN AND AGAIN. THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM; A RECALL HAS NOT BEEN ISSUED FOR THIS PROBLEM.

NHTSA ID

10765182

Incident

Aug 18, 2010

Mileage

43,000 mi

THE DRIVER'S SIDE SUN VISOR WILL NOT STAY UP, SO IT NORMALLY STAYS IN A VIEW-OBSTRUCTED POSITION WHEN DRIVING. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AND TOYOTA REFUSES TO BUDGE IN TERMS OF RECALLING THIS ITEM. I BROUGHT THIS TO THE ATTENTION OF TOYOTA A YEAR OR SO AGO AND THEY ASKED ME FOR A QUOTE TO FIX - I SENT THEM A COPY OF THE DEALER PRICE QUOTE (AROUND $150) AND TOYOTA REFUSED TO PAY FOR IT AS A SAFETY ISSUE AND BASICALLY TOLD ME TO GO AWAY. I WOULDN'T NORMALLY COMPLAIN ABOUT SOMETHING LIKE THIS BUT I'VE NOTICED MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS SAME ISSUE ON THE INTERNET....AND EVEN FROM THOSE WHO HAD THE VISOR REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY AND IT HAPPENED AGAIN. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CALL ME AT [XXX] IF YOU'D LIKE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).*CC

NHTSA ID

10763677

Incident

Sep 1, 2013

Mileage

70,000 mi

DRIVER'S VISOR IS LOOSE. IT WON'T FOLD UP. PLEASE KINDLY HAVE A RECALL ON THIS. THANKS! *TR

NHTSA ID

10628595

Incident

May 5, 2010

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE REAR WINDOW EXPLODED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 53,000. UPDATED 8/27/14*CN THE VEHICLE HAS UNDERGONE 8 RECALLS. UPDATED 09/11/2014 *JS

NHTSA ID

10605234

Incident

Jun 22, 2014

Mileage

53,000 mi

DRIVER'S SIDE VISOR WILL NOT STAY IN THE UP POSITION. INSTEAD, WHEN NOT NEEDING TO USE IT, IT HANGS DOWN AT LEAST 3 INCHES FROM THE CEILING, CREATING A VISIBILITY AND SAFETY HAZARD! THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN REPORTED TO TOYOTA BY MANY TOYOTA OWNERS, INCLUDING BOTH UNDER WARRANTY OR OUTSIDE OF WARRANTY. THE DEALER SAID THEY WOULD NEED TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE MIRROR VISOR, COSTING AROUND $150, WHICH IS OUTRAGEOUS. IT SHOULD BE A RECALL ITEM AS A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD. *TR

NHTSA ID

10513497

Incident

May 15, 2013

Mileage

58,000 mi

THE DRIVER'S SUN VISOR WILL NOT SNAP BACK UP TO THE VEHICLE'S HEADLINER AND STAY THERE. IT REMAINS IN THE DRIVER'S LINE OF SIGHT AND THIS IS PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS AT NIGHT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10501244

Incident

Feb 28, 2013

Mileage

86,020 mi

THE DRIVER SIDE VISOR STARTED SAGGING. FOR A WHILE I COULD PUSH IT BACK UP AND IT WOULD STAY. AFTER A COUPLE MONTHS, I COULD NOT USE IT ON THE SIDE WINDOW, IT JUST HUNG DOWN. IT FINALLY WAS UN-USABLE. TOYOTA HAS REPLACED IT, BUT IT TOOK 3 TRIPS TO THE DEALER TO GET IT REPLACED. I HAD TO DRIVE WITHOUT A VISOR FOR A WEEK WHILE THEY ORDERED PART. *TR

NHTSA ID

10498378

Incident

Feb 1, 2012

Mileage

60,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW COULD NOT BE OPENED AND EXHIBITED A BURNING ODOR. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED WHO ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 57,000.

NHTSA ID

10451629

Incident

Mar 11, 2012

Mileage

57,000 mi

MY WIFE AND I WERE DRIVING OUR 2008 TOYOTA RAV4 SPORT NORTH ON I-95 IN VIRGINIA AT EXIT 161 WHEN WE HEARD AN EXPLOSION SOUND ON THE TOP OF THE CAR. I SLID BACK THE MOONROOF COVER ON THE INSIDE OF THE CAR AND COULD SEE THE MOONROOF GLASS WAS BROKEN, IT HAD A HOLE IN THE MIDDLE AND THE REST WAS SHATTERED. WE WERE NOT NEAR A BRIDGE OR A TOWER OR A TRUCK WHERE SOMETHING COULD HAVE FALLEN ON TOP OF THE CAR. THERE WAS NO OTHER DAMAGE ON THE TOP OF THE CAR. THE GLASS AROUND THE HOLE WAS PUSHED UP LIKE IT HAD EXPLODED. I CALLED THE DEALER AND ASKED IF THEY HAD HEARD OF THIS BEFORE AND IF THERE WAS A RECALL ON IT. THEY SAID NO AND IT WOULD COST OVER $1,000 TO REPLACE. I TOOK IT TO WHERE MY INSURANCE COMPANY TOLD ME TO GET IT FIXED. I FOUND THIS LINK WHERE SOMEBODY ELSE REPORTED THE IDENTICAL PROBLEM HTTP://WWW.ARFC.ORG/COMPLAINTS/2007/TOYOTA/RAV4/?Q=&PAGE=7. *TR

NHTSA ID

10329475

Incident

May 7, 2010

Mileage

16,000 mi

DRIVER SIDE WINDOW CONTROL OPERATES IN THE UP MODE AND CONTINUES TO GO TO THE UP (CLOSED) POSITION AFTER YOUR FINGER IS REMOVED FROM THE CONTROL BUTTON..IN OTHERS AUTOS( US) MADE, THE WINDOW STOPS GOING TO THE CLOSE POSITION WHEN YOUR FINGER IS REMOVED FROM THE CONTROL BUTTON. *TR

NHTSA ID

10280460

Incident

Mar 15, 2009

DEFROSTER SYSTEM IS WEAK. WHEN THERE IS ICE/SNOW BUILD-UP ALONG EDGES OF WINDSHIELD OR WINDOWS, SYSTEM NEEDS TO BE TURNED TO AND KEPT ON HIGHEST SETTING TO AVOID FOGGING ON THE INSIDE. EVEN AT THIS SETTING, IT HAS TROUBLE CLEARING FOG FROM REAR SIDE WINDOWS. SYSTEM IS PRETTY LOUD AT HIGHEST SETTING SO IT'S HARD TO LISTEN TO RADIO OR CARRY ON A CONVERSATION. *TR

NHTSA ID

10259228

Incident

Jan 16, 2009

Mileage

17,500 mi

THE DEFROSTER SYSTEM IS INADEQUATE AND WOULD NOT MELT ICE FROM THE WINDSHIELD UNDER MODERATE TEMPERATURES AND A VERY LIGHT FREEZING MIST. *TR

NHTSA ID

10255493

Incident

Jan 18, 2009

Mileage

5,800 mi

UNDER CERTAIN WEATHER CONDITIONS (WET SNOW, ICE & FREEZING TEMPS) THE DEFROST SYSTEM WILL NOT KEEP ICE FROM FORMING OVER ABOUT 3/4 OF THE WINDSHIELD. AFTER 10 TO 12 MINUTES OF DRIVING IT IS NECESSARY TO STOP AND SCRAPE ICE FROM THE WINDSHIELD AND WIPERS. IT'S NOT A GOOD IDEA TO STOP ON NARROW MOUNTAIN ROADS IN A BLIZZARD! *TR

NHTSA ID

10229620

Incident

May 13, 2008

Mileage

4,000 mi

WINDOW FOGGING - 2008 TOYOTA RAV4 LIMITED WITH CLIMATE CONTROL. WHEN THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE DROPS BELOW A CERTAIN DEGREES, THE AIR CONDITIONING UNIT SHUT OFF. THIS CAUSES ALL THE WINDOWS TO FOG UP IMMEDIATELY WHEN DRIVING. THE FRONT WINDOW DEFROSTER CONTROL IS INSUFFICIENT TO CLEAR THE WINDOWS, INCLUDING THE WINDSHIELD SINCE IT NO LONGER BLOWS "CONDITIONED" DRY AIR ONTO THE SURFACES. *TR

NHTSA ID

10216599

Incident

Nov 10, 2007