RoadVitals

2014 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 Dec 28, 2023
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.
4%
of 196 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.
1

What this page shows

Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2014 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

ElectricalExterior lightingVisibility
Filed Dec 28, 2023

2014 Toyota RAV4 perfectly good headlight bulb stops working on low beam selection, severely limiting visibility for night-time driving. Looks like everyone on the internet is having the same problem.

NHTSA ID
11562386
Incident
Dec 9, 2023
Visibility
Filed Sep 30, 2018

TOP OF WINDSHIELD IS COMPLETELY BLACK WHEN DRIVING IN THE DARK AT NIGHT. VISIBILITY IS SPECIFICALLY IMPAIRED WHEN TRAVELING DOWN A HILL IN THE DARK.

NHTSA ID
11132378
Incident
Sep 28, 2018
Mileage
36,000 mi
Visibility
Filed Aug 10, 2018

CONSTRUCTION ON 59/20 BROKEN WINDSHIELD

NHTSA ID
11119277
Incident
Jun 25, 2018
Mileage
62,500 mi
Visibility
Filed Jul 30, 2018

WHILE DRIVING TO WORK THIS MORNING IN MY RAV 4, I HEARD AN INCREDIBLY LOUD BOOM THAT STARTLED ME. IT SOUNDED AS THOUGH SOMEONE HAD FIRED A GUN JUST OUTSIDE MY CAR. I THEN FELT SOME GLASS SHOWERING DOWN ON ME. I QUICKLY LOOKED AROUND TO SEE IF SOMEONE HAD THROWN A ROCK THROUGH A WINDOW OR SHOT AT MY CAR, BUT ALL WINDOWS WERE INTACT. I THEN LOOKED UP AND SAW THAT MY SUNROOF WAS SHATTERED AND MOST OF THE GLASS WAS GONE. LOOKING IN FRONT OF MY CAR, THERE WEREN'T ANY TRUCKS FROM WHICH ROCKS MIGHT'VE FALLEN. AND LOOKING BEHIND ME, I HADN'T DRIVEN UNDER ANY BRIDGES FROM WHICH SOMETHING MIGHT'VE FALLEN OR BEEN THROWN. I PULLED OFF AT THE NEXT EXIT TO SEE WHAT MIGHT'VE CAUSED THE SUNROOF TO SHATTER. THERE WAS NOTHING TO BE FOUND IN MY CAR TO EXPLAIN IT (NO ROCKS OR OTHER OBJECTS THAT MIGHT'VE FALLEN INTO THE CAR). I THEN NOTICED SOMETHING STRANGE - THE GLASS THAT REMAINED ON THE SUNROOF WAS BENDING UPWARD (AWAY FROM THE CAR) AS THOUGH SOMETHING INSIDE THE CAR CAUSED THE GLASS TO SHATTER. HERE'S A VIDEO I RECORDED SHOWING THE REMAINING GLASS: HTTPS://YOUTU.BE/NZE6NT829TM IT WAS A SCARY EXPERIENCE. I'M GLAD I WASN'T HURT, AND I THANK G-D THAT MY KIDS WEREN'T IN THE BACK SEAT WHEN THIS HAPPENED.

NHTSA ID
11114603
Incident
Jul 30, 2018
Mileage
50,000 mi
Visibility
Filed Mar 22, 2018

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, AN ABNORMAL NOISE WAS HEARD. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE SUN ROOF FRACTURED AND EXPLODED. GLASS PIECES SHATTERED BETWEEN THE HEAD LINER AND THE METAL ROOFING. THE SOFT COVER WAS CLOSED AND PREVENTED GLASS FROM ENTERING THE INNER PART OF THE VEHICLE AND INJURING THE CONTACT. THE DEALER (TOYOTA OF BOERNE, 31205 FRONTAGE RD, BOERNE, TX 78006, (888) 311-6058) REPLACED THE PART AND CLEANED THE INTERIOR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ID
11080943
Incident
Mar 22, 2018
Visibility
Filed Apr 28, 2016
1 injury reported

I WAS DRIVING ON I-82 BETWEEN SELAH AND YAKIMA AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MILES PER HOUR. THE WIND WAS BLOWING FAIRLY AGGRESSIVELY OUTSIDE THAT DAY AND THE TEMPERATURE WAS ROUGHLY 70 - 75 DEGREES. WHILE DRIVING MY SUNROOF SUDDENLY EXPLODED. NO ROCK HIT THE CAR AND I WAS NOT DRIVING UNDER AN UNDERPASS WHERE ANYONE COULD HAVE THROWN SOMETHING AT MY CAR. THE SOUND WAS LIKE A GUNSHOT. I SINCERELY THOUGHT I HAD BEEN SHOT AT. GLASS FLEW EVERY WHERE. MY SUNROOF VISOR WAS OPEN SO THE SHARDS RAINED DOWN INTO MY CAR AND ALL OVER ME. I HAD GLASS DOWN MY NECK, IN MY HAIR, AND EVEN FOUND A PIECE ON MY EYELID WHEN I RUBBED MY EYE AND CUT MY EYELID AND THE SKIN NEAR MY INNER EYE. THERE WAS NOTHING I WAS AWARE OF THAT OCCURRED ON THE ROAD THAT DAY THAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED THE SUNROOF TO BREAK. BUT IT BLEW OUT WITH EXTREME FORCE. *TR

NHTSA ID
10861920
Incident
Apr 25, 2016
Visibility
Filed Apr 7, 2016

REMEDY FOR THIS PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN FORTHCOMING IN A TIMELY MANNER. WHAT'S THE POINT OF ALERTING OWNERS THAT THEY HAVE A PROBLEM THAT NEEDS IMMEDIATE ATTENTION ONLY TO HAVE NO CORRESPONDING SOLUTION AVAILABLE FROM THE MANUFACTURER? THERE SHOULD BE A DEADLINE FOR THIS SORT OF THING.

NHTSA ID
10854070
Incident
Apr 7, 2016
Visibility
Filed Apr 15, 2015

WHY ARE THE WIPERS AND WINDSHIELD SO BAD, I CAN SEE BETTER IN THE RAIN WITH THE WIPERS OFF. THERE IS NO DIRT ON MY WINDSHIELD OR DEAD BUGS, I CLEANED THE WINDSHIELD IN MY GARAGE AND THEN DROVE IN THE RAIN TO PROVE A POINT. WHEN THE WIPERS ARE ON IT IS VERY HARD TO SEE BECAUSE OF THE BLURRING ON THE WINDSHIELD IT IS CLEARER JUST LOOKING THROUGH THE RAIN. *TR

NHTSA ID
10705833
Incident
Apr 1, 2015
Mileage
10,000 mi

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 .