Owner-reported complaints naming the visibility system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2015 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.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
When it rains, water leaks in the interior of the car where the windshield meets the roof of the car. It leaks at the both visor attachments, the light in the middle, and along the sides of where the windshield is attached. I understand there is a recall for older RAV4's for a similar issue. I think the same thing is happening here. It's is causing visibility issues when it is raining and distracts the driver.
While driving on highway 394 in Minneapolis on August 19, 2023, my sunroof exploded. It was approximately 4:55 p.m., and I was driving between 60 and 70 miles per hour. It was around 90 degrees outside at the time. The highway was busy. As I was driving in the far left lane with my nearly 3 year old daughter in the backseat, I was startled by a loud bang like a gunshot or an explosion right above my head. I had no idea what had happened because the shade for my sunroof was closed. As I merged over to the nearest exit, I saw people looking at my car, including looking up toward my roof. After exiting the highway, I found a nearby street, Mt. View Avenue, and parked my car. I got out and looked at the roof, seeing that the sunroof had shattered nearly completely. I noticed immediately that most of the glass shards seem to have shot upward. There was not a large amount of broken glass laying on the sunroof shade. This indicates that the sunroof erupted from internal pressure, not an external object coming into contact with the glass. Additionally, I did not see any foreign objects in the window shade area on a visual inspection. Luckily the shade was closed, so no glass got into the interior of the cabin or hit me or my daughter. After inspecting the damage, I called a dealership that I regularly receive service from but it was closed, and I have not yet heard back. I explained the issue to a representative, who said they would notify the glass repair people and that they'd call me back ASAP. I drove the rest of the way home off of the highway. When I got home, I researched the issue and saw that this is not an isolated event. Specifically, many cars with sunroofs have had them explode, including Toyota Rav4 models dating back to 2014. There is no recall for the issue, and I have never been warned that my sunroof could randomly explode. Neither the manufacturer or insurance have inspected the damage yet. No warning light came on prior to the explosion.
WHILE DRIVING AT NORMAL POSTED SPEED THE SUNROOF IN OUR 2015 EXPLODED FOR REASONS UNKNOWN CAUSING A HUGE HOLE IN THE SUNROOF AND THE REST OF THE SUNROOF GLASS TO CRACK AS WELL. NOTHING APPEARED TO HIT THE SUNROOF AND THERE WAS VEHICLE IN FRONT OF US WHEN THIS OCCURRED. THE GLASS SEEMED TO EXPLODE OUTWARDS AS IF A MANUFACTURING DEFECT OR SOME TYPE OF PRESSURE.
SUNROOF EXPLODED. DRIVING DOWN PAVED HIGHWAY. 51 DEGREES OUTSIDE. GLASS SHATTERED. NO ROCK OR OTHER OBJECT FOUND INSIDE THE CAR. WASHINGTON STATE PATROL ON SCENE.
TAKATA RECALL THE SUNROOF ON MY TOYOTA RAV 4 EXPLODED. IT WAS A RAINY DAY AND I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK(REDLANDS) ON THE FREEWAY WHEN I HEARD A LOUD BANG. I PULLED THE SHADE TO FIND MY SUNROOF HAD A HUGE HOLE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE. NO GLASS CAME DOWN BUT IT LOOK LIKE IT EXPLODED FROM THE INSIDE. TOYOTA WOULD NOT COVER THE DAMAGES. I BELIEVE THIS TO BE A MANUFACTURER DEFECT THAT WILL COST ME $1000. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE BECAUSE THIS COULD BE A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE. *TR
I FILLED THE WIPER FLUID AND IN 24 HOURS WITHOUT TOUCHING THE IGNITION OR TURNING ON THE WIPERS OR FLUID TO SPRAY, OVERNIGHT IN 24 HOURS THE NECK (TOP) PORTION OF THE WIPER FLUID WAS EMPTY. THE CAR WAS NOT TOUCHED. I AM TRYING TO GET A SUPER ANALYSIS/EXPLANATION AND REPLACEMENT.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE SUN ROOF OF THE VEHICLE SHATTERED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD POPPING NOISE PRIOR TO THE SHATTERING OF THE SUN ROOF. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW SHATTERED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 9,100.
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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