2017 Toyota RAV4 Problems

This vehicle has twice had the same issue where the sunroof drain lines become clogged or dislocated and the water fills the liner in the front driver and passenger seats resulting in flooding in the compartment and mold damage throughout the interior. the mole spore are transmitted throughout the interior. The water damaged the airbags and the electrical harness in the dash of the car resulting in the dashboard electrical system shutting off and restarting spontaneously while driving. The leaks were repairs and the interior replaces in october 2023 and the same incident has recurred in august 2026. The claims adjuster recommends that the entire wiring harness, airbags, and carpets, seats and liners be replaced for health and safety of passengers.

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2017 Toyota Rav4. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 110,000 and at the time of a Carfax check, it was discovered that the mileage was 300,000.

The brake system on my 2017 Toyota RAV4 LE has repeatedly failed to provide normal stopping power, even after the replacement of pads and rotors in July 2025. This poses a serious safety hazard and may indicate a defect in the braking system.

Hi, Im reporting a serious safety issue with my 2017 Toyota rav4 The emergencybrake failed to engage, which caused the car to roll down the hill , I took the car to Toyota dealership while it was under the warranty and back down they told me it was nothing wrong with it. It just needed to be adjusted but it never worked the way it should have I do have a family and friends. They do have the same car and all have Same issues with E brake not not engaging l like this to be documented,

Yesterday March 25th 2026 I went to work and parked my 2017 Toyota RAV4 and about 30minutes later it was on fire in the parking lot. The fire happened around the battery area

11/1/23 recall for battery safety. Hold down clamp issue. I received an interim recall notification in 2023. I have called Toyota twice and they still don’t have a remedy. It’s been over a year and this is a safety/fire hazard. It’s unacceptable they have not arranged for a remedy over a year later.

The contact owns a 2017 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that after turning the vehicle off and later attempting to restart the vehicle, the vehicle failed to restart. The battery was then recharged. The failure occurred on several occasions before the vehicle was taken to the local mechanic. The local mechanic was unable to diagnose a failure or determine a cause for the failure. Additionally, after opening the rear hatch door, the door failed to close and remained open. The contact stated that water and condensation were present inside the rear brake light assembly. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 30,000.

While we were driving in the mountains, the wiring harness shorted and fried all 4 of our front bulbs, causing us to have no visibility while driving on unlit back roads in Colorado. Toyota has a known TSB for this issue but claims it's not a safety issue, and has a kit to repair the issue, charging us $500 to install the kit. When asking about this 2 different employees explained it was a design issue with the car. Why is this not a recall? How is frying all my headlights not a safety issue?

This vehicle has twice had the same issue where the sunroof drain lines become clogged or dislocated and the water fills the liner in the front driver and passenger seats resulting in flooding in the compartment and mold damage throughout the interior. the mole spore are transmitted throughout the interior. The water damaged the airbags and the electrical harness in the dash of the car resulting in the dashboard electrical system shutting off and restarting spontaneously while driving. The leaks were repairs and the interior replaces in october 2023 and the same incident has recurred in august 2026. The claims adjuster recommends that the entire wiring harness, airbags, and carpets, seats and liners be replaced for health and safety of passengers.

When the passenger front airbag deployed in an accident, a coil about 3 inches long and an inch wide was ejected from the airbag compartment and info the face of the occupant. Minor injuries sustained but was near the eye. The coil became embedded in the skin and the coil had to be removed.

This vehicle has twice had the same issue where the sunroof drain lines become clogged or dislocated and the water fills the liner in the front driver and passenger seats resulting in flooding in the compartment and mold damage throughout the interior. the mole spore are transmitted throughout the interior. The water damaged the airbags and the electrical harness in the dash of the car resulting in the dashboard electrical system shutting off and restarting spontaneously while driving. The leaks were repairs and the interior replaces in october 2023 and the same incident has recurred in august 2026. The claims adjuster recommends that the entire wiring harness, airbags, and carpets, seats and liners be replaced for health and safety of passengers.

The liftgate on my 2017 Toyota RAV4 has been having issues for a couple of months. Makes a horrific noise when opening and closing. On several occasions it won't even open but about 5 inches then stops. The driver's side door won't lock/unlock with the smart key fob. I have to manually lock it and then use the "key" in the fob to unlock it. It is very hard to turn the key and I am always afraid it is going to break off in the lock. I feel this is dangerous for me that the time it takes to do this, something could happen to me. I have checked a couple of places for repair of the lock and it can run between $600 and $800 per lock.

PCS brake has enormously engaged twice. 1. small branch fell off tree on a dirt road. brakes engaged and should not have and almost caused vehicle to slide off a 1000 foot cliff. 2. auto braked with my dog was in car and broke dogs' leg and cost a 2,000 dollar vet bill. brakes where not needed i could have easily just did a slight steering adjustment to avoid collusion. the braking prevented that and almost was also almost rearended overall, the autobrake can be disabled with a lot of work on various menus. but comes on when the car is restarted. I do this every time i restart the car. I suspect a glitch or a low voltage caused it to come back on. Also trying to always remember to do it is difficult to do. I consider this auto brake to be a huge safety risk and could cause loss of life. I am so scared by this and afraid to dive the car now. may have to take a total loss on the car I just bought. Toyota dealers said they cannot reprogram the car to prevent this serious safety risk

I am the driver's husband and the driver was the only one in the car. I assist her to file this report The accident happened around 6 pm on 12.28.2025 My wife was involved in a single car accident in a parking lot. She made a left turn at the intersection of 192nd ave and 3rd st, and then entered into the parking lot from the north entrance. The car hit the curb as she entered the parking lot. Then the car (RAV4) started accelerating by itself, and was out of control. She cannot stop the car. To avoid going straight and hit the shops at the other end of the parking lot, she turned the wheel to one side. She hit a light post and then hit something else. The vehicle flipped over and landed on its roof. The vehicle was totaled. She was trapped inside the car unable to free herself until the ambulance, tow truck and the police arrived. By God's grace, she did not hit any other car or person and she only suffered minor injury. She was taken to the emergency room at Peace Health, examined and released after 3 hours. If you look at the RAV4, you cannot believe that she only suffered minor injury. Praise the Lord. She is still mentally shaken up by this traumatic event. Looking at the pictures of the damage to the vehicle, the car must have been traveling at a very high speed and there is no way that the driver stepped on the gas pedal intentionally. The insurance Company is Liberty Mutual Claim# [XXX] -XX The vehicle is considered total loss by the insurance company. EDR was inspected but data in the EDR was not collected. I suspect this incident was not caused by the driver, The data in the EDR will tell the true story. I asked Liberty Mutual to retrieve the data from the EDR to prove that the gas pedal was not depressed by the driver. If the car accelerated without the driver stepping on the gas pedal, then the vehicle has safety issues. I am waiting for Liberty Mutual to retrieve the data. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

While driving on or around 6/5/25, an active recall on my vehicle caused damage to my battery connections causing my vehicle to completely shut off while driving on an highway exit ramp. I almost lost complete control of the vehicle. Thankfully, the vehicle turned back on and I was able to get the vehicle to safety. I had to get the car towed and repaired. The repair was directly related to the damage from an active recall issue being open without remedy for over 3 years on my vehicle. When I asked Toyota for reimbursement of under $200 they refused. This is a safety issue beyond the recall and I am concerned this is going to happen to someone else and there are going to be deaths. Toyota needs to stand by their recall too and may the financial aspect correct with me. Other members of the public need to be aware of the issues beyond their recall that can affect their cars and that Toyota is requiring them to be responsible for the damage that was caused while waiting on a remedy to the recall.

The contact owns a 2017 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while driving 20-25 MPH, the vehicle shuddered while the transmission was shifting into the next gear. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that upon scanning the vehicle with an OBD II code reader, the contact retrieved diagnostic trouble codes indicating a starter failure. However, upon investigating the failure online, the contact related the failure to Toyota Warranty Bulletin Number: POL17-06. The contact stated that a preventative service was previously performed on the vehicle, however, the failure occurred. The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered under the warranty. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.

All wheel drive disengages while driving. It has disengaged several times while driving up a steep hill in the rain resulting in loss of control of vehicle. First time car skidded into a ditch. Warning on dash said return vehicle to dealer. Vehicle has been returned 3 times. They blame the problem on a defect in the emission control system which turns off the AWD system when a leak in the vapor control system is detected. Dealer first replaced the fuel filler cap. That worked for a couple of weeks, then something under the hood which worked a few days. Now the car is scheduled for a gasket on the fuel tank to be replaced for $1,500! I am all for controlling emissions to the environment, but it should not be at the cost of safety. A fix is needed to separate the AWD from the emission control system. SAFETY FIRST!

I was driving in the free way, my 2017 Rav4 started shaking and then stopped. I looked at my dash board it says: "Charging System Malfunction". I confirmed that I have 1/4 tank of fuel (reading the gauge). I had my car towed to a mechanic. Troubleshot it, found out that car was out of fuel but the fuel gauge said: 1/4 tank of fuel left. Reported the problem to Toyota. I was told they recalled other Rav 4's , different years but not the 2017.

While driving at about 55mph on an open highway, the moon roof exploded. There was a loud explosion inside the car by my right ear. The noise was deafening and distracting and caused a momentary loss of concentration on driving, a situation that was very dangerous and could have resulted in an accident with serious injury. I immediately pulled over and checked the tires, the body and underneath the vehicle, finding nothing. When I began driving again, I heard a loud wind noise and other strange noises above me. I started to open the cover of the moon roof, but shards of glass fell on me, so I closed it again. Pulling over again, I climbed on the door threshold to look at the roof of the car. Unbelievable! It looked like a volcano with the glass pointing upwards around a big hole. Toyota Corp. is claiming it was caused by an outside source. That is definitely not true. I was in the car, nothing landed on the roof. The highway I was on has no bridges, no overpass, no multi-story buildings, no schools or no place that would enable someone to drop or throw a large item on top of a car. And, there was nothing on the inside cover except broken glass. The glass on the roof was definitely pointing upwards. The result of my research on exploding roofs shows that this problem has affected multiple car brands and multiple sun/moon roof manufacturers. I'm asking the NHTSA to help protect USA drivers. If there had been a warning that the roof could suddenly explode while I was driving, I definitely would have selected a car without a glass roof. If the cover had not been closed, I would have been sprayed with glass in addition to the loud blast. Because this is a major safety issue, I'm begging the NHTSA to look into the problem and at the very least immediately issue warnings so drivers of vehicles with sun/moon roofs will be aware that this could happen. It would be much better to find out what defect is causing this to happen before anyone is killed! The consumer stated he feels that moonroof exploding

on a nice clear spring day in california, driving on the 101 freeway my 2017 toyota rav4 xle sun roof just Exploded..no trucks around me...and no overpasses...it just exploded outwards i belive....no warning .....could have very easily cause a serrious accident/injury...some glass dropped on driver/passanger...dome rolloed off top of the car.

While driving on or around 6/5/25, an active recall on my vehicle caused damage to my battery connections causing my vehicle to completely shut off while driving on an highway exit ramp. I almost lost complete control of the vehicle. Thankfully, the vehicle turned back on and I was able to get the vehicle to safety. I had to get the car towed and repaired. The repair was directly related to the damage from an active recall issue being open without remedy for over 3 years on my vehicle. When I asked Toyota for reimbursement of under $200 they refused. This is a safety issue beyond the recall and I am concerned this is going to happen to someone else and there are going to be deaths. Toyota needs to stand by their recall too and may the financial aspect correct with me. Other members of the public need to be aware of the issues beyond their recall that can affect their cars and that Toyota is requiring them to be responsible for the damage that was caused while waiting on a remedy to the recall.

The EPS system light came up creating a very dangerous driving situation, unable to turn the wheel. Car was taken to the dealer. Replaced computer assy.. Replaced negative terminal voltage sensor. Dealer stated that problem was taken care off. Problem persisted, brought car back three times. Keeps doing the same thing , warning light coming on , wheel no moving. First time it happened was on November 2024. At this time and date ( 5/6/2025) the car is located at the Toyota dealer in Hollywood Florida, being evaluated again.

While my child was sitting in his carseat, the foam head support detached from the plastic casing where it is glued together. This is not the result of any action on our part and the seat has not been in car accident. The glue just gave out.

ON RAINY DAYS, WHEN I AM STANDING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, AND STARTING TO GET OUT OF THE GREEN LIGHT, MY CAR BECOMES UNSTABLE, AS IF IT WERE GOING TO SKID. THIS HAPPENS WHENEVER THE STREET IS WET. REPORT THIS PROBLEM FROM THE FIRST INSPECTION OF THE CAR. AT THAT TIME THEY CHANGED AN AXIS, BUT THE PROBLEM PERSISTS

I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE USED IN JULY OF 2023. THERE HAD BEEN A PERSISTANT CLUNKING NOISE IN THE REAR WHEN THE ROAD IS BUMPY ALONG WITH SOME STABILTY OR SWAYING FEELING. I HAD IT INSPECTED BY INDEPENDANT MECHANICAL SHOPS. I WAS ADVISED TO REPLACE THE SHOCK ABSORBERS AND THE STABILIZER LINKS WHICH I DID. THE RT REAR SHOCK ABOSBORBER WAS BAD. MARCH OF 2024 I TOOK A ROAD TRIP TO FLORIDA. FIRST LONG TRIP SINCE REPLACING THE PARTS. ON THE DRIVE DOWN I WAS BY MYSELF AND FELT AS THOUGH THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE WAS SWAYING BACK AND FORTH A LOT WORSE THAN BEFORE CHANGING THE PARTS LISTED ABOVE. I THOUGHT MAYBE IT WAS THE CONDITION OF THE ROADS. ON THE WAY HOME MY SON WAS FOLLOWING ME IN HIS VEHCLE. HE HAD TOLD ME THAT WHEN THE "SWAYING" FEELING IS HAPPENING THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE IS MOVING SEPARATE TO THE FRONT. THE CLUNKING SOUND IS STILL THERE AND THAT STABILITY ISSUE SEEMS TO HAVE WORSEN SINCE CHANGING THE SUSPENSION PARTS PREVIOUSLY LISTED. THERE WAS A POINT IN DRIVING HOME IN THE RAIN WHERE I DEFINITELY FELT THE ABITLITY TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE WAS DIFFICULT AND DANGEROUS. I WILL BE TAKING THE VEHICLE TO BE INSPECTED FURTHER. I'VE READ INFORMATION ON A TOYOTA FORUM THAT THERE ARE OTHER OWNERS EXPERIENCING THIS ISSUE. I DO HAVE VIDIO AND YOU CAN SEE MY BODY ROCKING BACK AND FORTH IN THE DRIVER SEAT WHILE IT'S HAPPENING AND THE HOOD SWAYING BUT AM UNABLE TO UPLOAD IT.

I have a 2017 RAV4 Hybrid XLE that I bought brand New. I have done all schedule maintenance on it. I was driving to an appointment on 15 November 2023 and the vehicle all the sudden jerked violently side to side throwing me off the road. I brought the car to the shop thinking an alignment or something. My whole rear subframe was cracked, and by the driver side rear wheel bolt it was broke straight through where the tow bar connects to the subframe. The mechanic said it was from rust from living in the Northeast, and the salt from the road during winter months. The Mechanic said Even though I took care of the vehicle this was going to happen anyways due to the subframe suspension parts that Toyota puts in the RAV4. Being flung into a ditch coming off a highway is a dangerous situation, and could of cost me my life because Toyota wants to save money and put in parts knowing that the rust problem will and could occur. I did my research, and found out this has been going on since 2007 and there have been recalls on models all the way up to 2012. If this is a known thing then why is Toyota being allowed to still make a weak subframe. Does someone have to die for this to be stoped. I’m am asking for a recall on all models of 2017 Rav4 hybrids and on to fix this problem. I am lucky to escape with minor injures, but maybe the next person isn’t. Something has to be done.

The liftgate on my 2017 Toyota RAV4 has been having issues for a couple of months. Makes a horrific noise when opening and closing. On several occasions it won't even open but about 5 inches then stops. The driver's side door won't lock/unlock with the smart key fob. I have to manually lock it and then use the "key" in the fob to unlock it. It is very hard to turn the key and I am always afraid it is going to break off in the lock. I feel this is dangerous for me that the time it takes to do this, something could happen to me. I have checked a couple of places for repair of the lock and it can run between $600 and $800 per lock.

The contact owns a 2017 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that after turning the vehicle off and later attempting to restart the vehicle, the vehicle failed to restart. The battery was then recharged. The failure occurred on several occasions before the vehicle was taken to the local mechanic. The local mechanic was unable to diagnose a failure or determine a cause for the failure. Additionally, after opening the rear hatch door, the door failed to close and remained open. The contact stated that water and condensation were present inside the rear brake light assembly. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 30,000.

Seat belt lap buckle won't lock into the housing unit. Obviously a safety issue. Toyota told me I'm responsible to pay for the repairs . I believe Toyota has a potential recall issues here. How many people have to die before anything is done. 2017 Rav 4. Sincerely, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2017 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE CONTACT SWERVED TO AVOID A DEER AND HIS FOOT SLIPPED OFF THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE CONTACT CRASHED THE VEHICLE INTO A GUARDRAIL. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CONTACT'S ARMS AND RIBS WERE BRUISED AND HIS NECK SNAPPED BACK AND WAS SWOLLEN. MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS NOT RECEIVED; HOWEVER, X-RAYS WERE PERFORMED. THE CONTACT PLANNED TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT WITH A DOCTOR. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DEEMED THE VEHICLE DESTROYED. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 23,000. *BF*JB '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).'*JB

225/65R17. I purchased 4 new tires on 02/24/23. On 6/27/23, I found my driver's rear tire was completely flat. I had the 'donut' put on and took to the dealers. There was a 'bubble' around the rim and the tire was replaced. The dealer explained it was likely due to hitting a curb or pothole which I took exception to as I had done neither. On 7/31/23, my passenger-side rear tire was almost flat and there was again a bubble near the rim. As well the front passenger tire looked mis-shapen. This time, I called a tow truck. The dealer refused to acknowledged that was a manufacturing issue and not a road hazard. Although many Continental tires were recalled, they said this wasn't one of them. They did not contact Continental only their service provider for road hazard. Replacing only the passenger rear tire was not a reasonable option. I chose to replace all 4 tires of another brand rather than fool around with what could be an exploding tire on the highway. Needless to say, no more continental tires for me and I will not use that Toyota dealership again either.

The contact owns a 2017 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) warning light would activate even though the air pressure in the tires were normal. The contact indicated that the failure also occurred immediately after refueling. No further information was available. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 30,000.