Issue ID | 1618115 |
Internal NHTSA # | 11279609 |
Manufacurer | Toyota Motor Corporation |
Brand | TOYOTA |
Model | RAV4 |
Model Year | 2019 |
File date | 12/11/19 |
Component | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM |
Product type code | VEHICLE |
Description of the problem | This car is a hybrid, and has a so-called "smart key." the vehicle engine system is designed to continue to operate when the key is removed from the car, even if the transmission is still engaged. Usually, this should not happen because the driver should turn off the engine by pushing the on/off button before walking away from the vehicle. But it is possible to inadvertently fail do this properly, by either not pushing the off button, not pushing it hard enough, or failing to fully put the transmission in park before pushing the on/off button. Because the vehicle is a hybrid, it is usually completely silent even if the engine system is still on. The vehicle will emit 3 short, relatively quiet, beeps when leaving the vehicle while the engine is still turned on, but the various systems in the car often emits the same beeps, so they are easy to inadvertently disregard. If the car is left in a home garage, it can fill the home with lethal carbon monoxide. If the transmission is engaged, the unoccupied vehicle can move. There are multiple well reported fatalities from these defects. Virtually all other manufacturers of vehicles with smart keys corrected this defect years ago, by automatically turning off the engine if the smart key is removed. Toyota is correcting this issue in 2020 models. But toyota is not, to my knowledge, correcting it in 2019 and earlier cars. It would probably be a relatively straightforward fix, which could be implemented through a firmware update. Because this is a serious, potentially lethal defect, i believe toyota should be required to recall existing 2019 and earlier cars and correct the problem. Though i believe the problem is serious, i have not had an accident due to the problem |
Vehicle Mileage at Failure | |
Number of Occurences | |
Source of the issue | NHTSA WEB SITE |
City and State | CARMEL, IN |
VIN pattern | JTMRWRFV4KDXXXXXX |
Was vehicle invloved in a crash? | N |
Was vehicle involved in a fire? | N |
Was incedent reported to police? | N |
Was medical attention required? | N |
Was part original equipment? | |
No. of injured persons | |
No. of fatalities | |
Date of purchase | 09/11/24 |
Was original owner? | N |
Anti-lock brakes | N |
Cruise control | N |
Number of cylinders | |
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Transmission type | |
Vehicle speed | 0 |
DoT tire identifier | |
Tire size | |
Location of tire code | |
Type of tire failure code | |
Was defective tire repaired? | |
Date of manufacture | |
Type of child seat code | |
Type of restraint | |
Dealer's name | |
Dealer's telephone number | |
Dealer's city | |
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