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1.9 Million Toyota RAV4 SUVs Investigated Over 12-Volt Battery Fire Events

As far as the automotive industry is concerned, the days when everything was overengineered are only a memory. Even Toyota, which still is a byword for build quality and reliability, gets it wrong sometimes.
Toyota RAV4 12 photos
Photo: Toyota
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According to documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Office of Defects Investigation has received 11 complaints and EWR data alleging “a non-crash thermal event originating in the left side of the engine compartment.” That’s where the 12-volt battery is, which is why the NHTSA has opened a preliminary evaluation.

The fourth generation of the RAV4, offered between the 2013 and 2018 model years, is the culprit. “A majority of thermal events occurred during driving conditions,” said the federal agency, “with four thermal events taking place with the ignition off.” Prior to the fiery incidents, some of the affected drivers have experienced stalling while the vehicle was in motion.

“Improper battery installation or prior front end collision repair was a factor in the EWR field reports,” added the safety watchdog. The issue boils down to the B+ terminal, which may short circuit to the battery hold-down frame.

“Despite these external influences on the battery retaining method, the overall number of vehicle fire allegations with the battery as the area of origin is larger than its peer population,” concluded the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. A total of 1,862,103 vehicles may be called back for repairs if this condition goes against a federal motor vehicle safety standard.

As we’re sitting here waiting for the NHTSA to finish the preliminary evaluation, we shouldn’t forget which is the top-selling vehicle in the United States behind full-size pickup trucks. That would be the RAV4, which finished 2020 with 430,387 units to its name, down 3.9 percent from the previous year. Only the Ram truck, Chevy Silverado lineup, and the Ford F-Series are selling better.

If you’re in the market for a RAV4, prepare to pony up $26,150 excluding destination charge for the humblest specification. The compact crossover is also available as a hybrid and plug-in hybrid from $28,650 and $38,100, respectively.
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 Download: Toyota RAV4 NHTSA investigation (PDF)

About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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