Released in 2012 and sold in Europe between 2013 and 2018, the fourth generation Toyota RAV4 was available in our regions with gasoline and diesel engines, and in 2015 received a restyling with the appearance of a hybrid engine, which increased its sales.
Despite its reputation as a reliable company, the Japanese firm is not immune to some technical glitches that can trigger recall campaigns: in the United States, Toyota has recalled almost 2 million copies of the fourth generation RAV4for security issue.
Toyota RAV4: a safety issue
The Japanese manufacturer was able to make sure of this Replaceable 12 volt batteries of the size specified for the affected vehicles were smaller than the others. If a small battery is used for replacement and the battery retainer is not properly tightened, the battery can potentially become dislodged when the vehicle is driven on a winding road with sharp turns.
Body movement caused in this situation may cause the positive battery terminal to contact the retaining clip, resulting in a short circuit: this situation potentially increases fire hazard on the affected RAV4s, and Toyota takes this safety issue very seriously.
About 1,854,000 copies at time of recall
This applies to models of the fourth generation of Toyota RAV4, produced from 2012 to 2018 : approximately 1,854,000 copies in the United States, and the Japanese manufacturer did not specify whether the problem also affects units sold in Europe or the rest of the world. Toyota will notify affected owners of the issue by the end of December 2023, and they will be advised to contact their Toyota dealer for support.
For all affected vehicles, Toyota dealers will replace the battery holder, battery holder and positive terminal cover with the improved design model. Of course, this repair will be done free of charge for RAV4 owners.
To find out if a vehicle is involved in a safety recall, Toyota provides a site at toyota.com/recall where you simply enter the vehicle identification number (VIN) or license plate number to get recall information about the vehicle involved.
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Source: Auto Plus
Robert is an experienced journalist who has been covering the automobile industry for over a decade. He has a deep understanding of the latest technologies and trends in the industry and is known for his thorough and in-depth reporting.