All I hear is bad things on this forum about major problems with the new Rav4's. I know Toyota is selling them like hotcakes, but why would anyone want a vehicle that seems like it has a faulty transmission and a mysterious back windshield that always breaks? The Rav4 was at the top of my list for my new SUV, but it fell off the radar big time with all this bad news I have been hearing! I was aproud owner of a 2004 honda accord and now a proud owner of an amazing suv in the 2006 Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer Edition. I know it may not be great on gas like the RAV4, but the rids is simply stunning, as it is the smoothest and quietest car I have ever driven! :shades:
I know people have trouble finding RAV4 V6 with leather so if your in the NY Long Island area, Sunrise Toyota had one today. Loaded, no 3rd row. A grey color with light tan inside. Also they have about 20 RAV4s sitting there. Mostly Base but a few Sports and Limiteds. About 5 are v6.
It's human nature to gripe, and there are plenty of lurkers out there enjoying their RAV4 who think they don't have anything to post about since their Toyota isn't giving them any trouble.
Most all brands here have a "problems" discussion.
Here's the one for the '06 RAV4 btw (hopefully you won't need the Explorer one):
We are looking at the Rav4 and are considering the option of 3rd row seating. This would be for occasional use as we are a family of four. Does anyone have experience, opinions or advice about this option? Thanks!
While reading the brochure on my wifes new Base I4-2WD I read the 2WD has a Limited Slip Differential. Now that I have read the manual it looks as if this LSD is simply TC applying brakes? Am I correct in that there is no locking clutch in the transaxle?
it only happened the one time out of several really bad rain storms. Plus on another site I found a post with someone with a similar issue who said they has the same problem and it was (hopefully) just a plugged drain hole....as you said. I plan on checking that as soon as I get the RAV back....I hope to find something clogging the drain, it could have dislodged by now, or hope to duplicate the leak for the dealer
robertfyke- we have 3rd row and love it. only occassionally use, family of four, but enjoy the flexibility to carry up to 7 if needed. we highly recommend.
As of today the 2nd 40% seat has not been repaired totally .In Jan I bought a 3rd row seating Rav 4and and upon delivery I found my 2nd row 40% seat would not collapse flat. My selling dealer claimed it was made this way but the Rav4 forum came back to me with a big no answer. I moved from LA to San Diego and finally, my new Escondido CA dealer checked the problem and found a part was broken in the seat at the factory.. Today, it is temporary working but Toyota can not produce the proper part to get the seat in original proper working order. I love the car but lack parts availablity for 7 months from Toyota sucks!!! :mad: Gary
I checked the 2006 Consumer Report's 2006 auto issue for the reliability of the Ford Explorer's transmission. For the 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005 4WD model, the Explorer's transmissions have been given a "much worse than average" rating, based on owner's filling out questionaires. The 2WD model is also worse than average. The RAV rating for the transmission has been "Much better than average" for all years between 1998 and 2005. I'll stick with my RAV4. If you think the Ford Explorer is the smoothest and quietest car you've ever driven, I can only surmise that you have driven very few cars. The Explorer is a truck based SUV and is not known for a smooth ride, but is great off road. The RAV4 is not good for off road because it has such a soft ride. Also, I'm surprised that if you were a "proud owner" of a 2004 Honda Accord, why did you get rid of it so fast? Also, the Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer retails for about $15,000 more than the RAV4. It's a completely different class of SUV. Why were you even considering the RAV4. You remind me of the person that left a rating of "1" on a 1999 Camry on 7 different categories, including comfort and styling. He said "I bought it, didn't like it, returned it a week later". So that person bought a car he thought was ugly and rode poorly. Of course, he then recommended that the Buick Century is a better car. Hmmmm. I wonder. Could he have planted a false review just to shift sales to Buick? Of course, a bunch of 1's can pull down an overall rating quite fast. That was probably his intent.
You guys should ligten up. The guy decided to buy an Explorer. It is his money!
Remember all that good stuff you are reading in CU is not for your RAV4, it is for previous models. And some day the paint chips and cracked windshields and slow shifting will catch up with the ratings.
We even have budding Sherlock Holmes and couch analysts here guessing people motives. Give it up!
If you read the CU Consumer Opinions from actual owners of the '06 Rav4, you'll see no complaints of the 3 issues you pointed out, on the contrary, most every rating is 5 stars. You may need to be a subscriber to access that page, tho.
There was a recent topic of the hidden hitch installation. Does anyone know where I can get the hidden hitch cheapest? I have been looking around and most places show that their hidden hitch will fit '05 models, but do not say anything about the '06. Ebay has hidden hitch for 125.00 shipping included. What am I going to spend for it? Where do I get the wiring for it? Will it fit with the full size spare on the back? Does it matter that I have the sport vrs. the limited and base?
Tons of places to get hitch. Just google 2006 RAV4 hitch. $125 is in the ballpark. Most all the hitch brands are about the same. Lots of info a other RAV4 web sites. The harness, if you use the Toyota harness a bit much to install and costs $112-150 plus several hours to install. I think you can get Modulite T-connector wiring kits at most online hitch places. Installing the hitch is trivial...20 min and 4 bolts. Things are the same for all 2006 models. The wiring is harder depending on what you use. If your not handy, try a good trailer/hitch place for the wiring stuff. Or your dealer but some do not seem to know how to install the harness from comments I have seen on the net. Good luck.
Well it is amazing that CU has no problems. Part of this I suspect is for a July issue they probably to to press in Apirl and not lots of trucks out then. There are many people commenting on the net about problems with 2006 RAV4. Paint, shifting, pillar rattles, windshield cracks and other odds and ends. The people who consider the shifting delays a saftey issue are not talkng 5 stars I am sure!
How many Rav4 Owners Paid MSRP? I called a few dealers in the area and they kept telling me that the Rav4's are hard to keep in stock and that people pay MSRP. He said he could work with me on about 500.00 but thats it... I looked around and found the invoice price on it. I read about how dealers are trying to get 3-4% above invoice? Anyone know where I can get a deal in Texas? Thanks! Chris S.
The current Rav4 has been in owner's hands since mid December last year. As an actual owner of a V6 Rav4 for over 3 months and 2000 miles, I have none of those issues, so I can only suppose that the few reports are just that, a few, not the majority of owners. The paint chip issue isn't new or just a Rav4 issue, it's typical of the newer water based paints and not isolated to any one make or model. I'm glad you're not calling the "blown rear window" typical due to one questionable incident.
Well in the east (NY) you do not have to pay MSRP. Lots of RAV4s for $100-$500 over invoice. But they always like to try you on for size with."Well maybe a few hundered off MSRP is the best we can do." You do best I think if you take one they have on lot or coming in shortly. My local dealer had about 20 on friday. Most are Base I4 but well equiped. "Ordering" is a hard way to go it seems. And Sport and Limited are only a small percentage of totals. Lots of people here buy them in MD and VA and drive them west. One guy all the way to Little Rock!
Actually, I was surprised that CU gave the 2006 RAV4 a "Above average" rating instead of the usual "NEW" rating when a substantial restyling results. This implies that they have already got some data and they are indicating that there have been some problems. They must have got enough replies to give it a rating.
I actually noted a minor problem yesterday with my 2006 RAV4. The trim in the upper corners of the windshield is buckling some, more on the driver side than the passenger side. It's about a quarter inch out of it's track on the drive side and about one eighth of an inch on the passenger side. Has anyone else noticed this problem? It may have been there when I bought it 2 months ago. I'll have to see if Toyota can do anything about it, but I consider it very minor. It's where the trim alongside the window meets the trim from the roof rack.
All I am saying is that it appears that the new Rav 4's are having some "issues" now and I was wondering what was happening to Toyota, since it is a great car company. I know Ford Explorer's do not hold their value as well as Toyota's, but if Toyota keeps up with these problems the Rav4 value will go down. It's all about personal preference there is no need to flip out and accuse me of being a Toyota-hater. (I have much respect for foreign brands.)
PS I got rid of my Honda Accord bc 1) the lease was up. 2) We wanted a bigger car to carry cargo. 3) I like driving above the road (feature in SUVS) BTW my Eddie Bauer cost around 30,000 with taxes included(28,000 without)... im pretty sure the Limited Rav4 costs around the same price or even more.
I own a 2005 Sienna, and just bought the RAV4 V6 4WD. I also regularly drive my parents' 03 Lexus RX and 06 Lexus GS350.
The 03 Lexus RX has this transmission issue the worst, and pretty unacceptable for a "luxury" car. The 05 Sienna has it, but not as bad as the RX, yet still noticeable. The 06 RAV4 has less of this problem, and not as noticeable compared to the Sienna. A clear improvement. The 06 GS350 doesn't have any transmission issues at all.
It's obvious to me that Toyota has been working on this over the years and the RAV4 (for me at least) is definitely improved. I knew about this problem (and others posted here) prior to purchasing, yet, I still bought the RAV4, because NO car is perfect. Sure the throttle isn't as responsive as my BMW 330Ci automatic was during sudden accelerations, BUT I never have to worry about expensive visits to the dealer shop when my warranty is up.
Bottom line: the transmission issue is minor enough to not be a factor for me in my decision to purchase the RAV4 over competitors, when all the pros/cons have been added up.
The Consumer Ratings (linked at the top) are reviewed by real people before posting (for profanity, etc.). So it takes a week or two after you submit a review for it to show up.
I apologize. I'm a very cynical person. Also, I do own $7,000 in Ford bonds maturing in May 2012, so thanks for buying a Ford. I need the company to be around for a while. BTW, the bonds are yielding about 9%.
It is interesting to see that Fitzmall in Md. has RAV4 V6 Sport for $100 under invoice. This is about the lowest I have seen anywhere in the East so far.
No need for sarcasm.... I've had that enough with Toyota! Besides.... if you're not going to post something relating to my experience with this, please keep it to yourself.
This has become and is a serious issue with regard to the safety of consumers purchasing these vehicles...My children like to play with sidewalk chalk in our driveway and if one of them got hurt or cut on this glass.... This has happened over a week ago and I am still cleaning up glass that was missed in the driveway! :mad:
I must say that although this was my first Toyota purchase, I love the car... and my kids do as well; regardless of the rear window issue. It's sleek, stylish and I look good driving in it... I've read so many posts and reviews on the net now regarding the 06 Rav4...but there is no such thing as a "perfect car". The blown out rear window....well, this shouldn't have happened, and in a perfect world; it wouldn't have happened. But through no fault of my own, the weather, our surroundings, etc....it happened; and Toyota does not know what to do.
Ditto for me too. I have had not a single problem with my Limited. I usually have a long list of discrepant items with a new car but not with my RAV. So far the RAV has been perfect in every way (keeping my fingers crossed).
I was trying to lighten the mood with a little humor.
You were looking for an explanation, yet that's the type of thing that cannot be explained.
I had my Miata vandalized, a rock was thrown through the rear glass. Believe me, I know what it's like to have to vacuum shards of glass out on the driveway, not to mention the interior.
You know what helped? Of all things? A leaf blower.
Two options that are missing on the new RAV4 is dual exhaust and fully automatic headlamps. It is not a deal breaker on my intent to purchase a RAV4 but would have been nice to see included on the limited/sport option package.
Well, you can't second guess yourself. What if the car you traded in suffered some catastrophic break down costing several thousand dollars? And on top of that you had to rent a car until you found a new one because supply was short on early RAV4s?
I know, I remember you saying way back you like to buy high! But look at all the fun have had for all these months drivng past that fence post over and over again. Don't you and the RAV4 ever get tired.
Thanks for the humor, I did get a small laugh out of it... having owned a Honda before this RAV4..
I've had stuff thrown through windows before ... I know what a pain it is to get it all cleaned up, but I witnessed this happen with the rear window in my RAV4 on June 30th in my driveway.. The glass shattered and popped out... nothing hit it. Toyota provided me with no course to follow to make sure all evidence of this happening was not tainted in any way... I had to be the investigator on this and believe me, nothing to which Toyota or the dealer has told me adds up. I inquired about the New Vehicle Warranty; which was explained by the Dealer that this was a comprehensive bumper to bumper warranty for the first 3years/36000 miles (whichever comes first). Windows or flaws in windows is not mentioned in the "What NOT is covered" section of the warranty either. Needless to say, because the service person at the dealer cannot come up with a story on how this happened.. they cannot take responsibility for it (even after incident was explained with pictures provided that substaniate the story; as well a a second opinion from the auto glass company that repaired it stating that it appeared this happened due to a flaw in the window itself). It was explained to me yesterday (car was in the shop for 10 days now), when I picked up that Toyota will cover the window under their "Good Will Faith" Policy... but not cover expenses for the rental I needed to get to work. I've just found out that this Good Will Policy is given to drivers when their cars are just out of warranty by 1000 miles or so. My RAV is still under warranty.. As well, The dealer never bothered to repair scratches on the rear door caused by the glass falling out of the car, and this has become a nightmare.
By the way, I inquired also about the hesitation in the RAV4 on quick acceleration and was told by the dealer that this is a "safety mechanism" to prevent hard shifting, thus maintaining the life of the transmission... And he sees this delay in other makes/models.. I'll remember that when I'm trying to merge onto the Washington Beltway with traffic going 85+ mph...
I hear hesitation also in computer, to improve mileage etc. Actually getting concerned this excuse sounds similar to a "normal" response from Chrysler with a 1990 Voyager. 3 transmissions later, it totally died. Seriously though, this hesitation problem could be serious. I get some hesitation in normal driving, but 4 times now almost no response when accelerating. If that's normal, Toyota could have some major problems on it's hand. You're exactly right, try merging on a busy highway from a slow start and you could be another statistic. Toyota better be looking at this more seriously than "NORMAL". And using the wording "Safety Mechanism" is absurd. Shame, other than that it's a great car.
You witnessed it? Wow, no wonder you feel strongly about it...
I walked out the next day and found a rock in the passenger seat, next to the smashed cup holder.
Hopefully you can buff the scratches out of the paint. If Toyota sees a pattern maybe they'll issue a TSB. I wonder if you should report the issue on the NHTSA web site, perhaps?
Thanks again for the support.. Both myself and a neighbor witnessed it.. :surprise: We were shocked! Actually I already filed a complaint with NHTSA..Office of Defect Investigation. One thing though is that I am learning all the tricks of the "blame" trade with regard to "smooth talking". I spoke with the dealer's service tech who said he inspected the window. He said that it was his impression that after his inspection of the window, the broken window did not happen as a result of a "stress crack" or a manufactur's defect. I asked how he arrived at that conclusion since the window was no longer in the car... and the broken remenants of the window were in the driveway and the trash. I've also got a 2nd opinion from the Auto glass repair tech who installed the new glass on my car. He stated that he agreed that there may have been a flaw in the window that lead to the blow-out. Also, I just found out that my car sat at the dealership for 3 days before it was inspected; the dealer knew about the incident on July 1st, car was dropped off July 3rd in am, phone message left on my cell phone on July 6th in pm. I don't know when the window was ordered, but Auto glass repair tech said appointment was made on Tuesday, July 11 in the afternoon and they came July 12 in the am to install. Toyota has agreed to cover the window repair through a "Good Faith Will" Policy... but not the rental.. But no one can tell me what this policy is or how repairs are determined to be put under this policy. I heard that this policy is used when vehicles are just out of warranty... and is a deal between the factory and the dealer. I also heard that "Good Faith" is covered the same way a warranty item is covered. They argued with me over the questions I had about this, stating that they used Good Faith Policy because window defects are not covered under New Vehicle Warranties. I replied, Windows are not listed in the "What is not covered" section of the New Vehicle Warranty. I was transfered to a supervisor then.
I know when something is wrong, and this is clearly wrong. I hope no one else has to go through what I am going through!
Based on what you have stated to date, it appears that Toyota is giving you a fair shake. Of the thousands of 2006 RAV's sold so far it looks like you are the only one that has experienced this problem. Quite possibly a fluke.
"Good Faith" repairs are not warranty work. It's good relations thing, period. There is a slush fund for these types of repairs. I can see why an individual with many questions would be referred to the Supervisor. They probably don't understand why there would be so many questions, particularly since it's being fixed.
For some unknown reason it appears that you are hoping for this incident to turn into something that many will experience. Life is short. Be happy that it is being repaired (no charge to you) and enjoy your RAV. If you can't, get rid of it and buy something else.
Toyota is a bit slow to admit fault and own up to problems, you may recall the Sludge debacle? It took months and some heavy pressure from many internet sites before they extended the powertrain warranty on those.
To be fair, there were hundreds of cases of Sludge, and that's not (yet, at least) the case with the mysterious glass explosion.
If you do an Advanced Search here for "stress crack" you find quite a few posts from owners of various brands who have had their windshields crack. I don't know if you can attribute a pattern to it. There have been a few "exploding" glass posts over the years too, mostly from rear windows (I remember some from Vans but don't recall what make/model off-hand).
If this isn't a occasional problem with the RAV4, I'm sure we'll hear other reports soon enough.
"Based on what you have stated to date, it appears that Toyota is giving you a fair shake. Of the thousands of 2006 RAV's sold so far it looks like you are the only one that has experienced this problem. Quite possibly a fluke." It's either a fluke or the beginnings of a Toyota issue that we and they may not be aware of for several years to come....either way, how many other people will this happen to and it will NOT be reported....
"Good Faith" repairs are not warranty work. It's good relations thing, period. This is the first time I've ever heard of "Good Faith" repairs..In fact, I would NEVER expect to hear the words "Good" and "Faith" coming out of ANY car manufacturer. I am sure it stays a "good relation thing" until enough consumers have the same problems...then it becomes a recall thing and I'm sure they don't like to see their slush fund run dry. I work five days a week and don't make a lot of money here. As a blue-collar worker who just bought a $27,000.00 brand new vehicle, is it so bad that I am expecting quality? I have spent more time researching this window crap than I've spent with my family in the past two weeks and why? Because I am tired of being lied to or simply fed BS just to shut me up. It finally appears that it is paying off as I have asked all the RIGHT questions for once & am finally getting somewhere! For some unknown reason it appears that you are hoping for this incident to turn into something that many will experience. Life is short. It appears that you've got that backwards..If it does become something that others experience, at least somewhere people will know that I've experienced the same thing and have someone to talk to..... As I've stated in previous posts... this is a problem, and this is my problem. If you can't contribute something positive towards this experience, then please don't reply to my posts.
Thank you Steve. Again, being new to all of this.... Just wanted to see if there were issues with this here, and if not and yet, I'm glad that at least I reported it.
Comments
It's human nature to gripe, and there are plenty of lurkers out there enjoying their RAV4 who think they don't have anything to post about since their Toyota isn't giving them any trouble.
Most all brands here have a "problems" discussion.
Here's the one for the '06 RAV4 btw (hopefully you won't need the Explorer one):
Toyota RAV4 2006+: Problems & Solutions
Steve, Host
If not, should it be called a LSD, or simply TC?
we have 3rd row and love it. only occassionally use, family of four, but enjoy the flexibility to carry up to 7 if needed. we highly recommend.
My selling dealer claimed it was made this way but the Rav4 forum came back to me with a big no answer.
I moved from LA to San Diego and finally, my new Escondido CA dealer checked the problem and found a part was broken in the seat at the factory.. Today, it is temporary working but Toyota can not produce the proper part to get the seat in original proper working order. I love the car but lack parts availablity for 7 months from Toyota sucks!!! :mad:
Gary
Remember all that good stuff you are reading in CU is not for your RAV4, it is for previous models. And some day the paint chips and cracked windshields and slow shifting will catch up with the ratings.
We even have budding Sherlock Holmes and couch analysts here guessing people motives. Give it up!
'06 Rav4 Owner Opinions
Please reply!
Thanks!
Chris S.
Chris S.
Steve, Host
Lots of people here buy them in MD and VA and drive them west. One guy all the way to Little Rock!
I actually noted a minor problem yesterday with my 2006 RAV4. The trim in the upper corners of the windshield is buckling some, more on the driver side than the passenger side. It's about a quarter inch out of it's track on the drive side and about one eighth of an inch on the passenger side. Has anyone else noticed this problem? It may have been there when I bought it 2 months ago. I'll have to see if Toyota can do anything about it, but I consider it very minor. It's where the trim alongside the window meets the trim from the roof rack.
PS I got rid of my Honda Accord bc
1) the lease was up.
2) We wanted a bigger car to carry cargo.
3) I like driving above the road (feature in SUVS)
BTW my Eddie Bauer cost around 30,000 with taxes included(28,000 without)... im pretty sure the Limited Rav4 costs around the same price or even more.
The 03 Lexus RX has this transmission issue the worst, and pretty unacceptable for a "luxury" car.
The 05 Sienna has it, but not as bad as the RX, yet still noticeable.
The 06 RAV4 has less of this problem, and not as noticeable compared to the Sienna. A clear improvement.
The 06 GS350 doesn't have any transmission issues at all.
It's obvious to me that Toyota has been working on this over the years and the RAV4 (for me at least) is definitely improved. I knew about this problem (and others posted here) prior to purchasing, yet, I still bought the RAV4, because NO car is perfect. Sure the throttle isn't as responsive as my BMW 330Ci automatic was during sudden accelerations, BUT I never have to worry about expensive visits to the dealer shop when my warranty is up.
Bottom line: the transmission issue is minor enough to not be a factor for me in my decision to purchase the RAV4 over competitors, when all the pros/cons have been added up.
Steve, Host
They ask inane questions! (JUST KIDDING - I simply could not resist!)
tidester, host
-juice
Besides.... if you're not going to post something relating to my experience with this, please keep it to yourself.
This has become and is a serious issue with regard to the safety of consumers purchasing these vehicles...My children like to play with sidewalk chalk in our driveway and if one of them got hurt or cut on this glass.... This has happened over a week ago and I am still cleaning up glass that was missed in the driveway! :mad:
I've read so many posts and reviews on the net now regarding the 06 Rav4...but there is no such thing as a "perfect car". The blown out rear window....well, this shouldn't have happened, and in a perfect world; it wouldn't have happened. But through no fault of my own, the weather, our surroundings, etc....it happened; and Toyota does not know what to do.
You were looking for an explanation, yet that's the type of thing that cannot be explained.
I had my Miata vandalized, a rock was thrown through the rear glass. Believe me, I know what it's like to have to vacuum shards of glass out on the driveway, not to mention the interior.
You know what helped? Of all things? A leaf blower.
-juice
Boy I'm sure glad I got mine BEFORE the prices dropped
-------------------
-juice
But look at all the fun have had for all these months drivng past that fence post over and over again. Don't you and the RAV4 ever get tired.
I am still waiting for the 2007.
I've had stuff thrown through windows before ... I know what a pain it is to get it all cleaned up, but I witnessed this happen with the rear window in my RAV4 on June 30th in my driveway.. The glass shattered and popped out... nothing hit it. Toyota provided me with no course to follow to make sure all evidence of this happening was not tainted in any way... I had to be the investigator on this and believe me, nothing to which Toyota or the dealer has told me adds up. I inquired about the New Vehicle Warranty; which was explained by the Dealer that this was a comprehensive bumper to bumper warranty for the first 3years/36000 miles (whichever comes first). Windows or flaws in windows is not mentioned in the "What NOT is covered" section of the warranty either. Needless to say, because the service person at the dealer cannot come up with a story on how this happened.. they cannot take responsibility for it (even after incident was explained with pictures provided that substaniate the story; as well a a second opinion from the auto glass company that repaired it stating that it appeared this happened due to a flaw in the window itself). It was explained to me yesterday (car was in the shop for 10 days now), when I picked up that Toyota will cover the window under their "Good Will Faith" Policy... but not cover expenses for the rental I needed to get to work. I've just found out that this Good Will Policy is given to drivers when their cars are just out of warranty by 1000 miles or so. My RAV is still under warranty.. As well, The dealer never bothered to repair scratches on the rear door caused by the glass falling out of the car, and this has become a nightmare.
By the way, I inquired also about the hesitation in the RAV4 on quick acceleration and was told by the dealer that this is a "safety mechanism" to prevent hard shifting, thus maintaining the life of the transmission... And he sees this delay in other makes/models.. I'll remember that when I'm trying to merge onto the Washington Beltway with traffic going 85+ mph...
I walked out the next day and found a rock in the passenger seat, next to the smashed cup holder.
Hopefully you can buff the scratches out of the paint. If Toyota sees a pattern maybe they'll issue a TSB. I wonder if you should report the issue on the NHTSA web site, perhaps?
-juice
Actually I already filed a complaint with NHTSA..Office of Defect Investigation.
One thing though is that I am learning all the tricks of the "blame" trade with regard to "smooth talking". I spoke with the dealer's service tech who said he inspected the window. He said that it was his impression that after his inspection of the window, the broken window did not happen as a result of a "stress crack" or a manufactur's defect. I asked how he arrived at that conclusion since the window was no longer in the car... and the broken remenants of the window were in the driveway and the trash. I've also got a 2nd opinion from the Auto glass repair tech who installed the new glass on my car. He stated that he agreed that there may have been a flaw in the window that lead to the blow-out. Also, I just found out that my car sat at the dealership for 3 days before it was inspected; the dealer knew about the incident on July 1st, car was dropped off July 3rd in am, phone message left on my cell phone on July 6th in pm. I don't know when the window was ordered, but Auto glass repair tech said appointment was made on Tuesday, July 11 in the afternoon and they came July 12 in the am to install. Toyota has agreed to cover the window repair through a "Good Faith Will" Policy... but not the rental.. But no one can tell me what this policy is or how repairs are determined to be put under this policy. I heard that this policy is used when vehicles are just out of warranty... and is a deal between the factory and the dealer. I also heard that "Good Faith" is covered the same way a warranty item is covered. They argued with me over the questions I had about this, stating that they used Good Faith Policy because window defects are not covered under New Vehicle Warranties. I replied, Windows are not listed in the "What is not covered" section of the New Vehicle Warranty. I was transfered to a supervisor then.
I know when something is wrong, and this is clearly wrong. I hope no one else has to go through what I am going through!
"Good Faith" repairs are not warranty work. It's good relations thing, period. There is a slush fund for these types of repairs. I can see why an individual with many questions would be referred to the Supervisor. They probably don't understand why there would be so many questions, particularly since it's being fixed.
For some unknown reason it appears that you are hoping for this incident to turn into something that many will experience. Life is short. Be happy that it is being repaired (no charge to you) and enjoy your RAV. If you can't, get rid of it and buy something else.
Toyota is a bit slow to admit fault and own up to problems, you may recall the Sludge debacle? It took months and some heavy pressure from many internet sites before they extended the powertrain warranty on those.
To be fair, there were hundreds of cases of Sludge, and that's not (yet, at least) the case with the mysterious glass explosion.
-juice
If this isn't a occasional problem with the RAV4, I'm sure we'll hear other reports soon enough.
Meanwhile, go borrow a leaf blower I guess.
Steve, Host
It's either a fluke or the beginnings of a Toyota issue that we and they may not be aware of for several years to come....either way, how many other people will this happen to and it will NOT be reported....
"Good Faith" repairs are not warranty work. It's good relations thing, period.
This is the first time I've ever heard of "Good Faith" repairs..In fact, I would NEVER expect to hear the words "Good" and "Faith" coming out of ANY car manufacturer. I am sure it stays a "good relation thing" until enough consumers have the same problems...then it becomes a recall thing and I'm sure they don't like to see their slush fund run dry.
I work five days a week and don't make a lot of money here. As a blue-collar worker who just bought a $27,000.00 brand new vehicle, is it so bad that I am expecting quality? I have spent more time researching this window crap than I've spent with my family in the past two weeks and why? Because I am tired of being lied to or simply fed BS just to shut me up. It finally appears that it is paying off as I have asked all the RIGHT questions for once & am finally getting somewhere!
For some unknown reason it appears that you are hoping for this incident to turn into something that many will experience. Life is short.
It appears that you've got that backwards..If it does become something that others experience, at least somewhere people will know that I've experienced the same thing and have someone to talk to.....
As I've stated in previous posts... this is a problem, and this is my problem. If you can't contribute something positive towards this experience, then please don't reply to my posts.
The leaf blower worked great!