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Toyota RAV4 Radio LCD Display Problems

ofeliaofelia Member Posts: 10
in Toyota
Has anyone noticed their radio LCD getting distorted. Today my LCD just went wacko, does not show the station number but some square marks and slightly visible compact disks numbers.
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Comments

  • haha11hahahaha11haha Member Posts: 4
    It does on my too, sometimes dash board LCDs go wacko too. :(
  • bobbyt2bobbyt2 Member Posts: 2
    The radio LCD has distorted on me several times. The last time it happened I took digital pictures so I can prove it to the dealership when I take it in for service.
  • jimdrewjimdrew Member Posts: 84
    Yep, I bought mine memorial day and it just did the same thing tonight. What is that..looks like Greek writing...and idea and is this a problem...with a lot of RAV's. I have the V6 Sport....with the JBL system...

    Jimmy
  • jimdrewjimdrew Member Posts: 84
    Exactly what I am seeing on my JBL...any solution?

    Jimmy Drew
  • gregorylynngregorylynn Member Posts: 38
    We have 3K miles on our RAV4 2006 with the JBL system, and when the hot weather hit us, pushing 112F, our radio display also started acting up. Also we had trouble getting the radio to turn off.

    It continues to misbehave even after the weather has become normal again, so while heat may have or may have not triggered it, the underlying issue is not dependant on heat. I am suspecting a short or electrical issue in the head unit or power to it, and since others are seeing it, it must be a quality or assembly issue at the factory. We are about to take it into Toyota to get it resolved.
  • raviola4raviola4 Member Posts: 52
    I know i've read other problems relating to the JVC stereo. Twice now the display on mine has changed to several blocks across the display with nothing else visible. Unit works, but you can't tell what it's doing. Has anyone else experienced. Called dealer, bring back so we can see. Problem is next time i start it up it probably will be fine (plan to swing by when acting up and leave motor running etc.). Also asked dealer about hesitation problems. No, none reported. Yeah right.
  • hibeamhibeam Member Posts: 9
    Yes, I have had this problem for a month, my dealer finally ordered me a new radio which they are installing friday, I understand from the forum, that when they replace them it's ok, will let you know
  • edmundsdesiedmundsdesi Member Posts: 8
    yes. i took my RAV in, and they found out TODAY that that a 6 point connector was installed backwards. It happened before the vehicle was recieved at the dealorship. Champion Toyota in Austin, Texas is my dealorship, if you need information on this problem.
  • raviola4raviola4 Member Posts: 52
    Surprising if something installed backwards it worked at all. But i'm armed with this latest info when i stop by to discuss with the local dealership service manager tonight. Wonder if they have a new number or whatever, date code, mfg. date, anything that can be referred to when ordering replacement units. They should be asking these questions though, not the customers. But, ya gotta do what ya gotta do anymore. :confuse:
  • raviola4raviola4 Member Posts: 52
    Just browsing thru Consumers Reports. Checking Lexus 07 SUV. And lookie here. Apparently problems continue even in their 07 model. Doesn't give me a warm/fuzzy feeling about to get my 1st replacement 6 disc stereo. Here's text from someone rating their 07 Lexus

    I brought the car in April 06. It is now August 06, and I am already replacing the
    CD player for a second time. After googling this issue, I find that it is endemic
    to Lexus multi-CD players and certain Toyotas, yet Lexus has not done anything to
    address the problem (and the dealer acts surprised when you bring it back with this
    problem). This seems unacceptable in a car with an MSRP over $46K.
  • kusakusa Member Posts: 1
    My Acura TSX 2004 has a problem with the display. There is audio from the radio and CD, but there is no clock, radio or heater dispay. Dealer wants to change the radio, at a ridiculous cost. Does anyone know how to fix this problem. Thank you.
  • dogdog Member Posts: 5
    I had the same problem with my 2006 RAV 4 radio. The dealer said that he could not fix or diagnose it unless he could see what it was doing. I took pictures of it with a digital camera and spoke to the service manager after getting nowhere with the "master service adviser" that I spoke with at first. It took him a couple of days but he then called me and said that he was ordering a new display screen for my car. You have to make a little noise or you might get stuck with it after the warranty is expired.
  • raviola4raviola4 Member Posts: 52
    Surprised when i got your message. August 06 when i got replacement stereo. Anyway, it's been great till past few weeks. A few times while playing fine, screen is blank. If i hit am or fm then back to cd for example, it comes back on. It's happened a couple times now. Car runs great, but this stereo display thing my only complaint with the RAV4. I did have a hesitation glitch but after they performed fix based on TSB, it's fine now. I'll at least call dealership to log complaint on current stereo, blank screen etc. for future reference during next visit.
  • dogdog Member Posts: 5
    My display would intermittently display an H followed by 12 indistinct figures which looked as if all of the characters were attempting to display at one time. After a trip to the dealer in which case it did not display this problem. I called the service manager and insisted that there was a problem and that I wanted it fixed while still in warranty. He finally called his technical support organization and called me and said that he had ordrered a new display for my radio.
  • dogdog Member Posts: 5
    Was your hesitation problem at low speed or higher speed? When slowing down for a turn and then accelerating coming out of the turn I see my RPM go up a little and then feel the car surge forward. It seems to happen between gears 1 & 2 possibly.
  • stevem685stevem685 Member Posts: 4
    My stereo on my Rav has done this twice. Dealer doesn't seem very interested as it hasn't happened in front of them. Service is not Toyota's specialty!
  • raviola4raviola4 Member Posts: 52
    The hesitation was at low speeds, slowing then accelerating for example a red light that turns green. Car whatever went wacko. as though no power. Also in passing, low speeds jumping out to pass....nothing for a second of 2..... scary. But since TCB was performed it's run flawless.
  • raviola4raviola4 Member Posts: 52
    Mine went blank, blinked, and had strange symbols etc. I reported this, screen printed pics from web others had (same symbols i showed), and gave this to dealership. They acted dumb, as they never heard of it. While talking to supervisor one of their mechanics walked in. Overheard us. Said, yeah that problems hapening with alot of these radios. Probably inserted his foot in mouth and got in heat later. Anyway, they ordered a new one. And no problems till just recently. Noticed a couple times playing fine, but screen blank. touched another button cd or fm or whatever and back and it reappeared. So who knows.
  • dogdog Member Posts: 5
    Saw the same problem on Edmund's forum and cornered the dealer about it and they have ordered a new display screen for my car. If dealer is unresponsive, call Toyota International and report it. Do not have the phone number but heard that it does exist.
  • raviola4raviola4 Member Posts: 52
    Mine had this problem a year ago.. same reaction from my dealership until one of the mechanics walked in and confirmed and i too had screen prints etc. They ordered a new one. Except for a couple times in past couple months screen fine. Even when it was wacko it played. The 2 times recently just blank. go from CD to FM or whatever and it magically reappers. JVC f'up. However Toyota should note and change suppliers.
  • drohrerdrohrer Member Posts: 37
    There is a Toyota Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) about radio problems. It was issued January 25th, 2007 and is entitled "Radio Display Malfunction" Its number might be "AU001-07"

    It covers the regular 6-cd radio and the JBL 6-cd radio.

    People have mentioned this to their dealers and gotten replacements.
  • chungcalchungcal Member Posts: 2
    Radio display problems showed up 2 times, once overnight and once for several days. Dealership service saw it and replaced radio (2 visits). Now, a few weeks later, some of the display is gone again. The radio works fine. Do I bother with getting ANOTHER new radio and what's to prevent it from happening AGAIN? Thanks for posting. My annoyance is with Toyota and the car radio manufacturer, not people reporting problems.
  • chungcalchungcal Member Posts: 2
    It's been 3 weeks and all is well.
  • raviola4raviola4 Member Posts: 52
    3rd Time was the charm for me as well. Not sure when you got your Rav, but mine was Feb. 2006. I've had 3rd unit now for over a year thru winter/summer weather etc. and so far so good. My beef is with Toyota only for continuing with same supplier of radio's. Obviously they have/had a problem. And with a 3rd unit for me and now yourself, obviously they didn't get it right the first time, second. yada yada yada.
  • sidious6688sidious6688 Member Posts: 80
    I've had the same lcd distortion problem (2007 RAV4 V^ Sport $ whhel drive, 12k miles). I've had the dealer replace the stereo (d disc chnager non JBL) 3 times to get this right. All replacements developed same problem quickly ecxept for the most recent. Its been good for 5 months or so. Negotiated additional next oil chnage for free for my hassle as well. The casue is dual: 1) sometimes radio has improper installation (2 wires reversed), additionally some radios are defective themselves. Insist on new radios until problem is permanently fixed. I'm a toyota fan, but Toyota should issue a TSB for this one.
  • raviola4raviola4 Member Posts: 52
    Actually there is a TSB on this radio mess. came out at least a year or so ago. I know it helped to have since early on i was at the mercy of this discussion board, and another one which had pictures showing problem display. Service acted as though i was screwed up and not the radio. Don't have #, on RAV4World.com (believe that's correct). They have alot of discussions and also TSB's out there for RAV4. Another one came in handy with early on hesitation problems i was having in my car (4 cyl). 2006 model. But fixed some time ago and it's been fine. Car runs great no complaints currently.
  • carperson1carperson1 Member Posts: 3
    I have a 2006 RAV4 and my radio doesn't always work. It seems to be related to hot weather. In the summer when it starts getting into the 90's the display panel just turns into a bunch of x's and sometimes, none of the buttons work. Have had a few other problems with this model--so won't be buying Toyota again.
  • raviola4raviola4 Member Posts: 52
    Mine's a 2006 Rav4 as well. Had my radio replace twice. 3rd one seems fine no matter the weather (approx. 1.5 years now). Other than that Rav runs great. One problem early on it seemed to search for a gear or when passing or accelerating on merge/from stop etc. lacking any power. A TSB was out on this too and they fixed that problem. That was early on in 2006 so i'm sure if you had it would have been fixed by now. 23 mph local 28-30 on a trip. Can't complain. Actually would like to get a Venza, but, economy in toilet, so not anytime soon.
  • connieannconnieann Member Posts: 2
    Apparently this radio problems continue as my 2011 Rav 4 radio is wigging out mostly in cold weather. The display looks frosted with weird marks and sometimes every station I press just turns the radio off.
  • connieannconnieann Member Posts: 2
    Same thing, 2011 RAV 4 radio malfunctions occasionally in cold weather. dealer states they will not replace until they can re-enact the problem. Great service, just annoy the customer and make them return the car until the problem is re-enacted or they simply give up!
  • pcthikerpcthiker Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2007 LImited Edition Rav4. It recently developed display problems: sometimes no display but radio can be heard. Sometimes display comes on. If I turn the radio off, it's very hard to turn back on. I got lucky one day and was able to turn it on. Since then I've left it on and the radio goes on whenever I start the car. Now it's locked on one FM station. None of the preset buttons work, though I can manually tune it up or down (but I can't see the frequency since the display shows nothing. Volume controls on radio and steering wheel still work. None of the other buttons work. (AM, FM2 etc...) The blue tooth hands free system works and I can answer the phone, but of course since the display is nonexistent, it still is frustrating. So disappointing. Car is almost always in a garage, whether at home or work. I would think a radio should last much longerl Of course warranty has expired by now. My sister-in-law has a 2009 Lexus RX350 and has similar display problems.
  • tdidymastdidymas Member Posts: 1
    Toyota Standard Radio CD Player
    Intermittent control problem
    Symptoms:
    Player erratically turns off when CD is playing
    Sometimes ejects the CD and turns off
    Display goes blank or displays rectangles, or otherwise rendered unreadable
    When buttons are pressed, player turns off and/or radio turns off
    Otherwise, CD player and radio are usable.
    Troubleshooting Tip:
    Player and radio are workable. Only the display and controls are not working properly, which isolates the problem to the connector shown in the picture.
    Root Cause:
    Bad connector design - pins get stuck in the connector and fail to maintain spring-type pressure on opposing receptacle. This is due to long-term warpage of the connector material from temperature and humidity changes which binds the pins.
    Solution:
    Dealers usually replace the radio/CD player under warranty
    DYIers can fix without replacing (if not under warranty)

    Fix on Toyota Corolla (2009-2013):
    1. Remove the radio using instruction here:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxZVOrA5Sxw
    Tip: only dismantle the top portion of the panel. You will have to loosen the lower left side panel strip to get access to the upper left side strip. Then remove left and right side strips, then the upper vent assembly, then the radio.
    2. Remove the front radio panel by loosening the 4 side screws, and releasing locking tabs (picture 1 & 2).
    3. Using a large pin or needle, bend the pins outward on the connector shown, about .05 to .1 inch (not too much, as you don't want the pins to bind on the receptacle, or worse, to bend out of shape and render the connector unusable). You should notice some of the pins binding in the connector; they should be bent far enough to release the stress (picture 3).
    4. Reassemble the front panel to the radio assembly.
    5. Plug in the radio assembly and test prior to assembling the screws and tabbed parts.

    There is no guarantee that this is a permanent fix. The pins could bind again over time as they did at first. The only permanent solution is to buy a different audio set. All these Toyota standard factory CD/radios have the same connector, and they all have a probability of eventually having this issue.



  • scottjrmscottjrm Member Posts: 1
    The radio/Infotainment system in our 2014 Toyota RAV4 suddenly and without warning died. No radio, no navigation system, no phone and voice command, the only thing that works is the backup camera. The dealer says it is an internal failure and is out of warranty and will cost approximately $1100 to replace. Toyota Customer Care said the same thing. A four year old car with only 41K miles to have a catastrophic radio failure is unacceptable, especially considering Toyota's reputation for reliability.

    But the last representative I talked to suggested that anyone having similar problems with Toyota radio systems both call and email so that complaints can be documented and possible reimbursements issued.

    https://www.toyota.com/support/contact-us

    A Google search revealed that problems with Toyota radio systems may be a common problem:

    (https://www.carcomplaints.com/Toyota/RAV4/2014/accessories-interior/stereo_not_working.shtml)


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