NHTSA Complaint #10567246 — 2007 TOYOTA RAV4

AFTER THE CHECK ENGINE, VEHICLE STABILITY CONTROL & 4WD WARNING LIGHTS DISPLAYED ON MY 2007 TOYOTA RAV4 WITH 89,400 MILES, I WENT TO MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSIS OF THE PROBLEM. UPON INSPECTION AND TESTING, THEIR SERVICE ADVISOR STATED, "THE EMISSIONS SYSTEM HAS MALFUNCTIONED SINCE WATER HAS LEAKED INTO THE EMISSION SYSTEM & ITS CHARCOAL CANISTER". THE SOURCE OF THE WATER OCCURRED SINCE THE FUEL FILLER TUBE HOUSING NO LONGER WAS PROPERLY ATTACHED/SECURED TO THE VEHICLE. THIS ALLOWED RWATER COMING DOWN THE SIDE OF THE VEHICLE TO ENTER THROUGH THE FUEL FILLER DOOR BY THE FUEL CAP INTO THE CHARCOAL CANISTER. TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM, THE FUEL FILLER ASSEMBLY ALONG WITH GASKETS, SOME ELECTRONIC AND THE CHARCOAL CANISTER REQUIRED REPLACEMENT FOR THE EMISSION SYSTEM TO PROPERLY FUNCTION AND TO BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH EPA STANDARDS. THE TOTAL COST OF THE REPAIR $1,400 WHICH TOYOTA WOULD NOT COVER SINCE IT WAS NOT UNDER RECALL, NOR WOULD THEY CONSIDER PAYING UNDER MY EXTENDED 6 YR 100,000 MILE WARRANTY SINCE THAT EXPIRED JULY 5, 2013. I FIND IT INCREDIBLE THAT TOYOTA WOULD NOT PAY FOR THESE REPAIRS SINCE THEY INVOLVE EMISSIONS AS WELL AS A SAFETY ISSUES. BASED ON MY REVIEW OF VARIOUS BLOGS COVERING RAV4'S, THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND TOYOTA ADMITS NO FAULT. AS WITH ALL ISSUES WITH TOYOTA THEY DENY THEY HAVE DESIGN/SAFETY ISSUES WITH ANY OF THEIR VEHICLES - SUDDEN ACCELERATION, STEERING SUSPENSION & BRAKING. IT TOOK ME REPEATED SERVICE VISITS TO GET THEM TO REPLACE THE FRONT STEERING RACK UNDER MY EXTENDED WARRANTY. I FEEL MY FUEL FILLER ASSEMBLY AND CHARCOAL CANISTER REPAIR IS A SAFETY ISSUE SINCE GASOLINE COULD EASILY LEAK OUT DOWN THE TUBE ON GASOLINE OVERFILL AND CAUSE A FIRE IF IT REACHED THE EXHAUST SYSTEM. 20 YRS AGO I HAD A SIMILAR ISSUE WITH A HONDA WHICH WAS REPAIRED UNDER A RECALL AT NO CHARGE. YOUR ASSISTANCE IS GREATLY APPRECIATED. THANK YOU