NHTSA Complaint #10838035 — 2011 TOYOTA RAV4

WHILE DRIVING 55-60 ON A HIGHWAY, MY ANTI-SKID WARNING LIGHT CAME ON, THE 4WHEEL DRIVE LIGHT A HALF HOUR LATER, FOLLOWED BY THE ENGINE LIGHT APRX 1 HR LATER. THE FOLLOWING MORNING, WHILE DRIVING, THE CRUISE CONTROL WENT OUT ON ME, THE CAR UNEXPECTEDLY SLOWED AND I NOTICED THE CRUISE LIGHT FLASHING ON AND OFF. THE REMOTE START DID NOT WORK ON DAY #3, AS I TRAVELED TO HAVE THE CAR REPAIRED AT SERRA TOYOTA, TRAVERSE CITY, MI. THE SERVICE TECH TOLD ME THAT "THE MECHANIC LITERALLY POURED WATER OUT OF THE EVAP CANISTER, WE HAVE SEEN OTHER RAV'S W THIS PROBLEM AND WE HAVE A BULLETIN ON IT, SO TOYOTA IS AWARE. THE CANISTER IS FAULTY, WHICH ALLOWED ROAD WATER, (VERY WET, SLUSHY ROADS AT TIME), TO GET IN AND DAMAGE THE WIRING." THE SERVICE TECH ALSO TOLD ME THAT THE NEW CANISTER/HOSE REPLACEMENT SYSTEM ADDRESSES THIS ISSUE. I EMAILED TOYOTA JAPAN, THEY HAD "HENRY KERRY OF TOYOTA EXECUTIVE HEADQUARTERS, TORRENCE, CALIF CALL ME. MR. KERRY STATED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS RELATED TO OVERFILLING THE GAS TANK. I TOLD HIM THAT THE TECH SAID "(THEY) LITERALLY POURED WATER OUT AND THEY HAD SEEN THIS PROBLEM PREVIOUSLY." MR. KERRY ADVISED THAT "I SHOULD HAVE TALKED TO THE SERVICE MANAGER TO GET THE FACTUAL INFO." BOTTOM LINE: I FEEL THAT I SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED THAT ELECTRICAL FAILURE COULD OCCUR, DUE TO CANISTER/HOSE FAILURE AND THAT A NEW PART HAD BEEN DEVELOPED WHICH, ONCE INSTALLED, WOULD PREVENT (ROAD) WATER FROM SHORTING OUT THE WIRING. (THE WORK ORDER RECEIPT STATES: ("WATER INTRUSION INTO EVAP SYSTEM") THANKS MUCH,[XXX] 'INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).' *BF