NHTSA Complaint #10928126 — 2016 TOYOTA RAV4

THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED ON 8/30/16 AND INVOLVED A SUDDEN TOTAL AND UNEXPECTED LOSS OF POWER IN TRAFFIC AT INTERSTATE SPEEDS. VEHICLE INVOLVED WAS A SIX MONTH OLD 2016 TOYOTA RAV4 WITH 5300 MILES. INCIDENT OCCURRED IN SOUTHBOUND LANES OF I-65 BETWEEN LAFAYETTE AND LEBANON, IN. WHILE MOVING AT 60 MPH IN A VERY HEAVY RAINSTORM. FORTUNATELY, I WAS IN THE RIGHT HAND LANE AND WAS ABLE TO COAST TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD WITHOUT BEING STRUCK BY FOLLOWING TRAFFIC AND HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A TOYOTA DEALER IN AVON, IN. AFTER EXAMINING MY VEHICLE THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS WATER IN MY ENGINE WHICH WAS NOT COVERED BY MY WARRANTY. THEY ALSO TOLD ME THAT I HAD BEEN DRIVING THROUGH DEEP STANDING WATER. WHEN TOLD THAT I WAS DRIVING ON INTERSTATE, THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT THEN IT WAS "AN ACT OF GOD" AND STILL WAS NOT COVERED. SINCE DEALING WITH REPLACEMENT OF THE ENGINE, AT A COST OF $10,000, I HAVE HAD THE CAR EXAMINED BY A MECHANICAL ENGINEER WHO IS OF THE OPINION THAT THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED DUE TO THE RE-DESIGN OF THE AIR INDUCTION SYSTEM. AIR IS INDUCTED AT LEFT FRONT WHEEL AND, WITH HEAVY RAIN, WATER SPLASHING OFF ROAD IS FORCED THRU AIR FILTER. WATER SHOULD NOT REACH THE AIR FILTER BUT, SINCE THIS IS THE ONLY AVENUE FOR ENTRANCE TO THE ENGINE WITHOUT SUBMERSION, IT OBVIOUSLY DID. ONCE FILTER IS SATURATED THERE ARE NO BAFFLES OR SWALES TO PREVENT WATER FROM RUNNING DIRECTLY INTO THE INTAKE OF THE ENGINE. TOYOTA ACCEPTS NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS INCIDENT EITHER FINANCIALLY OR FOR SAFETY CONCERNS. THEY DO NOT BELIEVE THAT I WAS JUST DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE. I HAVE A DISTINCT ADVANTAGE IN THAT IKNOW THAT THIS IS TRUE. I FEEL EXTREMELY FORTUNATE TO HAVE AVOIDED A CRASH AT THIS SPEED AND IN THESE CONDITIONS. I HOPE THAT TOYOTA DOES NOT WAIT UNTIL WE HAVE SERIOUS INJURY OR LOSS OF LIFE TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND CORRECT THIS DESIGN FLAW. *TR