NHTSA Complaint #10992166 — 2012 TOYOTA RAV4

2013 TOYOTA RAV4 W/ 40K MILES HAD THIRD ACTUATOR POWER DOOR LATCH FAIL ON A THIRD DOOR IN 5 MONTHS. LOOKING AT OTHER RECENT COMPLAINTS, OF A SIMILAR NATURE, THIS MAY INDEED BE THE RESULT OF A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. PLEASE CONSIDER ISSUING A RECALL. MOST RECENT FAILURE IS THE DOOR MY 2 YEAR OLD USES, I WOULD HATE TO THINK OF AN EMERGENCY WHERE I COULDN'T GET HER OUT OF THE CAR BECAUSE IT WAS LOCKED. WHEN THE FIRST DOOR, DRIVER, WENT OUT (DEC 2016), I HAD IT FIXED AT MY MECHANIC THINKING IT WAS A FLUKE. WHEN THE SECOND DOOR, PASSENGER, WENT OUT MAR 2017, I CONTACTED TOYOTA & WAS TOLD TO GET THE PROBLEM CONFIRMED BY THE DEALERSHIP, WHICH I DID. THEY OFFERED ME A GOODWILL PYMT FOR THE SECOND DOOR ONLY, NOT THE FIRST, DESPITE HOW RECENTLY THE FIRST DOOR FAILED. IN MAY 2017 THE THIRD DOOR, BACK DRIVER, IS NOW FAILING & THE TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE REP SAID THEY "ARE DECLINING TO OFFER ME ANY ASSISTANCE IN FIXING THIS ACTUATOR OR ANY FUTURE ACTUATOR LOCKS BECAUSE THEY GO OUT LIKE LIGHTBULBS EVERY 4 YEARS." I CANNOT BELIEVE TOYOTA KNOWINGLY MANUFACTURES VEHICLES W/ A PART THAT IT 'EXPECTS' TO FAIL EVERY 4 YEARS, LEAVING THEIR CUSTOMERS WITH A $2500 BILL THAT FREQUENTLY. WE ESCALATED THIS FROM THE INITIAL "CUST SERVICE" REP, ALEX S., TO HIS SUPERVISOR, ASHLEY, AND THEY BOTH SAID THEY ARE CHOOSING NOT TO HELP US ANY FURTHER WITH THIS PROBLEM ON DOOR NUMBER 3 (OR 1) OR DOORS 4 AND 5 WHEN THEY INEVITABLY GO OUT AS WELL. MY HUSBAND ALSO OWNS A 2013 RAV4, SO WE ARE BEING TOLD TO EXPECT TO PAY $5000 EVERY 4 YEARS IF WE WANT OUR DOORS TO LOCK. WE HAVE PURCHASED TOYOTAS BASED ON THEIR REPUTATION OF QUALITY AND I AM BAFFLED TOYOTA IS KNOWINGLY STICKING THEIR CUSTOMERS WITH EXPENSIVE PARTS THAT FAIL WITH THIS FREQUENCY. IT IS ALSO WORTH NOTING, MY CAR ISN'T EVEN 4 YEARS OLD YET AND WAS JUST OVER 3 YEARS OLD WHEN THE I EXPERIENCED THE FIRST FAILURE DEC 2016.