NHTSA Complaint #11209342 — 2018 TOYOTA RAV4

THE LINE DEPARTURE ALERT / STEERING ASSIST BUZZER IS NOT WORKING OR NOT LOUD ENOUGH TO BE HEARD. OCCASIONALLY WHEN DRIVING FOR HOURS ON FREEWAYS I MAY GET DROWSY, SO I BOUGHT THE NEW RAV4 AND SPECIFICALLY CHOSE A MODEL WITH LDA/SA HOPING THAT IT ASSISTS ME. AFTER DRIVING OVER 1000 MILES BETWEEN THE CITIES, I AM COMPLETELY DISAPPOINTED WITH THIS FEATURE. IT SUPPOSED TO ALERT ME WHEN THE CAR DRIVES OVER THE LINES WITH A BUZZER AND GENTLE NUDGE TO THE STEERING WHEEL. I CANNOT HEAR THE BUZZER AND FEEL ANY ACTION ON THE STEERING WHEEL. I WENT TO THE CULVER CITY TOYOTA DEALER TWO TIMES IN ATTEMPTING TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM FIXED. BOTH TIMES I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THE SYSTEM WORKS AS DESIGNED. DURING A TEST DRIVE WITH THE MASTER TECHNICIAN, WITH RADIO OFF, AT SPEED LESS 50MPH, SO WITH THE MINIMAL ROAD NOISE, I COULD NOT HEAR THE BUZZER. I DO CLEARLY HEAR THE BUZZER OF THE PARKING SONAR OR PRE-COLLISION WARNING. SO THIS IS AT BEST USELESS FEATURE, AT WORST IT IS A DISTRACTION WHEN TRYING TO MAKE IT WORK AT A HIGHWAY.