NHTSA Complaint #11325390 — 2017 TOYOTA RAV4

WATER PUMP LEAK I BELIEVE STARTED AROUND 21,000 MILES.ALONG WITH THE REPLACEMENT OF FRONT BRAKE PADS I COMPLAINED OF RIGHT FRONT SIDE OF CAR WITH SQUEALING NOISE POSSIBLE DRIVE BELT OR DIRTY ROTOR. AT ONE POINT BOTH FRONT ROTORS SLIGHTLY WARM TO TOUCH AFTER 45 MIN CITY DRIVE HOME, ANOTHER TIME RIGHT ROTOR HOT AND LEFT SLIGHTLY WARM. THEY REPLACED FRONT BRAKE PADS NOT CHECKING CALIPERS OR HOSE AND JUST PUT ON BRAKE PADS AND SAID RIGHT TIRE WORN AND REPLACED BOTH AND SAID IT WILL SOLVE THE PROBLEM. AFTER A FEW DAYS TOYOTA REP AND TOLD HIM THE SAID INTERMITTENT SQUEALING SOMEWHAT GRIND NOISE WAS BACK. NOT TAKEN SERIOUSLY I REPORTED TO CORPORATE AND WENT TO ANOTHER DEALER TO DO DIAGNOSTIC CHECKING CALIPERS AND FOUND NOTHING. AROUND 50,000 MILES I FOUND POWDER NEXT TO DRIVE BELT. THEY DISCOVERED IT WAS A LEAKING WATER PUMP AND REPLACED MY PUMP AND DRIVE BELT. 41/2 MONTHS LATER THE CAR HAD SAME SQUEALING NOW RUBBER SOUND ADDED, STEERING STIFFER AND HISSING SOUND CAME FROM FRONT OF ENGINE AT LIGHT. TOOK IN AND COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG IN ENTIRE DAY 8 HRS. I DROVE AWAY AND BY THIRD LIGHT SQUEALING FOR 25 MINS AND NEIGHBORS HEARD ME COMING,ONE COUPLE REPORTED LOUD AT FRONT RIGHT TIRE. I REPORTED THAT IMMEDIATELY TO [XXX] AT PRECISION THAT MY CAR WAS WORSE AND TURNING STEERING WHEEL RIGHT AND LEFT IS NOW HAPPENING AS NEIGHBOR REPORTED BUT NO RETURN CALL. THIS CAR SOUND TYPICALLY HAPPENS AT BRAKING AT LIGHT AND HITTING GAS AT LIGHT ON CITY STREETS DRIVE AT 40-50 MILES PER HR.BUT USUALLY AT LIGHTS CAN HEAR. CALLED [XXX] AFTER LEFT SHOP CAR RIGHT AND LEFT TURNS SQUEAK WHEN TURNING STEERING WHEEL ONLY ONE DAY DID I HEAR TWO DIFFERENT SOUNDS WHIRRING NOISE AND HISSING SOUND 3 DAYS APART AT LIGHT STOPPED 3 WEEKS MY CAR, JUMPED FORWARD AT A STOP I'VE HAD IT ALIGNED NEW TIRES & STILL INTERMITTENT NOISE NOW WORSE DEC 2019 CHANGED WATER PUMP AND DRIVE BELT /SPRAYED ENGINE DOWN. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR