NHTSA Complaint #11602659 — 2020 TOYOTA RAV4

We replaced the original battery on May 27, 2024. A few weeks later, on June 15, 2024, an "Engine Maintenance Required" message appeared on the display screen. A local mechanic diagnosed the code and stated that the oil level was low so we added one quarter of motor oil. We also called the dealership, which stated that this code generally indicates a coolant bypass valve malfunction. We topped off the coolant fluid but the "Engine Maintenance Required" message still appeared (we were not able to clear it). A few days later, we took the vehicle to another mechanic, who informed us that the coolant bypass valve was broken and needed to be replaced. Given the 95-degree temperatures, we felt that we had no choice but to replace the broken valve because we did not want the engine to overheat. So we paid $570.28 for the mechanic to replace the coolant bypass hose and valve. The mechanic stated that this issue should not occur in any vehicle with only 38,000 miles, which means the valve was likely defective to begin with. It is suspicious that this issue occurred about two weeks after we replaced the battery and about 2,000 miles after we surpassed the factory warranty. Please investigate!