NHTSA Complaint #11674519 — 2019 TOYOTA RAV4

I am submitting this complaint regarding a recurring issue in the coolant bypass valve of my 2019 Toyota RAV4 XLE Premium. Although there was no check engine light, the vehicle displayed a persistent warning: “Engine Maintenance Required – Visit Dealership.” This message repeatedly appears on the instrument cluster and blocks critical driving information, including the speedometer, fuel economy, and other key displays. Even when the driver manually cancels the message, it returns within minutes. This creates a constant distraction and obstructs visibility, which poses a safety risk during driving. I took the vehicle to the dealership, where they diagnosed the issue as an internal short circuit in the coolant bypass valve and retrieved diagnostic trouble code P268115. This code relates to a malfunction in the valve’s electrical control system, which affects the engine’s ability to regulate temperature effectively. Toyota currently offers a Customer Support Program (CSP) for the coolant bypass valve, but only if the valve is leaking coolant. However, my vehicle's failure was due to an electrical defect, and Toyota does not cover this under the same program. This creates an unfair burden on owners and fails to address the full scope of the issue, even though the results—loss of proper cooling function—are the same. Many RAV4 owners have reported similar problems online, but no recall or technical service bulletin has been issued for this kind of failure. I believe this defect raises genuine safety concerns, including: Driver distraction due to persistent warning messages Obstruction of critical dashboard information Potential for engine overheating or reduced performance I respectfully request that NHTSA investigate this issue as a potential safety-related defect and determine whether Toyota should be required to expand support or issue a recall for this component, regardless of whether the failure is due to coolant leakage or internal electrical malfunction.