2006 TOYOTA RAV4 Visibility Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW WAS ACTIVATED, BUT FAILED TO FUNCTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 16V096000 (SEAT BELTS), 15V689000 (VISIBILITY), 13V383000 (SUSPENSION), AND 11V113000 (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL). THE PARTS NEEDED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 73,000. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

THE SUN VISOR DRIVER SIDE DOES NOT HOLD ITSELF UP IN POSITION. THE VISOR DROPS DOWN WHEN PUT UP OR CAN BE SET ON A SIDE OR CAN BE SET FULL FORWARD CLOSER TO THE FRONT GLASS, BUT IT CAN EASILY MOVE. THE SUN VISOR WEIGHT IS TO HEAVY FOR THE DESIGN AND MAKING IT FAULTY. A TOYOTA DEALER EMPLOYEE MENTION IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM ON "ALL RAV 4" OF THE SAME MODEL. THE INCIDENT HAPPEN DRIVING UP A HILL WITH THE VISOR FULL FORWARD AS TO COVER ONESELF FROM THE DIRECT SUN. UPON FALLING IN AN UNSEEN STREET HOLD THE VISOR DROPPED DOWN, AT THE SAME TIME ANOTHER CAR WAS COMING AND DUE TO THE POSITION UPHILL OF THE CAR AND THE VISOR DROPPING SUDDENLY IT ALMOST CAUSED A DIRECT FRONTAL COLLISION. THE VISOR MUST BE CHANGE AS IT INHIBITS PROPER FRONTAL VISION AND FUNCTION. *TR UPDATED 2/19/2016*JS

DRIVER VISOR UNEXPECTEDLY FELL DOWN INTO DRIVERS VIEW WHILE DRIVING DOWN FREEWAY. IT COULD NOT BE MOVED TO THE SIDE TO STAY OUT THE WAY EITHER AS IT SEEMS TO HAVE JUST STRIPPED OUT.IT HAD TO BE REMOVED COMPLETELY IN ORDER TO SEE OUT WINDSHIELD PROPERLY. THE SAME THING OCCURRED ON THE PASSENGER SIDE ABOUT 2 WEEKS LATER. THIS CREATES A DRIVING HAZARD BOTH BY THE UNEXPECTED DROPPING OF THE VISOR CREATING A VIEWING OBSTRUCTION AND BY NOT USING THE VISOR ALSO BECAUSE OF GLARE FROM THE SUN. TOYOTA RECALLED THE EXACT SAME VISORS THEY USE ON THE CAMRY MODEL BUT WON'T ISSUE A RECALL FOR THE RAV4 MODELS UTILIZING THE SAME VISOR! *JS

MY DRIVER SIDE VISOR WILL NOT STAY UP, AND DROPS DOWN IN FRONT OF MY FACE, BLOCKING MY FIELD OF VISION. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD. I LIVE IN PORTLAND, OREGON AND WE HAVE MUCH MORE GRAY INSTEAD OF SUN, SO MY VISOR DOESN'T GET USED THAT MUCH THROUGH THE YEAR. I SEARCHED ON WWW.RAV4WORLD.COM FORUMS, AND SEE THAT IT IS A FREQUENT PROBLEM WITH OTHER RAV4 OWNERS, SOME STARTING AT 15,000 MILES. I UNDERSTAND THAT TOYOTA HAS REDESIGNED THE PART AS A REPLACEMENT, BUT TOYOTA WANTS TO CHARGE $70 FOR THE REPLACEMENT VISOR + INSTALLATION. IT IS A DESIGN DEFECT, AND A SAFETY HAZARD THAT COULD EASILY CAUSE A REAR END COLLISION. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON ALL OF THE ORIGINAL PARTS. *TR

WHILE DRIVING THE SUN VISOR ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE SUDDENLY FELL IN FRONT OF MY FACE AND HIT MY NOSE. I COULD NOT SEE AND ALMOST VEERED INTO A DITCH. MY NOSE WAS BRUISED AND SWOLLEN FOR 3 WEEKS. THE VISOR HAS CONTINUED TO BE A TROUBLESOME ISSUE AS IT CONTINUES TO FALL RANDOMLY CAUSING THE DRIVER TO BE BLINDED BY IT OR STRUCK BY IT. I HAVE TRIED USING VELCRO TO HOLD THE VISOR IN IT'S PLACE BUT TO NO AVAIL AND HAVE TRIED CORRECTING THE MISTAKE BUT HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO "FIX" IT. THE VISOR HAS FALLEN WHILE DRIVING MANY TIMES CAUSING THE DRIVER TO SWERVE. TOYOTA WILL NOT RECALL BUT OFFERED TO CORRECT IF I WOULD PAY THEM $175.00! THERE HAVE BEEN MANY, MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE AS SEEN AT THIS SITE: HTTP://WWW.RAV4WORLD.COM/FORUMS/98-4-3-INTERIOR/104489-DRIVER-SIDE-SUN-VISOR-INSTALLATION.HTML. PLEASE HELP AS THIS ISSUE COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT AND I DO...

DRIVER'S SIDE SUN VISOR WILL NOT STAY IN PLACE. THE VISOR FREQUENTLY AND WITHOUT WARNING ABRUPTLY DROPS TO A STRAIGHT-DOWN POSITION. IN THIS POSITION IT IMPAIRS FORWARD VISIBILITY, AND FOR TALL DRIVERS IT CAN BLOCK THE VIEW OF THE ROAD COMPLETELY, IF YOU HAVE TO BRAKE SUDDENLY IT CAN HIT YOU IN THE HEAD. *TR

PASSENGER SUNVISOR WILL NOT STAY IN UP LOCKED POSITION. FALLS DOWN AND MY WIFE HAS HIT HER HEAD GETTING IN RAV. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL BY TOYOTA AS MANY ARE HAVING THIS DEFECTIVE PROBLEM. *TR

VISOR ON DRIVER'S SIDE FALLS DOWN AND BLOCKS VIEW OF THE ROAD. WILL NOT RETRACT TO IT'S STOWED AWAY POSITION. *JS

THE DRIVERS SIDE SUN VISOR WILL NOT STAY UP AND THIS CREATES A PROBLEM WHILE DRIVING TO THE EXTENT WHERE IT IS A VISIBILITY HAZARD. APPARENTLY TOYOTA HAD A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH THE SUN VISOR ON THIS YEAR MODEL BUT REFUSED TO DO A RECALL ON THE MATTER. WHEN I TRIED TO PURCHASE ANOTHER SUN VISOR FOR THE VEHICLE I FOUND THAT YOU CAN ONLY PURCHASE IT THROUGH A TOYOTA DEALER AND THE PRICE IS $250.00. APPARENTLY TOYOTA IS TAKING ADVANTAGE OF CUSTOMERS BECAUSE THEY KNOW THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE SUN VISOR AND REFUSED TO FIX THE PROBLEM. NOW THEY ARE CHARGING A RIDICULOUS PRICE FOR THE REPLACEMENT PART BECAUSE THEY KNOW HOW MANY ARE BAD. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT THIS BUT NO ONE SEEMS TO CARE. I GUESS WHEN PEOPLE START GETTING KILLED BECAUSE OF THE SAFETY HAZARD, THEN MAYBE SOMEONE WILL THEN DECIDE TO...

I OWN A 2006 TOYOTA RAV4. SEVERAL MONTHS AGO, THE DRIVER SIDE SUN VISOR BEGAN SAGGING. AT FIRST, I WAS ABLE TO POUND IT IN THE "UP" POSITION WITH MY FIST. BUT OVER TIME, THAT STOPPED WORKING. IT IS A GREAT OBSTRUCTION TO VISIBILITY. *TR

I HAVE A TOYOTA '06 RAV 4 AND THE SUNVISOR ON DRIVER SIDE KEEPS FALLING; YOU HIT YOUR HEAD EACH TIME YOU ENTER THE VEHICLE; ALSO, IT IS DANGEROUSLY OBSTRUCTING YOUR VIEW WHEN YOU DRIVE BECAUSE IT KEEPS FALLING. *TR

SUN VISOR WILL NOT STAY IN UP POSITION LEADING TO A SAFETY HAZARD OBSCURING DRIVERS SIGHT AND A COLLISION HAZARD. *TR

REAR WINDOW JUST SHATTERS. IT HAS HAPPENED TWICE WITHIN A PERIOD OF LESS THAN ONE YEAR. THE CAR WAS PARKED AND UNOCCUPIED ON BOTH OCCASIONS. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO CORRECT THE ISSUE OTHER THAN A REPLACEMENT OF THE WINDOW. TOYOTA SAYS THERE IS NOTHING WRONG BUT I'VE SEEN SEVERAL FORUMS ON THE WEB WITH POSTS FROM PEOPLE WITH THE EXACT SAME ISSUE. *TR

I OWN A 2006 TOYOTA RAV4. THE SUN VISOR ON THE DRIVERS SIDE WILL NOT STAY UP AND IS A TRUE HAZARD WHILE DRIVING. IT BLOCKS MY VISION SUDDENLY BECAUSE IT DROOPS DOWN INTO MY EYE LINE. TOYOTA DEALERSHIP WANTS $285 TO REPLACE? *TR

ON FREEWAY, OTHER MOTORIST NOTIFIED ME MY CAR WAS "ON FIRE!" I SAW EXCESSIVE SMOKE IN REARVIEW MIRROR. I TOOK THE NEXT EXIT WHICH WAS DIXON, CA OFF INTERSTATE 80 WEST IN CALIFORNIA. THE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY THERE IS GRASSY, DID NOT THINK IT WAS SAFE TO STOP...I STOPPED THE CAR AND SMOKE WAS EVERYWHERE, COMING UP THROUGH THE HOOD & UNDER THE CAR. THIS WAS TUES, 2/3/09. I HAS THE CAR SERVICED THE FRI BEFORE, 1/30/09 AT TOYOTA VALLEJO IN VALLEJO, CA. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AFTER CALLING AAA FOR A TOW. THE SERVICE ADVISOR, RYAN SAID "IT COULDN'T HAVE BEEN FROM ANYTHING THEY HAD DONE. BUT THERE IS AN 'OIL HOSE' THAT HAD BEEN COMING OFF ALOT OF THE RAV4'S." I WAS ALREADY UPSET & THAT MADE ME LIVID!! IF IT WERE A KNOWN PROBLEM THE DEALERSHIP SHOULD HAVE CHECKED DURING THE SCHEDULED MAINT. MY CAR WAS...

WATER SEAMS TO GATHER ON THE FRONT PASSENGER FLOOR MAT. I WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP CLOSEST TO ME AND THEY TOLD ME THERE WAS A LEAK FROM THE WINDSHIELD AREA AND TECHNICIAN NEEDS TO ASSES THE SITUATION BUT SINCE I HAD 37,000 MILES ON THE CAR IT WOULD NOT BE COVERED. THE WATER GATHERS ONLY WHEN IT RAINS. MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS THAT IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN CONDENSATION FROM THE AC BUT THAT IS NOT THE CASE. THIS IS RAIN WATER ENTERING THE CABIN. 2006 RAV4. *TR