RAV4 2020 battery dead after not driven 2 weeks cause?
406 Answers
Same thing happened to us, and have NEVER experienced such a thing with any other vehicle we’ve owned in the past 50;years. Plus, it happened again today and had only sat undriven for 3 days. Bad performance for a car owned for just 2 months.
Shouldn’t be, but the same thing happened to us after owning it only one week. And we’ve never experienced anything like after 50 years of driving various vehicles. Plus, now two months in with our 2020 RAV4 hybridit has done it again - this time after only 3 days without having been driven. Either a bad electrical system, or Toyota’s just making lemons instead of lemonade.
Just happened to me brand new car not driven for 2 days.
Just had to have mine jumped this weekend - did not leave lights on or doors open . The toyota roadside assistance contractor said he has had to jump 20+ 2020 rav hybrids in the last 2 months....something is up with it. intend to take in to toyota.
Money has done the same thing three times now The latest left it dead, doors locked no lights or indicators at all Measured jump start terminal and it was 12 4v which is ok for charged battery. Unplugged the large red wire going into the fuse box. Reconnected it and voila the car came back. Dealer has found no faults. Hopefully this tidbit gets to toyota so then can figure out what goong on I checked for prius or corolla issues bit found none On another note. Tje jump start terminal.is one sided so if you jumper cable doesnt connect to both jaws of the positive make sure the jaw the wire is clamped to faces the shiny terminal side of the jump start post. Good luck Jim Brooks Ourbackporch@gmail.com
Same here! Sat for 8 days in warm climate. Took it to Toyota they said battery was ok. Mentioned amount of electronics causes battery to use more power even when not running. I still think there is an issue. Possibly remote connect?
Same here it is not something that is standard. We have owned other hybrids there is definitely a problem with this car don’t listen to people who think it’s normal to let a car sit for two weeks and the battery goes dead that is complete BS. This car will be dead after five days of sitting in the driveway. If they don’t fix this they’re going to have to buy it back this is a POS. Anyone who has to fly out of in the airport for a few days will not be able to get home when they return to their originating destinations without a jump. Toyota has some major problems! I hear a recall coming!
They are just blowing smoke up your ass because they don’t have an answer from corporate yet I’ve been driving for over 30 years I have old cars that will start after weeks of setting. Don’t take no for an answer Toyota has a major problem and the service managers are of no help. Just call corporate and get the ball rolling with them.
Mine just did the same thing. 2020 Rav4 xle. Not hybrid. Left it sitting a day and it was dead this morning. Called Toyota and someone came and jumped it. Took it to the dealership. They said nothing is wrong???
I have a 2020 Rav4 hybrid and it did exactly the same thing. After just a couple of days the battery was completely dead and I had to call someone to start the car. The same thing happened a few weeks later. Both times the dealer tried to blame me for the problem.
Same here, new RAV4 2020 and battery dead after 2 days. This is not normal for a car under 4000 miles.
Moonbeaminms answered 4 years ago
Ok ,so we are not the only ones with this issue, second time with dead battery, first time Dealer replaced battery and it dead in less than a week again
There are two things happening. 1, the battery is being drained and 2 the car won't start. I measured my battery when car wouldnt start. Voltage was 12.4v not full but not empty. The car was dead. Disconnected and reconnected battery and car started. NO charge or boost required. A few days later I measured battery at 12.07 v much lower state of charge. Car woke up and started without a problem. Now Hondo we get action from Toyota as the dealersndont seem interested in fixing this.
Mine lasted a couple weeks. Now battery dead again second time. Going to different dealership tomorrow. Last one said nothing wrong. I’ve been driving the car more often. It sat for one day and second day it was dead. Sound like this time they may replace battery. If it doesn’t work this time I’m going to ask for a new battery each time. Maybe they will look for a solution? I’ll let you know what happens tomorrow. If anyone has found the issuer please let us know.
most of you guys have hybrids right ? Im about to purchase mine tommorow so immthingking to get the xle now not the hybrids .
Went to dealer. Got a new battery. I’ll let you know if it lasts or if it dies quickly again so far so good.
I don’t have a hybrid. Toyota RAV 4 AWD gas engine.
2020LE HV 7000 miles, four months old. Dead 12v battery about 20 hours since last driven.
2017 RAV 4, battery went dead a few months ago. Brought it to dealer. Said the system testing software had a glitch. Put a new battery in. Battery dead again yesterday!! Brought to dealer. Wait and see!!
2020 RAV4, 3 months old, 2500 miles. Battery went dead in garage after sitting only 2 days. ToyoCare came out to jump it. He said don't turn it off without running it around with the engine on. When the engine is not running, the belts aren't turning and the battery is not charging. This is the car battery, not the hybrid battery. Toyota definitely has a problem and needs to find a solution.
2020 RAV4 hybrid here, four months old, 1100 miles. Totally dead today after sitting a couple of days. I called ToyotaCare after my jumping it failed. They were able to jump it and suggested running or driving it for half an hour to make sure the battery was charged. This was the first time we had this problem. We had a 2007 Camry hybrid for 13 years that NEVER had this problem! What is going on, Toyota???This is not acceptable, since it sounds like we're apt to continue having this problem.
Have a Brand New Rav4 2020 Hybrid Cruiser approx 6 wks and the battery was flat. They blamed the Dash cam because it was still drawing power whilst under 12 v/,,,, Fine I had cam taken out and 4 days later the same thing flat battery,, After lots of testing they found a faulty cell in the battery. Oh but we are not refunding you $147 for the previous diagnostic test because we think the cam caused it. Meanwhile i have order a new cam from them to protect myself in case they say anything about cam causing it again. I took them for their word the cam caused the issue. Seems Batteries are a Problem for hybrids
I hope Toyota figures this out and does a recall. Meanwhile, I just bought a jump starter pack. They are amazingly compact, and inexpensive. Now I can be assured that I won't be stranded somewhere inconvenient.
2020 hybrid xle 1,225 miles... sat idle in the driveway for 3 days and woke up to a dead battery. This would appear to be an issue with these models since I found this thread quickly. Toyota needs to figure it out and issue a recall to fix it.
My 2020 RAV4 XLE, 3 months old with 1,715 miles on it, sat for 4 days: battery dead. Had it jumped. (My 2008 RAV4 Limited with a 3 year old battery could sit easily over a week with no issues, my friend’s 2013 Lexus GS350 has sat for two weeks, no battery issues.) Toyota Care was super stumped when I called for help and could hear the faint chirping from the alarm. Took it to my dealer today for a battery test, battery came back in perfect condition. Service guy said he’s seen several 2018 & 2019 RAV4s come in with dead batteries after just a few days but I was their first 2020. And he said they wouldn’t be able to diagnose the issue because without a warning light there isn’t a code for the vehicle to report. Thinks is a manufacturer defect. I mean if this is all I’ll have to deal with then fine, but if I go anywhere and park my car for a week now I’ll know I need a jump when I get back. Might as well invest in jumper cables. For a brand new car. *sigh*
2020 Toyota Rav 4 Hybrid XSE, 2 months old, 1500 km driven only. Left in driveway or 36 hours. Completely dead. Makes no sense to me that a huge company like Toyota can let something like this happen without issuing a recall or a notice or something. I have the Toyota app that alerts me if I leave a window slightly open. Got no alerts the entire weekend, and the app is actually reading everything as normal.
I own a 2020 RAV4 TRD with 7,000 miles and the car wouldn't start after letting the car sit for no longer than 3 days on 3 different occasions. One time I was stranded at the airport waiting for a jump start. The dealership told me the battery terminal wires were loose and that was the reason. I got the car back and it happened again while I was on vacation and now they are saying they can't replicate the problem because the battery is perfectly fine. I'm about ready for them to take this car back and give me one that works. I shouldn't have to worry about being stranded with my family.
I have a Dec 2019 RAV 4 Hybrid only just 5 months old and Battery gone completely dead twice. Had to get it towed the first time as jump start by RACV would not work. Can't take handbrake off as electric so had to slide it up the tow truck. Was advised it was the Dash Cam toyota installed settings were incorrect but then happened again a week and a half later but was able to jumpstart. Had been on a long 1.5 hour drive the day before. Something is not right. It's at Toyota trying to work it out as apparently the battery is fine. So unimpressed.
People with this issue on the RAV4 forums have discovered that turning off the electronic parking brake prevents the battery drain issue.
how do you turn off the electronic parking brake?
See this thread here about turning off the automatic electronic parking brake: https://www.rav4world.com/threads/dead-battery.303636/page-12 The procedure appears to be this: See page 224 in the HV manual. Turning the automatic mode off: While the vehicle is stopped and depressing the brake pedal, press and hold the parking brake switch until a buzzer sounds and a message is shown on the multi-information display.
Shouldn't have to "read the owner's manual" to turn off a parking brake, as leaving a parking brake on for 2 days shouldn't discharge ANY vehicle. Pretty useless comment there.
The same thing happened to my Rav4 Excel AWD yesterday. It is only 2 months old. Today, I had breakdown come to the house to check it. They were astounded at the size of the battery and said it is far too small for this vehicle. He has worked on other Rav hybrids before this new model and said none had such small batteries as this one has. He has replaced it with one twice the size. Maybe that is the problem with every else's? I await to see what happens from now on, but worth you all asking about maybe?
Same issue here- less the a month old. Car sat in the drive way for 2 days, went out this morning and the battery is completely dead. There are issues with this vehicle that need to be addressed.
Has anyone found the answer to this problem. I’m also having this problem with my 2017 RAV4. I’ve had a jump once and it was OK for a couple weeks and then today it wouldn’t start. Took it to the dealer and they tested everything and everything checked out OK but they’re going to keep it overnight to see if something is draining the battery. They said nothing was wrong with the battery or any of the electronics.
Bpilot4ever answered 4 years ago
2020 Rav 4 hybrid here. Dead after using it two days i a row! Sat there completely dead! What happens when I go on a trip for a few days. Road service came home and jumped started the car. Took it to the dealer and everything was fine. Battery checks and no issues WTH. So I have a $38k unreliable vehicle.
Does anyone having these issues have a dash cam and rear cam installed. My. dealership are saying there is definitely something draining the battery slowly but are having issues working out exactly what is.
I have a 2020 Rav 4 Premium I have had it 1 month last night the battery died, no lights left on or anything. I had to jump it.
My 2020 Rav4 Limited Hybrid has needed a jumpstart 2 times in the first 3 months of owning it. The first time it sat for 3 days before, the second time it was driven 12 hours earlier. The dealer can't find anything wrong, but I think its ridiculous that a $45k vehicle has this issue when it is brand new. Not happy.
Ditto 2020 RAV4 hybrid
I called the dealer and ask him about the push button start. Because after you turn off your engine. I wonder if it’s easy to push it again I accidentally when your foot is off the pedal and you said it into accessory mode. The dealer told me that it doesn’t automatically go off and that could be draining the battery.
I bought my brand new 2020 Rav XSE Hybrid 1 week ago - drove it a bit - loved it - 169 miles -- let it sit for the weekend and now It is sitting in my driveway after 2 days of not driving it - unable to start. I am heartbroken - I travel for work and sometimes the auto needs to sit for a day or two - I am so worried that I will be stuck somewhere, Obviously there is something really wrong with these vehicles after reading everyone comments- it makes me sad that I am not the only one - No one is giving any answers - this is rediculous.
I also had this problem with my new RAV4 Hybrid. It turned out to be the front and rear dash cam was slowly draining the battery when parked. Toyota removed them and I have not had any problems since.
Just an update. I mentioned it again to my dealer at my last service. They told me they checked the battery and it was fine, and "these new cars are designed tp be driven every day." I let him know that it rediculous, and you should be able to leave a brand new $45k vehicle for 3 days without needing a jump. His official advice was "keep an eye on it." Thanks for nothing.
I have the same problem, 2020 XLE, purchased less than a week ago. It sat for two days, and the battery was completely dead. Very disappointed to say the least. Hopefully, Toyota will own up to this issue soon and make it right.
Owned for a week- 169 miles - Every system failing on this auto - looks like christmas lights so many things flashing - Had it towed to the dealership this morning - after hours I just got back from the dealership in a LOANER CAR....they were unable to diagnose why ALL the systems are failing- they have no idea what is wrong with it ( 2020 Rav4 XSE). I just contacted Toyota Corporate and filed a formal complaint - they gave me a case number. I think its a lemon. I am going start keeping a file...this is unbelievable. So disappointed. They need to do something about these issues. This is one of atleast 7 failing and flashing systems ..
Same thing happened to us but the dealer is telling us it was not the battery... the dashboard was flashing all different messages the drivers side headlight stayed on while the passenger one was off the car would not unlock only the drivers door was unlocked and it wouldn’t lock... it was like something I’ve never seen before and I grew up around cars as my father owns a service station ... unfortunately it’s in another state... the car is less than 2 weeks old I’m so upset for my husband as this is the first car he bought opposed to leasing ... did anyone experience this while their batter was drained ?
Update..Dealership still has no idea what is wroung with it. They told me they need to keep it for another day or two to try to figure it out. Today is day 3 I haven't had the vehicle. Its obviously a lemon...I need to see if they will give me my money back, I will not feel safe driving this vehicle. No more hybrids for me.
@Sally I wonder if it does have something to do with the front and rear dashcam. Our 2019 Hybrid battery died after 6 months and 3 weeks later it has just died again. This is making me super nervous about reliability now!
For my RAV4 Hybrid Criuser AWD it was definitely the front and rear dash cam turning on when parked due to motion sensors draining the battery. Had to get it towed twice. We got them removed and have not had a problem since. Finally love my car again.
Thanks @Sally- I'm going to have to check this out. My husband took the car camping over the weekend. He drove it for 3 hours to get there and the battery died after sitting there for 2 days. It would make sense if the dashcam causes it because the motion sensor would have been going off all night at the camp site. How annoying though! The camera cost a fortune and we actually really like using it.
If you have to disengage anything that came on your brand new car , it needs to go back - it is a lemon. All items should be fully functional without having things removed from it that it came with and you paid for. I opened a case with Toyota. Yesterday - I went out to start my 2020 Rav4 XSE and it was dead again - 2nd time in a week. All warning lights flashing and systems failing- I had it towed to the dealership again- I spoke with the GM of the dealership and he took the auto back into inventory and gave me a new one with 2 miles on it. They are paying off my other loan and I was fortunate to get the 0% financing on the Hybrid that they are now offering. I will keep you all updated on the new one, but this one already shows fully charged, not like the other one. I am optimistic.
I have the exact same recurring issue from the time I purchased a brand new 2017 RAV4 Hybrid. In the next 3 Years I have called Toyota Roadside assistance for Battery boost almost once every 2 weeks and also exhausted my CAA roadside assistance. In addition to this I have also had the battery replaced in early 2019 and although it worked for a few months - it is now back to the same issue and the battery needs to be replaced again. Is there a direct line to Toyota Complaints where we can call to complain?
We have a non hybrid XLE had the same experience with the battery we had it towed to the dealer they tried to send it home the next day and said the battery was charged and fine ... I told them we were not taking it back till they figured out the problem and 4 days later they said the battery was fully charged but kept saying it needed to be charged more ... when the dealership had the car I found this group and saw that we all have similar problems... so I called the GM out on it and she said the rave4s with the problems are the ones made in the USA and ours is from Japan... just wondering where your cars are from ....bc I think it’s a crock but my husband fell for it lol just so sad because they are new and we are all having issues ...
I think all should be flooding Toyota with these issues, they will do a fix/recall and get all of these vehicles right if there are enough complaints. The number for Toyota is 1-800-331-4331. Tell them you want to open up a case - dissatisfaction with the product as these vehicle defects are unacceptable. They will give you a case number, bring you vehicle to the dealership (call Toyota Care and have it towed in - paper trail for lemon law) Tell them you have opened up a case with Toyota and want all documentation to be thorough as this vehicle is an issue and may be a lemon. Open up a word doc and document everything that happens/everything that the service dept say ect. 3 x same problem = lemon - 2 x in some states - a vehicle that does not start and will leave you somewhere is a safety issue. See your states Lemon Laws.
2020 RAV4 XLE Premium AWD - non Hybrid. Same issues. Only owned the car 10 days and after sitting 2 days, dead battery. Put it on a charger, got it started and took it back to the dealer where they gave an unacceptable answer of "it sat on the lot too long" and sent my wife packing with no record of the visit and a quick voltage check of the battery that said it was charged. I called the service manager and let them know this was not going to stand and that there's something that's either drawing current or the battery is faulty. Back to the dealer that afternoon and they spent the next day looking at the current draws over time. Regular battery check showed it tested good (good voltage, cold cranking amps, etc). Car is drawing down the charge within spec (~25mW - acceptable <50mW). Service manager remembered hearing that there was a batch of batteries (Dec2019-Jan2020) that were faulty and recommended to be replaced - exhibiting faster discharge rates although they test good under normal loads. Turns out our battery was manufactured in that time window, but not in the bad lot. Toyota recommended that the battery be replaced anyway, though. I'll keep tracking the voltage draw down once I get it back and keep my fingers crossed. I get my RAV back tomorrow and will update this group if I see any further issues. Those of you seeing this behavior might check in with your dealership to see if your battery is on the "naughty" list. Hope this helps.
Thanks guys, In the meantime I've purchased myself a portable battery and start leads just in case it happens again and I need to jump start the car. I bought this car because I travel a lot for work and need a reliable car and now that my battery has died twice I'm very nervous about its reliability. Interestingly the guy at the car parts shop said he has had heaps of people with new cars coming in to buy the chargers (not just for Toyotas) because the newer cars have lots of computers that draw power constantly and people aren't driving them as much because of Covid 19. (That is true for us as we have used one tank of petrol over the last three months when we would usually use that over two weeks). At least if it happens again I'll now be able to jump start my own car.
Alwayscurious answered 4 years ago
3300 miles and same deal. To be fair, we're sheltering in place, and don't drive much at the moment, but wow was I surprised. Seeing how common it is, I will be having a talk with my dealer tomorrow!
CrabbyCamper answered 4 years ago
I'm having the same problem. 2020 Rav4 Hybrid, 3900 miles. This is the SECOND time it's happened to me, both times it had been only a couple of days since I'd driven it. It's in the shop right now, and they're telling me nothing is wrong with the car, that I'm just not driving it enough. BS! I've owned it for 4 mos and have miles on it. The problem is that it's random. It works fine for months, then shows up, and both times in the shop they found nothing wrong. They need to get to the bottom of this. Printing out these posts to take to the dealer to show them. Toyota needs to get their act together.
It would be interesting to share the battery manufacture date. As I mentioned above, there are potential issues with batteries built in Dec19-Jan20. My original battery had a 1/20 stamp on the top. The replacement is 2/20. Replace the battery, sat for 2.5 days and still had plenty of charge - minimal voltage drop and fired right up. Hope this resolves the issue, but I'll keep this list up to date if I see this happen again.
CrabbyCamper answered 4 years ago
Car still in the shop, but sounds like they're taking it seriously this time, thanks to all of you who have posted here. They are in contact with corporate service center and trying to problem solve. They assure me they won't give it back until they figure it out. Fingers crossed. I see a recall in Toyota's future. I appreciate all the voices here. The numbers are quite convincing.
CrabbyCamper answered 4 years ago
Got my car back. They think MAYBE it was an issue with the remote starting app, that could have been continuing to keep something connected and draining the battery. They've reset that, so now we wait and see. The part in all of this that INFURIATES me is that they aren't accountable. On their summary they said I was not driving it enough to charge the battery, which is total BS. I'd driven, 3500 miles in less that 4 months, and had driven AT LEAST 100 miles the week it happened, 40 miles on on Friday, it sat on Saturday, and wouldn't started on Sunday. They suggested I keep it hooked up to a trickle charger... SERIOUSLY???? There is nothing in the owner's manual suggesting ANY of this. Toyota needs to man up.
I have a 2020 Rav4 Hybrid XLE and completely dead. It sat for one day only with 5,900 miles on it and 7 months old. Key fobs won't respond either. Error message on Instrument panel briefly showed "Smart Key Malfunction." Imagine if you're 100 miles in the middle of no where. Hope these aren't lemons.
@Jimmy, that is exactly what our car did! The second time the battery died my husband had taken it for a 3 hour drive to go camping and it day there for two nights then wouldn't start on the third day when he wanted to come home. He was out in the middle of nowhere (with no phone reception) and it was just very lucky that another camper nearby had some starter leads! I've lost confidence now so that's why I've dished out money on a portable battery with leads. It's crazy!
Update to dead battery issue. Just got out of the Toyota dealer and they gave me the same answer others got. Absolutely no fault codes or issues with it. The battery was perfectly normal. No answer or solution as to why the battery died.
CrabbyCamper answered 4 years ago
Squeaky wheel, people!!! I complained to Toyota, as well as my local service dept, and I gave them a 1 star review on their website. They need to figure this out and do a recall. I LOVE my Rav, but the frustration with Toyota is huge. I won't buy another if they don't give better service.
Do you use the auto parking brake? If so, disable it. Many have found this workaround a temporary solution. It's a design defect that Toyota is ignoring. Other sites have reported this same exact problem and noted the workaround.
I live in a flat area so I disabled it The first week I bought the car. Wish it was that easy. I do use my power lift gate almost every time I go shop.
Two days ago, we bought a brand new 2020 RAV4 Hybrid and brought it home. This evening we decided to take a spin around to learn the features. We were excited to get going ....the engine would not start, not turn over ...dead. It is Saturday evening ...and we have to wait to Monday. I am furious.
Juliette2020 answered 4 years ago
A completely dead 2020 RAV4 hybrid with 2200 miles on it yesterday, last driven 12 hours before. I have been driving it normally, even during the shutdown, and had just driven it 400 miles on a road trip last weekend I had a 2014 Prius C for 6 years with never a problem. AAA jump-started it, then I had to spend 3 hours at the dealer, getting the battery recharged (at 5 volts). Reading this thread has me very worried! Luckily it was a Saturday, not a Sunday, when the dealer would not have been open. The weird thing is that I was gone for a month in Feb, right after I bought the car, and it started up just fine after 4 weeks...not happy!
Cyvleman1953 answered 4 years ago
My died the one day in the garbage, why
My new RAV4 Hybrid has done the same thing twice now. Taking it to dealer. I had a 2007 Highlander Hybrid and never had a problem unless the battery was truly dead.... and that battery lasted over 3 years in the Arizona desert. Houston, I think we have a problem..... sg
I got the 2020 RAV4 Xle and drove it every day for 5 weeks. Then after one day of non use, it wouldn't start! I had to use the manual key to get the door open, & was able to get it jump started. When I took it to the dealership, they said they checked it out and everything was fine. They said I must have left something on, or a door open. I don't understand how that's even possible, since everything has automatic shutdowns.
CrabbyCamper answered 4 years ago
We clearly have plenty of documentation here that this is not an isolated problem, nor is it something owners are doing wrong. I have complaints filed with my local dealer, as well as the national Toyota website. unfortunately, none have been helpful in the slightest. When speaking to the national customer service people today, I asked them for statistics of how many warranty repairs they have done on these. They told me they don't keep such statistics which is a blatant lie... obviously that is how they determine when a recall is in order. I encourage everyone to file complaints so that the squeaky wheel will finally resolve this issue. Unfortunately neither their site nor their telephone bank are very user friendly. Thanks to all who participate in ending this. The phone is: 800-331-4331 Online: https://www.toyota.com/support/#!/app/ask
Yikes!! the Hondra CR-V hybrid does the same thing...neither company has the hybrid battery fix. Not buying a hybrid from either company, dont want to keep calling Triple A to charge a battery on a new car! I appreciate car consumer reviews for the real deal.
Hybrid Cars: Hidden Drawbacks - https://www.autotrader.com/car-tech/hybrid-cars-hidden- drawbacks- 209417#:~:text=Battery%20Issues&text=The%20result%20is%20better%20gas,no%20lon ger%20hold%20a%20charge.&text=Many%20hybrids%20can%20last%20up,can%20be% 20a%20big%20risk.
Hi All, I bought Toyota Rav4 Hybrid 2020, in November 2019. I have had to get jump start twice by calling Toyota Care also took it to the dealer. He found nothing wrong said there are no codes for him to look for fault. It is very strange, I did not drive for one day and it died, that is un real specially with COVID19 everyone working from home limiting exposure to outside.
CrabbyCamper answered 4 years ago
In answer to B's response about hybrids, I don't the battery in the article is the one that is giving all of us these problems. It's not the hybrid battery, it's the one used for the starter that is for some reason being drained.... and it seems like a problem with the 2020s, not previous models. Also, someone on this string had it with a non-hybrid. The reason I went with Toyota was because they had so much experience with the Prius, which has been around for 25 years without having this problem.
VickiSinReno answered 4 years ago
Sadly, you can add me to this growing list. My 2020 Rav4 Hybrid XSE was DOA in the driveway after only 36 hours. Just 5600 on it. Reading the answers here and on another forum, I feel like this is going to be a battle. I wanted to have it towed to the dealer so they could see all the different codes and info, but the tow truck driver was unable to get it into neutral, so it had to be jumped. Of course, everything went away at that point.
I will add our same problem to the list. 2 week old 2020 RAV 4 XSE. Sat for 2 days and totally dead. Could not open with the key FOB. Dealer has it, can't wait to hear what he thinks the problem is and then show him this tread.
We have a 2019 Rav 4, not hybrid. We got it to drive as a second car on nice days and don't want to get salt underneath. One day my husband went to warm it up and it was completely dead. He has a rechargeable jumper and it started right up. Took it to the dealer and was told it wasn't driven enough and we need a battery tender. That's a bunch of crap. Now it's June and we wanted to take it out after it sat for a week and it wouldn't start again. This morning it started but we can't depend on it at all. Calling the dealer today and tell them I want it fixed right or I'll call someone in cooperate. I've copied most of these replies and taking them over to the garage. Thank you everyone.
VickiSinReno answered 4 years ago
Update: After my car got jumped I drove directly to the dealer and left it overnight as they were closed. The next morning, it would not start for them either. They jumped it and drove around, then back and let it sit for a couple of hours. Started up no problem. Did a load test, no problem. No codes were found. I know these guys can't say anything, but the service tech said enough that I know this is a problem for Toyota. That said, he did say that any further problems call Toyota Care and make them tow to the dealership. So it seems I have a $40K car that's unreliable. Sad. As a side note, my vehicle was manufactured in October 2019 in Ontario.
The fact the service departments can't say anything says it all. I thought Toyota was better than this. They were in the past. What good is it to tow the vehicle to the dealer when they just jump it when it gets there. Also, you can't get the vehicle out of park when it is dead. I turned the auto park feature off and have not had the dead battery problem since. It has been over six weeks ago. Could be a coincidence. Who knows? Toyota should.
I had the same battery issue. I have a 2020 Rav4 XSE Hybrid. I called AAA to jump the car and then took it to the dealer. They found the battery to be very low and recharged the battery. I was lucky that I left my car doors unlocked that day. Usually I park in a public structure. Had the battery died with my doors locked, I wouldn't be able to get into the vehicle to open the hood. I just have the remote entry and don't have a physical key. I also just received a notification on a recall to fix my fuel gauge. I noticed I cannot fill my tank to full... I have been disappointed with Toyotas. I used to have a FORD and thought that sucked. Toyotas have different set of issues and aren't that much better.
Guru3TM56. Sadly we are in the same quandry. Regarding the door though, there is a key in our FOB that will open the door. At the end with the metal ring you will see a little sliding part. Slide this away from the ring and pull the ring/key out of the fob. Note when you unlock the door, remove the key before pulling the handle. You'll see what I mean when you open the door. Good luck to all of us with this problem. It sure is disappointing to pay this much money and have such poor support from Toyota. Kind of like how they treated the brake and gas pedal problem.
Same issue here. 2020 Rav4 Hybrid. 2k miles and car wont start. The tech who came to jump the car said the problem is all 2020 Toyota Hybrids. The Rav4 and Camry are the two cars he gets called to jump start most frequently. Everyone seems to love their Rav4 including myself. Very unfortunate we have to deal with this issue. The auto parking brake being disabled is interesting but we shouldnt have to disengage it. It could cause more problems down the road knowing thats how the car is supposed to operate. Anybody with an update from Toyota?
Oklahoma74036 answered 4 years ago
Add me to this growing list of unhappy customers. Only 4,400 miles on a NEW 2020 Rav4 and it WILL NOT START. Amazing. The ToyotaCare man is en route as I type this. Toyota needs to put as much energy into fixing this problem as they do in closing a deal. Come on guys.
Same problem for my new 2020 Rav4 LE, 1300 miles 3 months old, battery got drained out 3 time in the past 3 weeks. Took it to the dealer, left the car overnight, then they found out the same problem next morning - car can't start up. They said there's a sensor problem and they have to order the park for me, asking me to leave my car there for 3 days, then said the part wouldn't arrive in 7 days so I had to go to the dealer to pick up my car, they will call me once the part arrives. I have never had any of problem in any of the new cars I owned in the past 25 years, I don't know what is going on with the new Rav4, and don't know why Toyota hasn't recalled it.
I also wanted to share with you all - disengaged the Electronic Braking System doesn't fix the problem; it's also strange that the EBS would automatically comes back on itself after a few days in my car.
Does anyone know how to contact Toyota to report such a problem for a brand new car? Or can you please let me know how to contact Toyota Care? I used two Sienna cars in the past 12 years and I never ran into such problem especially I do drive my car daily for a short distance, the battery was dead after parking for about 8 hours during the day on this this 2020 Rav4 with only 1300 miles; a week later the battery was dead after parked overnight; then it was dead again after I left the car overnight in the dealer's service center.
CrabbyCamper answered 4 years ago
Ben, PLEASE do join us in being the squeaky wheel. That's the only way this is going to get resolved. So sorry you're going through this. The phone is: 800-331-4331 Online: https://www.toyota.com/support/#!/app/ask
Ben, it would be very helpful to know exactly what sensor they are replacing. At least we could suggest to our dealers to look at that. CrabbyCamper, I'm sending an email every week to the link you posted. You have to click on New Car Information in Step1. If you click on product they won't accept you email, they refer you to their phone number. I include this thread in my message. If everybody did this maybe they will start paying attention. Calling them is a joke. They have been no help at all and act like they never heard of this problem before.
I called Toyota and filed a ticket on this battery issue. Not sure if that helps. I hope the more people call and file a ticket on this perhaps they will start a replacement program. Ironically, I received a letter from Toyota on a gas gauge replacement program. My gas gauge reads less than full every time I fill up my 2020 Rav4 XSE hybrid. Is there a website people go to to review new cars? If we post there, that could get Toyota's attention. If people don't buy new cars, Toyota will address that much faster.
Hi Mark, thank you for your reply, the dealer told me the part should be in yesterday but then told me it wouldn't arrive till the coming Tuesday. Therefore, I am still waiting to see what sensor they are going to replace till I see the paperwork. Luckily, the battery was dead after they asked to leave my car there overnight, even though it was fully charged when I was dropping off around 11am. But yours is Hybrid, so it may not be the same as mine. Nevertheless, it's the first time that I am having issue with a brand new car over 25 years.
Mark, sorry to trouble you again, what Topic did you select using https://www.toyota.com/support/#!/app/ask? when I select Product, it's prompting me to "Toyota Customer Experience Center at 800-331-4331 for resolution." Thank you!
Short story .. our new 2020 XSE hybrid did not start the other day. Message on display said something about a Smart Key Malfunction. This is after having the check engine light coming on 3 time, all within the first 500 miles :-( Roadside assistance was unavailable due to "covid" and unusually high call volume. Not a great start to our "dream car" purchase. Finally got a jump start, its been okay for the last 3 days, fingers crossed.
Hi Ben, Go to New Vehicle Information and it will let you then send a message.
I filed a case with Toyota and they had me call them at 1-800-331-4331. I called and they don’t recall if it’s not a safety issue. They only document the issue. To put it bluntly we all got duped and bought duds.
CrabbyCamper answered 4 years ago
WHAT THE HELL??? No recall unless there is a safety issue? The very least we can do is to give 1star ratings on our local dealerships. What is this going to take? Social media blitz? Ideas anyone?
Add us to the list. 2020 Hybrid Ltd., all the bells and whistles, have put 3000km on it, let us sit for less than 24 hours. Went with Toyota because we live on an island so reliability is a must. Ha. Ha. Called Toyota Canada and ended up hanging up on the woman who offered to read a portion of the warranty agreement a THIRD time (I was attempting to obtain agreement from them to pay for ferry fares). The kicker for us is the Ferries are not covered, so the tow, whilst covered by the warranty package, is free, but Ferries likely to cost me $800. I am having buyers remorse like you wouldn’t believe. This vehicle is part of our retirement plan. I’m literally nauseous. We also had the electronic key error code to start, then it all died. Tried to jump it with no success. Broke down Saturday, and their contracted tow company can’t get it to the dealership until Tuesday, and then what? Is there some joint action we can engage in? This is unacceptable. I should have know better, since I had a 2007 RAV Ltd. with the oil burning issue that sadly didn’t burn ENOUGH oil to receive the fix. Otherwise I have loved both vehicles.
Here is what I just got back from my latest email to Toyota: Thank you for contacting Toyota. Below is a summary of your most recent email message received and our response. We appreciate the continued opportunity to be of service to you. Subject 2020 RAV4 hybrid dead battery Response By Email (Elizabeth O.) (07/06/2020 12:06 PM) Dear Mr. …….., Thank you for contacting Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. To effectively address your concern, and ensure we have all pertinent information, we ask that you please contact us at our toll free number, (800) 331-4331. Our hours of operation are 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Central Time Monday through Friday and 7:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Central Time on Saturdays. Your case is filed at our National Headquarters under file #2007........... Sincerely, Elizabeth O. Toyota Customer Experience Center
Has anyone found a solution to this problem? My 2019 Rav 4 XL goes to the garage July 16th. My son-in-law, a mechanic, called and really chewed them out for saying they need driven every day and he wants it fixed. They told him a couple things that may be wrong with it. I am 71 years old and my husband is 77. We do NOT drive it everyday because we don't want to get it all dirty underneath and have a 17 year old Tracker to drive, which never leaves us stranded.
I took my Rav4 to the dealership after I had to jump it because it didn’t start. Since all of cars are under warranty, they should run a machine to diagnose the entire car. This machine which tests every part of the car takes 2-3 hours. Any dealership that does not do this is being negligent. If you take it to the dealer and all they do is run a simple battery check, you are being duped. Once the warranty is over, they would not run the machine but do a simple battery check. They replaced my battery. I understand this probably won’t fix the problem but at least they took the time to thoroughly look through it and gave me a new battery.
Update: Just got a call from the dealership my car was towed to and they said the battery voltage was a little low, they charged it and it's just fine now and there's nothing wrong with it. I am not impressed. I'm now on the hook for what I assume will be up to $1000 in ferry fares (not covered by roadside/warranty). For me to call roadside every time it doesn't start will be cost prohibitive. So I guess I'll be buying a trickle charger. I'm livid.
Guru3V1D8 - please keep us updated as to how the new battery works out for you.
As an update after battery replacement (~3 weeks ago). The problem has not reoccurred even though the car has sat without starting for several 2-3 day periods. As I mentioned before, our service manager identified through a Toyota internal group that there was a problematic batch of batteries created in Dec19-Jan20. I wonder if you all could look at the battery sticker on your cars and see if it is in this range. Our battery was manufactured in 1/20. They replaced it with a battery dated 2/20 and so far so good. Good luck all. I'll jump back in if the problem comes back again.
My battery was replaced a couple months ago. I bought the car in November of 2019 so not sure it was in the batch of batteries previously mentioned in one the the messages on here. I've had no problem since the new battery. BUT I have driven the car more often too. The most its sat is a day without using it. I'm going to have them check it when I go in for my next servicing. A small issues I keep having to change my temperature setting on main screen in general settings After a couple days the ℉ changes to ℃. I change it in the settings back to ℉ but it never stays that way. Most likely I"m thinking a software issue and not related to battery issues?
If you saw my earlier posts you'll know my battery was replaced a couple months ago. I bought the car in November of 2019 so not sure it was in the batch of batteries previously mentioned in one the the messages on here. I've had no problem since the new battery. BUT I have driven the car more often too. The most its sat is a day without using it. I'm going to have them check it when I go in for my next servicing. Also I did turn off the automatic packing brake and only use it occasionally using the switch on the console. A small issue I keep having to change my temperature setting on main screen in general settings After a couple days the ℉ changes to ℃. Yesterday I changed it and this morning it read ℃. Not sure that has anything to do with battery issues sound more like a software issues with the tech system.
I work for a government entity and we purchased 5 2019 Rav4 Hybrids for fleet vehicles. 2 vehicles that are not used every day consistently need to be jump started. At first I would call Toyota Care, but it was so often (once a week), I just started asking our maintenance crew to jump it instead. I am at a loss right now - does it need to go back to the original dealer? Unfortunately because we are gov. we couldn't just buy local - this dealer is about 150 miles away, Not convenient. Any advice? This seems ridiculous that Toyota won't do anything about this if it's not a safety issue.. It IS a safety issue if someone is left stranded.
Add me to the list! Mine is a 2019 RAV4 limited and the battery has died twice within the past two months after a week to 10 days of not driving it due to sheltering in place most of the time. I’ve had to call Toyota roadside both times to come and jump it. The first time it happened I took it into the dealership and had it checked out. I got the whole nothing’s wrong, the battery is fine, it just needs to be driven around more often speech. Extremely annoying not knowing when the battery will just give up on you! Definitely giving Toyota a call tomorrow!
Beandip121 answered 4 years ago
I have a 2020 xle premium that’s has two dead batteries in 6 months. My battery finally failed and gave the dealer a fail code so they could replace it back in may. I have come across a few posts on some other groups that say that getting the TSB update for the DCM can possibly help with the battery drain because someone said their dealer though their car kept trying to ping a satellite to show its location and if it was cloudy or in a parking garage it can’t communicate with the satellite and just Keeps trying and trying which drain the battery. I had my dealer install the update last month and I hope they did it correctly because all they said was “ it didn’t fail”. This is the update for the Toyota remote connect that is supposed to make it work better. Anyways I’ve also been disabling my parking brake and I drive my car extra just to keep my battery charged which is actually getting kind of stressful. Just super annoying that it’s been like 7 month and Toyota still can’t seem to find a real answer
I bought a 2020 Rav4 Limited in March. Car sat in garage for 2 days last week and wouldn’t start on Monday. Received the Smart Key Malfunction message on dashboard and then it went dead. Had Toyota Care jump start and took it to the dealer. Like all of you, they said nothing was wrong and would check around to see if anyone else was having this problem. Naturally, they found nothing. Thanks to you guys and your suggestions, I called Toyota and got a claim number. They did admit that they are hearing about these problems. He suggested that I not disable anything since that may void my warranty. The car will be sitting this weekend so we shall see. If it happens again, I will have them check the date on the battery. I appreciate this group and let’s keep complaining!
Juliette2020 answered 4 years ago
I'm afraid to write here that since I got a new battery a month ago for my 2020 RAV4 it has started up, even after being left for 10 days, when I went to CA. I had a dead battery, which AA jump-started, then took it to the closest dealer to be charged (it was at 5V). The first dealer said that the battery checked out "fine" but when I took it to the dealer I prefer on that Monday (where I bought the car and guys I trust), they said the battery failed, and they gave me a new one. I think I am in that batch of batteries that were no good, and the service manager hinted at that without saying specifically that that was a huge issue. He told me there were "several types of batteries" installed in the 2020s in Dec-Feb and some "didn't seem to hold the charge in the RAVs." Well, fingers crossed, and yes, we must keep complaining and posting here. Thanks for all the comments and updates.
I got a case created and asking to contact Toyota's National Headquarters. Can anyone tell me the experience by contacting the National Headquarters? would it be a waste of time by calling them? see attached email below: Subject: RAV4 2020 battery dead after parking during the day or overnight Thank you for contacting Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. We are sorry to learn of the concerns with your 2020 Toyota RAV4 LE. To effectively address your concern, and ensure we have all pertinent information, we ask that you please contact us at our toll free number, (800) 331-4331. Our hours of operation are 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Central Time Monday through Friday and 7:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Central Time on Saturdays. Your case is filed at our National Headquarters under file #2007xxxxxx. Sincerely, Christina C. Toyota Customer Experience Center
Drove 2020 RAV4 Hybrid, about an hour non-stop and then got in line at a ferry terminal where we were due to board. Car would not start after 30 minutes with engine off, error message displayed that Hybrid system not available, however there was power to windows and doors. Had to call Toyota Care and they gave me a Jump. First time it has happened mileage 2950.
My 2020 RAV4 Hybrid wouldn't start today, so I'm part of this club, it seems. Funny no one talking about how hard it is to get to the battery without power. You have to lower the back seats, climb into trunk area, use a screw driver to get to the manual latch in order to open the natch to get to the battery which is in the trunk area. And while I'm considering getting a trickle charger, considering where the batter is located, not sure wires and all will allow me to keep it connected.
Guru383JY .. Ha, I went thru the same gymnastics to expose the battery as you after multiple youtube video's. When Roadside assistance arrived he jumped it from the fuse box under the hood. seems like all my hardwork was for not.
@Guru383JY There are jumper lesds under the hood. There is a red lead sticking up in the back of the fuse box in the left-hand side of the engine bay, and you can negative ground to the bolts on the strut tower just a few inches away.
I have a 2020 XLE Premium AWD that is not even 2 months old and has less than 600 miles on it. Yesterday I tried to start it and got the Smart Key Malfunction message. Husband checked the battery and it was at 5v. He charged it to 13.8v and it started, although I had messages stating my SRS Air Bags malfunctioned and my rear parking assist is not working. Drove to dinner and when I came out, those messages were gone and everything seemed normal. Husband checked my battery tonight and it is draining...back down to 12v. Calling my dealer tomorrow. So disappointed in this. This is my 4th Rav4 and I never had a single issue with any of the other 3. This was my dream car, fully loaded, and now I have this problem with a 2 month old car.
2nd time our battery is dead. 2 days since last driven - no way this is normal even for a newer car with all the electronics. AAA came out the 1st time, tested battery, said it is dead. Took it to dealer - their test says all is well and won't change the battery. Another poster here said the dealer replaced the battery and it still died a 2nd time.
Update to my previous post; the tech that jumped the battery said it could be due to the key fob being too close to the car - it communicates to the car repeatedly. We now have the fob far from the car and will report back if it dies again.
New 2020 RAV4 TRD, purchased 5/20/20, 2 occurrences of dead battery so far. 1st at about 770 miles, car sat in driveway for 4 days while out of town. Service department at dealership checked for draw on battery, found nothing, started fine after they let it sit a couple days. Had them install software update as previous posters mentioned, and I disabled automatic electronic parking brake. 2nd occurence happened again after car sat unused for 4 days about 2 weeks later. Husband found whatever was draining battery was draining so fast that battery wasnt gaining any voltage while on charger. He disconnected battery and it jumped up from 7 to 12.3 volts. Have not yet had vehicle serviced again, in contact with service department manager who was supposed to get in touch with Toyota and get back to us. Any previous posters have any updates on status of their vehicles? I am researching my state's lemon law.
CrabbyCamper answered 4 years ago
So sorry this is happening to you UP226. Thank you for your post... especially about the softwear update because my dealer insists this is the problem, so if it recurred AFTER you had that done, they clearly didn't fix it. I talked to them just yesterday, they said they had reset the "firmware on the DCM (Data Communication Module), which is basically the cell phone computer within the vehicle." I have not had a recurrence since a couple of months ago, but I also do not trust my car either. I do love everything else about it.
900 miles on my 2020 rav4 xle, drove everyday for a MONTH, let it sit for one day and my battery is dead... add me to the list. Wtf??? They need to fix this crap asap or give me a new d*man vehicle!
My 2020 RAV4 XLE was dead last Saturday morning. Took it to the dealership today. Waited 5 hours for them to look at it for 20 minutes and tell me nothing is wrong with it. If it happens again I'll get it towed there. It's very disheartening to feel like my brand new vehicle isn't reliable.
Tons of folks seeing the same thing. First thing; file a national complaint; https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/VehicleComplaint/ My battery has died twice; 2020 Rav4 Jan purchase. 1st time; Apr 1 week sitting. 2nd time; July 2 day sitting. I've heard of the following causes; 1. Bad batch of batteries; my mfg date is Oct 19. 2. Mystery sensor to be replaced; weeks to get in per the dealer. 3. Key fob, BlueTooth phone, etc. communication. 4. One owner found the interior lights on after a few hours of sitting - found this twice. Have any of the above apply to you? Do you have others?
Beandip121 answered 4 years ago
Everyone that has this happen needs to call Toyota customer service and file a complaint otherwise they don’t know how big an issue this is. When I called the guy I spoke with said he’d taken some calls about battery issues but not enough where he would see it as a wide spread. I’ve read somewhere else row truck drivers say they jump multiple RAV4 and camrys each day. The 2020 Camry has the same issue as the RAV4. This whole issue is so frustrating. Especially because whenever my battery dies my dealer insists I’m the only person in town with this issue
I did that today - 800-331-4331 Toyota Customer Experience
Rav4TRD2020 answered 4 years ago
Bought a brand new 2020 RAV4 TRD last month - we parked in the garage for two weeks - today the car battery is dead !?! We are extremely frustrated - we’ve had the vehicle less than a month...
Rav4TRD2020 answered 4 years ago
We bought 2020 Rav4TRD brand new last month - we parked the vehicle for two weeks to self isolate - now our quarantine is finished and our 2020 Rav4TRD battery is dead !?! We bought a Toyota for reliability - after reading about everyone’s similar dead battery challenges we are considering returning the 2020 RAV4 - we can not risk being stranded with a dead battery again...
Check the date on your battery; it is on the right side. First digit is .year, letter is the month Also, call 800-331-4331 Toyota Customer Experience to file a complaint. I'm recording the voltage daily; after driving it around for 20 minutes today and waiting 7 hours, it reads 12.11 - it should be closer to 12.6 (full charge). Looks to be a bad batch of batteries. Could also be a parasitic drain.
Add me to this list too! So I just bought mine as well, though mine is a used 2016 RAV4, and after leaving it in the driveway for two weeks without driving it, it will not start! And the worst part is that we can't even get the car into neutral to roll it into a position in which we can jump it... SO frustrating! No lights left on or anything like that either.
I bought a new 2020 Rav4 XLE Hybrid on June 9, 2020. Today July 20th, after sitting for four days, the vehicle was completely dead. After waiting for hours for the Toyota Tow Service, I found how to jump the battery, and got it started. The engine ran a long time until the battery was charged. I will take it to my dealer tomorrow, but after reading all these comments, I doubt that I will be a happy camper.
Also have this issue with a brand new 2021 Corolla Hybrid. I barely got it about a month ago and I have had a dead battery twice already. Really disappointed.
VickiSinReno answered 4 years ago
Update on my 2020 Hybrid XSE. After sitting for 7 days while I was on vacation, not only was it dead but now have the fuel tank issue as well as the gauges not being accurate. I took it back to the dealer where it was kept for 5 days. I was given a loaner RAV4, not a hybrid. Additionally, I filed another case with Toyota Corporate. Here’s what happened: Toyota Corporate got in touch with the dealership service tech. A full diagnostic was performed. What was found was poor programming in PCM. Corporate had them perform TBS 0021-20 software update to the telematics in the PCM. I have no idea if this will fix it, but at least it’s something. As far as the gas tank filling/gauge problem, still no fix. What I ended up doing was standing at the pump and dribbling fuel in. I managed to get in 8 gallons which gave me a range of 428 miles. I should end by saying that all things aside, I love this car. No, I’m not happy about any of this, but the dealer and Toyota Corporate have been great. I think filing these cases is the most important thing so that Corporate can work with the dealership.
Andy; Make sure you call 800-331-4331 Toyota Customer Experience to file a complaint. We had the same problem; 2020 Rav4 XLE AWB sat for 2 days. Keep the key fob at least 30 feet from the car, no idea if that's the problem but did hear from the Toyota tech who jumped the car and a dealer tech that the fob keeps in contact with the car. When at the dealer tell them of the 140+ complaints here, and have them; 1. Do a full charge; should be 12.6 volts. If not, that's a problem. 2. Do a parasitic drain test. 3. Get the print out of the diagnostic.
Sandyissad answered 4 years ago
Add me to the list! 2020 rave XLE hybrid . Sat for 2 days 3,000 miles on it! Waiting on tow to dealership. I will be calling Toyota to file a claim as well
Guys, who applied the TBS 0021-20 software update, did it fix the battery drain issue?
Sandyissad answered 4 years ago
Just an update on my RAV4 xse. After getting it towed to dealership. They informed me there was nothing wrong with my battery or software! But told me I had to start every 3 Days if I didn’t want this to keep happening! (Even tho mine didn’t start after 2 days!). I asked well what if I am away and can’t do this? His reply “buy a changing unit to plug into car!!!! “. Are you freaking serious ???? It’s a brand new vehicle!!! He also said due to Covid a lot of people are experiencing this same issue! I am more mad than words can possibly spell it out!
Hi all, sorry each of you is going through this. It sounds more than a just a little frustrating. As someone who is about to buy a new Limited trim hybrid RAV, I was wondering if anyone has an idea of how prevalent this problem is? Reading the thread here makes one feel that it is every model sold, when clearly it can't be 100% of them. I have already reached out to the dealer to ask that the T-SB-0021-20 firmware update be looked into before I pick up the vehicle.
Has anyone with these battery issues ever gotten Toyota to resolve the problem? If not, has anyone had success returning the car under a Lemon Law? Just curious....
I've had my new 2020 Rav4 - not hybrid for less than 2 months. It has 900 miles on it. Went to leave this morning and it was dead as a door nail. I had not driven it for a few days. Maybe 3 days? i kept kicking myself all the way to the dealer (an hour away) thinking I had left a light on or something. The dealer said everything checked out and agreed that I must have left something on. After reading this comments, I'm not so sure. I'm ususally really careful about making sure everything is off. I'm pretty upset as I bought this car for its reliability.
GuruJXKFB, you did nothing wrong. I think we all suspected ourselves the first time. I looked it up in the owner's manual, and even if you do leave something on, it's supposed to shut itself off so it doesn't run down the battery. Toyota dealers are either oblivious, or they know and are trying to cover it up.... either way it is highly unprofessional AND unacceptable. That they have the audacity suggest that we must drive these cars every couple of days, or hook them up to a charger is ridiculous. One person said they wouldn't do a recall unless it's a safety issue. This absolutely IS a safety issue. If I drive up to the mountains out of cell range, and out of charger range, and this happens the consequences could be dire. This should never happen on a brand new car. Hold their feet to the fire until they get this fixed!
Beandip121 answered 4 years ago
I read a post on Facebook in the RAV4 Facebook group that someone had their keyless entry pad replaced inside their windshield because the dealer found that it was causing a parasitic drain and that corporate told them how to do and and knew about the issue. This is totally contradictory to anything I’ve read before where corporate has no clue what’s going on.
I too have just experienced this matter yesterday morning as I was leaving for work with my wife. I got in the car and the engine just didn't start. It just puttered and then it went dead. I should have noticed something was wrong because the inside dome lights were really dim. I called road side assistance and they jump started the vehicle but I decided to still have it towed so they can run a diagnostic. Seems that the car is fine, but, the battery tells them that it needs to be charged. So, since the car is under warranty, they're going to replace the battery with a new one. I just leased the car in January and I shouldn't be going through this. I've been leasing with Toyota since 1996 and this is the first time my car went dead. Thank God for warranty. So, make sure they can replace your battery with a new one if the car is still under warranty.
I opened a case with Toyota today. She said that my local service manager had given me good advice. Both said, if I am not going to drive it on any given day, I am to go out, start engine (make sure garage is open said he), and let it run for 20 minutes. This will keep the car from going dead. I’ve had it less than 2 months- - a 40,000 dollar vehicle. I will not be doing this. Toyota, you have 3 chances to fix this according to Florida lemon law. And you and I both know this car is going to die again.
AshevilleRAV4 answered 4 years ago
Twice in a month my 2020 RAV4 Hybrid wouldn’t start on a Monday morning after not being driven over the weekend. This last Monday I had it towed to the local Toyota dealer who have now kept it for 2 days to hook it to the parasitic drain monitor to see what is draining the battery. It’s not evident so they called their regional tech person who said to update the DCM (which was mentioned in a previous comment) which hopefully will take care of it. The Toyota service rep who has called me 2 times a day and answered all my questions said they think something like the SOS signal is looking for a location at random times and that eventually drains the battery if it’s not being driven. I appreciated reading this thread of comments before I got my car towed because it allowed me to be super assertive and clear about what I wanted them to do and they’re doing it. So thanks and hopefully this will fix the problem!
On the Car Complaints website, (carcomplaints.com), they have the 2020 Rav4 Hybrid listed as having "No complaints". I was going to post there about my dead battery experience, but decided to wait to see if it happens again. I took my vehicle to the dealer and they said since it was just over a month since I got the 2020 Rav4 Hybrid, and the vehicle had been sitting on their lot, the battery was not fully charged. I asked the service manager, why the vehicle charger didn't bring the battery up to full charge, and why it completely died. He said charging it would take care of it. I'm watching it like a Hawk.
If the car batteries are not dying on the dealer lots after days of non-use then it must be something that is enabled at time of purchase draining the battery. I wonder what that is.
Updating the DCM did not solve the problem for us. Since the update, the battery has died twice. Now the dealer has agreed to replace the battery. If this doesn't work, we will file a lemon law request.
The battery in my RAV4 died three weeks after purchase. The dealer charged the battery and said it was fine. For some reason I suspected where I kept my key fob in the house was too close to the car in the garage and was continuing to communicate. I purchased a key fob faraday box, which blocks the signals. No problem for six weeks. Had the local auto parts store test the battery a week ago and they said it was in great shape. The key fob box costs about $25 online.
For my vehicle, the dealership performed an inspection after my battery died and did the computer update, but my battery still drains rapidly and takes a lot to charge in general. I can’t put my foot on the accelerator for more than a few seconds or it drains the battery. My gas mileage is now crap. But I drive it everyday so it hasn’t died again yet. My story: I bought a 2020 RAV4 hybrid in December 2019 and the battery died a week ago. Didn’t drive it for only 1.5 days. Had 7500 miles. Dealership couldn’t find any issue with the battery. Called their main line for Toyota services and they told me they weren’t aware of any issues and there were no planned recalls. They said someone from customer relations would call me back 2 days ago but haven’t heard from them yet.
Update on my 2019 RAV4: the dealer kept it overnight, did a drain test and supposedly found nothing. Contacted corporate and opened a case, was told they would communicate with the dealer to see what was going on and what else could be looked at, and basically got a response of “it’s not being driven enough” ...so doesn’t sound like corporate is going to do much else since nothing was found. Guess I need to start looking at my state’s lemon laws!!!
We have exactly the same problem with our 2020 Mazda XR5. In to dealership twice for a long list of tests and they cannot identify the problem. So it's not just the Toyotas. The car engineers are goofing on the electronics and WE are paying for their learning curve!
Had our 2020 Rav4 for about a week and went out into our gagage and it was dead. Had a bunch of alarms go off and car would not crank. Had it towed to the dealership. They reported a dead battery. They charged the battery and said they couldn't find anything wrong. Told them to keep it overnight and check they batter draw down the next day. Went to the dealership and they told me they were going to run some more tests and contact Toyota. There was another technician who overheard the conversation and waved us over. She said this is an ongoing issue with the new Camry and Rav4 models and what they have found is that the car is pinging the satellite for the vehicle location and that if it doesn't make contact it just keeps pinging and will drain the battery. The fix is a software update from Toyota. She said it is a known issue and there will probably be a recall at some point. They are doing the software update today. Hopefully that fixes the issue
Beandip121 answered 4 years ago
Is the software update they are doing the TSB update from March of this year that is also supposed to help the remote connect work better? It’s tsb 0021-20 I think. Please let us know. I had them update mine back in June and I’ve been good since then knock on wood. But I have also heard that people have had the update and it doesn’t help
@guruJGW3V can you please keep us updated about wether this update fixes the problem? We've just had our 3rd flat battery in 3 months yesterday. So glad I purchased a portable battery starter but it is becoming super unreliable! We are in stage 4 lockdown in Melbourne so we definitely haven't been driving much (max 5kms a week) but surely you can leave a car for a month without driving it and expect it to still go? Imagine every time we go overseas and leave our car at the airport- it will be dead when we return!
Well, it’s just happened again. 2020 RAV Ltd hybrid....Second time in 5 weeks. This time it read “park break not available”. I’m in tears. Paid $50000 for this.
2018 Toyota Rav4XLE 4wd disengaged error message. Car won't crank on, but radio comes on. Here is the irony, this happened after my lease turn in assessment was done. The car was parked in the driveway instead of the garage and it died. AAA gave it a jump at around 7p and the next morning by 8a it was dead again.... I'm so annoyed, I was turning it in this week now I have to spend 200 or more possibly on a repair
Joining the thread - my 2020 rav 4 TRD was purchased in May.. worked perfectly fine and has about 5000 miles on it. Let it sit for a couple of days which I’ve done previously, the weekend before I want camping and my car sat for 4 days and started fine. When I tried to start the car it said smart key malfunction see owners manual - then it completely died. Called Toyota roadside assistance and they sent someone to jump the car.. it started immediately. I drove it around for about 10 minutes and then parked it for a few hours. Went back out and it’s completely dead again with a new error message. Taking it to the dealership tomorrow! So bummed because other than that I LOVE this car..
I own the 2020 RAV4 TRD. It's 7 months ago, 5,000 miles. My battery died for the first time last week after I left the car unused for 4 days in the garage. I'm curious if there is an easy way to open the rear liftgate when the car battery is dead. My jumper cables were in the the spare wheel compartment when my battery died and I couldn't access because my lifegate wouldn't open. That was really annoying.
Yes - there’s a little plastic cover on the hatch, inside, that you pry off and then there’s supposedly a latch inside. Of course when we tried to use it, the latch inside was invisible- I suspect the dealership didn’t leave it as they found it the last time it was towed for a charge. So right now I have to drive my car around town every day to keep t charged for next week when it goes in for inspection, otherwise it’s another 2 day tow job.
GuruGTWDL In the owners manual it shows you how to open rear liftgate manually. Since you can jump start the Rav4 from the engine compartment, I need to move my jumper cables from the spare tire area. Glad you mentioned the cables.
One more here, But I do not live in the US, I live in Central América, bought a Rav4 Hybrid in March, has 1K miles and yesterday after 5 says of not using it, is dead, jumped started it, worked as usual, left it overnight in the garage and today 12 hours later it Will not start again, all dead, my car is built in Japan, so it is not a plant/Country specific failure... Will take to the dealership and have them keep it overnight to see if car car turns on next day.
Update on 2020 RAV4 TRD: (Purchased 5/2020. Two occurrences of dead battery with “Smart Key System Malfunction” message appearing on dash, both occurring after vehicle was parked for four days.) Service department at my local dealership has had the vehicle for 2 ½ weeks. They said they are seeing a major draw on the vehicle, and have narrowed it down to the electronics. Per Toyota’s instruction, they pulled out a fuse for ecu/dcc2, and the draw is gone. They are continuing to run tests, and said there is also a problem with the smart key system. I hope this information is helpful, and I will continue to post whatever else I find out.
Toyota RAV4 hybrid Limited! Same issue. Car sat for two days in my garage. It would not start. At the service depot right now and so frustrated! Did not know this was an issue with this new vehicle with 5800 miles on it!
I have a rav 4 same issues found answer in owners manual page 107 under electronic key battery saving. Apparently key fob and car keep communicating and over days this can kill car battery- procedure disables this communication.
Owners manual Page 149 for Rav4 Hybrid 2020. Battery-saving function The battery-saving function will be activated in order to prevent the electronic key battery and the 12- volt battery from being discharged while the vehicle is not in operation for a long time.
Update: after the second dead battery in my RAV4 Hybrid limited, the dealership kept it over night and could find nothing wrong. They did suggest a solar charger, which is said no way to - I’ve a carport and no interest in owning a brand new vehicle that I have to mess with - that’s why I traded in my ‘07! The dealership was wonderful - very sympathetic and they read through this thread and remarked on how all of us are experiencing the same thing and there seems to be nothing found to fix it. They replaced the battery, I guess that’s the easiest thing to rule out, and I’ll going to keep a driving log. They did say that each time you drive the thing, it takes 4 hours for all the crap to completely power down. The last time it died I’d driven it extensively one day, two short trips the next day and day 3 it was dead. I will update you if this new battery fails or if it seems to have done the trick. If anyone else has an update please add it here - regardless of how it goes. The more info we have the better. I feel confident in the dealership I’m with and have hope for a solution. Once I can rely on it, I’m sure I’ll love it again.
GuruGN91F and Jimmy; this matches what I've heard from the Toyota Roadside tech who jump our 2020 Rav4 XLE the last time it died, and our experience with keeping the key-fob 20 feet from the car. No problems for us since we've been careful to keep the key fob away from the car. Everyone here; please try that as an experiment - keep your key fob 20 feet from your car. I know it sounds crazy, but it IS in the owner's manual. Toyota still needs to fix this, but until they do we all may be able to avoid this situation.
Also - the manual has instructions for a battery saving key option - I’m not sure if it’s for the key battery or the actual car battery but it’s super easy to do. Hold the lock key down while pressing unlock twice. You’ll see 4 light flashes on the fob.
allentowndeb answered 4 years ago
My car died while on vacation, brand new 2 months old. Roadside assistance called and was shocked the battery was already dead. He believes the battery has a bad cell and needs to be replaced. As far as the key-fob bing 20 feet away, it was at least 50 feet away from the car. I have no front or rear cam, so that is not an issue. But I am taking to dealer tomorrow. This is a complete disappointment in a brand new vehicle. I am going to record every time this happens so I have proof. Maybe a class action lawsuit will wake this company up and take responsibility, this complete BS.
@CrabbyCamper - have you had any problems since your DCM update? I'm thinking the first time they attempted the update on ours it was unsuccessful. After having the vehicle for a number of weeks at the service department, many tests, pulling fuses, they were directed back to that update again by Toyota. Fingers crossed that it actually worked this time. Letting it sit in the driveway again a couple days to see what happens. Thanks in advance for your response or any info you have!
Had my RAV4 hybrid for only three months when the battery completely died one night. Dealership charged the battery and said they had no idea what caused it (May, 2020). Then last week (August, 2020), another couple of months later - same thing happened. It had only gone one day without driving and it would not start - dead battery. Had it towed to my local dealership who kept it for three days while in contact with the national Toyota people and could find no reason for what happened! Have they ever heard of Google?? They gave me some advice about not running the lights or radio while the car was not running - which was ridiculous because even if I had left them on, the car would have beeped me and let me know! They also gave me the BS about the key-fob being 20 feel away at night which is crazy since it is never even close at all. Calling the dealership manager tomorrow to let him know of their complete inadequacy in solving a serious problem. Thanks to everyone who has enlightened me with your comments. Good luck to all of us. Hopefully, a class action lawsuit won't be necessary!
I own a 2020 Rav4 XLE with 8,000 miles on it and found the battery dead this morning for the first time. Insane that this many people have problems with this car. Still no fix from Toyota. I called Toyota Care and they sent someone to boost the car and it started right up. He told me that the battery was a "3" and needed to be charged more to start the car. The car has been sitting for only 2 days so this is unacceptable. I let the car run for about 35 minutes and am hoping for no problems going forward. I'm buying a battery charger just in case.
Guru94DC67 answered 4 years ago
So my battery on my 2020 rav xle went dead. It was sitting for 12 hours. I called the dealer and they did not call back. So I jumped the battery (Ardmore Toyota) and they would not call back. So I drove over to the dealership. They tried to blow me off and I had to have a “Frank” conversation. They finally brought out a technician that I could talk to. I am an engineer. He was real good. He asked me how far the key fab was from the car and explained that if the fab is within 20 to 35 feet, it will alert the computers in the car that it was about ready to start and drain the battery. The fab had been close to the car because of the parking situation.. He said he has seen it dozens of times. The logic is reasonable. We will see. I put the fab in a signal blocking pouch now. It would be nice if Toyota told us this before we bought the car.
In the owners manual there is an illustration showing the "areas" where the key fob is detected. I believe it's around 2 1/2 feet from the doors. My battery has only died once after sitting in our garage for 4 days. Dealer charged battery up and we have had no more problems. I did turn my wife's key fob off. I may wrap my key fob in aluminum foil when not planning on using my vehicle for awhile. Toyota has now made their vehicles so complicated that even they don't understand them.
So do you guys think that turning the fob off will be enough to stop the signal? It seems to be the case, as once I’ve done it (hold lock button down while clicking unlock 2x), I can automatically open my locked doors and have to reactivate the fob to do so....
Beandip121 answered 4 years ago
For everyone saying the key fob is the issue I don’t think that true. When my battery died the first time I kept getting the battery charging message when the auto stop start should have engaged at a stoplight. I would drive for awhile and it would work again then I would go to the store and turn the car off and when I got back in the battery charging message was back so something was draining the battery a ton while I was in the store where the key fob was way too far away to communicate. The battery died and after that I started keeping my key fob in a metal coffee tin as far away from the car as possible since I read the key can’t communicate through the metal and my battery still died a second time. I finally got a new battery after the second fail and I also got the tsb remote connect update and I’ve been good for almost 4 months ( knock on wood) and I’ve started leaving my key fob in my purse in the couch overnight which is right over the garage my car is in. I hope I don’t jinx myself by posting this. I also think it’s pathetic that it’s almost the end of the year and Toyota still hasn’t fixed or even acknowledged this issue
Guru94DQWB answered 4 years ago
I have experienced the exact same issue twice since I bought my car in january. 2020 RAV4 Hybrid XLE. The first time, I had to have it towed in, and the dealership said there was "nothing" wrong with it. They suggested it went dead because I (a) didn't drive it enough (I call busllshit on this one!) (b) I left my sunroof open (c) I left my keys too close to the vehicle (d) I leave it unlocked. I really hate being talked to like I am a child, suggesting that I am somehow at fault for this when clearly it's a known issue. This time I was able to jump start it, but it gave me all kinds of error messages including that there is a charging system malfunction, parking brake malfunction, smart key malfunction... I took the advice of several of the posters and disabled the parking brake as a temporary measure, wrote a scathing letter to the dealership, included this forum thread in my email... will be calling ASAP for service.
I bought 2020 RAV4 Hybrid a month ago. After bringing it home I started to read reviews on it as I was having issues with my Bluetooth connecting. My radio was freezing and restarting every 30 seconds so I was trying to find a solution. Upon researching the Bluetooth issue I stumbled across reviews of the batteries dying if you don’t drive the car for a couple of days. I never thought this would happen after only driving the car for a month....but it did! I went camping and let my car sit for 36 hours without staring it. I came outside and the trunk wouldn’t open. I thought that was really odd so decided to start my car and it wouldn’t turn on! Low and behold I had a dead battery after not driving it for 36 hours! This is completely unacceptable. I shouldn’t have to purchase a jump box to keep in my car in fear that if I’m out of town I’ll come home to a dead battery! I had a 2008 Camry and never had any issues which is why I decided to purchase another Toyota. I am extremely disappointed in the issues I’ve had only a month into owning this vehicle!
Guru94WGJK answered 4 years ago
Less than 4000 miles. Ready to go to work and it won’t start. 2020 rav 4. Had to jump start. Frustrated.
plumboblee answered 4 years ago
This is deja vu all over again for me! I own two hybrids, a 2007 Prius and a 2010 Ford Fusion. My experience continues from the days I purchased those cars new until today. Long story short, both of them go dead after a week or two of sitting idle. I have gone round and round with both the Toyota and Ford service departments for years. Same story as all of the rest here, the battery tests OK. I eventually solved the problem of being stranded at the airport parking lot by taking a cab and leaving the cars in my garage where I had a charger. There are other forums that will bear this out. The reason I am here is I was considering purchase of a 2021 RAV4 Prime. One reason was to get away from the battery problems I have experienced for years. assuming the problem was solved by now. The other problem I have experienced over the years with the Prius is the gas tank occasionally not filling up all the way. It appears the RAV4 prime may have both problems, otherwise it looks like a cool car. Think I'll buy a Tesla Model Y instead.
I used this post to research the issue, which has now happened twice. We have a 2020 RAV 4 XLE. First problem was parasitic draw which was corrected by the dealer. The second occurrence, about 3 weeks later had them stumped. Involved Toyota District Manager in our area, and he opened up a ticket with the dealer. The Toyota manager and the dealer thinks that the ACCESSORY stays engaged. Toyota says there is no current fix, but were aware and working on the issue. Their recommendation is to "TOYOTA WOULD LIKE CUSTOMER TO LOCK VEHICLE USING THE TOUCH METHOD ON THE EXTERIOR DOOR HANDLES. IF A SINGLE BEEP IS HEARD, THEN ACCESSORY IS OFF. IF EXTENDED BEEP IS HEARD THEN ACCESSORY IS ON." I'd like to pass this on to all on this thread to see if it helps. Feedback is appreciated.
Guru94B4G4 answered 4 years ago
I've had my 2020 Rav4 XLE Hybrid for 9 months - only put 4,000 miles on it so far. Had the dead battery issue about 6 months ago. Jumped it, took it to the dealer, had the battery checked - everything o.k. But the ACCESSORY engaged issue came up. Make sure you firmly depress the brake pedal while pushing the start/stop button to turn the car off. If you don't push the brake pedal you stay in accessory mode, and it may not be obvious, especially if you don't lock the car with the touch method as mentioned my Mark. Haven't had the issue since.
Happened to me today on 12 September 2020. 2020 Rav4 XSE made in Japan with 2002 miles on it. Parked overnight, wife goes to start this morning and its dead as a doornail. This is where it gets a little weird. Called Toyota for a jump, and the second the tow truck guy connected the jumper box to the terminals under the hood it fixed the problem, started right up. He only had the cables attached for a second, he couldnt of actually charged the battery. It acted more like a short than a dead battery. Thanks all for posting, I will start my documentation to help the cause. - Matt from Huntsville
plumboblee answered 4 years ago
I don't want to confuse my 2007 Prius issue with the problems described in this thread. I would point out that with the Prius when you shut down the car with the Start button, it shuts off without the need to have your foot on the brake pedal!
"Happened to me today on 12 September 2020. 2020 Rav4 XSE made in Japan with 2002 miles on it. Parked overnight, wife goes to start this morning and its dead as a doornail. This is where it gets a little weird. Called Toyota for a jump, and the second the tow truck guy connected the jumper box to the terminals under the hood it fixed the problem, started right up. He only had the cables attached for a second, he couldnt of actually charged the battery. It acted more like a short than a dead battery. Thanks all for posting, I will start my documentation to help the cause. - Matt from Huntsville I wonder if a trickle charger would have the same effect, or letting it trickle charge for a bit would be enough to activate the hybrid system. This is something I plan to try if/when my battery dies again.
plumboblee answered 4 years ago
I found this in the 2020 RAV4 owners manual: ■To prevent battery discharge Do not stop the engine when the shift lever is in a position other than P. If the engine is stopped in another shift lever position, the engine switch will not be turned to OFF but instead be turned to ACC. If the vehicle is left in ACC, battery discharge may occur
Thanks for the info new RAV 4 cancelled .
I bought my RAV4 2020 on 8/1/2020. Today, with 748 miles on it, the car wouldn't start. Called for help from friend to jump start it and took it to the dealership. "Battery no longer meets minimum requirements." They replaced it. I feel bad after reading all the posts above because it's too late.
Guru94HS1W answered 4 years ago
I had this same issue with my 2020 RAV4 Hybrid. It has happened twice in the past 3 weeks. I've had the car for just over 3 months. I took it to the dealer who said the battery tested fine and I called Toyota corporate who said they have no record of other customers having this same complaint.
Send Toyota corporate a copy of this list. Tell them their "reliability" is in question now.
If they’re saying they’ve no record of this happening to anyone else they’re lying. Lots of us have files opened with Toyota.
LoveOurRAV4 answered 4 years ago
2020 RAV4 XSE Hybrid purchased in August 2020. Owned it for about 5 weeks, only driven 450 miles (due to COVID-19 stay at home advice). Vehicle left overnight until 10am next day - battery dead. Now trying the key fob shutdown process along with the "touch method" of locking in the hope that we can avoid a recurrence of this issue. Absolutely love this new vehicle but so disappointed to learn of the bad experiences everyone is suffering through. Thank you to everyone for posting their issues and especially the possible solutions.
Guru94QBTF answered 4 years ago
Same problem with my 2020 rav4 LE. I do not have a push to start, I have a regular key and still having these issues. Toyota says they can’t find anything wrong. I am also having the same issue with the start/stop feature, it always says the battery is charging.
RAV42020LE answered 4 years ago
I have a 2020 RAV LE. While my battery hasn’t fully died (yet) I have noticed that for the past 10 days my car always says “battery charging” when trying to use the start/stop system at a red light. I’m now at 2200 miles and this never use to happen. When I took it to Toyota to have them check the battery they basically dismissed it and said it’s normal even after telling them 3 times that this did not use to happen. I’m sure it’s just a matter of time before I wake up to a dead battery :(
Have a 2020 RAV4 399 miles left under 48 hours not driven battery died at dealerships now beware of buying
Guru9426HW answered 4 years ago
My 2020 Rav 4 battery died twice. First time after about 2,000 miles, called Toyota Care and they came and jump started it. Second time I had it towed to Toyota and they jump started it and said it tested ok. They dealer could and would not tell me why the battery is draining. He asked if I was leaving the key in the car. I never leave the key in the car. Basically he said it was my problem and that he wished there was something he could fix. I called Toyota Corporate Office and they opened a case report. If you have this problem you need to call this number and open a case report(1-800- 331-4331). They need to know owners are having this problem.
We are having the same issue with our 2020 rav4 xle. Had it for only a month, less than a 1,000 miles, battery did twice. It's at the dealership now. They do not know what is wrong with it and need to keep it for a while. We haven't even made a payment yet! I just want my down payment back...they can keep the damn car! Our 3rd Toyota and the worst by far. Buyer beware!!!
Chandrapal answered 4 years ago
Bought a new 2020 Rav4 XLE Gas model 2 weeks back and landed in this page. 350 miles on it and Dead battery for resting the car one day. I had a 2018 toyota camry for almost 3 years and never had a single issue with the battery. I feel nervous after going through this thread, I payed down payment for this damn car and a nice trade in. I don't know how to fight this with the dealership. I want to return this lemonade and get my hands on my old car.
Chandrapal answered 4 years ago
Can anyone answer if this is happening with only Canada made models or both Japan and Canada. Mine is Canada made starts vin: 2txxxx, Japan made starts with vin: J5xxxx. I want to request for a replacement if Japan ones have no issues
Mine is 2t3rxxxx and engine wouldn’t turn and no electricity after 6 months. Not necessarily a dead battery, but could be a defect in the electrical.
LoveOurRAV4 answered 4 years ago
Our 2020 RAV4 Hybrid XSE was made in Canada. Smart key system. We had our first dead battery with 450 miles on the odometer after it was only 5 weeks old. Since that time (only about 10 days ago now) we have been practicing the following 3 steps that we picked up on this page and no further issues to this time. I might add, we only drive the vehicle for short distances roughly every second day and the longest period we have not driven has been almost 3 days. No further issues after following these 3 steps... 1. Brake pedal depressed whenever switching off the vehicle. 2. Using the "touch method" to lock the vehicle (finger on the ridges on the driver/passenger door handle) and ensuring one "beep". (This is supposed to switch off the ACC function - and presumably prevent battery discharge). 3. When leaving the vehicle overnight or for an extended period - disabling the battery in the smart key fob (hold the lock button and while keeping it depressed, push the unlock button twice - you should get 4 quick flashes of the red light on the fob - wake up the fob by pressing any key). Maybe we have just been lucky since our one and only battery discharge, but following these three steps has worked thus far. Who would have thought that after 50+ years of owning and operating motor vehicles we would have to learn how to switch the darn things off?
CrabbyCamper answered 4 years ago
Mine is also 2T... it's happened to me twice, in Jan and May. Toyota THINKS they've fixed it with software reprograming, but it's just not right having a brand new car that you can't trust 100%. Otherwise I love this car. Thanks for offering this new avenue. You might be on to something here.
Had the dead battery twice within the week back in July. The dealership upgraded the firmware for the head unit. Not sure if this was the actual fix to the issue but we haven’t had the dead battery since. And the remote services finally started working again.
My RAV4 XLE hybrid VIN begins with 2T. I have owned it for 7 months. Went dead twice when I was driving it pretty much every day. They did an update about a month ago when it last had to be towed into the dealership. Then I had surgery. Haven't driven it for about three weeks (although my son has driven it a few times). Started okay. Had to reconnect my cell phone and contacts - guess that's normal? FOB didn't work properly to open the rear gate. Waiting for some clear answers from the national OR local people.
JillJenn10 answered 4 years ago
Newest member of the club here! Brand new 2020 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid XSE. I’ve had it for exactly one month. It has 821 miles on it. It sat overnight and when I went to start it this morning it was dead. Toyota Care took 6 hours to come pick it up and tow it to the dealership. I’m so angry. I’m anxious to see what the dealership says. Especially after reading this thread. If this keeps happening I will be taking advantage of the lemon law. This 40k car shouldn’t be this unreliable. Side note: did anyone else’s briefly start up only to say it’s a key fob malfunction then crash?
Chandrapal my VIN starts with JT so I don't think it matters where it was manufactured. Toyota needs to step up and issue a recall. More than likely a class action lawsuit will be filed soon! I also called corporate and got a case number. They act like they never heard of this before. They are lying!!
After 2 months and 600 miles I have the same issue with my brand new RAV-4 XLE. Had to jump started it and drove to dealership. They claim they have never heard of a problem and that it is my fault for not driving the car frequently. Car was sitting for 1 day only.... At the beggining showed key malfunction indicator, but later went completely dead.
Chandrapal answered 4 years ago
I submitted the case too. I think everyone here should submit the case, then only Toyota will take it seriously. I feel Toyota didn’t go through their testing life cycle as Boeing did with 737-Max. At least Boeing grounded the planes after 2 crashes, here 100”s of Customers are facing the same problem and they are still selling this cars without a fix.
CrabbyCamper answered 4 years ago
CLEARLY they're trying to cover their butts. Who has EVER heard that you have to drive a car a certain amount, and can't let it sit more than a few days in a row? Yet they are CONSISTENTLY telling people this from different dealers all over the country. Also, they're pretending they've never heard of it, not only at the dealerships but also at corporate. THIS is the infuriating part. They need to figure it out and do a recall. They claim they only do recalls on safety issues but this is absolutely a safety issue. If I take my Rav to the mountains, hike in for a few days, and then am stranded without cell service, it could be fatal. Don't let up folks. We all seem happy with our cars otherwise. They need to stop lying to us and make this right.
What infuriates me is that Toyota continues to sell these cars with the known defects! Pure greed! Toyota's reliability and customer service leave much to be desired anymore. We have two older Toyotas and love them. I will never buy another one after this fiasco. I'm hoping I can utilize my state's lemon law and get rid of this car! It has been at the dealership for 4 days now and we haven't even heard from them. They clearly do not know what is wrong with these cars, but yet continue to sell them! I'm thinking about calling our local news stations. Maybe that will get their attention!
I don't think i've seen this mentioned yet,,, i'm having same issues with my 2020 rav 4 purchased in jan 2020 now with with2200 miles,,,so what i tried was hooking up my voltmeter while driving the car and found that my reading was fluctuating between12.1 and 13.9volts. staying at 12.2 most of the time which tells me there is a charging issue which is not keeping the battery at full charge.Any comments????
You guys should disable auto hand break feature. My battery was dead two times. After i disabled the auto hand break, never have dead battery again.
Guru994BZG answered 4 years ago
Updating my previous post below: After almost 10 days I woke up to a dead battery after not driving the car for 48 hours. So if you start seeing the "battery charging" message while stopped at a red light you are most certainly going to have a dead battery. I have a 2020 RAV LE. While my battery hasn’t fully died (yet) I have noticed that for the past 10 days my car always says “battery charging” when trying to use the start/stop system at a red light. I’m now at 2200 miles and this never use to happen. When I took it to Toyota to have them check the battery they basically dismissed it and said it’s normal even after telling them 3 times that this did not use to happen. I’m sure it’s just a matter of time before I wake up to a dead battery :(
Guru994SVL answered 4 years ago
everyone deactivate your auto park brake the solinoids are drawing alot of current causing battery to die . i am a toyota technician and have found this a problem there is no fix right now other then to deactivate park brake
Update: Toyota replaced the data communication module (dcm) and let it sit for 2 days untouched. It started right up on the 3rd day. Corporate has told me they are finding this update seems to resolve the issue. We had tried dismantling the auto parking brake previously and the battery still died. Hopefully the dcm update works! Will update as we continue to test it!
I have 3500 miles on my 2020 RAV 4. It said smart key error and wouldn’t start, but it was a dead battery, nothing left on overnight. Drove it yesterday, dead this morning. I jumped it and it wasn’t a key problem at all. Took it to Toyota and I heard 2 things. One, the former company supporting the SOS function was pinging cars and that was draining peoples batteries and two, it needed a firmware update. Not sure if the issues were related. They said they tested my battery and it was fine, did the firmware update. I guess we’ll see how it goes.
My local dealership also updated the dcm a day before I had surgery a month ago. It has been driven some, but not much since then. So far, this fix seems to have worked! Crossing my fingers...
The battery on my new 2020 Rav4 XSE died twice. First time was 6 months after purchase with 5,000 miles. Second time was 3 months after the first time with 7,500 miles. I read the entire thread above. Here is the summary of what I have personally experienced. 1) Not driving enough - FALSE. My battery died the day after I returned from an 1,000 mile road trip. 2) Fob too close to car - FALSE. My car is parked in a parking garage 5 floors below ground with no reception of any kind. I live another city block from where my car is parked. 3) Bad Battery - TBD. The dealership gave me a new battery. I left my car overnight with the dealer. The next day, the dealer tested for parasitic battery drain. It came back at 36mA. The max in the tolerance is 50mA. So within tolerance. However, the original battery failed to hold the charge. The first time my battery failed, the dealer just recharged my car. That did work, I am currently testing the theory of the the bad battery batch. I will see if the new battery solves the problem. 4) Software update (DCM), Disable Automatic Parking, Turn off Accessory mode - Have not tried them. I am going to eliminate each variable step by step. It sucks that I have to be Toyota's QA department but so many people are having this issue. My Next Steps: 1) I filed another ticket with Toyota - everyone having issues should as well for each time you have the issue. I asked for an escalation number. Toyota offered a call back from a senior tech in the next few days. Will see if Toyota calls me back 2) Post this on Twitter. Toyota seems to monitor this public forum frequently. I encourage everyone to post to @Toyota That is very public. Toyota does care about that social media channel. I will keep you guys posted. I am personally disappointed and annoyed as all of you on this forum. RE: the fuel gauge problem - that is yet another issue. I will tackle one issue at time. This battery issue is critical, inconvenient and a safety issue as some of you have mentioned. You may get stranded at a rest stop on a long road trip in the middle of nowhere with no cell reception at night. Good luck everyone.
Guru99ZZM7 answered 4 years ago
My 2020 Camry Hybrid had similar “Smart Key Malfunction” error with two 12v batteries dying in the last month. My local dealer service department opened a tech support case with Toyota and said a new technical support bulletin just came out (9/30/20) regarding this issue. Reference TSB 0021-20. Supposedly The fix is a DCM update. Hope this helps.
rav4_xle_awd_2020 answered 4 years ago
My 1 month old 2020 Rav4 XLE AWD - Battery Dead after 8 hours parking . 1300 miles on it. After reading all the suggestions, i have done 2 things. First, I have disabled the interlocking electronic parking break. Second, I took the car to dealership for inspection and asked them for DCM update. I will post an update after i get back the car and service department comments. Place: Plano, Texas Date: Oct 2nd, 2020
rav4_xle_awd_2020 answered 4 years ago
Update: My dealer has updated the DCM firmware and charged the battery based on the Technical service bulletin: T-SB-0095-20. Note: This bulletin clearly addresses "depleted 12V vehicle battery when in IG-OFF'. I will continue to disable the interlocking electronic parking brake. I hope this helps! Place: Plano, Texas Date: Oct 3rd, 2020
Guru99TTDC answered 4 years ago
Vehicle was working flawlessly yesterday. Tried to move it out of the garage this morning, and it’s a dud. Not starting, wheel is locked, no horn, no unlocking/locking. Purchased January 2020, only 6k miles. Wtf!
Kayaknancy answered 4 years ago
Got news for you Toyota owners I’ve had my 2010 RAV4 with this same problem for 10 years in the dealer, and in other dealers and the only answer they can come up with is your battery is dead, or you left your interior lights on ( yes you open the driver door the interior lights do come on). I have even bought a priority start and after 5 days out of town my car battery was still dead.
Beandip121 answered 4 years ago
In response to the person who posted about the tsb 0095-20. Are you sure this is the right number. I looked it up online and can’t find anything. Thanks
Following up on my thread 4 days ago, for Toyota RAV4 XSE. I received a call back from Toyota corporate after escalating my 2 original support tickets. Toyota corporate confirmed TSB-0095-20 posted on 9/30/2020 as stated by another previous post from rav4_xle_awd_2020 from Plano Texas. Toyota corporate called my local dealerships to have it schedule an appointment to get my car updated. Looks like the Camry is also experiencing the same 12V battery drain and has another technical bulletin as stated by Guru99ZZM7.
Guru99X435 answered 4 years ago
My 2020 Camary that I have had for 3 months is doing same thing as all yall are saying. It has been in shop twice now. Just got it back from dealership and it says T-SB-0095-20 was released the next day after they got my car and they were instructed to follow TSB. Says they updated and reset the DCM firmware. Lets hope this works.
Beandip121 answered 4 years ago
So I tried to ask my dealer about tsb 0095-20 and got a totally bullshit answer that they don’t know how people are getting this info because only techs have this info and that tsbs aren’t really fixed they’re just a heads up for the techs. They said as long as my car isn’t showing symptoms I’m totally fine. This is why this situation is so stressful because of the dipshits that I have to deal with at Toyota. I had the remote tsb DCM firmware done back in June. I’m not sure if this is the same as this new tsb?
rav4_xle_awd_2020 answered 4 years ago
@Beandip121 Yes, T-SB-0095-20 this is the correct number. It is dated September 30. Maybe that's why its not available on the internet yet. I strongly suggest you check with your dealer. Uploading the first 2 pages for your reference Place: Plano, Texas Date: Oct 5
rav4_xle_awd_2020 answered 4 years ago
T-SB-0095-20 : Page 2 Place: Plano, Texas
rav4_xle_awd_2020 answered 4 years ago
TSB-0095-20 has a notice that says TSB 0021-20 is OBSOLETE! Everyone refer to my earlier posts that has photos of TSB-0095-20 I uploaded. This should be the update everyone's rav4/camry should have.
I've had my new 2020 RAV4 XLE Hybrid for just a week now and had the battery die on me yesterday evening. Read about the issues with the batteries and the gas tank (still too early to see if that's an issue since I haven't had the car long enough to need to fill up) before making the decision to purchase the car, but thought that this was more isolated than it actually is I guess. This is my first Toyota, and I bought it specifically because of the brand's reputation for reliability and quality. I'm pretty disappointed, as I have really loved the car aside from this. Went out last night to buy a car battery jump starter and digital multimeter ($50 and $20 from Walmart respectively) so that the car could be jumpstarted and to measure the battery's voltage to check for drain. Before jumpstarting the car, the multimeter read 5.28v, then afterwards (while the car was running) it read 14.29v. It didn't really show any drain overnight (was originally 13.07v after driving it around and this morning was at 12.60v, so not a huge difference). We took it into Toyota first thing this morning, so if they provide any fixes or suggestions then I'll post an update. I find this whole situation interesting because if it can die on me within a week, I'm not sure how it can sit on the lot for a month or so and not experience any issues (since I doubt the car was driven every single day for a test drive). If they don't have a solution, I'll try out turning off the electronic parking break and things like that.
How i coud see this tsb-0095-20? because when i search it online doesnt show anything? or i could show the picture of rav4_xle_awd_2020 to the dealer?
Guru99X435 answered 4 years ago
@Rachel I bought a new Toyota same reason you did and this is first time i have ever bought a brand new one. This hasn't been a very good experience. I drive my car everyday and it still had this problem. The first time they put a new battery in it then 2 weeks later when i would try to start it it would start but it didn’t want to so I took it back to dealership and then they got the email about the TSB. I dont know yet if this is going to work cause I just got my car back. If your having problems with your battery I would go ahead and take it back and let them check it for you. It sounds like your having same problem as I was.
rav4_xle_awd_2020 answered 4 years ago
@Jan098, please take a print out of the photos of 2 pages i posted and show it to the dealer. Online database is not updated on nhtsa.gov website yet!
Just an update from my visit to the dealership service department today (10/6) after my car battery dying for the first time last night. According to them, they weren’t sure how to diagnose the problem, so they had to open a TAS case and they had to get on the phone with a Toyota engineer to get it figured out (what they told me at least). They said it turned out that the battery had an issue with an open circuit, so they replaced the battery. So we’ll see if this works. Will post an update if there are additional issues.
Guru99B24L answered 4 years ago
Last night my Rav4 Hybrid battery appeared dead. I purchased it on September 30 and it has 316 miles on it. When we tried to start it gave the usual errors given in this post's discussions then it went completely dead...no lights or sounds. I jumped it with another vehicle then opened the hatch and put a battery charger on it. It was completely charged after 45 minutes and this would not seem possible from a completely dead battery. I will call the national Toyota number this morning and get a case #. I will call my service dealer and get them to put the T-SB-0095-20 fix into this and test/replace the battery. I should not have to turn off the remote or put it in a Faraday Bag. I should not have to disable the parking break. And even with all of the functions in modern vehicles it should be able to be parked for at least a few weeks without dying. Anything short of this is unacceptable.
Guru99X435 answered 4 years ago
i have had my car back 2 days after the TSB update was done and it has started doing same thing again! I am getting fed up with this whole thing. The dealership has been awesome and its not their fault. Toyota needs to get the problem fixed this will be my 3rd time to dealership for this same problem! I bought a brand new Toyota cause they are suppose to be reliable. Total opposite I dont want to even drive it anywhere because I dont know if im going to be stranded or not!! Really frustrated!! I hope everyone else has better luck with new update!!
Beandip121 answered 4 years ago
@Guru99X435 is your battery dead again after the new update? I’m getting it done Friday and I’m the first one my dealership has done which makes me nervous. I hope this update isn’t a bust
My rav4 xle had the dcm software update 2 weeks ago and so far it has been fine. We even let it sit untouched for 4 days and it started right up. Hopefully that is a permanent fix to a very frustrating problem!
Guru99CB23 answered 4 years ago
Guru99X435; which TSB? The Sept one TSB-0095-20? Or the previous one tsb 0021-20
Guru99X435 answered 4 years ago
@Beandip121 my battery only went completely dead the first time I had a problem they but me a new battery in then 2 weeks later when i would go to start it, it was having problems so I got it back to dealership before battery went completely dead again and this time they did the new update and now 2 days later it is doing same thing doesnt want to start. The dealership is coming to get it Monday. To see what is wrong. They told me when I got it back that everything would be at factory setting after update but it wasnt, so idk if something wasnt right with download or what the problem is. The 2020 Camry and Rav4 the only two they are having this problem with is what dealership told me.
Guru99X435 answered 4 years ago
@ Guru99CB23 the September one. Anyone that had this one done was everything back to factory settings when you got it back? mine wasnt but dealership said it would be. So im wondering if something wasnt done right
Guru99X435 answered 4 years ago
@ akd3874 was everything back to factory settings when you got it back after update?
@guru99x435 the dealership did not specify if that was done. I had opened a case with Toyota corporate and my case manager told me a dcm software update seems to be correcting the problem. So far, it has worked for us. The dealership had to call in a field service technician about the problem, and he instructed them to do the dcm software update.
Chandrapal answered 4 years ago
I took my rav4 to the dealer after it failed to start in 2 occasions. Dealer kept the car for 5 days and said nothing was wrong with the vehicle, thy have inspected battery voltage and it is good condition, I asked for the repair statement and it is mentioned they followed up with toyota for DCM firmware update for my toyota and it is update and sos light functions properly. Tricky thing is, the automatic parking break feature is disabled, when the vehicle is sitting in the dealer service. I got the vehicle now and i kept it for 2 days straight with parking brake off and it started up ok after 2 days. Not exactly sure if the issue is fixed. If I enable the automatic parking brake, will it die again !!?
My car is Rav4 LE 2020 hybrid. When I first bought the car in May 2020. The 12V battery died on me twice. I brought to the dealer today and they was able to update the firmware from T-SB-0095-20. Not sure the battery issue will be resolved or not but this update also fixed my toyota app. It is now showing the tire pressure, which was broken for many months. First the dealer denied that there is any update for my car. I called Toyota support (connect service selection) and have them call my dealer directly to educate them on this new firmware update. After that, the dealer called me back for scheduling the time. And it was done today.
Guru99CGB6 answered 4 years ago
Hi all, My car (Toyota Corolla Hatchback XSE) is also doing the same thing. My dealer located in Florence, KY is fully aware of the issue and said they have received many calls. I let them know about the latest update and also lobbied for them to replace the battery just because, but we'll see. I will update this thread with whatever happens. My dealer was legit and even gave me a rental Camry Se with 10 miles on it, so that's amazing. I drive stick so I'm not messing with the electric parking brake. Also, I have a very modern portable jump start with me just in case. I'm not giving up on Toyota because mechanically these things are amazing. This has something to do with the "brains" of the car. Will update in the future either way.
Beandip121 answered 4 years ago
So apparently this tsb-0095-20 is really complicated or something because my car has been at the dealer all day and they still can’t get the update to work and need to keep it overnight to work on it tomorrow. I wonder how others are getting it to work and mine can’t ?
Guru99X435 answered 4 years ago
@beandip121 my car went to dealership sept 29 they got update september 30 i got my car back oct 5. they did update and my car is still doing same thing. I called Toyota headquarters today and started a case. this is 3rd time they have had my car for this issue in 30 days.
Guru94DQWB answered 4 years ago
I got the dealership to install the newest update on my vehicle. but only after I harassed the service manager enough by showing him the entire thread and the information about the TSB. They acted like the update had only come out about 5 minutes before I pulled into the dealership. They also told me it would take 20 to 30 minutes but it actually took 3 hours. So far so good, keeping my fingers crossed
3rd time my 2020 Rav4 with 5K need to be jump started. At dealership now and after checking battery out they said it is fine. The service advisor said it may have been the cold weather we had this week. It was in the upper 40 degrees and car is in garage. What a BS answer! I called Toyota Customer Experience to open a case phone # 800-331-4331 Everyone with this issue should call.
Beandip121 answered 4 years ago
@2020rav4 someone posted earlier there’s a tsb for the battery update. It’s tsb-0095-20. I took mine in Friday and they did the update on it. Now I did have to call Toyota corporate first because my dealer denied the update exists and then corporate called my dealer and had them schedule me in. The guy at my dealership said that the safety connect module is turning on in the middle of the night and draining the battery. It must only happen sometimes because my battery has been fine for like 5 months but I had them do the update anyways.
Guru99N6BZ answered 4 years ago
Thanks 2020Rav4. I called 1-800-331-4331 and opened a case about my 2020 Camry Hybrid. Sat one day undriven in the garage. Wouldn't start this morning. Message appeared about ignition and I could hear clicking sound. I tried several times and finally just drove another car. Dealer told my husband to jump the car. He did and then they ran their diagnostics at Toyota dealership and said my car was fine and so was the battery so there was nothing they could do. They told him to come back if it happens again. That doesn't make sense because a car with less than 6K miles shouldn't have ignition problems. I called the number listed above and opened up a case.
Guru99X435 answered 4 years ago
My 2020 Camry is back at dealership for the 3rd time now within 30 days. I am making payments on a vehicle that spends more time in shop than I get to drive it. It is realy getting aggravating. the 1st time they replaced my battery, the second time they did the new update now the 3rd time they are checking my fuel system. Said my fuel pump maybe faulty. We will see if this fixes problem! I have opened a case with Toyota.
Guru99QW2Y answered 4 years ago
Rav4 2020, 2 months purchased, 3000 miles. After 1 day parked battery totally dead. Had to use jumpers to start it. No dashcam or any other lights on to drain the battery. The car was off and locked for just only 1 day.... This is very problematic and concerning for a brand new car. What can we do?
Guru99QW2Y answered 4 years ago
Rav4 2020 XLE AWD, 2 months purchased, 3000 miles. After 1 day parked battery totally dead. Had to use jumpers to start it. No dashcam or any other lights on to drain the battery. The car was off and locked for just only 1 day.... This is very problematic and concerning for a brand new car. What can we do?
Did the headunit firmware upgrade back in July. My car hasn’t had the dead battery issue since. And today the dealership called me to notify that firmware upgrade indeed fixes the battery drain issue. I believe Toyota Corporate (Canada) released that statement to the dealerships.
Our dealer service manager told me yesterday that he had just learned about TSB-0095-20 a couple of weeks ago, and reported to us that it would fix our recurring dead battery problem... got it done in a few hours... will see... this is second time for the mysterious dead battery. We plan to open a case again with Toyota if it happens a third. Giving them the benefit of the doubt on this TSB even though others seem to still have problems post update.
Have TSB-0095-20 installed today; let's see how it goes. At first, was told it may be $150 diag fee; told them nope, I brought it in because of a dead battery, and that I found the TSB - they agreed no fee.
Dead again after a new battery 7 weeks ago and consistently turning off the smart key. I am livid. And late for work.
@Liebich. A new battery will not solve the problem. You need a dcm software update. Call Toyota corporate to open up a case. They will contact your dealership with the remedy. Good luck!
Guru992GBB answered 4 years ago
BRAND NEW 2021 RAV4 LE Non-Hybrid base model here - only 2 wks old and dead battery. Didn't leave any lights on. After reading this thread I'm not feeling confident that this is going to be a reliable car. I did see someone on this thread suggesting turning off the automatic parking brakes. So I did that and also turned the headlights completely off from automatic DRL mode. Anything that I could think of that may drain the battery, I turned off. Now crossing my fingers.
Guru94B4G4 answered 4 years ago
It sounds like most of these battery issues are somehow related to the SOS/Remote Connect function. I bought my 2020 RAV4 XLE Hybrid in November of last year and had the dead battery issue 12 days and 317 miles later. After checking the battery and talking to the service writer at my local Toyota dealer we attributed the battery drain to my neglect to depress the brake pedal during power off - which would leave it in accessory function over night. I don't drive every day - have only 4500 miles on it now almost a year later - but have not had another battery issue. I did have a recurring problem with my remote connect feature. The dealer performed the TSB0021-20 in July and haven't had the remote connect problem since. I really love this car for all its features and feel for you folks who have been dealing with repeat problems. You shouldn't have to disable your Parking Brake or play any other fricking games with your key fob or whatever. Full disclosure - I park my car on a level surface in my garage - so if the solenoid for the Parking Brake is a potential problem I probably wouldn't experience it. The "Hold" function and electric Parking Brake seem bogus anyway - what's wrong with a good old fashioned manual parking/emergency brake?
Guru94B4G4 answered 4 years ago
BTW - TSB 0095-20 supersedes the TSB 0021-20 and should address the same issues. Peace.
Guru99F11P answered 4 years ago
I bought this Toyota RAV4 XLE last month, with ~1250mile on it now. I parked at home for only one day. Now the battery is dead, have to get it jumped
Guru9426HW answered 4 years ago
My 2020 Rav 4 battery died for a third time in 4 months. I believe this time the dealer is aware of the update which hopefully will work.
Guru99M2S5 answered 4 years ago
Mine was dead after like 12hrs park in my garage. It's Rav4 2020 Trail and I just bought it 3 months ago :( It never happened with my old car (even bought it used) without block heater before for the past 5yrs. I'm so disappointed, It's 48k brand new car and this is what I get.
Guru99MGRJ answered 4 years ago
My car is 6 weeks old. Has 2000 miles. It was running yesxterday when I parked it in the garage. Today is it COMPLETELY DEAD. No electrical activity whatso ever. I am having it towed to the dealer tomorrow. Dealer underging change in ownership, so that might be a mistake. Their service dept not running at capacity. THis is second electrical issue, the first one the car was one week old. It also has the gas tank issue. I ask you. I would begin to wonder if buying this car was a mistake.
Guru997VQ2 answered 4 years ago
Bought 2020 RAV4 end of January - not a hybrid. It has been a royal pain as it will sit overnight and not start. I’ve had this problem with it randomly for the last 9 months and leaving nothing on. The first time was less than a week of ownership and it happened three times in two weeks. (Less than 500 miles). Toyota kept it and said they replaced the battery the third time I took it there. The problem continued and I just jump it now. Sad as it is brand new! Took it in for 5000 mile check up and it wouldn’t start that morning. Then they replaced the battery bc they lied as they never replaced it before. Infuriating! It still does not turn on after more than a day of sitting. It’s not keyless or a hybrid either!
Same thing happened to me today. It is related to seat cooling feature. If you leave it on before shutting the car it will drain your battery. hopefully toyota does a recall and fix this soon. Meanwhile do not use this feature to risk getting your battery drained and needing a jump start
Sitting at Toyota service now. Three week old car. 2020 RAV4. 400 miles and dead battery. Toyota is now instructing service to update DCM software. Either way this goes filing a complaint with Toyota and finding out legal options. Very pissed
CareGiver517 answered 4 years ago
I bought my Pre-Owned 2018 RAV4 Hybrid mid-August 2018. It had 2200 miles on it. I’m a CareGiver who drives 10 minutes to work 5 days/week. Before Covid, I drove to the church (5 minutes) on Sunday and again for a class on Mondays. No problems until 10/1/20, when the car wouldn’t start. Got a jump start. All ok until 10/10/20. Made an appointment with Toyota. 9800? Miles on it. “Everything looked ok”. Had 10,000 mile maintenance done. Today, 10/21/20, it wouldn’t start again. 9888 miles on it. Have another appointment for a more involved check up. Mine is a J5xxx. Left the car in the garage for 7 days last year 9/2019 and it started right up when I got back! This doesn’t make sense. I can’t afford to be 2 hours late for work once a week!!!
The magic question: why would anyone buy a RAV4 hybrid given the known issues and Toyota's total lack of a solution? I have an older Toyota. Keeping it. I can let it sit for a couple months and it will start, it will get a full load of gas, it's reliable. Not like the RAV4.
I have been experiencing the same issues with my 2020 RAV4. First time posting. I had disabled the auto parking brake when I first found this thread. That does not solve the problem. Took the car to Toyota yesterday. I told them about the Service Bulletin 95-20 when I set the appointment at that time they acted like they had never heard of it. dropped car off at 7am and they called at 5pm saying it was ready. I didn't pick it up until this morning. they say they updated the DCM pursuant to the service bulletin. The tech stated its an issue with 2020 RAVs Camrys and Avalons. He said the problem was the computers are running too much when the car was off and this update will result in the computers "sleeping" more and not draining the battery. Keeping my fingers crossed.
I bought my 2020 Rav4 XLE Hybrid in early June 2020. Battery died 477 miles later. Took it to dealer he recharged the battery and I've had no more problems. Gas tank fills fine. Love my Rav4. No regrets buying it. P.S. The last fill up, my gas mileage was 54.0 mpg.
Robert24018 answered 4 years ago
I purchased my new 2020 Rav4 Platinum Limited in January 2020. Have had three no start battery failures as described in threads here, with three calls to Toyota Roadside Assistance for jumps (failures on 7/2/20; 7/4/20 and 10/4/20). The car currently has under 3400 miles on it. I wrote my dealer, raised “heck” & documented many threads here and attached the latest TSB (T-SB-0095-20) update. I dropped off the car at the dealer on 10/15/20 and they did the DCM update. The service tech was familiar with the issue and said he had a couple other cars with this same issue. So far, so good. I will post an update should the problem recur. Hopefully, the software update will resolve. I will say I really love this car—I had a 2014 CR-V, but this car with the technology package is very nice. I am not a fan of Toyota’s remote connect software. It is very “wonky.”. I suppose those concerns are for another thread.
Guru9DDC3M answered 4 years ago
I bought a 2020 Rav4 XLE Premium, Gas, in August. At 3500 miles I went two days without turning it on. Parked in garage. Nothing left on. Went to start it and it was dead. Error messages were popping up such as "Electronic parking brake error" "key fob error" "take to dealer", etc. I had parked in the garage so there was no way to jump start. The electronic parking brake was engaged so no way to roll it out to jump it. Had to get tow truck. He jumped it with a battery pack and said he had to tow it to the dealership even though I could have just driven it. He left it running while it was on the tow truck. This was a Saturday and the dealership was closed so they didn't get to it until Monday morning. They said it started right up and ran multiple tests on the battery and said nothing was wrong. The past month, whenever I am stopped, the auto start/stop will not work and shows the message "battery charging." When they gave the car back after testing the battery, it popped up battery charging as I was stopped waiting to leave the parking lot.
Thank you to everyone who shared their experience here. My battery died this morning so I called my Toyota dealership. Not surprisingly, they "hadn't heard" of the battery drain issue until I mentioned the TSB referenced above (T-SB-0095-20) to which they "recalled" hearing about it. I took my 2020 RAV4 XLE Premium (gas) for service and they performed a battery test, charged the battery, and did the DCM firmware update. I'll report back later if I have an issue with the battery draining again. For those who are still frustrated, TELL THEM the TSB number so they can't say they don't know about it. Once they know you know your stuff, they are forced to act.
A week ago I got the DSM TSB. Since then the car has been ok. When the did it, they checked the 12v battery and pronounced it was in good shape. (the care is 6 weeks old). In this string someone mentioned replacing the battery with a REGULAR SIZE 123v battery. Is that possible? Does it void the warranty?
Guru99ZZM7 answered 4 years ago
My 2020 Camry hybrid previously had TSB 0021-20 applied a month ago. I ended up having the same dead battery “smart key Malfunction “ issue. The service department updated the DCM to the latest release. I sure hope this time it is fixed! Three dead batteries in a month and a half.
My wifes 2020 Rav4 XLE premium with 5741 miles started giving me low voltage warnings for the last two weeks. Accused my wife of leaving lights on. Upon further investigation, she did not. Yesterday it finally died beyond me starting it up. I had it towed to the dealer even though I have a battery charger, I was pissed so i made them come get it since it is a brand new car. They tested the battery and it was a faulty batter and replaced it with the new TrueStart H6EFB-TS. They said they found no parasetic draw and alternator tested fine. SOMETHING has to be drawing on these batteries. We will see how long this new battery lasts.
Guru9D51ZH answered 4 years ago
I've had the same issue. Second time it died, the dealership replaced the battery as a courtesy. The 3rd time, I was out of town and did not bother taking it in. The 4th time, I had it towed dead into the dealership and filed a Lemon Law Claim with Toyota Corporate. Last week, the dealership called me and wanted to do an ECU reset. The first reset did not take and the 2nd did. I received notice from Toyota Corporate that Toyota did not fail to repair my vehicle after a reasonable number of opportunities and based on their findings they are not able to offer any assistance at this time. This is my first Toyota purchase and my last, have never been more disappointed in a vehicle.
Guru997VQ2 answered 4 years ago
My first Toyota purchase and last also. They lied and said they replaced the battery but didn’t after less than two weeks and multiple dead battery days. Brand new RAV4 with 2 miles on it!! I bought a jump box and use it when needed. So frustrating as it happens only in the mornings before work. At my 5000 check up it died again that morning I was furious. That’s when they truly replaced the battery and I found out they lied and was so angry I have been dealing with it. Wish I found these posts earlier. I would have never bought it- it’s not a hybrid either.
BluejoyRav453 answered 4 years ago
I'm just glad I'm not crazy, even though my dealership won't listen to me! My battery has died twice and the idea of it being the fault of me not driving my car for two days is crazy! I really hope Toyota does something about this. I haven't bread the entirety of this thread, but anyone have any advice or fixes please let me know!
To; BluejoyRav453; Tell your dealer you need T-SB-0095-20 applied to your Rav4. Search through this thread for rav4_xle_awd_2020 - they uploaded scans of the TSB. Print those and take them to the dealer, refuse to pay any diag fee.
Hi Guys. Yesterday, my brother was going to class and when he started our 2020 Toyota RAV4 XLE (Gas), it would not start. It is a push to start. It kept saying "Engine Stopped, Shift into P Position" but it was in P position. He put it in D and back to P and still would not start and the screen on the speedometer said "Engine Stopped, Shift into P Position". Here is a video of the issue:https://youtu.be/UBe4TRxMnTI Since he doesn't have class everyday, the car sits in the garage for a couple days. Are you guys have a similar issue? Is this related to the battery drain issue everyone else is having? We bought it brand new last month and it only has 500 miles on it. We towed it to the toyota dealer yesterday and hope to hear back today on it.
"We designed this car to be driven" is not an acceptable answer. Are they really that STUPID?
Guru9DT52F answered 4 years ago
This is so frustrating! I bought my Toyota RAV4 on 10/23/2020. Because I have been working remotely for the past two days, the car was in my garage and would not start this morning! Yes, I am in New England and it is cold, but my car is in the garage. I had a Camry and a Highlander in the past and never had these issues. I called the dealer and they asked if I left any lights on or any doors open. They sounded like they never heard of this issue before. I also heard that there is a recall for engine stalling issues. I want to know what my options are because I do not want to deal with this car!
Guru99M2S5 answered 4 years ago
Update* My battery died last week it wasn't that cold yet here in Winnipeg Canada. After reading the tread here, I always turn off the "Automatic Parking" before I turn off the car. I tried not plugging it to see if it's gonna happen again especially the weather here now is getting cold. So far the battery didn't die even if I don't use it for a day. Hopefully this is the only issue in my Rav4 Trail.
markan2002 answered 4 years ago
Just happened to me this morning. Just left in driveway overnight. Got up this morning and it wouldn't start. 2020 RAV4 Limited. 3500 miles. Tow truck came and started it with a portable battery. Firstly I'm going to call the dealership to see about software upgrade. I'm curious what they will say. Secondly I'm getting one of those portable batteries. Too bad I have to spend $600 for something like that but I want the peace of mind.
TonyD_EasternMass answered 4 years ago
Be specific in asking for T-SB-0095-25. THere is an earlier one that did not help. BTW, my experience was exactly the same as yours. I am holding off for a fedw weeks on buying a battery charger. So far the firmware uodate has worked.
Regarding the portable battery, we spent in the neighborhood of $100, so I don't think you have to spend the $600. We bought the battery several months ago and still haven't had to use it, but sooner or later it will happen again.
KingzGambit answered 4 years ago
I just bought a brand new 2020 Rav4 Hybrid and in the second week of owning it, I let it sit for 2 days undriven and I was shocked when I went to drive it and the battery was dead. I had to call roadside assistance for a jump and then drove it to the dealer. Turns out this is a known issue with the 12v battery and there is a software update available for it. If you own a 2019-2020 Rav4 Hybrid, take it to the dealer ASAP or you might end up very late for work like I was.
markan2002 answered 4 years ago
Follow up on my post from two days ago. Called the dealership yesterday morning. They said they had heard of this issue happening in the 2020 Rav4s. Not just Hybrids. Mine is a Limited not a Hybrid. Asked me to bring it in this morning to see if a software upgrade was needed. So I did. Once they were done the service rep said I was right to bring it in. It was a software upgrade issue.. On the copy of my work order it just says CAUSE: POOR PROGRAMMING - EL1934 UPDATE DCM FIRMWARE, So that was done, we'll see how it works but at least there was some acknowledgement that this is a known issue. I still may buy the backup battery anyhow for peace of mind.
I’m livid once again! Same thing: smart key error followed by parking break unavailable. My Sunday is not ruined.
Guru9DNRL7 answered 4 years ago
My 4 month old RAV4 had the same issue - battery died several times but passed all tests at dealership. Anyhow, Toyota has fixed the issue in its latest software update (car) so visit your dealership; they are aware of this problem and will update the software. The existing software keeps quite a few onboard electronics running when the car is off, which drains the battery; the new software update apparently fixes this. AFTER the update, remove your vehicle from the Toyota app on your phone, uninstall it, restart phone, install app again and enroll your vehicle...
Add me to the list - Kristin from Portland. I purchased my 2020 RAV4 Hyrbrid XSE on Sep 29 and have driven it 1,200 miles so far. Today is Nov 10 and the car is dead after being parked in my garage for less than 24 hours. When I first got in, the little power that was left gave me a smart key error, then followed by parking break unavailable notice, then followed by complete dead zone. I am now waiting for roadside assistance. I phone a service advisor at the dealership who said they've been having issues because the cars sit on the lot for months and get dfrained and that I should come iin to get the battery fully charged. I reject that explanation becausr I purchased this car the day it arrived on the lot and I know these RAV4 Hybrids aren't really "sitting" around on lots anywhere. I'll be printing out this thread and bringing it with me to my "charging" appointment tomorrow. And I will update with any new info.
BluejoyRav453 answered 4 years ago
My update is I called my dealer to set up an appointment for the battery drain. They had no clue about the notice from Toyota. So I also called corporate and told them I'm having the issue and I have an appointment with my local dealer. They called the dealership up to give them the info and gave me a case number in case I had any issues. I dropped my car off and they did the T-SB-0095-25. But when I got home I realized that my driver window doesn't auto up/down! All my other windows are normal but not my driver side window ::sigh:: So I have to go back again to the dealership. The problem is I'm now in a different state for the end of the year with family so I will have to wait til January to get the window fixed. But the air also tests out the batter issue. If it's dead when I get back it didn't work or If it did I can drive my car day one I'm back... we'll see! Anyone else have any side effects after getting the firmware fix?
TonyD_EasternMass answered 4 years ago
Friends, read this whole thread!!!!! There is a service solution that appears to help. Ask your dealer to install T-SB-0095-25. It is a firmware patch that greatly reduces the power drain on the 12v battery when the car is off. Demand if if you have to. And if you are just buying ANY new car, ask them to fully charge the battery before they turn it over to you.
Guru9DDC3M answered 4 years ago
I asked the dealer about the tsb update mentioned here and they said it didn’t apply to me since my car doesn’t have remote start. Is this true ?
Mine just did the same thing. 2020 Rav4 xle. Not hybrid. Left it sitting a day and it was dead this morning. Called Toyota and someone came and jumped it. Took it to the dealership. They said the battery is good, it was just a glitch on the computer that was draining the battery. They did the software update and recharged the my battery. Let's see how that works out
TonyD_EasternMass answered 4 years ago
No, it is not true. Mine does not have remote start either. The only consistency among the dealers is the lack of consistency. My dealer constantly pleads ignorance of problems and solutions. Don’t they get any training? What a bunch of horse crap.
2019 Highlander Hybrid with similar issue. Battery issue started 1.5 years after having it with nothing left on inside that we could find. I do have remote start.
Ran last night. This am nada. Battery 5.5v. Had argument with dealer Tuesday as they claimed they new nothing about issue. What ceap service from both the dealers and Toyota. Whose for a class action suite?
I'm at the dealership now due to my 2020 RAV4 battery issues. I was told that it's a known problem and they, as a corporation, are working on a possible recall. In the interim, they say they know what to do to fix it. It takes 3-4 hours. The problem they say, is that the computer is looking for the key fob even if you power down the key fob. That's their story. We'll (not so) soon find out!
TonyD_EasternMass answered 4 years ago
There is only one way to stop this problem: Make all RAV4 plug-in hytbrids. The issue is the car electrics are working even when the car is off, discharging the battery. So give the car a trickle charge when it is garaged. How difficult/expensive would it be to reengineer the charge port in the RAV4 engine compartment. The owner of current models can open the hood and plug it in. And Toyota can change future cars to have a port on the outside of the car. Geez, they can even use the port they sell with the RAV4 prime. I am sure I will see lots of responses tjhat poke holes in this suggestion but what I would like to see are REFINEMENTS to the idea, ands EVERYONE contact the Toyota Customer Experience hotline (800-331-4331) supporting the idea. If we don't push Toyota will take another 6 years on their "solution".
Respectfully, if I wanted a plug-in hybrid, I would have bought one. It appears the software upgrade is working for the most part. My RAV4 battery died just one time. I disabled the auto parking brake. I have not had the upgrade done yet because I have not experienced any further problem in the last 5 months. In hindsight my one problem may have been I didn't turn off the vehicle properly (didn't have my foot on the brake when hitting the button) and it went to accessory.
My 2020 Rav4 XLE Hybrid battery died once at 477 miles. It was recharged at the dealership, and I have not had another occurrence, even when the vehicle has sat unused for several days. I did turn off the auto parking brake and I keep my key fobs in Faraday bags. I have never stepped on the brake pedal prior to shutting the vehicle down. Some have suggested that not stepping on the brake pedal causes the system to go to the accessory position, causing the battery to drain. That has not been my experience.
My 2020 RAV4 hybrid has died twice since I got it about a year ago. The first time it sat for 5 days and recently it only sat for 2 days. I got it jumped and immediately took it to the dealership to see if they could test my battery or figure out what was wrong with it. When I got there they immediately told me they have been having lots of issues with 2019 and 2020 RAV4 hybrids dying when not driven for a couple days. They said Toyota did an update on the computer system because it was not shutting off when the car was shut off which was draining the battery. They upgraded the computer system and recharged my battery in about an hour free of charge. If you are having this problem take it to your dealership and tell them you need your computer upgraded. So glad they figured it out and I don’t have to worry about this going further. I am having a baby in a couple months and was thinking I was going to have to trade in my car so I wouldn’t have to worry about it dying when I’m in the hospital giving birth!
Guru9DMM2Z answered 4 years ago
After reading almost all the comments, It seems more frequently with Toyota hybrid rather than gas?
Guru9DMM2Z answered 4 years ago
What can we do to call for a recall? This is very unacceptable
Guru9DMM2Z asked "What can we do (to force) a recall." My limited by intense experience with Toyota to get the to fix the three major issues with my 2 month old 2020 RAV4 Hybrid tells me that it is impossible to force Toyota into a recall. BUT, and this is a big BUT, given enough time and pressure Toyota will initiate recalls. It also tells me that recalls do not necessarily mean all cars with the problem will be be included in the recall. The three problems my car has had, and the status, in Chronological order: 1. Gas tank issue. I reported it to the dealer after re-fueling the tank twice. The dealer said I was the first to report it to them (likely a lie), and that I should 'keep an eye on it', which I have. I also researched that the issue is widespread and across several models of cars and across years. I was advised a week ago by an informed source that Toyota had decided on a recall. Some owners were reporting having received recall notices but I had not, so I called the dealer and asked for it. The dealer said bring it in and we will 'test if your tank is affected." Now, I had personally told that person three times that I had the problem and gave evidence. So, by this time I had learned the game: If you want to be included in a recall, you must open a 'case' and the way to to that is to contact the Toyota Customer Experience Hotline (800-331-4331) and ask for a case to be opened. I did. A case was opened. My deak called today to schedule the tank fix. (at this point let me add that while the three proiblems occurred at different times, they overlapped. ) 2. Lost power/Stalled. This first occured the second week I owned the car. Scared the hell out of me. I reported it to the dealer and they had me bring the car in immediately. After a good "look see" that took four hours, they said the car maint log had no record of the loss of power, and they could not recreate it. I was to 'keep an eye on it'. Fine. But I did more research and saw that many other owners were seeing the same thing. I also saw a recall of the car to replace the fuel pump. It just so happened shortly after that the car stallled again. (I hads a new word to use..."stall". I reported it and asked them to replace the fuel pump. My car was again NOT on the recall list, so they did not replace the fuel pump. They took another look. SAme result. "The fuel pump is fine." After stewing on this for a week, I called the Toyota Customer Experience Hotline (800-331-4331) and asked them to 'open a case', noting the obvious safety issue of stalling. They were more than happy to open a case, and this time, because of the safety issue, they actually assigned a case manager. That person called me to discuss it, then discussed it with the dealer, and my car goes into the shop on Monday for the dealer to investigate the stalling...and, by ther way, to look at the gas tank issue. 3. The third issue is the battery issue. The car was 6 weeks old and when I went to start it the dash sputtered and a minute later the car was d-e-a-d. No electrical activity at all. Press the start button and get nothing. The deal suggested I jump it and bring it in. I called AAA annd they jumped it. It started. Then they towed it to the dealer. I had someone drop me off. THis time I was fortunate. The knew about the problem and that very morning had been advised of a fix (another lie). But they applied the fix and so far it has held. The Toyota Service Buletin foir the fix is T-SB-0095-25. It is a firmware patch that I learned yesterday stops the car from continuously looking for something when the owner powers down. Now, there are a LOT of things going on in my car after I power it down, so there continues to be come ongoing battery drain. New cars al do that. Buy hopefully not enough to drain the entire 12v battery. As I said, so far so good. So if you have the battery issue ask them to do TSB-0095. I hope this helps those who are fighting these issues. If you are, I recommend requesting a case (or cases) be opened. I will report soon if the gas tank fix works (if they acually do it and not tell me 'your tank is fine'.) PS. I am enjoying the RAV4. If the wrinkles get ironed out I will enjoy it more. If the wrinkles don't, especially the stallin issue, I might pursue a lemon law return. That is if it doesn't lead to me being killed in a crash.
Someone jujst asked "(The battery issue) seems to be more prevelant with the Hybrid version than with (the gas version). This is likely because of several factors: the 12v battery on the hybrid is not a full size car battery; the newer hybrids offer a lot of features that run constantly even when the owner has turned them off (a good example is how the Toyota app can tell you the mileage, fuel level and the tire pressure even with the car off). I had the trial safety services discontinued for just this reason. The less demand on the battery, when the car is off, the better. I will likely also add a nightly trickle charge to keep the battery charged during the winter months or if I am away for more than 2 days.
Guru9DMM2Z answered 4 years ago
So.. would it be reasonable to trade my hybrid for a gas car instead if I get a good offer? I think having a nightly trickle charge is not reasonable either right? How do I know if I have the trial safety services ?
Guru9D391J answered 4 years ago
I purchased a new 2020 RAV 4 XLE (not hybrid) in March. My battery has died twice since August. The first time I had not used it in 3 days. AAA jump started car and checked battery. Called dealership and told to bring it in. I did some research prior to bringing my car in and saw similar complaints about a dead battery. Service advisor said they were not aware of any battery problems, and there were no service bulletins issued. Checked battery and found nothing wrong. The second time was at the end of October. I didn’t drive the car for one day. Next day battery was dead when I tried to start it. AAA came again, tested battery, etc. I called Toyota Customer Service and was basically told they are not aware of any problems. Off to the dealership again. Told them something must be draining on the battery. Service technician found nothing wrong. He said I don’t drive the car enough! What?!! Shouldn’t matter how often I drive it. My brand new RAV 4 should start regardless of how often I drive it. Toyota needs to take ownership of this issue ASAP.
Can someone tell me if the software update is only in the US? Because apparently Toyota Canada has issued no such update and the dealership did a search - never heard of it. This is so frustrating. On another note - the alarms quit working on my safety features....so I almost ran my husband over yesterday backing out of the carport. It says the features are on, but there is no alert when I get too close to a wall, or when I back out of the carport as there once was. I played around with the sensitivity so it's not that.
Guru9Z5W13 answered 4 years ago
This should help..... I have owned several different brand of vehicles. They all have their issues. Toyota is no different. You will get the biggest bunch of bull.... from service managers and sales staff. They don't give a rats ass about your problems. I am a fairly good home mechanic. I am also the first to admit that these cars are way too technical for me to diagnose. I have had very good results from the techs that actually do the work. 1) You walk into the service bay area like you own the place. 2) Wear safety glasses so they can't say anything regarding that. 3) Be polite and aware and stay out of their way. 4) Ask the techs questions regarding your issues. Try to catch them on a smoke break... 5) Take the information to the top. Dealership manager, Customer relations, Toyota corporate This has been the most successful approach for me. You will find that you will get the real story on what is going on. Stay away from the service writers. The Techs know the truth and are usually eager to share.
Guru9Z5BFH answered 4 years ago
Battery on my 2020 Rav4 also dead, along with parking brake and other electrical malfunctions. Waiting for a tow to take to dealer. I'm worried because hundreds of reviews online are saying this is a widespread issue, and that dealers are brushing it off, or just replacing the battery (only for it to happen again). I think we all need to try a class action lawsuit. I will call Toyota Customer Experience Hotline (800-331-4331). Thank you @Tony for posting the phone number.
It has been a month since we had the TSB-0095-20 installed - no issues since then. Make an appointment, ask them to first contact Toyota about TSB-0095-20. It is real, so don't take no for an answer. If they try to charge you for a diagnostic fee, just tell them that the battery died and that's why you're bringing it in. Also, find the 2 screen shots in this thread of TSB-0095-20, print them, and bring them with you. At first, the service agent told me that TSB wasn't for dead batter - showed them the specific line that says it is for a dead battery.
The same thing happened to me. I have a 2020 Rav 4 XLE Premium AWD (Non Hybrid) purchased in December 2019. No problems or issues with this car up until this past Monday. The car was not driven for a little past 24 hours and the battery died. No, the key fob was not in close proximity, no dome lights were left on, and the car was not in accessory mode. I contacted Toyota care to either have the car towed or possibly to trying jumping the car. While waiting 3 hours for the tow truck driver to arrive, I found this forum and the possibility of the firmware issue. I ended up having the car jumped and asked the tow truck drivers if he ran into issues with new Toyotas like these and his reply was everyday. It happens to the Camrys and RAV4's. He explained that the cars are looking for signals from the satellites even when the car is turned off. It's a logical explanation because my cell phone from time to time drains faster than it should when it's searching for a WIFI connection and is unable to connect and continues to search. Ultimately the car was brought to Toyota and the service advisor indicated that they will look to see if there were any issues. I had asked the advisor to update to the firmware (T-SB-0095- 20) even if they hadn't found any issues. He wasn't able to do this unless an issue was determined. When i had mentioned that the SOS light was solid red and not green, they were able to update the firmware. Hopefully, this was the issue since the firmware addressed the drainage of the 12V battery even with the ignition off. I should also mention that prior to the battery draining you may notice when driving and stopping at stop signs or red lights, the engine auto off will not engage due to battery charging pretty much all the time. I've noticed this happening quite frequently about 2 or so weeks before my battery died. This may also be coincidence but i thought it should be mentioned. I updated the firmware (directly from 7 inch display) on Toyota Entune when prompted due to a new software update. The update was not successful and it prompted me to try to reinstall the update again to which i have tried but was still unsuccessful. Since that update, the issues of the battery charging started to happen shortly after.
Large Thank You! Have a 2020 RAV4 hybrid with dead battery issue. I found the T-SB-0095- 20 dated September 30, 2020: DCM Reset and Firmware Update (LG). Had the car towed to dealership with a copy of the service bulletin because I did not trust issue to resurface. Service advisor said a new bulletin arrived this morning and they will update firmware. Hope this helps
Can someone please tell me - the service bulletin - is this only US Toyota? Because Toyota Canada has never heard of it.
PaulGuru123 answered 4 years ago
Hi All from Australia I have owned a Gen 3 prius 2009 ( still own it with NIL issues) and 320,000 kms ( 200,000 miles). It still runs extremely well. Hence I bought a 2020 Jan built ( Manufactured in Japan) Rav4 GXL hybrid ( 2 wd ) model. It has a dash cam installed from an external company. I had an unfortunate experience of the battery dying while the family was left in the car with the AC / fan on in ACC mode as its hot weather currently in Australia. The key was left in the car. When I returned 20-30 minutes later the wife had switched the car off after it started to make the warning beeping sounds. I found the car would not start and it was making weird noises from the engine bay. I had to call emergency road side assist to jump start the car which was another issue as it would not start from under bonnet and hence had to access the boot by folding the rear seat and emptying the boot from the rear seats ( as the boot is locked and will not open in a dead 12v battery state). This has really disappointed me. I know its my fault of leaving everything running in ACC mode but I expected the car to at least switch off itself to preserve the 12v battery if it reached to that low level state. I have done this MULTIPLE times with the prius and never had an issue. The car is running ok now but I think the 12 v battery is too small in the hybrid or it needs some update so this does not happen again. Will see if others have this issue also. ( fyi I have left the prius at the airport carpark for > 3 - 4 weeks and it will start with no issues. The prius is still running with the original battery, brake pads, spark plugs etc).
Guru9ZBBX9 answered 4 years ago
I am IRATE!!! my battery died the morning i had my appointment to take in for its first oil change. I lease a rav4 2020 from autonation toyota in pinellas park (they've been a joke since the lease began, uhg!). They replaced the battery during the oil change and all was well - even though what brand new car needs a battery within 3 months? Anyway, a month or so later, my car dies again. I had it jumped that night on my way home from work. The next morning the car was dead again. I had it jumped and called toyota to have an appointment. On the phone i was told this is a known issue and they would fix it. I anticipated needing roadside assistance for another dead battery that evening but alas it was running fine. I dropped it off last night for them to tell me today "nothing is wrong with it. THe battery and alternator are fine." They want me to WAIT FOR IT TO DIE AGAIN before they will fix anything. It must be dead on arrival. How absurd is this?! They want me to put myself in danger and risk a possible lawsuit so they can get the car out of the garage to not rack up days for it to be a lemon. I need help!! What can I do?!
Just to give a quick update.....my 2020 Toyota rav4 xle (not a hybrid) had the dcm firmware update in September and so far no dead battery. It has sat for several days too and started right up. If your dealership won't help you, call Toyota corporate. They are aware of the issue and called my dealership and told them what to do. Good luck!
We’ve now had the DCM update and the dealership figures that was the problem so we will are going forward. I did write an email to Toyota Canada about my concerns, which were not with the dealership as they’ve been great, but they had no info on the problem. I’m not sure if they did the update because of what this forum says or what, but it’s done so we shall see how it works.
TonyD_EasternMass answered 4 years ago
Even after having Toyota makes the battery fix, the electronics in the car that remain on when the engine if off will reduce stored battery power, and as we get into colder and colder weather it will get worse. I asked a Toyota mechanic if a more powerful batter that is the same physical size and type as the stock RAV4 battery will help and I got an immediate ‘yes’. So this week i am replacing my stock battery with a model-equivalent DieHard Platinum battery. I will report how it goes. Even if the stock battery does the job, the stronger battery will give me more confidence in the car.i it is cheap insurance.
Guru9Z5BFH answered 4 years ago
Guru9ZBBX9- I would not take that for an answer. My local dealership told me corporate is very much aware as are many dealerships. They are seeing this happen all the time. Clearly something wrong with their software on the 2020 models that they didn’t fully test before putting them on the market. My dealership told me he saw this all the time, then STILL told me later my battery looked fine and it was running well. I reminded him of his earlier statement, and emphatically stated I absolutely needed the software upgrade at a minimum. They did a parasitic battery test (ask for that!) overnight, and the next day he called and said I didn’t need a high frequency software update, but they found I needed a low frequency one (paperwork said he ran the tcb-095). Whatever that means, I just want a car that works. The level of high powered software involved is ridiculous to me.
RAV4probleminNY answered 4 years ago
Hi all, adding my experience to the growing list. I leased a brand new 2020 RAV4 XLE (gas model) in August of 2020. I had not seen this thread before then. If I had, I never would have chosen to lease my current car. This morning, Dec. 4th 2020 with only 1425 miles on it, my car would not start. The engine sputtered and then died. I usually drive 5 days a week, but had not driven it for 24 hours. Worth mentioning that previously, this vehicle had sat without being driven for 1 week and started fine afterwards. Luckily, I am in New York and park in a garage where there are always jumper cables. It started quickly with a jump and I made it to work. I then left work, it started on its own, and I drove it to the dealership. Like many other posters, I had been seeing "Battery Charging" messages since Monday when stopped at red lights, and the auto engine cutoff would not engage. This seems to be a sure sign that your battery is draining and will die soon. Today is Friday, and my RAV4 has been at the dealership all day, and they did not find anything abnormal with the battery. It's being held overnight, and in the morning they will test it again to see if it holds charge. If it doesn't, I'll demand a new battery. I mentioned the TSB update but they brushed it off and said that my car did not need that. Tonight, I am opening a claim with Toyota at 800-331-4331. When I go back to the dealership tomorrow I plan to show them the print out of the TSB 0095-20 (pdf found here: https://www.toyotanation.com/threads/t-sb-0095-20-2020-2021-dcm-reset-and-firmware-update-possibly-fix- battery-drain-issue-for-2020-camry.1686692/) and demand that they install it. I also plan to have Toyota Corporate call my dealership and educate them on the current issue. I will update this thread on what happens.
Bought my first brand new car, a 2020 Toyota Rav 4 XLE AWD after a lot of recommendations from friends. Picked it up on August 17th and on October 31st I had to call a tow truck and get a boost. I blamed myself although I didn't see anything left on. Now tonight, December 4th I had to get another boost. When I first opened the back door the light came on, although it wasn't very bright. Got in the driver's seat and it wouldn't start. There was definitely nothing left on and had only sat in the garage since Wednesday early afternoon, so a little under 60 hours. Seeing all these other posts with the same issue is making me more frustrated especially when it seems like no one is getting any answers from Toyota on fixing this problem permanently. First time with Toyota and it's definitely not a good first impression. I will continue to follow this thread in hopes that someone is able to permanently fix this solution. I have been late for work twice now and it's a pathetic / embarrassing excuse when they know you are driving a brand new car.
Guru9ZL9K4 answered 4 years ago
Same issue with my 2020 rav4 hybrid. Didn't drive it for a week and car was dead today. Is there any place to report this issue to Toyota if all the newer rav4 cars are facing this issue?
OK, it happened a second time. First time the battery went dead overnight was on May 5, 2020. It happened again today, December 5, 2020. We said after the second time we would contact Toyota. We will be opening a claim with Toyota Corporate(800-331-4331), and insist that we get the TSB 0095-20 upgrade. Well bring the following pdf with us to the dealership as others have said to do. (https://www.toyotanation.com/threads/t-sb-0095-20-2020-2021-dcm-reset-and-firmware-update-possibly-fix- battery-drain-issue-for-2020-camry.1686692/)
My2020 Rav le has not started three times in the last week. I’m FURIOUS. I’m a nurse, I can’t afford to be late to work all the time. Who knew a brand new car would be such a piece of crap. Has this updated software actually fixed the issues?
Guru992GBB answered 4 years ago
I have a 2021 RAV4 XLE (non-hybrid), battery died after 5th day! Had to get a friend to jump it. After reading this thread extensively, I disengaged the automatic parking brake function and haven't had a problem since. (ask an engineer why it's draining the battery, not me. Overcomplicated electronics in cars these days) Free fix - worth a try. Search on YouTube how to disengage the automatic parking brake. Good luck All!
RAV4probleminNY answered 4 years ago
Update to my 2020 RAV4 XLE: after keeping the car overnight, the technician did find a faulty battery that was not holding charge. Make them keep your car overnight and ask for a parasitic drain test, because the problem wasn’t immediately obvious and the battery appeared normal on the day I brought it in. I convinced the dealership to check for a TSB DCM update and showed them the print out of TSB 0095- 20 which they took seriously. Upon further inspection they found my car DID need that update that they’d initially brushed off. Shows that it helps to know your stuff with the specific TSB. They replaced my battery as well. Hoping these two fixes will be permanent. I’ll keep this thread updated.
We just got the TSB 0095 - 20 firmware upgrade yesterday so we are crossing our fingers. We also showed them a printout for the TSB. But, about 5 - 6 months ago someone mentioned a bad batch of batteries produced December (2019) - January(2020). I wonder if anyone knows the range of serial numbers? There is a QR code on a sticker on top of my battery that I think is the battery's serial number. I would love to check that against the serial numbers for the bad batch. Does anyone know how we could get the range of serial numbers for the bad batch?
Recently happened to me. I purchased my 2020 RAV4 hybrid in Dec 2019. Drove almost daily, until March. I was then sheltering in place and was able to return to office in July. No problems until last week. I took my car in for 10,000 mile main & state inspection. Everything was fine the next week. Car sat in driveway for 6 days, wouldn't start. Hubs connected jumper cables and we hadn't even started the cars and mine started. Went out this morning and its dead again. Waiting for service dept to call me back.
Guru9Z24V7 answered 4 years ago
This happened to me 2 days ago. I have a 2020 RAV4 hybrid that I purchased Aug. 2020. I drive it almost daily. 2 days ago the battery died after sitting in my driveway for only about 5 hours. (And I had a horrible experience with Toyota's Care Plus roadside assist.) I took it into the dealership yesterday and they said everything was fine and that I must have left a door open or something on. I did not as the car was locked and we were in the driveway several times throughout the day and would have noticed a light on.
Took my RAV to the dealer yesterday, they reset the DCM and did a firmware update. We'll see if this holds. But they said they'd seen the problem and didn't question me. Basically the computers in the car aren't going to "sleep" and that drains the battery. The firmware update is supposed to correct that.
To everyone in this thread - THANK YOU! I thought I was losing my mind when it died twice (once before I had to take my wife for a COVID test) and could not understand what I was doing to drain it! >4,000 miles 2020 Rav4 XLE. I just took it to the dealer and they IMMEDIATELY knew what I was talking about and told me they would go the firmware update. The big indicator for me was the SOS light being RED. It is now green and I am confident it is fixed! Thank you all!
Guru9DNRL7 answered 4 years ago
Been more than a month since the firmware update, so far so good - battery holding well ! To all those who still are facing this issue, please insist on getting the update from the dealership, it was released early October and is available in Canada.
Guru9Z7ND6 answered 4 years ago
Anyone notice a decrease in the gas mileage after the dead battery issue? I have a 2020 xse hybrid, one day battery was dead... nothing that I can think of was left on. AAA gave me a jump and things seemed fine. But my gas mileage now is around 19miles/gallon before it was around 38miles/gallon? Granted I haven't had any long trips, but still that such a dramatic drop-off. Any one else have similar issues?
RAV4probleminNY answered 4 years ago
Another update on my car: the day after getting new battery and TSB update, got a “Battery Charging - Auto Stop/Start Unavailable” alert when stopped at a red light. This again. Now everytime I drive my car I turn off this automatic feature BC I’m convinced it has something to do with the battery issue. Similarly to what others have recommended, I disabled the automatic Parking brake and only use it manually now, using a tutorial on YouTube. Because of a snow storm up north my car recently sat for two days without being driven, and started fine after with these fixes in place. Sucks to have to turn off features that came with a brand new car, but hoping it’s reliable this way.
I am currently dealing with this. My 2020 Rav4 XLE is at the dealership for the 3rd time as I type this. I will mention the update to them tomorrow because they keep insisting my battery is fine. It’s very infuriating and frustrating!
Just called Toyota customer service and made 2nd claim, first was in Sept. They told me they are taking this very seriously and admitted they know this is a problem. They prefer you have it towed rather than jumping it because they want to see it with dead battery. He told me that my information is going to the district manager who will communicate directly with the dealership service manager. He said to expect it to be a few days before I get my car back. If you want to go this route their number is (800) 331-4331. I will update with what they find.
Guru95X5X6 answered 3 years ago
Had the same problem today, 1/3/21. Our 11 month old hybrid XSE was driven 30 miles 3 days ago and 50 miles 10 days ago and this morning the battery was almost completely dead. Would not start, move seat or open rear hatch. AAA gave me jump, said battery in good shape - run it for 40' today and it may start tomorrow. Have not had this problem before with no use for 2 or 3 weeks or longer. Will contact Toyota tomorrow.
The tsb software update fixed my dead battery issue. It’s been a few weeks and no problems since.
Just wanted let everyone know that we’ve had 5 weeks trouble free after the DCM update (though we now have the gas gauge issue). Still too early to say for sure if it’s the right fix, but the car was rarely driven over the holidays and has started every time. Despite this long thread, even my most recent experience with a dead battery in November was answered with a “Never heard of this before” from roadside and CS and a “No updates that we can see in the system” from the dealership. My advice to you fellow Canadians is to be loud and persistent, show them this thread and insist on the update. If this ends up being the fix I’ll be relieved but also resentful, because the stress of thinking I had a $50000 lemon that may or may not start for the first year took away the excitement and satisfaction of purchasing a brand new trouble free vehicle.
I just took delivery on a 2021 RAV4 XSE Hybrid December 30, 2020. I Drove it on the 31st, but not on January 1 or 2. I received an alert on my phone app the evening of Jan 2 that the doors were unlocked. I checked and the battery was dead. Put a charger on it and the hybrid system came on immediately. I drove it for 45 minutes and parked it. I didn't drive on Jan 3 or 4, and received the same doors unlocked message the morning of Jan 5. I took it to my dealer and I am waiting to see what they say. Evidently the problem is carrying over to the 2021 models.
Same battery problem as many of those above. Bought Rav hybrid in December 2019 - 8900 miles on it. Didn't drive for 3 days and battery was completely dead. Called roadside assistance (another story) and they had someone come and jump start it. Got a DCM update today but worksheet doesn't state which update. I hope it's a workable fix but Toyota should be contacting all Rav 4 owners and getting them to dealers for this important update. Hopefully, it will fix the problem. Time will tell.
Catherine A. answered 3 years ago
Same here. Today is the SECOND time this has happened to me. First time my car was dead after 5 days ans this time dead after a week vacation. Mine has 1800 miles on it. Ridiculous.
Guru953LD1 answered 3 years ago
I was considering buying a 2021 RAV4 Hybrid but after reading this thread there is no way I would consider it until this is definitively acknowledged and fixed by Toyota.
@Guru953LD1 Definitely do not go with Toyota! if I had it to do again, I definitely would go ahead and get the Honda CRV or the Subaru Outback. I have learned a very valuable lesson!
Guru953LD1 answered 3 years ago
Visited my local dealer today to drive a 2021 RAV4 Hybrid XLE. I was impressed with the performance. It was the only RAV4 Hybrid on the lot. Apparently due to the pandemic they are having vehicle shortages. I sure hope they get this battery problem fixed.
I have not seen any new reports of the battery problem lately. Does the problem persist? Or is there evidence that Toyota's fix is working?
My 2021 Rav 4 Hybrid spent the night at the dealership. They charged the battery and checked the system, but found nothing wrong. They installed the latest software, and so far, I have had no problems. My Rav sat for 3 full days and started right up. I am hoping the update solved the problem.
Catherine A. answered 3 years ago
Just a quick update. My dealership did the software update and so far so good. Haven’t had any issues at all and it even fixed the issue of my outside temperature switching to Celsius on its own. Fingers crossed that solved the problem.
SpursFanGuru answered 3 years ago
Hi, I have a 2021 Venza XLE. All Venzas are hybrids, and as I understand essentially the same engine and hybrid system as the RAV4s. Bought it in October. Today, 1/27/21, I went out to start it and it was totally dead after only a few days of not driving it. Only 682 miles!! Since the Venza is a relaunch for 2021, and not a lot on the road yet,, I did not see anything on this issue after a quick google search, so tried RAV4 and bingo- landed here. I am going to assume it is a similar issue. I plan to call the 1-800 number mentioned in one of the above posts and request the software upgrate. Will see what happens.
SpursFanGuru answered 3 years ago
Update on 2021 Venza XLE. Called Toyota 800-331-4331. Explained situation, referred to Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) TSB-0095-20 (see earlier posts with link to pdfs) which. among other items, includes "Depleted 12v Battery when Ignition Off". Only problem, the Venza is not on the list of vehicles, but may be because not enough have been reported yet. Representative took my info and documented, and gave me a case number, and call back if it happens again. This allows them to track the issue and see if it is happening with other Venzas. My advice to other RAV4 owners experiencing this issue- take the issue to your dealer and a copy of the TSB (or at least know the TSB #) and have them fix it. If you have a Venza, call the number and report it. If you are so inclined, also take yours to the dealer, especially if it has happened multiple times, and ask them to investigate doing the DCM update anyway. Also, chack back, as the Venza may be added to the TSB (this one is dated 9/30/20)
Purchased a 2020 Rav4 LE (gas) in late September, 2020. I am a low mileage use especially with Covid. In late January, 2021 (vehicle 4 months old) I found the vehicle completely dead (no lights, etc.) after 3.5 days of not using. I had zero problem during the four months prior to late January. Jumped vehicle the next day and stopped by dealership. The spend about 2.5 hours on diagnostics and said the battery took and held a full charge and that test showed no unusual drainage load. Dealer suggested that my use pattern of infrequent short trips could be modified or that I could hook up a trickle charger. I suggested that my expectation that a new vehicle would operate reliably without daily use or external battery maintenance was reasonable. They were nice and suggested we monitor. No mention of TSB. Question for the group: Has anyone used the type of battery voltage monitor (available on Amazon) that you can plug into the power outlet?
Guru953LD1 answered 3 years ago
It is amazing that dealers continue to claim ignorance when confronted with this same problem. Clearly the problem is widespread and needs to be addressed at a corporate level and the information sent to their dealers. Having to charge your battery on a brand new vehicle is complete and total BS.
Guru9YXRZV answered 3 years ago
I purchased 2021 Rav4 LE model on lease , just 2 month back , Within 4 weeks I got battery problem , Last night I parked car on the road , and Today morning I wanted to start car , but shows battery completely dead , II called Toyota assistance they called road side assistance for jump the car, The guy tried every possible way , but unable to start , And called again toyota They are planning tow it tomorrow, This car 2 weeks back seen service dealer for very low mileage , 17 miles/gallon ( like Bus) , So Im planning to cancel the lease and refund my money back . Toyota is simply boasting everywhere that 2021 rav4 gives 28/35 miles per gallon , I filled full tank thrice but it gives not more than below 18 miles /gallon, This is cheating for consumers , I planning to take legal action if they dont refund my money back along with compensation
Guru9YBD7F answered 3 years ago
I have 2020 RAV4 Trail/Adventure TRD and having the same issue. I did read on: https://www.toyotanation.com/threads/t-sb-0095-20-2020-2021-dcm-reset-and-firmware-update-possibly-fix-battery-drain-issue-for-2020-camry.1686692/ as well as: https://www.rav4world.com/threads/dead-battery.303636/page-23 That there's a new firmware update that will fix the issue. I'm gonna take my car tomorrow to the dealership to install it for me and see if that fixes the issue or not. I'll post an update with the result
Robert24018 answered 3 years ago
As an update, three months ago, I posted chronic dead battery issues on my new 2020 RAV4 Limited. Took in to dealer for dcm firmware update and pointed out the TSB. Wanted to let folks know I have had no problems since.
2020 rav4 xle model with 4k mileage sat for 1 day and battery was completely dead. Bringing it to toyota tommorow. Never in my life have seen this. No lights left on and was parked in garage. Read a few forums looks like a ton of people have same problem.
Took my 2020 Rav XLE in for service and was informed that dealerships had been informed to check models to see if they were eligible for battery updates. They checked my car, and turned out it was one of the models eligible for an update. So, when taking your cars in for routine maintenance, the dealerships should be informing you of this. If not, make sure you mention it.
Guru9YQHSM answered 3 years ago
Less than 7k miles and my 2020 Rav4 XSE hybrid won't start this morning after driving just last night. To say I'm extremely disappointed is an understatement!
spacesuitdiver answered 3 years ago
Best Answer I have the same issue. I hate bringing my car to the dealer so I took out the ammeter and the discharge is 1.5A continuous which is WAY too high, given the tiny 55Ah rating of these batteries it’d be well under 50% capacity within a day and dead in two. I have a suspicion this is remote start related as that also has given me issues in that it will trigger the remote start but immediately turn off for whatever reason. I hope more manufacturers start using this eCVT and hybrid setup because this will be the first and last Toyota I own.
Guru9WDTR7 answered 3 years ago
Having battery issues with 2020 RAV4 battery. Battery died and have to end up getting battery jumped. Took car to Toyota dealer. Getting new battery and technology being updated. This is taking them over 4 hours to complete. I was told that going forward, I should drive my car for 5 miles each day and once a week drive car on highway for 10 miles so that battery doesn’t go dead. For me this is a pain in the you know what! This will be my last Toyota that I buy. I’ve never had so many problems with a Toyota vehicle before
ToyHybridGuySince200... answered 3 years ago
Same problems with 2018 Rav4SE Hybrid. Three times in last month. 1st time AAA jumpstart. Drove 45 minutes as suggested by AAA guy to fully charge battery. A week later dead. AAA jump and immediately took to dealer. “Battery is good, we put a full charge on it“. On week later (today) dead again. AAA jumpstart. Taking it the dealer on Tuesday. Thanks for info. I was getting all kinds of brief warnings “smart key” dash lit up like Christmas tree. (See photo taken before it went completely dark). Lots of clicking noises coming from area under hood where you jumpstart. Wondering if the TS-0095 upgrade is relevant to a 2018?
Guru9WGCM7 answered 3 years ago
Same issue as the 1500 other commenter on here. 2020 rav4 and today was the 4th time taking it to the dealer in the last 7 months for the dead battery issue. New battery the first time and "updates" the last 3 times with no change. If it sits more then 2 days it is dead. They told us to biy a battery tender to fix the issue. Shouldn't need a battery tender for a new vehicle. They blamed us for not driving it enough to charge the battery. It's back in the garage again and we have a rental at their expense.
Same issue with 2018 Rav4 non-hybrid. I just bought a jump starter form costco and since I only drive once a week, I have to jump start every time I drive :(. I took it to a Toyota dealer and they check the battery and said nothing wrong.
Guru9TK4YC answered 3 years ago
My 2019 RAV4 Limited with a whopping 1650 miles on it has had a dead battery 5 times since purchased new in June 2019. Today my Toyota dealer service said my car did not qualify for the TBS-0095-20 software update, but they installed a new battery for me. The service tech asked me to call-in once a month for a software update for my 2019. As my new battery sits in my barely driven RAV4 I’m already anticipating the rata-tat-tat non-start sound a few mornings from now.
Guru9T62HD answered 3 years ago
Had the same problem 4 times with a hybrid 2019 model. First time a fews weeks old car when we parked for 7days at the airport parking lot.The last one after being parked for less than 24hrs. In all cases the lights were off and doors properly closed. They replaced battery 2 times but can not find problem. So they blame us. I am curious if there is a way to see if there is enough owners to perasure toyota to do something about it?
Catherine A. answered 3 years ago
Well....posting an update to my post as I took my 2020 Rav4 limited in to the dealer and they did the firmware/software update and not even 2 months later, Toyota care was called to come jump my car AGAIN. THIS IS A TOTAL OF 5 TIMES and I have had my car for 11 months and it has 2500 miles on it. I don’t care if I had 5 miles on it, I should have a dead car. It’s ridiculous. I’ve complained to Toyota corporate each and every time and HIGHLY recommend every single one of you do the same thing or Toyota won’t do a darn thing. I’m furious. How can this be happening and how is there not a fix for this?! I didn’t buy a new car for it to be unreliable.
Catherine A. Dye; that has to qualify for lemon law. Our Rav4 is OK after the FW update, but you have something different.
Catherine A. answered 3 years ago
Bigreddad: I agree with you! I’ve researched the Lemon Law and I think because it’s been 12 months, I’m screwed. If you know otherwise, please share! I’m beyond angry about it. It just keeps happening over and over again and I have shut every single thing off that automatic including lights. I’ve shut off the display even! Ridiculous!!!
After having two incidents of my 2021 RAV4 hybrid not starting, my dealership performed an update in September 2021, and I have had no problems since then. My car has sat for several days without being driven without any problems. This seems to have fixed the problem. Here's hoping!
Guru9T62HD answered 3 years ago
Catherine A. Dye, you should contact Toyota customer and start the process. Most likely they will rejected it because is not a mechanical problem, like they just did to me. You can appeal it, which I am because the software is integral to the functioning of the car. Also the more people that starts a claim, the faster Toyota will try to find a solution. Out of curiosity does your car has a smart start or a standard key?
Guru9T62HD answered 3 years ago
Darlene, do you know what type of update? My dealer said that they have a software patch that fixes the problem with the cars that have de Smart Start. Does your car has the smart start system?
The FW update we received (and solved our dead battery issue) was originally posed by user rav4_xle_awd_2020 in this thread. T-SB-0095-20 is the alert. You can search this tread for "rav4_xle_awd_2020" from 5 months ago to get screen shots of the alert. I printed those and took them to the dealer. It helped convince them it would fix the dead battery issue.
I have the smart start system. The update was a Digital Control Module reset and firmware update (TSB-0095-20) per Toyota spec op EL1934. They also replaced my fuel tank recently because it was defective - with no charge. Good luck!
Please get firmware updates from your dealer it will eliminate the problem. The link is provided below from previous mailers. https://www.toyotanation.com/threads/t-sb-0095-20-2020-2021-dcm-reset-and-firmware- update-possibly-fix-battery-drain-issue-for-2020-camry.1686692/ Thanks,
Guru99M2S5 answered 3 years ago
Battery died again today! Bought it in July last year, it died first on October and it happened again earlier this morning before I go to work. I called my dealership and she was saying that my car has to be driven more often! Mine is 14,866km and she said that it has to be driven 24,000km per year! She said that if I wanted it to be check they would charge me for the service! So pissed right now! She doesn't want to update the firmware.
Update: Got the dcm firmware update 7 months ago and have had no issues since. I went thru Toyota corporate and they called our dealership with the remedy. I suggest calling corporate and getting a case number to get the problem resolved.
Guru9VWDFP answered 3 years ago
Battery problem and fix explained by a Toyota Master Diagnostic Technician: https://youtu.be/aUA2Jw1nKkk?t=784
Guru94DQWB answered 3 years ago
I just now had the opportunity to do a field test of the firmware update. Parked my car at the airport for 8 straight days and it started right up :-) Also had the gas tank replaced, and while gauge problems still exist (like remaining on "full" for 150 mi) after a year of driving I know how many miles I can drive on the tank. I'd like to add that Toyota service reps seem to be trained to automatically tell you that, no matter what issue you complain about, it must be your fault. It took a lot of complaining (as well as this thread) to get that firmware update. The gas tank was actually recommended by Toyota but the service manager was super snippy about it, as if I didn't have a legitimate complaint.
The firmware update fixed my problem of not starting, but after having the gas tank replaced, my mileage has gone way down (don't think it is now accurate), and the other day my car stopped filling at the gas station (on automatic) at below 3/4 of a tank. Anyone have this problem??
Guru9XDPZ1 answered 3 years ago
happened to mine, battery completely drained. a safety feature does not turn off and acts as a vampire ckt. to drain the battery, they have rewritten the computer code to turn it off when the car is shut down, they also replaced my battery.
Guru9BL7HS answered 3 years ago
We have a 2020 RAV 4 (not hybrid) and in the past month, the battery died twice. It has under 4000 miles on it, purchased last August. During 2020, we hardly drove it around, because of COVID. No problem then, but this started lately. Took it to the dealership twice and was told to drive it every other day or every third day, and not just in your own driveway. The salesperson said we have 5 jump starts and we've used up 2 of them already, and we will have to buy another battery if we have to have 3 more jumps. This is ridiculous. We've had Toyotas for many years, with no problems. This will probably be our last one. The dealership is not helpful. They won't own this problem.
Same problem with my 2021 venza with less than 2000 miles on it. The dealer tried to blame on ignition on but the car will beep when you walk away with your keys. Which doesn't make sense at all. For the firmware update it will take 4-5 hours according to the dealer. I leased toyota due to its reliability and hassle free but this venza ended up to act like a Land Rover. I should have just leased a Land Rover which is much cooler with more features that Toyota.
Guru9B827X answered 3 years ago
I went to the dealership, it was just a software update (the one that was mentioned previously) and they were well aware of this issue; and they told me it’s all fixed, we’ll see how long it lasts I suppose.
Guru9T62HD answered 3 years ago
While my dealer never acknowledged the problem (because it was not a physical component) they had one of the Toyota engineers check it out, who did another software update and, knock on wood, it appears to be fixed. While frustrating I have to recognize that their service was good. They check it multiple times, gave us a loaner car so they could keep it for a few days to see if they could replicate the problem, one of the the last time it happened they sent a technician with the tow truck so they could see the problem 1st hand, and replaced 2 batteries at no cost. filed a lemon law complain which of course was rejected because they could not find a faulty component - They should update the law to include software.
Guru9STPCW answered 3 years ago
had my rav 4 for bout 1 month, went to th supermarkt yesterday got out and wass unable to lock the car pressing the fob had no effeect at all, just wondering if the fob might need new btteries or if its domething more serious
SAME! Toyota RAV4 2017 XLE Hybrid. I had a baby so... Didn't drive it for a while. Went to start it up and it was dead. Hubby jumped it and it was fine for a while. Now I TRY to drive it weekly buy almost every time the battery is dead. Finally took it to the dealer.... "Battery tested fine. You're not driving it enough." WTF? This is BS.
Tell them you know about T-SB-0095-20, and they need to apply it. I did that, and it solved the problem. They may try to charge you $120 for diagnostic - tell them nope, it is under warranty and it is a known problem. Demand a loaner.
Call corporate and have them make a note of it. They will actually call the dealership for you and have them call you to schedule an appt to take your rav in to have the battery either updated or replaced (more than likely, you will receive the update that we all received). I don’t own a hybrid but still had a battery issue with my 2020 rav soon after I purchased it. Out of the blue, I woul have issues with the battery. It would be dead or would die and/or sluggishly turn over. Took it to the dealership and they told me all was fine. I kept having the same issue and had to call for a jump every time I drove somewhere. I finally did some research, called corporate and threatened to get an attorney to push for lemon law (I’m in California). Finally took my car in and they said they had received info from corporate regarding the problem, and it was an electronic problem that required an update. That was about a year ago. So far, I haven’t had the issue again. I was planning on getting a hybrid, but I kept reading about customers having issues with the batteries, which led me to forgo that model. Sucks, because gas prices are insane right now! Especially here in California!
I have had both firmware updates put on my 2020 RAV4 XLE, and once again it is sitting in my garage dead. I am calling corporate today to file a complaint. Don’t expect it to go anywhere though. I was told by the dealer to put a charger on it if it was going to sit for any length of time.
Guru96H8J6 answered 2 years ago
This started happening a week ago and found this feed...anyone still have their RAV or did this push you over the edge to get rid of it like I am considering right now? I have to work and don't have time to not have a vehicle!
Guru96KW6K answered 2 years ago
Similar story with my Rav4 2020 hybrid (purchased on Jult 2020 in Israel). After 4 weeks on parking, I cannot start the car. It was underground parking where no signal, so could be that Sos button discharged it (if Sos button uses cell-phones network, I don't know). At least I was able to open the car. During attempt to start, it said "no connection to parking brakes" (but no other error messages), so cannot disable parking brake. At last I found someone with powerbank (kind of "jumpstart dead batteries 500A" or similar compact one with wires to car accumulator), and it was enough to start the car. Note that the car during this fault situation shown about 70% for battery, and I didn't know that there is second small accumulator (like in regular car) also, so it made me prostrated "how this could be that battery charged well, but cannot start the car".
Same here - away for 1 week, RAV4 PHEV completely dead. Absolutely love this car - gutted that it seems to have this problem. May need to go back to 100% reliable Honda's......
Guru9FPQ4J answered 2 years ago
And from UK - 2021 PHEV. Dead after 6 days at 4.5 volt. Dealers here "never heard of it" and just stuffed a new 12 volt battery in it. That died in 3 days down to 11,2 volt. Rubbish system spoils a great car.
I see a lot of people mentioning the battery dead within days of time, that is because of parasitic drain of the battery when not in use, when my 2018 rav4 is new, I measured the drain as 5 to 7 mA, but recently the battery died and toyota just replaced the battery but never check on the parasitic drain, luckily I checked that when the car was new and compare that to the present drain coming up to 110mA which is draining my battery when the car is not used, I am taking it back to the dealer to see whether they can find out what is draining the battery, a normal drain should not be more than 10 to 20 mA. Some parts may be leaking current and drawing excessive current from the battery.