Toyota RAV4 Class Action Lawsuit Filed Over Fire Risk from Defective 12-Volt Battery

A class action lawsuit has been filed over design problems with Toyota RAV4 vehicles from certain model years, alleging that the batteries are prone to shorting out, which may cause the vehicle to suddenly stall or cause an engine compartment fire.

The complaint (PDF) was filed by four plaintiffs in the United States District Court Central District of California on June 24, alleging Toyota Motors intentionally concealed known safety defects related to the 12-volt batteries supplied in certain vehicles, as part of an effort to avoid issuing a RAV4 recall.

Plaintiff’s seeks class action status to pursue damages on behalf of similarly situated owners and lessee’s of model year 2013 through 2018 Toyota RAV4 vehicles, accusing the Japanese auto maker of marketing and selling vehicles with known substantial safety hazards, and placing profits over consumer safety.

According to the allegations raised in the lawsuit, the model year 2013 through 2018 Toyota RAV4 vehicles contain defective and dangerous  batteries, in which the 12V battery B+ terminal may short out because of contact with the battery hold down frame, and cause a sudden loss of electrical power, vehicle stall and/or a fire originating in the engine compartment.

Plaintiffs claim Toyota knew about the problem since at least 2016, after multiple consumer complaints indicating sudden loss of electrical power, stalling or fires in the engine compartment were reported to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

The lawsuit outlines several high profile incidents related to Toyota RAV4 battery Problems, one of which occurred back in 2018, when a Minneapolis couple’s brand new 2018 RAV4 spontaneously caught on fire and exploded in the middle of the night. Another incident involved a San Diego family in 2019, who noticed smoke emanating from the steering column of their 2017 RAV4. The family was able to exit the vehicle seconds prior to the interior of the car becoming consumed in flames.

Another incident, recorded by NHTSA in February 2020, involved a man from Maryland who reported parking his Toyota RAV4 under his carport. Shortly after exiting the vehicle he noticed the front end was consumed in flames, which spread to his wife’s vehicle and then to the carport attached to his home. The local fire department was dispatched to extinguish the fire and prevent the fire from spreading further.

Plaintiffs allege that Toyota has dodged the real issue at hand to avoid paying for costly damages, as well as avoiding the expenses associated with a recall campaign to replace the batteries. The plaintiff’s argue that had they known of the defective and potentially dangerous batteries, they would have bargained or paid significantly less for the vehicles, or chose an alternative vehicle.

The lawsuit presents claims of fraudulent concealment, deceptive business practices, unjust enrichment, breach of implied warranty and breach of expressed warranty, among others.

It was filed amid an ongoing NHTSA investigation launched in March, following nearly a dozen Toyota RAV4 fire reports.

Preliminary data collected from the investigation indicates seven vehicle owners reported driving under routine conditions when the vehicle stalled prior to noticing an engine compartment fire, while the remaining four fires occurred when the vehicles were parked, with the engine turned off.

The investigation covers an estimated 1,862,103 Toyota RAV4 crossovers from model years 2013 through 2018, which were distributed for sale throughout the U.S. to licensed dealers.

NHTSA stated additional information will be provided as the investigation continues and that customers should report all incidents to the Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236.