Master window power switch caught a fire in August 2011. It had been giving me problems since July 2009. Toyota would not fix it because to many miles. How does a power window stop working on a 2007 Rav4 when it only two years old. Faulty master power switch. It had a burn hole the size of a dime. I'm glad I took a picture of it. The first time I saw smoke was June 2011. I was so afraid to drive the fire trap I traded it in for a new car. The Rav4 was paid off now I have a car loan at 19.9%.

- Crofton, MD, USA

After driving for approximately 15 minutes, I saw a small amount of smoke coming from the drivers door panel and it smelled like an electrical fire. Afterwards, the drivers side power window switch and the passenger side power window switch was not functional. The passenger window would only let down (very slowly) but wouldn't go back up. I took the vehicle to a Toyota service center and they showed me that the main power window switch on the drivers side had a hole burned into it the size of a dime. The service manager said he had never seen anything like this before. Prior to this the passenger window switch was replaced twice between September 2010 and November 2010. However, the replacements still never took care of the problem of the passenger window switch intermittently working. In fact, a couple months ago I was just at the dealership complaining that I was still have the problem with the window switch on the passenger side intermittently working. I never guessed that my car could catch on fire! now I'm a little worried about driving my vehicle! updated 11/17/11 updated 06/06/12

- Portage, IN, USA

Electrical fire starting inside master window control switch. I was cleaning my car with the ignition on battery power (in order to listen to the radio). After approximately 30 minutes I noticed a burnt plastic smell, considerable smoke pouring out of the driver's door and a small tongue of flame from the same place. The source of the fire was (later found to be) the white electrical connector, for the front passenger window master control, where the physical window switch meets the circuit board. I was not touching any window or other controls at the time or within 15 minutes before the fire. The fire stopped rapidly after I took the keys out of the ignition, disconnected the battery cables, popped off the master switch assembly with a screwdriver and then smothered the controls with a wet towel. All the vehicle's windows were inoperable after that. I brought the vehicle to my local Toyota dealership. They performed an inspection and reported that they were 'mystified' as to the cause. The service manager's words were: 'I've never seen anything like that in my 25 years working on cars.' The property damage was confined to the master switch assembly and cost $422 to replace. Toyota refused to pay for this.

- Gainesville, FL, USA

Last night, my Rav4 battery died due presumably to the rear door light getting accidentally turned on. Upon jump starting the car, everything seemed fine. I drove it home without incident. Then, this morning, the battery was not quite up high enough to start the car, so I jump started it again. It started, but a few hundred feet away, I lost power steering and power brake assist. It required every ounce of force I could muster to turn the vehicle around and get it back to my house. Thankfully, this happened on city streets near my house and not on the highway last night or the chp would have been scraping me off a bridge post. The Rav4 cannot realistically be steered by an average person without the power steering assist because of the gearing ratio, making this a very serious design defect. If a vehicle cannot safely operate, the vehicle should not operate. The problem is that, because the battery plays an integral role in power smoothing, and because the power steering and power brake pumps are electrically operated, a low battery can result in failure of the power steering and brake pumps while the engine is still functional. This can easily result in an uncontrollable vehicle barreling down the highway at 80 mph. I believe that fixing this problem requires a fundamental redesign of the electrically operated pumps to add additional capacitors so that the battery is not playing such a crucial role in smoothing out the pulsating DC from the alternator along with the addition of sensor hardware to detect a low battery condition and activate an indicator light until the vehicle is safe to drive. Ideally, the steering gearbox should also be redesigned with a lower gear ratio so that it does not become undriveable. Without these fixes, the 2007 Rav4 is fundamentally unsafe. This design flaw probably also affects most other late models of Toyota.

- Sunnyvale, CA, USA

1. while driving a 2007 Toyota Rav4 at low speed, the steering wheel lock engaged, instrument cluster lights flashed and the radio silenced for about 5 seconds. The car was able to be safely stopped. Normal steering resumed radio came back on and cluster lights stopped flashing. The car was driven approximately 2-3 miles and parked for apprx. 1 hour. 2. the car would not start, again no radio, but lights were illuminated to full brightness. No warning/fault light was illuminated. The car was "jump-started". when pulling out of the parking stall, the steering wheel lock engaged again. A tow truck was called. The car engine remained running normally. 3. while loading the car, the tow truck driver had the steering wheel lock engage and disengage repeatedly 4 - 5 times. The Toyota of walnut creek (California) technician states that the problem is a discharged battery, causing the electric power steering assist to not operate and stated that the steering wheel lock cannot engage while the car is in motion. The problem was that the steering wheel lock did engage, not a lack of steering assist. The technician stated he "cannot duplicate" the problem.

- Orinda, CA, USA

Oem battery died. Vehicle was jump started. During subsequent operation power steering stopped working intermittently causing difficulty steering vehicle.

- Suffolk, VA, USA

Complaint:second complaint I purchased my Toyota rav 4 2007 in October of 2007. A few months after I had the car I started noticing that the car, for no reason would hesitate, leaving me at times in the middle of crossings an intersections with no power. After others began making comments that there was something wrong I brought it into leith Toyota. The first time was April 24th 2008. I explained to the service advisor I was having intermittent problems with the car. I told him I would start across an intersection (4 lanes) and all of a sudden the car hesitated, there was no power. I would press the gas pedal to the floor and approximately 10-15 seconds later the car would lunge forward. I told them it concerned and scared me. I was told that they could not find any problems. April 28th 2008 I returned again to the dealership advising them there was a problem, I was afraid to drive the car and wanted it fixed. I again was told there was not any problem with the car. This time I refused to leave until the problem was fixed. They finally brought the car back in and told me the models have a problem with the ECM system. I was told they reflashed the ECM system with an update sent by corporate and things should be fine. Yesterday I returned to the dealership. I told them the car was ok for a number of months but again this week I was almost in an accident because the car had started to hesitate again, and I am left in the intersection without power and on-coming traffic. They took the car out and of course the problem is intermittent so they were unable to find anything abnormal. They told me they would check to see if there were any additional computer updates for the problem. The car also looses power on highway at 60 mph, shuts down after a while. They advised me there were no additional updates. I told them the problem is putting me in danger of having an accident. They told me Toyota does not feel this is a problem. Updated IVOQ 07/15/10.

- Raleigh, NC, USA

I purchased my 2007 Rav4 used in early 2008. It has the factory installed premium jbl 6-disc stereo. Since the day that I have owned it, I have had problems with radio reception. The radio's display was also malfunctioning, so the dealer replaced that, but I still have poor reception. The reception is fine if I am within about 5 miles of a radio tower, but just outside of city limits, I either get static or the signal is lost completely. When I had the display replaced, I told the dealership (bill penney Toyota, huntsville, Alabama) about the poor reception, but they didn't do anything about it.

- Toney, AL, USA

2007 Rav4 ltd V6 - alarm system that kills engine -- malfunctioned. Short in electrical system between alarm system and battery. Dealer supposedly fixed, but I hear a buzz noise like a wire shorting out and the one beep the alarm system is to make when locking car doesn't beep. System malfunctioned 2 X and last time was leaving airport at midnight. Luckily pulled off interstate. Car died. Could have happened while driving on interstate. Car horn continuously beeped when malfunctioning - which could have caused me to be car jacked by someone who thought I was intentionally doing the beeping or it could have killed the engine while driving on interstate. Dealer said problem was battery then said short between battery and alarm system. Supposedly fixed it but it appears that it's still not working properly 2 weeks later so taking back to dealer today.

- Richmond, TX, USA