Toyota RAV4 Lawsuit Filed Over Alleged Power Liftgate Defect [UPDATE]

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A proposed class action lawsuit alleges 2014-2021 model year Toyota RAV4 SUVs are equipped with defective hinges that can cause a vehicle’s power liftgate to fail prematurely. 

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The 45-page case says that when the defect manifests, a RAV4’s mechanized power liftgate—i.e., the rear door, the primary way to access the back of a vehicle—will fail to open and close as intended and stay open for extended periods of time, including while driving. As a result, a continuous beeping noise may sound due to the liftgate’s failure to fully close, the suit says. Further, the vehicle’s power liftgate struts, actuators and body structure can “deform and/or tear” due to the Toyota hinge problem, the lawsuit claims. 

The complaint accuses Toyota of actively concealing the power liftgate problem from consumers, including the fact that repairing a RAV4’s hinges often fails to fix the issue given that replacement parts suffer from the same defect. The suit also contends that Toyota has “refused to take any action to correct” the problem in an attempt to limit its warranty exposure. 

“Defendants have long been aware of the defect,” the filing alleges. “Despite their longstanding knowledge, Defendants have been unable or unwilling to adequately repair the Class Vehicles at no cost to Plaintiff and the Class when the Defect manifests.”

According to the suit, Toyota touts the power liftgate in the RAV4 models at issue as a “utility enhancement” that, when operational, allows a driver to, say, safely load and unload groceries, equipment or more. The “large and heavy” RAV4 power liftgate is primarily attached to the vehicle with hinges and struts, or actuators, that help lift, support and lower the liftgate, the filing explains. 

The lawsuit says, however, that the hinges on 2014-2021 Toyota RAV4 models are unable to withstand the force and weight required to open and close the power liftgate. Thus, when the liftgate is used as intended, the case says, the hinges become “bent and deformed” and start to “crack and fall out of alignment,” which can potentially cause the door to open only halfway and then abruptly close. 

“When this happens, the power liftgate struggles to open and close because the integral components for doing so (i.e., the hinges) are defective,” the complaint states. 

Included in the proposed class action lawsuit is an image of a “normal” power liftgate hinge, followed by an image that purports to depict a bent RAV4 hinge consistent with the alleged defect:

 “[W]hen Plaintiff and the Class attempt to use the power liftgate, the hinges fail to operate correctly and will separate from their intended place on the body of the vehicle and begin to tear apart, which causes further damage to additional areas that surround the hinges, including the paint and body,” the suit summarizes, contending that consumers would not have bought or leased their RAV4 vehicles had Toyota disclosed the existence of the power liftgate hinge problem. 

Toyota knew, or should have known, of the alleged defect given its own records of customer complaints, complaints submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the volume of warranty and post-warranty claims submitted by drivers, the case continues. Per the suit, Toyota has also released at least two technical service bulletins related to the power liftgate problem, dating back to 2012.

The lawsuit looks to cover all persons in the United States who bought or leased a 2014-2021 Toyota RAV4. 

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