Lawsuit Investigation: RAV4 Water Leak Problem

Attorneys working with ClassAction.org want to hear from certain Toyota RAV4 owners who had water leak into their vehicles.

Specifically, they’re looking into whether a possible defect in the 2019 to 2022 models is causing water to leak into the cars’ interior from the roof, which could potentially lead to mold growth and bad odors. It’s possible that a class action lawsuit could be filed to help drivers get back money for repairs and hold Toyota accountable.

RAV4 Drivers Complain About Water Leaks

RAV4 drivers have stated in online forums that they noticed water leaking from underneath the headliner on both the driver’s and passenger’s side of their vehicle, most noticeably after a heavy rain or while getting their car washed. Commenters have speculated that the leak could be coming from the sunroof or roof rack.

Some drivers have raised concerns about a potential safety risk if the leaking water damages a car’s airbags. Others stated that the leak was difficult to see due to its location near the roof of the vehicle – meaning it could potentially go unnoticed for long enough to allow mold to grow, leading to odors and posing a risk to occupants’ health.

Below is a sampling of complaints posted on online forums by RAV4 drivers [sic throughout]:

Before anyone’s warranty is up, if you have a 2019 RAV4 check your headliner for light bluish marks, if you have this, that means your roof racks aren’t properly sealed and water is leaking inside your car!!!! I just hade my passenger side rails resealed and headliner replaced[.]”
— ThatRAV4girl, RAV4World.com

I too have this problem with my 2019 RAV4 Trail (I’m from near Barrie, Ontario, Canada). It is day 4 at dealership, and water leaks on drivers A pillar & interior roof handle on drivers side. Only noticed this after going through car wash & started leaking on me. Went right to dealership & they first told me car wash ‘too powerful’, cars don’t leak. I told them it lined up with roof racks, but Day 1 they concentrated on sunroof. Day 2 it was roof racks, Day 4 & still leaking. When I mentioned concern for airbag, they said it would be fine? I would think they should know about this leak, as I just googled it & this forum came up with exact issues. I took photos as well. Nothing has been replaced for me, just ‘fixed’.”
— SueL., RAV4World.com

I've got a 2020 Rav4 XSE hybrid with the leaky roof in Colorado. Dealer already replaced the factory roof rails and the interior A pillar cover is all jacked up, warped and looks like crap with wires exposed behind. Cannot be good for the internals and airbags. NOT IMPRESSED TOYOTA!”
— Z and J in CO, RAV4World.com

This is going to happen on all 19 to 21 models because the roof rails they installed on our cars are defective they have a little thin rubber gasket that parishes after about a year and the roof starts leaking water into the car. Warranty covers it but they would not replace my headliner even though it has stains. All they did was replace the rails and check for mold…”
— Alucardspapa, Reddit.com

Had the same leak. Was told it’s the opposite outside black piece trim that’s leaking. I didn’t even know there were holes behind that.”
— h-vega, Reddit.com

I have a 2019 RAV4 XLE. My leak is at the front of the rail and not the rear, on both the driver and passenger sides. Dealer said that there is no recall on this and the cost to fix the issue without replacing the roofliner is approx $1300. For just one side. A friend of a friend that used to work at the same dealership said it is a known problem and that the cost should not be that high to fix it.”
— M Reynolds, ToyoHeadquarters.com

Though some drivers reported that their cars were repaired under warranty, others said they were unable to get a free repair or that the dealer did not fix all the damage caused by the leak. At least one driver stated their car began leaking again even after getting repaired.

Toyota has not issued a recall for the potentially affected vehicles.

How a Class Action Lawsuit Could Help

A class action lawsuit could help RAV4 drivers get back money for repairs, including for the removal of mold and odors. A lawsuit could also force Toyota to recall affected vehicles and provide a free fix.

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