2017 Toyota RAV4: headlights failing or too dim

Filed Feb 17, 2024 · Electrical, Lights · CO

While we were driving in the mountains, the wiring harness shorted and fried all 4 of our front bulbs, causing us to have no visibility while driving on unlit back roads in Colorado. Toyota has a known TSB for this issue but claims it's not a safety issue, and has a kit to repair the issue, charging us $500 to install the kit. When asking about this 2 different employees explained it was a design issue with the car. Why is this not a recall? How is frying all my headlights not a safety issue?

Filed Dec 12, 2023 · Electrical, Lights · 5,000 miles · MA

The contact owns 2017 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated while driving downhill at night with the headlights illuminated, the windshield darkened, and the contact lost visibility of the roadway. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who informed the contact that the windshield was compliant to safety standards. The contact stated that he had contacted an unknown dealer, who informed him that the failure was related to the design of the headlights. Additionally, the contact stated that while attempting to turn the key in the ignition switch, the key would not turn and remained stuck. The contact stated that he continuously attempted to turn the key while wiggling the steering wheel, and he was able to turn the key in the ignition switch. There was no warning light illuminated. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened; however, no further assistance was provided. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 5,000.

Filed Jun 17, 2023 · Lights · WY

Even when properly aimed, with new headlight bulbs, visibility is poor at night. I recently had an incident while driving in town at less than 25 miles hour where I almost hit a deer that I could see on the side of the street, and this is actually not the first of many such incidents. I feel unsafe driving the vehicle at night due to the poor amount of light put out by the headlights. Toyota should offer to retrofit these with LEDS for people with issues. It's downrigtht scary, especially on poor lit streets or driving on the highway.

Filed Feb 14, 2023 · Lights · AZ

Both of my headlights burned out at the same time. I was driving on a rural mountain highway at about 7:30pm and was using my adaptive headlights. They were working fine, I noticed no issues, until they both burned out at the same time. It was dangerous, there was no shoulder to pull over on, and a steep drop-off i couldn't see and no warning whatsoever I'd be in pitch black dark in the middle of the road. Thankfully there was very little traffic, it could have been much worse. My dash camera captured the event and I've shared it to YouTube. https://youtu.be/plJlQYcA8-A No indicator lights ever came on, before or after. I had to drive the last hour to my destination through the mountains in the dark with only fog and running lights. I had been to the dealership for scheduled interval maintenance just the week before. A multi point inspection evidently didn't catch that both headlights were about to go out at the same time. Bulbs? Wiring? Relay? Not sure what happened.

Filed Sep 9, 2021 · Lights, Visibility · AR

While operating the vehicle all front headlamps failed simultaneously leaving me in the dark. Dealer next day found both front headlamp bulbs had both low and high beam filaments burned out! This may have been a catastrophic accident but for my fog lights. How can anyone feel safe in a vehicle in which all lights might fail while driving unlit curvy roadways?

Filed Sep 8, 2021 · Electrical · AR

Upon starting the car at night both headlights failed to go on. Only the fog lights would work. Headlights failed in both auto and manual mode.

Filed Jun 12, 2021 · Electrical, Engine · AZ · fire

I bought my Rav4 in September of 2017 brand new and within 6 months I had a dead battery needing replacement so I replaced it via AAA. Since then, I have had the battery replaced an additional 3 times! I always serviced my car at the dealer and took very good care of it. Then after 50k miles, I started having odd lighting issues…both headlight bulbs had to be replaced within 3 weeks of each other and one high beam bulb, and then my tail lights went out! Then I would occasionally have trouble starting the car and with a natural gas smell, rotten eggs. Which could be a catalytic converter or fuel pump issue but can also be the battery. Well, my Rav was in the driveway with a dead battery and with no tail lights and had been sitting there for a month since I mainly drive our Sienna.My Rav just caught on fire and was completely destroyed. No one was hurt but if the Sienna had been out there it would’ve caught on fire and it burned the garage door…Rav totaled! I also had a very expensive brake job last year and think those are faulty too. But this fire….was bad and I can’t get a car of equal value with what i received for the total loss. What is Toyota doing about this? Less than 4 yr old well taken cared of Rav 4 XLE that I paid cash for and now can’t even replace with a Corolla! There were no warning lights ever, not even for the dead battery’s. And less than 6 months prior to the fire, it was serviced at my Toyota dealer and they said all was good. The firemen that came also told me that Rav4 fires have increased and I searched on Consumer Reports and sure enough…what was explained was a carbon copy of my experiences. Thank god no one was in it when it started, but the house could’ve caught fire as well. Toyota needs to do something for those of us who had their cars totaled due to fire…just the time invested finding a replacement is worth something….not to mention the time vested researching vehicles before I bought the Rav4. plus the depreciation, etc….

Filed Mar 17, 2021 · Lights · 75,000 miles · IL

All exterior lights: headlights, fog lights, brake lights turn signals etc. Have all been replaced at least twice in less than 4 years and 75k miles of use. I was told that perhaps the probmem is that the area around tbe bulbs is too small causing them to over heat, which could be dangerous

Filed Sep 5, 2020 · Lights · 25,690 miles · SC

Auto-high beam doesn't function normally at times. Auto-high beam icon goes off at random, even though the lever is pushed forward and the headlight stalk is in the 'auto' position. This causes the high beams to be inoperable when the headlights are set to 'auto.'

Filed Mar 3, 2020 · Electrical · 35,000 miles · PA

Auto high beams stopped working dealer needed to replace the headlight stalk on steering wheel

Filed Feb 13, 2020 · Lights · 20,000 miles · KY

Abh (automatic high beam) system disconnects randomly and shuts down the head light high beam. When this happens, the abh indicator on the dash goes dark. Abh may or may not come back on after several seconds. This happens at highway speeds with no other vehicles or lights around. This is a problem because there is no quick way to get the high beams back on. This has happened since the car was about 2 years old.

Filed Jan 5, 2020 · Lights · 11,211 miles · WY

The halogen bulbs in the rav4 le are substandard and present a safety hazard. After a dealer upgrade to some brighter bulbs, there is still very little spill to the sides of the road. This prevents me from seeing potential hazards like deer while driving at night. I have had several near misses with animals and even one with a pedestrian inside the city limits because I simply couldn't see them. Headlight aim has been verified as correct so that's not the issue either. This is a dangerous situation waiting to happen.