WHILE DRIVING MY 2001 TOYOTA RAV 4 ( 31000 TOTAL MILEAGE ), WITH THE HEATER MOTOR ON HIGH, I HEARD ALOUD WHIRLING NOISE. AFTER A SHORT TIME ( 5 OR 10 MINUTES ) THE HEATER FAN STOPPED WORKING AND THE SMELL OF BURNING WIRING FILLED THE VEHICLE. I IMMEDIATELY SHUT THE FAN SWITCH OFF. A WISP OF SMOKE CAME OUT OF THE DASH VENT. EXAMINATION OF THE FUSE BOX SHOWED THAT THE FUSE FOR THE FAN HAD NOT BLOWN. I BELIEVE THAT IF I HAD NOT TURNED THE FAN OFF THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A VEHICLE FIRE. AFTER FURTHER INSPECTION I DISCOVERED THE DASHBOARD WAS COVERED WITH FINE PARTICLES OF AN UNDETERMINED ORIGIN WHICH I ASSUMED CAME OUT OF THE WINDSHIELD DEFROSTER VENT. REPAIRS HAVE NOT BEEN MADE.*AK
2010
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
ON DECEMBER 24, 2010 MY FATHER EXPERIENCED A THIRD INCIDENT OF UNINTENDED ACCELERATION IN HIS 2010 TOYOTA RAV. DESPITE HAVING ALREADY PERFORMED ALL THE NECESSARY RECALL FIXES, EXTENSIVE TESTING BY 2 TOYOTA DEALERSHIPS AND EVEN HAVING THE ENTIRE GAS PEDAL REPLACED, THE CAR MALFUNCTIONED. THE ENGINE BEGAN TO REV AT A HIGH RATE AS HE SLOWED FOR A 4-WAY STOP. HIS FOOT WAS FIRMLY ON THE BRAKE, NOT THE GAS PEDAL AS TOYOTA LIKES TO CONTEND. THE BRAKE WAS NOT FULLY RESPONSIVE AND HE HAD TO LIFT HIS FOOT FROM THE BRAKE AND DEPRESS IT A SECOND TIME TO BRING THE CAR TO A STOP, THOUGH THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RACE. HIS FOOT WAS NOT TOUCHING THE ACCELERATOR. HE WAS FORTUNATE TO BE DRIVING AT A SLOW ENOUGH SPEED AND TRAFFIC WAS LIGHT AT THE TIME SO HE WAS ABLE TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT. HE CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY HAVE TESTED THE CAR (AGAIN) AND STILL CAN NOT FIND ANY PROBLEM (AGAIN). NOW THEY SAID THEY NEED TO KEEP THE CAR FOR 4 MORE WEEKS TILL A REP ARRIVES IN THE AREA FOR MORE TESTING. *TR