Toyota RAV4 Fire Risk Is Focus of U.S. Investigation

(Bloomberg) -- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened an investigation into a defect that could put 1.9 million of Toyota Motor Co.’s RAV4 SUVs at risk of catching fire.

The RAV4 is Toyota’s top selling car, with 430,000 units sold in the U.S. in 2020.

The agency’s Office of Defects Investigations said the probe covers model year 2013 to 2018 Toyota RAV4s that have battery frames which may result in the sudden loss of electrical power, vehicle stalling, and/or a fire originating in the engine compartment.

“Toyota is aware that NHTSA has opened this investigation and we are cooperating with the agency,” the company said in a statement.

The investigation started after NHTSA received 11 complaints from drivers who experienced electrical loss in the affected cars, including seven who reported the issue occurred while driving.

“Drivers experienced stalling prior to the thermal event in half of the instances where the vehicle was in motion,” the agency said. “The 12-volt battery was identified as the area of origin in a majority of the incidents reviewed.”

NHTSA said “improper battery installation or prior front end collision repair was a factor” in the incidents. “Despite these external influences on the battery retaining method, the overall number of vehicle fire allegations with the battery as the area of origin is larger than its peer population,” the agency said.

No injuries or deaths were reported in any of the complaints that NHTSA received.

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