Toyota's Poorly Designed Cable Costs RAV4 Hybrid Owners

The high-tension cable that powers the rear motor on RAV4 Hybrid and Prime four-wheel-drive models corrodes quickly. Out of warranty, the bill to replace it can exceed $6,000. Owners are anxiously awaiting a lasting solution from Toyota.

Corrosion is primarily caused by road conditions. As of 2019, the position of the connector between the cable and the rear wheel motor promotes the accumulation of debris and moisture.

"It is a circuit that must be completely isolated from the rest of the vehicle for it to work properly," explains Sacha Leroux, owner of the Arleco Génération III garage to Radio Canada.

Starting in mid-2021, Toyota redesigned the part to allow water and dirt to drain away. However, after inspecting several vehicles, Sacha Leroux believes that the new design does not give the expected results.

"In my experience, it's still not enough, because it still traps dirt and calcium. There is still corrosion," he confirms.

As early as October 2020, Toyota's US division suspected corrosion issues with the high voltage cable.

In Canada, it was last March that Toyota Canada sent a procedure to its dealers: detect corrosion, replace defective cables and, if out of warranty, invoice customers.

If you are under warranty, hurry up.

When the dealer diagnoses a corrosion problem, Toyota replaces the cable at no charge. But only if the vehicle is less than three years old or 60,000 km (37,200 miles). Nonsense for other drivers, according to the Association for the Protection of Motorists (APA).

“We are talking about a part that is supposed to last the normal life of the vehicle. If Toyota didn't design it to withstand our road conditions, now's the time to take responsibility," says George Iny, Director, APA. Out of warranty, the cost of the part is $4,500 plus labor. In some cases, the total bill exceeds $6,000.

APA received several complaints. The price is grossly exaggerated, that's clear. For that price, you can buy an entire engine from certain manufacturers, argues George Iny.

This is Armen Hareyan from Torque News. Please follow us at   / torquenewsauto   on Twitter and https://www.torquenews.com/ for daily automotive news.

Reference
Radio Canada https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/...
Torque News https://www.torquenews.com/1/poorly-d...