The Toyota RAV4 Thread

REVIEW: Toyota RAV4 Hybrid is the answer we are looking for

Over my time with the RAV4 Hybrid, I covered around 3 000km at an average fuel-consumption figure of 5.9l/100km. The vehicle proved to be fuel efficient as well as more than adequate for a small family. In fact, it worked a treat when the little one needed a car ride to help fall asleep. I was able to drive around in my complex, on battery power alone, for a good 10 minutes.

Sure, the Toyota RAV4 is not without its faults. The CVT gearbox tends to get a bit noisy when you demand everything it has to give but, then again, the car is not intended to be driven like a performance car. It has been designed to offer comfort, safety and fuel economy which it does extremely well.

Should it be on your list? Absolutely.

The Toyota RAV4 2.5 Hybrid GX-R E-Four we had on test is priced at R698 700.


88DCE7BC-C9A9-4EEE-BAA4-445106BFC845.jpeg8DAA55E2-1709-4DA5-8DBE-FAB47FAFD868.jpeg3F9E20D6-DEED-43CA-88F8-372DBD1A542F.jpegE7DD5AE1-1390-45EA-B44D-1769BFB0E265.jpegC5A90196-C99D-44B0-808A-05AF5DE82AE0.jpeg
 

Toyota will recall 16,680 RAV4 Primes due to faulty battery software - Ars Technica​

Too much time in EV mode in cold weather can drop the battery below its buffer.

Toyota_2023_RAV4_PRIME_XSE_016-600x400-1.jpg


Toyota is recalling 16,680 2021 RAV4 Primes to fix a software bug that could cause the lithium-ion traction battery to discharge too much, shutting down the hybrid system in the process.

To be more specific, the problem can occur in cold weather. If the RAV4 Prime has been driven continuously in "EV mode," (just using the plug-in hybrid battery, not the internal combustion engine) and the accelerator pedal is then press rapidly to accelerate the vehicle, it's possible for the battery to drop below a specified threshold.

"If this occurs, the vehicle will display a warning message and the hybrid system will shut down, resulting in a loss of motive power," according to the recall report.

Toyota's first inkling of a problem was a report from a European RAV4 Prime in March 2022. By April 2022, it had received two more reports of RAV4 Primes losing power, one in Japan and another in Europe.

All three crossovers had their hybrid system electronic control unit (ECU) replaced, but the actual cause of the issue remained a mystery until Toyota noticed that all three vehicles were driven in cold weather in EV mode.

Testing later in 2022 revealed that rapidly pressing the accelerator when driving continuously in EV mode in cold temperatures replicated the issue:

"Analysis of these results indicated that the HV battery voltage decreased more than expected and the demand output limit information was sent to the HEV ECU for battery protection."

"However, the calculation of the output limit value by the HEV ECU was not following the output limit demand, and the output limit value was above the output limit demand. In this condition, if the accelerator pedal is pressed rapidly, the actual output is above the output limit demand, causing the voltage of battery cell to rapidly drop below the threshold, resulting in the warning message and system ready-off."

The fix is an update for the hybrid system ECU, which will require a visit to a dealership. Owners should be notified by early April when this will happen.
Click to expand...

arstechnica.com

Toyota will recall 16,680 RAV4 Primes due to faulty battery software

Too much time in EV mode in cold weather can drop the battery below its buffer.
arstechnica.com arstechnica.com
 
Those infotainment buttons still look a bit cheap. Like a 1980s/90s tv remote buttons. Which they would change it. The Yaris 2018 XS had a much nicer looking infotainment system.

But the Nissan Qashqai is selling cheaply lately why? Its quite nice. Is it still as popular?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X