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A Toyota driver has filed a class action lawsuit claiming that RAV4 Hybrid vehicles possess a defect that prevents their fuel tanks from being filled to capacity.
The Toyota hybrid class action lawsuit was filed by Ken Ly who says he experienced the defect almost immediately after purchasing his RAV4 Hybrid.
Ly claims that the first time he tried to fill his tank with fuel, he noticed that despite having a 14.5 gallon tank, he was unable to fill it with more than 10 gallons of gas.
Ly states that he took the vehicle to Toyota twice for diagnosis and repair, but this effort was unsuccessful.
The RAV4 tank defect class action lawsuit explains that Toyota began selling the vehicles in 1996 as a cross-over, and since then, the vehicle has become Toyota’s best-selling vehicle in the Untied States.
Toyota began marketing the fifth generation of the vehicle in 2018, which included the 2019 model-year cars. Allegedly, this generation included hybrids, which were offered in four grades — LE, HV, XLE HV, XSE HV and Limited HV.
According to the Toyota gas tank defect class action, several design changes were made in the fifth generation of the vehicles, including a change to the fuel tank’s shape.
The Toyota class action lawsuit explains that the vehicles are advertised as possessing a 14.5 gallon fuel tank, that is used to power the vehicles in conjunction with their electric capacity.
Ly argues that consumers are willing to pay more for a hybrid vehicle than they would for a traditional vehicle because the hybrids are more convenient and require fewer trips to the gas station. Additionally, many consumers allegedly favor hybrid vehicles because they are better for the environment.
The plaintiff says that Toyota advertises the capacity of the RAV4 hybrids to have a long driving range while maintaining fuel economy. Ly points to advertising statements like Toyota’s statement “Go farther. Go faster” with the vehicle. Toyota reportedly says that consumers “might be surprised just how far it takes you.”
However, the Toyota fuel tank class action lawsuit argues that the 2019/2020 RAV4 Hybrid tanks possess a defect that prevents them from holding more than 10 gallons of gas, at which point the pump automatically shuts off.
According to Ly, this inconveniences consumers and requires them to fill the tank more often than they would if the defect were not present.
Allegedly, the problem reduces the convenience of the vehicle, and poses an economic injury because had consumers known the vehicles’ tanks do not work as advertised, they might not have purchased the vehicles or paid as much as they did for them.
The plaintiff argues that he and many other drivers were financially injured by the problem, and seeks damages on behalf of himself and all other similarly affected individuals.
Have you experienced problems with a Toyota gas tank? Share your story in the comment section below.
Ly is represented by Timothy G. Blood, Leslie E. Hurst, and Jennifer L. MacPherson of Blood Hurst & O’Reardon LLP; and Ben Barnow, Erich P. Schork and Anthony L. Parkhill of Barnow and Associates PC.
The Toyota RAV4 Hybrid Gas Tank Defect Class Action Lawsuit is Ly v. Toyota Motor Sales USA Inc., et al., Case No. 5:20-cv-00640, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
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37 thoughts onToyota Class Action Lawsuit Alleges RAV4 Fuel Tank Defect
I purchased my 2019 Rav4 XSE in September 2019. Drove off the lot with over 500 miles to empty…. have never been able to get that again. I, like others can only get to approx 10 gallons, which is ridiculous. In addition I only get approx 32 mpg. On a recent trip it actually plummeted to 26mpg! Expected more from toyota for $38k. Very irritated.
I’m having the same issue with my 2019 RAV4 Hybrid purchased in May 2019. Call Toyota’s customer service/complaint office, file a complaint, and get a case #. Neither they nor the dealer can do anything about it now. I’m told they are working on a fix and my dealer told me initial thoughts are the issue is with something called the fuel sensing (or sending?) unit. I’ve read that a few class action lawsuits have been filed. One in California, one in Washington DC, and a law firm in Philadelphia is currently researching the issue, as well. Found all this out through internet searches. It’s not just that we paid a premium and want what was advertised. Here’s a quote from one article: “According to the class action, the fuel systems are not properly vented which increases emissions from the vehicles and causes damage to the components due to higher internal pressure.” Increased emissions, and potential increased likelihood of damage/repairs. Bottom line – make some noise: report the issue, consider joining class action suits, and let’s get Toyota to make this right for us.
I have had several problems with mine. I bought a 2109 xle and can’t put more than 10 gallons in! The paint is chipping and I’m getting around 34mpg in town and highway. The gear box is loud and the dealership says this is a normal sound at 74db’s on the freeway. We bought ours in late October and the dealership knew full well what they sold us by then. I would use California’s lemon law but at this point if I lose the down payment than I would have to pay even more money for a new one each month. I am literally trapped.
I also just bought a Rav4 2020 Hybrid XSE, with 7 miles or less range I can only put about 9.5-10 gal.
I’m also only getting 28.4MPG highway, 32MPG rural, 36MPG city.
Which gives me around 320miles of range on each tank when I should be getting ~550.
I had a Camry 2015 Hybrid that had similar spec.’s as far as gas tank size, range and MPG. I averaged 36MPG and was able to put as much as 14.2 gal. in each tank and was able to get above 500 miles range on every tank. I drove it 120k miles. I have some experience with the hybrids.
Experiencing the same issues. Purchased a RAV4 Limited 10/19 and haven’t seen a full tank since. I thought it was the station I went to and tried all different kind of gas stations with the same result. Then I heard about the faulty gas tank. They know no one would have purchased the RAV4 with this issue to they didn’t say a word.
Same here. 2019 RAV4 XSE. I only get at most 10gallons. Bought my car in September and noticed it the first time I filled up.
Same here – over a month old hybrid RAV4 and face same challenge with tank fill
I can only put about 10 gallons per fill up which is a total disappointment. If i would have know I would have bought a regular on or another brand. And I’m not going to sit there and try and force the gas in the tank and risk getting fule all over myself
I purchased my new 2020 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid Limited on Jan.10th 2020 and I am feeling the same. So far I have never fully emptied the tank and filled in full tank but, I feel I am going to gas station quite often and also feel gas level indicator drops down quickly towards E(mpty). Soon I will bring gas tank close to empty and then see how many gallons it will take for full tank! Then update in this forum. Thanks to my friend who shared this link with me and he is having Toyota RAV4 Hybrid XLE 2019 model.
I just bought a 2020 hybrid Rav4 and I am only able to add 8 gallons. Brand new… If you need more people for this class action let me know.