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Toyota has been hit with a class action lawsuit by vehicle owners who claim that the 2019 and 2020 RAV4 Hybrids have defective fuel tank systems.
The plaintiffs say that Toyota advertises the fuel tank in RAV4 Hybrid vehicles as having a capacity of 14.5 gallons, but the tank in these vehicles can only be filled to the nine or 10 gallon mark.
One of the class action plaintiffs, Cole Coleman, says he purchased a new 2019 RAV4 Hybrid for around $31,889. He argues that, based on the defendant’s reported 14.5 gallon fuel tank capacity, he was led to believe that he would have been able to go more than 500 miles on one full tank of gas.
“Some consumers, like Plaintiffs and Class members, are willing to pay more for a hybrid vehicle that offers better gas mileage and is easier on the environment than its gas-only counterpart,” the Toyota class action lawsuit says.
As a result of an alleged defect in his Rav4 Hybrid, Coleman claims that he has to refuel his vehicle more frequently that he would have to if the gas tank didn’t have the defect.
He brought his RAv4 to a local Toyota dealership and was told that there was nothing they could do about the problem until Toyota comes out with a solution, the Toyota class action lawsuit maintains. Coleman alleges that the gas tank in his RAV4 only fills to about eight to 10 gallons, even when the full light indicates that the tank is not full.
The shape of the fuel tank causes the fuel pump to shut off before reaching the purported 14.5 gallons, according to the plaintiffs.
The defect in the fuel tank reduces the total driving distance of the vehicles, the plaintiffs maintain. They state that Toyota advertises that the RAV4 can go 580 miles on a single “full” tank of gas. However, in reality, drivers can only travel 400 miles on a “full” tank, because of the defect in the fuel tank, the Toyota class action lawsuit alleges.
The plaintiffs argue that Toyota has known or should have known about this defect because of numerous complaints by consumers, pre-release testing, and feedback from dealerships.
“Without the superior knowledge Toyota possesses about the defect, unsuspecting consumers continue to purchase the RAV4, expecting to be able to fill their vehicles with 14.5 gallons of fuel and to travel the mileage range Toyota advertises,” the plaintiffs maintain.
The plaintiffs also state that Toyota has not offered an option to fix the fuel tank defect. The Toyota class action plaintiffs claim that if they had known about the defect in the RAV4, they would not have bought the vehicles or would have paid less for them.
The Toyota class action lawsuit notes that Toyota redesigned the fuel tank in the RAV4 in 2019 and, since then, vehicle owners have filed complaints with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reporting that they have not been able to fill the gas tanks on their vehicles.
A similar lawsuit was filed in January of this year by RAV4 owners who claim that they were unable to fully fill their gas tanks to the 14.5 gallon mark.
Have you encountered a problem with the gas tank in your RAV4? Leave a message in the comments section below.
The plaintiffs are represented by Lesley E. Weaver, Angelica M. Ornelas, and Joshua S. Samra of Bleichmar Fonti & Auld and Michael K. Yarnoff of Kehoe Law Firm PC.
The Toyota RAV4 Gas Tank Class Action Lawsuit is Coleman, et al. v. Toyota Motor Sales USA Inc., Case No. 3:20-cv-01663, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
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48 thoughts onToyota Class Action Says Fuel Tanks Are Defective
has anyone figured out how to file the class action lawsuit
same problem even after they put the new gas tank in. they say when gage is on empty car still has .5-4 gallons. $33,000 should be more trustworthy, dependable
same problem. Some Bs about a reserve of 4 gallons. the fuel light comes on with 3-4 gallons in the reserve tanks-this is crazy. I think this is a cover up
Same problem even after replacing the fuel tank and fuel sender unit. When I took the car back to the dealer after the repair and explained I could only pump 11 gallons into the tank when it had reached empty the technician replied that this was not a problem because the tanks have a 3.5 gallon reserve so I was within specs! I called Toyota customer service and they said the same thing.
2020 Rav4 Hybrid XSE. Have taken the vehicle to the dealer twice and they have replaced the sender but can only get 9 gallons of fuel into tank at auto stop. Dealer is telling us this is normal. Even if the tank had a two gallon reserve we should be able to get eleven to twelve gallons into tank after low fuel light comes on with 15 miles remaining.
2021 Rav4 XLE hybrid. Same gas tank issue. “Low fuel light” came on after ~380 mi driving distance , and could add only 9+ gallons of gas. Toyota received my report, and told me to take my car to the dealership to be examined. The dealership did not take my car in, and tried convincing me it is “NORMAL”… No, it is not normal.
I purchased a RAV4 Hybrid on March 2, 2020, and noticed the fuel tank problem immediately. I did mention it to the Toyota customer service rep when I took it in for its first maintenance check and she said she would make a note of it. I later received a letter from Toyota acknowledging the problem and saying I would be able to have it repaired. Recently I took it to Toyota and they confirmed that my car has the problem and said they would order the parts so I could come back and have it repaired. They have now contacted me to say the parts are in and I can come back. However, I am concerned that any fix will not be as good as the original factory installation would have been. I called Toyota Customer Experience this morning to ask if there are any other options, e.g. a vehicle replacement, and was told that this is the only option but that there is a 100,000 miles 8 year warranty for this particular fix. While I’m glad they are doing something I am not comfortable with the idea that this might not work, or might not be as good as the car I bought should have been. Also, now I am taxed with the need to take it to the dealer for a problem that they should have disclosed from the beginning. Does anyone know of any other options?
I bought a 2019 Rav4 Hybrid Limited at the end of 2019. I like the vehicle, except I noticed right away that the gas would kick off at less than 10 gallons. I was able to trickle gas in very slowly to get slightly over 10 gallons but that amount was significantly less than what I had paid for. I researched and found that there was already a recall on this tank.
1. I would not have purchased the 2019 model if I had known at the time of purchase. I felt that the dealership should have disclosed this information to me.
2. Replacement was not available until a year later. Where is the compensation for waiting the entire year for a fix, having to fill up after just 10 gallons? A major point of dissatisfaction and inconvenience.
3. HAVING NOW HAD THE REPLACEMENT TANK INSTALLED, I expected to be able to fill the tank to 14.5 gallons. I would have even accepted 14 gallons. However, even after replacement, I’m only able to fill to 12 gallons when the pump kicks off. I can usually trickle gas in for another half gallon or so before gas is spitting out. THE REPLACEMENT/RECALL TANK ISN’T MUCH BETTER THAN THE ORIGINAL.
4. A second class action suit should be filed, as this did not correct the problem completely. As a hybrid owner, I paid more for my vehicle with the expectation that I would not have to fill up as often. This needs to be fixed and owners should also receive monetary compensation for the overpayment and inconvenience.
I bought a Rav4 Hybrid and had to wait 2 months for delivery, finally picked up on Valentines day 2020. Drove the car with the dealership filled full tank. had to stop for gas at 480 miles with the needle on empty and light just comming on. I was only able to fill the tank to 10 gallons. Total miles to be driven shown as 480.
So dealer only filled to the 10 gallon limit. promised a full tank.
I have heard nothing from Toyota about replacing the tank and display system.
When I asked the local dealer about it they responded that they knew nothing about the problem.
I want car fixed. now have 3700 miles on it.
I own a 2020 RAV4 Limited Hybrid and am having the same problem. I have approximately 6500 miles on the vehicle since purchasing it new in December 2019. The best I have done on filling the gas tank with the gauge showing less than a 1/4 tank is eight gallons.
I have a 2019 rave 4 limited hybrid.Same issue as above.I can only put 8 1/2 gal of gas in it