After three field reports and eight warranty claims, Toyota has decided to ask owners of certain 2012-2014 Toyota RAV4 EV’s to return to their dealership for a problem affecting the hybrid propulsion system. Due to a software issue, the drive inverter electronic control unit may not be able to determine the rotational position of the motor. This will cause a speed sensor error code which will trigger a “Check EV System” warning message on the instrument panel, turn on the malfunction indicator lamp, and cause the electric motor to shift into “neutral”. This complete loss of drive power may increase the risk of an accident.

All owners of the affected vehicles will be notified by first class mail to return to a Toyota dealer to have the electric vehicle traction motor assembly repaired. For more information about the problem, contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. The NHTSA campaign number for this recall is 15V-143.