Design issues with 2013 Toyota RAV4

2013 rav4 ltd: Is anyone out there troubled by front doors so poorly designed that they allow infiltration of mud, ice, etc. along the bottom INTERIOR of the doors? What about exterior door handles that drip a dark stain down each door? What about no light for the glove box or the perfectly useless above- glove -box shelf that catapults anything in it to the floor with every turn? The dashboard screen with such glare it blots out the backup camera, radio settings and nav. indicators? There are many more, but this is supposed to be Toyota’s top RAV4 trim level? I have concluded that the Japanese are good car makers but will never be GREAT car makers until they can design for upper Midwest and New England climate.

Sorry to hear about your experiences. I don’t currently own any Toyota products, but I’ve previously owned Corollas and my parents have owned several varieties of Toyota’s as well without any of your described problems. Have you checked the weather stripping along the bottom of the door and interior to make sure it hasn’t degraded to the point where it won’t seal anymore?

Sounds like someone over-lubricated the door handles.

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I hope your rant makes you feel better. Did you buy this new or is it possible you purchased a used vehicle that may have had collision repair. Any good body shop can determine why you are getting stuff under the doors.

If this thing has you this upset then replace it .

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If it bothers you that much, just get rid of it and quit your gripin’.

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Coincidentally we had a 2013 Rav4 at work we were testing as a potential fleet vehicle. It didn’t meet our needs so we got rid of it, but we did drive it through a Minnesota winter, and on dirt roads and sometimes no roads, and it never got mud up inside the door. It also never dripped anything from the door handles unless it was rainwater. :wink:

In short, I suspect these problems are with your specific vehicle and not fleet-wide.

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I have been testing a RAV4 Adventure this week and my son loved that little shelf for the phone on the passenger side. His rubberized phone protector must be what kept it from flying off the shelf over its lip. No mud getting inside this 2018, so Toyota may have fixed that issue. I have noticed the glare issue on other Toyota’s but not this one. The RAV4’s lack of passenger protection for crashes is more troubling to me. One unique thing about the RAV4 in this class is the way the driver’s right knee has ample room. All the other compact crossovers of every brand I have tested make the center tunnel fat and that puts my knee in contact with the console. Toyota’s design is the best in that regard. All new RAV4 generation is revealed in 14 days.