Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power windows, windshield, wipers, mirrors, sunroof).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2006 Toyota RAV4 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Toyota RAV4. The contact stated that the front passenger side window was activated, but failed to function. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The VIN was included in NHTSA campaign numbers: 16V096000 (seat belts), 15V689000 (visibility), 13V383000 (suspension), and 11V113000 (vehicle speed control). The parts needed to repair the vehicle were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 73,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available. Parts distribution disconnect.
On freeway, other motorist notified me my car was "on fire!" I saw excessive smoke in rearview mirror. I took the next exit which was dixon, ca off interstate 80 west in california. The side of the freeway there is grassy, did not think it was safe to stop...I stopped the car and smoke was everywhere, coming up through the hood & under the car. This was tues, 2/3/09. I has the car serviced the fri before, 1/30/09 at Toyota vallejo in vallejo, ca. I called the dealership after calling aaa for a tow. The service advisor, ryan said "it couldn't have been from anything they had done. But there is an 'oil hose' that had been coming off alot of the RAV4's." I was already upset & that made me livid!! If it were a known problem the dealership should have checked during the scheduled maint. My car was towed to lithia Toyota of vacaville #47 at 500 orange drive, vacaville, ca. Work order 394212. …
While driving the sun visor on the driver's side suddenly fell in front of my face and hit my nose. I could not see and almost veered into a ditch. My nose was bruised and swollen for 3 weeks. The visor has continued to be a troublesome issue as it continues to fall randomly causing the driver to be blinded by it or struck by it. I have tried using velcro to hold the visor in it's place but to no avail and have tried correcting the mistake but have no idea how to "fix" it. The visor has fallen while driving many times causing the driver to swerve. Toyota will not recall but offered to correct if I would pay them $175.00! There have been many, many complaints about this issue as seen at this site: http://www.rav4world.com/forums/98-4-3-interior/104489-driver-side-sun-visor-installation.html. …
The drivers side sun visor will not stay up and this creates a problem while driving to the extent where it is a visibility hazard. Apparently Toyota had a major problem with the sun visor on this year model but refused to do a recall on the matter. When I tried to purchase another sun visor for the vehicle I found that you can only purchase it through a Toyota dealer and the price is $250.00. Apparently Toyota is taking advantage of customers because they know there is a problem with the sun visor and refused to fix the problem. Now they are charging a ridiculous price for the replacement part because they know how many are bad. Something needs to be done about this but no one seems to care. I guess when people start getting killed because of the safety hazard, then maybe someone will then decide to do something to help.
My driver side visor will not stay up, and drops down in front of my face, blocking my field of vision. This is a safety hazard. I live in portland, oregon and we have much more gray instead of sun, so my visor doesn't get used that much through the year. I searched on www.rav4world.com forums, and see that it is a frequent problem with other RAV4 owners, some starting at 15,000 miles. I understand that Toyota has redesigned the part as a replacement, but Toyota wants to charge $70 for the replacement visor + installation. It is a design defect, and a safety hazard that could easily cause a rear end collision. There should be a recall on all of the original parts.
The RAV4 has a well-known problem with the driver's side sun visor in which it will not stay in place. The visor frequently and without warning abruptly drops to a straight-down position. In this position it impairs forward visibility, and for tall drivers it can block the view of the road completely. There is also a widely-reported problem with the steering (there are 166 reports on this site at the time of my filing) which is noticed in the form of a knocking or clunking noise which can also be felt in the steering wheel. Many owners, including me, are concerned that this could be a precursor to a steering component failure.
Driver visor unexpectedly fell down into drivers view while driving down freeway. It could not be moved to the side to stay out the way either as it seems to have just stripped out.it had to be removed completely in order to see out windshield properly. The same thing occurred on the passenger side about 2 weeks later. This creates a driving hazard both by the unexpected dropping of the visor creating a viewing obstruction and by not using the visor also because of glare from the sun. Toyota recalled the exact same visors they use on the camry model but won't issue a recall for the RAV4 models utilizing the same visor!
The driver side sun visor will not stay up. It is very distracting. I have tried getting it to stay there with velcro, however the visor is too heavy and it will not hold it up. I called Toyota who stated there was nothing they could do to help me with this. It would cost me over $100 to get this fixed. They do not see it as a safety issue, however it is very distracting. I have read several posts on the internet of other Toyota owners who have had the same issue with the visor.
This complaint involves the glass in the windshield of a 2006 Toyota RAV4. Briefly, the glass shattered in a manner that is uncharacteristic of safety glass leaving shards and slivers of glass throughout the vehicle from the impact of a rock from the highway. I believe the tempering process left this window defective and the potential for injuries, particularly to the eyes, of drivers or passengers is more than should be allowable.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Toyota RAV4. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 15V689000 (visibility); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Related recalls
Visibility › Power window devices and controls
Toyota Motor Company (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2009-2011 Tundra, Sequoia, Corolla, Corolla Matrix and Scion xB, 2008-2011 Highlander and Highlander Hybrid, 2007 Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2009 Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2006-2011 RAV4, 2006-2010 Yaris, and 2009-2010 Scion xD and Pontiac Vibe vehicles.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the switch, applying a lubricant if no abnormality is found. If abnormality is found, the PWMS circuit board will be replaced, free of charge.
Window & Wiper complaints in other RAV4 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are window & wiper problems on the 2006 Toyota RAV4?
NHTSA has 30 complaints about the windows, wipers & sunroof of the 2006 Toyota RAV4, 4% of the model year's 705 complaints. The component named most often is windshield (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2006 Toyota RAV4 window & wiper problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 15V-689 (power window devices and controls, Oct 22, 2015). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2006 Toyota RAV4 window & wiper problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 65,000 miles, and 13% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 1 fire and 1 injury to windows, wipers & sunroof problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.