Paola Guevera, one of the filers of a new lawsuit against Toyota, alleges her 2018 RAV4 suddenly lost power and emitted smoke, sparks, and flames. As a result, she claims, her vehicle is completely inoperable.
Another plaintiff, Pamela Woodman, allegedly smelled burning rubber while driving her 2018 RAV4. When she pulled over, she says, she saw flames coming from the center console. She reportedly exited the vehicle before the vehicle to burned to its frame.
Guevera, Woodman, and the other plaintiffs in this case allege such incidents arise from defective 12-Volt batteries in 2013-2018 Toyota RAV4 vehicles. They believe the batteries cause electrical shorts, which may cause the vehicles to “suddenly lose electrical power, stall, smoke, or catch fire” in the engine compartment.
They contend these batteries are designed and manufactured by Toyota, and Toyota has refused to recall or replace them. The lawsuit alleges Toyota has known of the defect through sources including pre-production testing, replacement part orders, and consumer complaints.
The plaintiffs assert claims including breach of warranty, fraudulent concealment, unjust enrichment, and violation of state consumer laws. They seek remedies including damages and attorney fees.
The case is Paola Guevara, et al. v. Toyota Motor Corporation, et al., case number 4:21-cv-00640-SDJ, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas.
