# 2007 TOYOTA RAV4 — UNKNOWN OR OTHER
> NHTSA complaint `1815745` · 2022-05-31 · Toyota Motor Corporation
## Severity
- **Deaths:** 0
- **Injured:** 0
- **Fire:** Yes
- **Crash:** No
- **Police report:** No
- **Medical attention:** No
- **Vehicle towed:** No
## Vehicle
- **Make:** TOYOTA
- **Model:** RAV4
- **Year:** 2007
- **Manufacturer:** Toyota Motor Corporation
- **Component:** UNKNOWN OR OTHER
- **Speed:** 20 mph
## Narrative
I noticed the steering wheel was becoming stiff and I resolved to immediately bring the car to the shop given that the mechanic was less than a mile away. The dashboard showed no sensors were off, but I figured it was best to double check. We were fortunately driving on local streets when we smelled smoke. I pulled over, checked the dashboard again to see that the battery light and the airbag light had turned on and off. No other sensor went off. I turned off the engine and turned on the hazards. Although the temperature gauge on the dashboard was normal, I figured that the car was overheating, which would be a first. I retrieved my son from the car, and thought it would be best to call a tow truck. When connecting with AAA, the smoke coming from the car started to grow and I hung up to call the fire department. As I held my son, a brave samaritan tried to help open the hood to extinguish the growing flame. The smoke was overwhelming, a crowd gathered to record the occurrence while I was fortunately able to shield my toddler in an apartment lobby. The fire could not be distinguished until the fire truck arrived. We had taken the car for a roadtrip in April, prior to which we got a check-up, we ensure that we pass our annual registration even though we're no longer paying for extended warranty, which we had til a few years ago.  I'm writing because I'm concerned given how quickly these circumstances had escalated. The fact that we didn't even have time to make it to a local
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*Source: [NHTSA ODI](https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/downloads/) · AI Analytics · CC0 1.0*