The Cablegate people have put together an English Language pdf summary of the issue:

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One approach is to access the part, safely, remove the black underbody plastic,, then remove the orange cover. Remove the two aluminum body pieces and if there is corrosion remove it apply dialectric grease around the connection points and rubber. Close it up. Then spray an antirust agent on the outside of the two metal parts ( something like Krown spray which is non conductive ( not parafin and no solvents) and on the metal braid, then put the orange cover back on.

 

Here is the latest information I've found on the Internet. Seems to currently apply to hybrids only and not yet the Prime.

 

Took my car to Quebec for proper rustproofing and the owner pointed out the corrosion already occuring on the front of car electrical orange piece with exposed wiring and in the back the start of corrosion as well. In the back, he took away the discolouration and then applied dieletric grease to the connection point of the metal piece as well as inside the connector along the seam, closed it up and rustproofed the exterior. This corrosion was occuring on a 2023 prime received in Jan 2023. Moral of the story, is that its still a problem and it needs to be attended too. His take on the open plastic piece in the back change is that it simply delays the inevitable but does not fix the issue.

The rust proofing at the dealership was sad and plain to see watching his work, and how little product was actually put in the doors and elsewhere prior to his application. Clearly they didnt remove any plastic pieced underneath the car either.....

One note was he placed some oil on the connection point of the wiper arms where they fold. He pointed out that they are disimiliar metals and by oiling the pin area twice a year, will help prevent the ensuing corrosion.

 

The Quebeckers are ahead in this little game. Here's hoping for some clarity from Toyota.

Les petits secrets de Toyota

Toyota a ses petits secrets, des informations hautement d’intérêt pour ses clients, mais qu’il communique uniquement à ses concessionnaires, tout en prenant soin de leur préciser de tenir ça mort. Le chat est sorti du sac lundi, au palais de justice de Montréal.

www.lapresse.ca

 

Nice find! I would rather be proactive than wait........... A replacement will have the same issues unless they make engineering changes.

 

That's why I'm not overly keen on having it replaced early. Any chance material science will make a substantially better connector?

 

How does this part fail? I'll take it you would lose the rear axle drive. But can the vehicle operate in FWD only mode and limp home?

According the the No AWD thread, some folks here think the rear drive is useless anyway.

 

While the cable is failing you'll get static on AM radio when you switch into R or D. When it actually fails you'll have an immovable, stationary object.

 

@Safedad, You are dreaming if you think they changed anything except the orange plastic piece, from closed to open. If you read, my brand new 2023 was already starting to corrode in both front and back.

 

I have not seen anything to suggest they changed anything else, except that there was at least one more part revision after the drainage change. I would be curious if someone finds such a comparison of the parts.

The presence of corrosion is not proof that Toyota has not made any improvements, though. Mine is showing discoloration in the video, also. The question is how long the part can slow corrosion before it fails. Different alloys and platings can slow corrosion considerably. Galvanized steel is the most common example of using a sacrificial zinc plating when a dissimilar metal is in electrical contact. I doubt it is the case, but one could also dream that the original parts were defective or not to spec.

It would not surprise me at all to learn they made no substantial changes until they are forced to do so. Sadly, extending a warranty may be the cheapest solution. Waterproofing or using metals that do not corrode at all in an automotive environment could be much more expensive.

 

Latest update from Toyota Canada:

NOTICE OF HEARING TO APPROVE THE SETTLEMENT​

PROPOSED CLASS ACTION CONCERNING SOME TOYOTA AND LEXUS HYBRID VEHICLES​

Constantin Sultana and Toyota Canada Inc. (“TCI”), the exclusive Canadian distributor of Toyota and Lexus vehicles, have reached an agreement in a proposed national class action.​

The Motion for authorization of the class action alleges that certain 2019–2022 model year Toyota and Lexus vehicles are affected by a latent defect in the hybrid wiring system, causing premature corrosion and failure.​

None of the above allegations have yet been proven in a court of law.​

This settlement, which must be court-approved, may affect your rights.​

Please read this notice carefully.​

WHO ARE THE GROUP MEMBERS?​

You are a member of the proposed class action if you are:​

Any individual, corporation, partnership or association that owns or leases, or has owned or leased, the following Toyota vehicles in Canada:​

Highlander Hybrid 2020-2022, RAV4 Hybrid 2019-2022, RAV4 Prime 2021-2022 Venza Hybrid 2021-2022; Sienna Hybrid 2021-2022​

Or the past or present owner or lessee of the following Lexus vehicle:​

NX350h Hybrid and NX450h+ plug-in Hybrid 2022.​

​

SETTLEMENT SUMMARY​

WHAT IS TCI OFFERING?​

Without any admission of liability by TCI or its affiliates, TCI agrees to implement a Warranty Enhancement Program (“WEP”) which extends the manufacturer’s warranty for all subject vehicles to eight (8) years or 160,000kms, whichever comes first, from the date of first use of the subject vehicle, and for repairs related to the alleged issue only.​

Under the terms of the WEP, any repairs required on a subject vehicle due to the alleged issue shall be performed free of charge by TCI. Members who have previously paid for such repairs before the release of this WEP, may be eligible for reimbursement even if the repair was performed by another dealer or an aftermarket shop.​

TCI will inform all members in writing by regular mail and by email to their last known address, if known, that their subject vehicle is covered by the WEP.​

TCI also agrees to pay the attorneys of Constantin Sultana’s fees of C$700,000.00 plus GST, QST, and disbursements in the amount of C$10,202.90. These amounts must be approved by the Court during the September 9, 2024 hearing.​

 

Where they have not fundamentally changed the design, why does this wep only cover 2019-2022??!? If you have a 2023/24 you are still screwed?

 

They have made at least a few revisions to the main part involved. It's not clear how much improvement each change has made or what additional changes were made for 23-24, if any.

 

Apparently there is a brand new all sealed solution for cablegate that was spotted on a 2024 hybrid.

See here

It's from this Reddit post

 

When you look at the Car Care Nut video of the new AWD version of the hybrid Camry, that cable does not look exposed and there is no tray. Will this make its way to the next RAV? My guess is Toyota will run the clock out on this one with no further warranty extensions as the revisions will make for fewer failures.

 

As a few people have pointed out, the ultimate solution would be to alter the Rear Traction Motor Cable AND the HV Floor Underwire Harness to have a sealed/waterproof connector between them (which, if sealed properly, could be located in the same position it is now), but I'm not holding my breath. Toyota's offer/settlement of replacing a component which is expected to fail with another which is also expected to fail should have never been accepted as a solution, even from Toyota's perspective: do they really want to replace the HV Floor Underwire Harness (and possibly the Rear Traction Motor Cable as well) every couple years on qualifying RAV4s? I wouldn't think so.

That said though, the number of vehicles affected is substantial (I'm in eastern Canada and 5th Gen RAV4 HVs are EVERYWHERE....cant go a single small city black without crossing paths with one). Quite sure the 2023 connector revision is no better than the original (might be worse in some ways), and even if the 2024 revision lasts a little longer before failure, there are still going to be a lot of voices calling for restitution over the next few years. We just need to keep the pressure on.

 

Aftermarket rust treatments can make things worse, especially if improperly applied. Wire mesh is far more difficult to treat than a flat metal surface, for example. Solid coatings easily crack and peel in automotive environments. Wax and gels and greases work well in some applications, but around wire mesh they are less likely to be packed well enough to fill all the gaps and prevent water from seeping in. Liquid coatings need to be re-applied more frequently. If water can wick under the treatment, it can corrode even faster.

Someday, a motivated person will compare all the iterations and see if they have changed the metals and/or platings to reduce galvanic action, in addition to the physical changes of the assembly. Incompatible metals are the likely cause and changing them is really the best way to significantly increase the life of the part.

 

2022 R4P
Just got my letter today extending coverage on the cable to 8years/100k

 

But who listens to AM radio? I'm old enough to know what it is at least LOL

AM radio means "radio that you listen to in the morning". Easy-peasy.

2022 R4P
Just got my letter today extending coverage on the cable to 8years/100k

I am 99% sure all hybrid components are covered to 8 years/100K miles, shouldn't be that cable as well by default?

 

I am 99% sure all hybrid components are covered to 8 years/100K miles, shouldn't be that cable as well by default?

You can't even get the cable covered with an extended warranty.

 

I had mine replaced by the local yoter stealership under mentioned warranty, however I’m still getting the ‘hybrid system stopped’ light (the light came back less then a week after the ‘repair’) I took it in the dealership and they said they can’t find any codes. I really think that’s bs and they messed up on the TSB any advice for me here? Shouldn’t the code be stored in the vehicles ECU and the dealer can pull it?

 

Call Toyota Corporate and complain. (800) 331-4331. You'll hear from the dealer very quickly wanting to fix your issue. Dealers can lose their franchise if they get to many complaints from customers. Toyota is all about their reputation and saving face. When you call, get a case number so you can call back if the dealership is stupid. Good luck.

 

Just like espos4 I received my letter extending cable warranty to 8years/100K miles. My VIN is 87---. 2022 Prime SE this is US