2023 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid: Finicky Wireless Charger Gives Incentive for Aftermarket Assembly Purchase

Wireless Charging technology has been very much appreciated throughout the automotive industry. You can even thank Toyota for this technology as the 2013 Avalon was the first car to be produced with wireless charging technology. To this day, even affordable models like Honda Civic, Toyota Prius, Toyota Corolla, etc. come with or have the option to come with wireless charging technology.

The 2023 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid is just one of those vehicles. You can get it on the XLE and XLE premium. This feature allows you to charge your phone or any other compatible device without having to plug it in. 9 out of 10 uses for a wire in the car are for charging your phone. The introduction of the wireless charger eliminates the need for wired charging and even frees up a USB port for other uses.

However owners have been recently complaining about their wireless charger on the 2023 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid. Some don’t come with it but for the ones who have it they say it isn’t working as it should.

On Facebook’s Toyota RAV4 Hybrid group, Tonja Honsey asked, “Just picked up my 2023 XSE Hybrid. Does it not come with wireless charging? I have tried the tray under the climate control and not charging.” So, this is the top trim level of the 2023 RAV4 Hybrid before the other special editions come in. In theory, it should have a wireless charger and it does. The problem is that just like most other non-essential things on the RAV4 hybrid, it was an afterthought in the process. The RAV4 is a very reliable automobile but its build quality is just slightly above average with a lot of creaky plastics and sub-prime materials.

Owners state that they feel the same thing in their 2023 Toyota RAV4 XSE with some saying they even went ahead and just ordered an aftermarket wireless charging tray assembly off Amazon and installed it themselves. Turns out the aftermarket world for these kinds of products is really big. You can get a good quality tray for under $200. And it’s not just the tray. It comes with a few cigarette adapters and what not.

I think this is a great investment if your car is no longer under warranty. Of course if it is and the wireless charger isn’t working, just take it into the dealership and let them handle it. The interesting thing is these forums exploit the problems which lead to almost free advertising of these aftermarket accessories. Remember back when the VW Beetle was big, and everyone wanted one? Do you also remember when every pink Beetle you saw had one of those little balls on the antenna? The start of that all came from people thinking the antenna was too ugly and talking about it on forums way back when. This led to the blow up of the antenna ball.

What do you think? Does your 2023 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid’s wireless charger work? Let us know in the comments below.

Harutiun Hareyan is reporting Toyota news at Torque News. His automotive interests and vast experience test-riding new cars give his stories a sense of authenticity and unique insights. Follow Harutiun on Twitter at @HareyanHarutiun and on YouTube at Toyota Time for daily Toyota news.