2014 Rav4 Bluetooth Phone Issue..Anyone Have This In Another Toyota?

2014 Rav4LE, bought used 3 years ago. Stock Toyota headunit and nothing has been changed.

A few weeks ago my wife tried to call me and the call went through but I couldn't hear her no matter how loud she talked. Occasionally it would give a brief word or 2 of her but it sounded robotic or synthesized. She recently told me that when she tries to use voice commands to get texts read to her etc that it will keep saying it doesn't understand her.

For other unrelated reasons we had to replace her phone last week anyways, the new phone is working fine but not in the vehicle. I have called her from my cell as well as the house phone both..no issues when she's not in the vehicle, always while she is.

In using the Google machine, most is pulling up for the newer Rav4s having an issue with the DCM and an SOS feature which this doesn't have. However, my limited findings seem to lead me to the microphone perhaps being an issue.

I haven't confirmed it's the same unit yet but I did find a schematic for a Toyota headunit and it doesn't seem like a plug and play running of an aftermarket like my Pioneer radio has (simple headphone jack in back of unit) would be an option.

I'm guessing it's also possible that it is the radio (though everything else works fine and I know when I get a call in the vehicle that the other caller comes through the speakers fine). I'm curious if anyone else ran into this with a Rav or perhaps the Tacoma, and if so what was the remedy? I don't mind buying the microphone and installing it but I hesitate to throw parts at the problem if I can't do some troubleshooting first of the existing mike/HU.

 

Just tried doing the radio reset and no dice, same issue.

 

Sounds like something with the phone.

 

I suspected that when it first did it a few weeks ago, but we just bought her a new phone 2 weeks ago (unrelated reasons) and it's doing the exact same thing.

 

might be the mic? If it got anything spilt on it (I have no idea where it is located so that might not even be possible) that could kill it.

 

Mike is on the top with map lights..spillage not possible per se though it could be worn out. I looked at a diagram of the back of the radio as I have a spare mike from a Pioneer radio that uses a 3.5mm jack but that's not the hookup that the OEM radio uses, not really an option.

 

Maybe the head unit poopin it’s pants?

maybe try using your phone in the car and reproduce issues that way? I feel like the car might not like the new phone or some random crap like that.

 

Yup that I did as well. I know mine works with BT in general as I have a Pioneer radio in my truck with it.

Hoping it is just a plug and play at the top versus the aftermarket one like mine which is a one piece mike/wire that I'd have to feed.

 

Did you try unpairing and re-pairing it? I've read that helps sometimes.

 

Maybe disconnect battery for awhile, it might reset itself.
I literally just did this to a friend's car because of basically same issue.

 

I was going to write the same.

Powering off the phone and turning it back on.

 

depending on the phone the Bluetooth versions might not synch up right, I've had this happen with a few of my things when I switched to the iPhone 13 pro. also unpairing worked in my wife's 4runner