Toyota RCTA and BSM Failures
Have you recently seen the message “RCTA Not Available” or “BSM is Off” on the dashboard of your Toyota, Lexus, or other brands that use this naming convention?
These alerts indicate a problem with your vehicle’s rear cross-traffic alert and blind spot monitoring system. Learn about the common causes of these failures, practical troubleshooting tips, and whether it’s safe to continue driving.
What is Toyota RCTA?
“RTCA” stands for Rear Cross-Traffic Alert, a term coined primarily by Toyota. The system is designed to monitor the approach of cross traffic to the rear of the vehicle, especially when the vehicle is reversing. Such detection is made possible by using a special rear-facing radar probe.
Note: Because Lexus is Toyota’s luxury division, the information in this article about RCTA and BSM failures also applies to Lexus vehicles equipped with these features.
What is Toyota BSM? “BSM” stands for Blind Spot Monitoring and is the commonly used name for this technology throughout the industry. Toyota BSM is a system designed to provide critical monitoring of a vehicle’s blind spots to a wider area than was previously possible using mirrors alone.
Like the RCTA system mentioned above, the BSM system uses a special radar probe to obtain critical feedback that is used to detect overtaking traffic.
What causes the “Rear Cross Traffic Alert Not Available” or “RCTA Off” message to appear?
RCTA-related error messages can be logged for a variety of reasons. However, the most common of these reasons has to do with dirty or blocked sensors (radar probes). These messages often appear when the probe in question is covered with ice or frost, or when the vehicle is saturated with dirt or mud. In such cases, the cause of such failures is purely environmental and mostly temporary.
Other causes of RCTA errors can be a damaged or failed radar probe, wiring problems, or degradation of the module interface.
Due to the complexity of the system itself, such problems are often best diagnosed with the help of a trained professional. Professional diagnosis also avoids the costs associated with replacing parts that are not actually defective.
BSM failures are typically believed to be due to many of the same underlying issues that commonly occur with RCTA systems, the most common being dirty, fouled or blocked sensors (radar probes).
Again, many of these issues can be resolved simply by cleaning the affected sensor/probe. If there is ice or frost, it may be necessary to carefully thaw these sensors or wait until the temperature rises above freezing. Also worth noting is the fact that as these components age, they may experience electrical failures and require replacement.
Apart from this, damage caused by debris strikes or collisions can also be a cause of BSM system interoperability. Therefore, a thorough visual inspection is important to identify the root cause of any BSM-related issues.
Is it safe to continue driving? Yes, it is safe to continue driving even with RTCA and/or BSM issues. Errors related to these systems typically disable all functionality.
Therefore, any errors in this regard will result in the vehicle functioning practically the same as other vehicles before the advent of this technology. However, it is important to note that extra precautions must be taken when driving a vehicle with a faulty or malfunctioning RCTA/BSM system. This is especially true if drivers are accustomed to driving cars with such safety features, as it is easy for drivers to become overly reliant on this type of technology.