2010 Toyota RAV4
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Suspension is the leading concern among 400 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 7th highest complaint count among 26 RAV4 model years with reports.
Of the 2010 reports, 57 involved a crash and 3 involved a fire. 27 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Suspension, rearAug 12, 2016
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2006-2011 Toyota RAV4 vehicles manufactured October 31, 2005, to September 7, 2010, and 2010 Lexus HS250h vehicles manufactured July 6, 2009, to August 26, 2010. The affected vehicles have rear suspension arms (rear tie rods) with adjusting lock nuts that may have been improperly tightened after servicing. As a result of being loose, the arm may have thread damage and may rust, possibly leading to the failure of the arm and an abrupt change in the vehicle's alignment.
Failure of the rear tie rod could cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Toyota will notify owners and dealers will replace both rear suspension arms and encapsulate the locknuts, free of charge. The recall began on September 30, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are G0V for Toyota vehicles and GLK for Lexus vehicles. Note: This recall supersedes recall 13V-383, in which some vehicles were only inspected, sealed, and did not have both arms replaced. The affected vehicles were previously recalled under 13V-383, but did not have both rear suspension arms replaced at that time. Those vehicles need to have both arms replaced as part of this recall remedy.
Campaign 16V596000 on NHTSA.gov
Seats, front assembly, seat heater/coolerJun 2, 2016
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2005-2011 4Runner, Highlander, Sequoia, and Sienna, 2005-2010 Avalon and Tundra, 2006-2008 Camry Solara, 2006-2010 Highlander hybrid, 2006-2011 Rav4 and Tacoma, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2007-2011 Camry hybrid, 2009-2010 Venza, 2010-2012 Prius, 1988-1990 and 2005-2010 Camry, and 1989 and 2009-2010 Corolla vehicles equipped with aftermarket accessory seat heaters with a copper strand heating element. The electrical wiring in the seat heaters may be damaged when the seat cushion is compressed.
If damaged, the copper strand heating element may short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.
SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the seat heaters, free of charge, and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory. The recall began on July 14, 2016. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET number for this recall is SET16B.
Campaign 16V396000 on NHTSA.gov
Seat belts, rear/otherFeb 19, 2016
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2006-2012 RAV4 vehicles manufactured July 28, 2005, to December 19, 2012, and 2012-2014 RAV4 EV vehicles manufactured July 24, 2012, to August 29, 2014. In the event of a frontal collision, the rear seat belts for the outboard seats may be cut by the seat cushion frame.
A cut seat belt may not properly restrain the seat occupant, increasing their risk of injury in a crash.
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will install a protector over both rear seat cushion frames, free of charge. The recall began on June 24, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is G0F.
Campaign 16V096000 on NHTSA.gov
Visibility, power window devices and controlsOct 22, 2015
Toyota Motor Company (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2009-2011 Tundra, Sequoia, Corolla, Corolla Matrix and Scion xB, 2008-2011 Highlander and Highlander Hybrid, 2007 Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2009 Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2006-2011 RAV4, 2006-2010 Yaris, and 2009-2010 Scion xD and Pontiac Vibe vehicles. During the manufacturing of the Power Window Master Switch (PWMS), grease lubricant may have been inconsistently applied to the sliding electrical contacts.
If the sliding electrical contacts are not protected by lubricant, debris and moisture that get into the switch may cause a short circuit and the switch assembly may overheat and melt, increasing the risk of a fire.
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the switch, applying a lubricant if no abnormality is found. If abnormality is found, the PWMS circuit board will be replaced, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin December 20, 2015. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is C0M.
Campaign 15V689000 on NHTSA.gov
Visibility/wiperSep 18, 2015
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2009-2012 RAV4 vehicles manufactured October 27, 2008, to December 19, 2012 and 2012-2014 RAV4 EV vehicles manufactured July 24, 2012, to August 29, 2014. In the affected vehicles, water may drip onto the joint that connects the wiper linkage to the wiper motor.
Over time, the dripping water may cause corrosion and wear at the joint, potentially resulting in the separation of the wiper linkage. Once this occurs, the wipers would not function, reducing driver visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the water diverter channel. In addition, a new wiper linkage with a wiper motor crank arm will be installed. The wiper linkage will have a protective cover over the wiper linkage joint to minimize water splash and a retainer ring to prevent the wiper arm from separating from the wiper motor. The recall began on November 7, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service number at 1-800-331-4331.
Campaign 15V577000 on NHTSA.gov
Seats, front assembly, seat heater/coolerNov 19, 2014
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 Prius and Corolla, 2009-2011 Venza, 2006-2010 Avalon, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2005-2011 Sienna and Sequoia, 2006-2011 Tacoma 4x2 and 4x4, Camry, Highlander, Tundra 4x2 and 4x4, and 2007-2011 Rav4 and 4Runner. The affected vehicles may experience compression of the seat cushion which may damage the seat heater wiring.
Damage to the seat heater wiring could cause the wires to short, increasing the risk of the seat burning and causing personal injury to the occupant.
SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the heaters with copper strand heating elements and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory, free of charge. The recall is expected to began in January 2015. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226.
Campaign 14V743000 on NHTSA.gov
Suspension, rearAug 28, 2013
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2006 through 2011 RAV4 and 2010 Lexus HS250h passenger vehicles manufactured from October 2005 through September 2010. If the nuts for adjusting the rear wheel alignment are improperly tightened during service, the rear suspension arm (rear tie rod) may develop unwanted movement and rust leading to thread damage and eventual failure. Failure of the rear tie rod will cause an abrupt change in the vehicle's alignment.
Failure of the rear tie rod could cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the tie rods and replace any that have rust or corrosion on the alignment adjustment threads. All of the rear tie rods will then be encased in an epoxy to prevent future environmental damage. Due to limitations in parts, the recall remedy will be launched in phases from September 2013 through mid-April 2014. All owners will receive notification of the recall, with most receiving second notifications when parts are available in their area. IMPORTANT: This recall supersedes Toyota and Lexus recall 12V-373. All vehicles that have been inspected and remedied under the previous recall need to be re-inspected and have the appropriate remedy applied.
Campaign 13V383000 on NHTSA.gov
Equipment, other, labelsApr 9, 2013
Southeast Toyota is recalling certain model year 2008 and 2010-2013 Toyota Tundra, 2010-2012 Rav4, 2012 Toyota Sequoia, 2010-2011 Toyota Corolla, 2010-2011 Toyota Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2010-2013 Toyota Highlander and Highlander Hybrid, 2010-2013 Toyota FJ Cruiser, 2011 Toyota Land Cruiser, 2010-2013 Toyota Venza, 2010-2011 Toyota 4Runner, 2010-2013 Toyota Tacoma, 2011-2012 Toyota Sienna, 2012 Toyota Prius, 2013 Scion FR-S, 2011 Scion XD, 2011 Scion XB, and 2012 Scion TC vehicles. These vehicles were sold with labels that were outside the allowable one percent of accuracy of actual weight added. Thus, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) Number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
An inaccurate label could lead to owners overloading their vehicles and tires. An overloaded vehicle can result in a tire failure which may result in a vehicle crash, personal injury, or property damage.
Southeast Toyota will notify owners and provide a corrected label with instructions concerning its installation. A small group of the affected vehicles will need additonal remedies which are still being developed. The recall began on May 28, 2013. Owners may contact Southeast Toyota at 1-800-301-6859.
Campaign 13V123000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bags, frontal, sensor/control module-inactiveJan 16, 2013
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain models interspersed through model years 2009 through 2013 as follows: model year 2009-2012 Tacoma, 4Runner, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Prius, and RAV4; model year 2009-2010 Avalon, FJ Cruiser, and Highlander Hybrid; model year 2010-2013 model year Corolla, Sienna and Tundra; model year 2009-2013 Highlander and Venza; model year 2012 Prius V; and model year 2010-2012 Sequoia. During modification by SET to include accessories such as leather seat covers, seat heaters or headrest DVD systems, these vehicles may not have had the passenger seat occupant sensing system calibration tested. Without passing the calibration test, the occupant sensing system may not operate as designed.
If the front passenger seat occupant sensing system is out of calibration, the front passenger airbags may not deploy or they may deploy inappropriately for the passenger's size and position. This could increase the risk of personal injury during the event of a vehicle crash necessitating airbag deployment.
Southeast Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will test the sensitivity of the occupant detection sensors, and recalibrate them as necessary. The recall began on March 21, 2013. Owners may contact Southeast Toyota at 1-800-301-6859.
Campaign 13V014000 on NHTSA.gov
Suspension, rearAug 2, 2012
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2006 through 2011 RAV4 and 2010 Lexus HS250h passenger vehicles manufactured from October 2005 through September 2010. If the nuts for adjusting the rear wheel alignment are improperly tightened during service, the rear suspension arm (rear tie rod) may develop unwanted movement and rust, leading to thread damage and eventual failure. Failure of the rear tie rod will cause an abrupt change in the vehicle's alignment.
Failure of the rear tie rod could cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear tie-rod nut for looseness and replace any suspect tie-rod found loose. Dealers will also affix instructions in multiple places to prevent improper servicing in the future. The recall began on November 30, 2012. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331 or Lexus at 1-800-255-3987.
Campaign 12V373000 on NHTSA.gov
Vehicle speed control, accelerator pedalFeb 24, 2011
TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2008 THROUGH 2011 LEXUS LX570, 2003 THROUGH 2009 TOYOTA 4RUNNER, AND 2006 THROUGH 2010 RAV4 VEHICLES. THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL CAN GET STUCK IN THE WIDE OPEN POSITION DUE TO ITS BEING TRAPPED BY AN UNSECURED OR INCOMPATIBLE DRIVER'S FLOOR MAT.
A STUCK OPEN ACCELERATOR PEDAL MAY RESULT IN VERY HIGH VEHICLE SPEEDS AND MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO STOP THE VEHICLE, WHICH COULD CAUSE A CRASH, SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH.
THE REMEDY IS NOW AVAILABLE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN EARLY APRIL 2011. THE REMEDY WILL INVOLVE MODIFICATION OR REPLACEMENT OF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND REPLACEMENT OF ANY TOYOTA ALL-WEATHER FLOOR MAT. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331 OR LEXUS AT 1-800-255-3987.
Campaign 11V113000 on NHTSA.gov
Equipment, other, labelsFeb 3, 2010
SOUTHEAST TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2005-2011 PASSENGER VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 110, "TIRE SELECTION AND RIMS." THESE VEHICLES WERE SOLD WITHOUT THE REQUISITE LOAD CARRYING CAPACITY MODIFICATION LABELS.
A DRIVER MAY OVERLOAD A VEHICLE WHICH MAY INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.
DEALERS WILL MAIL TO CONSUMERS THE CORRECTED LABEL OR THE CUSTOMER WILL HAVE THE OPTION FOR DEALERS TO INSTALL THE LABEL FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 27, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SOUTHEAST TOYOTA AT 1-800-301-6859.
Campaign 10V036000 on NHTSA.gov
Equipment, other, labelsFeb 3, 2010
GULF STATES TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2005-2010 VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 110, "TIRE SELECTION AND RIMS." THESE VEHICLES WERE SOLD BETWEEN SEPTEMBER 1, 2005 AND JUNE 2, 2008 WITHOUT THE REQUISITE LOAD CARRYING CAPACITY MODIFICATION LABELS.
THIS DOES NOT MEET THE STANDARD REQUIREMENTS.
DEALERS WILL MAIL TO CONSUMERS THE CORRECTED LABEL OR THE CUSTOMER WILL HAVE THE OPTION FOR DEALERS TO INSTALL THE LABEL FREE OF CHARGE. DEALERS WILL ALSO CORRECT THE OWNER'S MANUAL. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 27, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT GULF STATES TOYOTA AT 713-580-3300.
Campaign 10V035000 on NHTSA.gov
Vehicle speed control, accelerator pedalJan 21, 2010
TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2005-2010 AVALON, MODEL YEAR 2007-2010 CAMRY, MODEL YEAR 2009-2010 COROLLA, COROLLA MATRIX, RAV4, MODEL YEAR 2010 HIGHLANDER, MODEL YEAR 2008-2010 SEQUOIA, AND MODEL YEAR 2007-2010 TUNDRA VEHICLES. DUE TO THE MANNER IN WHICH THE FRICTION LEVER INTERACTS WITH THE SLIDING SURFACE OF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL INSIDE THE PEDAL SENSOR ASSEMBLY, THE SLIDING SURFACE OF THE LEVER MAY BECOME SMOOTH DURING VEHICLE OPERATION. IN THIS CONDITION, IF CONDENSATION OCCURS ON THE SURFACE, AS MAY OCCUR FROM HEATER OPERATION (WITHOUT A/C) WHEN THE PEDAL ASSEMBLY IS COLD, THE FRICTION WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS OPERATED MAY INCREASE, WHICH MAY RESULT IN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BECOMING HARDER TO DEPRESS, SLOWER TO RETURN, OR, IN THE WORST CASE, MECHANICALLY STUCK IN A PARTIALLY DEPRESSED POSITION.
THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL MAY BECOME HARD TO DEPRESS, SLOW TO RETURN TO IDLE, OR, IN THE WORST CASE, MECHANICALLY STUCK IN A PARTIALLY DEPRESSED POSITION, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
DEALERS WILL INSTALL A REINFORCEMENT BAR IN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WHICH WILL ALLOW THE PEDAL TO OPERATE SMOOTHLY. GM WILL NOTIFY OWNERS FOR THE PONTIAC VIBE PLEASE SEE 10V-018. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON FEBRUARY 5, 2010 AND WILL BE COMPLETED ON MARCH 15, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.
Campaign 10V017000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: power train
38 reports, newest first. Show all
Power train, Sep 24, 2010
MY VEHICLE IS A 2010 TOYOTA RAV4-V6 WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. WHILE COASTING OR MAINTAIN A LOW SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 5MPH, I PRESS THE ACCELERATOR AND THE VEHICLE HESITATES ABOUT 3-5 SECONDS. DURING THE HESITATION, THE ENGINE REVS HIGH AND THE CAR DOES NOT ACCELERATE. AT THE END OF THE HESITATION, THE TRANSMISSION GOES INTO GEAR WITH A THUD AND A JERK TO THE CAR. I WAS INVOLVED IN THREE NEAR-MISS ACCIDENTS WHILE TRYING TO MERGE INTO TRAFFIC SINCE THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVE FOR THE 3-5 SECONDS OF HESITATION. I SEARCHED THE PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH OTHER RAV4 OWNERS. *TR
Power train, Sep 12, 2010
I WAS DRIVING MY 2007 TOYOTA RAV4 UP A MOUNTAIN DIRT ROAD IN WORLDS END STATE PARK IN SULLIVAN COUNTY PA. I WAS TRAVELING APPROX 15 MPH. I HIT THE BRAKE TO SLOW DOWN WHEN THE THROTTLE SUDDENLY WENT TO FULL ACCELERATION. I PRESSED HARD ON THE BRAKE, PUT THE TRANSMISSION INTO NEUTRAL, STOPPED THE VEHICLE AND SHUT OFF THE ENGINE. I PRESSED THE GAS PEDAL A FEW TIMES AND RESTARTED THE ENGINE. EVERYTHING SEEMED FINE. THE SAME THING OCCURRED ON THE WAY DOWN THE MOUNTAIN. THIS TIME I WAS IN LOW GEAR AND THE BRAKE WOULD NOT HOLD THE VEHICLE. IT TOOK ME A FEW SECONDS TO SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL AND SHUT OFF THE ENGINE. THE ROAD TOOK A SHARP TURN TO THE RIGHT, WHICH IS WHY I HIT THE BRAKE TO SLOW DOWN, AND I JUST MANAGED TO STOP SHORT OF GOING OFF THE ROAD INTO THE TREES. I HAD NO FURTHER PROBLEMS ON MY TRIP HOME. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE TOYOTA DEALER WHEN I RETURNED BUT THEY COULD FIND NO PROBLEM. THE ONLY FAULT CODE IN THE SYSTEM WAS FOR THE BATTERY WHICH WAS OK WHEN THEY CHECKED IT. *TR
Power train, Sep 11, 2010
AFTER 148,603 MILES ON MY 2002 RAV4, THE TRANSMISSION BEGAN SHIFTING BACK & FORTH BETWEEN 1ST & 2ND GEAR WITH VIOLENT SHAKING. SHIFTING FROM DRIVE TO REVERSE ALSO CAUSED VIOLENT/LOUD CLUNKING. A SCANNER WAS USED TO RETRIEVE TROUBLE CODES WHICH YIELDED A P0755 CODE (SHIFT SOLENOID MALFUNCTION). UPON RESEARCH ON VARIOUS TOYOTA RAV4 FORUMS I FOUND MANY OTHERS WITH SAME SYMPTOMS. *TR
Power train, Jun 30, 2010
TOYOTA RAV4 BASE AWD UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO STOP AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, THE CAR SLOWED DOWN BUT KEPT MOVING FORWARD EVEN WITH THE BRAKE PRESSED ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. I SHIFTED TO NEUTRAL, AND THE ENGINE ALL OF SUDDEN REVVED UP TO A HIGH RPM AND MADE A LOUD ROAR EVEN THOUGH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS NOT PRESSED. *TR
Power train, Jun 8, 2010
I HAVE A 2010 TOYOTA RAV 4, V6. AWD. SEVERAL TIMES I HAVE INADVERTENTLY ACCELERATED WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO APPLY THE BRAKES. EACH TIME I WAS ABLE TO DETERMINE THAT THE CAUSE OF THE UNINTENDED ACCELERATION WAS THAT MY FOOT WAS OVERLAPPING THE BRAKE PEDAL AND WAS ALSO DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATION PEDAL AT THE SAME TIME. THE ACCELERATION WAS OVERRIDING THE BRAKING UNTIL I RELEASED PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE! LAST WEEK I ALMOST KILLED A MOTHER AND HER YOUNG CHILD DURING A PARKING SITUATION. I WAS TRAVELING AT ABOUT 5MPH WHEN I INTENDED TO COME TO A SLOW STOP OUTSIDE A NOSE IN PARKING SPOT. THE YOUNG MOTHER WAS TIEING THE SHOESTRINGS OF HER YOUNGSTER NEAR THE OUTSIDE MIDDLE OF THE PARKING SPOT I INTENDED TO USE. MY CAR WAS TRAVELING DIRECTLY TOWARD HER WHEN I SLOWLY DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE CAR STARTED TO ACCELERATE! I IMMEDIATELY RECOGNIZED THE PROBLEM AND STOPPED THE CAR BY SHIFTING MY RIGHT FOOT TO THE LEFT WHICH ALLOWED ME TO APPLY PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL WITHOUT SIMULTANEOUSLY DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL! WE STOPPED ABOUT 8 FEET FROM THE MOTHER AND CHILD. HAD I NOT EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE AND THEREFORE HAD KNOWN HOW TO CORRECT IT, MY RESPONSE WOULD HAVE BEEN TO DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL EVEN MORE. I COULD EASILY HAVE DRIVEN OVER THE MOTHER AND HER CHILD! I AM AWARE THAT TOYOTA HAS A RECALL ON MANY OF ITS PRODUCTS BECAUSE OF UNINTENTIONAL ACCELERATIONS; BUT I AM UNAWARE OF ANY INVESTIGATIONS THE FOCUS ON THE CAUSE OF MY NEAR-FATAL INCIDENT. I AM CERTAIN THAT SOME OF THE ACCIDENTS REPORTED ON THE RAV 4, V6 ARE ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE LACK OF ADEQUATE SEPARATION BETWEEN THE BRAKE AND ACCELERATOR PEDALS! THIS MUST BE INVESTIGATED AND FIXED IMMEDIATELY! I REPORTED THIS INCIDENT TO TOYOTA USA GILBERT DYER , TORRENCE CA ON JUNE 4, 2010 WITH THE REQUEST THAT HE FORWARD IT TO THE HIGHEST LEVEL AT TOYOTA. IT DEMANDS IMMEDIATE ATTENTION!!!! *TR
Power train, May 6, 2010
2 DAYS AFTER THE PURCHASE OF OUR 2010 RAV4 MY WIFE DISCOVERED WHEN STOPPED ON AN INCLINE, THE VEHICLE ROLLS BACKWARD WHEN FOOT IS REMOVED FROM BRAKE, STEPPING ON THROTTLE TO CORRECT IT CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO SURGE FORWARD. SERVICE DEPT. SAID JUST USE TWO FEET TO DRIVE. *TR
Power train, Apr 9, 2010
PURCHASED NEW TOYOTA RAV4 2010 4-CYLINDER MODEL IN FEBRUARY. WHEN AT A STOP ON MILD INCLINE (DRIVEWAY MADE OF WOODCHIPS...GOOD TRACTION), THE VEHICLE ROLLS BACKWARDS WHEN FOOT IS OFF THE BRAKE PEDAL. DEALERSHIP INSISTED THIS IS NORMAL FOR THESE VEHICLES AND DEMONSTRATED THIS ANOMALY WITH ANOTHER RAV4 TO PROVE IT. THE ENGINE DOESN'T PRODUCE ENOUGH TORQUE FOR THE TRANSMISSION DURING IDLE TO ENGAGE THE CONVERTER APPARENTLY, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE TRANSMISSION IS HOT. NO ONE TOLD ME OF THIS PROBLEM DURING SALES. A 'HILL-ASSIST" OPTION IS AVAILABLE THAT I DID NOT KNOW ABOUT. THIS MERELY PROLONGS THE BRAKING WHEN SWITCHING FROM BRAKE TO ACCELERATOR PEDAL WHEN THE PRESSURE CHANGES. SINCE I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT ALL OF THIS STUFF WHEN PURCHASING, THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED I ALMOST RAMMED INTO THE TRUCK BEHIND ME. THEN WHEN STEPPING ON THE GAS THE VEHICLE LUNGES FORWARD IN RESPONSE TO THE RPM CHANGE. THIS IS A HAZARD TO THE UNWITTING BUYER AND NEEDS TO BE CLEARLY DISCUSSED WITH ALL BUYERS. THE DEALERSHIP BLOWS OFF THIS INCIDENT AS 'NORMAL' FOR THIS CAR. WHAT THEY DON'T SAY IS THAT IT IS BAD ENGINEERING...THAT THE CAR COMPUTER SHOULD RAISE RPMS UNTIL THE TRANSMISSION IS WORKING PROPERLY ON INCLINE. THE SOFTWARE CANNOT BE CHANGED SO THE CAR IS CONSIDERED 'NORMAL'. I WAS DISGUSTED WITH THE EXPLANATIONS, EVEN FROM A MECHANIC THERE I RESPECT, HE SAID THIS IS 'HOW THEY ARE'. *TR
Power train, Other or unspecified, Mar 31, 2010
TO WHOM CONCERN HI, MY NAME IS [XXX]. I HAVE A DISCONCERTING AND DISAPPOINTING STORY TO TELL ABOUT BUYING A NEW TOYOTA. MY FRIEND PURCHASED A 2010 TOYOTA RAV4 5-DOOR 4X2 SUV LTD ON 3/20/2010 AND ON 3/27/2010 THE VEHICLE FAILED. THE CAR HESITATED TO ADVANCE AND AFTER 2 OR 3 MORE TRIES DID NOT RESPONDED AT ALL. SO MY FRIEND CALLED THE DEALER TO HAVE THE DEALER PICK UP THE CAR. SHE WAS INTERESTED IN KNOWING WHAT WAS WRONG WITH HER NEW CAR. THE CAR WAS PICKED UP THE SAME DAY 3/27/2010. ON MARCH 29, SHE CALLED THE DEALER TO FIND OUT ABOUT HER NEW CAR?S PROBLEM, AND THE SALESMAN ([XXX] ) TOLD HER THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS, BUT [XXX] SAID, ?THE CAR NEEDS A NEW ENGINE?. SHE LOVES THE RAV4 AND WAS CONVINCED TO ASK FOR ANOTHER RAV4, SAME MODEL, SAME PRICE; JUST ANOTHER RAV4?? SOUNDS FAIR, SOUNDS EASY, FOR HER. NOW, MY FRIEND HAS NO CHOICE BUT TO ASK FOR NO LESS THAN HER MONEY BACK. HER EXPERIENCED HAS OPENED MY EYES TO THE WAY THAT THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP TAKES ADVANTAGE OF THEIR CUSTOMERS. MORE PEOPLE WILL KNOW ABOUT THIS STORY AND I KNOW THAT IS ONLY ONE OF MANY STORIES YOU HEAR, BUT I HOPE YOU WILL LEARN A LESSON FROM THIS STORY. CUSTOMER SERVICE CAN EITHER HELP OR HINDER YOUR BUSINESS AND IN THIS CASE BAD CUSTOMER SERVICE TURNED AWAY A LOYAL TOYOTA CUSTOMER WHO WANTED NOTHING LESS BUT TO DRIVE HER BRAND NEW RAV4. MIKE CALVERT TOYOTA [XXX] BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER 2333 SOUTH LOOP WEST HOUSTON TX 77054 INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
Power train, Mar 21, 2010
WE WERE DRIVING A 2010 TOYOTA RAV4 LIMITED WITH APPROXIMATELY 68 MILES AND WITH AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. WE WERE STOPPED ON AN INCLINE WITH THE VEHICLE IN DRIVE. WHEN THE BRAKE WAS RELEASED AND BEFORE THE GAS PEDAL COULD BE PRESSED, THE VEHICLE ROLLED BACKWARDS AS IF IN NEUTRAL ALMOST HITTING A VEHICLE APPROACHING FROM THE REAR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE PROBLEM WAS DUPLICATED MORE THAN ONCE ON AN INCLINE. THE DEALER(SERVICE SUPERVISOR) STATED THAT THIS IS A NORMAL OPERATION WITH THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION AND FURTHER STATED THAT THE LEFT FOOT SHOULD BE KEPT ON THE BRAKE OR THE HAND BRAKE APPLIED WHILE STOPPED ON AN INCLINE. I FELT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS ONLY TWO DAYS OLD, THEY TOOK BACK THE VEHICLE. WE WERE TOLD THAT TOYOTA OFFERS A HILL ASSIST ITEM ON CERTAIN RAV4'S WITH A V6 AND 4CYL RAV4'S WITH A THIRD ROW SEAT ONLY. IN THE VEHICLE HAND BOOK THERE ARE NO CAUTIONS OR WARNINGS ABOUT THE VEHICLE ROLLING BACKWARDS WHILE STOPPED ON AN INCLINE AND IN DRIVE OR ANY OTHER WARNINGS OR CAUTIONS ABOUT THE TRANSMISSION THAT I COULD FIND. *TR
Power train, Mar 3, 2010
INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) I AM WRITING BECAUSE I JUST EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION IN REVERSE IN MY NEW 2010 TOYOTA RAV4, 6 CYLINDER. THIS IS A VEHICLE I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER WAS NOT AFFECTED BY THE RECALL. HERE ARE THE DETAILS: I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE ABOUT A MONTH AGO FROM IRWIN TOYOTA IN NEW HAMPSHIRE WITH VIN# [XXX] . I HAD CONTACTED THE DEALER BEFORE THE CAR WAS DELIVERED TO SEE WHAT THE RECALL MEANT FOR ME. THEY SAID THAT THE VEHICLE WAS MADE IN JAPAN AND WAS NOT AFFECTED BY THE RECALL. ON FEBRUARY 17TH I PUT THE RAV4 INTO REVERSE TO BACK DOWN MY DRIVEWAY. I WAS CUTTING THE WHEEL TO THE LEFT TO MAKE A REVERSE K-TURN WHEN IT BEGAN ACCELERATING VIGOROUSLY IN REVERSE. I DID NOT HAVE MY FOOT ON THE GAS BECAUSE IT WAS IDLING IN REVERSE DOWN A 7% GRADE. THE ENGINE RACED WAY UP AND IT TOOK ALL MY LEG POWER TO BRING IT TO A STOP. I DID STOP THE CAR JUST BEFORE HITTING A TREE ON THE SIDE OF MY DRIVEWAY. I HAD MY WIFE AND MY INFANT SON IN THE CAR AND THEY WERE BOTH TERRIFIED. WHEN I CALLED THE DEALER THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID HE WOULD BE HAPPY TO LOOK AT IT, BUT THAT IT WAS PROBABLY 'HIGH IDLE'. I HAVE DEGREE IN PHYSICS AND ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING AND I OWN A COMPANY THAT BUILDS ACCELERATION SENSORS FOR VEHICLES. THIS CAR HAS A SERIOUS, POTENTIALLY DEADLY PROBLEM WITH ONE OF ITS SENSORS OR WITH ELECTRICAL INTERFERENCE CAUSING THE COMPUTER TO MISINTERPRET THE SENSOR DATA. THERE IS NO WAY A DEALER IS GOING TO FIND THIS, LET ALONE FIX IT. WHAT CAN I DO AT THIS POINT? *TR
Power train, Mar 3, 2010
COMPUTER FAILURE ON MY 2002 TOYOTA RAV4. TRANSMISSION FAILURE. *TR
Power train, Jan 7, 2010
I BOUGHT A 2010 RAV 4 2W DRIVE 4 CYL AUTOMATIC FROM NWA TOYOTA ON DEC18 2009. IMMEDIATELY DISCOVERED THAT WHEN STARTING OFF FROM A STOP(BRAKE ON) AND GOING TO THE ACCELERATOR THE VEHICLE IS IN A FREEWHEEL MOOD. EVEN ON JUST A MODEST INCLINE DIVE WAYS, EXITS ONTO STREETS AND HIGHWAYS, OR ANYWHERE EXCEPT DEAD LEVEL ,THIS VEHICLE ROLLS BACKWARD WITH NO DRAG WHATSOEVER, AT FIRST QUITE ALARMING AND AFTER A COUPLE MORE INCIDENTS I DEEM IT VERY DANGEROUS AND REALLY NOT NORMAL. TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER AND FROM THE SALESMAN SERVICEMANAGER COSTUMER RELATIONS PERSON AND G.M. ALL AGREED THAT IT WAS UNSAFE "AN ENGINEERING DEFECT " BUT ALL THE NEW TOYOTAS ARE LIKE THAT" I WAS TOLD THAT HAD I PURCHASED A MORE EXPENSIVE MODEL THAT IT WOULD HAVE A "HILL HOLDING FEATURE" AND ELIMINATE THE PROBLEM .HOWEVER MY 25000 RAV4 DOES NOT HAVE THAT FEATURE AVAILABLE . IT GETS BETTER. THERE SUGGESTING FOR ME WERE AND I QUOTE SERVICE MANAGER SAID USE YOUR HANDBRAKE WHEN PUTTING IT IN D FROM ANY STOP ON A INCLINE" DUE TO NO "STALL SPEED " DRIVE TWO FOOTED ON ANY INCLINE' OR THE SALESMAN SUGGESTION , "PUT IT IN PARK ON THE INCLINE AND THEN GO TO DRIVE. LIKE WHAT? I WAS A EQUIPT.OPERATOR FOR 50 YRS AND HAVE NEVER SEEN A MORE CONVOLUTED WAY OF SCREWING UP SOMETHING A SIMPLE AS A PUSH AND GO AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION (ALSO THE REASON I BOUGHT IT .WE TRADED IN A 5 SPEED CAR IN TO GET AWAY FROM ALL THE . THIS IS WORSE AS YOU DON'T EXPECT A AUTOMATIC TO ROLL BACKWARDS WHEN YOU ARE SIMPLY GOING FROM STOP TO GO. THEY CAN'T POSSIBLY RENT THIS MODEL AS IT WOULD TAKE 2 DAYS TO EXPLAIN ITS IDIOSYNCRASIES PLUS ALL THE WRECKS THAT WOULD HAPPEN WHEN IT ROLLS BACK ON THE UNINFORMED. I'M SURE YOU WILL BE GETTING MORE COMPLAINTS ON THIS ISSUE SO I'LL GIVE IT A REST. *TR
Power train, Jan 6, 2010
2010 RAV4 LIMITED DELIVERED 10/26/09. CONSTANT TRANSMISSION WHINE AT SPEEDS FROM 10 MPH TO 45MPH. THIS WHINE APPEARED IMMEDIATELY AFTER TAKING DELIVERY OF THE VEHICLE. TOOK IT BACK TO DEALER WHO SAID THIS HAPPENS IN ALL RAV4'S. WROTE LETTER TO PRESIDENT OF TOYOTA USA ON 12/17/09 AND HAVE RECEIVED NO RESPONSE. CALLED HIM ALSO, AND NO RESPONSE YET. *TR