2011 Toyota RAV4
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Vehicle speed control is the leading concern among 287 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 15th highest complaint count among 26 RAV4 model years with reports.
Of the 2011 reports, 44 involved a crash and 8 involved a fire. 20 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
Air bags, side/windowFeb 1, 2012
TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 RAV4 VEHICLES, MANUFACTURED FROM NOVEMBER 24, 2011, THROUGH DECEMBER 19, 2011. IN THE CURTAIN SHIELD AIRBAGS, PROPELLANT WITH THE INCORRECT SPECIFICATION WAS USED FOR THE INITIATOR ASSEMBLED IN THE AIRBAG INFLATOR. IN THIS CONDITION, THE INFLATOR MAY NOT PERFORM PROPERLY, CAUSING ONE OR BOTH CURTAIN SHIELD AIRBAGS TO NOT DEPLOY.
IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE AIRBAGS MAY NOT DEPLOY AND WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PROPERLY PROTECT AN OCCUPANT, INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURIES.
TOYOTA WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL CHECK THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER TO IDENTIFY THE CURTAIN SHIELD ASSEMBLIES AND REPLACE THE ASSEMBLIES AS NECESSARY WITH NEW ONES FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 8, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.
Campaign 12V029000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints
287 reports, newest first.
Service brakes, Nov 25, 2014
2011 TOYOTA RAV4 BRAKES HAVE NOT MUCH STOPPING POWER. BRAKE PEDAL HAS TO BE PRESSED VERY HARD. AT LOW SPEED AROUND 5-10 MPH, THE FRONT BRAKES MAKE GRINDING NOISE. CAR WAS AT THE DEALERSHIP THREE TIMES, MECHANIC TEST DROVE CAR, HEARD THE NOISE AND SAID COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE BRAKES. THE BRAKING POWER OF RAV4 IS SIGNIFICANTLY LESS THAN THE OTHER CARS. BRAKE FILLING AND PERFORMANCE IS INCONSISTENT. WHEN I DROVE 2015 TOYOTA COROLLA, 2014 HONDA CIVIC, 2012 HONDA CRV, 2014 HYUNDAI ELANTRA, 2014 NISSAN ALTIMA, 2013 MAZDA 3, 2014 CHEVY MALIBU, 2014 CHEVY MALIBU, 2014 HYUNDAI TUCSON, 2015 CHRYSLER 300 AND OTHER CARS, WHEN START DRIVING MY 2011 TOYOTA RAV4 I FEEL THIS CAR CANNOT STOP. BRAKE PERFORMANCE OF 2011 TOYOTA RAV4 IS POOR AND INCONSISTENT. AS A SEPARATE ISSUE WHEN I PARK A CAR FOR A WEEK AT THE AIRPORT, THERE IS SO MUCH RUST ACCUMULATED ON BRAKE ROTORS, THAT THE CAR IS SHAKING DURING BRAKING. SHAKING TYPICALLY DISAPPEARS AFTER TWO DAYS OF DRIVING, BUT THE ROTORS ARE STILL PITTED. *TR
Structure, Oct 14, 2014
THE 5TH (BACK OF VEHICLE) DOOR LATCH COMPLETELY FAILED AND WOULD NOT HOLD DOOR CLOSED. THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT OR ANY OTHER DAMAGE TO THE DOOR. THE LATCH INSIDE SIMPLY FAILED. I HAD TO TIE THE DOOR CLOSED TO GET IT TO A DEALER FOR REPAIR. *TR
Vehicle speed control, Sep 30, 2014
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE DRIVING DOWNHILL AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE VEHICLE INDEPENDENTLY ACCELERATED. THE CONTACT SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL IN ORDER TO SLOW DOWN THE VEHICLE. THE GEAR WAS SHIFTED BACK INTO DRIVE AND THE VEHICLE RESUMED NORMAL OPERATION. THE FAILURE OCCURRED TWICE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.
Power train, Sep 28, 2014
AT 34,000 MILES I BROUGHT MY 2011 TOYOTA RAV 4 IN FOR SERVICE AT VICTORY TOYOTA OF CANTON, MI 48188 FOR A REGULAR SERVICE. THE VEHICLE WAS STILL UNDER THE TWO YEAR WARRANT. MY COMPLAINT IS THAT THE AUTO TRANSMISSION SIDE COVER WAS LEAKING VERY BADLY AND EVERY SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE WAS STUNNED,AS THEY HAD NEVER SEEN THAT OCCUR SO EARLY IN ANY VEHICLE. THEY REPAIRED IT, HOWEVER I AM CONCERNED FOR THE FUTURE MANUFACTURING STABILITY OF THE VEHICLE TO HAVE SUCH A MAJOR ISSUE AT SUCH LOW MILEAGE. WE BOUGHT THE VEHICLE BRAND NEW FROM VICTORY TOYOTA OF CANTON, MI. I WILL ALSO BE FILING A SEPARATE COMPLAINT ABOUT MY 2010 COROLLA WHICH HAS AN ISSUE THAT IS STUNNING , TO SAY THE LEAST. *TR
Service brakes, Sep 28, 2014
I HAD A BRAKE TO THE FLOOR EXPERIENCE THAT REQUIRED TAKING MY RAV4 BACK TO THE DEALER. THE ONLY WAY I COULD GET THE VEHICLE TO STOP WAS BY PUMPING THE BRAKES. THE DEALER HAD THE CAR ONE DAY AND WHEN I RETURNED THEY STATED THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE BRAKES, QUESTION: IS THERE A COVER-UP ON A BRAKE PROBLEM WITH RAV4'S ? THERE IS NO WAY THAT MY BRAKES FIXED THEM SELF'S BEFORE TAKING THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER I HAD ANOTHER PERSON DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO CONFIRM THE PROBLEM. QUESTION: IS THIS VEHICLE SAFE TO DRIVE AFTER THE DEALERS CLAIM THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG, THEY DID NOTHING TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM & NOW THE BRAKES ARE WORKING PROPERLY? *TR
Service brakes, Sep 27, 2014, crash
BRAKE PEDAL WILL DEPRESS ALMOST TO THE FLOOR ALLOWING THE POSSIBILITY OF ACCIDENTALLY PUSHING THE GAS PEDAL WHILE ATTEMPTING TO STOP. THIS INCIDENT INVOLVED A SLOW SPEED CRASH ON AN ICY ROAD WHEN THE VEHICLE CONTINUED FORWARD NO MATTER HOW HARD THE BRAKE WAS APPLIED. THE VEHICLE NOW HAS 26,000 HIGHWAY MILES AND I EXPERIENCED TOTAL LOSS OF BRAKES, PEDAL TO THE FLOOR, WHILE DRIVING IN THE MOUNTAINS. *TR
Vehicle speed control, Service brakes, Sep 3, 2014
CAR FAILED TO DECELERATE WHILE BRAKES WERE BEING APPLIED. CAR CONTINUED TO PUSH FORWARD WHILE I WAS BRAKING. CAR HAD TO BE TURNED OFF TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS PHENOMENA OCCURRED. BOTH TIMES THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IMMEDIATELY TO THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. THEY CLAIMED THEY FOUND NO ISSUES WITH THE CAR OR ITS COMPUTER SYSTEMS. SINCE TOYOTA INSPECTED THE CAR AND CLAIMED THEY FOUND NO ABS EVENT IN THE CAR'S SYSTEMS AND CLAIMED THEY COULD DETECT NO COMPUTER SYSTEM MALFUNCTION, I ELECTED TO TRADE IN THE CAR. I AM REPORTING THIS BECAUSE I WANT ANY POTENTIAL FUTURE OWNER OF THIS VEHICLE TO BE AWARE OF THESE EVENTS. *TR
Air bags, Vehicle speed control, Service brakes, Aug 28, 2014, crash
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THE BRAKES FAILED TO RESPOND WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED INDEPENDENTLY AND CRASHED INTO A BUILDING. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES REPORTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR REPAIR. THE FRONT BUMPER, THE PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT, AND THE FRONT GRILL WERE REPLACED. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 37,000.
Vehicle speed control, Service brakes, Engine, Jul 18, 2014
WHILE APPROACHING AN INTERSECTION ON A BUSY THOROUGHFARE, THE LIGHT TURNED YELLOW AND AT THE LAST MINUTE I DECIDED AGAINST RUNNING THE YELLOW LIGHT AND APPLIED MY BRAKES VERY HARD. THE VEHICLE STARTED TO SLOW DOWN BUT AS I APPROACHED THE STOP LINE MY VEHICLE CONTINUED TO SLOWLY MOVE FORWARD NO MATTER HOW HARD I PRESSED ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. AT FIRST I THOUGHT MY BRAKES HAD FAILED, BUT THEN I HEARD THE WHINE OF THE ENGINE AND I REALIZED THAT I WAS FIGHTING AGAINST AN ACCELERATING ENGINE. I PUT THE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL WHICH I THOUGHT WOULD KICK THE ACCELERATOR BACK TO NORMAL BUT THE ENGINE WAS STILL REVVING QUITE HIGH, BUT I WAS NO LONGER MOVING FORWARD. I THEN SHIFTED TO REVERSE AND THE VEHICLE STARTED TO BACK UP EVEN THOUGH MY FOOT WAS STILL ON THE BRAKE. AT THAT POINT I PLACED THE VEHICLE BACK INTO NEUTRAL AND TURNED THE ENGINE OFF. AFTER ABOUT 10 SECONDS, I RESTARTED THE ENGINE AND IT PERFORMED NORMALLY. I DROVE 6 BLOCKS TO MY DESTINATION, PARKED THE CAR, CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED THERE. I DID NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THE VEHICLE, AS I THOUGHT TOYOTA HAD SOLVED THE PROBLEM OF UNATTENDED ACCELERATION. OBVIOUSLY NOT. THE CAR IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALERSHIP AND I AM WAITING TO HEAR FROM THEM AS TO WHAT THEY FIND. FROM THE REPORTS I HAVE READ, I'M NOT HOLDING MY BREATH. THEY MENTIONED THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE TO CALL FOR AN INDEPENDENT ENGINEER TO ASSESS THE VEHICLE, AND THAT MIGHT TAKE UP TO A WEEK. I HAVE NO GRUDGE AGAINST TOYOTA, AS I ALSO OWN A 2002 CAMRY WHICH HAS BEEN A FANTASTIC CAR WITH NO PROBLEMS. I JUST DON'T BELIEVE THAT ALL THE REPORTS OUT THERE ARE BECAUSE OF LOOSE FLOOR MATS, STICKY ACCELERATORS OR CON ARTIST TRYING TO GET MONEY OUT OF A BIG CORPORATION. PLEASE LOOK INTO THE ELECTRONICS OF THESE CARS AS SOMETHING IS NOT COMMUNICATING RIGHT. THANK YOU. *TR
Suspension, Jul 3, 2014
2011 TOYOTA RAV 4. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO THE REAR LOWER SUSPENSION ARMS RECALL NOTICE. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED THE AMOUNT OF TIME TO GET AN APPOINTMENT, WAS UNREASONABLE. *JB
Vehicle speed control, Jun 5, 2014, crash
2011 TOYOTA RAV 4. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED SHE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION ON AUGUST 15, 2013. SHE STATED THERE WAS A CAR IN FRONT OF HER AT A LIGHT, AND SHE ATTEMPTED TO BRAKE, BUT DUE TO THE UNINTENDED ACCELERATION, SHE HIT THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF HER. SHE SUFFERED A FRACTURED PELVIS. REPAIRS TO THE VEHICLE EXCEEDED $8,000 AND THOUSANDS MORE IN MEDICAL CARE. ON FEB 2, 2014, HER HUSBAND ATTEMPTED TO PARK THE VEHICLE, BUT WHEN HE APPLIED THE BRAKE, THE VEHICLE INSTEAD ACCELERATED, AND HE CRASHED INTO A BUILDING. THERE WERE NO INJURIES, BUT COSTLY DAMAGE TO THE BUILDING AND $2,000 DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER WENT TO THE DEALER FOR HELP, AND THE SERVICE MANAGER REPLICATED THE ACCELERATION PROBLEM FOUR SEPARATE TIMES IN THE PARKING LOT. HE STATED THERE WAS A SOFTWARE PROGRAM CALLED "SMART STOP" AVAILABLE FOR THE 2006-2010 MODELS AND THE SAME SOFTWARE WAS ON THE 2012-2014 MODELS. AN INSPECTOR WAS SENT TO EXAMINE THE VEHICLE, AND HE STATED THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE, AND THE ACCIDENTS, WERE SIMPLY THEIR FAULT. *JB
Power train, Air bags, May 12, 2014, crash
OUR 2011 RAV4 WAS TOTALED IN DECEMBER 2013 WHEN A BMW 5 SERIES CRASHED INTO US WHILE MY WIFE WAS MAKING A LEFT TURN. THE IMPACT WAS TO THE FRONT TIRE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE AND IT WAS SO SEVERE, THE ENTIRE WHEEL ASSEMBLY WAS RIPPED OUT OF THE TRANSMISSION AND ENDED COMPRESSED AGAINST THE PASSENGER DOOR; HOWEVER INCREDIBLY NONE OF THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. MY SON, WHO WAS SITTING IN THE FRONT WAS UNHARMED, HOWEVER MY DAUGHTER IN THE BACK WAS SITTING BEHIND THE DRIVER SEAT AND FLEW ACROSS THE CAR SMASHING VIOLENTLY AGAINST THE REAR PASSENGER DOOR, LOOSING CONSCIOUSNESS. AS SHE WOKE UP SHE VOMITED AND PER RECOMMENDATION OF THE EMERGENCY CREW ON THE SCENE, WE TOOK HER TO THE ER. I HAVE WRITTEN SEVERAL TOYOTA GROUPS ABOUT THIS INCIDENT AND THEY HAVE NOT EVEN ACKNOWLEDGED MY REQUEST. I AM ENTITLED FOR A 100% REFUND ON THE ER EXPENSES AND MY DAUGHTER SHOULD BE PLACED ON A WATCH LIST, AS ANY REPERCUSSION OUT OF THESE TYPES OF ACCIDENTS SHOW UP YEARS AFTERWARDS. WHEN SHE DEVELOPS A BACK OR NECK CONDITION AS A RESULT OF THIS VEHICLE NOT FUNCTIONING AS ENGINEERED AND PROMOTED, TOYOTA SHOULD COVER ALL EXPENSES RELATED TO THEIR LACK OF QUALITY; WHICH IS EVIDENT SINCE THE ACCELERATION ISSUES AND THE MORE RECENT (AND PRECISELY) MASSIVE AIR BAG RECALL. *TR
Suspension, Power train, Structure, Apr 22, 2014
LOUD BANG WHICH SOUNDS LIKE A HAMMER HITTING THE BOTTOM OF THE VEHICLE. PROBLEM FIRST NOTICED AROUND 1000 MILES AND HAPPENS FREQUENTLY. IT HAPPENS TYPICALLY WHEN PASSENGERS ARE IN THE MIDDLE AND OR 3RD ROW SEATS AT SPEEDS USUALLY ABOVE 25 MILES PER HOUR. THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH MY 4 WHEEL DRIVE, 3RD ROW SEAT RAV4 NOW AT 73K MILES. IT CAN HAPPEN WITHIN A FEW MILES OF EACH INCIDENT OR GO HUNDREDS OF MILES BEFORE IT HAPPENS AGAIN. VERY ALARMING. I HAVE TAKEN IT INTO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES YET EVERY TIME THEIR TECHNICIANS TAKE THE VEHICLE FOR TEST DRIVE, THEY CAN NOT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *TR
Steering, Apr 14, 2014, crash, fire
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE ERRONEOUSLY VEERED TO THE LEFT AND CAUSED THE CONTACT TO CRASH INTO A TREE. UPON IMPACT, THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE RIBS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
Vehicle speed control, Electronic stability control (ESC), Traction control system, Service brakes, Apr 13, 2014
WHILE DRIVING AT SPEED THE VEHICLE'S STABILITY, ANTILOCK BRAKES AND TRACTION CONTROL FUNCTIONS STOP FUNCTIONING AND THE INDICATOR LIGHT FOR ALL TURN ON. THE CRUISE CONTROL DISENGAGES WHICH CAUSED THE CAR TO DECELERATE RAPIDLY. I WAS IN TRAFFIC AND WAS ABLE TO ACCELERATE TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT. THE ACCELERATOR AND BRAKING APPEAR TO WORK PROPERLY BUT I AM UNABLE TO REENGAGE THE CRUISE CONTROL. THIS IS EXACTLY THE SAME SYMPTOMS IN THE RECALL OF THE 2012 RAV4 BUT THE 2011 IS NOT INCLUDED. *JS
Vehicle speed control, Apr 10, 2014, crash
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY WITH THE BRAKE PEDAL BEING DEPRESSED, THE ENGINE RPMS SUDDENLY INCREASED AS THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED FORWARD. THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED AND A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE CONTACT ALSO INDICATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS RECURRING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND NO SOLUTION WAS OFFERED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15,785.
Steering, Tires, Apr 10, 2014
WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGH WAY AT 63 MPH MY CAR STARTED SHAKING TO THE POINT IT CAUSED ME TO BECOME DIZZY AND NAUSEOUS. MY MECHANIC FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE TIE ROD'S ETC. THE TIRES WERE ROUNDED AND EVENLY WORN. WE ROTATED THE TIRES AND CAR STILL SHOOK LIKE CRAZY BUT FELT LIKE IT WAS IN THE BACK. BROUGHT CAR TO TIRE SHOP HAD TIRES BALANCED THEY SAID 2 WHERE WAY OFF. WENT ON THE HIGHWAY AGAIN AND AT 65 THE VEHICLE STILL HAD A SHAKE TO IT. *TR
Vehicle speed control, Mar 29, 2014, crash
ON 2/17/14 I HAD AN "UNINTENDED ACCELERATION" EVENT AND HIT A CAR. NO ONE WAS HURT. I TOOK MY CAR TO TOYOTA AND FILED A REPORT. ON 2/22/14 TOYOTA RETRIEVED DATA FROM THE VEHICLE CHIP AND EMAILED ME A COPY. DATA SHOWS THAT I WAS BRAKING DURING THE ENTIRE 4.7 SEC PRIOR TO COLLISION. UPON BRAKING, THE MOTOR RPM DROPPED TO 800, THEN SUDDENLY INCREASED TO 2000 WHILE I CONTINUED BRAKING, AND STAYED AT 2000 UNTIL COLLISION. A TOYOTA CASE MANAGER SAID THAT TOYOTA HAD 30 DAYS TO RESPOND. THAT HAS PASSED AND I HAVE RECEIVED NO RESPONSE. MY CAR MAY BE UNSAFE. I CANNOT DRIVE IT FOR FEAR OF HARM TO MYSELF OR OTHERS SINCE NOTHING HAS BEEN TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. MY CAR IS IDLE, CAUSING ME SIGNIFICANT FINANCIAL DIFFICULTY. *TR
Fuel system, Gasoline, Mar 26, 2014
DRIVING HOME FROM WORK . HIT SOME TYPE OF DEBRIS IN ROAD HEARD A LOUD NOISE IMMEDIATELY SMELLED GASOLINE GAS TANK HAD A LARGE HOLE IN IT. CONCERNED THAT THERE IS NO PROTECTION WHATEVER FOR GAS TANK .IT IS JUST THERE UNDER THE DRIVER SEAT . SEEMS LIKE THERE SHOULD BE A SKID PLATE OR SOME SORT OF PROTECTION FROM RUPTURE. *TR
Vehicle speed control, Mar 25, 2014, crash
I WAS TRAVELING DOWN CITY STREET BEHIND SEVERAL CARS & WE WERE APPROACHING A TRAFFIC LIGHT AT INTERSECTION, MY FOOT OFF THE GAS PEDAL LETTING CAR SLOW NATURALLY. I HEARD THE MOTOR START REVVING UP QUICKLY, SUDDENLY ACCELERATING BY ITSELF. I PUSHED ON THE BRAKES, BUT CAR CONTINUED TO REV UP & LURCHED FORWARD HITTING THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. I PUSHED HARDER ON THE BRAKES, EVEN TRYING TO PUMP THEM BUT MY CAR HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME AGAIN & THEN MY CAR FINALLY STOPPED & I TURNED OFF THE MOTOR. WHAT A SCARY SITUATION!! THANK GOD NO ONE WAS INJURED ONLY DAMAGE TO BOTH VEHICLES! WE FILED A POLICE REPORT & I HAD THE RAV TOWED TO THE TOYOTA DEALER WHERE IT REMAINS PARKED. I WILL NOT DRIVE IT AGAIN BECAUSE I AM SCARED TO DEATH OF WHAT COULD OF OR WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN. A CLAIM WAS FILED WITH TOYOTA HEADQUARTERS, CLAIM # [XXX]. A THIRD PARTY, ENGINEER, CAME OUT TO DEALER'S TO INSPECT, CHECK BLACK BOX, ETC. OF COURSE, WITH AN 18 PAGE REPORT & EXTENSIVE CHECKING HE COULD NOT RECREATE PROBLEM, FOUND NOTHING ON BLACK BOX, ETC. & CLAIMS HE FEELS SAFE TO DRIVE IT. I AM WAITING TO HEAR FROM TOYOTA HEADQUARTERS FOR THEIR OFFICIAL WORD, WHICH I DOUBT WILL BE ANY DIFFERENT THAN THE INSPECTOR'S. BESIDES I COULD NOT GET A COPY OF THE REPORT BECAUSE HE WAS HIRED BY TOYOTA! NOT SURE WHERE TO TURN NOW. THIS WAS NOT THE FIRST TIME, THE UNINTENDED SUDDEN ACCELERATION HAD OCCURRED. ON 3 OR 4 OTHER OCCASIONS, MY RAV DID THE SAME THING & LUCKILY DID NOT CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. ONE TIME I THREW THE CAR INTO PARK AS TO STOP IT. THE GAS PEDAL & THE BRAKE WERE WORKING FINE, NO STICKING OR NO ME PUTTING MY FOOT ON THE WRONG PEDAL! THE FLOOR MATS WERE ORIGINAL TO VEHICLE & FIRMLY ATTACHED TO HOOKS. I HAD REPORTED IT TO CONCORD TOYOTA ON ONE OCCASION WHEN I HAD AN OIL CHANGE, BUT THEY COULD NOT SIMULATE THE PROBLEM, SO THEY STATED THERE WAS NO PROBLEM!! OBVIOUSLY, THERE IS A PROBLEM!! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
Vehicle speed control, Engine, Feb 20, 2014
CAME TO STOP SIGN AND PUT MY FOOT ON THE BRAKES - THE ENGINE BEGAN TO ACCELERATE AND MOVE THE CAR FORWARD. HAD TO PUT MY FOOT HARD ON THE BRAKES AND PUT THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL - AND THE ENGINE STOPPED ACCELERATING. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME IN A TWO WEEK PERIOD THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED. AFTERWARDS, THE VEHICLE OPERATED AS EXPECTED WITH NO PROBLEMS. HOWEVER, IT IS A VERY SCARY SITUATION. I CHECKED THE FLOOR MAT AND IT WAS ANCHORED CORRECTLY AND AWAY FROM THE ACCELERATOR. AND "NO" MY FOOT DID NOT SLIP FROM THE BRAKE TO THE GAS PEDDLE. I HAD BOTH FEET HARD ON THE BRAKE TO AVOID JOLTING FORWARD AND HITTING THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. *TR
Vehicle speed control, Feb 18, 2014
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE ERRONEOUSLY ACCELERATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE REPLICATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 30,000.
Power train, Engine, Jan 25, 2014
ON 1/6/14 I WAS COMING TO AN INTERSECTION AND I WAS SLOWING DOWN. I NOTICED THAT THE ENGINE WAS RAVING AND WAS TRYING TO PULL ME FORWARD. BECAUSE I WAS PRESSING THE BRAKES THE CAR WAS ABLE ONLY TO JERK FORWARD. I HAD TO SWITCH TO NEUTRAL TO PREVENT CAR JERKING FORWARD. THEN THE ENGINE RETURNED TO NORMAL RPM. THIS ACTUALLY HAPPENED THE SECOND TIME. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED IN OCTOBER 2013. ON 1/9/14 I GAVE THE CAR TO A TOYOTA DEALER. THEY SAID THAT THEY WILL TAKE THIS MATTER VERY SERIOUSLY AND THE TOYOTA ENGINEERS WILL COME TO READ THE COMPUTER DATA AND REVIEW THE VEHICLE. AFTER ONE WEEK IT APPEARS THAT NOTHING HAPPENED. I WROTE TO TOYOTA. THEY OPENED CASE #1401231137. AFTER THAT THE DEALER KEPT THE CAR FOR ANOTHER WEEK BUT "COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM". THEY OPENED THE CASE #140230518. FINALLY, TODAY 1/25/14 THEY GAVE ME THE CAR BACK WITH A STUPID ADVICE "NOT STEP GAS AND BRAKES AT THE SAME TIME". THEY SAID THEY TEST DROVE THE CAR, BUT THE MILEAGE IN AND OUT IS THE SAME (6,085). I BOUGHT THE CAR NEW AND IT NEVER WAS IN ANY ACCIDENT. NOW I BELIEVE TO EVERY CLAIM OF UNINTENDED ACCELERATIONS OF TOYOTA VEHICLES. I HOPE THE FEDERAL AGENCY WILL DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS. *TR
Service brakes, Jan 23, 2014
I WAS GOING ABOUT 15 MPH WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKES TO STOP AT THE END OF MY STREET, NOTHING HAPPENED, MY FOOT WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. THE ONLY THING I COULD THINK OF DOING WAS TO TURN THE VEH OFF AND COAST TO A STOP IT WORKED AFTER ABOUT 50 FEET, AFTER I STOPPED SHAKING I DROVE HOME EVEN SLOWER THAN BEFORE AND WHEN I TURNED INTO MY DRIVEWAY THE BRAKES AGAIN DID NOT STOP, BUT THE PEDAL DID NOT GO ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR, I TURNED OFF THE KEY AGAIN AND COASTED TO A STOP. I HAD JUST HAD THE FRONT BRAKES FIXED AT THE TOYOTA DEALER BECAUSE THEY TOLD ME THEY NEEDED IT, THE VEH WAS ONLY A LITTLE OVER 2 YEARS OLD. I QUESTIONED WHEY THEY HAD GONE OUT SO FAST I WAS TOLD IT WAS THE WAY I DRIVE. IF THIS IS THE CASE I SHOULD HAVE TO REPLACE THE BRAKES ON ALL MY VEH WITHIN 2 YEARS I NEVER HAVE, SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THE RAV4. *TR
Visibility/wiper, Jan 7, 2014
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA RAV- 4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MALFUNCTIONED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE WINDSHIELD WIPER TRANSMISSION WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 38,900.