This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
My wife told me that her Toyota rav 4 seemed to surge forward when she was trying to stop. A few days later I was driving her car and was approaching a stop light that had just turned red. I started to slow down and apply the brake and the Toyota suddenly accelerated and lurched forward. Fortunately, there was no car in front of me or I would have rear-ended it. I immediately put it in neutral and put both feet on the brake and the engine accelerated to approximately 5000 RPM. I turned the ignition off and pulled over. After the engine shut off completely, I restarted the car and managed to get home safely. I called the dealer, leith Toyota, and they said to bring the car in right away. They kept the car several days and ran some tests, drove the car but because they were unable to replicate the same mechanical or electronic problem, they could not or would not do anything to fix the problem. So I feel that I am left with a vehicle that is not safe to drive. After learning that so many people have had the same problem, it is now obvious that Toyota and leith Toyota sold us this vehicle knowing the problem existed. The government needs to hold Toyota and the dealerships responsible and liable for any accidents that occur from this problem and reimburse consumers that purchased and own vehicles that are unsafe due to this mechanical/electronic problem.
Sudden acceleration in 2009 Toyota rav 4 after recall repair. Happened for the 1st time since ownership of car 4 days after repair. Had car for approximately 1 year. Never had any problems. 4 days after repair, we were West bound on fm 1709 in southlake, tx approaching light just to the East of high school. We were approaching at approx 30 mph with speed decreasing due to red light and other cars already stopped at light. Car RPM's increased to the 3,000 range. Had to apply steady to hard pressure to brakes. Car was fighting to accelerate, but was able to continue speed descent. Got car to around 15 mph. Car lurched into 1st gear, RPM's decreased to around 1,000 range and we all were thrown forward in our seats when the car lurched.
I have a 2009 Toyota Rav4 that has unexpectedly accelerated 3 times. When I tried to brake the pedal was hard and the car accelerated. I threw it in neutral and took my foot off the brake. The car didn't rev like the pedal was stuck, instead it calmed down and came under control. Dealer says they can't find anything wrong.
Although my car was fixed in the Toyota recall, I believe the problem still exists. It is better, but not best. When I press on the accelerator sometimes the car jerks forward much faster than you would expect. It used to do this more often and to a greater degree, but still does do it on occasion. I noticed this when I first bought the car, but put it off to pressing down on the accelerator too hard. Then I began to think that if that was the case it would happen all the time. I purposely try to go forward gently, but am not able to sometimes.
To begin, my car has already had the Toyota recall "fix" and should have been fine. I was driving my Toyota Rav4 (2009) and approaching a four way stop. When I went to hit the brakes, there was a slight grinding noise. The car slowed a bit but did not stop and kept on moving through the stop sign. I ended up going through the intersection (luckily no one was coming) and coming to a stop almost 50 feet past. My husband drove the car home and we later took it to the dealer (no other incidents then). The dealer inspected the brakes and acceleration but could not find a cause. They kept the car for several days but ended up returning it to us and saying it is fine, as they could not find a specific cause to this incident. I am 8 months pregnant, and currently will not drive the car until I can be reassured this will not happen again.
- Fanwood, NJ, USA
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The contact owns a 2009 Toyota Rav4. The driver states she was driving 25mph was driving in traffic and the vehicle accelerated on its own and crashed into the vehicle in front of her. The contact states they took the vehicle to the dealer and they said that there was nothing wrong with the vehicle. The failure mileage was 9,800. The current mileage is 9,820.
While coming to an intersection, I was braking. During the braking, the vehicle suddenly bolted (accelerated) ahead for a period of 5 seconds. (vehicle accelerated during braking process ) I continued to keep foot on brake, pressing with a lot more force. During the "incident", I was able to turn wheel sharply to the right, to avoid hitting a vehicle directly in front of me. Needless to say, I was very shaken, as was my 100% disabled husband, also in the front seat. We took vehicle to Toyota dealer, on ebruary 10, 2010, (2, 766 total mileage) and 30 minutes of their time was given to my Toyota. They checked it over, trying to find the problem. They said "they could not find a problem"., and sent me on my way. They gave me an "800" number to call, and our 2 phone calls to them, was a waste of time. They said they would send me arbitration papers, which I have not received. I don't see why I have to go to arbitration for them to fix my vehicle, when it is still under warranty. * they reset ECM/PCM test drove op code 895994 3/99. Checked ECU for dtc scan tool check dtc and operation. Hours 0.50 dealer refuses to do more testing because Toyota will not authorize it. I feel that my vehicle is "a death trap" and I will not drive it. In the meantime, I am still making monthly payments on it, and consider it a "dead horse payment".
Our Rav4 was apparently not included in the last recalls but I now believe this is incorrect. On 2/27 I rear-ended a truck going about 30-35 mph. I originally thought I had missed the brake pedal and by the time I realized the car was not stopping I had to slam my brakes and tried to turn to miss the car in front of me. After checking further I'm not sure how I would have even been able to entirely miss the pedal. I was very shaken up and thought I had imagined that the car was accelerating after I had originally braked until I overheard my 8 yr old daughter talking to someone else and saying she 'felt like we were going faster instead of stopping". if not for the urging of friends and family and after researching, I'm not sure I would have even thought it was a Toyota problem. Luckily I was the only person to be injured with a sprained foot, but if this can help to save someone else from a potentially fatal crash I would feel that I have done my part. Please push Toyota to find out the real problem and get it fixed. I'm not sure how I am even going to be able to drive that truck again without feeling confident that my family and I are safe.
I own a 2009 Toyota Rav4. My car was not stopping prior to recall-spoke with Toyota and they contacted dealer to come to my home and pick up my car, as it was not stopping for my and I would not drive the car. Recall (accelerator pedal reinforcement bar) performed 2/5/2009. I called dealership to schedule another appointment as the gas pedal is very touchy and my car is accelerating when my foot is on the brake and I can not stop car. The dealership looked at car and told me that there was no problem-the standard line "our service technician was unable to duplicate customer concern". I again have a car that has a safety concern that will not stop at times and Toyota is unwilling to resolve this issue for me.
At a local mall I was stopped and waiting for a parking spot to become available. When a parking spot became open, I was within 5' to 10' foot of the parking spot entrance. While making 90% right swing from a dead stop I lightly put pressure on the accelerator pedal of our 2009 Toyota Rav4 it lunged forward and accelerated rapidly I applied the brake pedal hard but was not able to totally stop the car in the short distance of the parking space and at about 1 to 2 miles per hour our auto hit a cement 'lled yellow post divider that separated my parking area from the one ahead, leaving us with a cracked lower grill and sightly dented bumper. Luckily no one was injured, but we were visibly shaken. I took our auto to the Toyota dealer service dept. And they performed what they called a > health check test<. in their report they stated > all systems operating properly -- no adverse operation noted <. we received our 2009 Rav4 on July 29, 2009. From the beginning till the present we have had a lunging or a rapid start from {a complete stop} to {a start- -take off } with very little pressure on the accelerator, when the problem manifests it self the acceleration is fast enough to throw people back in their seats, this happens randomly about 20% of the time, {etc} given or taken of the est. Time frame unknown, you never know when or how often it may happen in a row. Time frame has not been identied so far. I have had this checked by the same service dept. Three times so far, last time on Feb. 17, 2010 at the same time the recall A0A pedal reinforcement plate was installed. Again report of > health check test < performed > all systems operating properly -- no adverse operation noted <. I have also called Toyota american headquarters in calf. And addressed this matter with them to date I have been given no resolve. I believe, and can it also be possible : maybe a software program glitch:
Currently, I own a 2009 Rav4 that was not apart of the recall due to the fact the car was manufactured in Japan. However, I am experiencing sudden acceleration in my vehicle and Toyota is doing nothing to resolve this issue. On a daily basis when I drive the car and I am pressing on the accelerator pedal the car suddenly jerks and the RPM's jump and jerks me forward. I find that it happens more frequently on a rainy or wet days but does occur everyday. This car is a safety hazard and I have been told by Toyota that it is the way I am driving however, my husband drives my car and experiences the same thing when stepping on the accelerator pedal. Toyota needs to fix my problem.
The contact owns a 2009 Toyota Rav4. The driver stated that he was making a U-turn into a driveway. When he pressed the brake pedal the vehicle began to accelerate on its own and almost crashed into a brick wall. The driver stated that he slammed on the brakes and the vehicle stopped. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 200. The current mileage was 3,000. Updated 03/12/10. Updated 07/16/10
My 09 Toyota Rav4 ( bought last August in queens New York) had the same kind of problem that, the car speed up suddenly and almost punch the front car when I was pushing brake, stopping and waiting for traffic light from red to green. It were happened two times last year, and also, sometimes, when the car is running on the way, the speed suddenly up. I think the problem is caused by it's control system like software poor design in anti-interfering/electronic noises.
The contact owns a 2009 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that the vehicle lunged or rapidly accelerated from a complete stop. In one instance, he applied the brake pedal but was not able to stop the vehicle. At approximately 2-3 mph, he hit a cement divider in a parking lot which caused damage to the lower grill. He also noticed that the failure randomly occurred about 20% of the time while driving. He took the vehicle to the dealership and was told that they could not find anything wrong. On 02/17/2010, the dealer installed a metal plate behind the accelerator pedal three times. He called the manufacturer and spoke with a representative who instructed him to take the vehicle back to the dealership. The contact stated that the problem still occurred even after the repair was performed. The current mileage was approximately 5,100. The failure mileage was approximately 400.
New Toyota electronics problems my Rav4 sometimes does have intermittent accelerator 'sticking' problems, even though the accelerator pedal has fully returned to idle conditions. During the winter I often where sorels. I thought that because of my boots I was hitting both the brake and accelerator. One time I even had to push the transmission into neutral to make a stop, cursing the Toyota designer who put the brake pedal so close to the accelerator (another pedal design flaw?). from then on I was very careful to keep my foot on just one pedal. However, I still noticed problems sometimes, and now this "pseudo recall" has solved a dilemma I had. The problem is not with unintended acceleration, it is with impaired deceleration. The engine is fighting against the braking system because the engine does not return to idle soon enough. With the old manual accelerator linkage systems, you could feel when you let off the gas. Now instead the computer is deciding how to slow the engine. This is where the problem lies. What "bone headed" Toyota engineer allowed both the accelerator and brake to work at the same time on a "drive by wire" system? there is no mechanical linkage to undo, so hitting the brake should defeat the accelerator (I.e. quickly return the engine to idle mode). That is all that was needed to prevent this problem. This is at least one problem with the Toyota electronic throttle system. It is a Toyota 'myth' to insist there is(are) no electronic problem(s). What other more complex problems are there in the electronics, if this basic problem was not accounted for?
Since I bought my 2009 Toyota Rav4 (6cyl) in July 2009, I have experienced consistent jackrabbit starts. The day after I bought it, I discussed this with the salesman who handled my transaction. He seemed unconcerned and told me to discuss it with the service department at the 5000 miles check. Virtually every time I attempt to smoothly accelerate from a stop, I am thrown back into my seat and the vehicle accelerates rapidly. On a couple of occasions I nearly hit the car in front of me. On Feb 1, 2010, I brought this to the attention of the service department of michael's Toyota in bellevue, wa, when I took my vehicle in to have the accelerator pedal checked - mine was a denso and did not require modification. They reported "no defect, " and that my vehicle drives like every other Rav4. If that is the case, there is no doubt a risk that this jackrabbit tendency will cause accidents. I am convinced that the combination of Toyota's electronic accelerator pedals and the hardware/software Toyota uses to control the engines are faulty. I have listed the date of incident as the day I bought the Rav4, but the jackrabbit accelerations happen every day!
I was told my 2009 Rav4 was not subject to the Toyota recall. Yet I have experienced involuntary acceleration on two occasions. Both times I was slowing down to make a left hand turn, having almost slowed to a stop when the RPM's accelerated to 5,000 - 6,000. The first time I was slowing down from 30 mph to about 10 mph when the car sped forward as I was turning. I almost hit a sign on a median but was able to stop the car by slamming on the brakes. This was in November 2009 over three months after the Rav4 was purchased but before I knew about the recall. I brought the vehicle into the kolosso Toyota dealership for the fix a few weeks ago. I was not told my car was not part of the recall but was told I was "all set" for the time being but that there may be additional fixes required in the future that were still being evaluated. Today, this involuntary acceleration occurred again. I had been traveling on a two lane highway. Speed limit was 50 mph. I had slowed down, almost to a stop in preparation to turn left. The car was going less than 10 mph, my foot was on the brake pedal when the RPM's suddenly shot up to 5,000 - 6,000. I pressed down on the brake harder and put the car in neutral to stop it from propelling forward. It took many some time for the engine to stop revving. This nearly caused an accident into oncoming traffic. When I called Toyota about this, as I was afraid to continue driving the car, I learned that my car was not part of the recall because I had a denso gas pedal. Toyota tried to minimize the incident and indicated I could continue driving it to a dealership about 25 miles away. I refused to do so and had the vehicle towed at my dealer's expense back to my city of residence.
The contact owns a 2009 Toyota Rav4. While the contact was at a traffic light the vehicle surged forward. Suddenly, extreme force was applied to the brakes to prevent the vehicle from accelerating. The failure has happened more than four times. The contact stated that the vehicle has a denso accelerator pedal. The failure mileage was 4,900.
I purchased my 2009 Rav4 on June 19, 2009. With only a few hundred miles (less than 1000) on the vehicle, I traveled to annapolis, md on July 20, 2009. After driving on the expressway for most of the around 200 miles, I exited and upn stopping for traffic, I experienced the accelerator sticking (did not come back up upon deceleration). I luckily was able to stop the car before a collision, using considerable force on the brakes. The accelerator did return to a normal position after 2-3 seconds. I never did experience the problem afterwards and I now have around 5400 miles on the vehicle. I did discuss the problem with the dealer months after this incident and they did install the recall device on the accelerator. I have not noticed any problems since. I am reporting this since my experience with the accelerator seems to be different from others. My accelerator stuck when the vehicle was nearly new and had very little wear.
1. as I was pulling into a parking place in a parking lot, my 2009 Toyota Rav4 accelerated rapidly and drove up on the sidewalk. I immediately slammed my foot on the brake and managed to stop the car just before it would have run into the wall ahead of me. Before turning into the parking place, I had slowed way down to make the 90 degree turn and I applied only gentle pressure on the accelerator to pull into the parking spot. 2. I have had this car since September 2009 and have never had an experience like this before. 3. I have an appointment with my Toyota dealer next Tuesday, Feb 9, to insert a piece of metal to stop the accelerator from sticking. But I'm afraid this may not solve the problem, since this did not seem to be the result of the accelerator sticking; the accelerator was only slightly depressed when the car speeded up by itself.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Raleigh, NC, USA