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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
37,295 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

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.

2009 Toyota RAV4 miscellaneous problems

miscellaneous problem

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2009 Toyota RAV4 Owner Comments

problem #19

May 162023

RAV4

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

My rear passenger suspension has multiple part damage. Rear shock bracket failure and other parts.

- Summit Hill , PA, USA

problem #18

Jan 032019

RAV4

  • 131,000 miles
Whining noise from rear and continues to get loud while driven. Was told it may be my rear differential that was identified by Toyota in 2013

- Columbus, OH, USA

problem #17

Feb 122020

RAV4

  • 125,000 miles
Auto burning excessive oil and coolant box stays full to top car is stationary

- Rockford, IL, USA

problem #16

Apr 302018

RAV4

  • 150,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

2009 Toyota rav 4, 2.5L V4, 4WD. A couple of weeks ago, I was driving like normal, and when I pressed the gas, the car didn't move. I turned it off and started it up again and put my foot on the gas pedal and it moved and then I hit the brake and it didn't move when I hit the gas. The RPM increases but the car does not move forward or in reverse. The car starts just fine and it will move for about 30 seconds - basically before it's warmed up. Then after 30 seconds, if I hit the gas, regardless of putting it in reverse, drive, it won't budge. This is a big safety concern, as this happened while I was driving and there were several cars behind me. I immediately turned on my hazard lights.

- Whitmore Lake, MI, USA

problem #15

Mar 142018

RAV4 6-cyl

  • 350 miles
SUSP RECAL 13V-383, MY VEH HAS TEMP REAR SUSP ARMS, DEALER NOT WILLING TO PERFOM PERMANENT REPAIR AND REPLACE CAUTION STICKERS STILL ON REAR TIEROD/CNTRL ARMS, KNOWN SAFETY ISSUE PLEASE HELP MY # [XXX] NOTICED UPON INSPECTION NO INCIDENT YET. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Naples, FL, USA

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problem #14

Jun 282017

RAV4

  • 33,000 miles
While driving on any type if road, freeway, country or city the drivers sun visor keeps falling down to its lowest position blocking the drivers view of the roadway and pedestrians.the visor can not be positioned in an intermediate position to block sun. The visor can not be positioned to stay fully up.

- Danville, CA, USA

problem #13

Apr 152017

RAV4

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

See recall 15V689 I no longer own this vehicle, it was traded in in 2014 to West herr Toyota 4141 southwestern blvd, orchard park, NY 14127, please forward all recall notices to the new owner (West herr Toyota) and remove my name as owner of this vehicle. My address has also changed I no longer live in NY, , so stop sending notice to S4998 mt vernon blvd, hamburg NY 14075

- Boca Raton, FL, USA

problem #12

Apr 012017

RAV4

  • miles
I no longer own this vehicle, it was traded in in 2014 to West herr Toyota 4141 southwestern blvd, orchard park, NY 14127, how do I stop recall notices for this vehicle?

- Boca Raton, FL, USA

problem #11

Aug 122016

RAV4

  • 146,483 miles
I put my rav 4 2009 in park while running and got out of the car and talked to my mail carrier, went around my car to my mailbox and all of a sudden, my car took off accelerating and backed out of the driveway, I tried to get the car but it was moving too fast it hit a tree. Now I keep it in er brake when I get out. Toyota dealers claim they cannot check to see what happened. I am sorry as to what to do, I had a witness to this incident I am afraid of my own car, I do not know when it will do it again. Was told I should be glad I did not get run over when I walked behind it.

- Kalamazoo, MI, USA

problem #10

May 252016

RAV4

  • miles
My Rav4 has rust all over where the drivers seat as well as the passenger seats are attached to the car and seems to be so fragile that with any small impact the seat will detached from car and cause a tragic accident. The rust appeared almost immediately after it was purchased and was advised by dealership that there was nothing they can do about it. If this issue is not fixed in the future it can cause injuries or even death.

- Buffalo, NY, USA

problem #9

Jan 012013

RAV4

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The driver's side sun visor flops down and won't stay up. This results in impaired vision and can startle a driver into losing control of the vehicle.

- Erie, CO, USA

problem #8

Oct 222015

RAV4 6-cyl

  • 56,372 miles
Was driving, sudden lost P/S, all lights on dash came on, determined fuse ECU-IG1, blown, determined, when rear view mirror disconn. The fuse doesn't blow.tsb:IG1 relay needs 2B updated $1,000+ vehicle was in motion on a county street.....updated 12/03/15

- Falls Church, VA, USA

problem #7

Jun 292015

RAV4

  • 65,400 miles
While my wife was driving on the highway at 60 mph the engine lost power. Moving to the right lane to pull over, flames began coming out of the top of the hood, hitting the windshield. She tried stopping but brake pedal went to the floor, requiring her to put the car in park and slide on grass. She jumped out of the vehicle and within 8 minutes the car was completely destroyed.

- Massapequa Park, NY, USA

problem #6

Feb 052015

RAV4 6-cyl

  • miles
Malfuntion with water pump and the emergency flashers stopped working although the battery was in good condition. Updated 10/05/2017

- Westminster, MD, USA

problem #5

Oct 012012

RAV4 4-cyl

  • miles
2009 Toyota rav 4. consumer writes in regards to vehicle defect and cost document was written in spanish.

- San Juan, PR, USA

problem #4

May 102011

RAV4

  • miles
On May 10, 2011 I experienced sudden unintended acceleration and then intermittently until on August 31, 2011 I experienced 3 even more dramatic unintended accelerations within about 40 minutes. I took the car to my nearby mechanic who told me this was something that requires the attention of Toyota dealer. The local dealer called in a Toyota regional specialist in unintended acceleration who concluded after tests that everything appears to be normal. He did indicate that braking can actually cause revving which sounds like unintended acceleration & perhaps that is what I experienced. He also said that Toyota is considering building future models with greater distance between the accelerator and brake pedals & they may also elevate the brake pedal so there is more separation between these 2 pedals and thus less likelihood of one's foot drifting between them. In conclusion, there remains in my mind an uncertainty as to what has been the cause of the unintended and scary acceleration I experienced. It may have been caused by accelerator pedal or ironically by the use of the brake pedal. If the latter, perhaps Toyota needs to make an appropriate modification so that neither pedal can cause unintended acceleration.

- Baltimore, MD, USA

problem #3

Dec 222009

RAV4

  • miles
Information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) these events happened on 12/22/10 in san diego. The owner, my client, was driving a new 2009 Toyota rav 4. here are the vehicle specifics: Toyota rav 4 5 door 4X2 SUV VIN: [xxx] yr/mdl: 2009/4430A here is his narrative: I was in the left most lane on miramar blvd. Headed East towards the 15 fwy. When all of a sudden my car 'jumped' forward and across the center into the next lane and into the rear of a semi-truck that was just taking off from a stop at the light that had just turned green. I remember driving and I remember the car lunging across the center lane and the sight of being right at the back of the semi-truck all of a sudden. They found me unconscious and I ended up at scripps hosp. For a week and my car was totaled. I was off work for 3 weeks and I have not replaced my car but I am carpooling currently. Acsc just finished an inspection on my rav 4 and the foot pedal and does not rule out that the foot pedal had a problem stating that Toyota needs to take the pedal off and dis-assemble it for a conclusive answer. Nothing has been done to correct the problem as the vehicle sits in a aaa lot in southern California. It has been deemed a salvage by the insurer.

- San Diego, CA, USA

problem #2

Oct 202009

RAV4

  • 1,000 miles
Occasionally the car will try to accelerate, when the foot is on the brake off the accelerator. This has happened at least four times since purchasing this new vehicle in Sept. Of 2009.

- Northport, ME, USA

problem #1

Nov 012009

RAV4

  • miles
Consumer wants the event data recorder removed or disabled on his 2009 Toyota Rav4. The consumer stated having a device installed on a vehicle he paid cash for is a potential threat to his civil rights.

- Harwinton, CT, USA

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