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.
To begin with, the 2011 Toyota Rav4 in question was a loaner provided to me by Fiore VW AUDI (1000 S. Logan Blvd in Hollidaysburg, PA 16648) at @ 10:45 AM on 9/16/23. My 2018 Toyota Sienna was being serviced at this location on 9/18/23 and they provided me the 2011 Rav4 in the meantime. The brakes failing, the steering wheel locking up, and the sudden acceleration of this 2011 Rav4 occurred later that afternoon @ 4 PM in a Sheetz parking lot at 3261 W. College Ave. State College, PA 16801. As I was turning left into an open parking space at the rear entrance of this Sheetz, I began to turn the steering wheel to the right, straighten out, and park properly in the parking space; I also began to press down on brake to stop the car. As I pressed down on the brake pedal, the brakes quickly locked up and became unresponsive. Simultaneously, the steering wheel locked up becoming unresponsive with the front wheels still slightly turned to the left. I was still coming out of my turn when this vehicle failure began. I quickly took my foot off the brake, then the car suddenly burst forward with an intense acceleration. I immediately put my foot back down on the brake, but the car still proceeded forward towards the building; moving slightly to the left due to the steering wheel still locked in place and unresponsive. I slowly rolled into a metal obstruction at the end of the parking space, hitting it at an angle. I had my seat belt on and no air bags were deployed. No injuries to me, but some cosmetic damage to the front of the Rav4. There were no warning lights or audible warnings prior to this vehicle failure. I didn't notice any warning lights or alarms during the failure. Prior to this incident everything seemed fine. After the incident, I drove the car home, drove it to my insurance agent on 9/18/23, and I drove it back to the dealer on 9/20/23. That was it. I would believe Sheetz has this complete incident recorded w/security cameras at that back entrance way.
Sudden acceleration when braking caused crash of 2011 Toyota RAV4 and driver injury. Making a right turn into a parking space that faces a concrete wall, I had my foot on the brake to slow the car down to park, going about five miles an hour. Still riding the brake, never having moved my foot off it, when I was about two feet from the wall I pressed on the brake to ease into a stop. Instead, the car suddenly accelerated with a loud rev and crashed into the wall. The car was going so fast the airbag deployed and thrust me against my seatbelt. Airbag caused fracture of 5th metacarpal in my right hand. Was unable to drive for 12 weeks. When I got the car back from the Toyota Body Shop ($9000+ in repairs), I took it over to the dealer and began filing a case with the Toyota Customer Experience Center to have Toyota inspect the car. I am especially concerned about the brake sensor system. Case is pending
For the past three months, in increasing frequency, whenever parking, firm pressure on brake pedal engages sudden burst of acceleration, with engine loudly revving at 1000 revs or higher (audibly beyond the cabin to passers by on the street), that lurches vehicle forward.Within close spaces of parking garage pillars or walls or while parallel parking this is a hazard and threatens sudden accident of 1 mph or less up to 5-10 mph and a 1-2 yard-long jerking lurch to try to recover from. This occurred, twice this week, and 4 times within past 3 months-?? time, to where this is no longer a fluke or due to my immediate reactions. This is an increasing pattern that threatens myself and others. I am headed to local dealership, within the hour, to request diagnostics and to attempt to have technician repeat this issue.
When applying the brakes to stop at a stoplight, I noticed the brake pedal was very hard and was not stopping the vehicle as it normally did. The stop at the light was not a sudden stop. At the time this incident occurred, the brakes were being gradually applied as the vehicle was coasting to a slow stop. As the vehicle came to rest, the engine started to race with tachometer showing 4500 rpm. I placed the transmission into neutral fearing the car would accelerate through the stoplight. As I placed the car into neutral, the engine raced up to 6500 rpm. When the light turned green, I made a right turn into a parking lot, and the engine stopped racing and the brakes and engine began performing properly. Today was the first time this happened. The stop was being made on level ground at time of incident. The car's speed before the incident had been 35 mph and was at less than 5 mph when issue began happening. Prior to traveling in the 35 mph zone, the car had recently been on the highway traveling between 55-70 mph for 20 minutes. Mileage on vehicle is currently 141,295. The vehicle is available for inspection. Slow response braking and unintended acceleration place vehicle occupants as well as other vehicles at risk for collision and possible injury. Problem has not been reproduced nor inspected by a dealer or independent service station yet. No parties have inspected the vehicle yet. No warning lights or messages were generated at the time of the incident. There have been no prior symptoms or similar problems which would have indicated this brake/acceleration issue may occur.
I have replaced the front suspension and the back suspension. I have replaced the driveshaft and the muffler and tail pipes. Now they say the entire undercarriage and the brake lines are all rusting out. This car is 2011 and has just 34,607 miles on it and has been keep in a garage its entire time. Now it is unsafe to drive. Drive Shaft fell off in December.2022.
- Monroeville, PA, USA
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Was driving down the road took my foot off the gas & put it on the brake 2 slow down because I was approaching a stoplight & the brake would not work. I repeatedly tried the brake with no luck, I ended up hitting a utility box on the side of the road right in front of the intersection.
During the past six weeks my 2011 Rav4 has accelerated after lifting my food off of the brake. I did not engage the accelerator at all when this happened. I have a major concern because this happened again today when I stopped at a crosswalk with people crossing. Scared the heck out of me. This is either the third or four time that something like this has happened, only today it was more severe.
The contact owns a 2011 Toyota Rav4. While operating the vehicle, the contact depressed the brake pedal, but the vehicle would not stop. The contact had to depress the brake pedal with force to stop the vehicle. The failure occurred three times. The dealer and manufacturer were not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 110,000. The VIN was unavailable.
The complaint specified does not seem to happen frequently or consistently, has happened randomly 2 times in a 6 week period. Specifically, car was engaged in the drive gear on auto transmission and was stopped at the moment, once at the parking spot at local walmart, brought to complete halt with foot on the brake, and ready to shift lever to park, before I could do that, brake went soft and car moved/surged forward, hitting the safety pole in the parking spot. The safety pole saved from head on hitting the car already parked in the opposite parking spot. The picture of the front of the car against the safety post is attached. Another time, was stopped with foot on the brake, waiting to merge into traffic, at the local hyvee store, suddenly braking was gone, engine surged withpower and the car jumped into the middle of intersection. Fortunately I was able to avoid the collision with other cars on the road. Both times the car was at standstill, in drive gear, foot on the brake. In forty or more years of driving I have never have this happened before I did file a claim with stae farm, because there was damage to the front bumper. A picture is attached. I have not yet driven this car, after it was repaired by the body shop, due to profound fear that this incidence can happen again. Toyota company says they have found nothing wrong, just like they have denied for similar issues with their other cars in the past. Please help
Waiting at stop sign - car began accelerating, engine revving, racing (again, while at a complete stop). I braked and vehicle took full control seemingly pulling sideways first and then lurching out onto the roadway casing a devastating crash totaling my car and causing the other person's vehicle extensive damage. I could have been seriously injured or killed. It's the second time this happened. 1st time pulling into parking space - accelerated lurching forward no matter how much I braked striking curb and post - stalled out, thank goodness. A case has been opened with Toyota but I am told they'll deny anything wrong even though I have 10 pages of complaints in hand of people who have experienced this same nightmare I did. It's time for Toyota to take full responsibility and do something immediately. A class action lawsuit seems pretty obvious at this point concerning this dangerous safety issue since Toyota is not taking responsibility by issuing/sending out recalls on this dangerous mechanical failure which next time may cause a death.
Traveling 30 mph southbound on interstate. Car's engine self accelerated. Pumped brakes to slow down. Car continued to self-accelerate and braking was ineffectual and I ran into back of an 18 wheeler flat bed truck.
The brakes failed when having to brake suddenly driving on a street in the rain. Traffic was going about 30 miles per hour and I had enough space between me and the car in front to brake. The ABS system did not work and braking had zero affect on slowing down my car which made me hit the car in front of me.
When backing up, my 2011 Toyota Rav4 accelerated hitting another vehicle causing the man behind his vehicle to be thrown and almost ran him over. He was taken away in an ambulance. My car was totaled and license suspended.there was no way I could have stopped my vehicle. Websites I have looked at for that year seems to confirm braking and unintended brake and acceleration accidents.
The contact owns a 2011 Toyota Rav4. While driving 10 mph, the brakes failed to work and the vehicle accelerated. The contact shifted the gear into park and turned off the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer (berlin city Toyota of portland, 191 riverside St #a, portland, me 04103; (207) 835-3452), but the cause of the failure could not be determined. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 65,000.
I recently had the charcoal canister that filters gas fuels fail. This caused teh check engine light to come on. In addition though, this fault took out 2 safety systems due to this code. After the light came on my brake anti skid system and cruise control were inoperable. I complained to the dealer about this issue and was told this was normal. In my opinion, just because a check engine light comes on should not cause 2 safety systems to become inoperable! why no disable the airbags too. The anti skid system helps you maintain stability on wet road. I live in the pacific northwest where the roads are wet a lot. I see failure of the cruise control is also a safety issue. I use cruise habitually so keep me under the speed limit. I had to drive without these 2 systems for a month till parts were available.
2011 Toyota Rav4 brakes have not much stopping power. Brake pedal has to be pressed very hard. The brake pads were replaced with other brand (wagner), but still there is the same issue. The braking power of Rav4 is significantly less than the other cars. It feels that only front brakes do the work. Brake performance is inconsistent. Compare to other cars, my 2011 Toyota Rav4 feels like have no brakes. Brake performance of 2011 Toyota Rav4 is poor and inconsistent. When car is parked outside for a week, 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 rusted and pitted.
When applying brakes at slow speed under 20 mph in snow there is no braking action and the car rolls to a stop. The brakes act as if they are not working at all. I am a retired police officer with multiple driving schools. Even when you let off the brakes and reapply it's as if the brakes have been disabled. Needless to say it makes for a difficult stop in snow. I know how anti-lock brakes work these are not. On dry pavement I have had no issues.
The contact owns a 2011 Toyota Rav4. While the vehicle was reversing out of the driveway, there was a loud thump while attempting to stop. The failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the brakes were rusted and the vehicle needed to be driven more to remove the rust. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 13,000. Updated 09/03/15 updated 10/19/2017
On 4/22/2015, I had been driving my 2011 Toyota Rav4 limited edition at highway speed for about 2 hours. After leaving the interstate I was braking and completing a counterclockwise U-turn going about 10 mph when the engine began to race uncontrollably. Based on my previous experience with this problem (this is the fourth time this has occurred) I threw the shifter into park while continuing to brake. This quickly brought the engine speed down to idle. I had my wife confirm that I had my right foot on the brake pedal only. There was no "pedal misapplication." The floor mats were securely in place and there were no loose objects on the floor. The road was dry and the temperature was probably in the 50S. The odometer was about 51,000 miles. This was the first recurrence of this problem since 12/26/2014. I brought the car to my Toyota dealer. They could not identify the problem and said they would charge me if I brought the car in again for a recurrence of the problem.
This rav 4 has had two separate instances of sudden acceleration. One time while approaching a stop light, and the brake was applied, the engine started to rev, and the vehicle had "extended stopping distance". luckily, there was no car in front of us, otherwise there would have been an accident. It occurred a second time while pulling into a parking spot at work. Again, luckily, there was a snow bank in front of the space (and not another car!). the car is a 4cyl., and cert. Pre-owned. It's scary to think there is this unpredictable problem with the car. Dealer claims they know nothing about it. I will be showing them the 56 or so complaints from this NHTSA site for merely the 2011 Rav4. I haven't even looked at the other years yet! more than 50% of the complaints in here are for this very same problem! isn't it about time for a recall on this dangerous "feature"" how many more lives need to be at risk? or is the govt. Trying to preserve "Toyota quality"" it could be as simple as replacing the brake pedal -- space it further away from the accel. Pedal and make it "taller" so that there can be no iteration between the two. Or, simply allow the brake light signal to interact with the ECM to inhibit any "throttle increase" command to the engine.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- State College, PA, USA