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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
4 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
3 / 0
Average Mileage:
9,085 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.

2017 Toyota RAV4 engine problems

engine problem

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2017 Toyota RAV4 Owner Comments

problem #8

Jun 152023

RAV4

  • 24,971 miles

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

The contact owns a 2017 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked. The contact stated that upon shifting to drive (D) and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle lurched, accelerated unintendedly, and crashed into the base of a lamp pole; however, the engine continued to rev loudly. The air bags did not deploy. The contact depressed the brake pedal and while attempting to reverse away from the lamp pole, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated and impacted a curb. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle, and the vehicle operated as needed. The contact then pulled into a parking space. The contact did not sustain any injury. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was taken to an autobody repair shop, where the contact was informed that the vehicle was significantly damaged. The contact was referred to an auto collision center. The vehicle was towed to the auto collision center where repairs were made. The vehicle was the taken to the dealer, where the EDR crash data report was read. The manufacturer sent a letter to the contact, informing her that the cause of the failure could not be determined. The contact followed up with the manufacturer, but no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 24, 971.

- Columbus, OH, USA

problem #7

Jul 102023

RAV4

  • miles
I was slowing at a stop sign and the car suddenly accelerated. My foot was not on the gas pedal but it continued to accelerate causing and accident at an intersection.

- Whitting, NJ, USA

problem #6

May 042023

RAV4

  • miles
As I drive about 70 MPH, the ABS and the brake lights come on and the car is momentarily out of control. As I grabbed the tearing and reduce the speed dramatically, the system correct itself and I am able to continue driving at a very low speed.

- New York, NY, USA

problem #5

Aug 162018

RAV4

  • 29,000 miles

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

I was backing my car up to unload a shelf at work. I was backing a short distance( 15 ft) on a flat surface.the tailgate of the car was up. I had to turn the car slightly to the right to back it towards a handicap ramp. My car was rolling so I was using the brake and moving slowly when my car accelerated backwards. I was pressing my foot on the brake, almost standing on it, and my car accelerated through the railing onto the ramp while my foot was on the brake. This railing was about 35 ft long and had 7 post that were cemented into the ramp. The whole railing was knocked down. Two of my coworkers were standing on the ramp waiting to help unload the shelf were injured. Both coworkers had broken legs that required metal rods. One coworker had a more serious leg injury and will require multiple surgeries and skin grafting.

- Albemarle, NC, USA

problem #4

Dec 122017

RAV4

  • 8,000 miles
I had the dealer check on a problem I was having. The stated "if customer is a two footed river or the brake pedal is touched along with the gas pedal the accelerator is over ridden in the computer causing vehicle not to accelerate". this has happened many time with my vehicle resulting in complete loss of power.. usually when from a stop into traffic. Potential problem of no power when cross traffic is coming or when entering freeway. Was never told about this when the car was purchased.

- Walnut Creek, CA, USA

problem #3

Nov 262017

RAV4

  • 4,000 miles
2017 Rav4 hybrid xle - 4300 miles hello, experience a problem last week driving on the highway. While driving 75 mph, I took my foot off gas pedal to coast, the "ev" light came on for about "1/2 - 1" second and then went off. If I happened to press the gas pedal at the time the light was on at about 65-70 mph, I experienced a shaking, vibration, and a feeling that I ran over something for about a 1/2 second timeframe. It was very noticeable and troubling. If I waited the second for the light to go off while coasting, then no problems. I took it to my dealer and they could not recreate, no computer codes, and indicated that this is normal since the electric and gas is "out of sync" at the high speed. This was certainly not normal to me. My thought is that the ev light should never had come on (even for a 1/2 second) at the high speeds and there is a problem somewhere.

- Chantilly, VA, USA

problem #2

Jul 052017

RAV4

  • 4,712 miles
As I was approaching the mail box area in my apartment complex at approximately 15 mph, I put my foot on the brake to turn into the parking area in front of the four metal mailboxes and put the vehicle in "park" when the vehicle suddenly lurched forward and jumped the six-inch, brick-paver curb. I crashed into the mailbox structure, completely uplifting the base that was bolted into the concrete and hit a wood trash container holder. I depressed the brake pedal harder but my vehicle would not slow down or stop and I also could not control the steering. I continued up a hill (at 45-50 mph) consisting of tall grass, wildflowers, rocks, etc., across a walking path of woodchips and mulch, then down the hill (still with my foot on the brake) grazing the branches and leaves of a small tree before coming off the six-inch curb and back onto the street, where I hit a light post. I managed to lift the parking brake, slam on the brake again and the vehicle rolled to a stop. It should be noted that none of the airbags deployed.

- Newburgh, NY, USA

problem #1

Nov 102016

RAV4

  • 2,000 miles
While driving on cruise control at the posted speed limit of 65 mph, my rav 4 came to an abrupt dead stop with no warning. There was not a car in front of mine, but a car was stopped in a median to my left facing the opposite direction of my car. I could only assume that my rav 4 apparently sensed that car when it came to a sudden dead stop. I had no idea what was happening to my car and thought the engine had shut off. A passenger with me, who is a witness to this event, is an owner of a rav 4 SE without the safety sense/pre-collision system. We were shook up by this because had there been a car or semi truck trailer behind us, we could have been seriously injured or even killed. I reported this incident to the dealer, Toyota of Warren, where we purchased the new car, and after a day in service, they said the car was working fine with the sensors aligned correctly. I was to let them know if this situation occurred again, and it did. In another incident, again while using the cruise control and with no car in front of mine, a car in the passing lane went by me at approximately 80 mph to my 65 mph. My car came to a dead stop. Thank god there was not a car behind me at the time, or a serious accident could have occurred. After doing research on this safety problem that we experienced, we found a number of reports concerning this very situation happening with their rav 4's coming to sudden stops for no reason. These reports of this very problem were reported to Toyota with no resolution. These owners also sold their cars at a loss because of safety issues. According to these reports, Toyota does know that a problem exists, but is not being addressed.

- Warren, OH, USA

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