2011 Toyota RAV4: complaints, problems and recalls

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHAKE, VIBRATE AND CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY A STEERING ANGLE SENSOR MALFUNCTION AND THE STEERING ANGLE SENSOR ZERO POINT CALIBRATION. THE CONTACT WAS UNSURE OF WHAT REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,039.

Owner-reported narrative. 1,039 miles reported. Look up ODI 10378414 at NHTSA ↗

ON DEC. 11, 2010, I PURCHASED MY 2011 RAV4. SINCE THAT TIME, I HAVE HAD TO CONTACT TOYOTA AND THE DEALER AND TAKE MY RAV4 TO THE DEALER SERVICE DEPT. MULTIPLE TIMES DUE TO UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. EACH TIME I WAS TOLD NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. THIS UNINTENDED ACCELERATION OCCURS RANDOMLY WHEN I APPLY THE BRAKES AND IS MORE POWERFUL WITH EACH EPISODE. WHEN I DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE ENGINE REVS VERY LOUDLY AND THE VEHICLE FEELS AS THOUGH IT WILL SPEED IN WHATEVER GEAR I AM IN (I.E., DRIVE OR REVERSE). IN ORDER TO KEEP THE VEHICLE U…

Owner-reported narrative. 165 miles reported. Look up ODI 10378897 at NHTSA ↗

I PURCHASED MY 2011 RAV4 ON 10/19/10, WITH 3 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. AS OF 1/31/11 THE ODOMETER NOW READS 2605 MILES. AFTER DRIVING THE VEHICLE FOR 1 WEEK I NOTICED THAT THE GAS CONSUMPTION WAS VERY HIGH. I DROVE THE VEHICLE TO HARRISBURG, PA WHICH IS ONLY 120 MILES FROM MY HOME IN PHILADELPHIA, PA AND BURNED A FULL TANK OF GAS UPON MY RETURN HOME. THE VEHICLE IS SUPPOSE TO GET 28 MPG ON THE HIGHWAY WHICH EQUALS TO 420 MILES ON A 15 GALLON TANK. ALSO, I HAVE A 24 MILE ROUNDTRIP COMMUTE EACH DAY AND BY THE END OF THE WEEK MY TANK IS ALMOST E…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10379768 at NHTSA ↗

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHENEVER HE APPLIED THE BRAKES, HIS FOOT MADE CONTACT WITH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SURGE FORWARD. THE DEALER REFERRED THE CONTACT TO THE MANUFACTURER WHO STATED THAT THE DESIGN COINCIDED WITH NHTSA STANDARDS AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE CONTACT FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,500.

Owner-reported narrative. 3,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10384341 at NHTSA ↗

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED THE CONTACT SHIFTED THE VEHICLE INTO REVERSE. SLIGHT PRESSURE WAS APPLIED TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND THE VEHICLE SURGED BACKWARDS UNTIL CRASHING. THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED AND SHIFTED INTO DRIVE. UPON APPLYING SLIGHT PRESSURE TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL THE VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD UNTIL IT CRASHED AGAIN. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN SHUT OFF. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED BUT THE DRIVER SUFFERED INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHERE THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNO…

Owner-reported narrative. 2,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10393848 at NHTSA ↗

TL*THE CONTACT OWN A 2011 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE SITTING IDLE AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT WITH THE BRAKES DEPRESSED, THE ENGINE RPMS INCREASED AS THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED ABNORMALLY AND CRASHED INTO THE VEHICLE AHEAD OF HIM. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS PREVIOUSLY EXPERIENCED IN A SCHOOL PARKING LOT WHILE THE BRAKES WERE DEPRESSED, THE VEHICLE CRASHED AGAINST A CURB. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND A COMPLAINT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT AN INVESTIGATOR WOULD FURTHER INSPECT THE VEHICLE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE W…

Owner-reported narrative. 7,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10396998 at NHTSA ↗

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THE CONTACT SMELLED A STRONG ODOR OF SULFUR EXHAUST FUMES EMITTING INSIDE OF THE CABIN. THE FAILURE WOULD OCCUR WHEN DRIVING AT HIGH SPEEDS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THEY WERE ABLE TO SMELL THE STRONG ODOR. THERE WAS NOT A REMEDY TO CORRECT THE DEFECT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5,200.

Owner-reported narrative. 5,200 miles reported. Look up ODI 10398169 at NHTSA ↗

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO ONLY OFFERED TO FILE A REPORT AND REFERRED THE CONTACT TO THE DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,346 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 2,380. UPDATED 06/13/11 *BF UPDATED 12/23/11

Owner-reported narrative. 2,346 miles reported. Look up ODI 10400814 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2012-02-01 (February 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.

Consequence: 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.

Remedy: 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.

Reported: 2012-08-02 (August 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.

Consequence: Failure of the rear tie rod could cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: 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.

Reported: 2013-01-16 (January 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.

Consequence: 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.

Remedy: 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.

Reported: 2013-04-09 (April 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."

Consequence: 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.

Remedy: 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.

Reported: 2013-08-28 (August 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.

Consequence: Failure of the rear tie rod could cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: 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.

Reported: 2014-11-19 (November 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.

Consequence: 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.

Remedy: 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.

Reported: 2015-09-18 (September 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.

Consequence: 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.

Remedy: 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.

Reported: 2015-10-22 (October 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.

Consequence: 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.

Remedy: 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.

Reported: 2016-02-19 (February 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.

Consequence: A cut seat belt may not properly restrain the seat occupant, increasing their risk of injury in a crash.

Remedy: 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.

Reported: 2016-06-02 (June 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.

Consequence: If damaged, the copper strand heating element may short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.

Remedy: 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.

Reported: 2016-08-12 (August 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.

Consequence: Failure of the rear tie rod could cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: 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.