2009 TOYOTA RAV4 — Owner-Reported Problems

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-08-22 322 complaints · 15 recalls
Most-reported system: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL (91 complaints · 28.3%)
Safety signals:
  • Crashes 52
  • Fires 3
  • Injuries 16
  • Deaths 0
Compare with 2008 →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Component Problem Distribution

Share of owner complaints filed for each vehicle system (unaffected by sales volume)

Component Problem Distribution VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL appears in 91 of 322 owner complaints (28.3%) in this vehicle snapshot. VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL: 91 complaints, 28.3% of reports VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 91 · 28.3% · 29 crash reports SUSPENSION: 46 complaints, 14.3% of reports SUSPENSION 46 · 14.3% POWER TRAIN: 27 complaints, 8.4% of reports POWER TRAIN 27 · 8.4% · 1 crash reports ENGINE: 26 complaints, 8.1% of reports ENGINE 26 · 8.1% · 1 crash reports 1 fire reports SERVICE BRAKES: 25 complaints, 7.8% of reports SERVICE BRAKES 25 · 7.8% · 3 crash reports STEERING: 19 complaints, 5.9% of reports STEERING 19 · 5.9% · 2 crash reports ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: 14 complaints, 4.4% of reports ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 14 · 4.4% · 1 crash reports 1 fire reports STRUCTURE: 12 complaints, 3.7% of reports STRUCTURE 12 · 3.7% · 1 crash reports AIR BAGS: 9 complaints, 2.8% of reports AIR BAGS 9 · 2.8% · 6 crash reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER: 79 complaints, 24.5% of reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER 79 · 24.5% · 11 crash reports 1 fire reports 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

UNKNOWN OR OTHER is an NHTSA classification artifact and is always listed last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 91 28.3% 29 crashes · 0 fires
SUSPENSION 46 14.3% 0 crashes · 0 fires
POWER TRAIN 27 8.4% 1 crashes · 0 fires
ENGINE 26 8.1% 1 crashes · 1 fires
SERVICE BRAKES 25 7.8% 3 crashes · 0 fires
STEERING 19 5.9% 2 crashes · 0 fires
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 14 4.4% 1 crashes · 1 fires
STRUCTURE 12 3.7% 1 crashes · 0 fires
AIR BAGS 9 2.8% 6 crashes · 0 fires
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 79 24.5% 11 crashes · 1 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Problem & Recall Timeline

Observed complaint volume and manufacturer recall actions over time

Problem & Recall Timeline Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Apr 2009; the first recall shown was reported in Jun 2009. 2009-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2009-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2009-Q4: 9 owner reports 9 2010-Q1: 49 owner reports 49 2010-Q2: 26 owner reports 26 2010-Q3: 11 owner reports 11 2010-Q4: 8 owner reports 8 2011-Q1: 6 owner reports 6 2011-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2011-Q3: 8 owner reports 8 2011-Q4: 5 owner reports 5 2012-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2012-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2012-Q3: 6 owner reports 6 2012-Q4: 5 owner reports 5 2013-Q1: 7 owner reports 7 2013-Q2: 6 owner reports 6 2013-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2013-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2014-Q1: 7 owner reports 7 2014-Q2: 21 owner reports 21 2014-Q3: 7 owner reports 7 2014-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2015-Q1: 9 owner reports 9 2015-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2015-Q3: 8 owner reports 8 2015-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2016-Q1: 6 owner reports 6 2016-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2016-Q3: 10 owner reports 10 2016-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2017-Q1: 12 owner reports 12 2017-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2017-Q3: 7 owner reports 7 2017-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2018-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2018-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2018-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2018-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2019-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2019-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2019-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2020-Q1: 7 owner reports 7 2020-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2020-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2020-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2021-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2021-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2022-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2022-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2023-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2023-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2024-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2025-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2025-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2026-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 Owner reports Apr 2009 Apr 2026 Recall campaign 09V223000 ◆ Recall campaign 09V223000 Recall campaign 10V017000 ◆ Recall campaign 10V017000 Recall campaign 10V035000 ◆ Recall campaign 10V035000 Recall campaign 10V036000 ◆ Recall campaign 10V036000 Recall campaign 11V113000 ◆ Recall campaign 11V113000 Recall campaign 12V373000 ◆ Recall campaign 12V373000 Recall campaign 12V491000 ◆ Recall campaign 12V491000 Recall campaign 13V014000 ◆ Recall campaign 13V014000 Recall campaign 13V383000 ◆ Recall campaign 13V383000 Recall campaign 14V743000 ◆ Recall campaign 14V743000 Recall campaign 15V577000 ◆ Recall campaign 15V577000 Recall campaign 15V689000 ◆ Recall campaign 15V689000 Recall campaign 16V096000 ◆ Recall campaign 16V096000 Recall campaign 16V396000 ◆ Recall campaign 16V396000 Recall campaign 16V596000 ◆ Recall campaign 16V596000 Investigation RQ10003 ● Investigation RQ10003 Investigation PE12002 ● Investigation PE12002 Investigation EA12006 ● Investigation EA12006
  • Campaign 09V223000 was reported 16 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 10V017000 was reported 108 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 10V035000 was reported 249 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 10V036000 was reported 249 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 11V113000 was reported 507 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 12V491000 was reported 849 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 13V014000 was reported 1,204 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 13V383000 was reported 355 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 14V743000 was reported 1,999 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 15V689000 was reported 1,956 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 16V396000 was reported 2,560 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 16V596000 was reported 1,435 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2009-Q2 Owner reports 2
2009-Q3 Owner reports 3
2009-Q4 Owner reports 9
2010-Q1 Owner reports 49
2010-Q2 Owner reports 26
2010-Q3 Owner reports 11
2010-Q4 Owner reports 8
2011-Q1 Owner reports 6
2011-Q2 Owner reports 4
2011-Q3 Owner reports 8
2011-Q4 Owner reports 5
2012-Q1 Owner reports 3
2012-Q2 Owner reports 3
2012-Q3 Owner reports 6
2012-Q4 Owner reports 5
2013-Q1 Owner reports 7
2013-Q2 Owner reports 6
2013-Q3 Owner reports 2
2013-Q4 Owner reports 1
2014-Q1 Owner reports 7
2014-Q2 Owner reports 21
2014-Q3 Owner reports 7
2014-Q4 Owner reports 3
2015-Q1 Owner reports 9
2015-Q2 Owner reports 5
2015-Q3 Owner reports 8
2015-Q4 Owner reports 1
2016-Q1 Owner reports 6
2016-Q2 Owner reports 4
2016-Q3 Owner reports 10
2016-Q4 Owner reports 2
2017-Q1 Owner reports 12
2017-Q2 Owner reports 4
2017-Q3 Owner reports 7
2017-Q4 Owner reports 3
2018-Q1 Owner reports 4
2018-Q2 Owner reports 4
2018-Q3 Owner reports 3
2018-Q4 Owner reports 1
2019-Q2 Owner reports 3
2019-Q3 Owner reports 3
2019-Q4 Owner reports 1
2020-Q1 Owner reports 7
2020-Q2 Owner reports 1
2020-Q3 Owner reports 2
2020-Q4 Owner reports 2
2021-Q1 Owner reports 2
2021-Q4 Owner reports 2
2022-Q1 Owner reports 1
2022-Q4 Owner reports 1
2023-Q1 Owner reports 2
2023-Q3 Owner reports 2
2024-Q1 Owner reports 2
2025-Q3 Owner reports 1
2025-Q4 Owner reports 1
2026-Q2 Owner reports 4
Recall campaign 1 09V223000
Recall campaign 1 10V017000
Recall campaign 1 10V035000
Recall campaign 1 10V036000
Recall campaign 1 11V113000
Recall campaign 1 12V373000
Recall campaign 1 12V491000
Recall campaign 1 13V014000
Recall campaign 1 13V383000
Recall campaign 1 14V743000
Recall campaign 1 15V577000
Recall campaign 1 15V689000
Recall campaign 1 16V096000
Recall campaign 1 16V396000
Recall campaign 1 16V596000
Defect investigation 1 RQ10003
Defect investigation 1 PE12002
Defect investigation 1 EA12006
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Safety Recalls (15)

Official safety recall campaigns filed with NHTSA

  1. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 09V223000

    Report date
    Component:
    EQUIPMENT
    Consequence:
    INCORRECT LOAD CARRYING CAPACITY MODIFICATION LABELS COULD RESULT IN THE VEHICLE BEING OVERLOADED, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
    Remedy:
    TOYOTA WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND PROVIDE THEM WITH A NEW, ACCURATE LABEL TO BE INSTALLED OVER THE INACCURATE LABEL FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 18, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-888-270-9371.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 10V017000

    Report date
    Component:
    VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
    Consequence:
    THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL MAY BECOME HARD TO DEPRESS, SLOW TO RETURN TO IDLE, OR, IN THE WORST CASE, MECHANICALLY STUCK IN A PARTIALLY DEPRESSED POSITION, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL INSTALL A REINFORCEMENT BAR IN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WHICH WILL ALLOW THE PEDAL TO OPERATE SMOOTHLY. GM WILL NOTIFY OWNERS FOR THE PONTIAC VIBE PLEASE SEE 10V-018. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON FEBRUARY 5, 2010 AND WILL BE COMPLETED ON MARCH 15, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 10V035000

    Report date
    Component:
    EQUIPMENT
    Consequence:
    THIS DOES NOT MEET THE STANDARD REQUIREMENTS.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL MAIL TO CONSUMERS THE CORRECTED LABEL OR THE CUSTOMER WILL HAVE THE OPTION FOR DEALERS TO INSTALL THE LABEL FREE OF CHARGE. DEALERS WILL ALSO CORRECT THE OWNER'S MANUAL. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 27, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT GULF STATES TOYOTA AT 713-580-3300.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  4. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 10V036000

    Report date
    Component:
    EQUIPMENT
    Consequence:
    A DRIVER MAY OVERLOAD A VEHICLE WHICH MAY INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL MAIL TO CONSUMERS THE CORRECTED LABEL OR THE CUSTOMER WILL HAVE THE OPTION FOR DEALERS TO INSTALL THE LABEL FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 27, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SOUTHEAST TOYOTA AT 1-800-301-6859.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  5. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 11V113000

    Report date
    Component:
    VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
    Consequence:
    A STUCK OPEN ACCELERATOR PEDAL MAY RESULT IN VERY HIGH VEHICLE SPEEDS AND MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO STOP THE VEHICLE, WHICH COULD CAUSE A CRASH, SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH.
    Remedy:
    THE REMEDY IS NOW AVAILABLE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN EARLY APRIL 2011. THE REMEDY WILL INVOLVE MODIFICATION OR REPLACEMENT OF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND REPLACEMENT OF ANY TOYOTA ALL-WEATHER FLOOR MAT. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331 OR LEXUS AT 1-800-255-3987.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  6. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 12V373000

    Report date
    Component:
    SUSPENSION
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  7. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 12V491000

    Report date
    Component:
    VISIBILITY
    Consequence:
    If the switch overheats, it may melt, possibly resulting in a fire.
    Remedy:
    Toyota will notify its owners, and dealers will inspect the switch and apply a special grease that inhibits heat build up or replace any switch damaged by the defect, free of charge. Toyota owners that experience a problem with a switch should not attempt to make repairs, but should contact their Toyota dealer or the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331. General Motors will contact the Pontiac Vibe owners affected by this recall and GM dealers will inspect and repair switches as necessary. Those owners may contact Pontiac Customer Care at 1-800-762-2737.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  8. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 13V014000

    Report date
    Component:
    AIR BAGS
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  9. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 13V383000

    Report date
    Component:
    SUSPENSION
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  10. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 14V743000

    Report date
    Component:
    SEATS
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  11. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 15V577000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  12. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 15V689000

    Report date
    Component:
    VISIBILITY
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  13. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 16V096000

    Report date
    Component:
    SEAT BELTS
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  14. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 16V396000

    Report date
    Component:
    SEATS
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  15. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 16V596000

    Report date
    Component:
    SUSPENSION
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Complaint Narrative Explorer

Verbatim owner-reported defect narratives from NHTSA public records

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-08-21
Safety incident filters
Showing 0 of 322 complaints · page 1 of 13

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EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Data sourced from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Snapshot date: 2026-08-21.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources