KnownCarProblems2011 Toyota RAV4 Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 287 complaints with NHTSA about the 2011 Toyota RAV4, most often about the speed control (24% of complaints, typically around 26,000 miles). It is 15th of 26 RAV4 model years by number of complaints and has 11 recalls.
Most common 2011 Toyota RAV4 problems
Speed control
69 complaints · 24%Half of these problems showed up before 26,000 miles. Parts named most often: cruise control.
While driving at speed the vehicle's stability, antilock brakes and traction control functions stop functioning and the indicator light for all turn on. The cruise control disengages which caused the car to decelerate rapidly. I was in traffic and was able to accelerate to avoid an accident. The accelerator and…
There were three individuals in vehicle, driver and three passengers - all adults. Driving in residential section of western cincinnati area (delhi area) with a speed limit of 35 MPH. Approaching a traffic light on a slight downhill grade. Traffic light was red so began applying the brake. As I continued to approach…
Visibility and wipers
50 complaints · 17%Half of these problems showed up before 49,000 miles. Parts named most often: power window devices and controls, sun/moon roof assembly.
I received a safety recall notice (interim notice) from Toyota on 4/20/2016 regarding wiper motor link corrosion on my 2011 Toyota RAV4, NHTSA recall 15v-577.in the interim notice it states that an interim repair will be performed at no charge. I called two (2) Toyota dealers and both said I have to wait for the final…
Toyota issued safety recall f1s on sep 17, 2015 stating that failing to fix it "may affect driver visibility and increase risk of crash" ten months later the Toyota web site still displays "remedy not available". Any attempts to get feedback on when a solution might be implemented are useless. The response is: what…
Brakes
48 complaints · 17%Half of these problems showed up before 32,000 miles. Parts named most often: pedals and linkages, antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip.
2011 Toyota RAV4 brakes have not much stopping power. Brake pedal has to be pressed very hard. At low speed around 5-10 MPH, the front brakes make grinding noise. Car was at the dealership three times, mechanic test drove car, heard the noise and said could not find anything wrong with the brakes. The braking power of…
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…
Engine
36 complaints · 13%Half of these problems showed up before 67,000 miles. Parts named most often: exhaust system.
When braking, sudden acceleration occurred- seems to reset by letting up on brake and reapplying. Has happened on various locations and types of roads. While out of state dealership replace purge valve- seemed ok, but then on 1/25/16 was backing out of driveway had foot on brake and felt engine racing, put into park…
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…
Seat belts
30 complaints · 11%Half of these problems showed up before 63,000 miles.
The contact owns a 2011 Toyota RAV4. On several occasions, the rear seat belt seized. The contact also stated that the front passenger side air bag warning indicator illuminated while a passenger was seated in the front passenger seat. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was included in NHTSA…
The contact owns a 2011 Toyota RAV4. While driving, the passenger side air bag indicator failed to illuminate while the passenger seat was occupied. In addition, the seat belt indicator illuminated while the passenger side seat belt was buckled. The vehicle was taken to lugoff Toyota (878 US-1, lugoff, sc 29078) where…
Transmission
25 complaints · 9%Half of these problems showed up before 47,000 miles. Parts named most often: automatic transmission.
Our 2011 RAV4 was totaled in december 2013 when a bmw 5 series crashed into US while my wife was making a left turn. The impact was to the front tire on the passenger side and it was so severe, the entire wheel assembly was ripped out of the transmission and ended compressed against the passenger door; however…
The contact owns a 2011 Toyota RAV4. While driving between 25 to 35 MPH, there was an abnormal rattling noise coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to heiser Toyota (11301 w metro auto mall, milwaukee, wi 53224, ([phone]) where the contact was informed that the torque converter needed to be replaced. The…
Air bags
20 complaints · 7%Half of these problems showed up before 40,500 miles. Parts named most often: sensor.
Our 2011 RAV4 was totaled in december 2013 when a bmw 5 series crashed into US while my wife was making a left turn. The impact was to the front tire on the passenger side and it was so severe, the entire wheel assembly was ripped out of the transmission and ended compressed against the passenger door; however…
The contact owns a 2011 Toyota RAV4. While driving approximately 5 MPH, the brakes failed to respond when the brake pedal was depressed. The vehicle accelerated independently and crashed into a building. The air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed and there were no injuries reported. The vehicle was towed…
Electrical
19 complaints · 7%Half of these problems showed up before 80,000 miles. Parts named most often: instrument panel, cybersecurity, wiring.
The contact owns a 2011 Toyota RAV4. The contact stated while reversing to park the vehicle, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated. The contact depressed the brake pedal, and the vehicle stopped. The contact stated that after turning off the vehicle and entering the residence, the vehicle independently restarted. There…
I have had this vehicle since 2013. Since then, I have replaced 3 batteries as the shop's advice that my intermittent no-start must be caused by the battery. It has been to two delaerships as well as a private shop. No one can diagnose why my car will be operating fine and then intermittently go to start my car and…
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2011 Toyota RAV4 recalls
Suspension: rear
Risk: Failure of the rear tie rod could cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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 h
Full defect summary
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.
Seats: seat heater/cooler
Risk: If damaged, the copper strand heating element may short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
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.
Seat belts: rear/other
Risk: A cut seat belt may not properly restrain the seat occupant, increasing their risk of injury in a crash.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
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.
Visibility and wipers: power window devices and controls
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
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.
Visibility and wipers: visibility/wiper
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
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.
Seats: seat heater/cooler
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
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.
Suspension: rear
Risk: Failure of the rear tie rod could cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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
Full defect summary
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.
Equipment: labels
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
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."
Seats
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
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.
Suspension: rear
Risk: Failure of the rear tie rod could cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
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.
Air bags: side/window
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
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.
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
Autoliv air bag propellant mixture
Summary
The summary for this investigation, labeled eq12-002 autoliv closing resume, can be found attached separately to this resume.this eq is closed.
Questions about the 2011 Toyota RAV4
- What are the most common problems with the 2011 Toyota RAV4?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: speed control (69 complaints, typically around 26,000 miles); visibility and wipers (50 complaints, typically around 49,000 miles); brakes (48 complaints, typically around 32,000 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2011 Toyota RAV4 have?
- 11 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from August 12, 2016 (suspension). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2011 a bad year for the Toyota RAV4?
- It is 15th of 26 RAV4 model years by number of complaints, with 287 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.