CSR

Toyota · NHTSA safety record

2011 Toyota RAV4

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

287

Complaints

44

Crashes

8

Fires

20

Injuries

0

Deaths

Owners of the 2011 Toyota RAV4 have filed 287 safety complaints with NHTSA between January 2011 and July 2026. The most complained-about system is vehicle speed control, named in 69 of them (24%). The typical failure was reported at 45,468 miles, the median across the 192 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

NHTSA has issued 11 recalls covering this vehicle.

Recalls (11)

SUSPENSION:REAR

16V596000 · August 12, 2016

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

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing · up to 337,449 vehicles across all model years covered

SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:SEAT HEATER/COOLER

16V396000 · June 2, 2016

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

Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC · up to 7,749 vehicles across all model years covered

SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER

16V096000 · February 19, 2016

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

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing · up to 1,123,752 vehicles across all model years covered

VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS

15V689000 · October 22, 2015

The defect
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.
The 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.
The 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.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing · up to 1,814,284 vehicles across all model years covered

VISIBILITY/WIPER

15V577000 · September 18, 2015

The defect
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.
The 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.
The 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.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing · up to 423,456 vehicles across all model years covered

SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:SEAT HEATER/COOLER

14V743000 · November 19, 2014

The defect
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.
The 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.
The 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.

Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC · up to 3,233 vehicles across all model years covered

SUSPENSION:REAR

13V383000 · August 28, 2013

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

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing · up to 780,584 vehicles across all model years covered

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS

13V123000 · April 9, 2013

The defect
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."
The 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.
The 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.

Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC · up to 7,525 vehicles across all model years covered

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE-INACTIVE

13V014000 · January 16, 2013

The defect
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.
The 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.
The 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.

Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC · up to 3,235 vehicles across all model years covered

SUSPENSION:REAR

12V373000 · August 2, 2012

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

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing · up to 780,584 vehicles across all model years covered

AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW

12V029000 · February 1, 2012

The defect
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.
The 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.
The 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.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing · up to 427 vehicles across all model years covered

Defect investigations (1)

An investigation means NHTSA has decided a pattern is worth examining. A preliminary evaluation is often closed with no action; an engineering analysis is the stage that usually precedes a recall.

Autoliv Air Bag Propellant Mixture

EQ12002

Closed equipment query · opened February 14, 2012 · closed May 8, 2012

the air bags

The summary for this investigation, labeled EQ12-002 Autoliv Closing Resume, can be found attached separately to this resume.This EQ is closed.

What owners report

Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add up to more than 287.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 69 24%
VISIBILITY/WIPER 48 17%
SERVICE BRAKES 43 15%
ENGINE 33 11%
SEAT BELTS 30 10%
POWER TRAIN 25 9%
AIR BAGS 20 7%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 19 7%
STRUCTURE 16 6%
SUSPENSION 16 6%
STEERING 15 5%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 14 5%

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2016 at 62.

2011 2016 2026
2011 to 2026, the last of them a part year

In owners' own words

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

AIR BAGS

5 injured · crash · 80,000 miles

MY VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING 35+ MILES PER HOUS WHEN I INADVERTENTLY HIT THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME WHO HAD SLOWED SIGNIFICANTLY TO 25 MPH OR LESS. BOTH VEHICLES SUFFERED SEVERE DAMAGES AS SEEN IN PHOTOS

NHTSA complaint 11234036. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

2 injured · fire · crash · 18,000 miles

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO A VEHICLE THAT FAILED TO YIELD THE RIGHT OF WAY. THE CONTACT STATED THE AIR BAG FAILED TO PROTECT HIM WHEN THE IMPACT WAS HARDER THAN NORMAL AND CREATED A SMOKE THAT SMELLED LIKE FIRE. THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED, CAUSING THE PASSENGER INTERNAL BRUISING AND A CRACKED RIB. THE CONTACT RECEIVED INJURIES TO THE CHEST, WHICH CAUSED BREATHING DIFFICULTIES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 18,000.

NHTSA complaint 10457369. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

2 injured · crash · towed

Side curtain airbag failed to deploy in side-impact crash. Passenger suffered significant concussion and broken ribs.

NHTSA complaint 11552442. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STEERING

1 injured · fire · crash

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE ERRONEOUSLY VEERED TO THE LEFT AND CAUSED THE CONTACT TO CRASH INTO A TREE. UPON IMPACT, THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE RIBS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA complaint 10579598. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS
Airbag light is on

NHTSA complaint 11750162. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:INSTRUMENT PANEL:SPEEDOMETER/ODOMETER

230,000 miles

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2011 Toyota Rav4. The contact discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the mileage was 89,000. It was later discovered upon checking the Carfax report that the mileage was 230,000.

NHTSA complaint 11730327. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SUSPENSION

195,000 miles

The contact owns a 2011 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal clunking sound coming from the rear end of the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle felt as if the rear suspension had failed. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic, who determined that the rear suspension arms were detaching from the subframe. The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the vehicle was previously included in TSB: 0042-14, NHTSA ID Number: 10060729 (Suspension), and was repaired in 2013. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V596000 (Suspension), and the campaign had since expired in 2019;

NHTSA complaint 11729000, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

135,000 miles

The contact owns a 2011 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while driving and depressing the brake pedal to come to a complete stop, the vehicle continued to accelerate unintendedly. The contact continuously depressed the brake pedal and shifted to neutral(N), and the vehicle responded as intended. The contact stated that the failure recurred while at a complete stop and while reversing from the driveway onto the roadway. The failure only occurred while the cruise control was activated but not set. The contact previously owned another 2011 Toyota Rav4 vehicle, which also experienced the failure. An independent mechanic informed the contact that the manufacturer had previously provided a

NHTSA complaint 11720240, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STRUCTURE:BODY
I bought a pre-own car for my daughter in November 2022 from CARMAX in the City of Colma, California. The car is white color 2011 Toyota Rav4. In March 2025, my daughter started noticing the paint peeling off from the roof and driver side front panel. I found out that the paint issue is due to the defects from manufacturer when I visited paint shop to repair. I did researched online and found out Toyota had Customer Support Program until December 2022 for the issue. I contacted Toyota Corporate office but was told that CSP has ended and nothing they can do. Even though I am now aware that CSP has ended in December 2022, I found that it is unfair for the owner whose car just started

NHTSA complaint 11719150, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:INSTRUMENT PANEL:SPEEDOMETER/ODOMETER

190,000 miles

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2011 Toyota Rav4. The contact discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 146,000. It was later discovered, upon checking with the local State Secretary, that the mileage was 190,000.

NHTSA complaint 11718831. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Toyota RAV4

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2025 78 3
2024 167 3
2023 149 3
2022 139 1 2
2021 382 1
2020 627 6
2019 873 7
2018 330 3
2017 304 3 2
2016 236 3
2015 302 4 1
2014 197 4
2013 256 2 1
2012 260 5
2010 400 14

Other 2011 Toyota models

Every Toyota on this site — 272 vehicles, 370 recall campaigns and 3 open investigation s.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. What each state asks for , read from the statutes.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst