2011 Toyota RAV4

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE DRIVING DOWNHILL AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE VEHICLE INDEPENDENTLY ACCELERATED. THE CONTACT SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL IN ORDER TO SLOW DOWN THE VEHICLE. THE GEAR WAS SHIFTED BACK INTO DRIVE AND THE VEHICLE RESUMED NORMAL OPERATION. THE FAILURE OCCURRED TWICE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.

CAR FAILED TO DECELERATE WHILE BRAKES WERE BEING APPLIED. CAR CONTINUED TO PUSH FORWARD WHILE I WAS BRAKING. CAR HAD TO BE TURNED OFF TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS PHENOMENA OCCURRED. BOTH TIMES THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IMMEDIATELY TO THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. THEY CLAIMED THEY FOUND NO ISSUES WITH THE CAR OR ITS COMPUTER SYSTEMS. SINCE TOYOTA INSPECTED THE CAR AND CLAIMED THEY FOUND NO ABS EVENT IN THE CAR'S SYSTEMS AND CLAIMED THEY COULD DETECT NO COMPUTER SYSTEM MALFUNCTION, I ELECTED TO TRADE IN THE CAR. I AM REPORTING THIS BECAUSE I WANT ANY POTENTIAL FUTURE OWNER OF THIS VEHICLE TO BE AWARE OF THESE EVENTS. *TR

TL* 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 TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR REPAIR. THE FRONT BUMPER, THE PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT, AND THE FRONT GRILL WERE REPLACED. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 37,000.

WHILE APPROACHING AN INTERSECTION ON A BUSY THOROUGHFARE, THE LIGHT TURNED YELLOW AND AT THE LAST MINUTE I DECIDED AGAINST RUNNING THE YELLOW LIGHT AND APPLIED MY BRAKES VERY HARD. THE VEHICLE STARTED TO SLOW DOWN BUT AS I APPROACHED THE STOP LINE MY VEHICLE CONTINUED TO SLOWLY MOVE FORWARD NO MATTER HOW HARD I PRESSED ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. AT FIRST I THOUGHT MY BRAKES HAD FAILED, BUT THEN I HEARD THE WHINE OF THE ENGINE AND I REALIZED THAT I WAS FIGHTING AGAINST AN ACCELERATING ENGINE. I PUT THE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL WHICH I THOUGHT WOULD KICK THE ACCELERATOR BACK TO NORMAL BUT THE ENGINE WAS STILL REVVING QUITE HIGH, BUT I WAS NO LONGER MOVING FORWARD. I THEN SHIFTED TO REVERSE AND THE VEHICLE STARTED TO BACK UP EVEN THOUGH MY FOOT WAS STILL ON THE BRAKE. AT THAT POINT I PLACED THE VEHICLE BACK INTO NEUTRAL AND TURNED THE ENGINE OFF. AFTER ABOUT 10 SECONDS, I RESTARTED THE ENGINE AND IT PERFORMED NORMALLY. I DROVE 6 BLOCKS TO MY DESTINATION, PARKED THE CAR, CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED THERE. I DID NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THE VEHICLE, AS I THOUGHT TOYOTA HAD SOLVED THE PROBLEM OF UNATTENDED ACCELERATION. OBVIOUSLY NOT. THE CAR IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALERSHIP AND I AM WAITING TO HEAR FROM THEM AS TO WHAT THEY FIND. FROM THE REPORTS I HAVE READ, I'M NOT HOLDING MY BREATH. THEY MENTIONED THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE TO CALL FOR AN INDEPENDENT ENGINEER TO ASSESS THE VEHICLE, AND THAT MIGHT TAKE UP TO A WEEK. I HAVE NO GRUDGE AGAINST TOYOTA, AS I ALSO OWN A 2002 CAMRY WHICH HAS BEEN A FANTASTIC CAR WITH NO PROBLEMS. I JUST DON'T BELIEVE THAT ALL THE REPORTS OUT THERE ARE BECAUSE OF LOOSE FLOOR MATS, STICKY ACCELERATORS OR CON ARTIST TRYING TO GET MONEY OUT OF A BIG CORPORATION. PLEASE LOOK INTO THE ELECTRONICS OF THESE CARS AS SOMETHING IS NOT COMMUNICATING RIGHT. THANK YOU. *TR

2011 TOYOTA RAV 4. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED SHE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION ON AUGUST 15, 2013. SHE STATED THERE WAS A CAR IN FRONT OF HER AT A LIGHT, AND SHE ATTEMPTED TO BRAKE, BUT DUE TO THE UNINTENDED ACCELERATION, SHE HIT THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF HER. SHE SUFFERED A FRACTURED PELVIS. REPAIRS TO THE VEHICLE EXCEEDED $8,000 AND THOUSANDS MORE IN MEDICAL CARE. ON FEB 2, 2014, HER HUSBAND ATTEMPTED TO PARK THE VEHICLE, BUT WHEN HE APPLIED THE BRAKE, THE VEHICLE INSTEAD ACCELERATED, AND HE CRASHED INTO A BUILDING. THERE WERE NO INJURIES, BUT COSTLY DAMAGE TO THE BUILDING AND $2,000 DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER WENT TO THE DEALER FOR HELP, AND THE SERVICE MANAGER REPLICATED THE ACCELERATION PROBLEM FOUR SEPARATE TIMES IN THE PARKING LOT. HE STATED THERE WAS A SOFTWARE PROGRAM CALLED "SMART STOP" AVAILABLE FOR THE 2006-2010 MODELS AND THE SAME SOFTWARE WAS ON THE 2012-2014 MODELS. AN INSPECTOR WAS SENT TO EXAMINE THE VEHICLE, AND HE STATED THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE, AND THE ACCIDENTS, WERE SIMPLY THEIR FAULT. *JB

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 BRAKING APPEAR TO WORK PROPERLY BUT I AM UNABLE TO REENGAGE THE CRUISE CONTROL. THIS IS EXACTLY THE SAME SYMPTOMS IN THE RECALL OF THE 2012 RAV4 BUT THE 2011 IS NOT INCLUDED. *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY WITH THE BRAKE PEDAL BEING DEPRESSED, THE ENGINE RPMS SUDDENLY INCREASED AS THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED FORWARD. THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED AND A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE CONTACT ALSO INDICATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS RECURRING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND NO SOLUTION WAS OFFERED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15,785.

ON 2/17/14 I HAD AN "UNINTENDED ACCELERATION" EVENT AND HIT A CAR. NO ONE WAS HURT. I TOOK MY CAR TO TOYOTA AND FILED A REPORT. ON 2/22/14 TOYOTA RETRIEVED DATA FROM THE VEHICLE CHIP AND EMAILED ME A COPY. DATA SHOWS THAT I WAS BRAKING DURING THE ENTIRE 4.7 SEC PRIOR TO COLLISION. UPON BRAKING, THE MOTOR RPM DROPPED TO 800, THEN SUDDENLY INCREASED TO 2000 WHILE I CONTINUED BRAKING, AND STAYED AT 2000 UNTIL COLLISION. A TOYOTA CASE MANAGER SAID THAT TOYOTA HAD 30 DAYS TO RESPOND. THAT HAS PASSED AND I HAVE RECEIVED NO RESPONSE. MY CAR MAY BE UNSAFE. I CANNOT DRIVE IT FOR FEAR OF HARM TO MYSELF OR OTHERS SINCE NOTHING HAS BEEN TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. MY CAR IS IDLE, CAUSING ME SIGNIFICANT FINANCIAL DIFFICULTY. *TR

I WAS TRAVELING DOWN CITY STREET BEHIND SEVERAL CARS & WE WERE APPROACHING A TRAFFIC LIGHT AT INTERSECTION, MY FOOT OFF THE GAS PEDAL LETTING CAR SLOW NATURALLY. I HEARD THE MOTOR START REVVING UP QUICKLY, SUDDENLY ACCELERATING BY ITSELF. I PUSHED ON THE BRAKES, BUT CAR CONTINUED TO REV UP & LURCHED FORWARD HITTING THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. I PUSHED HARDER ON THE BRAKES, EVEN TRYING TO PUMP THEM BUT MY CAR HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME AGAIN & THEN MY CAR FINALLY STOPPED & I TURNED OFF THE MOTOR. WHAT A SCARY SITUATION!! THANK GOD NO ONE WAS INJURED ONLY DAMAGE TO BOTH VEHICLES! WE FILED A POLICE REPORT & I HAD THE RAV TOWED TO THE TOYOTA DEALER WHERE IT REMAINS PARKED. I WILL NOT DRIVE IT AGAIN BECAUSE I AM SCARED TO DEATH OF WHAT COULD OF OR WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN. A CLAIM WAS FILED WITH TOYOTA HEADQUARTERS, CLAIM # [XXX]. A THIRD PARTY, ENGINEER, CAME OUT TO DEALER'S TO INSPECT, CHECK BLACK BOX, ETC. OF COURSE, WITH AN 18 PAGE REPORT & EXTENSIVE CHECKING HE COULD NOT RECREATE PROBLEM, FOUND NOTHING ON BLACK BOX, ETC. & CLAIMS HE FEELS SAFE TO DRIVE IT. I AM WAITING TO HEAR FROM TOYOTA HEADQUARTERS FOR THEIR OFFICIAL WORD, WHICH I DOUBT WILL BE ANY DIFFERENT THAN THE INSPECTOR'S. BESIDES I COULD NOT GET A COPY OF THE REPORT BECAUSE HE WAS HIRED BY TOYOTA! NOT SURE WHERE TO TURN NOW. THIS WAS NOT THE FIRST TIME, THE UNINTENDED SUDDEN ACCELERATION HAD OCCURRED. ON 3 OR 4 OTHER OCCASIONS, MY RAV DID THE SAME THING & LUCKILY DID NOT CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. ONE TIME I THREW THE CAR INTO PARK AS TO STOP IT. THE GAS PEDAL & THE BRAKE WERE WORKING FINE, NO STICKING OR NO ME PUTTING MY FOOT ON THE WRONG PEDAL! THE FLOOR MATS WERE ORIGINAL TO VEHICLE & FIRMLY ATTACHED TO HOOKS. I HAD REPORTED IT TO CONCORD TOYOTA ON ONE OCCASION WHEN I HAD AN OIL CHANGE, BUT THEY COULD NOT SIMULATE THE PROBLEM, SO THEY STATED THERE WAS NO PROBLEM!! OBVIOUSLY, THERE IS A PROBLEM!! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

CAME TO STOP SIGN AND PUT MY FOOT ON THE BRAKES - THE ENGINE BEGAN TO ACCELERATE AND MOVE THE CAR FORWARD. HAD TO PUT MY FOOT HARD ON THE BRAKES AND PUT THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL - AND THE ENGINE STOPPED ACCELERATING. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME IN A TWO WEEK PERIOD THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED. AFTERWARDS, THE VEHICLE OPERATED AS EXPECTED WITH NO PROBLEMS. HOWEVER, IT IS A VERY SCARY SITUATION. I CHECKED THE FLOOR MAT AND IT WAS ANCHORED CORRECTLY AND AWAY FROM THE ACCELERATOR. AND "NO" MY FOOT DID NOT SLIP FROM THE BRAKE TO THE GAS PEDDLE. I HAD BOTH FEET HARD ON THE BRAKE TO AVOID JOLTING FORWARD AND HITTING THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. *TR