2012 Toyota RAV4

APPROACHING STOP LIGHT AND SLOWING DOWN TO 35 MPH. STEPPED ON BRAKE WITH RIGHT FOOT AND ENGINE WENT FROM 2000 TO 3000 RPM WITHOUT ANYTHING AGAINST ACCELERATOR. STEPPED ON BRAKE AS HARD AS POSSIBLE, BUT COULD NOT GET VEHICLE TO SLOW DOWN UNTIL WELL PAST THE STOP LIGHT. THIS EXACT SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN THREE DAYS LATER ON 2/14/14. HAD WALSER TOYOTA RUN A DIAGNOSTIC CHECK ON THIS VEHICLE ON 2/14/14, BUT IT DID NOT SHOW ANY ERRORS. *TR

NOT SURE OF DATE, BUT THE OUTSIDE HOUSING OF SPARE TIRE CAME OFF GOING THRU CAR WASH... THIS WAS AN AUTOMATIC WASH NO BRUSHES WAS USED. NOW IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THIS COULD HAD HAPPEN ON THE ROAD AND I'M JUST WONDERING IF THIS HAS HAPPEN TO OTHER TOYOTA VEHICLES... I DID TAKE IT THE FOX TOYOTA AND THEY FIXED THE INNER HOUSING BECAUSE THE SCREW ANCHOR WAS LOOSE AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 TOYOTA RAV-4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, SHE ATTEMPTED TO ENGAGE THE BRAKES BUT IT FAILED TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL SUNK TO THE FLOORBOARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER HOWEVER, THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 16,350. UPDATED 02/11/2014*LJ

I HAD JUST GOTTEN ON A 6 LANE EXPRESSWAY WITH A 45 MPH SPEED LIMIT. HANDS AT TEN AND TWO - JUST WATCHING THE ROAD GOING ABOUT 40 MPH IN THE FAR LEFT LANE SO PEOPLE COULD TURN ON THE ROAD. I HAD BEEN HAVING A CLUNKING SOUND WHEN I WOULD PULL OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY FOR AWHILE BUT DIDN'T WANT TO GO BACK TO THE DEALER BECAUSE I HAD JUST GOTTEN A 10,000 MILE OIL CHANGE AND AFTER REMOVING A TIRE WITH A NAIL IN IT FOUND THEY HAD TO ORDER THE TIRE, WHICH TOOK 3 WEEKS TO GET (APPARENTLY RUN FLAT TIRES ARE STILL IN JAPAN,,) SO, I BACK TO MY NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCE- I WAS DRIVING SLOWER THAN THE SPEED LIMIT DOWN THE ROAD WHEN I LOST ALL STEERING IN MY VEHICLE AND I WAS HEADED INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. I HIT THE TALL CEMENT MEDIAN AND I PULLED AS HARD AS I COULD BACK TO THE RIGHT. AFTER I HIT I HAD A LITTLE CONTROL AGAIN. WITH BOTH DRIVERS SIDE TIRES STRIPED FLAT I HAD ENOUGH STEERING TO PUT MY HAZARDS ON AND GET BACK ON THE CORRECT SIDE OF THE ROAD AND PULL THE THING INTO A SIDE PARKING LOT TO BE TOWED. I FEEL LIKE THE THING IS TRYING THE KILL ME! WARRANTY HAS TO COVER THIS BUT I THINK I'M GONNA HAVE TO TRADE IT IN. TOO SCARED TO DRIVE THE [XXX] THING. ATLLEAST I HAVE TWO WITNESSES THAT CAN VERIFY MY EVENT INCASE TOYOTA TRIES TO SCREW ME OVER. RAV4S R DANGEROUS VEHICLES AND SOMETHING HAS TO BE RECALLED OR PEOPLE R GOING TO DIE. *TR INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

11 OCT 12 - I BOUGHT A 2012 RAV4. 24 OCT 12 - I STOPPED AT A STOP SIGN. AS I APPLIED THE BRAKE THE CAR ACCELERATED. I PUSHED THE BRAKE HARD AND THE CAR DECELERATED. A FEW MINUTES LATER I APPROACHED A STOP SIGN AT MY HOUSE. WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKE THE CAR ACCELERATED. BEFORE I COULD PUSH HARDER ON THE BRAKE THE CAR RAN THE STOP SIGN AND THEN DECELERATED. I CALLED TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE. I EXPLAINED WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE ACCELERATION ISSUES. I TOLD THE REP I LOOKED AT MY FOOT POSITION IN BETWEEN INCIDENTS AND THERE WAS NO WAY I COULD PRESS THE ACCELERATOR AND BRAKE PEDALS TOGETHER. THE REP TOLD ME THERE WAS NO RECALLS ON THIS YEAR RAV4. HE SAID TAKE THE CAR TO THE NEAREST TOYOTA DEALER. I TOOK THE CAR TO TOYOTA AND EXPLAINED EVERYTHING TO THEM. THE SERVICE MAN TOLD ME THAT THE FLOOR MAT BEING CAUGHT UP UNDERNEATH THE BRAKE WAS THE ISSUE. HE TOLD ME THAT THE REP FROM TOYOTA WOULD LOOK AT IT. 5 NOV 12 - TOYOTA CALLED TO SAY THE TOYOTA REP COULDN'T DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. 6 NOV 12 - I WENT TO TOYOTA TO PICK UP MY CAR. I LEFT THE DEALERSHIP AND STOPPED THE CAR TO WAIT FOR TRAFFIC. AFTER SITTING WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE FOR ABOUT 4-5 SECONDS, THE CAR BEGAN ACCELERATING ON ITS OWN. I FIRMLY PUSHED HARD ON THE BRAKE AND LOOKED AT MY FOOT TO ASSURE MYSELF I WASN'T NEAR THE GAS PEDAL. I VERIFIED THE FLOOR MAT WASN'T ON THE GAS PEDAL. I PLACED THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AS IT WAS REVVING UP AND NOTICED THE TACHOMETER WENT BETWEEN 6500 TO 7000 RPM'S (IN THE RED). WHEN TRAFFIC CLEARED FOR ME TO TURN, I MADE A TURN, THE CAR LUNGED FORWARD AND THE ACCELERATION DECELERATED. I DROVE THE CAR DIRECTLY TO TOYOTA AND EXPLAINED WHAT JUST HAPPENED. 7 NOV 12 I GOT A PHONE CALL FROM TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE CORPORATE TELLING ME THAT I COULD PICK UP THE VEHICLE FROM THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND THEY SAID THE CAR WAS SAFE TO DRIVE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE AT A COMPLETE STOP, ANOTHER VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED A LACERATION TO THE LEFT COLLAR BONE DUE TO THE TIGHTNESS OF THE SEAT BELT. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSES AND REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 11,000.

THE REAR SEAT SHAKES OVER ANY ROUGH SURFACE. IN WATCHING THE HEADREST FOR THE REAR SEAT IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR WHILE DRIVING THERE IS ABOUT A 2-INCH SIDEWAYS TRAVEL. HAVE TRIED THE SEAT IN VARIOUS POSITIONS AND THE PROBLEM REMAINS. BY ROUGH I DON'T MEAN POTHOLES...THINGS LIKE CHANGING LANES OVER REFLECTOR BUTTONS, FREEWAYS WITH RAIN GROOVES, THINGS LIKE THAT. MY 12 YEAR OLD JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE'S REAR SEAT DOESN'T SHAKE AT ALL IN THESE CONDITIONS, BUT THIS RAV4 REAR SEAT MOST CERTAINLY DOES. THE SHAKING IS SO BAD SOMETIMES THAT IT RATTLES. I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT AN INFANT CAR SEAT STRAPPED INTO THIS BACK SEAT AS THE INFANT MY BE EXPOSED TO EXCESSIVE SHAKING OR VIBRATION. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP (TOYOTA CARLSBAD, CARLSBAD CA) ON OCTOBER 7TH 2013 AND THEY VERIFIED THE ISSUE. RATHER THAN TAKE STEPS TO CORRECT IT THEY TESTED ANOTHER RAV4 IN THE SAME WAY AND FOUND THAT IT TOO HAD THE SAME CONDITION AS MINE. BASED ON THIS THEY TELL ME THAT IT IS A 'NORMAL CONDITION'. I BELIEVE IT IS A DESIGN FLAW. NEVER HAVE I SEEN A CAR WITH A SEAT SHAKE SUCH AS THIS. IN TESTING FURTHER I FIND THAT IF SOMEONE SITS IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT THE REAR SEAT SHAKING SEEMS TO REDUCE. IF SOMEONE SITS IN THE REAR SEAT AND THEY WEIGH 150 POUNDS OR SO THERE IS A MINOR VIBRATION FELT AND THE SHAKING IS ALMOST NON-EXISTENT. HOWEVER, IF ONLY THE DRIVER IS IN THE CAR THE SHAKING RESUMES OR ANY LESS-THAN-PERFECT ROAD CONDITION. I FEEL AS THOUGH TOYOTA NEEDS TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE PRIMARILY FOR THE RISK OF INJURY TO INFANTS STRAPPED IN THE SEAT AS WELL AS COCKPIT NOISE (RATTLE). IT IS A FLAW IN THE DESIGN OF THE VEHICLE TO BE SURE. *TR

I AM FILING A COMPLAINT ABOUT SPONGY BRAKES BEHAVIOR IN A 2012 TOYOTA RAV4. THE PROBLEM I WAS EXPERIENCING WERE THE BRAKE PEDAL TRAVELING TO THE FLOOR AND REDUCED STOPPING POWER DURING APPLICATION. THE SPONGY BEHAVIOR OF THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS ALSO PRESENT WITH ENGINE OFF. I REPORT THIS EVENT TO TWO SEPARATE TOYOTA DEALERSHIPS WHICH TECHNICIANS CLAIMED THIS IS A NORMAL FUNCTION AND THIS IS A SOFT PEDAL DESIGN (ACCORDING TO THE FIRST DEALERSHIP). THE SECOND DEALERSHIP SHOWED ME ANOTHER SIMILAR VEHICLE (2011 TOYOTA RAV4) AND IT ALMOST DID THE SAME THING (ENGINE OFF - PEDAL WAS STILL SPONGY BUT WAS LESS THAN MY VEHICLE). SINCE BEING A ASE MASTER TECHNICIAN BEFORE BECOMING AN MECHANICAL ENGINEER, I BLEED THE BRAKES WHICH ONLY HELPED A LITTLE AND THERE WERE NO FLUID LEAKS. FINALLY, I RESEARCHED THAT THE ABS PUMP MIGHT NEED TO BE ACTIVATED USING A SCANNER TO CYCLE THE ACTUATORS THAT MIGHT HOLD AIR TRAPPED INSIDE. I TOOK THE CAR TO MY PREVIOUS PLACE ON EMPLOYMENT WHERE I CONSULTED THIS ISSUE WITH THE SHOP MANAGER IN WHICH HE AGREED THAT THIS IS A POSSIBILITY. THE SHOP MANAGER PERFORMED THE ABS PUMP CYCLING PROCESS WITH THE SCANNER AND THE BRAKE PEDAL BECAME HARD AND FIRM LIKE IT SUPPOSE TO BE (PROCEDURE TIME: 5 MINUTES!). I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH TOYOTA TRAINED TECHNICIANS AND ANY GOOD TECHNICIAN KNOWS THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS SOFT PEDAL DESIGN ESPECIALLY WITH A VACUUM BRAKE BOOSTER WITH ENGINE OFF (HYDRAULIC FLUID IS ONLY SLIGHTLY COMPRESSIBLE!). ONLY VEHICLES WITH HYDRAULIC BRAKE BOOSTER CAN EXPERIENCE A BRAKE PEDAL FEELING SPONGY SINCE THE BOOSTER WILL CONTINUE TO FUNCTION AFTER ENGINE HAD BEEN TURNED OFF (APPROX:10 ' 20 BRAKE PEDAL APPLICATIONS ' DIESEL & VERY FEW GAS VEHICLES). IT SEEMS TO ME TOYOTA IS SKIPPING A STEP IN THERE MANUFACTURING PROCESS. *TR

ON THREE OCCASIONS DURING 2013, THE CAR ACCELERATED AND JUMPED FORWARD AS THE BRAKE WAS BEING APPLIED TO STOP THE CAR. ON SEPTEMBER 5, 2013 THE ACCELERATION AND MOVEMENT FORWARD WAS MORE PRONOUNCED AND WAS ACCOMPANIED BY A NOTICEABLE SOUND OF THE ENGINE. THIS OCCURRED AS THE BRAKE WAS BEING SLOWLY APPLIED DURING AN APPROACH TO AN INTERSECTION. THERE WAS NO MOVEMENT OR INVOLVEMENT OF THE FLOOR MAT ON THE DRIVER?S SIDE AND NO POSSIBILITY THAT THE DRIVER'S FOOT COULD HAVE HIT THE ACCELERATOR AT THE SAME TIME AS HIS FOOT WAS PLACED ON THE BRAKE. WE REQUESTED THAT THE CAR BE EXAMINED BY THE TOYOTA DEALER IN ORDER TO DETERMINE THE NATURE OF THE DEFECT AND THE CORRECTIVE ACTION NEEDED. THE DEALER REPORTED THAT IT COULD NOT IDENTIFY ANY PROBLEM. *TR