2023 Toyota RAV4

The vehicle experienced a sudden, severe loss of vehicle control while driving twice. Without any warning lights, dash indicators, or stored error codes, it began violently surging and decelerating uncontrollably around 20 mph with severe bucking. My [XXX] daughter was driving. Fortunately, this occurred on a quiet local residential road at 5 am; had this sudden failure occurred at highway speeds, it would have resulted in a catastrophic rear-end collision. The vehicle was purchased in May 2023, has 42k miles, and was used normally for school commuting. Incident 1 (XXX): Towed to Toyota. Techs could not diagnose it and opened a Tech Case. Per instructions, dealer replaced shifter assembly due to internal short (Part 33560-0R070). However, within 24 hours of return, the exact same dangerous failure reoccurred suddenly without warning in mild traffic. Experiencing an uncontrollable vehicle was terrifying. Fortunately no crash occurred, but it was towed back immediately. When I raised urgent safety concerns and sought a permanent resolution, Toyota stated it takes 60 days for review. During this period, if the dealer requests loaner return, I must return it immediately. They further stated that as soon as the dealer declares the vehicle "ready for pickup," I must retrieve it immediately or be charged daily storage fees. When I asked how the dealer could diagnose and repair the car entirely on their own—without Toyota Corporate engineering instructions while Toyota is supposedly still investigating the root cause—Toyota had no logical answer. When I asked who assumes legal and safety responsibility if another failure or accident occurs after pickup, Toyota Executive Offices explicitly stated "no one" assumes responsibility. No reasonable consumer would drive an unresolved, life-threatening defect under an explicit disclaimer of safety accountability. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The vehicle exhibits a consistent and reproducible malfunction in the powertrain system, specifically related to acceleration response and drivetrain engagement. While driving at a steady speed, when the accelerator is pressed gradually (approximately 50–60%), the engine RPM increases but the vehicle does not accelerate accordingly. There is a delay in power delivery. When the accelerator is released, the engine may continue revving briefly, followed by a sudden and jerky engagement of the drivetrain. This issue occurs consistently under the same driving conditions and can be reproduced every time. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. This malfunction creates a safety risk when merging into traffic, entering intersections, or making turns. The vehicle does not respond when acceleration is required, which can lead to dangerous situations where other vehicles may approach at higher speeds. After the delay, the vehicle may surge forward unexpectedly, increasing the risk of collision. The issue has been reported to multiple authorized Toyota dealerships on several occasions within the first 15 months of ownership. The vehicle has been inspected by dealership technicians, but the concern has not been diagnosed or repaired. Dealerships have stated that the behavior is normal, despite the repeatable nature of the issue. No warning lights, error messages, or diagnostic indicators have appeared at any time. No diagnostic trouble codes have been reported. The vehicle is equipped with an 8-speed automatic transmission, and the behavior appears consistent with a possible transmission, torque converter, or drivetrain control malfunction affecting acceleration response. The condition is not related to driver input and occurs under controlled, repeatable conditions.

The 2023 Toyota RAV4 8-speed transmission is catastrophically defective and poses an immediate safety hazard. It exhibits severe hesitation, slipping, and lurching when accelerating from a stop or low speed, and when attempting to merge into high-speed traffic (I-15/Las Vegas), creating a high risk of rear-end collisions. During these events, the RPMs spike and fall rapidly but the vehicle fails to accelerate. Furthermore, the vehicle lunges forward while the brakes are applied. The engine actively fights the braking system, requiring extreme physical force to stop the car and prevent front-end collisions. This lunging has repeatedly triggered the Pre-Collision System, causing the seatbelts to lock and tension against the driver’s body. Additionally, the vehicle exhibits steering resistance and feedback during turns, making it difficult to maneuver safely. The local dealership (AutoNation Toyota Las Vegas) inspected the vehicle and claimed these life-threatening behaviors are "normal" for this model.

My wife was going at about 10 - 15 mph coming up about 2 car lengths to a small curve in a residential area when all of a sudden she heard a pop or snap and the Rav4 went to a super high speed by itself. The acceleration could not be stopped even though she had her feet on the brakes. She had both hands on the steering wheel to avoid hitting a house and ended up going through a wall in the yard. There were no warning sounds and no signals indicating a problem. it appeared that the display was blank. There was no pre-collision warning or braking except as my wife was pushing on the brakes. She also hit the right side into side wall. No air bags deployed even though Windshield and all door glass on sides shattered. My wife the driver was okay and not hurt, and the grandchild in the car seat behind my wife was fine also. Neither had injuries. There were checked by emt. The police looked but all would not try to get in except to remove my granddaughter. My wife was removed also because she could not get out the door was jammed against shed and rock, and handles broken off This happened after the recall work was done by toyota dealer on 12/04/2025. There were no problems prior to the recall. I've listed the recall below. 25TD01 Rear Traction Motor Cable Corrosion - Multiple Model & Model Year Toyota Hybrid (AWD) Vehicles NHTSA Recall ID AWAITING# Recall Date Dealer Reference ID 25TD01 Description The subject vehicles are equipped with a rear motor unit and an HV Floor Under Wire that provide high voltage to operate the motor. Mud, water, or road salt could potentially enter the HV Floor Underwire connector housing and could cause corrosion over time. Excessive corrosion could cause AM Radio Static during certain driving cycles, or the vehicle may not start. Status Remedy Available Remedy Any authorized Toyota dealer will apply a wire harness protector seal to the HV Floor Under Wire Connector. Toyota corporate engagement is looking into this.

The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while depressing the brake pedal, the contact turned off the vehicle, and the vehicle rolled backwards while the gear shifter was in drive(D). A dealer or independent mechanic was not contacted. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure had occurred twice. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle responded properly because the gear shifter was not in park(P). The approximate failure mileage was 24,500.

The vehicle was a 2023 Toyota RAV4 hybrid. When the driver attempted to park the vehicle in a parking lot, it suddenly began moving forward without use of the accelerator. The driver applied the brakes but the pedal went to the floor without braking. The vehicle seemed to be moving faster than expected without use of the gas pedal and went through the parking lot. The driver stopped the vehicle by running up over a curb, through a traffic island with soft dirt and mulch and finally crashing into a metal storage unit. Two air bags deployed. Toyota was notified of the crash and a Toyota representative made the 911 call. A New York state trooper and two fire trucks arrived. The vehicle was towed and eventually collected by our insurance company. The tow truck driver said the brake pedal went to the floor when he tried it. The car was declared a total loss. 1. The notable failure was in the braking system. The car also seemed to be traveling faster than it should and didn't slow down. The insurance company has the vehicle now. 2. The safety issue was loss of speed and braking control of the vehicle. Steering was normal. Fortunately the parking lot had few cars or people in it. 3. No investigation of the problem aside from assessment of damage that I know of. 4. Liberty Mutual assessed the damage. The NY state trooper made a collision information form and gave us a copy. 5. No warning lights or related symptoms were noted prior to the car traveling on its own. After the crash, a local Toyota dealer called and said that they were notified that the check engine light was on and there was a problem with the hybrid system, along with other warnings.

Check engine sing comes and all dash board alarms lights on and bleep and while driving it shuts off while vehicle is on motion. This vehicle operates as yellow taxi and this issues is serious concern about passengers safety on board . The vehicle took to bay ridge Toyota dealer and the technician was unable troubleshoot and solve the concern Dealer charged 200 dollars for diagnostic and car is still under warranty.

Car loses traction over minor imperfections in the road. When braking and dropping speeds to 20-30 MPH, car will lose traction over imperfection in the road, causing the ABS to engage. The car shutters and grinds/vibrates until traction is regained. With an AWD system, a minor 6-inch drop in the road due to a pot hole or dip should not cause traction to be lost. The car consistently loses traction when braking and 1 tire runs over imperfection in the road (pot hole, dip, uneven pavement, etc.). If car drives over speed bump (which keeps tires aligned), car does not lose traction. Issue is only present if 1 tire different than the other 3 which shows instability of the vehicle. Issue has been verified by manufacturer and has shown up in the car log. Dealer said that the car recorded a loss of traction 4 times in the last month. Issue has been escalated to Toyota corporate and they do not see the sensitivity of the traction control as an issue. Issue has been persistent since the purchase of the car in early 2023. All components on the car are OEM and have only been looked at by Toyota dealers. Multiple online forums have shown that other owners face the same issues. Video proof of the issue can be provided.

I am an owner of new 2023 RAV4 and believe some of the newer 2023 & 2024 Toyota Rav4 models with ICE (non-hybrid) have a potentially dangerous defect with the transmission system, which causes these cars to jerk and stutter when the gas pedal is lightly depressed (light acceleration) when the car speed is between 15 and 40 mph and tachometer is between 1500 and 2500 RPM. The reason I believe this defect is potentially dangerous is that a few weeks ago I was going through a school zone with an active 20mph limit, and when trying to keep the speed at 20mph, experienced jerkiness, RPM jump and sudden speed bouncing (momentary jerking from lower to faster and back to lower speeds a few times in a row). Typically this issue is a lot more subtle but occasionally it is so bad that I have a momentary feeling of loosing control over the speed of the car and active school zone is the least place I'd like that to happen. Besides, these stutters are pretty bad disturbers when they occur drawing focus away from the road and onto the car itself, since it does feel like the car is about to stall. I have visited the dealership twice regarding this concern, however since these stuttering have a random nature I was not able to replicate the issue during my visits to the dealership. I have also passed this concern to Toyota USA Corporate office and they in fact have acknowledged that they received numerous complaints on the same matter and suspect the issue is in the newer 8 speed transmission system they are now installing. Unfortunately there has been no further action taken by Toyota to remedy this issue, although they are fully aware of it. Hoping you get more complains on this matter and force Toyota to take action. Thank you!

The vehicle several occasions been unresponsive to accelerate. This has happened on two separate occasions (days) in which the vehicle would not accelerate. The first occurrence was right after I purchased the car and drove it the first full day I owned it in September 2023. The second time was on Saturday December 16, 2023. When the vehicle is driven under 40 mph such as slowing for a turn, braking for a traffic light, picking up speed to enter onto a highway this problem occurs. It is when the gas is pressed down to accelerate, the vehicle does not respond by increasing the speed. The RPM's would go really high and the vehicle would receive the gas but would not "shift" and felt stuck. And the transmission was very loud. It felt like the vehicle transmission was slipping or not engaging/shifting. Adding more gas was not beneficial. The gas pedal could be pressed down to the floor and the vehicle was not responsive by shifting "gears" or picking up speed. The vehicle would not accelerate above 20 mph and the RPMs would go up. No lights or warnings were produced. The only way to get the vehicle to act normally once again was to pull the car over into a safe location, shift the car into park, shut the car off, wait for a few seconds, restart the car and proceed. In one session (driving the same day) the car repeated the inability to accelerate each time the vehicle was slowed down below 40 mph to come to a stop at a stop sign, take a turn, stop at a traffic light etc. This was dangerous as I was not able to proceed in traffic and caused other drivers to honk their horns at me, and left me stuck in intersections. This was very disconcerting and left me feeling endangered by not being able to follow the flow of traffic. Toyota Service did a diagnostic test on it twice now. The first time had torque converter codes. This 2nd time they claim there were no codes on the diagnostic test. They dropped the transmission pan and found no metal shavings.