What 287 owners told NHTSA about the 2011 Toyota RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid

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 exhibiting the issue after the program ended especially for the second owner like me who has never received any notice about the issue and bought the Toyota believing it will be a good investment. Can you please look into the issue and help for those owner like me who are unfairly left out? The attached picture shows the current condition of my car for your reference.

NHTSA ODI 11719150

The contact owns a 2011 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated while driving at slow speeds, there was a loud banging sound coming from the rear of the vehicle. Upon inspection, it was discovered that the subframe was severely rusted and the rear differential fluid was leaking from the vehicle. The cause of the failures was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failures, but no assistance was offered. The local dealer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 111,000.

NHTSA ODI 11560927

I have replaced the front suspension and the back suspension. I have replaced the driveshaft and the muffler and tail pipes. Now they say the entire undercarriage and the brake lines are all rusting out. This car is 2011 and has just 34,607 miles on it and has been keep in a garage its entire time. Now it is unsafe to drive. Drive Shaft fell off in December.2022.

NHTSA ODI 11510495

FACTORY ORIGINAL SUPER WHITE PAINT IS DELAMINATING FROM THE BODY OF THE FRONT PANEL RIGHT PANEL (PASSENGER SIDE) AS WELL AS ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE UPPER RIGHT OF WINDSHIELD, CURRENTLY, EXPOSING THE GREY METAL. I CONTACTED MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER AND THEY SAID THAT THEY WERE AWARE OF A PROBLEM, BUT THAT TOYOTA HAS NOT DECIDED ON A SOLUTION.

NHTSA ODI 11292504

SINCE 2015 THE PAINT STARTED PEELING, MY RAV4 HAS BLIZZARD PEARL WHITE COLOR, EVERYTHING THATS METAL HAS BEEN PEELING AND LIFTING. THE PROBLEM BEGAN IN THE SPACE BETWEEN THE FRONT WINDSHIELD AND THE SUNROOF. NOW THE PROBLEM HAS SPREAD ALL OVER THE VEHICLES, EXCEPT FOR THE FRONT AND REAR BUMPER.

NHTSA ODI 11270639

PAINT, IN A 18 INCH LONG / 5 INCH WIDE PATCH, HAS LOST IT'S CLEAR COAT. EXPENSIVE DETAILING WAS ABLE TO POLISH THE SPOT BUT THE DULLNESS RETURNED WITHIN ONE MONTH.

NHTSA ODI 11244851

BODY: DRIVER SIDE SUN VISOR FAILURE TO REMAIN UPRIGHT, IMPEDING VISION. ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: THE EVAPORATIVE SYSTEM HAS PROBLEMS WITH THE VAPOR CANISTER RELEASING CHARCOAL PELLETS THAT PLUG THE VENT VALVE. DISABLES VEHICLE ANTI-SKID TRACTION AND 4X4. CAR IS UNDER 75K MILES

NHTSA ODI 11218631

WAITING AT STOP SIGN - CAR BEGAN ACCELERATING, ENGINE REVVING, RACING (AGAIN, WHILE AT A COMPLETE STOP). I BRAKED AND VEHICLE TOOK FULL CONTROL SEEMINGLY PULLING SIDEWAYS FIRST AND THEN LURCHING OUT ONTO THE ROADWAY CASING A DEVASTATING CRASH TOTALING MY CAR AND CAUSING THE OTHER PERSON'S VEHICLE EXTENSIVE DAMAGE. I COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED. IT'S THE SECOND TIME THIS HAPPENED. 1ST TIME PULLING INTO PARKING SPACE - ACCELERATED LURCHING FORWARD NO MATTER HOW MUCH I BRAKED STRIKING CURB AND POST - STALLED OUT, THANK GOODNESS. A CASE HAS BEEN OPENED WITH TOYOTA BUT I AM TOLD THEY'LL DENY ANYTHING WRONG EVEN THOUGH I HAVE 10 PAGES OF COMPLAINTS IN HAND OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS SAME NIGHTMARE I DID. IT'S TIME FOR TOYOTA TO TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY AND DO SOMETHING IMMEDIATELY. A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT SEEMS PRETTY OBVIOUS AT THIS POINT CONCERNING THIS DANGEROUS SAFETY ISSUE SINCE TOYOTA IS NOT TAKING RESPONSIBILITY BY ISSUING/SENDING OUT RECALLS ON THIS DANGEROUS MECHANICAL FAILURE WHICH NEXT TIME MAY CAUSE A DEATH.

NHTSA ODI 11180213

TRAVELING 30 MPH SOUTHBOUND ON INTERSTATE. CAR'S ENGINE SELF ACCELERATED. PUMPED BRAKES TO SLOW DOWN. CAR CONTINUED TO SELF-ACCELERATE AND BRAKING WAS INEFFECTUAL AND I RAN INTO BACK OF AN 18 WHEELER FLAT BED TRUCK. *DT

NHTSA ODI 11164251

WHILE WASHING WITH A MICROFIBER CLOTH AND GARDEN HOSE WITH LESS THAN 20,000 MILES AND ONLY 4 YEARS OLD BLIZZARD PEARL PAINT IS PEELING OFF IN LARGE CHUNKS. 1.5 YEARS OUT OF WARRANTY. TOYOTA WILL NOT MAKE THIS RIGHT. I REALIZE SAFETY MAY NOT BE EMINENT BUT IN THE LONG RUN RUSTED METAL WILL LEAK WATER IN ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS.

NHTSA ODI 10808041

THE 5TH (BACK OF VEHICLE) DOOR LATCH COMPLETELY FAILED AND WOULD NOT HOLD DOOR CLOSED. THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT OR ANY OTHER DAMAGE TO THE DOOR. THE LATCH INSIDE SIMPLY FAILED. I HAD TO TIE THE DOOR CLOSED TO GET IT TO A DEALER FOR REPAIR. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10644497

LOUD BANG WHICH SOUNDS LIKE A HAMMER HITTING THE BOTTOM OF THE VEHICLE. PROBLEM FIRST NOTICED AROUND 1000 MILES AND HAPPENS FREQUENTLY. IT HAPPENS TYPICALLY WHEN PASSENGERS ARE IN THE MIDDLE AND OR 3RD ROW SEATS AT SPEEDS USUALLY ABOVE 25 MILES PER HOUR. THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH MY 4 WHEEL DRIVE, 3RD ROW SEAT RAV4 NOW AT 73K MILES. IT CAN HAPPEN WITHIN A FEW MILES OF EACH INCIDENT OR GO HUNDREDS OF MILES BEFORE IT HAPPENS AGAIN. VERY ALARMING. I HAVE TAKEN IT INTO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES YET EVERY TIME THEIR TECHNICIANS TAKE THE VEHICLE FOR TEST DRIVE, THEY CAN NOT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10584186

PROBLEM 1 - I HAVE BRAKE NOISE AND BRAKE DOES NOT STOP PROPERLY. SPOKE TO TOYOTA DEALER AND THEN CREATED A CASE NUMBER WITH TOYOTA CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE. TOYOTA VERIFIED AND THEY SAY NO PROBLEM IN BRAKE. WHAT TOYOTA SAYS AFTER INSPECTION - *INSPECT BRAKE LININGS AND CHECK PARKING BRAKE ADJUSTMENT ~|~*INSPECT BRAKE LININGS AND CHECK PARKING BRAKE ADJUSTMENT ~|~ ~|~COULD NOT VERIFY BRAKE NOISE.FRONT BRAKES HAVE 5 MM REMAINING AND REAR BRAKES STILL HAVE 7 MM.ALL GOOD AND NO TSB PERTAINING PROBLEM 2 - THE VEHICLE HAS A WIND LIKE NOISE WHEN DRIVING THE FREEWAY, WHICH TOYOTA SAYS THEY FIXED AND THE PROBLEM WAS "SECURE LOOSE ROOF RACK BAR". *TR

NHTSA ODI 10469013

ACCORDING TO OUR INSURED, THE INSURED HAD PULLED INTO HIS DRIVEWAY, AND THE VEHICLE HAD A SUDDEN ACCELERATION, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO RUN INTO THE HOUSE, DAMAGING THE WALL, THE SLIDING DOOR AND THE TYPHOON SHUTTERS. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10465931

THIS COMPLAINT RELATES TO THE VEHICLE I LEASE, BUT I SUSPECT IT APPLIES TO ALL TOYOTA RAV4 MODELS OF THIS SAME DESIGN VINTAGE, AND MAY ALSO APPLY TO OTHER TOYOTA MODELS. THE BASIC PROBLEM, AS SHOWN IN THE ANNOTATED PHOTO AVAILABLE AT HTTP://JRGSPACE.HOMESTEAD.COM/RAV4_ENGINEERING_DESIGN_FAIL__1.JPG IS THE INADEQUATE SPACING BETWEEN THE ACCELERATOR AND BRAKE PEDALS, WHICH ALLOWS EVEN RELATIVELY SMALL SHOES TO SIMULTANEOUSLY DEPRESS BOTH PEDALS DURING "URGENT", OR EVEN "NORMAL" BRAKING SITUATIONS. THE PROBLEM IS EXACERBATED BY THE FACT THAT THE POINT (OR PLANE) AT WHICH EFFECTIVE BRAKING IS ACHIEVED IS AT LEAST 1/2" BELOW OR "BEYOND" THE PLANE OF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, ALMOST GUARANTEEING THE APPLICATION OF POWER DURING BRAKING. THIS IS AN INCREDIBLE ENGINEERING DESIGN FAILURE AND WILL ALMOST ASSUREDLY LEAD TO ACCIDENTS IF IT HAS NOT ALREADY DONE SO, AS I HAVE NARROWLY AVOIDED SEVERAL ACCIDENTS MYSELF ALREADY WHERE THIS INTERFERENCE WAS A FACTOR. I CONSIDER THIS AN EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS CONDITION AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY THE NHTSA AS A TOP PRIORITY. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10436244

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA RAV4 . THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 25 MPH WHEN THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR OPENED INDEPENDENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 500.

NHTSA ODI 10430864