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What 266 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Toyota RAV4 Hv

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (266)Crash / fire / injury (46)Visibility & wipers (60)Speed control (50)Brakes (39)Electrical system (31)Seat belts (31)Engine (23)Airbags (22)Transmission & drivetrain (22)Body & structure (16)Steering (10)

2 of 266 complaints match · Seat belts · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Aug 7, 2020AirbagsSeat beltsSpeed controlCrash2 injuries

ON JUNE10TH. I HAD A MAJOIR ACCIDENT IN WHICH BOTH MY WIFE & MYSELF SUFFERED FRACTURED STERNUMS & FRACTURED RIBS. WHAT HAPPENED WAS THAT I PULLED INTO A LOT IN PRINCETON, N.J. & AFTER STOPPING TO SET MY GPS, I JUST TAPPED THE ACCELERATOR & THE CAR SHOT FORWARD, AS IF SHOT OUT OF A CANNON. WHILE STOPPED I PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE & THE CAR SHOT BACKWARDS IN THE SAME MANNER, THEREBY STRIKING A WALL. NOW I WENT FORWARD LIKE A ROCKET, WITH NO TIME TO HIT THE BRAKE, THEREBY GOING HEADFIRST INTO A PARKED CONSTRUCTION TRUCK.

NHTSA ODI 11343888

May 15, 2017Seat belts1 injury

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT PRETENSIONER TIGHTENED INDEPENDENTLY. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SEAT BELT HAD TO BE CUT BY ANOTHER DRIVER. THE SEAT WAS REPLACED BY THE CONTACT'S HUSBAND. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. A TOYOTA TECHNICIAN INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND DETERMINED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD PERFORMED ACCORDING TO FEDERAL MOTOR SAFETY STANDARDS. THE CONTACT'S SUFFERED BRUISING FROM THE SEAT BELT, WHICH DID NOT REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 49,000.

NHTSA ODI 10985688

Working with the data? Download all 266 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 26, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2012 Toyota RAV4 Hv verdict →