What 266 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Toyota RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid

MY 2012 RAV4 EV HAS AN UNSAFE CONDITION WHERE THE ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION DOES NOT ACTUALLY ENGAGE FROM R TO D, OR D TO R WHEN STATIONARY, EVEN THOUGH THE VEHICLE INSTRUMENTATION INDICATES SO. THE VEHICLE INSTEAD MOVES INADVERTENTLY IN THE WRONG DIRECTION. IT HAS BEEN A CHRONIC ISSUE WITH THE VEHICLE, AND I HAVE REPORTED IT TO THE TOYOTA DEALER ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. EACH TIME I WAS TOLD THAT THE TECHNICIAN COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE CONDITION, BUT THAT A SOFTWARE UPDATE WOULD BE INSTALLED AND MIGHT CORRECT THE MATTER. IT HAS NOT, AND MY WIFE AND I CONTINUE TO EXPERIENCE THE PROBLEM RANDOMLY. ON MARCH 5, 2016 HOWEVER, THE CONDITION CAUSED AN ACCIDENT AS I WAS LEAVING A PARKING SPOT ON THE STREET. I INITIALLY HAD TROUBLE GETTING THE CAR TO ENGAGE IN REVERSE OR DRIVE. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND RESTARTED IT (REBOOTING THE SOFTWARE). THIS TIME REVERSE ENGAGED AND I MOVED THE CAR BACKWARD TO MAKE ROOM TO EXIT THE PARKING SPACE AND CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. I THEN PUT THE CAR IN DRIVE, HEARD THE REVERSE 'BEEP' STOP, VISUALLY CHECKED THE INSTRUMENTATION CLUSTER TO VERIFY THE INDICATOR WAS ON 'D', APPLIED THE HILL-ASSIST FUNCTION, AND PUSHED THE ACCELERATOR TO DRIVE FORWARD. THE CAR INSTEAD LUNGED BACKWARD AND SLAMMED INTO THE CAR BEHIND ME. THIS IS A SERIOUS AND DANGEROUS CONDITION. IT COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN A PEDESTRIAN BEHIND ME INSTEAD OF A CAR. I CAN NO LONGER DRIVE THIS CAR AND FEEL SAFE WITH MY FAMILY, OR FOR THE PEOPLE AROUND THE VEHICLE. CHECKING THE OWNER FORUMS AT HTTP://WWW.MYRAV4EV.COM/, I AM NOT THE ONLY OWNER THAT HAS EXPERIENCED TRANSMISSION ISSUES.

NHTSA ODI 10840133

ON OCTOBER 17 SHORTLY BEFORE 2 PM PST IN CLEAR WEATHER, I WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING SPOT ON PRIVATE PROPERTY AT ABOUT 2 TO 3 MPH. I TURNED THE VEHICLE INTO THE SPOT AND APPLIED THE BRAKES BUT THE CAR SURGED OVER THE CURB, HIT A TREE, WENT OVER AN EMBANKMENT AND CRASHED ONTO A PARKED CAR. (THE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY, BUT THERE WERE NO INJURIES.) THE IGNITION WOULD NOT TURN OFF AFTER REPEATED ATTEMPTS. FINALLY I DEPRESSED THE IGNITION BUTTON FOR ABOUT 10 SECONDS AND IT TURNED OFF. JUST 5 DAYS EARLIER, THE CAR HAD UNDERGONE A SAFETY RECALL REPAIR TO THE ELECTRONIC CIRCUITRY. TOYOTA HAD ISSUED A SAFETY RECALL DUE TO A SOFTWARE DEFECT WHICH AFFECTED "COMPONENTS IN THE ELECTRIC VEHICLE TRACTION MOTOR ASSEMBLY." WE INFORMED TOYOTA THIS APPEARED TO BE AN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION INCIDENT. THEY PROMISED TO ASSIGN AN ENGINEER TO THOROUGHLY INSPECT THE VEHICLE AND DOWNLOAD INFORMATION FROM THE EVENT DATA RECORDER (EDR). THE ENGINEER INSPECTED THE CAR AND PREPARED A 22 PAGE REPORT. HOWEVER HE WAS UNABLE TO DOWNLOAD THE EDR INFORMATION DUE TO A DATA COMMUNICATION ERROR. TOYOTA CLAIMED IT WAS DUE TO A LOW BATTERY. THE ENGINEER CONFIRMED TO ME THAT IT WAS A DATA COMMUNICATION ERROR AND THAT THE VEHICLE WAS HALF CHARGED WHEN HE DROVE IT. TOYOTA REFUSED TO SHARE THE ENGINEER'S REPORT. THEY STATED IN SIX SHORT SENTENCES THAT THE ACCELERATION AND BRAKE PEDALS BOTH WORKED. THEY DID NOT ADDRESS THE RECALL, THE INCIDENT WITH THE IGNITION SWITCH, OR THE DATA COMMUNICATION ERROR, ALL OF WHICH SIGNAL POSSIBLE PROBLEMS WITH THE ELECTRIC CIRCUITRY/SOFTWARE. WHEN WE WROTE THEM A DETAILED LETTER WITH ALL THE ATTACHMENTS TO DOCUMENT THE RECALL, THEY SIMPLY RESPONDED THAT THE ACCELERATION PEDAL AND BRAKE PEDAL WORKED.

NHTSA ODI 10811744

2012 TOYOTA RAV-4. CONSUMER STATED CAR WAS ON AN INCLINE AND ROLLED BACKWARDS AND HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE. *TA

NHTSA ODI 10662828

ENGINE, IN IDLE AND IN GEAR, SUDDENLY SURGED. IT PROPELLED THE CAR FORWARD IN DRIVEWAY AND STRUCK A CAR ABOUT 1 FOOT-18 INCHES IN FRONT OF IT, DAMAGING FRONT BUMPER OF OUR CAR AND REAR BUMPER OF OTHER CAR. DAMAGE TO OUR CAR WAS QUOTED AT $878 AND SECOND CAR (OUR GRANDDAUGHTER'S) WAS LESS. REPORTED TO TOYOTA. THEY SENT ANALYST TO CHECK "BLACK BOX" AND REPORTED TO ME ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND BRAKES WERE OK. NOT CAR'S FAULT. I HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS SURGE MANY TIMES SINCE LEASING THE CAR 30 MONTHS AGO BUT NO ACCIDENTS. EACH TIME I REPORTED IT TO DEALER. SERVICE MAN SAID HE FOUND NOTHING WRONG. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10643117

AFTER OWNING MY NEW 2012 RAV 4 FOR ONLY 3 DAYS, I VISITED A FRIEND'S HOUSE AND ATTEMPTED TO PARK MY CAR ON A SLIGHTLY SLOPED DRIVEWAY. I GOT OUT OF MY CAR AFTER TURNING OFF THE PUSH BUTTON START BUT NEGLECTED TO PUT THE CAR IN PARK. AS I WAS GETTING OUT OF THE CAR, SOMEONE SHOUTED, "YOUR CAR IS ROLLING - STEP ON THE BRAKE!". BY THE TIME I WAS ABLE TO REENTER THE CAR, IT HAD ALREADY ROLLED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE IN FRONT OF IT. MY RAV 4 WAS DAMAGED, AS WAS THE VW PASSAT WAGON IT RAN INTO. THE DAMAGE TO MY BRAND NEW CAR IS ESTIMATED TO BE $1000. THE DAMAGE ESTIMATE TO THE OTHER CAR IS NOT KNOW YET BUT AT LEAST IN THAT VICINITY. LUCKILY, NO ONE WAS IN BETWEEN THE 2 CARS. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A HUGE SAFETY CONCERN. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10491595

I PARKED MY CAR IN RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD AND PROCEEDED TO CROSS STREET WITH MY CAR PARKED BEHIND ME. THANKFULLY A MAN FACING CAR YELLED "YOUR CAR!" MY NEW CAR WAS ROLLING DOWN THE STREET BACKWARDS, GAINING SPEED DOWN THE INCLINE, HEADED FOR CURB, SIDEWALK AND HUGE TREE. I CHASED THE CAR DOWN THE STREET, GOT DOOR OPEN, JUMPED INSIDE VEHICLE AS IT WAS MOVING AND SLAMMED ON BRAKE, INJURING MY BACK AND SHOULDER IN THE PROCESS. THE PUSH-BUTTON START ALLOWED CAR TO "FREE-WHEEL" OUT OF CONTROL WHEN TURNED OFF, LEFT IN DRIVE, AND KEY LEFT IN CAR. I AM IN AND OUT OF CAR MANY TIMES A DAY. NO OTHER CAR I HAVE EVER OWNED WILL ALLOW ME, WITHOUT WARNING, TO LEAVE CAR IF LEFT IN "DRIVE". I WAS NOT INFORMED BY TOYOTA THAT PUSH-BUTTON IGNITION WOULD ALLOW MY CAR TO BECOME A POTENTIAL WEAPON, FREE WHEELING, IF LEFT IN DRIVE AND UNATTENDED. I WOULD LIKE THIS SITUATION TO BE REMEDIED TO SAVE LIVES AND PROPERTY DAMAGE. EVEN AFTER GOING THROUGH THIS FRIGHTENING EXPERIENCE, I CANNOT BE SURE IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN WITHOUT AN EFFECTIVE WARNING SYSTEM. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10476964