What 194 owners told NHTSA about the 2014 Toyota RAV4

Steering and brakes quit working while driving. Able to safely get off road. Took to Toyota Service Department. Per invoice "improperly installed battery caused everything to melt" battery installed by AAA in March 2020. Size 35 battery. Extensive damage.

NHTSA ODI 11479937

Driver [XXX] was driving down roadway and entire dashboard lite up. Attempted to apply brakes to stop vehicle, but the brakes wouldn't operate causing the vehicle to rear end another vehicle around 25 mph. The vehicle was deemed a total loss and is now with Copart PA-Pittsburgh North 2200 River Rd. Ellwood City, PA 16117. Phone number: 724-758-0480 INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

NHTSA ODI 11459853

THE INCIDENT OCCURRED ON 11/13/2019 @ 8:30AM. I HAD STARTED MY 2014 TOYOTA RAV4, PULLED OUT FROM UNDER THE CARPORT APPRX. 25FT AND PUT THE VEHICLE IN PARK AND FULLY ENGAGED THE PARKING BRAKE I ALWAYS DO THIS IF I NEED TO LEAVE THE VEHICLE RUNNING FOR ANY REASON. IN THIS CASE I WAS HEATING THE INTERIOR AS IT WAS CHILLI. I WENT BACK INSIDE MY HOME TO GET THE ANIMAL CRATE THAT CONTAINED MY CAT WHO NEEDED TO GO TO THE VET. AS I WAS LOADING THE CRATE INTO THE FRONT SEAT THE VEHICLE BEGAN MOVING IN REVERSE. I WAS BETWEEN THE OPEN DOOR AND THE VEHICLE ITSELF AND AFTER FREAKING OUT A SECOND LOOKED TO SEE IF THE PARKING BRAKE HAD DISENGAGED. IT HAD NOT.AT THAT POINT I WAS ALONG FOR THE RIDE AND THE CAR DRUG ME TOWARD THE LAUNDRY ROOM AND I WENT UNDERNEATH THE OPEN DOOR HOLDING ONTO THE ARMREST. WHEN I HAD TO RELEASE MY TRIP I WAS LAID OUT ON MY BACK WITH MY ARMS AND HANDS RAISED. THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE CAME INTO CONTACT WITH FIRST MY LEFT ELBOW THEN WRIST THEN HAND WRENCHING MY LEFT SHOULDER AS IT DID SO. THIS ACCIDENT SHOULD NEVER HAVE OCCURRED. THE SAFETY MEASURES FAILED. I BOUGHT THE CAR IN OCTOBER 2017 AND HAD NO TROUBLE DOING THE EXACT SAME THING AS DESCRIBED MANY MANY TIMES. TOYOTA HAS BEEN NOTIFIED AND NOW NEEDS TO GO TO ANY LENGTHS NECESSARY TO MAKE SURE THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN TO ANYONE ELSE.

NHTSA ODI 11281992

UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. BEFORE STARTING WORK, MY WIFE WAS ATTEMPTING TO SLOWLY PARK OUR 2014 RAV4 AT LESS THAN 2 MPH IN AN EMPTY PARKING SPACE IN THE PUBLIC PARKING LOT WHERE SHE WORKS WHEN THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN REACHING A FINAL SPEED OF 21 MPH IN THE SPAN OF APPROXIMATELY 2 TO 3 SECONDS. DURING THESE 2 TO 3 SECONDS THE VEHICLE TRAVELED A DISTANCE OF APPROXIMATELY 27 FEET FROM THE EMPTY PARKING SPACE, RUNNING OVER THE PARKING SPACE CONCRETE CURBS AND HIT A PARKED VEHICLE ON THE RAV4 RIGHT AND THEN RAN INTO A TREE, WHICH WAS THE ONLY THING THAT STOPPED THE VEHICLE. MY WIFE APPLIED THE SERVICE BRAKE TO TRY TO STOP THE VEHICLE BUT THIS EFFORT DID NOT PREVENT THE VEHICLE FROM ACCELERATING. AFTER HITTING THE TREE MY WIFE SHIFTED THE VEHICLE INTO PARK AND PUSHED A BUTTON TO TURN THE ENGINE OFF. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AFTER HITTING THE TREE AT 21 MPH. WE NOTIFIED TOYOTA OF THE PROBLEMS REGARDING SUDDEN ACCELERATION, SERVICE BRAKE AND THE NON-DEPLOYED AIR BAGS. TOYOTA OPENED A CASE AND SENT AN INSPECTOR TO INSPECT THE RAV4. WE RECEIVED A LETTER FROM TOYOTA STATING THEY FOUND NO EVIDENCE OF ANY TYPE OF MANUFACTURING OR DESIGN DEFECT. WE DO NOT FEEL SAFE IN THIS VEHICLE. WE ARE NOT DRIVING THE 2014 RAV4 DUE TO THIS SERIOUS SAFETY DEFECT OF SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. VEHICLE SAFETY FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,577 MILES.

NHTSA ODI 10807599

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION WHILE SLOW MOVING IN A CROWDED PARKING LOT. WHEELS CONTINUED TO SPIN AND ACCELERATE EVEN AFTER CAR HAD COLLIDED WITH OTHER (PARKED) CARS, AND CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE WITH NO RESPONSE FROM THE BRAKES. IT COLLIDED IN QUICK SUCCESSION WITH FOUR CARS UNTIL IT FINALLY STOPPED (CAR WAS TURNED OFF). LUCKILY NO ONE WAS INJURED, THERE WERE DOZENS OF PEDESTRIANS RETURNING TO THEIR VEHICLES AFTER A CLASSIC CONCERT. I ASKED FOR AN INVESTIGATION BY THE CAR MAKER. INVESTIGATION WAS CONDUCTED ON 6 JULY (CDR/EDR RECORD RECOVERED FROM SRS MODULE). IN SEPTEMBER I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM TOYOTA SAYING NO MECHANICAL DEFECT WAS FOUND. HOWEVER, I BELIEVE IT IS NOT A MECHANICAL DEFECT BUT A SOFTWARE DEFECT THAT CAUSED THE ACCELERATION. I'VE OWNED TOYOTAS FOR OVER 15 YEARS - WHICH I HAD ALWAYS CONSIDERED A VERY RELIABLE COMPANY - HAVE BEEN A DRIVER FOR OVER 30 YEARS AND NEVER HAD A SINGLE ACCIDENT. THE EXPERIENCE WAS SO TERRIFYING IN SPITE OF TOYOTA REASSURANCE I FELT THE CAR WAS UNSAFE AND TRANSFERRED THE LEASE TO A DEALER (BEARING SOME MONETARY LOSS, UNFORTUNATELY). I FILE THIS COMPLAINT SO THAT FUTURE OWNERS CAN BE MADE AWARE, AND IN ORDER TO ASSIST ACCURACY OF STATISTICS AND STUDIES ON SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION EVENTS.

NHTSA ODI 10779897

AT APPROXIMATELY 8:20 AM ON FRIDAY, JANUARY 16TH, 2015, I WAS PULLING INTO AN EMPTY PARKING SPOT IN FRONT OF MY APARTMENT COMPLEX AFTER DROPPING MY 6 YEAR-OLD AT SCHOOL. THIS WAS A ROUTINE AS I DO THIS EVERY MORNING. HOWEVER, AS I WAS SLOWING THE CAR DOWN PREPARING TO PARK (5-10 MPH), THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED (APPROXIMATELY 25-30 MPH) AND RAN OVER THE SIDEWALK, BUSHES AND INTO THE SIDE OF MY APARTMENT COMPLEX. DESPITE MY ATTEMPTS TO BRAKE, THE CAR WOULD NOT STOP. IN THE PROCESS I RAN THROUGH THE SIDE OF MY APARTMENT COMPLEX WALL AND FRONT GATE, NEARLY GOING RIGHT THROUGH MY FRONT DOOR AND LIVING ROOM WHERE MY 6 MONTH OLD AND WIFE WERE PLAYING. I HAD TO PLACE THE CAR IN PARK AND TURN THE CAR OFF. THAT STOPPED THE CAR. I THEN TURNED THE CAR BACK ON AND REVERSED. LUCKILY NO ONE WAS INJURED, BUT THERE WAS SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DONE TO THE SIDE OF MY APARTMENT COMPLEX AND MY VEHICLE. SHOULD BE NOTED, THAT DESPITE THE IMPACT, NO AIRBAGS WERE DEPLOYED. AT THE MOMENT, MY INSURANCE COMPANY HAS ME AT FAULT. I HAVE FILED WITH TOYOTA CORPORATE AND THEY ARE HAVING A SPECIALIST INVESTIGATE THE VEHICLE. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE IN THIS CAR. AND HOPE THAT THIS IS INVESTIGATED FURTHER. HAD I NOT TURNED OFF MY CAR, I WOULD HAVE SURELY GONE THROUGH MY FRONT DOOR AND INTO MY LIVING ROOM, POTENTIALLY HURTING MY 6 MONTH OLD AND WIFE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10676497