What 162 owners told NHTSA about the 2024 Toyota RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid

The contact's daughter owns a 2024 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at approximately 35 MPH, she had crossed an intersection when she was crashed into by another vehicle making a U-turn from a cross street. The other vehicle's front end crashed into the driver's side tire and front door. The contact stated that the force of the crash had fractured the left front axle and pushed the tire into the engine compartment. The contact stated that the frame was bent and the driver's door was difficult to open. The contact stated that the side air bags had not deployed and that the seat belts on the driver's side and the passenger side could not be unbuckled. The contact stated that his daughter had sustained injuries to her left shoulder, left arm, and leg as well as head and neck injuries. The contact stated that his wife had sustained injuries to her right ribs, right arm and shoulder, and lower back injuries. The contact stated that his wife and daughter were taken by ambulance to the hospital. The contact stated that the police were on scene and wrote a report, but he did not have the report number. The contact stated that both vehicles were towed away from the scene of the crash. The contact stated that their vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 10,000.

NHTSA ODI 11719081

During a head-on collision with a tree, the vehicle sustained major front-end damage and the airbag deployed, resulting in a cracked sternum, three fractured ribs, and a three-day hospitalization. No warning lights or prior symptoms were present, and the incident has not been reproduced or confirmed by a service center. The vehicle is currently held at the insurance-approved collision facility and remains available for inspection. Law enforcement and insurance representatives have reviewed the vehicle, but no manufacturer evaluation has occurred. Given the severity of the injuries and absence of prior indicators, I believe further investigation is necessary to determine whether a safety-related malfunction occurred and to help prevent potential risk of death to other drivers.

NHTSA ODI 11701694

The contact owns a 2024 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while driving at 5 MPH into a parking space, the vehicle experienced unintended acceleration three times and crashed into a guard pipe. No warning light was illuminated. The air bags failed to deploy. The front passenger's side seat belt was loose and failed to restrain the contact's husband in his seat. The contact stated that the front passenger's side seat belt failed to retract after the crash. The contact and her husband did not sustain any injuries, and no medical attention was received. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, but had not yet been diagnosed or repaired. The dealer informed the contact that an engineer would inspect the Event Data Recorder (EDR) in three months. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 9,000.

NHTSA ODI 11697363

The contact owns a 2024 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 10 MPH, the vehicle came from an intersection with a stop sign and turned left, but the contact was unable to see oncoming traffic. The contact then noticed another vehicle speeding towards her and she depressed the brake pedal; however, the other vehicle crashed into the front of the contact’s vehicle. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated after the crash. The air bags did not deploy. The contact stated that her head was jarred backwards, and she received medical attention at the hospital. A Police report was filed but the contact had not yet received a physical copy. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard but was not yet deemed totaled by the insurance company. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 15,300.

NHTSA ODI 11692020

THE CAR WENT OFF THE ROAD AND INTO TREES TOTALING THE VEHICLE - AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY.

NHTSA ODI 11669218

On April 4, 2025, my wife was driving at about 40 miles per hour when her vehicle struck an obstruction in the road. The impact caused relatively minor collision damage to the vehicle (a bent wheel strut). However the side curtain airbags deployed, startling my wife and limiting her vision on either side of the vehicle. Fortunately She was able maintain control of the vehicle, steer to a safe location and stop off the roadway. When inspected by the auto body repair shop where the vehicle is currently being repaired, the technicians were puzzled that the side airbags went off for such relatively minor accident, particularly since the impact to the vehicle had been to the front and not the sides. Under the circumstances, the premature deployment of the airbags could have actually made the accident worse if my wife had lost control of the vehicle. Under the circumstances, we felt compelled to report the incident to you for investigation in the event other RAV4 owners are experiencing the same problem.

NHTSA ODI 11668172

My pregnant wife is parking her car at her work when she accidentally step on the gas pedal instead of the brakes. She panicked and she drove all the way to the wall. Airbags were not activated. 911 was dispatched. Police report made. Only minor injury finger fracture and chest bruise. There was a severe frontal damage to the car. Insurance deemed it totaled due to frame damage. I also complained to Toyota. They hired a software engineer to investigate. Just received official letter from Toyota there weee no defects in their safety system. The issues are the airbags not being deployed at the time of impact and pre collision auto braking non existent. The impact on the wall according to the people inside the nursing she works felt like an earthquake inside. But our main concern is the auto brake feature did not function. This accident could have been worse. Good thing seatbelt was not an inch lower from her chest preventing injury to our unborn child. The impact could have been worse if it was made of wood and could have injured other people in the nursing home. The auto brake feature should have worked because there were many obstacles at her front including first the bushes and eventually the wall. Their response letter is frustrating for us because they are claiming there were no problems in the car. But our concern is their safety system is not reliable compare to other car companies. Kia and Honda safety system is more reactive based from my driving experience. I think there are lapses in their system.

NHTSA ODI 11653934

Yo me desplazaba en mi vehiculo una FAV4 2024, cuando impacte con una malta de palma, chocando mi vehiculo de frente, lo cual las bolsa de aire no abrieron y choque contra el guía porque el cinturón de seguridad tampoco respondio lo cual me ocasionó lecciones de en la cara y la lengua

NHTSA ODI 11642140