2007 Toyota RAV4 Acceleration Problems

Which parts fail

• Cruise control
  7
• Accelerator pedal
  3

Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).

Mileage when the problem started

• Under 25k
  3640%
• 25k–50k
  3134%
• 50k–75k
  1314%
• 75k–100k
  67%
• 100k–150k
  33%
• 150k+
  11%

Owner reports

Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2007 Toyota RAV4 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).

I was turning my 2007 Toyota RAV4 south onto interstate 182 to head east, the car sudden out of my control and went off the road and hit a concrete barrier at 5:49 pm at 5/8/17. Two passengers were hurt.

I have just experienced sudden acceleration while pulling into a parking spot. I slammed on the brake and it didn't want to stop. I ended up bumping the car in front of me as I continued to brake. The engine was still surging and wouldn't go into reverse. I called mountain states Toyota here in denver and explained the problems to the service manager. He told me that he had never heard of such a thing. There are numerous complaints with the same issue on the internet. The service manager, of course, is telling me that if they cannot reproduce it and it is not showing error codes(which it isn't) there isn't anything they can do. I told him I wanted the acceleration system thoroughly inspected...which he wants to charge me for unless they do find an issue. …

I have owned a 2007 Toyota rav 4 for 10 years. I was leaving a delaware, ohio, hospital parking lot, backing out slowly, my foot on the brake, while turning the wheel to the left. Suddenly the engine roared and I shot backward, smashing into the car parked behind where my car had been. The car I hit was somewhat damaged in the rear driver's side fender. The impact shoved it out of its space and almost into a small truck to the right. My car's rear windshield shattered and the right back bumper and side were crumpled. This was the second time this happened to me. The first time, I again was backing from a tight spot, this time turning the wheel to the right, when the engine roared and the car lurched backward. That time, I hit nothing. It happened another time when my husband was backing, again from a tight spot while turning the wheel. Back at the hospital lot. …

I was waiting at a stop with my foot on the brake, and the transmission in drive. Suddenly, with no input from me, the engine accelerated. Adding more pressure to the brake I was unable to keep it from moving forward. With full pressure on the brake, the vehicle slowly moved into the rear panel of a car in front of me, doing fender damage to both vehicles. This is the third time in the 5 years that I have owned this vehicle, that it has suddenly accelerated. I've had it to the Toyota dealer twice, and both times they inferred that it was my error. I know that each time this has happened, I was not moving, and had my foot on the brake when the car's engine began to rev up with no action taken my me. Something is dangerously wrong with this vehicle.

My husband was working out of town on business in ft. Worth, tx. We live in cincinnati, oh. On dec 4,2008, my husband in his 2007 Toyota rav 4, accelerated at a high rate of speed for about 1/4 mile into his hotel building. This was reported by two eye witnesses (per police report). My husband has no memory of the event. He spent 7 days in the icu and was discharged after 10 days from the hospital. He had one additional surgery and several follow up consultations with several doctors since to determine what caused the accident. Nothing was ever determined. Since the Toyota recall was announced, it May offer an answer as to what happened. His car was destroyed in the accident, but we still have all the information.

Hit garage with 2007 Toyota rav 4 while moving it in driveway at low speed. Incident happened after a large snow storm and vehicle was being moved to clear area after snow was removed. It seemed like the gas pedal stuck or the brakes failed. No injuries just a dent in the front bumper. The failure has not occurred again. The vehicle was brought to Toyota dealer (lia Toyota in schenectady ny) and concern about possible brake failure was expressed. The dealer checked the brakes and did a diagnostic computer check. They told me " that the diagnostic indicated everything was fine" and gave me a $700 estimate to repair the front bumper damage. I drove the vehicle home and had the dent repaired at a local body shop.

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 Toyota RAV4. The contact stated that while parking the vehicle with the brakes engaged, the vehicle suddenly accelerated. The vehicle crashed into a wall. The contact mentioned that the brakes did not fail and there were extensive damages to the front of the vehicle. No injuries were reported. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The police was not notified. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure who sent a representative to inspect the vehicle. The engineer was unable to diagnose the failure and stated that the vehicle was working as design. The failure mileage was 80,000.

April, 2015 took RAV4 in for recalls. After receiving the vehicle back periodically it would fail to accelerate. I thought the computer would maybe adjust itself. It didn't. It periodically stalls or fails to accelerate. I have almost been run over several times. Called Toyota of denton today. They denied that anything they did would have anything to do with that, even though we drove the vehicle 60K miles and never had a problem. I have two toyotas and denial of a problem is first on the list it seems. This drive by wire should be outlawed.

I turned on the ignition of my 2007 Toyota rav 4 and began to drive into my garage and the vehicle suddenly accelerated and did not slow down upon application of the brake pedal. I pumped the brake fiercely several times to the floor board over the approximately 12-15 feet of garage depth and the RAV4 stopped just as it pushed the wheelbarrel into the wall. . Aside from damage to the wall of the garage, the vehicle's bumper was dented and slightly cracked. Airbags did not deploy and there was no bodily trauma or personal injury.

First issue-while backing up slowly, attempted to stop before hitting telephone pole, instead of stopping rav-4 lurched backward hitting pole causing $4,000 worth of damage. Cost us $500 deductible, plus over $1000 next several years for losing no-claim credit. Second issue; cruise control while climbing a hill will, the vehicle will accelerate wildly, then cut out, then lurch back and forth until you hit the brake to shut it off. No injuries from this yet, but dangerous if other vehicles present. Updated 02/17/10

Related recalls

Acceleration complaints in other RAV4 years