Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2009 Toyota RAV4 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Four incidents of unintended acceleration , in all instances foot was on break petal NOT on gas petal, 3 instances vehicle was stopped at traffic light, last incident was pulling into a parking space foot on brake, in all instances braked hard and shifted vehicle into neutral and turned vehicle off to avoid collisions, personal injury and property damage
This complaint is related to and the same type of complaint as complaint #11297696. It also is a duplicate of complaint # 11297717 which I noticed when I printed it out deleted all but the first ten words of what happened. On 5 January 2020 I was parking the rav 4 in a large parking lot at the green town center in beavercreek, ohio. The parking lot was set up with head-to-head parking. I pulled into the space and backed-up to even the car out between the designated white lones. With my foot on the brake and the gear shift in the lowest gear I was edging forward when the rav 4 suddenly accelerated and hit the Honda odyssey van in front of us.I was able t back the car up and since the Honda was unoccupied we called the police who filed a report in beavercreek and left a crd on the Honda's windshield. …
This complaint is the same type of problem identified in complaint #11297696. On 5 jan 2020 I was parking the rav 4 in a lot at the greene town center in beavercreek ohio. I pulled into a space which was head -to-head parking. I then backed up to straighten the car out between the designated white lined parking space. With my foot on the brake and the gear shift in one/low the car was edging forward when it all of a sudden accelerated and hit the front bumper of the car in front of it. Since that car was unoccupied a police call was made in an attempt to find the driver which was unsuccessful. A police report was filed. The damage to the Honda odyssey (the car in front) was scrapes on the bumper. The responding officer left his card on the windshield of the Honda. The damage to the rav 4 consists of a tear in the front bumper and some scrapes and repair costs have not been estimated. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Toyota RAV4. While pulling into a parking space with the brake pedal depressed, the engine revved and caused the vehicle to accelerate. The vehicle lunged forward and landed into a nearby pool. There were no injuries and a police report was not filed. The air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was towed and taken to the c&c Dodge Toyota dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealership stated that they were instructed by the manufacturer not to tend to the vehicle involving unintentional acceleration. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and provided case number: 1707311582. The approximate failure mileage was 77,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Toyota RAV4. The contact stated that while reversing at approximately 5 MPH, the vehicle independently accelerated without warning. The vehicle was able to be stopped. On another occasion, the contact stated that after switching into the drive position, the vehicle suddenly accelerated without warning. As a result, the contact crashed into a tree. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was not filed. The contact sustained neck and back injuries that required medical attention. The vehicle was not diagnosed however, the body damage was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 47,000.
I was parallel parking the 2009 rav 4 in yellow springs ohio. With my foot on the brake I was straightening the car out with the gearshift in one when the car accelerated, jumped the curb and hit a vertical sign post that identified the parking spot as a handicapped spot. There were no injuries and the air bags did not deploy. There was approximately $1800 damage to the car which was repaired and driven until a similar accident on 5 jan 2020 which will be filed in a separate complaint. A complaint was lodged with Toyota who investigated, readout the edr/vch data, test drove the vehicle and concluded there was no defect.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Toyota RAV4. While exiting a fuel station and attempting to depress the brake pedal, the contact's foot became trapped between the rug and the accelerator pedal. The vehicle accelerated and crashed into another vehicle. There were no injuries and a police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where the damage was repaired. The VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 11V113000 (vehicle speed control). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 76,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Toyota RAV4. While coming to a stop and placing the vehicle in park, the vehicle accelerated independently once the brake pedal was released. The vehicle crashed into a building. A police report was not filed and there were no injuries. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the cause of the failure was undetermined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 90,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Toyota RAV4. While pulling into a parking space, the vehicle suddenly accelerated on its own. As a result, the vehicle crashed into a brick wall. There were no injuries. A police report was filed. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer was not notified. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 137,000. The VIN was invalid.
Gas pedal stuck on my 2009 RAV4 and I hit the rear of the car in front of me at a 4 way stop. I was able to engage the brakes but the distance/time was too short for the brakes to over come the acceleration. In front of the car that I hit was a pedestrian crossing--if it were not for the car in front of me I would have struck pedestrians. Before the accident I did not detect any evidence of a problem. The pedal failure was a one time incident. After the accident (before the recall) it never occurred to me that there was a mechanical problem--I assumed somehow that I had my foot on both accelerator and brake. However after spending much time in my driveway I could not replicate having my foot push both the gas pedal and brake pedal. My wife and I agreed that she would drive the RAV4--and I would not. Soon after my accident the 2009 rav 4 recall for sticking gas pedal was announced. …
Related recalls
Vehicle speed control › Accelerator pedal
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2008 through 2011 Lexus lx570, 2003 through 2009 Toyota 4runner, and 2006 through 2010 rav4 vehicles. The accelerator pedal can get stuck in the wide open position due to its being trapped by an unsecured or incompatible driver's floor mat.
Remedy: The remedy is now available. The safety recall began early April 2011. The remedy will involve modification or replacement of the accelerator pedal and replacement of any Toyota all-weather floor mat.
Vehicle speed control › Accelerator pedal
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2005-2010 avalon, model year 2007-2010 camry, model year 2009-2010 corolla, corolla matrix, rav4, model year 2010 highlander, model year 2008-2010 sequoia, and model year 2007-2010 tundra vehicles.
Remedy: Dealers will install a reinforcement bar in the accelerator pedal which will allow the pedal to operate smoothly. GM will notify owners for the Pontiac vibe please see 10v-018.
Acceleration complaints in other RAV4 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 2009 Toyota RAV4?
NHTSA has 99 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 2009 Toyota RAV4, 30% of the model year's 327 complaints. The component named most often is accelerator pedal (8 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2009 Toyota RAV4 acceleration problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 11V-113 (accelerator pedal, Feb 24, 2011); NHTSA recall 10V-017 (accelerator pedal, Jan 21, 2010). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2009 Toyota RAV4 acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 11,000 miles, and 78% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 31 crashes, 0 fires and 8 injuries to speed control & acceleration problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.