2012 Toyota RAV4: sudden unintended acceleration

Filed May 14, 2025 · Brakes, Steering · VA

While at the end of a car wash with the car in neutral, the car accelerated by itself. It reached 60 mph for over a half mile, and was unresponsive to steering and brakes. The left front wheel was severely damaged. Fortunately, there were no accidents.

Filed Mar 25, 2025 · Acceleration · CO

Over the last several years, I have experienced a minimum of four, possibly one or two more, incidents of this vehicle accelerating at a high rate while I have had my foot on the brake. In all of these cases, I was braking to come to a stop - braking quickly and hard in a couple cases. While braking and slowing, my engine revved/accelerated at a very high rate. In all of these incidents, I changed gears to neutral, and the acceleration stopped. These incidents were random and very far apart from one another in terms of time. In all cases, my foot was firmly (and only) on the brake pedal, and my floor mat was in the proper position and secure. There was nothing in contact with the acceleration pedal. On Monday, March 10, 2025, I got into my car in our garage to go to work. The car started normally. When I put my car into reverse, the engine started revving/accelerating at a very high rate and it was lurching, like it was trying to move. Luckily, my foot was firmly on the brake, and the brake held. I quickly put the car back into park, and the engine began revving/accelerating at an even higher rate. I then turned the car off. Again, I checked my floor mat, and it was in place and secured, my foot was only on the brake pedal, and there was nothing touching the acceleration pedal. This was a frightening experience, and at that point I decided that I would never drive this car again. If I did not have my brake firmly engaged, my car would have shot out of my garage when I put it in reverse. Upon researching the problem, my husband and I read about the unintended acceleration that many people have experienced with Toyotas, causing numerous deaths and injuries, and about the class action law suit with Toyota. Although the investigation seemed to chalk the incidents up to "user error" - foot being on the wrong pedal, floor mats affecting the acceleration pedal, etc. - I know with 100% confidence that none of these were the case. I will be notifying Toyota, as well.

Filed Aug 7, 2020 · Acceleration, Airbags · 167,000 miles · NJ · crash · 2 injuries

On june10th. I had a majoir accident in which both my wife & myself suffered fractured sternums & fractured ribs. What happened was that I pulled into a lot in princeton, n.j. & after stopping to set my GPS, I just tapped the accelerator & the car shot forward, as if shot out of a cannon. While stopped I put the car in reverse & the car shot backwards in the same manner, thereby striking a wall. Now I went forward like a rocket, with no time to hit the brake, thereby going headfirst into a parked construction truck.

Filed Jan 23, 2020 · Brakes, Fuel system · 88,000 miles · FL · crash

In a paved parking lot I attempted to park by applying the brakes but the car surged forward. It only stopped by going over a curb and hitting a tree at the perimeter of the parking space.

Filed Oct 22, 2018 · Acceleration · HI

Vehicle experienced sudden unintended acceleration when exiting the highway and making a turn. Rpm went up to 7,000 until the vehicle was turned off. The accelerator pedal was depressed fully several times while the car was suspended and turned off and started back on with the brake pedal fully depressed to ensure proper safety measures in case the vehicle jolts forward. No accident or injuries occurred during the incident as the vehicle was put to a stop safely before other parties would be involved. Local dealership doesn't want to take it in for proper inspection without a diagnostic payment.

Filed Feb 21, 2018 · Acceleration, Brakes · 66,500 miles · ME

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 toyota rav4. While driving at a low speed and depressing the brake pedal to stop, the vehicle accelerated without warning. The vehicle was taken to central maine toyota (15 airport rd, waterville, me 04901, phone number: (207) 872-5444) where the technician diagnosed that the failure was due to driver error. The failure recurred three times. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact back to the dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 66,500. *tt

Filed Dec 19, 2016 · Acceleration · 52,000 miles · PA

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 toyota rav4. While stopped at a red light or stop sign, the vehicle independently accelerated without warning. The failure recurred randomly. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, but the cause of the failure could not be determined. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was approximately 52,000.

Filed Nov 28, 2016 · Acceleration, Airbags · 105,000 miles · IL · crash

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 toyota rav4. While attempting to park, the vehicle surged forward, went over the curb, and slammed into a brick wall. The front air bags did not deploy. There were no injuries and a police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent body shop. The manufacturer was not notified. The vehicle was not repaired and was under evaluation by the insurance company. The VIN was unknown. The approximate failure mileage was 105,000.

Filed Jun 24, 2016 · Acceleration · 22,000 miles · VA

I was driving in heavy traffic at appx: 35-40mph. On us interstate #66. The weather was clear, and the road was relatively level. As the other cars slowed, I took my foot off the accelerator but the car surged forward. Updated 01/11/17*lj I --literally--had to stand on the brake as the engine surged. I managed to push the shifter into park. The engine continued to race but, when I pumped the accelerator several times, the engine speed dropped back to idle. I did not hit any other vehicle or object. I have had two (2) similar incidents in the last 5-6 months-- but this is the first time that I reported it--to both the federal safety agency and toyota. I took it to the toyota dealership, expecting a quick fix but instead, the dealership personnel became defensive, claimed that the well known history of toyota acceleration problems was a fraud. Nevertheless, they had a preprinted" unexpected acceleration" report form which they filled out with my "verbatim" accounts. Updated 06/13/18

Filed Jun 14, 2016 · Acceleration · 55,000 miles · NY

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 toyota rav4. While attempting to engage the brakes, the vehicle accelerated without warning. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the technician was unable to diagnose the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 55,000. The consumer wrote in on behalf of her mother. The consumers mother experienced sudden acceleration on the different occasions. Each time, when her mother applied the brake, the vehicle shuddered and then accelerated on its own and on each occurrences, her mother was able to turn the ignition off to stop the vehicle. Updated 10/06/16.

Filed May 29, 2015 · Acceleration, Brakes · 10,600 miles · PA

New rav4 purchased 2/2013;bought extended platnum warranty. 5 separate incidents of sudden acceleration 2/14/2015-5/25/2015-had passenger in car each time.1st- traveling s I-79 warrendale pa 60 MPH speed drops to 50 MPH car in front hit brakes to slow I applied my brakes to slow rav4 started to accelerate engine started to rev loudly passenger said shift to neutral then I hit brake again to slow. 2nd-local traffic 30 MPH applied brake to slow instead car accelerated put into neutral to slow engine revving. 3rd-driving from oakland-north hills pa in traffic 30 MPH hit brake to slow for traffic light instead rav accelerated engine revving loudly put in neutral to stop. 4th-traveling 20 MPH at local park 3/7/15 approaching stop sign car in front applied brakes, hit my brakes & car accelerated put car into neutral engine revving loudly then applied brakes to stop-drove directly to toyota dealership advisor checked floor mats stated were properly placed. I made appt at dealership on 3/10. Toyota's conclusion-nothing wrong stated "possible pedal misapplication", suggested I buy flat toyota floor mats had weathertechs, I purchased new driver's mat & toyota installed. 5th-5/25/15 leaving grocery store 10 MPH went to stop before exiting lot rav would not stop engine loud threw into neutral finally stopped. 5/25/15 emailed ceo of toyota n america received call back & made appt for 5/29/15 to have rav looked over again at dealership for sudden acceleration issues. Received call back on 5/29/15 from nicki @ toyota executive office-stated that toyota stands by their march 2015 assessment that there is nothing wrong with my rav & if I have it towed to dealership by aaa, I would be responsible for all costs to have my vehicle serviced at dealership, would not be covered under any warranties. I have been driving for 40+ year & possible pedal misapplication 5 x's is a bunch of bull.

Filed May 24, 2015 · Engine · 34,000 miles · PA

I was waiting at a stop light on norristown road to cross bethlehem pike in springhouse, pa at approximately 5 pm on 5/22/15. I was first in line to cross the intersection in the direction of picking up 309 south in about 1/2 mile. I had been waiting at the light for a minute or two when my car surged forward. I put both feet on the brake but I was moving into the intersection nonetheless. There was sparse traffic and it was safe for me to turn right onto bethlethem pike. Almost as soon as I made the turn onto bethlehem pike the surge dissipated and the engine performance returned to normal. The whole incident took about 30 seconds to a minute. It was probably ill-advised, but I continued to drive to my destination, home. Upon reaching home and thinking about what had happenned I had the car towed the next morning (yesterday) to a dealership for repair. The car at this moment is there awaiting repair, I had to estimate the number of miles on the odometer. On the first leg of my errand on that day (friday 5/22), I drove north on rt 309. I noticed that at freeway speed the tachometer was in the neighborhood of 3000 RPM. I had done a long trip with this car the previous sunday, 5/17, and at cruising speed the tachometer was in the vicinity of 2100 RPM.