2009 Toyota RAV4: Use caution

Owners filed 167 complaints with NHTSA about the 2009 Toyota RAV4 in its first five years on the road, about 114 for every 100,000 sold: 1.3× the rate of a typical RAV4 year. That's above average, so use caution.

The biggest problem area, counting serious complaints more, is speed control (49% of complaints, median 9,000 miles).

Complaint index
1.3×
per vehicle sold, vs. a typical RAV4 year
Rank
13th of 14
1st = fewest complaints
Complaints
167
first five years; 114 per 100,000 sold
Recalls
15
campaigns
3rd generation, 2006–2012 · Updated September 24, 2026 · How we rate
2009 Toyota RAV4 Limited

Photo: 2009 Toyota RAV4 Limited · IFCAR, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Problem areas

Ranked by severity-weighted complaints · share · median miles
  1. Speed control49% · 81 complaints · median 9,000 miles
  2. Brakes14% · 23 complaints · median 5,000 miles
  3. Air bags3% · 5 complaints
  4. Steering8% · 14 complaints · median 35,000 miles
  5. Engine8% · 14 complaints · median 20,000 miles
  6. Powertrain7% · 11 complaints · median 24,000 miles
  7. Electrical5% · 9 complaints · median 25,000 miles
  8. Suspension4% · 6 complaints · median 23,000 miles
  9. Wheels and tires5% · 9 complaints · median 19,000 miles
  10. Body and structure4% · 6 complaints · median 22,000 miles

Bars rank problem areas by complaints weighted for severity (crashes, fires, injuries and deaths count more). A complaint can name more than one area. Mileage is reported on about half of complaints.

What owners describe

Air bags

Many owners report that air bags did not deploy during collisions, even with significant front-end damage, sometimes resulting in injuries. A few describe bags deploying unexpectedly, including one where a bracket was released and another where the bag deployed with no impact.

What shops did:
Some vehicles were towed to shops or mechanics but not diagnosed or repaired; one owner's manufacturer inspection was delayed and never completed.
Mileage:
most between 45,000 and 80,000 miles, among 9 complaints that give it

“The contact's vehicle crashed into another vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy.”

“The air bag inadvertently went off, exploding in my face. The vehicle filled with smoke, dust, and debris.”

Brakes

Owners of this RAV4 describe brake pedals that sink to the floor or feel soft, sometimes paired with sudden acceleration when braking. Dealers often couldn't reproduce the issue, leaving some drivers uneasy or involved in low-speed collisions.

Warning signs:
Many mention the pedal feeling soft or going low before engaging, along with grinding, whushing, or metallic noises near the brakes.
What shops did:
Dealers frequently could not duplicate or diagnose the problem and returned the vehicle unrepaired, though some replaced master cylinders, calipers, or brake cables.
Mileage:
most between 5,000 and 60,000 miles, among 27 complaints that give it

“The brake pedal became lodged to the floor board when the brake was engaged”

“Brake pedal goes very low to the floor before engaging”

Speed control

Owners describe their RAV4 suddenly accelerating on its own, especially while braking at low speeds or coming to a stop, sometimes leading to collisions. Even after recall repairs, many say the surging continued and dealers often couldn't find a cause.

Warning signs:
Many report rising RPMs, engine revving or racing, jerking or lurching forward, and a soft or unresponsive brake pedal just before the surge.
What shops did:
Dealers frequently could not duplicate or diagnose the problem; some performed the accelerator pedal recall repair, cleaned throttle bodies, or installed shims, but many owners say the acceleration recurred afterward.
Mileage:
most between 5,000 and 20,000 miles, among 93 complaints that give it

“I started to slow down and apply the brake and the toyota suddenly accelerated and lurched forward”

“I applied the brake pedal harder the engine keep revving up. By pushing on the brake with all my force the car came to a stop”

Summaries are written with AI from the owner complaints shown on NHTSA's site and checked against them; quotes are word for word.

  • NHTSA 16V596000August 2016337,449 vehicles

    Suspension: rear

    Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2006-2011 Toyota RAV4 vehicles manufactured October 31, 2005, to September 7, 2010, and 2010 Lexus HS250h vehicles manufactured July 6, 2009, to August 26, 2010. The affected vehicles have rear suspension arms (rear tie rods) with adjusting lock nuts that may have been improperly tightened after servicing. As a result of being loose, the arm may have thread damage and may rust, possibly leading to the failure of the arm and an abrupt change in the vehicle's alignment.

    Risk: Failure of the rear tie rod could cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Fix: Toyota will notify owners and dealers will replace both rear suspension arms and encapsulate the locknuts, free of charge.

  • NHTSA 16V396000June 20167,749 vehicles

    Seats: front assembly: seat heater/cooler

    Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2005-2011 4Runner, Highlander, Sequoia, and Sienna, 2005-2010 Avalon and Tundra, 2006-2008 Camry Solara, 2006-2010 Highlander hybrid, 2006-2011 Rav4 and Tacoma, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2007-2011 Camry hybrid, 2009-2010 Venza, 2010-2012 Prius, 1988-1990 and 2005-2010 Camry, and 1989 and 2009-2010 Corolla vehicles equipped with aftermarket accessory seat heaters with a copper strand heating element. The electrical wiring in the seat heaters may be damaged when the seat cushion is compressed.

    Risk: If damaged, the copper strand heating element may short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.

    Fix: SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the seat heaters, free of charge, and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory.

  • NHTSA 16V096000February 20161,123,752 vehicles

    Seat belts: rear/other

    Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2006-2012 RAV4 vehicles manufactured July 28, 2005, to December 19, 2012, and 2012-2014 RAV4 EV vehicles manufactured July 24, 2012, to August 29, 2014. In the event of a frontal collision, the rear seat belts for the outboard seats may be cut by the seat cushion frame.

    Risk: A cut seat belt may not properly restrain the seat occupant, increasing their risk of injury in a crash.

    Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will install a protector over both rear seat cushion frames, free of charge.

  • NHTSA 15V689000October 20151,814,284 vehicles

    Visibility: power window devices and controls

    Toyota Motor Company (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2009-2011 Tundra, Sequoia, Corolla, Corolla Matrix and Scion xB, 2008-2011 Highlander and Highlander Hybrid, 2007 Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2009 Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2006-2011 RAV4, 2006-2010 Yaris, and 2009-2010 Scion xD and Pontiac Vibe vehicles. During the manufacturing of the Power Window Master Switch (PWMS), grease lubricant may have been inconsistently applied to the sliding electrical contacts.

    Risk: If the sliding electrical contacts are not protected by lubricant, debris and moisture that get into the switch may cause a short circuit and the switch assembly may overheat and melt, increasing the risk of a fire.

    Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the switch, applying a lubricant if no abnormality is found.

  • NHTSA 15V577000September 2015423,456 vehicles

    Visibility/wiper

    Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2009-2012 RAV4 vehicles manufactured October 27, 2008, to December 19, 2012 and 2012-2014 RAV4 EV vehicles manufactured July 24, 2012, to August 29, 2014. In the affected vehicles, water may drip onto the joint that connects the wiper linkage to the wiper motor.

    Risk: Over time, the dripping water may cause corrosion and wear at the joint, potentially resulting in the separation of the wiper linkage. Once this occurs, the wipers would not function, reducing driver visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.

    Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the water diverter channel.

  • NHTSA 14V743000November 20143,233 vehicles

    Seats: front assembly: seat heater/cooler

    Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 Prius and Corolla, 2009-2011 Venza, 2006-2010 Avalon, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2005-2011 Sienna and Sequoia, 2006-2011 Tacoma 4x2 and 4x4, Camry, Highlander, Tundra 4x2 and 4x4, and 2007-2011 Rav4 and 4Runner. The affected vehicles may experience compression of the seat cushion which may damage the seat heater wiring.

    Risk: Damage to the seat heater wiring could cause the wires to short, increasing the risk of the seat burning and causing personal injury to the occupant.

    Fix: SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the heaters with copper strand heating elements and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory, free of charge.

  • NHTSA 13V383000August 2013780,584 vehicles

    Suspension: rear

    Toyota is recalling certain model year 2006 through 2011 RAV4 and 2010 Lexus HS250h passenger vehicles manufactured from October 2005 through September 2010. If the nuts for adjusting the rear wheel alignment are improperly tightened during service, the rear suspension arm (rear tie rod) may develop unwanted movement and rust leading to thread damage and eventual failure. Failure of the rear tie rod will cause an abrupt change in the vehicle's alignment.

    Risk: Failure of the rear tie rod could cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the tie rods and replace any that have rust or corrosion on the alignment adjustment threads.

  • NHTSA 13V014000January 20133,235 vehicles

    Seats · Air bags: frontal: sensor/control module-inactive

    Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain models interspersed through model years 2009 through 2013 as follows: model year 2009-2012 Tacoma, 4Runner, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Prius, and RAV4; model year 2009-2010 Avalon, FJ Cruiser, and Highlander Hybrid; model year 2010-2013 model year Corolla, Sienna and Tundra; model year 2009-2013 Highlander and Venza; model year 2012 Prius V; and model year 2010-2012 Sequoia. During modification by SET to include accessories such as leather seat covers, seat heaters or headrest DVD systems, these vehicles may not have had the passenger seat occupant sensing system calibration tested. Without passing the calibration test, the occupant sensing system may not operate as designed.

    Risk: If the front passenger seat occupant sensing system is out of calibration, the front passenger airbags may not deploy or they may deploy inappropriately for the passenger's size and position. This could increase the risk of personal injury during the event of a vehicle crash necessitating airbag deployment.

    Fix: Southeast Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will test the sensitivity of the occupant detection sensors, and recalibrate them as necessary.

  • NHTSA 12V491000October 20122,519,424 vehicles

    Visibility: power window devices and controls

    Toyota is recalling certain model year 2007-2009 Camry, Camry Hybrid, RAV4, Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Tundra, Sequoia, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, Yaris, Scion xB, Scion xD and Pontiac Vibe vehicles. The power window master switch assemblies in some of these vehicles were built using a less precise process for lubricating the internal components of the switch assemblies. Irregularities in this lubrication process may cause the power window master switch assemblies to malfunction and overheat.

    Risk: If the switch overheats, it may melt, possibly resulting in a fire.

    Fix: Toyota will notify its owners, and dealers will inspect the switch and apply a special grease that inhibits heat build up or replace any switch damaged by the defect, free of charge.

  • NHTSA 12V373000August 2012780,584 vehicles

    Suspension: rear

    Toyota is recalling certain model year 2006 through 2011 RAV4 and 2010 Lexus HS250h passenger vehicles manufactured from October 2005 through September 2010. If the nuts for adjusting the rear wheel alignment are improperly tightened during service, the rear suspension arm (rear tie rod) may develop unwanted movement and rust, leading to thread damage and eventual failure. Failure of the rear tie rod will cause an abrupt change in the vehicle's alignment.

    Risk: Failure of the rear tie rod could cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear tie-rod nut for looseness and replace any suspect tie-rod found loose.

  • NHTSA 11V113000February 20111,363,244 vehicles

    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.

    Risk: A stuck open accelerator pedal may result in very high vehicle speeds and make it difficult to stop the vehicle, which could cause a crash, serious injury or death.

    Fix: The remedy is now available.

  • NHTSA 10V035000February 2010271,417 vehicles

    Equipment: other: labels

    Gulf states toyota is recalling certain model year 2005-2010 vehicles for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 110, "tire selection and rims." these vehicles were sold between september 1, 2005 and june 2, 2008 without the requisite load carrying capacity modification labels.

    Risk: This does not meet the standard requirements.

    Fix: Dealers will mail to consumers the corrected label or the customer will have the option for dealers to install the label free of charge.

  • NHTSA 10V036000February 2010153,418 vehicles

    Equipment: other: labels

    Southeast toyota is recalling certain model year 2005-2011 passenger vehicles for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 110, "tire selection and rims." these vehicles were sold without the requisite load carrying capacity modification labels.

    Risk: A driver may overload a vehicle which may increase the risk of a crash.

    Fix: Dealers will mail to consumers the corrected label or the customer will have the option for dealers to install the label free of charge.

  • NHTSA 10V017000January 20102,230,661 vehicles

    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. Due to the manner in which the friction lever interacts with the sliding surface of the accelerator pedal inside the pedal sensor assembly, the sliding surface of the lever may become smooth during vehicle operation. In this condition, if condensation occurs on the surface, as may occur from heater operation (without a/c) when the pedal assembly is cold, the friction when the accelerator pedal is operated may increase, which may result in the accelerator pedal becoming harder to depress, slower to return, or, in the worst case, mechanically stuck in a partially depressed position.

    Risk: The accelerator pedal may become hard to depress, slow to return to idle, or, in the worst case, mechanically stuck in a partially depressed position, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Fix: Dealers will install a reinforcement bar in the accelerator pedal which will allow the pedal to operate smoothly.

  • NHTSA 09V223000June 200927,080 vehicles

    Equipment: other: labels

    Toyota is recalling 27,080 model year 2005 through 2010 passenger cars built from september 1, 2005 to may 4, 2009. These vehicles were not equipped with load carrying capacity modification labels which fails to conform with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 110, "tire selection and rims."

    Risk: Incorrect load carrying capacity modification labels could result in the vehicle being overloaded, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Fix: Toyota will notify owners and provide them with a new, accurate label to be installed over the inaccurate label free of charge.

A recall only helps if the repair was done. Enter the vehicle's 17-character VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup before you buy.

Service bulletins

Toyota sent NHTSA 287 service bulletins and other notices to dealers covering the 2009 RAV4. These are repair instructions, not recalls. Warranty extensions and bulletins about its top problem areas:

  • TSB003220 · August 2023TSB: Replacement certification labels (the vinyl label installed on the driver door or door post) and VIN plates (the metal plate riveted to dashboard) (see Figure 1) for most 1979 ?
  • T-SB-0094-21 Rev · November 2022TSB: Some 2005 ?
  • TTT063620 · March 2022TT: Some Toyota vehicles installed with Toyota Complete Maintenance Care (TCMC) brake pads may exhibit a groan or squeak noise in various driving conditions
  • T-SB-0014-22 · March 2022TSB: This Service Bulletin includes procedures to replace damaged or loose front carpet floor retainer(s) without replacing the carpet assembly.
  • Toyota Safety Re · March 2021Toyota Safety Recall and Service Campaign - Technician Certification Requirements
  • T-TT-0636-20 Rev · March 2021TT: Some Toyota vehicles installed with Toyota Complete Maintenance Care (TCMC) brake pads may exhibit a groan or squeak noise in various driving conditions.
  • T-TT-0636-20 · December 2020TT: Some Toyota vehicles installed with Toyota Complete Maintenance Care (TCMC) brake pads may exhibit a groan or squeak noise in various driving conditions.
  • T-SB-0025-19_Rev · September 2019TSB: REVISION NOTICE September 26, 2019 Rev1: ?

All 2009 RAV4 bulletins on NHTSA ›

Questions owners ask

Is the 2009 Toyota RAV4 reliable?
Owners filed 167 complaints with NHTSA about the 2009 Toyota RAV4 in its first five years on the road, about 114 for every 100,000 sold: 1.3× the rate of a typical RAV4 year. That's above average, so use caution. Ratings compare RAV4 years with each other using complaints filed with NHTSA; they don't measure every problem owners have.
What are the most common 2009 RAV4 problems?
Owners' complaints most often involve speed control (49%), the brakes (14%) and the air bags (3%). A complaint can name more than one area.
Has the 2009 Toyota RAV4 been recalled?
Yes. NHTSA lists 15 recall campaigns for the 2009 Toyota RAV4, the most recent in August 2016 (suspension). Enter the vehicle's VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to see whether the repairs were done.

Sources

Owner complaints, recalls and manufacturer communications from NHTSA's public data files, as of September 24, 2026. Complaints are counted once each, over the model year's first 60 months on the road. UsedScore is not affiliated with NHTSA or Toyota. The 2009 Toyota RAV4 on NHTSA.gov · How we rate