general problems of the 2008 Toyota RAV4 - part 1

Starting in June 2018, I have had seven episodes of unintended acceleration. (I have owned the car, purchased in private sale, since June of 2013. ) there were common elements to each incident:1. Gradually slowing; 2. Foot on brake; 3. Engine accelerates sharply, a moment before complete stop in first six, a moment after in seventh and last. In each incident able to maintain control as foot already was on brake; yet in three of the incidents, including the last two, the car bucked forward a few inches despite the pressure on the brake. Situation resolved when I turned off the ignition, a reflex developed after the first incident. This last incident was particularly upsetting as I was in a long line of slow moving cars on a relatively narrow road with pedestrians on each side of my car. Each incident has been reported to the local dealer with which I have been trading for many years. They did a thorough inspection when I reported the incidents to them in January of 2020 and again just today after the last incident that occurred on may 19, 2023. They could find nothing wrong and include on their report "tas states suspected driver error, pedal miss [sic] application. " I do not accept this conclusion. I note in the last incident I had come to complete stop momentarily before the engine accelerated and despite my heavy pressure on the brake bucked forward, with control established only when I shut the engine down. During the entire period of these incidents I also have been driving two other vehicles, a 2008 camry and a 2023 camry. I have had no such incidents while driving these two cars. I do not drive with two feet, always the first question asked when such an incident is reported. Finally, I believe my car dates from a period when Toyota was vehemently denying such a problem in their cars when they knew full well that such was the case, a deception for which they were found criminally liable. Such history does not instill confidence in corporate Toyota.

The problem is repeatable. Going uphill on a highway at around fifty mph with speed control on. Vehicle speed has dropped about 2 mph below the set point. I tap the speed control lever once to reduce the set point by about 1 mph. The speed control instantly opens the throttle wide and the transmission shifts to a lower gear. The result is an abrupt increase in speed rather than than the intended decrease. If, under the same circumstances, I pull the speed control lever to turn off the control the same thing happens but is quickly terminated when the control disconnects, without much increase in speed.

Tl- the contact owns a 2008 Toyota rav-4. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken for a manufacturers recall repair in which the software was updated in the vehicle. The contact stated that while traveling at any rate of speed, the contacts ankle was impacted by the acceleration pedal and the brake pedal generating an unsafe condition in which there was a sudden loss of power. The contact experienced the failure more than once and had to move over to the right lane to get the vehicle to pick up speed each time the failure recurred while in drive. The contact was not included in NHTSA campaign id number: 11v113000 (vehicle speed control). The dealers technician came to the contacts residence for a test drive and the technician indicated that the power loss was due to the placement of the contacts foot associated with the spacing near the ankle by the brake pedal and the acceleration pedal. The vehicle was not repaired from the recall remedy of the software update and the contact indicated that the failure may recurr with no warning. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided no remedy. The approximate failure mileage was 57,315. Dyd.

While stopped at a light waiting to turn left the Rav4 engine began to rev and lurched forward with driver's foot still on the brake. Driver put car into neutral while holding down the brake pedal to prevent the car hurtling into the intersection. Driver then turned off the car and put gear shift to park. After 30 seconds restarted the car with foot on brake and the engine began to rev again with car in park. The engine noise was very loud. Car was again turned off. Car was restarted after about 2-3 minutes and engine behaved normally. Owners took car to Toyota dealer within an hour of the incident. Toyota dealership ran diagnostic and manager said driver had foot on the accelerator when it happened which is certainly not true. Dealer would not release a copy of the diagnostic report. Owners have had all recall work done on the vehicle and have done regular maintenance as required in the owner manual.

The vehicle slow's down and the engine shuts off while driving around 65 mph or higher the throttle control is not responding very dangerous .

I do own a Toyota Rav4 2008, it does have a whining noise which comes in to play from 20-30 miles an hr. I have brought it to Toyota many times for check up and they cant find the issue they are insisting it is the brakes, I did replace the brakes but the noise is still there. Is there any resolution on this I am afraid of this noise. I want to know if Toyota will have a recall on this noise. If I press the acceleration pedal the noise starts at 20 miles per hr and it stops after 30 miles per hr but if I let go of the acceleration the noise will stop even at 20-30 miles per hr. I wonder what it could be? will this noise cause any accident while driving? please help on a response on this issue, thanks.

I had just arrived to work was in the employee park lot getting ready to pull into a parking space when the car accelerated on it's own. I stepped on the brakes to stop the car but it will not. I pulled emergency brake right before I hit the wall at the parking garage when the car finally stopped. I contacted Toyota and had the car towed for inspection. Went to Toyota and wrote a statement on 10/23/13 at 0900, they called again to ask what had happened. They then called again at 418pm and left message that car was ready for pick up. Went there today and I asked what was wrong with the car and they told me to call corporate to tell me. I called corporate as told and they referred me back to the dealer as they did the diagnostic test. They stated manager is on vacation until Monday. I called corporate again and they told me to speak to the service manager. I called him at 352pm and he asked me what happened and I explained myself again. I asked what tests were run on the car and what they found. He then told me that the technician who tested the car is not available and therefore he cannot give any information. I then called corporate again to get answers and was told someone will be in touch with me in 1 business day. My fear is what if this happens again as they are not telling me anything. I have a 5 month old baby and I don't know where to get answers to ensure this car is safe to drive. Please can somebody help me get answers from Toyota in regards to the tests they did on the car.

Tl- the contact owns a 2008 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while driving 25 mph, the vehicle accelerated independently and crashed into another vehicle. The vehicle was destroyed. The passenger suffered minor injuries. The manufacturer had not been notified of the failure. The failure and current mileage was 113,000. Mah.

Was driving 2008 Rav4 out of town with my wife. Came to a stoplight and quickly applied brakes and engine started revving upward. Had to press on brake with full force to keep the car from accelerating through the red light. Shifted to park and the car "bucked" and engine almost red-lined at 6000 rpms. Shifted to drive and went through red light and pulled off to the side. Tried to replicate in neutral and could only get to 5000 rpms. Thank goodness no one was in front of me and my wife wasn't driving as I don't think she would have known how to react to such an unexpected and dangerous situation. Brought to dealership and they performed health check analysis and said "all ok at this time". Unhappy with the result of the "check", called dealership back and was told to call 800-331-4331 (Toyota headquarters in CA) to file a report. Rep took down all of the information and put me on hold to check into the matter. Created a case number and notified customer service manager at dealership to have a field tech rep look at the car. Hoping they can rectify the situation (computer glitch?) as my wife is now afraid to drive the car for fear of possible damage, injury or death. Since the 2008 wasn't part of the recent acceleration/floor mat recall, if you've had a similar scare with your 2008 Rav4, please call the 800 number and report it for further investigation.

Car was pulling into parking space. Suddenely, engine revved up, accelerated, and jumped the curve. Was able to stop the car when applied the brakes.

The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while stopped, she removed her foot from the brake pedal and the vehicle surged forward unexpectedly. The brakes were applied with extreme pressure, but the vehicle accelerated down a hill and crossed into a patch of large rocks. The contact suffered injuries when her head made contact with the rear view mirror. The vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer, where the failure would be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileages were 33,000. Updated 06/12/lj updated 06/13/12.

The contact owns a 2008 Toyota rav 4. The contact was driving 52 mph when a roaring noise emitted from the accelerator pedal after being depressed and the vehicle increased in speed unexpectedly. The failure caused another vehicle to crash into the contact from the rear. The crash caused no injuries and a police report was filed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the manufacturer was contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and the current mileages were 54,000.

The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Rav4. The contact was driving 5 mph and came to a stop. As he shifted the vehicle into park, the vehicle abnormally accelerated and the engine exhibited an increase in rpms up to 7000. He was able to stop the vehicle by placing the vehicle into neutral. The vehicle was not inspected for the failure nor was it repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 26,500.

Greetings, we have a 2008 Rav4 which has twice exhibited uncontrolled engine acceleration. My wife has contacted Toyota to no avail. Toyota has recalled other models but not the Rav4. They have not heard our complaints as a mortal safety concern. It is as if we are trying to con the company. As a lifelong safety professional, this is very disturbing. Please advise as to our possible actions. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

2008 Toyota Rav4 (35k miles) purchased in 12/07. After a 40 mile drive, we were sitting in stop and go traffic for approx 20 minutes. During a stop, the engine began revving loudly and lunged forward. With both feet still on the brake, the car continued to creep forward until hitting the vehicle in front of us. Then the car was put into neutral and ignition was shut off. This is the first occurrence. After settling down, and discussing the accident with the other vehicle, no damage to their car, so no need to file an accident report. We called Toyota to file a complaint. And took the car directly to the nearest dealer. After a checking out the car, they found no issues, and said the car was 'to Toyota's specifications', and there was nothing they could do. They also said they couldn't guarantee how it could happen again.

Purchased Toyota rav 4 2008 [xxx] on 12/07. 4 incidents of throttle opening. First 2 occurred within a few weeks of each other when car was new. Engine started to race at high rpm when placing car in park after having been driven on an outing for a period of time. Not reported to Toyota. Early may 2010, in congested construction traffic inching along, throttle opened again. Stayed hard on brake but car kept inching forward and tapped a car in front before I put car in neutral. Reported incident to national Toyota and brought car to local dealership. They could find no problem. May 14 with wife in car, foot on brake attempting to park, throttle opened up completely-red line rpm. Immediately placed car in neutral as engine continued to race for 20-30 secs. Dealer could find no problem as well as national company technician a week later. We offered to let technician keep and drive our car for a month or two in the hope that the problem would manifest itself but Toyota declined. Car is essentially new, no scratches, dents etc. 7200 miles. We told Toyota that we are a family far removed from litigious behavior and agitating trouble. As my family is now not comfortable with driving the car we are being forced to trade this car in at a dealership (we could not in good conscience sell it privately) for a price that is nowhere near its value. We have explained this to Toyota. All we want is for this problem to be recognized and fixed on our car. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

My fiancee and I were driving, 2008 Rav4/limited/v6/4wd. We were at a stop light. I was driving, I had my foot on the brake for about 30 seconds waiting for light to turn green. It was a busy intersection here in denver and there was a car in front of us. All of a sudden the accelerator took off and I could feel the car trying to move forward. Luckily, I already had my foot on the brake and I pressed down even harder on the brake as I immediately put the car in neutral. When I put it in neutral the accelerator continued to rev higher than it was before. I slammed the gear shift into park and shut the car off. We were obviously shaken from this and just sat there for a minute as we realized what had just happened. My fiancee wanted to get out of the car and call a tow truck. I wanted to try and start the car again but leave it in park and test it out. I started the car without touching the brake and it did it again. Every light on the dash board lit up like a christmas tree. We were in park so the car could not move but the rpm's were on the way to redlining and I turned off the car again. The lights around the speedometer had never lit up like that before. Seriously every dummy light on the car was lit and flashing. We were completely scared at this point and we just turned on the emergency lights and just sat there in shock. We sat there for ten minutes at this busy intersection trying to figure out what to do. I decided to try it again and this time the car started normally. My fiancee was afraid to drive it but I assured her if it happened again I could just put it in neutral and we could pull over to the side of the road. We drove directly to the dealership. We explained what happened and they said the would check it out. They called later that day and said all the diagnostic tests were normal. They told me it must have been the floor mats. That is impossible since the floor mats weren't even touching accelerator. Updated 05/12/10 updated 07/16/10.

-the contact owns a 2008 Toyota Rav4. While driving approximately 2 mph entering a parking space the accelerator pedal was engaged. Suddenly, the engine began to revv high. The contact applied excessive body force to the brake pedal before the vehicle came to a complete stop. The failure occurred on three separate occasions. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the technician was unable to locate a problem. The failure and current mileages were 6,230.

On my way to tufts medical in boston mass. I paid the last toll in and not 200 ft from the toll booth, my car stopped. My Rav4 shut down and rolled back towards the toll booth (towards oncoming traffic). The car would not stop despite lifting the emergency brake. After turning the car off, it slowly stopped but, did continue to roll. Mass state troopers arrived in about 5-7 minutes and placed his vehicle so that it would not roll into anyone. My car was towed back to the dealer while I rented a car to get back to western mass. The dealer has looked at the car 3 different times and found nothing. I can no longer transport my elderly mother to her appointments in boston without renting a car.

The contact owns a 2008 Toyota rav 4. While driving 5 mph slowly into a parking space her vehicle abnormally accelerated and proceeded onto a nearby curb, the vehicle continued to accelerate until it crashed into a brick building. The engine continued idling as the passenger placed the vehicle into the park position and exit the vehicle. The driver also got out of the vehicle on the passenger side. The wheels on the vehicle continued to move as if it wanted to continue accelerating. The driver and passenger both suffered minor injuries from the crash. The vehicle was destroyed. The failure mileage was 38,000.

The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated as she was parking, the vehicle accelerated and she hit another vehicle's bumper and almost ran into a wall. She was pressing on the brakes as hard as she could until the vehicle stopped. The police was called and there was a police report filed. The Toyota manufacturer was called and they stated they will return her call within two days. He failure mileage was 9,800. Updated 04/15/10. The consumer no longer owns the vehicle. Updated 05/10/.

As I was coming to a red light, I applied my brakes, but they were not working as usual- not stopping the car quickly. I had them all the way to the floor, finally got the car stopped, but the engine was running so fast and loud. I put the car in neutral, rpms dropped momentarily, went back up. I kept switching back to drive, then to neutral, till the engine began to run normally, not racing.

The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Rav4. The driver was traveling approximately between 30-35 mph, on normal road conditions. The vehicle was rear ended and rolled over three times, and crashed into four vehicles. The front end of the vehicle landed in an upward 90 degree angle position. There were no personal injuries. The police was called to the scene. The vehicle was towed to a collision center. The failure mileage was 20,000.

The contact owns a 2008 Toyota rav-4. The contact stated that when driving approximately 5 mph and depressing the brakes, the vehicle would continue to accelerate. The contact would have to use extreme force on the brakes in order for the vehicle to stop. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where they advised him that they were unable to diagnose the failure. The manufacturer was contacted and they offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 18,000.

I was driving uphill on a snowy driveway. The vehicle began to speed up. I applied the brakes (which caused the abs to pulse very rapidly), but the car did not slow down. I shifted into neutral and the engine immediately revved to a fairly high rpm. I turned off the key and restarted the vehicle which now ran normally. This Rav4 does not have any optional floor mats and has only 6000 miles on it. This is a 2008 Rav4 and, as such, is not included in the current recall.

The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Rav4. While driving 3 mph, into his driveway very slowly and as he applied the brakes his vehicle then accelerated on it's own with his foot on the brake pedal. The driver stated that he turned the vehicle off to stop the vehicle. The driver had 1 other passenger in the vehicle. The driver notified the dealer. The failure mileage was 10,400 and the current mileage was 10,500.

I have a 2008 Rav4, it has been accelerating on a small scale for the last three months. I took it in to my dealer and was told that my parts were made in japan and not north America, and they found nothing. About a week later my husband, daughter-in-law and granddaughter were headed to a hockey game. I was driving, we were coming up on a red light when I started to apply the brakes, at the same time the vehicle started to accelerate. This was much more than had happened before. I stood on the brake and flew through the redlight, I screamed for my husband to put it in neutral, he had trouble doing so. I thought we were all dead. The person that had the green light must have seen we were having a problem, as he stopped to let us race through. It slowed after a bit, and went back to normal. When we were accelerating I noticed the rpms to be over 3, I couldn't watch it that closely for fear I would completely lose control of the vehicle. We returned the vehicle to the dealer and was told that we would have to call California and put in a complaint. We did that and were given a case number. After four days of no return call we called the dealer and asked for an update as to what would go on now. They said that someone would have to come and inspect the vehicle, I asked if we could have a loaner and I was told not until Toyota decides there is a problem. My car has been in the dealers hands for a week today and we have no car. Although Toyota reps have been pleasant, we don't feel that they really know what is going on. We have been told that it will be inspected tomorrow. We will wait for the call, but will not receive the car until it is fixed and there is a guarantee that it won't do it again. I will not kill myself or anyone else because of this issue.

Continuous brake and acceleration problems on my 2008 Rav4 that is not being addressed. I've had several near misses and im afraid to drive passengers in my vehicle.

While driving into my garage with foot on the brake the Rav4 started racing very badly, at that point I shut off the engine. I started the engine again and the car acted normal. We took the car to the Toyota dealer, they claim that my car is not on the recall list, and that they can not duplicate the problem. At this point I am terribly afraid to drive the car. What can I do?.

Was parking the car in a small congested commercial parking area. I turned a corner and saw a space, but had to back up to pull in straight. As I proceeded very slowly, I was only a few feet from the parked car facing my car. Suddenly, as I was about to stop my car, the engine raced and my car jumped forward into the front of the other car. As I was only a very short distance from the car, my car did not have time to accelerate to any great speed.

Dated: March 10, 2010 I own a 2008 rav 4wd. On three separate occasions when driving the car engine began to accelerate badly, we took the car for service to the interstate Toyota, in monsey, NY on two separate occasions, first on February 17th and then on February 23rd, 2010. Interstate Toyota claims that they can not duplicate the problem, therefore they do not know how to fix our racing situation. The dealer informed us that they obtained a case number for us and that we should contact the manufacturer at 1 800 331 4331. Our complaint is that in as much as we called the manufacturer we could not get thru to any one. The dealer will not make any repairs unless they are ordered by the manufacturer. What should we do? in anticipation for your assistance, we thank you.

Acceleration incident parking. Driving into a parking space in chelsea mi, doing a little under 5 mph the car suddenly surged forward. I applied the brake even harder and the abs engaged. Fortunately I missed the BMW parked in front. Been driving this car for 19 months and nothing like it occurred before. Toyota dealership I had just been to for a lube change said that my model was not part of the recall but to bring it in if it recurred.

The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Rav4. While driving approximately 60 mph, he tried to apply the brakes and the vehicle began to slide. The brakes did not respond when he tried to slow down which caused him to crash into the rocks opposite side of the road. At that point, the rpms began to increase and he turned the ignition off. The air bags did not deploy; therefore, the contact experienced minor injuries. A police report is was taken. He called the manufacturer but he was offered no assistance. The vehicle was currently being repaired for the damages. The vehicle identification number was not available. The current and failure mileages were approximately 50,000.

In December of 2009, my husband was driving our leased Toyota Rav4 ('08) and it accelerated on him unexpectedly. The same thing happened in Jan of 2010 when I was driving the same vehicle and I almost crashed. The car was taken to the dealership where it was checked and nothing was found. This car is not part of the recent Toyota recall but it should be! I am now in a lease driving an unsafe car and I want to either trade this car in for a safe car or I want out of my lease!.

The contact owns a 2008 Toyota rav 4. While driving 40 mph and attempting to engage the brake pedal, the vehicle did not respond. The brake pedal was engaged with excessive pressure and the rpms increased rapidly. The vehicle came to complete stop after pressing her foot firmly on the brake pedal and shifting gears into the park position. The dealer was contacted and stated that they never heard of the malfunction and that this would not happen again. This has only occurred one time. The failure mileage was 25500. The current mileage was 25738. Updated 03/01/10. The dealer was unable to find anything wrong with the vehicle. Updated 06/14/10.