2009 Toyota RAV4 Engine Problems
- 20
- Owner complaint records in our dataset
Records are owner complaints, not a measured failure rate.
Owner complaint recordsComplaint records reflect reports in our dataset and do not measure how frequently the problem occurs across all vehicles.
Among these 20 stored complaint records:
- 1 indicate a crash
- 0 indicate injury
- 1 indicate fire
What owners report
- water pump · 6 records
Mileage in stored records
| Band | Records |
|---|---|
| 30–60k mi | 7 |
| 60–100k mi | 5 |
| 100–150k mi | 3 |
| 1–30k mi | 3 |
| 150–400k mi | 1 |
Complaint records
Owner-submitted complaint content, presented as stored.
Engine · Suspension · Unknown Or Other
Auto burning excessive oil and coolant box stays full to top car is stationary
ODI 11309344
Engine
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 toyota rav4. The contact stated that the water pump leaked fluid without warning. The vehicle was taken to toyota of orange (1400 n tustin st, orange, ca 92867, [redacted]) where the technician diagnosed that the water pump needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that the warranty had expired. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was…
ODI 11115390
Engine · Fuel/Propulsion System · Vehicle Speed Control
Just over 100,000 miles on the 2009 rav 4. Without issue. Not original owner. This weekend it tried 3 times to accelerate us into the vehicles or people in front of is. After looking online i verified that our floormats are both secured and do not extend to the area of the pedal. Incident 1. While sitting at a complete stop at red light, heard and felt engine start to rev. Car lurched forward, and i applied left…
ODI 11072206
Engine
Engine has 164,000 miles and is burning 1 qt. Of oil per 1000 miles.
ODI 11010250
Engine
Cold start metallic rattle due to faulty vvti actuator(tsb-004-13 -a). Between $900 and $1700 to fix and is not the fault of the owner. Issue is occurring with many toyota models and can be traced back to poor quality of engine components.
ODI 10993941
Engine
Loud idle coming from passenger side of engine. Occurs at start up and at operating temperatures. Brought to dealership and was diagnosed as a failing water pump; would need to be replaced. Seems premature for water pump to be failing given the mileage.
ODI 10956297
Engine
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 toyota rav4. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started there was a loud noise coming from the engine. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the timing pinion needed replacement. The contact also stated that the same failure occurred three other times. The vehicle was repaired under warranty. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The…
ODI 10906304
Engine · Power Train
When car is at 1500 rpm at 40 mph, the transmission vibrates and thrusts. Noise goes away if above 2000 rpm or above 40 mph. It's toyota of manchester nh has been able to reproduce. Waiting to see if toyota will do anything.
ODI 10895541
Engine
Whenever we are traveling about 40 mph and 1500 rpm, there is a rattle noise. The vibration holds for as long as 1-2 seconds. As soon as the vibration starts, you can let off the gas or step on the gas to change the rpms and it instantly stops. The car has been making this sound since shortly after we bought it brand new. Now we're being told that it's a transmission failure. The torque converter is the route if the…
ODI 10765130
Electrical System · Engine · Unknown Or Other
While my wife was driving on the highway at 60 mph the engine lost power. Moving to the right lane to pull over, flames began coming out of the top of the hood, hitting the windshield. She tried stopping but brake pedal went to the floor, requiring her to put the car in park and slide on grass. She jumped out of the vehicle and within 8 minutes the car was completely destroyed.
Fire reported
ODI 10731632
Engine
Vehicle was parked overnight on our front driveway facing the garage. Where it always parked everyday. The weather was warm and clear my wife was in the vehicle and was preparing to buckle up and drive to church, i entered the vehicle into the passenger seat and buckled up. She started the vehicle and immediately accelerated through the roof. I yelled at her to get her foot off the accelerator and she yelled at me…
ODI 10679225
Air Bags · Body · Engine
I was driving and the air bag inadvertently went off, exploding in my face. The vehicle filled with smoke, dust, and debris. Because i could not see (airbag in my face and smoke/debris in the vehicle), i crashed into the vehicle in front of me. *tr
Crash reported
ODI 10680189
Electrical System · Engine · Fuel/Propulsion System · Power Train
The brake was engaged in traffic when the car started to accelerate. I applied the brake more firmly and put the car in park. The engine began to rev uncontrollably in a cloud of white smoke. I switched the car off and restarted the motor and it then ran normally. *tr
ODI 10631628
Engine
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 toyota rav4. The contact stated that while in reverse, the check engine warning light illuminated as the four wheel drive failed to function. The contact mentioned that the failure recurred intermittently. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the four wheel drive needed to be reset. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired.…
ODI 10564052
Engine
Brought vehicle in for a recall and oil change, and was told that the water pump has failed and requires replacement at a cost of over $700. Upon research, this early water pump failure appears to be a common problem with rav4's, although no recall has been issued yet. *tr
ODI 10524088
Engine
I noticed a strange rattling noise from the engine when starting my car 1st thing in the morning and when starting it after it has sat for a few hours; i researched online for other similar complaints and found that toyota has discovered an issue with the cam shaft on some vehicles. I have just learned of a 2nd recall on my vehicle, this one for the rear suspension after visiting the toyota website, but i found…
ODI 10510884
Electrical System · Engine
While stopped at red light with right foot on brake, engine suddenly accelerated to very high rpm. Shifted to neutral and engine revved even higher. Turned off ignition. Signal turned green and since i was in traffic, decided to try to start engine again. Engine started and performed normally. Immediately drove to toyota dealer who said they could find nothing wrong. We are now afraid to drive this vehicle! Things…
ODI 10505370
Engine · Power Train
I was coming to a stop at traffic light. As i slowed down with my foot on the brake the engine suddenly began to surge. Since my foot was already on the brake i was able to push down harder on it to stop it from hitting the car ahead of me. Within a second or two, as the engine continued to surge, i shifted the transmission into park. When i did this the engine surged even more. I then turned off the engine by…
ODI 10492337
Engine
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 toyota rav4. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 mph the contact noticed the check engine light illuminated on the instrument panel. The warning light stayed on constantly. Also, the contact mentioned that the noise volume in the cabin of the vehicle was extremely loud while driving at all speeds. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The…
ODI 10479721
Engine
While driving 25 mph, i started to brake for a light. The car suddenly accelerated and it took both feet applied to the brakes to stop and avoid hitting the car in front of me. Ten minutes later, another sudden acceleration occurred, followed in rapid succession by a third acceleration. *tr
ODI 10464387