2011 Toyota RAV4 Power Train 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:
- 3 indicate a crash
- 1 indicate injury
- 1 indicate fire
What owners report
- rear differential · 4 records
Mileage in stored records
| Band | Records |
|---|---|
| 60–100k mi | 7 |
| 30–60k mi | 6 |
| 1–30k mi | 5 |
Complaint records
Owner-submitted complaint content, presented as stored.
Power Train
Rear axle seals failed due to clogged differential vent. Car has 93k miles on it. The vent is impossible to reach and can't be cleaned easily. Also it costs $1300 to fix it.
ODI 11289644
Power Train · Steering
At 79,000 miles both rear output shaft seals went out due to a design flaw. An air regulator on the top of the output shaft case can get clogged easily and if not caught in time can cause serious damage to not only the seals but the transmission case. Also, at 80,000 miles the entire steering gear needs to be replaced. If this issue is not taken care of it could cause a serious accident or worse if the vehicle is…
ODI 11240743
Power Train
Transmition has a grinding noise while in 3rd gear. This is happening in the other 3 rav-4 that i have. Happening at 90,000 to 105,000 miles on the odometer
ODI 11221459
Power Train
Leaking rear differential seal on driver side. Only 70000 miles
ODI 11076169
Power Train · Vehicle Speed Control
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 toyota rav4. While driving 2-3 mph, the vehicle independently accelerated without warning. The contact was able to stop the vehicle. The contact accelerated independently again. The contact stated that the engine revved excessively. The contact also noticed smoke coming from the front of the vehicle, excessive leaking underneath the vehicle, and an abnormal noise coming from the engine.…
Fire reported
ODI 11051045
Power Train
My rav4 has 66,000 miles. I noticed an oil leak coming from the rear differential. My local dealer inspected the car and told me that there is a recall for a pinion bearing inside the rear differential but after only listening for noise of a faulty bearing they determined that mine was not defective. However the oil leak is coming from the pinion seal which is the same shaft as the bearings affected by the recall.…
ODI 11032024
Power Train
Tl* the contact owned a 2011 toyota rav4. While the vehicle was parked without the emergency brake engaged, it rolled down hill into the back yard, through lawn furniture, and stopped in the woods. The vehicle was destroyed. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was towed by the insurance company. A police report was filed and there were no injuries. The…
Crash reported
ODI 11002463
Power Train
At a routine oil change was told there was a "transaxle leak" that required immediate attention from an authorized dealer. There was no visible leak in the driveway, no check engine light or other warning. So when this developed is unknown. Told not safe to drive. Repair would be $3000. Transmission and differential had to be removed to seal leaking. This vehicle has 34k miles on it. Was told this only seen in cars…
ODI 10993273
Power Train
At approximately 67,000 miles (or likely much sooner), this 4wd vehicle experienced a leaking seal in the left rear differential/axle. The leak was discovered by the dealer during a recent visit to handle several outstanding recall issues. From doing extensive online research, this appears to be a widespread and common problem with the 4wd rav4s. It is a very costly repair (as much as $800 at the local toyota…
ODI 10950337
Power Train
2011 toyota rav 4. Consumer writes in regards to transmission issues. *ld the consumer stated the transmission would sometimes shift erratically and hard. The transmission failed and needed to be replaced. *js
ODI 11031188
Engine · Power Train
On 1/6/14 i was coming to an intersection and i was slowing down. I noticed that the engine was raving and was trying to pull me forward. Because i was pressing the brakes the car was able only to jerk forward. I had to switch to neutral to prevent car jerking forward. Then the engine returned to normal rpm. This actually happened the second time. The first time it happened in october 2013. On 1/9/14 i gave the car…
ODI 10561460
Air Bags · Power Train
Our 2011 rav4 was totaled in december 2013 when a bmw 5 series crashed into us while my wife was making a left turn. The impact was to the front tire on the passenger side and it was so severe, the entire wheel assembly was ripped out of the transmission and ended compressed against the passenger door; however incredibly none of the airbags deployed. My son, who was sitting in the front was unharmed, however my…
Crash reported · 1 injury
ODI 10587904
Power Train
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 toyota rav4. While driving 30 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact observed that there was leakage from the front of the vehicle and the transmission oil was very dirty. The failure occurred twice. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact changed the fluids twice, but the failure was persistent. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure…
ODI 10789400
Power Train
At 34,000 miles i brought my 2011 toyota rav 4 in for service at victory toyota of canton, mi 48188 for a regular service. The vehicle was still under the two year warrant. My complaint is that the auto transmission side cover was leaking very badly and every service representative was stunned,as they had never seen that occur so early in any vehicle. They repaired it, however i am concerned for the future…
ODI 10639664
Power Train
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 toyota rav 4. The contact stated that while driving 25 mph and depressing the brakes, the contact activated the four-wheel drive system for assistance with driving through a snowstorm. Upon activating the system, the lights flickered and the four-wheel drive deactivated independently. The vehicle was not taken for inspection. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure and current…
ODI 10495203
Power Train
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 toyota rav4. The contact stated that after shifting into driver from reverse, the vehicle erroneously accelerated. The vehicle crashed into a pole and then crashed into another sign before stopping. The contact was not injured. The contact also stated that the clamp that held the transmission failed and the transmission had to be replaced. The police were notified and a report was filed.…
Crash reported
ODI 10496842
Electronic Stability Control · Power Train · Vehicle Speed Control
This is an incident involving sudden vehicle acceleration. I was stopped with my foot on the brake in the where great mall parkway turns onto eastbound montague expwy in milpitas, ca. Despite having my foot on the brake, the vehicle began to creep forward. I responded by pressing the brake pedal harder. This caused the vehicle stability control system to engage and the brake pedal pushed through the resistance point…
ODI 10457174
Power Train · Vehicle Speed Control
While driving about 30 mph, the car suddenly increased speed on its own, i applied brakes, the braking did not slow the car, the car continued to increase in speed, i then shifted the gear into neutral, the engine noise roared loudly, and i pressed the brake hard, the car stopped, while the engine continued to roar loudly for another 30 seconds. *tr
ODI 10435596
Engine · Power Train
There is a hesitation at low speeds, causing engine to intermittently loose power for 1.5-2.5 seconds. This is an extremely dangerous when accelerating onto interstate highways where cars going in the same direction are already traveling 70-75 m.p.h. And where making turns at intersections with oncoming traffic and other situations where power is necessary to avoid a collision. This condition has already resulted in…
ODI 10466312
Power Train · Suspension · Underbody Shields
Loud bang which sounds like a hammer hitting the bottom of the vehicle. Problem first noticed around 1000 miles and happens frequently. It happens typically when passengers are in the middle and or 3rd row seats at speeds usually above 25 miles per hour. This is an ongoing problem with my [redacted], 3rd row seat rav4 now at 73k miles. It can happen within a few miles of each incident or go hundreds of miles before…
ODI 10584186