2008 Toyota RAV4 VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

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. *TR

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. *TR

MOTHER WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK WHEN HER 2008 TOYOTA RAV4 SUDDENLY VEERED LEFT AND ACCELERATED HEAD ON INTO A TREE. WITNESS STATEMENT THAT SHE WAS DRIVING NORMALLY PREVIOUS TO ACCIDENT. NO HEALTH ISSUES TO EXPLAIN EVENTS. *TR UPDATED 9/21/2011*CW

MY 2008 RAV4 SUV SUDDENLY GOES TO FULL THROTTLE ON ITS OWN. I HAVE TO PUT BOTH FEET ON BRAKE PEDAL WHILE TRYING TO GET THE CAR OUT OF GEAR. THIS HAS HAPPENED INTERMITTENTLY SINCE PURCHASING THIS SUV NEW. I HAVE BEEN BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP SEVERAL TIMES AND THEY CAN'T FIND A PROBLEM. THEY SAID THAT THEY NEED TO SEE THE CAR WHILE IT IS RACING UP, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHEN IT WILL HAPPEN AND I CAN'T MAKE IT HAPPEN ON WILL. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA RAV4. WHENEVER HE DROVE THE VEHICLE AT VARIOUS SPEEDS AND REMOVED HIS FOOT FROM THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, THE SPEED AND THE RPM'S WOULD NOT DECREASE FOR 10 SECONDS. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALERSHIP AND THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 19,754.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA RAV 4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 25 MPH WHEN SHE ACCELERATED TO GET ON TO ANOTHER LANE THE ACCELERATOR PETAL BECAME STUCK. SHE PUT HER FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND IT SLOWED THE VEHICLE DOWN A BIT, THEN SHE PUT IT IN NEUTRAL. SHE THEN PROCEEDED TO DRIVE AND THE PETAL CAME BACK UP. THIS FAILURE HAD OCCURRED 2 TIMES AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT.THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THERE HAD BEEN NO REPAIRS DONE TO THE VEHICLE TO DATE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 46628.

ON FEB. 13TH 2010 I EXPERIENCED A NEAR ACCIDENT DUE TO AN UNINTENDED SUDDEN ACCELERATION ON A 2008 TOYOTA RAV4. I INITIALLY RELEASED BRAKE AND HIT IT AGAIN AND VEHICLE STOPPED JUST SHORT OF A TOLL BOOTH BARRICADE. I LATER INVESTIGATED AND UPON RELATED SEARCH ON INTERNET CAME ACROSS THE SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION PROBLEM. IN MY CASE I WAS PAYING A TOLL WHEN CAR ACCELERATED, I BELIEVE I HIT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND BRAKE AT SAME TIME. I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT THE NHTSA HAS NOT MANDATED A BRAKE OVERRIDE FOR ALL SMALL VEHICLES WHERE PEDAL ERROR CAN EASILY OCCUR. I BELIEVE THE MAJORITY OF SUA INCIDENTS I HAVE LOOKED AT THAT SERIOUS (SUDDEN), THAT PEDAL ERROR IS BEING UNDER REPORTED AS MOST DRIVERS DENY IT. I AM NOT. BUT IS SERIOUS HUMAN FACTORS ISSUE IN ALL SMALL CARS DRIVEN BY LARGE AMERICANS. *TR

I AM THE OWNER OF A 2008 RAV4. I WAS TRAVELING WITH CRUISE CONTROL AT 50 MPH AS I APPROACHED A DOWN GRADE TOWARD A TRAFFIC LIGHT I MANUALLY TOOK THE CAR OUT OF CRUISE CONTROL EXPECTING TO SLOW SOME. I REALIZED THAT I NEEDED TO SLOW MORE AND APPLIED THE BRAKE PEDAL. HOWEVER, I COULD FEEL THE CAR FIGHTING THE BRAKES. I PUT THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL AND WAS ABLE TO STOP FOR THE LIGHTS. WHEN I DID THIS THE ENGINE WAS RACING WHILE STOPPED. WHEN THE LIGHT CHANGED I PUT THE RACING ENGINE INTO DRIVE. I JERKED FORWARD AND HAS BEEN OK SINCE. I REPORTED THIS TO THE DEALER. I WAS TOLD THAT ANOTHER OWNER OF THE SAME YEAR AND MODEL REPORTED A SIMILAR EVENT THAT DAY. THIS IS DIFFERENT THAN THE RUNAWAY CARS REPORTED IN THE NEWS, AS THE CAR DID NOT ACCELERATE TO MAX SPEED. TOYOTA SEEMS NOT TO BE RESPONDING TO CARS MADE BEFORE 2009. I THINK THIS IS A COMPUTER PROBLEM WHERE THE CRUISE CONTROL DID NOT TURN OFF AND THE STEPPING ON THE BRAKES DID NOT TAKE IT OUT OF CRUISE CONTROL EITHER. ON FEB 19 I REPORTED THIS TO THE TOYOTA DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT ANOTHER PERSON HAD REPORTED THIS SAME TYPE OF THING THAT SAME DAY. THEY LOOK FOR ERROR CODES BUT FOUND NONE. *TR

SUDDEN ACCELERATION OF A TOYOTA RAV 4 ENGINE. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED AT A RED TRAFFIC LIGHT WITH THE BRAKE PEDAL DEPRESSED, NO FOOT ON THE ACCELERATOR AND THE GEAR SHIFT IN DRIVE - THE ENGINE INCREASED SPEED RAPIDLY. THE CAR LURCHED FORWARD. THE OPERATOR SLAMMED BOTH FEET ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. WHEN THE CAR WAS STOPPED, THE OPERATOR PUT THE GEAR SHIFT IN NEUTRAL. THE ENGINE CONTINUED AT HIGH SPEED FOR ABOUT A WHILE, THEN WENT TO IDLE. AFTER THE ENGINE RETURNED TO IDLE, THE OPERATOR KEPT BOTH FEET ON THE BRAKE PEDAL AND CAUTIOUSLY SHIFTED THE GEAR SHIFT TO DRIVE, PARKED THE CAR AND TURNED THE ENGINE OFF. THE OPERATOR GOT OUT OF THE CAR. EVERYTHING SEEMED NORMAL. AFTER MEDITATION ON THE PROBLEM, THE OPERATOR TURNED THE ENGINE ON AND DROVE OFF. THERE HAVE BEEN NO PROBLEMS SINCE THEN. *TR

TL*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. *LJ THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. UPDATED 06/14/10. *JB

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! *CN

ON 10/21/09 I WAS STOPPED AT AN INTERSECTION IN MY 2008 RAV4 WHILE WAITING FOR TWO CARS TO GO BY. MY FOOT WAS FULLY PLANTED ON THE BRAKE. SUDDENLY THE ENGINE REVVED UNCONTROLLABLY AND THE CAR LURCHED FORWARD. I PRESSED AS HARD AS I COULD ON THE BRAKE. THIS HAPPENED TWICE. I BARELY MANAGED TO KEEP THE CAR OUT OF THE INTERSECTION. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE HOME WITHOUT ANOTHER INCIDENT. THE FLOOR MATS WERE FIRMLY CLIPPED INTO PLACE CAUSING NO INTERFERENCE WITH THE ACCELERATOR. I HAD THE REPAIR SHOP AT MY DEALER CHECK IT OVER. THEY COULD NOT FIND ANY PROBLEM WITH IT AND NO REPAIRS WERE MADE. I WROTE A LETTER TO MY DEALER DOCUMENTING MY SAFETY CONCERNS. THE DEALER THEN BROUGHT A TOYOTA FIELD SPECIALIST IN TO LOOK AT IT. HE TOO WAS UNABLE TO FIND ANY PROBLEM. SINCE THEN TOYOTA HAS ANNOUNCED TWO RECALLS ASSOCIATED WITH FLOOR MAT INTERFERENCE AND FAULTY GAS PEDALS. I'VE FOUND OUT THAT MY RAV4 WAS BUILT IN JAPAN AND, THEREFORE, NOT SUBJECT TO THE FAULTY GAS PEDALS. THIS LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT THE PROBLEM IS DUE TO AN ELECTRONIC GLITCH MOST LIKELY ASSOCIATED WITH THE COMPUTERIZED ELECTRONIC THROTTLE SYSTEM. I BELIEVE TOYOTA NEEDS TO ROLL-OUT A "BRAKE OVERRIDE SYSTEM" TO TRULY RESOLVE THIS PROBLEM. FORTUNATELY, I HAVE NOT HAD ANOTHER "SUDDEN ACCELERATION" EVENT SINCE 10/21/09. *TR

I OWN A 2008 TOYOTA RAV 4 WHICH I PURCHASED NEW. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS I HAVE HAD THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BECOME STUCK FULLY OPEN WHEN ACCELERATING TO MERGE ONTO AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. I WAS TOLD SEVERAL MONTHS AGO THAT AN AFTERMARKET FLOOR MAT WAS SLIPPING FORWARD AND TRAPPING THE PEDAL. RECENTLY WHEN THIS EVENT HAPPENED I STOPPED AND LOOKED AT THE MAT MYSELF. IT WAS AT LEAST 4 TO 6 INCHES FROM CONTACTING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL OR ANY PART OF THE DRIVE BY WIRE SWITCH. I FEEL LIKE THE DEALERSHIP IS JUST TRYING TO GET AROUND ACTUALLY INVESTIGATING MY COMPLAINT. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS OVER THE LAST 6 TO 9 MONTHS. I FINALLY DECIDED TO FILE THIS COMPLAINT AFTER IT HAPPENED TO ME THIS MORNING (12/22/2009). *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA RAV 4. WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO ACCELERATE WITHOUT INTENTION. THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED TO THE FLOOR, BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT DECELERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, BUT THEY COULD NOT IDENTIFY THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5,200. UPDATED 1/11/09 *CN UPDATED 01/13/10.*JB

WHEN COMING TO A STOP AT THE END OF A HIGHWAY EXIT RAMP, I WAS BRAKING AT APPROXIMATELY 5 - 10 MPH. AS I APPROACHED THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME I NOTICED THE CAR WAS NOT RESPONDING AS IT NORMALLY DOES TO A SLIGHT DEPRESSION OF THE BRAKE PEDAL. MY CAR SEEMED TO KEEP MOVING AND NOT SLOW DOWN IN IT'S NORMAL BRAKING CHARACTERISTIC. I DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL MUCH FIRMER AND THE CAR SLOWED BUT THE ENGINE BEGAN TO INCREASE IN RPMS (AS NOTED BY THE ENGINE SOUND AND VISUALLY BY TACHOMETER INDICATION). MY FOOT WAS OFF THE ACCELERATOR AT THIS TIME. I PUSHED THE BREAK PEDAL DOWN A HARD AS I COULD AND THE CAR STILL MOVED FORWARD. FINALLY, I PUT THE TRANSMISSION (AUTOMATIC) IN NEUTRAL AND THE ENGINE RACED AWAY. I FINALLY PLACED THE TRANSMISSION IN REVERSE AND THE ENGINE SLOWED DOWN TO NORMAL AND THEN THE CAR STALLED. AFTER RESTARTING THE ENGINE EVERYTHING WORKED AS IT SHOULD. I DROVE IT THE TWO MILES TO WORK WITH NO FURTHER PROBLEM AND AFTER BEING PARKED FOR 10 HOURS DROVE IT 7 MILES TO MY HOME WITH NO FURTHER PROBLEM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA RAV 4. OCCASIONALLY AFTER BRAKE APPLICATION, THE CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH WILL NOT DISENGAGE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALERSHIP. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 38000.

WAS GOING THROUGH A DRIVE THROUGH CARWASH, AUTO IN NEUTRAL. REACHED THE END, PUT FOOT ON BRAKE, PUT AUTO INTO DRIVE. THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED ON IT'S OWN, GOING STRAIGHT OUT OF THE END OF THE CARWASH. HAD THE BRAKES ON BUT THEY DIDN'T STOP THE VEHICLE. TURNED THE CAR TO MISS A TELEPHONE POLE AND WENT OUT INTO 4-LANE HWY., CRASHING INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE, STOPPING MY VEHICLE FINALLY. VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP AT ALL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO OUR INS. CO. REPAIR/ESTIMATE SHOP. DO NOT HAVE A CAUSE FOR THE PROBLEM AS YET, STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION. *TR