2009 Toyota RAV4 Vehicle Speed Control Problems
Owners have filed 99 complaints with NHTSA about vehicle speed control problems on the 2009 Toyota RAV4, 30% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 11,200 miles. The words owners use most often: “foot brake” (13% of reports).
- 99vehicle speed control complaints
- 11,200median miles at failure
- 31mention a crash
- 8mention an injury
- 2related recalls
- 8%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Foot brake: mentioned in 13 of 99 complaints (13%)
- Suddenly accelerated: mentioned in 12 of 99 complaints (12%)
- Engine rpms: mentioned in 8 of 99 complaints (8%)
- Control accelerator pedal: mentioned in 6 of 99 complaints (6%)
At what mileage do vehicle speed control problems happen?
Based on 93 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 99 complaints, 31 mention a crash, 8 an injury.
Toyota RAV4 vehicle speed control complaints by model year
| Model year | Vehicle Speed Control complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 RAV4 | 7 | 8% | 21,000 |
| 2024 RAV4 | 12 | 7% | 13,600 |
| 2023 RAV4 | 7 | 4% | — |
| 2022 RAV4 | 7 | 5% | 36,000 |
| 2021 RAV4 | 6 | 2% | 36,661 |
| 2020 RAV4 | 14 | 2% | 8,000 |
| 2019 RAV4 | 30 | 3% | 5,525 |
| 2018 RAV4 | 20 | 6% | 14,400 |
| 2017 RAV4 | 13 | 4% | 8,000 |
| 2016 RAV4 | 12 | 5% | 3,500 |
| 2015 RAV4 | 21 | 7% | 19,435 |
| 2014 RAV4 | 7 | 4% | 6,118 |
| 2013 RAV4 | 17 | 7% | 4,013 |
| 2012 RAV4 | 49 | 19% | 10,600 |
| 2011 RAV4 | 69 | 24% | 25,900 |
| 2010 RAV4 | 83 | 21% | 7,500 |
| 2009 RAV4 | 99 | 30% | 11,200 |
| 2008 RAV4 | 92 | 16% | 25,150 |
| 2007 RAV4 | 101 | 10% | 29,500 |
| 2006 RAV4 | 74 | 10% | 24,000 |
| 2005 RAV4 | 13 | 9% | 71,165 |
| 2004 RAV4 | 20 | 13% | 60,000 |
| 2003 RAV4 | 29 | 9% | 103,150 |
| 2002 RAV4 | 36 | 7% | 87,500 |
| 2001 RAV4 | 22 | 7% | 104,568 |
| 2000 RAV4 | 7 | 23% | 50,000 |
| 1999 RAV4 | 14 | 23% | 89,348 |
| 1998 RAV4 | 12 | 16% | 235,650 |
| 1997 RAV4 | 7 | 13% | 119,002 |
| 1996 RAV4 | 1 | 2% | — |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (2)
Vehicle speed control:accelerator pedal
Problem: 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. The safety recall began early april 2011. The remedy will involve modification or replacement of the accelerator pedal and replacement of any toyota all-weather floor mat. Owners may contact toyota at 1-800-331-4331 or lexus at 1-800-255-3987.
Vehicle speed control:accelerator pedal
Problem: 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. Gm will notify owners for the pontiac vibe please see 10v-018. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin on february 5, 2010 and will be completed on march 15, 2010. Owners may contact toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Four incidents of unintended acceleration , in all instances foot was on break petal NOT on gas petal, 3 instances vehicle was stopped at traffic light, last incident was pulling into a parking space foot on brake, in all instances braked hard and shifted vehicle into neutral and turned vehicle off…
While decelerating on a freeway off-ramp at approx. 25 mph, the brakes failed to stop the car. Going no more than 5 mph, i lifted off slightly then depressed them all the way to the floor; they didn't engage properly but finally slowed the car almost to a complete stop, but the engine revved and…
This complaint is related to and the same type of complaint as complaint #11297696. It also is a duplicate of complaint # 11297717 which i noticed when i printed it out deleted all but the first ten words of what happened. On 5 january 2020 i was parking the rav 4 in a large parking lot at the…

Frequently asked questions
Do all 2009 Toyota RAV4s have vehicle speed control problems?
No. NHTSA has 99 owner complaints about vehicle speed control for the 2009 Toyota RAV4 (30% of the 327 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2009 Toyota RAV4 vehicle speed control?
Yes: 2 safety recalls list vehicle speed control. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do vehicle speed control problems start?
The median reported mileage is 11,200 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about vehicle speed control problems on the 2009 Toyota RAV4?
The most frequent phrase is “foot brake”, in 13 of 99 complaints, followed by “suddenly accelerated” (12).
Other 2009 Toyota RAV4 problems
- Suspension problems (55)
See all 2009 Toyota RAV4 problems or vehicle speed control problems across all RAV4 years.