2009 Toyota RAV4 - Ratings, Complaints and Recalls

The 2009 Toyota RAV4 has received a mixed safety rating based on available data. While it scored a 5 out of 5 for driver-side front crash and both driver and passenger side crash ratings, the overall safety rating is listed as "Not Rated" in other categories. However, it achieved a 4 out of 5 for rollover rating, indicating good protection in the event of a rollover accident.

In terms of safety features, the Toyota RAV4 is equipped with standard electronic stability control, which can help drivers maintain control of the vehicle in slippery conditions. It does not have forward collision warning or lane departure warning systems.

Regarding recalls and complaints, this vehicle has had 15 recalls reported and 320 complaints filed. It is important for owners of the Toyota RAV4 to stay informed about any recalls and address them promptly to ensure the safety and performance of their vehicle.

Top stats at a glance

Complaint Count

320

Recall Count

15

Investigation Count

3

Safety Rating

Not Rated

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Safety Features

2009 Toyota RAV4 4-DR. w/SAB Safety Features

Here are the safety features that come as standard on the 2009 Toyota RAV4 4-DR. w/SAB

Electronic Stability Control (ESC)

ESC is an advanced safety feature in vehicles designed to help drivers maintain control during challenging driving conditions. By continuously monitoring various factors such as steering angle, vehicle speed, and individual wheel speeds, ESC can detect and reduce the risk of skidding or loss of control. It achieves this by automatically applying brakes to specific wheels to stabilize the vehicle.

Standard
Forward Collision Warning (FCW)

Forward Collision Warning (FCW) is a safety feature in vehicles that helps prevent frontal collisions by alerting the driver of an imminent collision with a vehicle or obstacle ahead. Using sensors such as radar or cameras, FCW monitors the distance and speed of vehicles in front, and if it detects a potential collision, it provides visual and/or auditory warnings to prompt the driver to take evasive action.

No
Lane Departure Warning (LDW)

Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is a safety feature in vehicles that alerts drivers when their vehicle unintentionally drifts out of its lane without signaling. Utilizing cameras or sensors to monitor lane markings on the road, LDW detects when the vehicle crosses these lines and triggers visual, auditory, or haptic alerts to notify the driver of potential lane departure.

No

2009 Toyota RAV4 4-DR. w/SAB Safety Ratings

Here we have the crash and rollover ratings for the 2009 Toyota RAV4 4-DR. w/SAB Where possible we've included the ratings for the oldest and latest models of this car so you can compare how the safety ratings have changed over time.

Frontal Crash Ratings

Combines Driver and Passenger star ratings into a single frontal rating. The frontal barrier test simulates a head-on collision between two similar vehicles, each moving at 35 mph.

Test 2005 Score 2009 Score 2024 Score
Overall Front Crash Rating Not Rated Not Rated 4
Front Crash Driver Side Rating 4 5 4
Front Crash Passenger Side Rating 4 4 5

Side Crash Ratings

Combines Side Barrier and Side Pole Star Ratings into a single side rating.

Test 2005 Score 2009 Score 2024 Score
Overall Side Crash Rating Not Rated Not Rated 5
Side Crash Drivers Side Rating 5 5 5
Side Crash Passenger Side Rating 5 5 5
Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Front Not Rated Not Rated 5
Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Rear Not Rated Not Rated 5
Overall Side Barrier Rating Not Rated Not Rated 5

Rollover Ratings

The Rollover Resistance test measures the risk of rollover in a single-vehicle, loss-of-control scenario.

Test 2005 Score 2009 Score 2024 Score
Rollover Rating Not Rated 4 4
Rollover Possibility % 0% 0% 0%
Dynamic Tip Result No Tip No Tip
Side Pole Crash Rating Not Rated Not Rated 5

Complaints for the 2009 Toyota RAV4

This chart show the number of complaints for each car component. A Higher number of complaints could indicate that this car might have a common fault. Something to look out for when purchasing one.

Component Complaints

Choose a component to see what complaints people have made about them.

Complaint:
"i was parallel parking the 2009 rav 4 in yellow springs ohio. with my foot on the brake i was straightening the car out with the gearshift in one when the car accelerated, jumped the curb and hit a vertical sign post that identified the parking spot as a handicapped spot. there were no injuries and the air bags did not deploy. there was approximately $1800 damage to the car which was repaired and driven until a similar accident on 5 jan 2020 which will be filed in a separate complaint. a complaint was lodged with toyota who investigated, readout the edr/vch data, test drove the vehicle and concluded there was no defect."
Components Involved: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Date of incident: 2019-07-08

Complaint:
"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 green town center in beavercreek, ohio. the parking lot was set up with head-to-head parking. i pulled into the space and backed-up to even the car out between the designated white lones. with my foot on the brake and the gear shift in the lowest gear i was edging forward when the rav 4 suddenly accelerated and hit the honda odyssey van in front of us.i was able t back the car up and since the honda was unoccupied we called the police who filed a report in beavercreek and left a crd on the honda's windshield. the damage to the van was bumper scrapes and the damage to the rav was bumper scrapes and a tear in the bumper. an estimate has not been made on repair costs and toyota has not been contacted."
Components Involved: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Date of incident: 2020-05-01

Complaint:
"this complaint is the same type of problem identified in complaint #11297696. on 5 jan 2020 i was parking the rav 4 in a lot at the greene town center in beavercreek ohio. i pulled into a space which was head -to-head parking. i then backed up to straighten the car out between the designated white lined parking space. with my foot on the brake and the gear shift in one/low the car was edging forward when it all of a sudden accelerated and hit the front bumper of the car in front of it. since that car was unoccupied a police call was made in an attempt to find the driver which was unsuccessful. a police report was filed. the damage to the honda odyssey (the car in front) was scrapes on the bumper. the responding officer left his card on the windshield of the honda. the damage to the rav 4 consists of a tear in the front bumper and some scrapes and repair costs have not been estimated. toyota has not been contacted about this latest incident."
Components Involved: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Date of incident: 2020-05-01

Complaint:
"tl* the contact owns a 2009 toyota rav4. while pulling into a parking space, the vehicle suddenly accelerated on its own. as a result, the vehicle crashed into a brick wall. there were no injuries. a police report was filed. the cause of the failure was not determined. the local dealer was not notified. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 137,000. the vin was invalid."
Components Involved: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Date of incident: 2020-07-11

Complaint:
"tl* the contact owns a 2009 toyota rav4. while driving approximately 10 mph and making a left turn, the vehicle suddenly experienced unintended acceleration and the engine rpms suddenly increased. the driver quickly switched the transmission into the neutral position in order to slow down the vehicle. the contact indicated that the failure occurred on three separate occasions. the failure was not diagnosed or repaired. the local dealer (page toyota, 21262 telegraph rd, southfield, mi) was notified of the failure, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified. the failure mileage was 32,000."
Components Involved: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Date of incident: 2019-06-08

Complaint:
"tl* the contact owns a 2009 toyota rav4. the contact stated that while reversing at approximately 5 mph, the vehicle independently accelerated without warning. the vehicle was able to be stopped. on another occasion, the contact stated that after switching into the drive position, the vehicle suddenly accelerated without warning. as a result, the contact crashed into a tree. the air bags did not deploy. a police report was not filed. the contact sustained neck and back injuries that required medical attention. the vehicle was not diagnosed however, the body damage was repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 47,000."
Components Involved: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Date of incident: 2016-11-04

Complaint:
"tl* the contact owns a 2009 toyota rav4. while coming to a stop and placing the vehicle in park, the vehicle accelerated independently once the brake pedal was released. the vehicle crashed into a building. a police report was not filed and there were no injuries. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where the cause of the failure was undetermined. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 90,000."
Components Involved: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Date of incident: 2016-05-04

Complaint:
"tl* the contact owns a 2009 toyota rav4. while exiting a fuel station and attempting to depress the brake pedal, the contact's foot became trapped between the rug and the accelerator pedal. the vehicle accelerated and crashed into another vehicle. there were no injuries and a police report was filed. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where the damage was repaired. the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 11v113000 (vehicle speed control). the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 76,000."
Components Involved: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Date of incident: 2015-11-06

Complaint:
"coming to a red light i applied my brakes to slow the car and the brake felt a little hard and were very slow to react. because i had allowed enough distance to the light i was able after a moment or to feel the car begin to stop. very frightening because it felt like i was not going to be able to stop the car before the reaching the traffic light at the intersection. i reported the incident to my toyota dealer and they thought they needed to reset the computer. after checking it out they could not find any problem. over the next two years this anomaly occurred several times and each time i had them check but no resolve was found. on 8-17-14 the dealership had me complete their survey of these occurrences and performed a series of diagnostics. their conclusion was that my foot may have been hitting both the accelerator and brake simultaneously on those occasions plus they ask me to remove a rubber mat which had been over the car's accessory carpet mat. that rubber mat has remained out of the car ever since. i felt that both of those remedies could not have been the cause as if that were the case these incidents would have happened more frequently. my suspicion is that it is either electrical or mechanical anomalies that only occur rarely. i believe i have been fortunate to date that when these prior episodes have taken place the conditions were manageable. my primary concern is what if conditions were not so.. i.e. highway travel at greater speed, heavier traffic, and wet or icy road conditions...a scenario that begs very serious, if not tragic, results...very frightening circumstances to ponder indeed. this unintended acceleration mystery needs to be more deeply addressed. *tr"
Components Involved: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Date of incident: 2012-02-08

Complaint:
"we have a loud, intermittent grinding or rattling noise that occurs usually during acceleration but often when cruising as well. we checked online and others have had a similar problem but dealer claims they do not know what it is. *tr"
Components Involved: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Date of incident: 2013-01-07

Recalls for the 2009 Toyota RAV4

Component Recalls

Choose a component to see what recalls people have made about them.

Recall:
"toyota motor engineering & manufacturing (toyota) is recalling certain model year 2006-2011 toyota rav4 vehicles manufactured october 31, 2005, to september 7, 2010, and 2010 lexus hs250h vehicles manufactured july 6, 2009, to august 26, 2010. the affected vehicles have rear suspension arms (rear tie rods) with adjusting lock nuts that may have been improperly tightened after servicing. as a result of being loose, the arm may have thread damage and may rust, possibly leading to the failure of the arm and an abrupt change in the vehicle's alignment."
Consequence:
Failure of the rear tie rod could cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy:

Toyota will notify owners and dealers will replace both rear suspension arms and encapsulate the locknuts, free of charge. The recall began on September 30, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are G0V for Toyota vehicles and GLK for Lexus vehicles. Note: This recall supersedes recall 13V-383, in which some vehicles were only inspected, sealed, and did not have both arms replaced. The affected vehicles were previously recalled under 13V-383, but did not have both rear suspension arms replaced at that time. Those vehicles need to have both arms replaced as part of this recall remedy.

Component(s) Involved: SUSPENSION > REAR
Date of incident: 2016-08-12

Recall:
"toyota is recalling certain model year 2006 through 2011 rav4 and 2010 lexus hs250h passenger vehicles manufactured from october 2005 through september 2010. if the nuts for adjusting the rear wheel alignment are improperly tightened during service, the rear suspension arm (rear tie rod) may develop unwanted movement and rust, leading to thread damage and eventual failure. failure of the rear tie rod will cause an abrupt change in the vehicle's alignment."
Consequence:
Failure of the rear tie rod could cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy:

Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear tie-rod nut for looseness and replace any suspect tie-rod found loose. Dealers will also affix instructions in multiple places to prevent improper servicing in the future. The recall began on November 30, 2012. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331 or Lexus at 1-800-255-3987.

Component(s) Involved: SUSPENSION > REAR
Date of incident: 2012-08-02

Recall:
"toyota is recalling certain model year 2006 through 2011 rav4 and 2010 lexus hs250h passenger vehicles manufactured from october 2005 through september 2010. if the nuts for adjusting the rear wheel alignment are improperly tightened during service, the rear suspension arm (rear tie rod) may develop unwanted movement and rust leading to thread damage and eventual failure. failure of the rear tie rod will cause an abrupt change in the vehicle's alignment."
Consequence:
Failure of the rear tie rod could cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy:

Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the tie rods and replace any that have rust or corrosion on the alignment adjustment threads. All of the rear tie rods will then be encased in an epoxy to prevent future environmental damage. Due to limitations in parts, the recall remedy will be launched in phases from September 2013 through mid-April 2014. All owners will receive notification of the recall, with most receiving second notifications when parts are available in their area. IMPORTANT: This recall supersedes Toyota and Lexus recall 12V-373. All vehicles that have been inspected and remedied under the previous recall need to be re-inspected and have the appropriate remedy applied.

Component(s) Involved: SUSPENSION > REAR
Date of incident: 2013-08-28

TOYOTA Overall Complaint Ranking

This table shows the ranking of car manufacturers when it comes to most complaints and recalls. The manufacturer with the most complaints is at the top. However this doesn't necassarily mean they should be avoided. Some manufacturers might just have more popular or affordable cars which a lot of people have bought. Which means there's more scope for a complaint to be made. Use the ranking table below as a part your wider research into buying a car.

TOYOTA ranks 3 out of 44 in the complaints ranking table.

Manufacturer Complaint Count Recall Count Ranking
FORD 208,358 3,259 1
CHEVROLET 111,306 2,082 2
TOYOTA 81,019 1,852 3
HONDA 61,937 1,268 4
NISSAN 56,226 930 5
DODGE 45,756 827 6
HYUNDAI 44,150 649 7
GMC 34,441 1,410 8
KIA 29,832 501 9
CHRYSLER 27,698 254 10
TESLA 26,230 730 11
BMW 24,890 1,877 12
VOLKSWAGEN 23,125 829 13
MERCEDES-BENZ 19,066 2,925 14
SUBARU 18,513 703 15
MAZDA 10,599 364 16
PONTIAC 10,430 138 17
CADILLAC 9,434 444 18
AUDI 7,865 1,093 19
BUICK 7,851 279 20
SATURN 7,672 84 21
MERCURY 7,374 135 22
LEXUS 6,373 408 23
LINCOLN 5,897 423 24
ACURA 5,722 382 25
MINI 5,585 366 26
INFINITI 4,000 187 27
MITSUBISHI 3,912 397 28
VOLVO 3,875 727 29
PORSCHE 2,646 1,231 30
SUZUKI 2,272 123 31
FIAT 2,205 80 32
SAAB 1,536 76 33
JAGUAR 1,195 198 34
SMART 528 17 35
GENESIS 436 42 36
ISUZU 249 37 37
ALFA ROMEO 161 37 38
MASERATI 76 46 39
BENTLEY 46 159 40
POLESTAR 42 2 41
LUCID 14 6 42
CODA 4 2 43
MAYBACH 0 0 44

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