NHTSA lists 11 safety recalls and 287 owner complaints for the 2011 Toyota RAV4.
Recalled components: suspension, air bags, seats, equipment, and 3 more. Most-described problem: unintended acceleration or surging (33 complaints, 11%). Most-reported area: speed control (69 complaints, 24%; median mileage when it happened: 25,900).
Fewer complaints than a typical RAV4 year
The 2011 drew 61 owner complaints in its first three years, against 130 for a typical RAV4 year. Best years are picked only from 2016 on, since counts for older years say less: owners filed fewer complaints in the early 2010s.
Years to avoid: 2019; best year: 2022. Based on owner complaints, not adjusted for sales.
Data: NHTSA recall, complaint and investigation filesUpdated Oct 2, 2026
Year to avoidBest year
11 safety recalls for the 2011 Toyota RAV4
Grouped by the part recalled, largest group first, newest first within each part. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for what is wrong, the fix and the full notice.
Risk: Failure of the rear tie rod could cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
What's wrong, the fix and the full notice
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.
Fix: 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.
337,449 vehicles.
NHTSA listing: RAV4. Toyota campaign Toyota G0V Lexus GLK.
Risk: Failure of the rear tie rod could cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
What's wrong, the fix and the full notice
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.
Fix: 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.
780,584 vehicles.
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2006 through 2011 RAV4 and 2010 Lexus HS250h passenger vehicles manufactured from October 2005 through September 2010.
Risk: Failure of the rear tie rod could cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
What's wrong, the fix and the full notice
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.
Fix: 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.
780,584 vehicles.
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2006 through 2011 RAV4 and 2010 Lexus HS250h passenger vehicles manufactured from October 2005 through September 2010.
Risk: If the front passenger seat occupant sensing system is out of calibration, the front passenger airbags may not deploy or they may deploy inappropriately for the passenger's size and position. This could increase the risk of personal injury during the event of a vehicle crash necessitating airbag deployment.
What's wrong, the fix and the full notice
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain models interspersed through model years 2009 through 2013 as follows: model year 2009-2012 Tacoma, 4Runner, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Prius, and RAV4; model year 2009-2010 Avalon, FJ Cruiser, and Highlander Hybrid; model year 2010-2013 model year Corolla, Sienna and Tundra; model year 2009-2013 Highlander and Venza; model year 2012 Prius V; and model year 2010-2012 Sequoia. During modification by SET to include accessories such as leather seat covers, seat heaters or headrest DVD systems, these vehicles may not have had the passenger seat occupant sensing system calibration tested. Without passing the calibration test, the occupant sensing system may not operate as designed.
Fix: Southeast Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will test the sensitivity of the occupant detection sensors, and recalibrate them as necessary. The recall began on March 21, 2013. Owners may contact Southeast Toyota at 1-800-301-6859.
3,235 vehicles.
NHTSA listing: RAV4. Components: Air bags: frontal, sensor/control module-inactive; Seats.
Risk: In the event of a crash, the airbags may not deploy and will not be able to properly protect an occupant, increasing the risk of injuries.
What's wrong, the fix and the full notice
In the curtain shield airbags, propellant with the incorrect specification was used for the initiator assembled in the airbag inflator. In this condition, the inflator may not perform properly, causing one or both curtain shield airbags to not deploy.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will check the vehicle identification number to identify the curtain shield assemblies and replace the assemblies as necessary with new ones free of charge. The safety recall began on march 8, 2012. Owners may contact toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
427 vehicles.
or go to <a href=http://www.safercar.gov>http://www.safercar.gov</a> .
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2011 rav4 vehicles, manufactured from november 24, 2011, through december 19, 2011.
Risk: If damaged, the copper strand heating element may short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.
What's wrong, the fix and the full notice
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2005-2011 4Runner, Highlander, Sequoia, and Sienna, 2005-2010 Avalon and Tundra, 2006-2008 Camry Solara, 2006-2010 Highlander hybrid, 2006-2011 Rav4 and Tacoma, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2007-2011 Camry hybrid, 2009-2010 Venza, 2010-2012 Prius, 1988-1990 and 2005-2010 Camry, and 1989 and 2009-2010 Corolla vehicles equipped with aftermarket accessory seat heaters with a copper strand heating element. The electrical wiring in the seat heaters may be damaged when the seat cushion is compressed.
Fix: SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the seat heaters, free of charge, and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory. The recall began on July 14, 2016. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET number for this recall is SET16B.
Risk: Damage to the seat heater wiring could cause the wires to short, increasing the risk of the seat burning and causing personal injury to the occupant.
What's wrong, the fix and the full notice
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 Prius and Corolla, 2009-2011 Venza, 2006-2010 Avalon, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2005-2011 Sienna and Sequoia, 2006-2011 Tacoma 4x2 and 4x4, Camry, Highlander, Tundra 4x2 and 4x4, and 2007-2011 Rav4 and 4Runner. The affected vehicles may experience compression of the seat cushion which may damage the seat heater wiring.
Fix: SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the heaters with copper strand heating elements and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory, free of charge. The recall is expected to began in January 2015. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226.
Risk: An inaccurate label could lead to owners overloading their vehicles and tires. An overloaded vehicle can result in a tire failure which may result in a vehicle crash, personal injury, or property damage.
What's wrong, the fix and the full notice
These vehicles were sold with labels that were outside the allowable one percent of accuracy of actual weight added. Thus, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) Number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Fix: Southeast Toyota will notify owners and provide a corrected label with instructions concerning its installation. A small group of the affected vehicles will need additonal remedies which are still being developed. The recall began on May 28, 2013. Owners may contact Southeast Toyota at 1-800-301-6859.
Fails federal standard 110 (tire and rim labeling) · 7,525 vehicles.
Southeast Toyota is recalling certain model year 2008 and 2010-2013 Toyota Tundra, 2010-2012 Rav4, 2012 Toyota Sequoia, 2010-2011 Toyota Corolla, 2010-2011 Toyota Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2010-2013 Toyota Highlander and Highlander Hybrid, 2010-2013 Toyota FJ Cruiser, 2011 Toyota Land Cruiser, 2010-2013 Toyota Venza, 2010-2011 Toyota 4Runner, 2010-2013 Toyota Tacoma, 2011-2012 Toyota Sienna, 2012 Toyota Prius, 2013 Scion FR-S, 2011 Scion XD, 2011 Scion XB, and 2012 Scion TC vehicles.
Risk: A cut seat belt may not properly restrain the seat occupant, increasing their risk of injury in a crash.
What's wrong, the fix and the full notice
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2006-2012 RAV4 vehicles manufactured July 28, 2005, to December 19, 2012, and 2012-2014 RAV4 EV vehicles manufactured July 24, 2012, to August 29, 2014. In the event of a frontal collision, the rear seat belts for the outboard seats may be cut by the seat cushion frame.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will install a protector over both rear seat cushion frames, free of charge. The recall began on June 24, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is G0F.
Risk: If the sliding electrical contacts are not protected by lubricant, debris and moisture that get into the switch may cause a short circuit and the switch assembly may overheat and melt, increasing the risk of a fire.
What's wrong, the fix and the full notice
During the manufacturing of the Power Window Master Switch (PWMS), grease lubricant may have been inconsistently applied to the sliding electrical contacts.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the switch, applying a lubricant if no abnormality is found. If abnormality is found, the PWMS circuit board will be replaced, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin December 20, 2015. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is C0M.
1,814,284 vehicles.
Toyota Motor Company (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2009-2011 Tundra, Sequoia, Corolla, Corolla Matrix and Scion xB, 2008-2011 Highlander and Highlander Hybrid, 2007 Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2009 Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2006-2011 RAV4, 2006-2010 Yaris, and 2009-2010 Scion xD and Pontiac Vibe vehicles.
Risk: Over time, the dripping water may cause corrosion and wear at the joint, potentially resulting in the separation of the wiper linkage. Once this occurs, the wipers would not function, reducing driver visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.
What's wrong, the fix and the full notice
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2009-2012 RAV4 vehicles manufactured October 27, 2008, to December 19, 2012 and 2012-2014 RAV4 EV vehicles manufactured July 24, 2012, to August 29, 2014. In the affected vehicles, water may drip onto the joint that connects the wiper linkage to the wiper motor.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the water diverter channel. In addition, a new wiper linkage with a wiper motor crank arm will be installed. The wiper linkage will have a protective cover over the wiper linkage joint to minimize water splash and a retainer ring to prevent the wiper arm from separating from the wiper motor. The recall began on November 7, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service number at 1-800-331-4331.
423,456 vehicles.
NHTSA listing: RAV4.
Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA investigations
NHTSA has opened 1 investigation that names the 2011 Toyota RAV4; it is closed. An investigation means NHTSA is reviewing reports of a problem. It is not a finding that the vehicle has a defect.
Autoliv air bag propellant mixture
Equipment query EQ12002Closed May 8, 2012 (opened Feb 14, 2012)
The summary for this investigation, labeled EQ12-002 Autoliv Closing Resume, can be found attached separately to this resume.
NHTSA listing: RAV4. Component: Air bags (side/window).
An equipment query is a review of whether a recalled part was also fitted to vehicles the recall does not cover. NHTSA lists investigations by make, model and model year only, so one can apply to only some versions of a model, such as one engine; its summary says which.
What owners report
Owners have filed 287 complaints with NHTSA about the 2011 RAV4. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Problems owners describe
Unintended acceleration or surging33 · 11%
Median 31,200 miles at failure, from 27 reports with mileage
Median 25,900 miles at failure, from 63 reports with mileage
Visibility/wiper48 · 17%
Brakes47 · 16%
Median 32,100 miles at failure, from 40 reports with mileage
Engine33 · 11%
Median 68,600 miles at failure, from 26 reports with mileage
Seat belts30 · 10%
Powertrain25 · 9%
Median 47,000 miles at failure, from 22 reports with mileage
Air bags20 · 7%
Unknown or other14 · 5%
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%. Mileage is shown where at least 15 owners reported it.
Toyota RAV4 recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2011 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2019 RAV4 drew the most (437) and the 2011 drew 61.
Owner complaints
2011: 287 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Toyota RAV4
Model year
Complaints
2010
400
2011
287
2012
266
2013
262
2014
207
2015
304
2016
257
2017
321
2018
346
2019
901
2020
648
2021
508
2022
171
2023
229
2024
204
2025
103
2026
35
Safety recalls
2011: 11 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Toyota RAV4
Model year
Recalls
2010
14
2011
11
2012
6
2013
5
2014
7
2015
4
2016
3
2017
3
2018
3
2019
8
2020
6
2021
5
2022
3
2023
3
2024
4
2025
4
2026
1
Crash test ratings
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
In the 287 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2011 Toyota RAV4, the problems described most are unintended acceleration or surging (33), shaking, shuddering or vibration (14), and rust or corrosion (13). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can describe several problems.
Is the 2011 Toyota RAV4 safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2011 Toyota RAV4 earns 3 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
Is NHTSA investigating the 2011 Toyota RAV4?
No. NHTSA's investigations file, dated Oct 2, 2026, lists no open investigations for the 2011 Toyota RAV4. It lists one closed investigation, which closed on May 8, 2012.
How do I check if my RAV4 has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Toyota dealers for vehicles up to 15 years old from first sale.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Oct 2, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Oct 2, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA investigations file, dated Oct 2, 2026. Defect petitions, which ask NHTSA to open an investigation, are listed apart and only while open. Audit queries, which check whether a company met its recall and reporting duties rather than whether a vehicle has a problem, are not listed.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: RAV4.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.