CarRecallWatchThe 2009 Toyota RAV4 has 15 safety recalls on file with NHTSA.
Owners have filed 327 complaints with NHTSA, including 52 crashes, 3 fires, 16 injuries.
The most-reported problem area is Vehicle Speed Control (99 reports).
2009 Toyota RAV4 recalls
Rear Suspension Arm May Fail, Risking Loss of Control
Certain Toyota RAV4 (2006-2011) and Lexus HS 250h (2010) vehicles may have rear suspension arms, also called rear tie rods, whose adjusting lock nuts were possibly tightened improperly after servicing.
Aftermarket Seat Heaters May Short Circuit and Cause Fire
Certain vehicles were equipped with aftermarket accessory seat heaters that have a copper strand heating element.
Rear seat belts may be cut in a frontal crash
Certain Toyota RAV4 vehicles from model years 2006 to 2012, along with 2012 to 2014 RAV4 EVs, may have rear outboard seat belts that can be cut by the seat cushion frame during a frontal collision.
Power window switch may overheat and cause a fire
Some Toyota vehicles may have a power window master switch where grease was inconsistently applied to the sliding electrical contacts during manufacturing.
Wipers May Stop Working, Reducing Driver Visibility
Water can drip onto the joint connecting the wiper linkage to the wiper motor.
Most common 2009 Toyota RAV4 problems
Problem areas named in the 327 complaints owners filed with NHTSA.
| Problem area | Reports |
|---|---|
| Vehicle Speed Control | 99 |
| Suspension | 55 |
| Power Train | 28 |
| Engine | 27 |
| Steering | 26 |
| Unknown Or Other | 21 |
| Electrical System | 19 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 19 |
| Structure | 17 |
| Air Bags | 13 |
What owners report
We were informed of safety recalls for our Toyota Rav 4 2009 . We called the local Toyaota dealership for the recalls and was told on the phone after we dropped it off that they did the inspection to make sure the recalls could be completed and informed us that they could ,but they needed to keep overnight because they had to order the parts. Prior to dropping the vehicle off the car was able to be driven and no known issues were visible. Received call following told to come pick it up and that they officially refused to perform the recalls repairs. They stated that excessive structural damage and unsafe to drive to this degradation. Because the structural rust is directly in the exact suspe
I am writing to report a suspected case of odometer fraud involving a vehicle currently listed for sale at Staceyâs Auto Sales, located at [XXX] . Vehicle Details: 2009 Toyota RAV4 Sport VIN: [XXX] Asking Price: $8,995 Current Listed Mileage: 108,540 I obtained an NMVTIS vehicle history report which shows this vehicle was listed at a dealer (Revolutionary Auto) in December 2020 with 150,439 miles on the odometer. The vehicle is currently being sold with only 108,540 miles â a discrepancy of approximately 42,000 miles over five years. The current Utah title lists odometer reading as âEXEMPT,â which may have been used to obscure this discrepancy. I am not the buyer or seller of this v
Repairs of the control arms indicated on recall NHTSA 16V-596 were never done on my vehicle after the recall was issued in 2016. Smart motors Toyota in Madison confirmed that the replacement of the control arms was never done on my vehicle, but they are showing no open recalls on my vehicle in their system due to this being a re-recall. From what I've read many vehicles were incorrectly marked "complete" after the 2012 inspection, but the 2016 update (G0V) was issued specifically because those earlier inspections were found to be insufficient. I am entitled to this repair through Toyota due to this recall as Toyota has confirmed my vehicle was recalled and this repair was never completed. My
The contact owns a 2009 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that there was an abnormal grinding sound coming from the engine at startup. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and the contact was informed that the engine was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil caused by a gasket failure inside a piston in the engine. Due to the failure, the contact was frequently adding oil to the engine. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, and an estimate was provided for the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 230,000.
Engine timeing system rattle on startup. Even basic web research shows this is a common problem for select model years and acorss mulitple models. This issue has a high probility of causing catastrophic engine damage, where the timeing chain & VVT system fails to keep timing causing the valves to colide with the pistons. There is a TOTAL ENGINE FAILURE risk with each and every engine start. The fix on the 3.5L requires the engine to be removed, VVT and timing chain tensioner to be replaced. This is a $4000 to $5000 dollar repair. This is a clear manufacuting wide spread defect and should be repaired by toyota via recall!
2009 Toyota RAV4 questions
Does the 2009 Toyota RAV4 have any recalls?
Yes. NHTSA lists 15 safety recalls for the 2009 Toyota RAV4: Rear Suspension Arm May Fail, Risking Loss of Control; Aftermarket Seat Heaters May Short Circuit and Cause Fire; Rear seat belts may be cut in a frontal crash; Power window switch may overheat and cause a fire; Wipers May Stop Working, Reducing Driver Visibility. Recall repairs are normally free at an authorized dealer.
What are the most common problems with the 2009 Toyota RAV4?
Based on 327 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the most-reported problem areas are Vehicle Speed Control (99), Suspension (55), Power Train (28).
How do I check if a recall on my 2009 Toyota RAV4 has been fixed?
Enter your 17-character VIN in our VIN recall check. It shows open recalls that have not been repaired on your specific vehicle. Recall repairs are normally free at an authorized dealer.