2012 Toyota RAV4 Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2012 RAV4 most often describe unintended acceleration or engine surging at very low speed, typically while parking or braking, with complaints clustered in the first few thousand miles. Rear wiper failures and repeated windshield visibility problems are the other common themes, and many complaints about warning lights, brakes and airbags appear at higher mileage.

1. 1
   Vehicle speed control

   Engine surges or revs while braking at low speed

   • 64 complaints (25%)
   • median 15,750 mi at 2.4 yrs old (56 state mileage)
   • 15 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2012–2026

   Owners describe the engine revving up on its own while their foot is on the brake, most often at parking-lot speeds or while stopping at a light; several say the car pushed through the brake and over a curb or into an object. A few report the vehicle accelerating when they tapped the accelerator to pull into a space. Dealers and manufacturer investigators commonly told owners they could not reproduce the condition or found no fault in the brakes or event data, and in some cases advised shifting to neutral when it happened. Reported across the mileage range but most often at low mileage, and usually at speeds under about 10 mph while parking or stopping.

   What to check: On a test drive, practice slow parking maneuvers and note any idle flare or surge with the brake applied. Ask whether the previous owner reported the condition and whether any dealer inspection or software check was done.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was pulling into a parking place at our church. When I turned into the parking place the car took off and it jumped an 8 inch curbing and ran into the parish center wall. It tried to climb the wall. I push the accelerator to turn into the parking space and the car took off! It was not driver error!”

   NHTSA complaint #10650934, filed 2014-10, 49,000 miles

   “I was coming to a stoplight and press the brakes the car came to stop then the engine revved up very fast. My foot was on the brakes but the engine was revving very fast that I had to use the parking brake to stop the vehicle from moving forward. I put the car in park then the engine stop revving.”

   NHTSA complaint #11174879, filed 2019-02, 43,000 miles
2. 2
   Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)

   Windshield wipers stop, seize or move erratically

   • 39 complaints (15%)
   • median 38,000 mi at 4.1 yrs old (15 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2012–2023

   Complaints describe wipers that stop mid-wipe, seize completely, or move slowly and change direction, sometimes in rain when visibility drops sharply. Several owners link the behavior to the wiper linkage and motor area, and many mention recall 15V577000; some report the problem returned after the recall work, and others say parts were unavailable for a long period. Separate complaints mention washer reservoir or pump problems and a fogged or distorted windshield. Spread from low mileage up to well past 100,000 miles, and often noticed in rain or when the wipers are first switched on.

   Recall 15V577000

   What to check: Run the wipers at every speed setting, including intermittent, and watch for pausing or slow travel. Ask for documentation that recall 15V577000 was completed and whether the linkage or motor has been replaced since.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Received NHTSA recall from Toyota in sept. 2015. Recall involves windshield wipers which may become inoperative. Have called dealer numerous times up to this date. I am told they have not received replacement parts to complete repair. I feel they have been given plenty of time to remedy a situation which could endanger driving safety.”

   NHTSA complaint #10846504, filed 2016-03, 12,000 miles

   “I turned the wipers on the other day when it was raining, they came on and made one wipe up and stopped on the downward wipe. I got out and pulled on one side and they wiped several more times then stopped again. I pulled on them again and they moved but very slowly then they stopped completely. I tried to pull them down again but they wouldnt budge. The vehicle was sitting in .my driveway at this time”

   NHTSA complaint #11244309, filed 2019-08, 78,000 miles
3. 3
   Electrical system

   Check engine, 4WD and TRAC lights on together

   Mentioned in 10 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners describe the check engine, 4WD and traction control lights illuminating together, sometimes intermittently and sometimes staying on for days. Several say diagnosis pointed to oxygen sensors or an emissions canister, and that the lights returned after repair; others note the vehicle stays in four-wheel drive or loses traction-assist functions while the lights are on. One owner reported wiring damaged by rodents affecting the 2WD/4WD selection. Mostly reported between roughly 45,000 and 140,000 miles, with no clear seasonal pattern.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Have the stored codes read before purchase and ask what was replaced and whether the lights returned afterward. Confirm the 4WD and traction systems engage normally during a test drive.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I have just begun having the issue that many others complain about - the check engine light + 4wd + trac lights all came on (2012 Toyota RAV4, 100,000 miles). We tried some simple fixes at home, based on the many online posts about this issue (checked/refastened hoses, battery connections, etc.), and the lights came right back on. Took to our usual mechanic, and they diagnosed o2 sensor problems, both bank 1 & bank 2. Paid $750 for them to replace both sensors. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11398486, filed 2021-03, 100,000 miles

   “My 2012 RAV4 main evap canister went bad at only 77,113 miles. It almost costed me $1550 to get this part replaced, but thankfully was able to convince the dealership to get me a deal on the repair. There is no reason for this part to go bad so quickly. I do not top off my gas and I have had it in for routine maintenance at the dealership since it was purchased. To make the situation worse, when the check engine light comes on, the 4wd and traction control units turn off, making my car hard to control in the snow. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11058280, filed 2018-01, 77,113 miles
4. 4
   Brakes

   Brake pedal feels soft or stopping distance feels long

   • 69 complaints (27%)
   • median 15,000 mi at 2.1 yrs old (61 state mileage)
   • 20 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2012–2025

   Some owners describe the brake pedal going soft or nearly to the floor and the vehicle taking longer to stop, with a few reporting a crash after the pedal felt ineffective. Others mention clicking, squeaks or groans from the front brakes, and some say dealers replaced pads and shims or lubricated components without resolving the noise or the pedal feel. A few note repairs to the master cylinder, rotors or calipers at higher mileage. Reported from very low mileage up to well over 100,000 miles, with noise complaints common early on.

   Recall 14V0540004 related service bulletins

   What to check: Press the pedal firmly with the engine running and check that it holds without sinking. Ask whether the brake actuator recall 14V054000 was completed and whether front pads or hardware have been updated.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Made a right turn after stopped at red lite. Coming up to line of traffic stopped at another lite I stepped on brake and it felt like it was going down three times while car continued to accelerate. I hit the car in front of me. Police report filed. My front bumper was damaged. Took car to dealer next day they would not look at it and was told to call their customer service who would arrange an independent inspection. This was done and I'm waiting for a call from them to set date for inspection.”

   NHTSA complaint #10501393, filed 2013-03, 6,900 miles

   “When pulling my 2012 Toyota RAV4 into a parking space at very low rate of speed, I tapped the brake pedal and the engine immediately started roaring and accelerating out of control. The car jumped the curb that was directly in front of the parking spot, crossed the road, jumped another curb, and landed in a muddy ravine. The car was towed to the Toyota dealership to be repaired and the tech couldn't find anything wrong with the brakes. I reported the incident to Toyota. They sent an investigator. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11331764, filed 2020-06, 83,000 miles
5. 5
   Air bags

   Airbags did not deploy in a collision

   • 19 complaints (7%)
   • median 27,000 mi at 2.7 yrs old (18 state mileage)
   • 16 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2012–2024

   Owners describe airbags failing to deploy in front, rear and side impacts at moderate to highway speeds, in some cases with injuries reported. One complaint describes airbags deploying without any impact. Complaints generally state the vehicle was inspected or repaired after the crash but that the deployment question was not resolved to the owner's satisfaction. Reported across a wide mileage range, from about 12,000 to over 130,000 miles, and tied to crash circumstances rather than a specific age or climate.

   What to check: Check for any airbag warning light or stored crash data, and ask whether the vehicle has been in a reported collision with airbag-related repairs. A pre-purchase inspection that reads the airbag control module can help confirm no stored faults.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was travelling northbound on I-85 in the city of atlanta at around 55 miles per hour. A car from the hov lane abruptly changed lanes at high speed and hit me on the drivers side. This was a big impact and due to this my car swerved to the right lane and hit another moving truck on its drivers side. The car has been totaled by my insurance company. My concern is that, due to the nature of the accident and the impact the air bags of the car should have deployed and they didn't. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10786688, filed 2015-10, 27,000 miles

   “I had a seizure while driving down a road, stopped by a palm tree. It hit the car on the right front. Unfortunately, the air bag did not deploy, perhaps for going to slow or not. I will say that the palm tree stopped the car. I was moving forward, and the vehicle was stopped by the tree. I fractured my shoulder. I dislocated my shoulder, and bruised several ribs. I was transported to the hospital in an ambulance. I was in a hospital for five days, surgery took place there. I was unable to work for two and a half months.”

   NHTSA complaint #10594576, filed 2014-05, 12,000 miles

Buying note. Treat low-speed surging and wiper function as the two things to test carefully on a used 2012 RAV4, and confirm which open recalls have actually been completed with paperwork. A code scan and a pre-purchase inspection covering brakes and airbag faults are worth the cost given the complaints described here.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.