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Vehicle speed controlPart report

2021 Toyota RAV4 Vehicle speed control Problems

Complaints
6about this part
Share
2%of 389 total for the year
Median mileage
36,661miles
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

NHTSA recorded 6 complaints about the vehicle speed control of the 2021 Toyota RAV4, 2% of the 389 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 36,661 miles. 3 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers.

Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.

Example complaints

Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.

“I had 2 sudden acceleration incidents. The first occurred 10/6/21.My car lurched forward & hit a pole. I was with my mom who saw me press the brake, which did not engage. My car has an auto-braking system which did not function as designed. I took it to Toyota.They determined there were no issues w/the vehicle. I insisted there was something wrong & warned this will happen again & could be much worse. I felt defeated but hoped it was an isolated glitch & hoped for the best. …”

NHTSA complaint #11448547, filed 2022-01

“While using Cruse control. It did not slow the vehicle. I could not turn it off. The brakes would not work. I ran thru an intersection against the light. Bounced over the median. I turned off the ignition, still coasted about 1/2 mile. Finally I jammed the gear shift lever into Park. Toyota has the vehicle for inspection and reading of the black box. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE DID NOT HAVE ANY WARNING SIGNS OF THE FAILURE. WARNING MESSAGES DID DISPLAY DURING THE FAILURE, WHICH WERE CRUISE CONTROL INOPERATIVE , BRAKE FAILURE , AND LANE DEPARTURE .”

NHTSA complaint #11428721, filed 2021-08

“On Monday, March 21, 2022, at about 11:40 AM CT, I was at the Walgreens pharmacy drive-thru window. I used the brake-hold feature on the vehicle. I did not have my feet on any pedals or the steering wheel. I did not get any notifications, warnings, alerts, or beeps from the vehicle prior to the incident. As I reached my arm out to get my medications and payment from the pharmacy window, the vehicle sped off (accelerated) at a high rate of speed. The vehicle was on break-hold and I did not touch anything. I was able to bring my arm inside and stop the vehicle and put it into the park position. …”

NHTSA complaint #11457960, filed 2022-03

“The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle aggressively accelerated while the accelerator pedal was depressed. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer and remained with the dealer for additional diagnostic tests. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.”

NHTSA complaint #11752373, filed 2026-07, 60,000 miles

“The contact owned a 2021 Toyota RAV4. The contact stated while driving 65 mph and attempting to merge into the next lane, he was depressing on the brake pedal but it began to accelerate independently, and lost control of the vehicle. The contact stated he crashed into a concrete shoulder off the road, bounced off the concert shoulder, and crashed into another vehicle. The air bags did deploy. The contact stated the brake malfunction warning light was illuminated. The contact sustained injuries on his left shoulder left neck and right hip area. …”

NHTSA complaint #11470874, filed 2022-06, 13,322 miles

Related service bulletins

Vehicle speed control: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
202578%
2024127%
202374%
202275%
202162%
2020152%
2019303%
2018206%
2017134%
2016125%
2015217%
201474%
2013177%
20124919%
20116924%
20108321%
20099930%
20089216%
200710110%
20067411%
2005139%
20042013%
2003299%
2002367%
2001227%
2000723%
19991423%
19981216%
1997713%
199612%

Other parts of the 2021 Toyota RAV4

Air bags
125 complaints
Other or unknown
77 complaints
Electrical system
47 complaints
Engine
41 complaints
Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
31 complaints
Fuel system
24 complaints
Transmission and drivetrain
23 complaints
Brakes
21 complaints
Steering
21 complaints
Body and structure
21 complaints
Forward collision avoidance
18 complaints
Seats
18 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2021 Toyota RAV4

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology