2009 Toyota RAV4 Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Caution The 2009 Toyota RAV4 has a Complaint Index of 65 and ranks 8th worst out of 21 model years, earning a Caution verdict. NHTSA lists 327 complaints, 15 recall campaigns, and 52 crashes tied to owner reports, with Engine issues making up 39% of complaints.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 65/100
- #8 of 21 RAV4 years
- Verdict
- Caution
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 327
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 15
- distinct NHTSA campaigns
- Crashes
- 52
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 3
- Injuries
- 16
- Top issue
- Engine
- NHTSA overall rating
- Not rated
- EPA combined MPG
- 23
- 20 city / 27 hwy
- Injuries / deaths
- 16 / 0
Top 2009 Toyota RAV4 problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Engine129 (39%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires68 (21%)
- Brakes33 (10%)
- Transmission & Powertrain28 (9%)
- Steering26 (8%)
- Other24 (7%)
- Structure & Body21 (6%)
- Electrical System19 (6%)
- Airbags13 (4%)
- Fuel System10 (3%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Owners report sudden unintended acceleration at low speeds while parking, with the vehicle surging forward despite braking.
- Some describe the brake pedal sinking to the floor with reduced stopping power during emergency stops from highway speed.
- Several drivers say the vehicle failed to slow or stop even with the brake pedal fully depressed, leading to low-speed collisions.
- One owner reported smoke and then flames coming from under the hood near the passenger-side dashboard while the vehicle was parked.
- An owner said the driver's side airbag failed to inflate during a multi-car collision, worsening injuries.
2009 Toyota RAV4 recalls
15 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 16V596000Aug 12, 2016Suspension, Wheels & Tires337,449 vehicles
Suspension:rear
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.
Risk: 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.
- NHTSA 16V396000Jun 2, 2016Structure & Body7,749 vehicles
Seats:front assembly:seat heater/cooler
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.
Risk: If damaged, the copper strand heating element may short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy: 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.
- NHTSA 16V096000Feb 19, 2016Seat Belts1,123,752 vehicles
Seat belts:rear/other
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.
Risk: A cut seat belt may not properly restrain the seat occupant, increasing their risk of injury in a crash.
Remedy: 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.
2009 Toyota RAV4 fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 20 MPG
- Highway
- 27 MPG
- Combined
- 23 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $2,825
- 15,000 mi/yr
- Fuel
- Regular
- Current regular gas
- $4.32/gal
- national avg.
EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.
2009 compared with other RAV4 years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2009 Toyota RAV4 reliable?
- Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2009 RAV4 carries a Complaint Index of 65 and ranks 8th worst among 21 model years, earning a Caution verdict relative to other RAV4 years.
- What are the most common problems with the 2009 RAV4?
- Engine complaints are the largest category at 39% of all reports (129 complaints), with a median failure mileage of 15,000 miles. Suspension, brakes, and transmission issues follow.
- Does the 2009 RAV4 have recalls?
- NHTSA lists 15 recall campaigns for the 2009 RAV4, covering suspension arms, seat belts, structure/body seat heaters, wiper linkage, and occupant detection sensors, none marked do-not-drive.
- How does the 2009 RAV4 compare to other RAV4 years?
- The 2009 RAV4's Complaint Index of 65 is lower than 2007 (85) and 2019 (95), which are both rated Avoid, but higher than Best-rated years like 2013 and 2014 with indexes of 10 and 5.
- Were there fires reported in the 2009 RAV4?
- NHTSA records 3 fire-related complaints for the 2009 RAV4, including one incident where smoke and flames emerged from under the hood near the dashboard.