YearToAvoid

2011 Toyota RAV4 Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Good

Complaint Index

33/100

#11 most-complained of 16 RAV4 years

The 2011 Toyota RAV4 has a complaint index of 33 and ranks 11th worst out of 16 model years, earning a 'Good' verdict relative to other RAV4 years. NHTSA lists 287 complaints, 11 recalls, and 44 crash reports for this year, with Engine issues the top problem area.

Complaints
287
Recalls
11
Crashes / fires
44 / 8
Injuries / deaths
20 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
3 / 5 ★
EPA combined MPG
22.5
20 city / 26.5 hwy

Top 2011 Toyota RAV4 problems

NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Engine98 (34%)
  2. Brakes54 (19%)
  3. Visibility & Wipers50 (17%)
  4. Seat Belts30 (10%)
  5. Suspension, Wheels & Tires26 (9%)
  6. Transmission & Powertrain25 (9%)
  7. Electrical System21 (7%)
  8. Airbags20 (7%)
  9. Structure & Body19 (7%)
  10. Steering15 (5%)

What owners report

  • Owners report engine compartment fires starting after low-speed crashes, sometimes with the hood and battery melting.
  • Some owners describe the vehicle veering unexpectedly while driving at various speeds, leading to a crash.
  • Airbags reportedly failed to deploy or deployed with unusually hard impact in several crash complaints, sometimes causing injuries like cracked ribs.
  • Owners report sudden unintended acceleration while parking or pulling into a driveway, resulting in a crash into a structure.
  • Some owners describe the brake pedal failing to respond at low speed, resulting in a crash.
  • Owners report traction control, ABS, and 4-wheel drive warning lights illuminating intermittently, linked to a defective traction system.
2011 Toyota RAV4 complaints: complaints filed per quarter362011 Q12013 Q12015 Q12017 Q12019 Q12021 Q42024 Q22026 Q2
386 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2011 Q1 to 2026 Q3; peak 2016 Q2 (36).

2011 Toyota RAV4 recalls

11 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

See all 11 recalls for the 2011 Toyota RAV4 →

2011 Toyota RAV4 fuel economy and fuel cost

City
20 MPG
Highway
26.5 MPG
Combined
22.5 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$2,875
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.

2011 compared with other RAV4 years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2010Caution673981423
2011Good332871122.5
2012Best7260523
2013Best13257225.5

All Toyota RAV4 years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2011 Toyota RAV4 reliable?
Relative to other RAV4 model years, the 2011 RAV4 is rated 'Good' with a complaint index of 33, ranking 11th worst out of 16 years tracked by NHTSA complaint and recall data.
What problems does the 2011 Toyota RAV4 have?
NHTSA data shows Engine complaints make up 34% of reports (98 complaints), followed by Brakes at 19% (54 complaints) and Visibility & Wipers at 17% (50 complaints). The median mileage at failure for engine issues was 38,620.
Does the 2011 Toyota RAV4 have recalls?
Yes, NHTSA lists 11 recalls for the 2011 RAV4, covering suspension arms, seat heaters, seat belt cushion frames, and wiper switch/linkage issues, among others. None are do-not-drive recalls.
How does the 2011 RAV4 compare to other years?
The 2011 RAV4 has a complaint index of 33, better than 2010 (67, Caution) but worse than 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2016, which are all rated 'Best' with lower indexes.
What is the fuel economy of the 2011 Toyota RAV4?
The EPA rates the 2011 RAV4 at 22.5 mpg combined (20 city / 26.5 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,875.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.