2012 Toyota RAV4 Engine Problems
NHTSA lists 69 Engine complaints for the 2012 Toyota RAV4, 27% of its 260 total complaints for the year. Owners commonly describe sudden unintended acceleration at low speed, often while parking, with 14 crashes and 4 injuries reported. No related recall is listed for this issue.
- Engine complaints
- 69
- 27% of 260
- Crashes reported
- 14
- Fires reported
- 0
- Injuries reported
- 4
- Median mileage
- 21,418 mi
- Related recalls
- 0
Typical engine symptoms owners report
- Engine suddenly races or roars while parking at low speed, pushing the vehicle forward into curbs, walls, or other cars.
- Sudden acceleration occurs even with the brake pedal pressed to the floor, and drivers describe the brakes feeling unresponsive or squishy.
- Unintended acceleration happens when shifting from park into reverse or drive, sometimes launching the vehicle several feet.
- The surge can occur while the vehicle is stopped or idling in traffic, causing it to strike the car ahead before the driver can react.
- Some owners report the engine revs increase sharply on deceleration, with the vehicle failing to slow down as expected.
When 2012 Toyota RAV4 engine complaints were filed
First complaint Feb 29, 2012, latest Feb 2, 2026.
Engine recalls for the 2012 Toyota RAV4
No safety recalls on record for this model year.
Engine complaints by RAV4 model year
Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.
Frequently asked questions
- Does the 2012 Toyota RAV4 have engine problems?
- NHTSA has 69 Engine complaints for the 2012 RAV4, making up 27% of all 260 complaints filed for that model year, mostly describing sudden acceleration events.
- Is there a recall for the 2012 Toyota RAV4 engine acceleration issue?
- No related recall is listed in NHTSA data for this engine problem area on the 2012 RAV4.
- How many crashes are linked to the 2012 RAV4 engine complaints?
- NHTSA records 14 crashes and 4 injuries among the Engine complaints for the 2012 RAV4.
- At what mileage do 2012 RAV4 engine problems typically occur?
- The median mileage at failure for Engine complaints on the 2012 RAV4 is 21,418 miles, according to NHTSA data.
- How does the 2012 RAV4 compare to other years for engine complaints?
- The 2012 RAV4's engine complaint share is 27%, similar to 2010 (27%) but lower than 2011's 34%, and higher than years like 2016 through 2018, which sit around 15%.