2011 Toyota RAV4 Engine Problems

NHTSA component category: ENGINE · data through 07/12/2026

33Engine complaints

11.5%Of all 286 complaints

#4Most-reported category

Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.

How engine ranks on this vehicle

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL68 · 23.8%

VISIBILITY/WIPER48 · 16.8%

SERVICE BRAKES43 · 15%

ENGINE33 · 11.5%

SEAT BELTS30 · 10.5%

Share of the 286 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 2011 Toyota RAV4 overview page.

What owners report

“FOUR UNINTENDED ACCELERATION INCIDENTS HAS OCCURRED WITH MY TOYOTA RAV4. RECENT INCIDENTS ON 9/1415 (COLLEGE PARK, MD WHEN BRAKE APPLIED AT A RED LIGHT WITH…”NHTSA complaint 10781294 — filed 10/11/2015

“ABOUT A YEAR AGO, I PACKED MY CAR TO GO ON VACATION. I PUT THE DOG IN THE CAR AND RETURNED TO MY HOUSE TO…”NHTSA complaint 10734399 — filed 07/15/2015

“ON 4/22/2015, I HAD BEEN DRIVING MY 2011 TOYOTA RAV4 LIMITED EDITION AT HIGHWAY SPEED FOR ABOUT 2 HOURS. AFTER LEAVING THE INTERSTATE I WAS…”NHTSA complaint 10713699 — filed 04/30/2015

Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.

Engine complaints by year filed

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2011 Toyota RAV4 have engine problems?

Engine is the #4 most-reported problem area on the 2011 Toyota RAV4: 33 of 286 complaints on file (11.5%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 2011 Toyota RAV4 have in total?

286 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/12/2026. Across all categories, 44 involved a crash, 8 involved a fire, 20 reported injuries, and none reported deaths.

What does NHTSA's engine category include?

NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the ENGINE category exactly as NHTSA defines and records it.

About this data — Complaint figures on this page are consumer reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a U.S. government agency. NHTSA does not verify individual complaints; a complaint is not proof that a defect exists, and counts reflect what owners chose to report, not confirmed failure rates. Recall information comes from official NHTSA safety recall campaigns; recall repairs are free at authorized dealers. Always check your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. CarModelProblems.com is an independent site and is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. Data through 07/12/2026.