NHTSA Complaint #10308493 — 2007 TOYOTA RAV4

WE BOUGHT OUR TOYOTA, A NEW 2007/4430C RAV4 (5-DOOR 4X2 SUV), ON 9/7/07, AND HAVE NOTICED SEVERAL PROBLEMS IN THE OPERATION OF THIS VEHICLE. OUR RAV4 CURRENTLY HAS AROUND 24,000 MILES ON IT, AND THE PROBLEMS HAVE NEITHER INCREASED NOR DECREASED IN FREQUENCY. BECAUSE THESE PROBLEMS ARE INTERMITTENT, OUR DEALER, DUNNING TOYOTA OF ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN, WAS UNABLE TO REPLICATE WHAT WE EXPERIENCE. HOWEVER, WE BELIEVE THAT DOCUMENTING THIS SITUATION IS IMPORTANT AS PROBLEMS'SOME OF WHICH SOUND SIMILAR TO WHAT WE HAVE EXPERIENCED'ARE CURRENTLY SURFACING ON OTHER TOYOTA VEHICLES. PROBLEMS WE HAVE EXPERIENCED EVER SINCE WE HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE INCLUDE: (1) INTERMITTENT ENGINE SURGES. THESE OCCUR WHEN ACCELERATING, BRAKING, OR SIMPLY COASTING. THE RPM NEEDLE VISIBLY FLUCTUATES, AND PASSENGERS CAN FEEL THE SURGING AND 'CHOKING' OF THE ENGINE. (2) THE GAS PEDAL SOMETIMES DOES NOT SMOOTHLY ENGAGE, AND THE CAR 'JUMPS' AHEAD WHEN THE PEDAL SEEMS TO FINALLY ENGAGE. (3) OCCASIONALLY THE CAR DOES NOT SEEM TO SLOW WHEN THE BRAKE IS APPLIED. IN THE WINTER OF 2008, I WAS TRAVELING AT A LOW SPEED (BEGINNING TO ACCELERATE FROM A STOP) ON SLICK PAVEMENT WHEN THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME UNEXPECTEDLY STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION. I IMMEDIATELY APPLIED THE BRAKE BUT THE CAR DID NOT SEEM TO SLOW DOWN. THE RESULTING COLLISION RESULTED IN $615.63 IN DAMAGE TO OUR VEHICLE. I DO NOT KNOW THE EXACT DATE OF THE ACCIDENT. THE POLICE WERE NOTIFIED BUT NO TICKETS WERE ISSUED. I JUST PUT AN ARBITRARY MONTH AND DATE BELOW SO I COULD CONTINUE TO THE NEXT PAGE OF THIS REPORT. *TR