NHTSA Complaint #10840133 — 2012 TOYOTA RAV4 EV

MY 2012 RAV4 EV HAS AN UNSAFE CONDITION WHERE THE ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION DOES NOT ACTUALLY ENGAGE FROM R TO D, OR D TO R WHEN STATIONARY, EVEN THOUGH THE VEHICLE INSTRUMENTATION INDICATES SO. THE VEHICLE INSTEAD MOVES INADVERTENTLY IN THE WRONG DIRECTION. IT HAS BEEN A CHRONIC ISSUE WITH THE VEHICLE, AND I HAVE REPORTED IT TO THE TOYOTA DEALER ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. EACH TIME I WAS TOLD THAT THE TECHNICIAN COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE CONDITION, BUT THAT A SOFTWARE UPDATE WOULD BE INSTALLED AND MIGHT CORRECT THE MATTER. IT HAS NOT, AND MY WIFE AND I CONTINUE TO EXPERIENCE THE PROBLEM RANDOMLY. ON MARCH 5, 2016 HOWEVER, THE CONDITION CAUSED AN ACCIDENT AS I WAS LEAVING A PARKING SPOT ON THE STREET. I INITIALLY HAD TROUBLE GETTING THE CAR TO ENGAGE IN REVERSE OR DRIVE. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND RESTARTED IT (REBOOTING THE SOFTWARE). THIS TIME REVERSE ENGAGED AND I MOVED THE CAR BACKWARD TO MAKE ROOM TO EXIT THE PARKING SPACE AND CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. I THEN PUT THE CAR IN DRIVE, HEARD THE REVERSE 'BEEP' STOP, VISUALLY CHECKED THE INSTRUMENTATION CLUSTER TO VERIFY THE INDICATOR WAS ON 'D', APPLIED THE HILL-ASSIST FUNCTION, AND PUSHED THE ACCELERATOR TO DRIVE FORWARD. THE CAR INSTEAD LUNGED BACKWARD AND SLAMMED INTO THE CAR BEHIND ME. THIS IS A SERIOUS AND DANGEROUS CONDITION. IT COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN A PEDESTRIAN BEHIND ME INSTEAD OF A CAR. I CAN NO LONGER DRIVE THIS CAR AND FEEL SAFE WITH MY FAMILY, OR FOR THE PEOPLE AROUND THE VEHICLE. CHECKING THE OWNER FORUMS AT HTTP://WWW.MYRAV4EV.COM/, I AM NOT THE ONLY OWNER THAT HAS EXPERIENCED TRANSMISSION ISSUES.