Representative model. Photo: IFCAR, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain

Recalls & complaints · NHTSA data

2009 Toyota RAV4 recalls

Every recall campaign and owner complaint NHTSA has on file for the 2009 model year. Not every vehicle is affected by every campaign: check a specific car by VIN below.

Recall campaigns: 15
Park-it warnings: 0
Complaints: 327
Latest campaign: Aug 12, 2016

Recall summary by component15

NHTSA Recalls API · cached ≤24 h

Component	Campaigns	Latest	Campaign IDs
Suspension	3	Aug 12, 2016	16V596000 13V383000 12V373000
Equipment	3	Feb 3, 2010	10V036000 10V035000 09V223000
Seats	2	Jun 2, 2016	16V396000 14V743000
Visibility	2	Oct 22, 2015	15V689000 12V491000
Vehicle speed control	2	Feb 24, 2011	11V113000 10V017000
Seat belts	1	Feb 19, 2016	16V096000
Visibility/wiper	1	Sep 18, 2015	15V577000
Air bags	1	Jan 16, 2013	13V014000

Safety recalls15

NHTSA Recalls API · cached ≤24 h

0Park-it warnings

0Fixable over the air

Aug 12, 2016Latest campaign


Aug 12, 201616V596000	Suspension: rear Failure of the rear tie rod could cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash. DetailsHide details for campaign 16V596000 What's wrong 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. Campaign NHTSA 16V596000 · Aug 12, 2016
Jun 2, 201616V396000	Seats: front assembly seat heater/cooler If damaged, the copper strand heating element may short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire. DetailsHide details for campaign 16V396000 What's wrong 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. Campaign NHTSA 16V396000 · Jun 2, 2016
Feb 19, 201616V096000	Seat belts: rear/other A cut seat belt may not properly restrain the seat occupant, increasing their risk of injury in a crash. DetailsHide details for campaign 16V096000 What's wrong 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. Campaign NHTSA 16V096000 · Feb 19, 2016
Oct 22, 201515V689000	Visibility: power window devices and controls If the sliding electrical contacts are not protected by lubricant, debris and moisture that get into the switch may cause a short circuit and the switch assembly may… DetailsHide details for campaign 15V689000 What's wrong Toyota Motor Company (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2009-2011 Tundra, Sequoia, Corolla, Corolla Matrix and Scion xB, 2008-2011 Highlander and Highlander Hybrid, 2007 Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2009 Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2006-2011 RAV4, 2006-2010 Yaris, and 2009-2010 Scion xD and Pontiac Vibe vehicles. During the manufacturing of the Power Window Master Switch (PWMS), grease lubricant may have been inconsistently applied to the sliding electrical contacts. Risk If the sliding electrical contacts are not protected by lubricant, debris and moisture that get into the switch may cause a short circuit and the switch assembly may overheat and melt, increasing the risk of a fire. Remedy Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the switch, applying a lubricant if no abnormality is found. If abnormality is found, the PWMS circuit board will be replaced, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin December 20, 2015. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is C0M. Campaign NHTSA 15V689000 · Oct 22, 2015
Sep 18, 201515V577000	Visibility/wiper Over time, the dripping water may cause corrosion and wear at the joint, potentially resulting in the separation of the wiper linkage. DetailsHide details for campaign 15V577000 What's wrong Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2009-2012 RAV4 vehicles manufactured October 27, 2008, to December 19, 2012 and 2012-2014 RAV4 EV vehicles manufactured July 24, 2012, to August 29, 2014. In the affected vehicles, water may drip onto the joint that connects the wiper linkage to the wiper motor. Risk Over time, the dripping water may cause corrosion and wear at the joint, potentially resulting in the separation of the wiper linkage. Once this occurs, the wipers would not function, reducing driver visibility and increasing the risk of a crash. Remedy Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the water diverter channel. In addition, a new wiper linkage with a wiper motor crank arm will be installed. The wiper linkage will have a protective cover over the wiper linkage joint to minimize water splash and a retainer ring to prevent the wiper arm from separating from the wiper motor. The recall began on November 7, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service number at 1-800-331-4331. Campaign NHTSA 15V577000 · Sep 18, 2015
Nov 19, 201414V743000	Seats: front assembly seat heater/cooler Damage to the seat heater wiring could cause the wires to short, increasing the risk of the seat burning and causing personal injury to the occupant. DetailsHide details for campaign 14V743000 What's wrong Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 Prius and Corolla, 2009-2011 Venza, 2006-2010 Avalon, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2005-2011 Sienna and Sequoia, 2006-2011 Tacoma 4x2 and 4x4, Camry, Highlander, Tundra 4x2 and 4x4, and 2007-2011 Rav4 and 4Runner. The affected vehicles may experience compression of the seat cushion which may damage the seat heater wiring. Risk Damage to the seat heater wiring could cause the wires to short, increasing the risk of the seat burning and causing personal injury to the occupant. Remedy SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the heaters with copper strand heating elements and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory, free of charge. The recall is expected to began in January 2015. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. Campaign NHTSA 14V743000 · Nov 19, 2014

To see whether a recall is still open on your car, enter the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or the Toyota recall lookup. Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer (federal law; see limits).

Owner complaints by component327

NHTSA Complaints API · cached ≤24 h

327Complaints filed

52Involving a crash

3Involving a fire

16Injuries reported

Component	Complaints	%	Crashes	Fires	Injuries
Vehicle speed control	99	30	31	0	8
Suspension	55	17	1	0	0
Service brakes	31	9	6	0	2
Power train	28	9	1	0	0
Engine	27	8	1	1	0
Steering	26	8	3	0	1
Unknown or other	21	6	2	1	1
Electrical system	19	6	1	2	0
Hydraulic	19	6	3	0	1
Structure	17	5	4	0	2
Air bags	13	4	9	0	5
Wheels	10	3	0	0	0
Engine and engine cooling	8	2	1	1	0
Fuel/propulsion system	7	2	3	0	2
Seat belts	7	2	1	0	2

11 more components with fewer complaints not shown. An owner can tag several components, so percentages add up to more than 100. Complaints are unverified owner reports, de-duplicated by NHTSA ODI number.

Latest reports

Steering
“We were informed of safety recalls for our Toyota Rav 4 2009 . We called the local Toyaota dealership for the recalls and was told on the phone after we dropped it off that they did the inspection to make sure the…”
Filed 05/22/2026 · ODI 11739536
Unknown or other
“I am writing to report a suspected case of odometer fraud involving a vehicle currently listed for sale at Stacey’s Auto Sales, located at [XXX] .”
Filed 05/11/2026 · ODI 11737014
Suspension
“Repairs of the control arms indicated on recall NHTSA 16V-596 were never done on my vehicle after the recall was issued in 2016.”
Filed 05/04/2026 · ODI 11735702

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2009 Toyota RAV4 recall questions

How many recalls does the 2009 Toyota RAV4 have?

NHTSA lists 15 safety recall campaigns for the 2009 Toyota RAV4. The most recent, 16V596000 (reported August 12, 2016), concerns suspension. Not every vehicle is covered by every campaign; check a specific car by VIN.

What are the 2009 Toyota RAV4 recalls for?

The largest group is suspension, with 3 campaigns. Others: equipment (3), seats (2), visibility (2). Each campaign below lists the defect, the risk and the free remedy.

What is the most common complaint about the 2009 Toyota RAV4?

Vehicle speed control is the most-reported component, named in 99 complaints out of 327 filed with NHTSA (30%). Across all complaints, owners reported 52 crashs and 3 fires. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

How do I check if a recall is open on my 2009 Toyota RAV4?

Enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or the Toyota recall lookup. That shows campaigns still unrepaired on that exact car. Safety recall repairs are free at a franchised Toyota dealer.

Check a specific Toyota by VIN

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