2025 Toyota RAV4 Brakes Problems

On August 28, 2026 at about 8:00 AM, while maneuvering into a parking space at under 5 mph, my vehicle suddenly accelerated and I was unable to stop it before it struck a tree. Adaptive cruise control was off; lane keeping assistance was on, as it normally is. I attempted to brake, but the vehicle did not stop, and automatic emergency braking did not engage before impact. I do not recall any warning lamps or symptoms beforehand. A neighbor witnessed the incident. The vehicle is available for inspection. Toyota inspected the vehicle on September 5, 2026. Its letter states that the EDR readout showed accelerator pedal pressure and no brake pedal application before impact, and that it found no defect. These findings do not match my recollection, and I have asked Toyota in writing to verify them. Toyota’s letter also lists the wrong incident date (August 5, 2026), so I have requested the complete EDR report and confirmation of which stored event was read. I will update this report when I receive it. My spouse experienced a similar sudden acceleration symptom in the same vehicle on May 19, 2026, with no collision. It was not reported at the time.

NHTSA ID

11775825

Incident

Aug 28, 2026

WHEN COMING TO A STOP AND THE BREAK PEDDLE IS APPLIED THE GAS ACCERERATES WITHOUT TOUCHING THE GAS PEDDLE.

NHTSA ID

11770529

Incident

Oct 9, 2026

Driving my one owner 2025 Rav 4 Hybrid- pulling into a parking spot while gently pressing on the brake to slow car. Car was slowing then suddenly accelerated while brake pedal still being pressed, lunged forward and hit a wall in front of the parking space. No warning lamps/alarms went off and drivers seat belt did not engage. Called dealership to report incident.

NHTSA ID

11761382

Incident

Sep 1, 2026

The brakes have been overly sensitive... but then, without warning, braking power is completely lost. This has happened on 2 separate occasions... the pedal goes all the way to the floor and provides ZERO braking power. We can no longer trust this car on the road. Toyota sent someone to inspect the vehicle and they claim that they have found no problems or issues and that they have not been able to reproduce the problem. There were no warning lamps or message; there were no prior symptoms, other than the brakes were overly sensitive. These symptoms occurred immediately after purchasing the car. Toyota refuses to purchased the car back from us, and now we are stuck with a very dangerous vehicle. Interestingly, I have found others talking about EXACTLY the same symptoms on other Toyota Rav4 vehicles.

NHTSA ID

11742361

Incident

Feb 24, 2026

My daughter reported an incident that occurred on XXX while driving this vehicle. As she drove, it slammed on the brakes (without any input from her) causing her to skid. The vehicle brought itself to a stop and the engine turned off. She reported that there were no vehicles or other object close to the front of her vehicle. The incident did not cause a crash or cause anyone to be injured. It was, however, a very scary situation that almost caused her to be rear-ended by the vehicles that were following her. The car was taken to Cobb County Toyota in Kennesaw, Georgia for an inspection the morning of May 28, 2026. As of this submission, the vehicle is still at the dealership service department for inspection.

NHTSA ID

11740541

Incident

May 27, 2026

On April 29, 2026 around 10:00 PM, my 2025 Toyota RAV4 experienced sudden brake failure. The pedal became hard and I lost stopping and steering power. At the same time, Check Engine, battery warning, steering warning, and ‘Not Ready to Drive’ all appeared simultaneously with no prior warning. I brought it to a Toyota dealer the next morning and they found no fault. The vehicle is available for inspection.

NHTSA ID

11734963

Incident

Apr 29, 2026

We were on a funeral procession when suddenly the car accelerated at a very high speed and hit the end of guard rail head on. My wife on the passenger side and two people at the back were all taken to the emergency room. I got pinned on the steering column and taken out via the roof. I had severe abrasions on both legs, wife has 3 broken ribs,the 2 passengers suffered whiplash and complains of chest pains. Car was purchased 11/3/2025 and I took it for a recall fix about a month ago at Burien Toyota dealership where we bought it. Incident # 2026-55959 Seattle police. At present our car insurance is investigating and our claim # is 082 0356939 Allstate.

NHTSA ID

11721892

Incident

Feb 27, 2026

I rented the Toyota RAV4 from Fox Rent a Car (855 571-8414) at the Denver International Airport for a trip to Boulder, CO. On November 9 evening, I drove to the Sugarloaf Mountain Trail Head (GPS: 40.05, -105.425) for a time-lapse photography. Date/Time: 2025-11-09 6:29 PM Location Description: Uneven dirt parking area commonly used by sightseers. Visibility was completely dark at the time of arrival. After arriving at the hilltop, as I parked the vehicle, while applying very light pressure to the accelerator pedal with my right foot, I felt a gradual drop of several inches on the passenger side of the vehicle. Instinctively, I moved my right foot to the brake pedal and applied pressure. However, I immediately sensed that the vehicle was not decelerating; instead, it was accelerating forward. I pressed the brake pedal more firmly, and the vehicle accelerated further until it came to a complete stop after colliding with a rock on the driver's side approximately 15 feet from the point of initial acceleration. Once the situation stabilized, I exited the vehicle and observed a red, non-oily liquid of normal viscosity leaking from underneath the vehicle on the front driver's side, which I later identified as coolant. Upon opening the hood, I confirmed that approximately half of the coolant had been depleted. I Googled AI Mode: Question: For a Toyota RAV4 HEV, is it possible for the vehicle to accelerate when the brakes are applied forcefully and abruptly? Answer (Source): [XXX] Potential Perceptions and Known Issues While the car will not accelerate due to the brakes being applied correctly, drivers have occasionally reported sensations that might be might be misinterpreted as acceleration, such as a slight "lurch" when the braking system transitions between regenerative and friction braking, ** especially at very low speeds or over rough surfaces. ** INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11699075

Incident

Nov 9, 2025

Stopped to allow a car to pass. Once the car passed, there was acceleration of the engine but the car would not move. When the car gear was changed to park and then back to drive, it would not move. In order to get the car out of the traffic lane, the car was placed in neutral but the car brakes were locked. All this time the red 'park' on the dash and the red button on the console kept flashing. We called AAA and they arrived in 40 minutes. The man got in the car and stated they sometimes reset themselves. The car did start and he was able to drive it as the brakes were no longer locked. We took it to Toyota of Orange but they were unable to find the cause. They stated that they elevated this incident to a test case. TA252650358 This car only has 2,689 miles on it !!

NHTSA ID

11690029

Incident

Sep 21, 2025