Problems · by component

2007 Toyota RAV4 service brakes problems

26 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2007 Toyota RAV4 cite service brakes, 3% of all 1,003 complaints for this model year.

Complaints
26
3% of all complaints
Crashes
3
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
4
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the service brakes

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“WHILE GETTING MY EMERGENCY BRAKE REPAIRED BECAUSE IT DID NOT APPEAR TO BE HOLDING PROPERLY AT FIRESTONE THE TECHNICIAN PULLED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE LEVER AND THE DRIVERS SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED. AFTER TAKING SUV TO TOYOTA DEALERSHIP THEY STATED THAT THE INDIVIDUAL PULLED THE HANDLE UP TO FAR CAUSING A SHORT IN THE AIR BAG MODULE DEPLOYING THE AIR BAG WHILE INDIVIDUAL WAS IN THE DRIVERS SEAT. I CONSIDER THIS TO BE A DEFECT IN THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS BUT TOYOTA CLAIMS THEY HAVE NO RECALLS FOR THIS PROBLEM AND WANT ME TO PAY $2,780.00 FOR THE REPAIR. THE VBEHICLE WAS STATIONARY WHEN THIS OCCURRED.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 5, 2019Air bags, Service brakesODI 11194072
“I HAVE OWNED A 2007 TOYOTA RAV 4 FOR 10 YEARS. I WAS LEAVING A DELAWARE, OHIO, HOSPITAL PARKING LOT, BACKING OUT SLOWLY, MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, WHILE TURNING THE WHEEL TO THE LEFT. SUDDENLY THE ENGINE ROARED AND I SHOT BACKWARD, SMASHING INTO THE CAR PARKED BEHIND WHERE MY CAR HAD BEEN. THE CAR I HIT WAS SOMEWHAT DAMAGED IN THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE FENDER. THE IMPACT SHOVED IT OUT OF ITS SPACE AND ALMOST INTO A SMALL TRUCK TO THE RIGHT. MY CAR'S REAR WINDSHIELD SHATTERED AND THE RIGHT BACK BUMPER AND SIDE WERE CRUMPLED. THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAPPENED TO ME. THE FIRST TIME, I AGAIN WAS BACKING FROM A TIGHT SPOT, THIS TIME TURNING THE WHEEL TO THE RIGHT, WHEN THE ENGINE ROARED AND THE CAR LURCHED BACKWARD. THAT TIME, I HIT NOTHING. IT HAPPENED ANOTHER TIME WHEN MY HUSBAND WAS BACKING, AGAIN FROM A TIGHT SPOT WHILE TURNING THE WHEEL. BACK AT THE HOSPITAL LOT. I INFORMED THE FRONT DESK EMPLOYEE, WHO INFORMED THE OHIOHEALTH HOSPITAL POLICE. TWO OFFICERS REPORTED, TOOK MY INFORMATION AND BEGAN SEARCHING FOR THE OTHER CAR'S OWNER. I ALSO CALLED THE CITY POLICE; AN OFFICER CAME BUT LEFT AFTER CONFERRING WITH OHIOHEALTH'S POLICE. I THEN TOOK THE CAR DIRECTLY TO MY…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 10, 2018Vehicle speed control, Unknown or other, Service brakesCrash reportedODI 11150693
“I WAS TURNING MY 2007 TOYOTA RAV4 SOUTH ONTO INTERSTATE 182 TO HEAD EAST, THE CAR SUDDEN OUT OF MY CONTROL AND WENT OFF THE ROAD AND HIT A CONCRETE BARRIER AT 5:49 PM AT 5/8/17. TWO PASSENGERS WERE HURT.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 11, 2017Vehicle speed control, Wheels, Service brakesCrash reportedODI 10984880
“WHILE DRIVING ON AN EXPRESSWAY I ATTEMPTED TO SLOW MY VEHICLE. THE BRAKES BEGAN TO ENGAGE BUT THEN I FELT THE CAR ACCELERATE AND THE CAR "STUTTERED". IT MAY HAVE BEEN THE BRAKE ASSIST KICKING IN. IT ACCELERATED. AFTER A FEW SECONDS, THE BRAKES FINALLY ENGAGED. ABOUT 2 MILES DOWN THE ROAD, THE SAME THING HAPPENED EXCEPT THAT THE BRAKES DID NOT ENGAGE UNTIL A FEW SECONDS LATER AND I REAR-ENDED SOMEONE. THANKFULLY THERE WERE NO INJURIES.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 16, 2016Service brakes, Fuel/propulsion systemCrash reportedODI 10935921
“OIL INDICATOR LIT UP. I CHECKED THE DIP STICK AND OIL WAS WELL BELOW MINIMUM LEVEL. I ADDED 2 QUARTS OF OIL. MY RAV4 HAS MORE THAN 1000 MILES LEFT BEFORE THE SCHEDULED 5K OIL CHANGE AND NEITHER HAS IT BEEN 6MOS YET. BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND THEY PERFORMED OIL CONSUMPTION TEST. CAR MILEAGE WAS 87000. I BROUGHT THE CAR BACK AFTER 1000MILES AS INSTRUCTED TO DO SO. THE TEST TURNED OUT NEGATIVE. COUDN'T DO ANYTHING ELSE AS THE CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY. I LOOKED ONLINE AND THERE WERE A NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS BUT NO ASSOCIATED RECALLS REGARDING THIS PROBLEM. ANOTHER PROBLEM IN MY RAV4 IS WHEN STEPPING ON THE BRAKES, IT ACCELERATES FIRST BEFORE STOPPING. AGAIN THERE WERE NO RECALLS ABOUT IT.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 2, 2016Service brakes, EngineODI 10929603
“MY BRAKES DIDN'T FEEL RIGHT YESTERDAY, 7/17/16 WHEN I APPLIED THEM AT A STOP SIGN, I ROLLED ON OUT INTO THE INTERSECTION BEFORE COMING TO A STOP. THAT PROBLEM CONTINUED SEVERAL TIMES WHILE I WAS OUT AND ABOUT, IT WASN'T CONSTANT. THIS MORNING WHEN I GOT TO THE END OF MY DRIVEWAY MY CAR CONTINUED INTO THE ROADWAY BEFORE COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP. IF THERE HAD BEEN A CAR COMING I WOULD HAVE POSSIBLY BEEN KILLED OR POSSIBLY KILLED SOMEONE. ONCE I ARRIVED AT WORK I CALLED MY HUSBAND AND TOLD HIM I COULD HEAR A HISSING SOUND WHEN I PRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL, THIS NOISE JUST STARTED TODAY, AND I ALSO TOLD HIM ABOUT NOT STOPPING AT THE END OF OUR DRIVEWAY. I ALSO FORGOT TO MENTION ONCE I SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF WITH MY FOOT STILL ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE BRAKE PEDAL PUSHES AGAINST MY FOOT. THIS IS A NEW SYMPTOM AS WELL. WHILE I WAS AT THE BANK DRIVE THRU AFTER WORK MY CAR DIDN'T WANT TO STOP WHEN I PULLED UP TO THE DRIVE THRU. MY HUSBAND TOOK MY VEHICLE TO AUTOZONE TO PRICE A BRAKE BOOSTER AS THIS IS WHAT HE THOUGHT MAY BE THE PROBLEM, (VERY EXPENSIVE AND IT'S A REBUILT PART, NOT EVEN NEW!). WHEN HE ARRIVED HOME WITH MY CAR HE INFORMED ME I CANNOT DRIVE MY CAR UNTIL WE CAN…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 18, 2016Service brakesODI 10885712

Showing 6 of 26 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 11, 2026NHTSA vehicle page

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.