Problems · by component

2017 Toyota RAV4 service brakes problems

38 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2017 Toyota RAV4 cite service brakes, 12% of all 307 complaints for this model year.

Complaints
38
12% of all complaints
Crashes
8
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
3
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the service brakes

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“Toyota ABS Actuator Accumulator shows problems after a while. Most common on hybrid vehicles. Signs comes up such ABS Malfunction, Pre-Collision Malfunction, Low Braking Power, and lose traction control.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 11, 2026Electrical system, Service brakes, Forward collision avoidanceODI 11763678
“I was pulling into a parking spot in a parking garage and pressed on the brake. The brake pedal did not offer the usual resistance and went flat to the floor. The car began to accelerate and smashed into a concrete I-beam on the wall of the garage. I put the car in park and kept my foot on the brake but it still kept trying to move forward. Then I put it in reverse and it slowly backed away from the wall but still wouldn’t stop with the brake applied and in park. I pulled the emergency brake on and the car stopped and then I turned off the engine.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 29, 2026Vehicle speed control, Service brakesCrash reportedODI 11760634
“The brake system on my 2017 Toyota RAV4 LE has repeatedly failed to provide normal stopping power, even after the replacement of pads and rotors in July 2025. This poses a serious safety hazard and may indicate a defect in the braking system.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 16, 2025Service brakesODI 11687684
“Hi, Im reporting a serious safety issue with my 2017 Toyota rav4 The emergencybrake failed to engage, which caused the car to roll down the hill , I took the car to Toyota dealership while it was under the warranty and back down they told me it was nothing wrong with it. It just needed to be adjusted but it never worked the way it should have I do have a family and friends. They do have the same car and all have Same issues with E brake not not engaging l like this to be documented,”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 19, 2025Service brakesODI 11655601
“I have put 45,000 miles on the vehicle and have had complete brakes and rotors replaced 3 times. The caliper hangs up every time. As it gets closer to replacement time, I have experienced times when I did not think my car was going to stop. Brakes are spongy and I feel like pushing the pedal down is not enough to stop the car. I have experienced this three times, and thankfully it has stopped in time to avoid collision.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 8, 2025Service brakesODI 11653409
“My Toyota RAV4 was involved in an accident. My vehicle was rear-ended on [XXX], at the corner of [XXX] and [XXX] in Tucson, AZ. Because it was during rush hour traffic, I moved my vehicle to an adjacent parking lot. It was while I was in this parking lot that I experienced brake failure and I was unable to stop my vehicle. As a result, my car hit a concrete pillar in the parking lot. This automatically stopped my vehicle and resulted in front end damage to my vehicle. 911 was dispatched and a sheriff was called to the accident scene. My car was towed to a tow yard before the Toyota collision center could begin work on estimating the amount of damages to my vehicle for the front-end and rear-end damage. My insurance company totaled my vehicle. I contacted Toyota to notify them of this brake failure. I was notified by a third party to contact you to report this incident.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 9, 2024Service brakesCrash reportedODI 11613612

Showing 6 of 38 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 3, 2026NHTSA vehicle page

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