2009 Toyota RAV4 engine problems
27 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the engine on the 2009 Toyota RAV4 — 8% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2009 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that there was an abnormal grinding sound coming from the engine at startup. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and the contact was informed that the engine was consuming an excessive…”
filed Apr 20, 2026
“Engine timeing system rattle on startup. Even basic web research shows this is a common problem for select model years and acorss mulitple models. This issue has a high probility of causing catastrophic engine damage, where the timeing chain & VVT system fails to keep timing causing the valves to…”
filed Oct 24, 2025
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Engine problems in other RAV4 years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 RAV4 | 11 | 15% |
| 2024 RAV4 | 37 | 22% |
| 2023 RAV4 | 22 | 15% |
| 2022 RAV4 | 26 | 19% |
| 2021 RAV4 | 38 | 10% |
| 2020 RAV4 | 179 | 29% |
| 2019 RAV4 | 203 | 23% |
| 2018 RAV4 | 32 | 10% |
| 2017 RAV4 | 31 | 10% |
| 2016 RAV4 | 25 | 11% |
| 2015 RAV4 | 37 | 12% |
| 2014 RAV4 | 31 | 16% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2009 Toyota RAV4
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.