Toyota RAV4

Where it stands out against its peers

• Fuel/propulsion system: more complaints than 97% of 2019 cars — 29% of its 875 complaints, where an ordinary 2019 car has 7%.

Same model year only, at least 30 peer cars, zeros included. Every car has a worst part; this shows which, and how far from ordinary it is. A high share means more to check, not a verdict.

Before you buy one

Built from what this car fails on, not from general knowledge of the model.

• FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — 213 owners reported this
• ENGINE — 134 owners reported this, 1 involving a crash
• POWER TRAIN — 47 owners reported this
• STRUCTURE — 45 owners reported this, 1 involving a crash
• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — 28 owners reported this
• SERVICE BRAKES — 13 owners reported this, 1 involving a crash
• STEERING — 13 owners reported this, 1 involving a crash
• VISIBILITY/WIPER — 12 owners reported this

Crash test

Crash-tested by NHTSA, the American road safety agency.

Specification

Recalls

Filed by the manufacturer with a regulator. A recall is repaired free of charge, whoever owns the car now.

77% of 2022 cars have more recall campaigns than this one, and an ordinary one has 3. More of them means more to check the service record for, not a worse car.

• 13V014000

  If the front passenger seat occupant sensing system is out of calibration, the front passenger airbags may not deploy or they may deploy inappropriately for the passenger's size and position. This could increase the risk of personal injury during the event of a vehicle crash necessitating airbag deployment.

  Southeast Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will test the sensitivity of the occupant detection sensors, and recalibrate them as necessary. The recall began on March 21, 2013. Owners may contact Southeast Toyota at 1-800-301-6859.

• 13V123000

  An inaccurate label could lead to owners overloading their vehicles and tires. An overloaded vehicle can result in a tire failure which may result in a vehicle crash, personal injury, or property damage.

  Southeast Toyota will notify owners and provide a corrected label with instructions concerning its installation. A small group of the affected vehicles will need additonal remedies which are still being developed. The recall began on May 28, 2013. Owners may contact Southeast Toyota at 1-800-301-6859.

• 14V054000

  If this occurs, these systems could become inoperative, reducing the directional control assistance, increasing the risk of a crash.

  Toyota will notify owners, and Toyota and Lexus dealers will update the software for the Skid Control electronic control unit, free of charge. The recall began on March 28, 2014. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.

• 14V828000

  Accessories that detach from a vehicle may result in a vehicle crash and/or personal injury.

  SET will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and tighten the affected bolts, free of charge. The recall began February 23, 2015. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET's number for this recall is SET-14B.

• 15V011000

  If the system incorrectly detects an electrical short and turns off the trailer lights while the trailer is being towed at night, there is an increased risk of a crash.

  SET will notify owners, and dealers will replace the trailer light module with a new unit with corrected software, free of charge. The recall began on March 17, 2015. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET's number for this recall is SET-15A.

• 15V144000

  An unexpected loss of power steering increases the risk of a crash.

  Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the serial number of the EPS ECU or steering column assembly. If the number is within the affected range, the EPS ECU will be replaced, free of charge. The recall began on May 7, 2015. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.

• 15V577000

  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.

  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.

• 16V096000

  A cut seat belt may not properly restrain the seat occupant, increasing their risk of injury in a crash.

  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.

15 more campaigns have been filed against this model. A dealer can check by VIN which apply to one car.

Regulator investigations

Opened by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. An investigation is a question the regulator asked about a possible defect, not a fault it found — most end without a recall.

• Pedestrian alert sounds

  Defect petition, opened January 2023, closed August 2023.

• Battery Hold Down Bracket Thermal Events

  Preliminary evaluation, opened February 2021, closed August 2024.

• Power Window Master Switch Fire

  Engineering analysis, opened June 2012, closed February 2013.

• Rear Suspension Arm Assembly Failure

  Preliminary evaluation, opened June 2012, closed September 2012.

• Autoliv Air Bag Propellant Mixture

  Investigation EQ, opened February 2012, closed May 2012.

• Power Window Master Switch Fire

  Preliminary evaluation, opened February 2012, closed June 2012.

• Unintended and Uncontrolled Acceleration

  Recall query, opened February 2010, closed March 2011.

What the maker told its dealers

Service bulletins are the manufacturer's own repair guidance to dealers, filed with NHTSA. A bulletin is not a defect finding; the count rises with how many things a maker writes down, not only with how many go wrong.

Toyota filed 29 bulletins about the 2026 RAV4.

• Engine: 3
• Electrical system: 2
• Wheels: 1
• Other: 23

• State of Health (SOH): An estimate of battery health that is updated as the vehicle learns from operating and charging conditions over time. Distance Since Last Update: Indicates the distance… · August 2026
• 2026 model year Toyota vehicles are equipped with driver side floor mat retainers to secure the floor mat in the correct position. In addition, some models may also utilize retainers for passenger… · July 2026
• During the manufacturing process, tires are mounted on the vehicle as matched sets to help reduce conditions such as pulling or drifting. If the wheels are replaced or refinished before vehicle… · July 2026
• A battery in a stored vehicle is subject to conditions that can reduce its performance and service life. These conditions include storage period, temperature, parasitic drain, and battery load.… · July 2026
• Long-term or off-site storage requires special care to maintain vehicle condition. The following guidelines should be performed to minimize vehicle component/part degradation due to extendedvehicle… · July 2026
• Some 26MY RAV4 HV/PHV vehicles with HU (head unit) versions 1136 or older may exhibit one or more of theintermittent conditions below: • No sound from JBL audio at start up. • CarPlay audio and… · June 2026
• Some 2026 RAV4 HV vehicles may display a Distance to Empty (DTE) that is higher than expected at initial fill-up. The DTE is computed using the amount of fuel remaining and a learned value that is… · June 2026
• Pre-Delivery Service (PDS) is a critical step in satisfying our new car customers. Customer feedback indicates the following areas deserve special attention when performing PDS: • Careful inspection… · June 2026

21 more.

Grouped by NHTSA's top-level system; a bulletin filed under a sub-heading counts toward its system.