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2017 vs. 2018 Toyota RAV4: What Changed

EPA lists the same engines, transmissions and drive types for the 2017 and the 2018 Toyota RAV4. Check the individual trims for equipment and production changes these records do not cover.

Two campaigns cover both years. One campaign (tires) covers the 2017 and not the 2018, while one campaign (equipment) covers the 2018 and not the 2017.

Fewer campaigns do not establish better reliability. Confirm each car's coverage and repair status by VIN.

The campaigns that separate them

Imported NHTSA recall campaigns that name one of these two model years but not the other, with their component labels. Campaigns covering both years are left out of this list.

Only the 2017

  • 17V295000 tires

Only the 2018

  • 17V831000 equipment
A campaign may cover only part of a model year's production. Use the campaign number to ask an authorized dealer whether the car's VIN is included and what work remains. Our recall tool finds model-year campaigns; this guide explains the vehicle-specific check.

Side by side

2017 2018
Engines listed 2.5L 4-cyl 2.5L 4-cyl
Drive types Front-Wheel Drive, All-Wheel Drive Front-Wheel Drive, All-Wheel Drive
Fuel types Regular Gasoline Regular Gasoline
Combined MPG 24–32 24–32
Recall campaigns 3 3
Complaints on file 320 345
Investigations 1 1
Complaint totals reflect different time on the road, sales and reporting. They cannot rank these years for reliability. The categories below identify symptoms to read about, not failure odds. How reporting time affects the comparison.

What owners reported, by system

2017

Electrical 103 (32%)
Other 82 (26%)
Visibility & lighting 39 (12%)

2018

Electrical 116 (34%)
Other 96 (28%)
Visibility & lighting 40 (12%)

Full reports

Open each year's report to read the recall, investigation, manufacturer communication and EPA variant records on file:

2017 RAV4 full report 2018 RAV4 full report Every RAV4 year compared

Sources and methodology