CarTold

2018 vs. 2019 Toyota RAV4: What Changed

Our records for the 2018 and 2019 Toyota RAV4 show 3 differences in the specifications and ratings tracked below.

A 8-speed automatic appears for 2019.

The 6-speed automatic listed for 2018 is not in the 2019 listing.

The best combined rating for the 2.5-litre four-cylinder rises from 32 to 40 mpg.

One campaign covers both years. Two campaigns (electrical system and equipment) cover the 2018 and not the 2019, while six campaigns (back over prevention, engine and engine cooling, equipment and others) cover the 2019 and not the 2018.

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 2018

  • 17V831000 equipment
  • 23V734000 electrical system

Only the 2019

  • 19V244000 equipment
  • 19V576000 back over prevention
  • 20V064000 engine and engine cooling
  • 20V286000 suspension
  • 20V373000 steering
  • 20V682000 fuel system
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

2018 2019
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 28–40
Recall campaigns 3 7
Complaints on file 345 898
Investigations 1 0
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

2018

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

2019

Other 428 (48%)
Engine 167 (19%)
Electrical 91 (10%)

Full reports

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

2018 RAV4 full report 2019 RAV4 full report Every RAV4 year compared

Sources and methodology