Complaints concentrate on the electrical system: 33% of the 348 on file. The top components are electrical system (116, of which 3 mention a crash, 21 a fire and 2 an injury), power train (27, of which 3 mention a crash and 3 an injury) and exterior lighting (20, of which 1 mentions a crash). Across all 348 reports, 33 describe a crash, 33 a fire and 14 at least one injury.
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Recent reports
22 complaints (6% of the total) were filed in the last 12 months, a slow but steady flow of new reports, most often about the electrical system (7).
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Changes from 2017
EPA lists the same engines, transmissions and drive types as 2017; two recall campaigns name one of the two years and not the other (equipment and tires).
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Fuel economy and running cost
Its most efficient version (2.5-litre 4-cylinder hybrid) is rated 32 mpg combined, better than most for the 2018 SUVs we cover (median 24 mpg across 52 other EPA listings); the thirstiest version is rated 24 mpg. At 15,000 miles a year and the national average regular gasoline price of $4.28 (EIA, week of Oct 19, 2026), fuel would cost about $2,010 a year in the most efficient version and about $2,680 in the thirstiest.
Body class
SUV
Drive types
All-Wheel Drive, Front-Wheel Drive
Complaint trends
348 complaints on file with NHTSA, by category.
Electrical116 (33%)
Other97 (28%)
Visibility & lighting40 (11%)
Drivetrain27 (8%)
Brakes24 (7%)
Engine16 (5%)
Airbag15 (4%)
Steering12 (3%)
Fuel system1 (0%)
Top components as NHTSA logged them:
Electrical system — 85 complaints (24%)
Unknown or other — 53 complaints (15%)
Exterior lighting — 17 complaints (5%)
Visibility/wiper — 15 complaints (4%)
Service brakes — 13 complaints (4%)
Power train — 12 complaints (3%)
What owners told NHTSA
Short excerpts from owner reports submitted to NHTSA. They are unverified and describe one vehicle each.
“While I am driving my Toyota RAV4, the car will suddenly shut off and I can restart it and keep driving as the month is going on. The incidents are happening more often and now the dashboard is going black.”
“Malfunction: Mechanical failure of the Torque Converter Clutch. The vehicle exhibits a persistent transmission shudder during acceleration between 25–50 mph. Warning Signs: None.”
“The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Rav4 Hybrid. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the messages "Pre-Collision", "Braking Power Low", and "AWD System Malfunction" were displayed. The cause of the failure was not yet determined.”
Recalls
3 campaigns on file. Check a specific car with our VIN recall check.
A battery short circuit increases the risk of a fire.
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2013-2018 RAV4 vehicles. Certain replacement 12-volt batteries may not fit properly in the battery tray, allowing the battery to move and contact the hold-down bracket, possibly causing a short circuit.
Consequence: A battery short circuit increases the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the battery clamp sub-assembly, battery tray, and positive terminal cover, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed December 27, 2024, to 2013-2014 RAV4 owners. Additional owner notification letters will be mailed in phases, phase 2 will begin on May 14, 2025, and phase 3 in late July 2025.
Equipment:other:labels· 19V503000 · 2019-06-28
An incorrect label may lead to unintentionally overloading the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Toyota Camry, Corolla, Rav4, Sienna, and Yaris iA vehicles equipped with factory-installed floor mats. The load carrying capacity modification label may be incorrect. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Consequence: An incorrect label may lead to unintentionally overloading the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: SET will notify owners and provide a corrected label for placement over the inaccurate label, free of charge. The recall began August 23, 2019.
Equipment:other:labels· 17V831000 · 2017-12-20
An incorrect load information label can result in the operator overloading the vehicle and increasing the risk of a crash.
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Toyota 4Runner and Tundra, 2018 Toyota Highlander, RAV4 and Lexus GX460 and 2017 Toyota Sienna and Tacoma vehicles. These vehicles may have incorrect load carrying capacity modification labels. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Consequence: An incorrect load information label can result in the operator overloading the vehicle and increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners and provide them with corrected labels, free of charge. The recall began on January 23, 2018.
Investigations
PE21005 (PE)Closed
Electrical system:12V/24V/48V battery
Opened 2021-02-25 · Closed 2024-08-12
NHTSA summary
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE) to understand the contributing factors and frequency of vehicle fires originating from the battery region of the engine compartment in Model Year (MY) 2013-2018 Toyota RAV4 vehicles on 25 February 2021. At the time of opening, ODI attributed eleven allegations and additional EWR events to this PE. PE21005 focused on replacement batteries installed in the subject vehicles. No reported fire event identified in PE21005 involved the originally supplied 12V battery. The reported fires took place in vehicles known to con…
Manufacturer communications
Service bulletins and other notices the manufacturer filed with NHTSA. They are not recalls.
Built from NHTSA, EPA (fueleconomy.gov) and EIA records with fixed rules; complaint counts reflect reporting, not defect rates. How we make CarTold · Methodology · Buyer guides
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