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1994-2025 · 32 model years

Toyota RAV4 Problems by year

Owners have filed 7,074 complaints about the Toyota RAV4 across 32 model years, and it has 52 recalls. The 2007 has the most complaints once its age is allowed for (1,003), while 1994, 1995, 1996 have far fewer than a typical year. The most reported problem area is the transmission & drivetrain, followed by the engine & cooling.

Most complaints for its age20071,003 complaints · 14 recallsSee the 2007
Complaints
7,074
Recalls
52
Crashes
596
Fires
214
Injuries
403
Deaths
10

RAV4 complaints by model year

Highlighted: the year with the most complaints for its age. Older vehicles have had more time to collect complaints - the Safety Index grade allows for that.

YearComplaintsRecallsCrashesFiresTop problemGrade
20250300-A
20240300-A
20230300-A
20220100-A
20210100-A
20200600-A
20198887253Fuel systemF
201833333133Electrical systemF
20170300-A
20160300-A
201530543741Electrical systemF
201419842025Electrical systemD
20130200-A
20122665394Visibility & wipersD
201128711448Acceleration & cruise controlF
201040014573SuspensionF
200932715523Acceleration & cruise controlF
2008575144216Engine & coolingF
20071,003145337SteeringF
200670411265SteeringF
20051415222AirbagsC
20041542164AirbagsC
20033270204Transmission & drivetrainD
200255503915Transmission & drivetrainF
20013140192Transmission & drivetrainF
200040360Engine & coolingA
1999635145AirbagsB
1998855200BrakesC
199757192Engine & coolingA
199647142BrakesA
19951000-A
19944010AirbagsA

Most common RAV4 problems

Toyota RAV4 recalls 52

Tires: valve

23V485000195 vehicles affected

Gulf States Toyota, Inc. (GST) is recalling certain 2023 Toyota RAV4 vehicles equipped with 17" black alloy accessory wheels. During installation of the alloy wheels, the tire valve stem may have been improperly installed or damaged. In addition, the load...

Latest RAV4 complaints

2019 Toyota RAV4Body, doors & structure

On October 12, 2026, the power back door on my 2019 RAV4 XSE Hybrid stopped closing all the way. It would come down and stop before it latched. The left side of the door (driver's side) sticks out past the body and doesn't line up anymore, and the two pieces of the taillight on that side don't match up. The right side closes too tightly and rubs up against the taillight. It wont latch unless forced and pulled from the inside. I have only done this once to get it shut, and one more time when showing the autobody...

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shop the issue. I don't know what caused it. But it appears the hinges are pulling away from the body of the car. The latch looked ok other than some dog hair and dirt in it. The car is available if anyone needs to look at it. Since the door won't close fully, I'm worried about exhaust getting into the car when I drive. I will have to get it fixed before we get into winter and it starts snowing. I called Toyota and they have no recall for the problem, even thought I have found numerous posts about it online and a class action suit from 2024. I first noticed it on October 12 when the door wouldn't shut.

Filed Incident StructureNHTSA 11777162
2014 Toyota RAV4Transmission & drivetrain

My vehicle, 2014 Toyota rav4 xle AWD, is experiencing symptoms relating to the Toyota Warranty Enhancement Program ZH1 and is causing unsafe driving conditions. Toyota Corp has refused to honor this enhancement warranty simply because it is outside of the time frame of 8 years, however it is still under the mileage cutoff of 150k. This transmission shudder causes sudden hesitation and a loss of smooth power under acceleration, creating an unsafe driving conditions especially when trying to merge onto the highway. First started approximately 10 months after purchasing vehicle.

Filed Incident Power trainNHTSA 11776694
2019 Toyota RAV4Suspension

Both of my rear control arms failed on my 2019 rav 4. They failed at the same time, this is very unusual so I looked into it and found a recall Toyota's 2020 recall (20TA08 / NHTSA 20V-286). however it only involves the front control arms. I feel this needs to be looked into. I'm asking my mechanic to take pictures and document everything.

Filed Incident SuspensionNHTSA 11775702
2019 Toyota RAV4Engine & cooling

My transmission failed, torque converter. My check engine light came on with "AWD malfunction" on the dash on 10/21/26. I had to get it towed to the closest dealership. I was told it is covered under warranty to replace and repair, the following Tuesday 10/27/2 I havd to call and ask what was going on. They then informed me the part is on back order until end of December (they do not have a date) 2026- Leaving me with no vehicle for 2 months, Krause Toyota will not let me drive the car (not state legal with a...

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faulty transmission) and only gave me a rental for 5 days. I am now forced to pay out of pocket for however long they will have my Rav4. I have called the Brand Engagement department and they have not been very helpful. The guys in the service department at Krause are extremely rude and bothered by the fact that I had questions. I did ask about the lawsuit regarding my 2019 Rav4 faulty transmissions and they said they didn't know anything about it. Any help regarding this very frustrating matter would be helpful.

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 11775498
2019 Toyota RAV4Transmission & drivetrain

2019 Toyota RAV4, Adventure model, AWD. Toyota issues a Toyota Customer Support Program "20TE03" which extends warranty coverage for the front transfer case electro-magnetic clutch in specific 2019-2020 Toyota RAV4 Adventure and Limited AWD vehicles. Toyota's "brand engagement center" says it covers Adventure models manufactured Mar 2018 thru Oct 2019 and my vehicle was mfgd Jan 10th, 2019, smack in the middle of the production period that is covered. Toyota says it's covered under the CSP, but my local dealers are...

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denying it, saying when they try to process the work order, it denies it, saying the last vin KW013786 does not qualify, since the W digit can only be an A, B or C. But when the Toyota "brand engagement center" searches by using my VIN, it says my VIN is indeed included in the "20TE03" Customer Support Program ticket. Or said another way, Toyota says it's covered, the dealer says it's not.

Filed Incident Power trainNHTSA 11774766
2019 Toyota RAV4Body, doors & structure

The contact owns a 2019 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact stated that while attempting to open the driver's and rear passenger's side doors from outside the vehicle, the exterior door handles fractured. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with a fractured rear exterior driver's door handle and rear exterior passenger's door handle. The contact was informed that the exterior door handles needed to be replaced. The dealer was contacted...

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and made aware of the failure. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The manufacturer was contacted, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

Filed Incident StructureNHTSA 11773257

Questions about the Toyota RAV4

Which Toyota RAV4 years have the most problems?

By the number of complaints owners filed with NHTSA: 2007 (1,003), 2019 (888), 2006 (704). Allowing for how long each has been on the road, the 2007 stands out most. Complaint counts also rise with sales, so compare years of the same model rather than different models.

Which Toyota RAV4 years have the fewest complaints?

Among model years that have been on the road for at least three years, 1995, 2021, 1994 have the best Safety Index - the fewest complaints, crashes and recalls for their age compared with other RAV4 years. Always check the exact vehicle's recalls by VIN before you buy.

What are the most common Toyota RAV4 problems?

Across every model year, owners report problems with the transmission & drivetrain (1,260), engine & cooling (1,220), electrical system (843) most often.

How many recalls does the Toyota RAV4 have?

NHTSA lists 52 recalls across all Toyota RAV4 model years. Each year's page lists the recalls for that year; check your own vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether the repair has been done.

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked daily. Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data

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