IllustrationTHE FRONT STRUTS ON MY 1996 TOYOTA RAV4 HAVE BEEN LEAKING FOR SOMETIME. WHEN THIS WAS DICOVERED THE VEHICLE ONLY HAD 30,000 MILES AND HAS NEVER BEEN OFF RAOD.*AK
1996 Toyota RAV4
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Fewer warning signs than most model years
Owner complaints for the 1996 Toyota RAV4 are lower than the model-year median of 258.5.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all RAV4 years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 8 of 47 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 9 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
4 crash reports2 fire reports4 injury reports
Suspension complaints
2 reportsCONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 50 MPH DURING HIGH WINDS, PROCEEDING AROUND A MOUNTAIN, THE VEHICLE FELT AS IF IT WAS GOING TO ROLLOVER. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER, DEALER UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. *AK
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.