IllustrationFRONTAL CRASH TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 35-40 MPH. AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *CB
2001 Toyota RAV4
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2001 Toyota RAV4 do not stand out strongly from 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
130–25K
525–50K
2950–75K
6875–100K
93100–150K
28150K+
236 reports with mileage · 73 unknown
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.
- Power Train. Review the 190 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 60 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 28 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
18 crash reports2 fire reports9 injury reports
What owners actually said
309 reportsI HAVE A 2001 TOYOTA RAV 4 THAT CHUGS AND SINCE THE CHANGING OF THE CATALYTIC CONVERTOR IS GETTING BETWEEN 12 AND 14 MPG. IT IS GOING IN TO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP ON 010504 FOR THE 4TH TIME. IN NOV. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THAT IS WHEN THEY REPLACED THE CATALYTIC CONVERTOR AND SOME SENSORS. SINCE THE REPLACING OF THE I…
Read full complaint
I HAVE A 2001 TOYOTA RAV 4 THAT CHUGS AND SINCE THE CHANGING OF THE CATALYTIC CONVERTOR IS GETTING BETWEEN 12 AND 14 MPG. IT IS GOING IN TO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP ON 010504 FOR THE 4TH TIME. IN NOV. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THAT IS WHEN THEY REPLACED THE CATALYTIC CONVERTOR AND SOME SENSORS. SINCE THE REPLACING OF THE ITEMS IS WHEN THE GAS MILEAGE HAS DECREASED. THE PREVIOUS OWNER ALSO HAD THE CHUGGING PROBLEM AND WAS TOLD THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING.*AK
A CONSTANT RATTLE/SQUEAK IN FRONT DASH. THE REAR TIRE MOUNT RATTLES/SQUEAKS TO THE POINT THAT I HAVE TO REMOVE THE TIRE MOUNT. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH CONSUMER'S VEHICLE REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE. UPON IMPACT, DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY.*AK
THE CUSTOMER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION IN WHICH THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY AND THE SEAT BELT DID NOT PROPERLY RESTRAIN THE DRIVER. THE DRIVER HIT HIS HEAD ON THE STEERING WHEEL AND SUSTAINED MULTIPLE INJURIES. *AK *SCC *NLM
THE VEHICLE HAS A HESITATION DURING ACCELERATION MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE IF I CAN SAFELY MERGE INTO TRAFFIC. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER ,AND THEY SAID THAT THEY HAD TO CLEAR THE ONBOARD COMPUTER'S MEMORY, AND THE PROBLEM SHOULD BE CLEARED UP. NOTHING WAS SAID ON HOW OR WHY THIS WOULD FIX THE PROBLEM BUT IT DID NOT…
Read full complaint
THE VEHICLE HAS A HESITATION DURING ACCELERATION MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE IF I CAN SAFELY MERGE INTO TRAFFIC. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER ,AND THEY SAID THAT THEY HAD TO CLEAR THE ONBOARD COMPUTER'S MEMORY, AND THE PROBLEM SHOULD BE CLEARED UP. NOTHING WAS SAID ON HOW OR WHY THIS WOULD FIX THE PROBLEM BUT IT DID NOT. THE DAY AFTER THE CLEARING OF THE MEMORY THE VEHICLE DID THIS AGAIN. I WAS TOLD TO BRING IT INTO THE DEALER AGAIN FOR ANOTHER CLEARING OF MEMORY. WHAT MEASURES CAN I TAKE TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE? I CANNOT BE EXPECTED TO BRING THIS IN EVERY WEEK. *AK
SQUEALING, HOWLING BRAKES. SINCE I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE "NEW" IN NOV, 2000, AND IT IS THE 2001 RAV4 L MODEL, I HAVE GONE BACK 3-4 TIMES, AND NOTHING THEY DO HELPS THE PROBLEM. THEY TELL ME THE CAR IS SAFE AND THAT SQUEALING IS NORMAL. THIS IS NOT A NORMAL SQUEAL, OR SCREECH, ITS MORE LIKE "HOWLING". *AK
BRAKES WERE APPLIED VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED.*JB,...*AK
CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED THE ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND WILL STAY ON THE REMAINDER OF THE TIME THE VEHICLE IS BEING OPERATED. DEALER NOTIFIED. TS
OUR RAV4 2001 ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN AFTER WE CAME TO A STOP AND RESULTED IN US CRASHING HEAD ON INTO A BRICK BUILDING WITHOUT THE AIRBAGS OPENING CAUSING TREMENDEOUS AMOUNT OF DAMAGE TO THE BUILDING BOTH AUTOS ON EACH SIDE AND OF COURSE OUR CAR. TWO DAYS BEFORE, IT ACCELERATED AGAIN AFTER WE CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP WAITING IN …
Read full complaint
OUR RAV4 2001 ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN AFTER WE CAME TO A STOP AND RESULTED IN US CRASHING HEAD ON INTO A BRICK BUILDING WITHOUT THE AIRBAGS OPENING CAUSING TREMENDEOUS AMOUNT OF DAMAGE TO THE BUILDING BOTH AUTOS ON EACH SIDE AND OF COURSE OUR CAR. TWO DAYS BEFORE, IT ACCELERATED AGAIN AFTER WE CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP WAITING IN LINE FOR GAS JUST MISSING US CRASHING INTO A TRUCK.*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.