IllustrationCONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE, AND BOTH FRONTAL AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. VEHICLE WAS TRAVELLING BETWEEN 30-40MPH. CONSUMER STATED THAT OWNER'S MANUAL CLEARLY STATED THAT AIRBAGS SHOULD DEPLOY AT 15MPH IN A FRONTAL COLLISION.*AK
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 reportsCONSUMER SET THE CRUISE CONTROL AT 35 MPH, AT THE NEXT BLOCK THE VEHICLE BEGAN SPEEDING AT 60MPH AND WAS CLIMBING, CONSUMER SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL WHILE THE RPMS WENT TO 6000, CONSUMER THEN SHUT OFF THE IGNITION, DEALER FOUND THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL ACTUATOR WAS AT FAULT. *SLC
CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD ON COLLISION, AND THE AIR BAGS NOT TO DEPLOY.*JB
THE CONSUMER LOSS CONTROL OF VEHICLE GOING 65MPH ON A STRAIGHT PATH, THE VEHICLE WAS RAPIDLY THROWN TO THE RIGHT AND LEFT SEVERAL TIMES AFTER IT ROLLED OVER 8-10 TIMES.
PREMATURE WEARING OF BRAKE PADS, MAKING VEHICLE HARD TO STOP. *AK THE VEHICLE MAKES NOISE. AT FIRST THE DEALER TURNED PADS, SECOND THE DEALER INSTALLED UPDATED FRONT BRAKE PADS, THEN REPLACED BOTH REAR DRUMS BUT THE PROBLEM REMAINS UNSOLVED. WHILE DRIVING WITH THE A/C FAN ON THERE WAS A VIBRATION IN DASH AREA. THE ROOF RACK SCR…
Read full complaint
PREMATURE WEARING OF BRAKE PADS, MAKING VEHICLE HARD TO STOP. *AK THE VEHICLE MAKES NOISE. AT FIRST THE DEALER TURNED PADS, SECOND THE DEALER INSTALLED UPDATED FRONT BRAKE PADS, THEN REPLACED BOTH REAR DRUMS BUT THE PROBLEM REMAINS UNSOLVED. WHILE DRIVING WITH THE A/C FAN ON THERE WAS A VIBRATION IN DASH AREA. THE ROOF RACK SCREW WAS LOOSE AND FELL OUT. THE CENTER SEAT BELT WAS MISSING TRIM PIECE. THE REAR DOOR RATTLES WHILE CLOSING. *YH
WHEN BRAKING AT SLOW SPEEDS THERE IS A GRINDING AND A HOWLING NOISE, ALSO EXTENDED BRAKING DISTANCE. DEALER FOUND NO PROBLEM.*AK *TT
TIRES PROVIDE EXTREMELY POOR TRACTION IN RAIN OR SNOW. AT THE RECOMMENDED PSI, THE TIRES SPIN WHEN ACCELERATING AND SKID WHEN STOPPING ON WET PAVEMENT AT ANYTHING OTHER THAN EXTREMELY SLOW SPEEDS. WITH ANY SNOWCOVER ON PAVEMENT, THE VEHICLE IS VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO PREVENT FROM SLIDING OR SKIDDING AT VIRTUALLY ANY SPEED. THE…
Read full complaint
TIRES PROVIDE EXTREMELY POOR TRACTION IN RAIN OR SNOW. AT THE RECOMMENDED PSI, THE TIRES SPIN WHEN ACCELERATING AND SKID WHEN STOPPING ON WET PAVEMENT AT ANYTHING OTHER THAN EXTREMELY SLOW SPEEDS. WITH ANY SNOWCOVER ON PAVEMENT, THE VEHICLE IS VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO PREVENT FROM SLIDING OR SKIDDING AT VIRTUALLY ANY SPEED. THE ONLY WAY I WAS ABLE TO USE THE VEHICLE AT ALL DURING THE WINTER WAS TO REDUCE THE AIR PRESSURE IN THE TIRES DRAMATICALLY ... AND EVEN THEN I WAS TAKING MY LIFE IN MY HANDS EVERYTIME I DROVE ON EVEN LIGHTLY SNOW DUSTED PAVEMENT. I HAVE DRIVEN IN SNOW FOR 30 YEARS AND THESE ARE THE WORST TIRES I '*AK (TIRESIZE: P215/70R16)
A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN WAS ISSUED IN OCTOBER 2001 REGARDING A REAR BRAKE PROBLEM. CONSUMERS VEHICLE HAD BEEN HAVING BRAKE PROBLEMS BUT DID NOT LEARN OF THE TSB UNTIL JANUARY 2002. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE IN TO THE DEALER WHERE PURCHASED AND REQUESTED THE APPROPRIATE REPAIRS BUT WAS DENIED BECAUSE VEHICLE WAS OVER THE 36,00…
Read full complaint
A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN WAS ISSUED IN OCTOBER 2001 REGARDING A REAR BRAKE PROBLEM. CONSUMERS VEHICLE HAD BEEN HAVING BRAKE PROBLEMS BUT DID NOT LEARN OF THE TSB UNTIL JANUARY 2002. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE IN TO THE DEALER WHERE PURCHASED AND REQUESTED THE APPROPRIATE REPAIRS BUT WAS DENIED BECAUSE VEHICLE WAS OVER THE 36,000 MILE LIMIT. *JG
THE VEHICLE DOESN'T RESPOND TO THROTTLE PRESSURE AND TRANSMISSION DOESN'T SHIFT DOWN PROPERLY. THIS IS NOTICED AS A HESITATION. WHEN THE TRANSMISSION FINALLY DOWN SHIFTS IT SHIFTS ALL THE WAY TO FIRST GEAR, THEN ROARS FOR A FEW SECONDS, THEN SHIFTS QUICKLY.
BRAKES WERE SQUEALING. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER AND HAD BRAKES REPLACED, BUT PROBLEM STILL EXISTS.THERE WAS A TSB ON VEHICLE.*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.