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2003 Toyota RAV4

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2003 Toyota RAV4 do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 258.5.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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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

275 reports with mileage · 39 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 209 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 42 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 29 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 reports4 fire reports8 injury reports

Steering complaints

3 reports
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80,048 miles · Jul 2, 2013
Fuel System, GasolinePower TrainSteeringCrash

I WAS AT A STOP SIGN NO GAS, TURNED DOWN HILL IN SNOW CAR ACCELERATED GOING STRAIGHT INTO DOWNED TREE. MY VEHICLE IS NOT ON THE RECALL LIST AND HAS HAD STICKING ACCELERATOR, REAR END CLUNKING NOISE AND POWER STEERING HAS MADE IT WHERE I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE VEHICLE. MY SERVICE ANIMAL HIT THE WINDSHIELD THAT SHATTERED WHEN VEHICLE…

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I WAS AT A STOP SIGN NO GAS, TURNED DOWN HILL IN SNOW CAR ACCELERATED GOING STRAIGHT INTO DOWNED TREE. MY VEHICLE IS NOT ON THE RECALL LIST AND HAS HAD STICKING ACCELERATOR, REAR END CLUNKING NOISE AND POWER STEERING HAS MADE IT WHERE I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE VEHICLE. MY SERVICE ANIMAL HIT THE WINDSHIELD THAT SHATTERED WHEN VEHICLE ACCELERATED AND HAD TO SLAM ON BRAKES AT ANOTHER TIME. I'VE HAD OTHER NEAR MISSES AND TWO LEFT OF CENTER TICKETS WITH POWER STEERING ISSUES. I HAVE TAKEN INTO TOYOTA FOR STEERING AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND THEY WILL NOT EVEN WRITE SERVICE TICKET. THEY FILLED POWER STEERING FLUID SAID NO PROBLEM. THEY KEEP RESETTING CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STATING ITS GAS CAP. THIS CAR IS A LEMON, TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, COMPUTER. THIS IS THE FIRST NEW VEHICLE I EVER BOUGHT AND WISH I WOULD HAVE STUCK WITH USED. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10522946

40,000 miles · May 26, 2009
Steering

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO DRIFT UNCONTROLLABLY TOWARD THE RIGHT. AS AN ATTEMPT TO GAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND TURNED THE STEERING COLUMN. AS A RESULT, HE CRASHED INTO A TRAFFIC DIVIDING WALL. UPON FURTHER INSPECT…

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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO DRIFT UNCONTROLLABLY TOWARD THE RIGHT. AS AN ATTEMPT TO GAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND TURNED THE STEERING COLUMN. AS A RESULT, HE CRASHED INTO A TRAFFIC DIVIDING WALL. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, HE NOTICED THAT THE TIE ROD FAILED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED REPAIR SHOP AND THE TECHNICIAN CONCLUDED THAT THE TIE ROD FRACTURED AND CAUSED THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 40,000.

NHTSA ODI #10269934

40,000 miles · May 26, 2009
SteeringCrash

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO DRIFT UNCONTROLLABLY TOWARD THE RIGHT. AS AN ATTEMPT TO GAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND TURNED THE STEERING COLUMN. AS A RESULT, HE CRASHED INTO A TRAFFIC DIVIDING WALL. UPON FURTHER INSPECT…

Read full complaint

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO DRIFT UNCONTROLLABLY TOWARD THE RIGHT. AS AN ATTEMPT TO GAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND TURNED THE STEERING COLUMN. AS A RESULT, HE CRASHED INTO A TRAFFIC DIVIDING WALL. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, HE NOTICED THAT THE TIE ROD FAILED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED REPAIR SHOP AND THE TECHNICIAN CONCLUDED THAT THE TIE ROD FRACTURED AND CAUSED THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 40,000.

NHTSA ODI #10269909

Official recalls

0

No 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

1

DP22005 · Pedestrian Alert Sounds

Opened Jan 27, 2023 · Closed Aug 7, 2023

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Electrical System:propulsion System

NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified NHTSA he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review of data, there is no justification for asserting potential benefits that could be derived from actions sought by my petition. Based on the petitioner's withdrawal, DP22-005 is closed. Closure of this DP does not represent a determination by NHTSA regarding the subject matter of the petition.

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