NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
What owners actually said
239 reportsMileage unknown · Aug 13, 2023
Service BrakesVehicle Speed Control
I was parking the car in a gravel parking lot. When I pressed the brakes and shifted into park it instead accelerated and went over the side of an enbankment. I could not stop it even though my foot was pressing hard on the brake. Luckily there was no other person or property affected by the error and my car did not suffer ex…
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I was parking the car in a gravel parking lot. When I pressed the brakes and shifted into park it instead accelerated and went over the side of an enbankment. I could not stop it even though my foot was pressing hard on the brake. Luckily there was no other person or property affected by the error and my car did not suffer external damage. It damaged a sensor on the bottom side of the car which had to be replaced. There was no indication of any problems beforehand. My mechanic did an extensive review of the car and could not find anything that would have explained the unintended acceleration.
NHTSA ODI #11538262
Mileage unknown · Jul 9, 2023
Air BagsUnknown Or Other
My sunroof is leaking for the fourth time. The first time it ruined the curtain airbags on the driver side. It started leaking again today and I am wondering if the airbags will be damaged again.
NHTSA ODI #11531169
13,000 miles · May 19, 2023
Latches/locks/linkages
The contact owns a 2016 Toyota RAV4. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving, the tailgate was heard opening. The contact also stated that on various occasions while the vehicle was parked, the tailgate ajar message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer however, the failure could not be duplic…
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The contact owns a 2016 Toyota RAV4. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving, the tailgate was heard opening. The contact also stated that on various occasions while the vehicle was parked, the tailgate ajar message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer however, the failure could not be duplicated. The contact stated that the failure recurred and that the tailgate failed to open. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that lubrication needed to be applied to the tailgate. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 13,000.
NHTSA ODI #11522897
109,000 miles · Apr 18, 2023
Latches/locks/linkages
The contact owns a 2016 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated while opening the rear door using the key fob, the door did not open as needed; however, the door was unlocked. The contact was able to open the rear door manually. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the dealer stated that the back upper door power unit needed to be re…
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The contact owns a 2016 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated while opening the rear door using the key fob, the door did not open as needed; however, the door was unlocked. The contact was able to open the rear door manually. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the dealer stated that the back upper door power unit needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 109,000.
NHTSA ODI #11517690
Mileage unknown · Apr 16, 2023
Steering
At about 40,000 miles on the 2016 Toyota Rav4, the steering wheel response became sticky, in the sense that when the driver moves it from left to right (or right to left), it has resistance at certain spots and the driver has to use extra force to move the steering wheel against the resistance. Once the driver uses that extra fo…
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At about 40,000 miles on the 2016 Toyota Rav4, the steering wheel response became sticky, in the sense that when the driver moves it from left to right (or right to left), it has resistance at certain spots and the driver has to use extra force to move the steering wheel against the resistance. Once the driver uses that extra force to steer the wheel over that resistance while turning the steering wheel, the steering wheel slightly jerks and shakes. The steering wheel almost remains stuck while turning, and the driver has to immediately correct to prevent turning too much while driving. This can cause the driver to lose control. The car was taken to a Toyota dealer and inspected. The owner of the vehicle has taken the vehicle to a non-manufacturer mechanic dealer for inspection. No warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms. The problem has been noted by the dealership and the dealership claims that other drivers have experienced the same thing. The non-manufacturer mechanic has also noticed the problem and says the part will arrive in 2 months, as it is currently unavailable. The vehicle is available for inspection by NHTSA upon request.
NHTSA ODI #11517303
Mileage unknown · Feb 17, 2023
Unknown Or Other
My car was parked and when I went in, the drivers seat floor was flooded with rain water due to very heavy rain earlier on. This was on 2/16 /2023. It happened the same on 2/17/2023. Doors and windows were closed properly. It seems the rain water came in from under the steering wheel or filtered from somewhere under it.
NHTSA ODI #11507889
100,000 miles · Feb 16, 2023
Air BagsCrashInjury
The contact owned a 2016 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while stopped in traffic, a GMC Denali crashed into the rear of her vehicle, which caused her vehicle to crash into the rear of a GMC Arcadia. There were no warning lights that were illuminated. The contact sustained injuries to her lower back, arm, upper back, brui…
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The contact owned a 2016 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while stopped in traffic, a GMC Denali crashed into the rear of her vehicle, which caused her vehicle to crash into the rear of a GMC Arcadia. There were no warning lights that were illuminated. The contact sustained injuries to her lower back, arm, upper back, bruises, neck, and head, and medical attention was provided. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed. There was no reported fire. The vehicle was towed to an independent lot. The contact called the local dealer but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
NHTSA ODI #11507691
89,500 miles · Feb 9, 2023
Service BrakesCrashInjury
The contact owns a 2016 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while driving at an undetermined speed, she noticed traffic had slowed down and the driver applied the brake pedal but the brakes failed to respond and crashed into the rear of an unknown vehicle. The TPMS warning indicator light was illuminated. The contact sustained…
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The contact owns a 2016 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while driving at an undetermined speed, she noticed traffic had slowed down and the driver applied the brake pedal but the brakes failed to respond and crashed into the rear of an unknown vehicle. The TPMS warning indicator light was illuminated. The contact sustained injuries to her neck, but medical attention was not provided. A police report was filed. There was no fire due to the crash. All the frontal air bags deployed. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The contact stated the failure was similar to NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V198000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic, Electronic Stability Control). The approximate failure mileage was 89,500.
NHTSA ODI #11506460
Mileage unknown · Feb 8, 2023
Electrical SystemExterior Lighting
I took my car to Toyota for multiple issues with my electrical. My headlights go out every 5-10 minutes when trying to drive at dark. The headlights turn off or do not work if I try to use my blinker or windshield wipers. Three times now my car has stalled when I tried to turn on my headlights while driving. And one time it stal…
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I took my car to Toyota for multiple issues with my electrical. My headlights go out every 5-10 minutes when trying to drive at dark. The headlights turn off or do not work if I try to use my blinker or windshield wipers. Three times now my car has stalled when I tried to turn on my headlights while driving. And one time it stalled when I went to make a left turn. Toyota ran a diagnostic and said everything was fine. I took it to autozone, they said the battery was fine. A third opinion and a new battery later and I’m still having the same problems. No one can tell me what’s wrong.
NHTSA ODI #11506212
Mileage unknown · Dec 25, 2022
Forward Collision AvoidanceVehicle Speed Control
While changing the lane towards right, suddenly my vehicle over accelerated and was about to crash the vehicle ahead of me and quickly I decided to maneuver towards the right shoulder lane and within few seconds and speedy semi-truck passed from the left and saved our lives of 4 people in the car in the busy highway approaching …
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While changing the lane towards right, suddenly my vehicle over accelerated and was about to crash the vehicle ahead of me and quickly I decided to maneuver towards the right shoulder lane and within few seconds and speedy semi-truck passed from the left and saved our lives of 4 people in the car in the busy highway approaching the O'hare Chicago Airport. Safety: Had I not taken towards right to avoid crash on anther vehicle, the high speed truck from the back would have hit us within a few seconds of my alertness. Yes, during Feb.2019, due to excess acceleration, this car crashed towards thick ice and snow while driving through a street, and damaged front bumper.(my wife was seated at passenger side) Called the dealer and took the vehicle to them(Wilde Toyota-West allis), they knew the seriousness, serviced it in their workshop for over a week by changing timing belt, re-programming etc..etc. and returned back my car and said now it should work, it is okay as it should be. Yes, my vehicle was inspected twice by Insurance company, Toyota officials for airbag inspection, workshop mechanics, due to major road accidents (for not my fault) in Oct.2019 and Jan.2020 and repaired at another auto body service center in Milwaukee(Andrew Toyota) and in Madison(Ballbody-A division of Smart Motors). There was no warning signs in the Vehicle as the car runs very well on both highway and city roads.
NHTSA ODI #11498777
Official recalls
3Nov 1, 2023
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2013-2018 RAV4 vehicles. Certain replacement 12-volt batteries may not fit properly in the battery tray, allowing the battery to move and contact the hold-down bracket, possibly causing a short circuit.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A battery short circuit increases the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the battery clamp sub-assembly, battery tray, and positive terminal cover, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed December 27, 2024, to 2013-2014 RAV4 owners. Additional owner notification letters will be mailed in phases, phase 2 will begin on May 14, 2025, and phase 3 in late July 2025. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 23TB13 and 23TA13.
Apr 22, 2016
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2016 Toyota Yaris, Rav4, Land Cruiser and 4Runner vehicles, and Scion FR-S, iM, and TC vehicles manufactured January 28, 2016, to March 14, 2016. The Load Carrying Capacity Modification Label may not reflect the correct added weight of the installed accessories. As a result, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims for Passenger Cars."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: An incorrect label may result in the vehicle being overloaded, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: SET will notify owners, and provide them a corrected label to be installed over the inaccurate label, free of charge. The recall began on June 3, 2016. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET's number for this recall is SET16A.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Equipment:other:labels
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2016 Toyota Yaris, Rav4, Land Cruiser and 4Runner vehicles, and Scion FR-S, iM, and TC vehicles manufactured January 28, 2016, to March 14, 2016. The Load Carrying Capacity Modification Label may not reflect the correct added weight of the installed accessories. As a result, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims for Passenger Cars."
Consequence: An incorrect label may result in the vehicle being overloaded, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: SET will notify owners, and provide them a corrected label to be installed over the inaccurate label, free of charge. The recall began on June 3, 2016. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET's number for this recall is SET16A.
Tires
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2016 Toyota Yaris, Rav4, Land Cruiser and 4Runner vehicles, and Scion FR-S, iM, and TC vehicles manufactured January 28, 2016, to March 14, 2016. The Load Carrying Capacity Modification Label may not reflect the correct added weight of the installed accessories. As a result, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims for Passenger Cars."
Consequence: An incorrect label may result in the vehicle being overloaded, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: SET will notify owners, and provide them a corrected label to be installed over the inaccurate label, free of charge. The recall began on June 3, 2016. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET's number for this recall is SET16A.
Apr 7, 2016
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2016 Toyota RAV4 vehicles manufactured October 30, 2015, to February 3, 2016, 2016 Lexus RX350 vehicles manufactured October 26, 2015, to February 8, 2016, and 2016 Lexus ES350 vehicles manufactured September 1, 2015, to February 29, 2016. These vehicles are equipped with an ABS actuator that may have a damaged O-ring which could result in improper brake fluid pressure control during ABS, Traction Control, or Stability Control activation. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 126, "Electronic Stability Control Systems."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Insufficient brake fluid pressure may cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the brake actuator, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on May 4, 2016, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is G0I, GLC.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Electronic Stability Control (esc)
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2016 Toyota RAV4 vehicles manufactured October 30, 2015, to February 3, 2016, 2016 Lexus RX350 vehicles manufactured October 26, 2015, to February 8, 2016, and 2016 Lexus ES350 vehicles manufactured September 1, 2015, to February 29, 2016. These vehicles are equipped with an ABS actuator that may have a damaged O-ring which could result in improper brake fluid pressure control during ABS, Traction Control, or Stability Control activation. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 126, "Electronic Stability Control Systems."
Consequence: Insufficient brake fluid pressure may cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the brake actuator, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on May 4, 2016, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is G0I, GLC.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2016 Toyota RAV4 vehicles manufactured October 30, 2015, to February 3, 2016, 2016 Lexus RX350 vehicles manufactured October 26, 2015, to February 8, 2016, and 2016 Lexus ES350 vehicles manufactured September 1, 2015, to February 29, 2016. These vehicles are equipped with an ABS actuator that may have a damaged O-ring which could result in improper brake fluid pressure control during ABS, Traction Control, or Stability Control activation. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 126, "Electronic Stability Control Systems."
Consequence: Insufficient brake fluid pressure may cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the brake actuator, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on May 4, 2016, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is G0I, GLC.
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
1PE21005 · Battery Hold Down Bracket Thermal Events
Opened Feb 25, 2021 · Closed Aug 12, 2024
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Electrical SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V Battery
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE) to understand the contributing factors and frequency of vehicle fires originating from the battery region of the engine compartment in Model Year (MY) 2013-2018 Toyota RAV4 vehicles on 25 February 2021. At the time of opening, ODI attributed eleven allegations and additional EWR events to this PE. PE21005 focused on replacement batteries installed in the subject vehicles. No reported fire event identified in PE21005 involved the originally supplied 12V battery. The reported fires took place in vehicles known to contain aftermarket batteries or whose age exceeded the expected life of the original equipment battery. ODI identified battery dimensioning as it relates to the battery retention system (hold down bracket, radiator support bolt, J-hook, and battery tray) as the main factor set in the contact between the battery hold down bracket contacting the positive terminal of the 12V battery. The subject vehicles carried over the same battery tray and retention system from the prior generation (MY2006 – MY2012) of RAV4 vehicles. However, the subject vehicles were equipped with a dimensionally smaller battery (Group 35) than the prior generation (Group 24F). The smaller- length measurement in the Group 35 battery size in a battery tray originally designed to fit a Group 24F battery contributed to increased potential for battery movement which was exacerbated by the diversity in aftermarket battery configuration and irregularities intrinsic to battery replacement procedures. Battery movement coupled with the proximity of the B+ terminal on the battery and the grounded electrically conductive hold down bracket set the stage for a short to ground leading to an engine stall (if in operation) followed by a vehicle fire. This investigation was not able to classify the installation status, battery size, or cause of every allegation due to the fire event causing damage to the area, inaccessible vehicle, modification to the battery retention system after the event, and/or inconclusive photographic evidence. Toyota's investigation of the issue identified aftermarket battery catalogs that listed an improper battery replacement size (Group 26R) that would nevertheless fit into the subject vehicles whose battery retention system is incapable of reliably restraining a Group 26R battery. On 18 November 2021, Toyota initiated a consumer advisory campaign (21TG01) to the subject vehicle owners, notifying them of the correct size battery and offering a free inspection of the battery and retention hardware, a caution label to affix to the hold down bracket, and a discounted replacement 12V battery. This investigation with Toyota established three broad categories to characterize the battery retention system state of a given vehicle: "correct", "minor mis-installation", and "major mis-installation". - The "correct" terminology references the front bolt, bracket, and J-hook installed in a position not in contact with the positive battery terminal and the front bolt torqued to 17 Nm and the J-hook engaged with the tray hole and torqued to 4.9 Nm. - A "minor mis-installation" would describe the three retention components installed in the prescribed location, however not to the correct torque values. - The "major mis-installation" condition would constitute a retention component missing or disconnected from the system. Toyota's own testing used five exemplar batteries installed on a subject vehicle in each battery categorization resulted in: - Contact between the B+ terminal and hold down bracket in "major mis-installations" - Movement of the battery in "minor mis-installations" - No observable motion in "correct" installations. ODI conducted its own evaluation of the Toyota- specified replacement battery and 5 aftermarket Group 35 batteries. The six batteries tested conformed to the Group 35 Battery Council International (BCI) standard on overall dimensional tolerance and terminal location. That standard does not define the edge shape or material of battery casing. Physical interaction between the hold down bracket and the battery case and the friction between the casing material and the battery tray resulted in a large variability in movement forces required to incite movement when the battery was installed in the "correct" condition. Resulting in movement at an induced lateral load between 0.6 G and 1.91 G equivalent force across each battery. This force is higher than a typical vehicle could exert in a steady state turn and would only experience loads through brief shock or impulses. Multiple shock or impulse loads across time would contribute to a delay between the replacement battery installation and the fire event. Likelihood of a fire event increases as the installation method degraded from the "correct", to "minor mis-installation", and then to "major mis-installation". Protruding vent caps atop some of the batteries tested aided in restricting battery movement relative to the hold down. An absence of vent caps permitted additional movement. Following several discussions and vehicle inspections with ODI during this investigation, on 01 November 2023, Toyota filed a safety recall (NHTSA 23V-734) of 1,853,568 MY 2013 through MY 2018 Toyota RAV4 vehicles to reduce the risk of a vehicle fire with redesigned battery retention components. To review the ODI reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.
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