IllustrationToyota ABS Actuator Accumulator shows problems after a while. Most common on hybrid vehicles. Signs comes up such ABS Malfunction, Pre-Collision Malfunction, Low Braking Power, and lose traction control.
2017 Toyota RAV4
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2017 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
890–25K
3225–50K
1450–75K
1575–100K
9100–150K
3150K+
162 reports with mileage · 145 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.
- Electrical System. Review the 108 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes. Review the 38 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Exterior Lighting. Review the 32 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
33 crash reports24 fire reports22 injury reports
Service Brakes complaints
38 reportsI was pulling into a parking spot in a parking garage and pressed on the brake. The brake pedal did not offer the usual resistance and went flat to the floor. The car began to accelerate and smashed into a concrete I-beam on the wall of the garage. I put the car in park and kept my foot on the brake but it still kept trying to m…
Read full complaint
I was pulling into a parking spot in a parking garage and pressed on the brake. The brake pedal did not offer the usual resistance and went flat to the floor. The car began to accelerate and smashed into a concrete I-beam on the wall of the garage. I put the car in park and kept my foot on the brake but it still kept trying to move forward. Then I put it in reverse and it slowly backed away from the wall but still wouldn’t stop with the brake applied and in park. I pulled the emergency brake on and the car stopped and then I turned off the engine.
The brake system on my 2017 Toyota RAV4 LE has repeatedly failed to provide normal stopping power, even after the replacement of pads and rotors in July 2025. This poses a serious safety hazard and may indicate a defect in the braking system.
Hi, Im reporting a serious safety issue with my 2017 Toyota rav4 The emergencybrake failed to engage, which caused the car to roll down the hill , I took the car to Toyota dealership while it was under the warranty and back down they told me it was nothing wrong with it. It just needed to be adjusted but it never worked th…
Read full complaint
Hi, Im reporting a serious safety issue with my 2017 Toyota rav4 The emergencybrake failed to engage, which caused the car to roll down the hill , I took the car to Toyota dealership while it was under the warranty and back down they told me it was nothing wrong with it. It just needed to be adjusted but it never worked the way it should have I do have a family and friends. They do have the same car and all have Same issues with E brake not not engaging l like this to be documented,
I have put 45,000 miles on the vehicle and have had complete brakes and rotors replaced 3 times. The caliper hangs up every time. As it gets closer to replacement time, I have experienced times when I did not think my car was going to stop. Brakes are spongy and I feel like pushing the pedal down is not enough to stop the car. I…
Read full complaint
I have put 45,000 miles on the vehicle and have had complete brakes and rotors replaced 3 times. The caliper hangs up every time. As it gets closer to replacement time, I have experienced times when I did not think my car was going to stop. Brakes are spongy and I feel like pushing the pedal down is not enough to stop the car. I have experienced this three times, and thankfully it has stopped in time to avoid collision.
My Toyota RAV4 was involved in an accident. My vehicle was rear-ended on [XXX], at the corner of [XXX] and [XXX] in Tucson, AZ. Because it was during rush hour traffic, I moved my vehicle to an adjacent parking lot. It was while I was in this parking lot that I experienced brake failure and I was unable to stop my vehicle. As a …
Read full complaint
My Toyota RAV4 was involved in an accident. My vehicle was rear-ended on [XXX], at the corner of [XXX] and [XXX] in Tucson, AZ. Because it was during rush hour traffic, I moved my vehicle to an adjacent parking lot. It was while I was in this parking lot that I experienced brake failure and I was unable to stop my vehicle. As a result, my car hit a concrete pillar in the parking lot. This automatically stopped my vehicle and resulted in front end damage to my vehicle. 911 was dispatched and a sheriff was called to the accident scene. My car was towed to a tow yard before the Toyota collision center could begin work on estimating the amount of damages to my vehicle for the front-end and rear-end damage. My insurance company totaled my vehicle. I contacted Toyota to notify them of this brake failure. I was notified by a third party to contact you to report this incident. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Related to a car accident when getting hit in the front my air bags didn’t deploy . Only the driver side was hit pretty bad . Another car accident related to a tree branch no air bag deploy . I was told that you have to be hit in a certain way to deploy the air bags . Hearing that makes me switch from a Toyota to a Kia . I have …
Read full complaint
Related to a car accident when getting hit in the front my air bags didn’t deploy . Only the driver side was hit pretty bad . Another car accident related to a tree branch no air bag deploy . I was told that you have to be hit in a certain way to deploy the air bags . Hearing that makes me switch from a Toyota to a Kia . I have my toddler .
Multiple times when coming to a stop the vehicle is stopped and then the brake pedal depresses further on its own while at the same time the engine roars and the vehicle lunges forward about 4 feet. It almost put me in front of oncoming traffic. Also I felt like I had no control over the brakes. It happened 4 times and also did …
Read full complaint
Multiple times when coming to a stop the vehicle is stopped and then the brake pedal depresses further on its own while at the same time the engine roars and the vehicle lunges forward about 4 feet. It almost put me in front of oncoming traffic. Also I felt like I had no control over the brakes. It happened 4 times and also did this while I was parallel parking and almost slammed into the parked car ahead of me. It was in the shop last month. The brake calipers were cleaned and the brake lines were bled. This vehicle only has 40000 miles on it. I took it back to Toyota again today to see if they can once again try to figure out what is causing this. When it surges forward it sounds like if your foot was on gas in park, only my foot was on the brake Im afraid to drive it.
As I drive about 70 MPH, the ABS and the brake lights come on and the car is momentarily out of control. As I grabbed the tearing and reduce the speed dramatically, the system correct itself and I am able to continue driving at a very low speed.
Front brakes needed replacement at 40k miles. 24k miles later, I'm being told they need replacement again. At May 2022 ispection the measurements were 11/32 for all four brakes. Less than 6 months & less than 5k miles later, the right front is at 6/32, left front 9/32, rear are 11/32 & 10/32. I'm being told the right front pad…
Read full complaint
Front brakes needed replacement at 40k miles. 24k miles later, I'm being told they need replacement again. At May 2022 ispection the measurements were 11/32 for all four brakes. Less than 6 months & less than 5k miles later, the right front is at 6/32, left front 9/32, rear are 11/32 & 10/32. I'm being told the right front pads & rotors are bad and the discs(?) are extremely rusty. How does this happen so quickly? Forums I've read say this is an issue with many 2017 RAVS. Apparently, Toyota used low-grade rotors on that model and year. I had complained of a slight grinding noise coming from the front wheels on several occasions only to be told they can't find anything. I've had no safety issues yet but this ongoing problem is unacceptable and may eventually result in a collision.
Official recalls
323V734000 · Electrical SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V Battery
Nov 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.
19V503000 · Equipment:other:labels
Jun 28, 2019
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Toyota Camry, Corolla, Rav4, Sienna, and Yaris iA vehicles equipped with factory-installed floor mats. The load carrying capacity modification label may be incorrect. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: An incorrect label may lead to unintentionally overloading the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: SET will notify owners and provide a corrected label for placement over the inaccurate label, free of charge. The recall began August 23, 2019. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. SET's number for this recall is SET19A.
17V295000 · Tires:temporary/emergency Spare Tire
May 2, 2017
Gulf States Toyota, Inc. (Gulf States) is recalling certain 2017 4Runner , 86, Avalon, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Corolla, Corolla iM, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, Prius, Prius C, RAV4, RAV4 Hybrid, Sienna and Yaris vehicles. The spare tire air pressure was not adjusted to the proper pressure as stated on the Tire Pressure Label.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A spare tire that is not inflated to the proper value may not perform as intended, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Gulf States will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the spare tires, adjusting their pressure as necessary, free of charge. The recall began June 15, 2017. Owners may contact Gulf States customer service at 1-800-444-1074. Toyota's number for this recall is 17R2.
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.