IllustrationON RAINY DAYS, WHEN I AM STANDING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, AND STARTING TO GET OUT OF THE GREEN LIGHT, MY CAR BECOMES UNSTABLE, AS IF IT WERE GOING TO SKID. THIS HAPPENS WHENEVER THE STREET IS WET. REPORT THIS PROBLEM FROM THE FIRST INSPECTION OF THE CAR. AT THAT TIME THEY CHANGED AN AXIS, BUT THE PROBLEM PERSISTS
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
Wheels complaints
8 reportsTHE AIRBAGS ARE OFF AND I CANT TURN IT ON, EVERY WEEK TURN IT ON THE LIGTH FLAT TIRE AND THE TIRE ARE GOOD INCLUIDING EXTRA TIRE, AND MY BRAKES ARE DOING A EXTRANGE NOISE I CHECKED THE BRAKES AND ARE GOOD.
I WAS DRIVING ON I 10 SOUTHBOUND WITH MY TWO DISABLED CHILDREN. MY FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE BLEW OUT THE SIDEWALL IN 1-2 INCH CHUNKS. IT SOUNDED LIKE MACHINE GUN FIRE. I HAD TO SAFELY COAST TO THE SHOULDER HOLDING MY STEERING WHEEL FIRMLY AND PUTTING MY CAR IN NEUTRAL. I HAD AIR CHECKS AND BALANCING REGULARLY. I KEEP MY CAR IN…
Read full complaint
I WAS DRIVING ON I 10 SOUTHBOUND WITH MY TWO DISABLED CHILDREN. MY FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE BLEW OUT THE SIDEWALL IN 1-2 INCH CHUNKS. IT SOUNDED LIKE MACHINE GUN FIRE. I HAD TO SAFELY COAST TO THE SHOULDER HOLDING MY STEERING WHEEL FIRMLY AND PUTTING MY CAR IN NEUTRAL. I HAD AIR CHECKS AND BALANCING REGULARLY. I KEEP MY CAR IN A GARAGE WITH LOW MILEAGE. DISCOUNT TIRES CHECKED MY TIRES ON THREE OCCASSIONS AND TOLD ME TO GO TO TOYOTA DEALERSHIP FOR HELP. THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE WAS RUDE AND DISMISSED MY CONCERNS COMPLETELY MAKING IT SOUND LIKE MY TIRES WERE WEARING AT A NORMAL RATE, WHICH IS NOT TRUE. I ASKED THEM TO HELP ME REACH OUT TO THE TIRE MANUFACTURER AND/OR HELP ME DETERMINE IF MY NEW RAV4 CAME TO ME WITH IT'S ORIGINAL TIRES OFF THE LOT. THEY DISMISSED ME AND I WILL NEVER GO BACK TO TOYOTA TO PURCHASE A NEW CAR AGAIN. BEWARE, ONCE THEY HAVE YOUR MONEY, IT SEEMS THEY NO LONGER CARE ABOUT YOU AFTER THE INITIAL SALE. I AM UNCERTAIN IF THIS IS THE CASE WITH ALL TOYOTA DEALERSHIPS, OR JUST OURS IN TUCSON, AZ, BUT PLEASE, BUYERS BEWARE! THEY ENDANGERED ME AND MY CHILDREN AND REFUSED TO ADMIT THERE IS AN ISSUE WITH THIS PROBLEM. THE ROAD I TRAVELLED WAS SMOOTH, I WAS TRAVELING AT 65MPH, AND I DID NOT HIT ANYTHING IN THE ROAD. MY SPINE IS A WRECK FROM THE JARRING... LEGS ARE BRUISED UP, TOO. THANKFULLY A STATE TROOPER ASSISTED US. STATE FARM ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE WAS ABSOLUTELY BOTCHED UP BY THEIR AUTOMATED SYSTEM AND DISPATCHED TO SOMEWHERE IN PHOENIX. SO GRATEFUL FOR THE STATE TROOPER AND DISCOUNT TIRES FOR THEIR CARE. TOYOTA NEEDS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS ISSUE AND THE TERRIBLE TIRES. THE MANUFACTURER NEEDS TO KNOW THIS IS A PROBLEM. MY LAST TIRES LASTED TO 60,000 MILES. NO REASON I SHOULD HAVE HAD TO CHANGE ALL 4 TIRES ON A NEW VEHICLE AT 19,000-20,000 MILES. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE HAS BEEN A SAFETY RECALL ON MY VEHICLE. TOYOTA SHOULD PAY FOR MY TIRES.
WE PURCHASED A NEW 2017 TOYOTA RAV4 THAT CAME WITH A "TEMPORARY" SPARE TIRE AND WHEEL. I PURCHASED AN OEM 2017 RAV4 WHEEL AND TIRE THAT MATCHES THE NORMAL TIRES FOR CONVENIENCE AND ESPECIALLY SAFETY REASONS. I ALSO ATTEMPTED TO PLACE THE FULL SIZE TIRE AND WHEEL IN THE WHEEL WELL OF THE RAV4 WITH NO SUCCESS. IN SHORT, THE WHE…
Read full complaint
WE PURCHASED A NEW 2017 TOYOTA RAV4 THAT CAME WITH A "TEMPORARY" SPARE TIRE AND WHEEL. I PURCHASED AN OEM 2017 RAV4 WHEEL AND TIRE THAT MATCHES THE NORMAL TIRES FOR CONVENIENCE AND ESPECIALLY SAFETY REASONS. I ALSO ATTEMPTED TO PLACE THE FULL SIZE TIRE AND WHEEL IN THE WHEEL WELL OF THE RAV4 WITH NO SUCCESS. IN SHORT, THE WHEEL WELL IS NOT ADEQUATE FOR A FULL SIZE TIRE AND PROJECTS APPROXIMATELY TWO INCHES ABOVE THE FLOOR. IT ALSO CAN NOT BE SECURED TO THE VEHICLE. AFTER EVALUATING THE SITUATION, I CALLED THE TOYOTA CONSUMER DEPARTMENT AND AFTER THEY CONSULTED WITH THEIR TECHNICAL PERSONNEL, I WAS TOLD THAT THE FULL SIZE WHEEL WILL NOT FIT IN THE SPARE TIRE WHEEL WELL! ON PAGE 644 OF THE 2017 RAV4 OWNERS MANUAL THERE IS A DIRECT REFERENCE TO A FULL SIZE WHEEL STORAGE AREA IN ADDITION ON PAGES 642 AND 645 TO A TEMPORARY TIRE USE, ETC. THE RAV4 TEMPORARY TIRE IS NOT THE SAME CIRCUMFERENCE AN FULL SIZE TIRES; THUS, THE TOYOTA CONSUMER DEPARTMENT STATED THAT DUE TO THIS SITUATION, TEMPORARY TIRES MUST NOT BE MOUNTED ON THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. IF THERE IS A FLAT TIRE ON THE FRONT OF THE RAV4, A PERSON MUST MOUNT A REAR TIRE ON THE FRONT THEN MOUNT THE TEMPORARY TIRE ON THE RELOCATED FULL SIZE TIRE ON THE REAR. THIS PROCEDURE IS VERY DANGEROUS IN THE BEST OF SITUATIONS. I PROPOSE THAT TOYOTA BE REQUIRED TO MODIFY THE SPARE TIRE WELL TO FIT FULL SIZE TIRES AND PROVIDE FULL SIZE TIRES ON THEIR VEHICLES. HONDA DOES THIS FOR THEIR CRV SMALL SUVS. SPARE WHEEL WELLS FOR THE TOYOTA CAMRYS AND COROLLAS ARE LARGE ENOUGH FOR FULL SIZE TIRES. THE DESIGN AND MANUFACTURING OF THE USELESS TEMPORARY TIRE ASSEMBLY HAS TO COST MORE THAN A FULL SIZE TIRE. THE NET WEIGHT BETWEEN THE TWO IS ABOUT 12 LBS. WHICH ADDS ABOUT FIVE GALLONS OF GASOLINE PER YEAR @ 15,000 MILES. THIS CONCERN WAS EXPRESSED IN THE SEPTEMBER 2018 ISSUE OF CONSUMER REPORTS ON PAGE 12.
THERE'S A RECALL ON MY 2017 TOYOTA RAV4 AND THE DEALERSHIP FAILED TO MENTION IT. THIS CAR WAS PURCHASED BRAND NEW IN JULY 2017. THE RECALL WAS MADE JUNE 15 2017. RECALL ID#265486. RECALL IS 17R2 FOR TIRES. SAFETY IS VERY IMPORTANT HERE AS I HAVE KIDS IN THE CAR SOMETIMES. PLEASE DO SOMETHING. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THEY'RE NOT RES…
Read full complaint
THERE'S A RECALL ON MY 2017 TOYOTA RAV4 AND THE DEALERSHIP FAILED TO MENTION IT. THIS CAR WAS PURCHASED BRAND NEW IN JULY 2017. THE RECALL WAS MADE JUNE 15 2017. RECALL ID#265486. RECALL IS 17R2 FOR TIRES. SAFETY IS VERY IMPORTANT HERE AS I HAVE KIDS IN THE CAR SOMETIMES. PLEASE DO SOMETHING. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THEY'RE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR IT. THE ALSO HAS THE FOLLOWING NOTICEABLY PROBLEM WHEN IN MOTION OR DRIVING MODE: SUSPENSION ISSUES: STRUTS,SPINDLE, CONTROL ARMS, BALL JOINTS, STABILIZERS, AND RELATED COMPONENTS MAY PRESENT A SAFETY HAZARD. IT IS VERY SCARY TO HEAR THAT TRUTLE GRINDING NOISE.
AIR PRESSURE SEEMS WRONG AND THE CAR SHAKES SOMETIMES WHILE DRIVING. I HIT POTHOLES ALL OVER THIS TOWN BUT IT CAN'T BE HELPED.
NEW VEHICLE HAD LESS THAN 2,000 MILES ON IT. WHEN DRIVING IN THE MIDDLE LANE ON THE INTERSTATE AT 75 MILES PER HOUR, THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT TIRE SIDEWALL BLEW OUT. CONTINENTAL CROSSCONTACT LX 225/65R17 I NEITHER SAW OR FELT ANYTHING THAT COULD HAVE CAUSED THIS.
PURCHASED NEW 2017 TOYOTA RAV4. WITH LESS THAN 1000 MILES ON THE CAR, I HAD A FLAT TRAVELING ON THE TOLL ROAD. SPEED LIMIT WAS 70MPH. I WAS ON THE TOLL ROAD FOR ABOUT 20 MILES. THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE TIRE HAD A LARGE SIDEWALL HOLE. I TOOK THE TIRE BACK TO THE TOYOTA DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT. THEY GAVE ONE QUICK LOOK AND I W…
Read full complaint
PURCHASED NEW 2017 TOYOTA RAV4. WITH LESS THAN 1000 MILES ON THE CAR, I HAD A FLAT TRAVELING ON THE TOLL ROAD. SPEED LIMIT WAS 70MPH. I WAS ON THE TOLL ROAD FOR ABOUT 20 MILES. THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE TIRE HAD A LARGE SIDEWALL HOLE. I TOOK THE TIRE BACK TO THE TOYOTA DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT. THEY GAVE ONE QUICK LOOK AND I WAS TOLD THAT "NO WARRANTY WAS ON THE TIRE BY TOYOTA OR BRIDGESTONE." I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO REPLACE THE TIRE AT MY OWN EXPENSE. SEE ATTACHED PICTURES OF THE TIRE. I HAVE THE TIRE IN MY POSSESSION IF SOMEONE WISHES TO INSPECT IT FOR MANUFACTURER FAILURE.
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.