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2018 Toyota RAV4

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2018 Toyota RAV4 do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 258.5.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

144 reports with mileage · 187 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 129 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 32 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Service Brakes. 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.

31 crash reports32 fire reports13 injury reports

Electrical System complaints

129 reports
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Mileage unknown · Aug 24, 2020
Electrical System

THE KEYLESS IS NOT FRIENDLY FOR THE DEAF. NEED TO SOMETHING FOR THE RIGHT AND SAFE. THANK YOU.

NHTSA ODI #11350890

47,800 miles · Jun 14, 2020
Electrical SystemEngineVehicle Speed ControlCrash

PULLED INTO DRIVEWAY AND HAD FOOT ON BREAK. GOING VERY SLOW TO PARK . WENT TO PUT CAR INTO PARK AND CAR LUNGED FORWARD AND HIT GARAGE. BACKED UP AND CAR WENT VERY FAST SO HAD TO MOVE FORWARD AGAIN OUT OF ROAD. PUT CAR INTO DRIVE AND CAT SURGED FORWARD AND OUT OF CONTROL. ABLE TO AVOID GARAGE BUT CAR WENT BESIDE GARAGE, AND INTO …

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PULLED INTO DRIVEWAY AND HAD FOOT ON BREAK. GOING VERY SLOW TO PARK . WENT TO PUT CAR INTO PARK AND CAR LUNGED FORWARD AND HIT GARAGE. BACKED UP AND CAR WENT VERY FAST SO HAD TO MOVE FORWARD AGAIN OUT OF ROAD. PUT CAR INTO DRIVE AND CAT SURGED FORWARD AND OUT OF CONTROL. ABLE TO AVOID GARAGE BUT CAR WENT BESIDE GARAGE, AND INTO SLIGHT DROP OFF. I WAS ABLE TO STOP CAR BY FLOORING BREAK AND PUTTING INTO PARK. CALLED POLICE THEY MADE REPORT, CALLED ROADSIDE SERVICE AND TOWED TO DOWNEAST TOYOTA IN BREWER MAINE. IT'S NOW GOING TO HAVE INFORMATION PULLED AND RESEARCHED TO DETERMINE WHAT HAPPENED. NO PICTURES. A LOT OF DAMAGE TO FRONT AND MAYBE UNDERNEATH. CAR WENT OVER A CEMENT BLOCK.

NHTSA ODI #11328730

160 miles · Feb 20, 2020
Electrical SystemUnknown Or Other

NEXT DAY AFTER I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE, I BROUGHT THE SUV BACK TO THE DEALER (CENTENNIAL TOYOTA OF LAS VEGAS ) WITH PROBLEM ON THE GATE OPENER. DEALER REPLACED THE CONTROL MODULE IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR BUT THE PROBLEM DID NOT GET RESOLVED. BROUGHT IT BACK TO THE DEALER AGAIN AND THE TECHNICIAN CAME WITH ME TO REPROGRAM THE CONTROL…

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NEXT DAY AFTER I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE, I BROUGHT THE SUV BACK TO THE DEALER (CENTENNIAL TOYOTA OF LAS VEGAS ) WITH PROBLEM ON THE GATE OPENER. DEALER REPLACED THE CONTROL MODULE IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR BUT THE PROBLEM DID NOT GET RESOLVED. BROUGHT IT BACK TO THE DEALER AGAIN AND THE TECHNICIAN CAME WITH ME TO REPROGRAM THE CONTROL BUT CANT RESOLVED THE PROBLEM. I WAS TOLD THAT I NEED TO BUY A REMOTE CONTROL FOR THE GATE COMPATIBLE WITH THE SUV CONTROL SYSTEMS. WE HAVE TWO GATES WHICH MEANS T I HAVE TO BUY THE CONTROLS. I TRIED TO RETURN THE VEHICLE BUT THE NEXT DAY I FOUND THE VEHICLE IN MY DRIVE WAY, WITH A NOTE SAYING THE PROBLEM WAS ON THE GATE. STILL FURTHER MADE THE COMPLAIN TO THE MAIN TOYOTA MANUFACTURERS OFFICE TO NO AVAIL, STILL INSISTING THAT THE PROBLEM WAS IN THE GATE CONTROL. HOWEVER THE CONTROL BUTTON FOR THE GARAGE WORK PROPERLY. STILL THE PROBLEM IS UNRESOLVED AT THIS MOMENT.

NHTSA ODI #11310436

16,000 miles · Dec 2, 2019
Electrical SystemUnknown Or Other

THE LANE DEPARTURE WARNING SYSTEM WORKS INTERMITTENTLY AT NIGHT ON A WET ROADWAY. THE VEHICLE WAS ON A FOUR LANE ROAD WITH TWO LANES IN EACH DIRECTION. SPEED WAS AROUND 45MPH. LANE DEPARTURE WARNING WORKS ABOVE APPROXIMATELY 32MPH. THE SYSTEM WOULD NOT RECOGNIZE THE WHITE SHOULDER LINE ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE VEHICLE OR TH…

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THE LANE DEPARTURE WARNING SYSTEM WORKS INTERMITTENTLY AT NIGHT ON A WET ROADWAY. THE VEHICLE WAS ON A FOUR LANE ROAD WITH TWO LANES IN EACH DIRECTION. SPEED WAS AROUND 45MPH. LANE DEPARTURE WARNING WORKS ABOVE APPROXIMATELY 32MPH. THE SYSTEM WOULD NOT RECOGNIZE THE WHITE SHOULDER LINE ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE VEHICLE OR THE DOTTED WHITE LINE ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE OF THE LANE. THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAD HAPPENED TO ME. THE OTHER TIME WAS APPROXIMATELY A MONTH AGO.

NHTSA ODI #11286289

6,750 miles · Nov 10, 2019
Electrical System

WHILE DRIVING THE CAR SHUTTERED THEN STOPPED WHILE IN TRAFFIC AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND CHARGING SYSTEM MALFUNCTION ERROR MESSAGE APPEARED. I COASTED OVER TO SIDE OF ROAD. RESTARTED CAR TO GET HOME AND THIS SAME THING HAPPENED 3 MORE TIMES UNTIL I GOT HOME AND PARKED IT. WE RAN THE CAR IN THE DRIVEWAY AND THE SAME THING HAPPENE…

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WHILE DRIVING THE CAR SHUTTERED THEN STOPPED WHILE IN TRAFFIC AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND CHARGING SYSTEM MALFUNCTION ERROR MESSAGE APPEARED. I COASTED OVER TO SIDE OF ROAD. RESTARTED CAR TO GET HOME AND THIS SAME THING HAPPENED 3 MORE TIMES UNTIL I GOT HOME AND PARKED IT. WE RAN THE CAR IN THE DRIVEWAY AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED 3 MORE TIMES. SINCE IT IS SUNDAY AFTERNOON WILL HAVE TO CALL TOYOTA ON MONDAY. AFTER READING ONLINE ABOUT SIMILAR ISSUES...I'M AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR AGAIN. IT SEEMS TOYOTA HAS NO FIX OR HAS ACKNOWLEDGED IT AS A PROBLEM.

NHTSA ODI #11279255

17,000 miles · Jun 4, 2019
Electrical SystemVisibility/wiper

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE, ALL THE WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO CHECKERED FLAG TOYOTA (LOCATED AT 5301 VIRGINIA BEACH BLVD, VIRGINIA BEACH, VA 23462, (757) 490-1111) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE SOY WIRES ATTRACTED RODENTS WHO WERE EATING THE WIR…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE, ALL THE WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO CHECKERED FLAG TOYOTA (LOCATED AT 5301 VIRGINIA BEACH BLVD, VIRGINIA BEACH, VA 23462, (757) 490-1111) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE SOY WIRES ATTRACTED RODENTS WHO WERE EATING THE WIRES. THE DEALER REPLACED THE WIRES. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WASHER FLUID HOSE WAS EATEN BY THE RODENTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER WHERE THE WASHER FLUID HOSE WAS REPLACED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THEY COULD NOT USE ANYTHING ELSE TO PREVENT THE RODENTS FROM EATING THE WIRES AND ADVISED THE CONTACT TO GET AN EXTERMINATOR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND PROVIDED CASE NUMBER: [XXX]. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 17,000. 'PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).' *JS

NHTSA ODI #11217851

8,652 miles · May 8, 2019
Electrical SystemEnginePower Train

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH OR LESS, THE VEHICLE HAS STALLED WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS RELEASED IN MOVING TRAFFIC 5 TIMES. THE FAILURE OCCURRED FOUR TIMES IN APRIL, 3 TIMES WHILE DRIVING TO WORK. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO TOYOTA ESCONDIDO (231 E LINCOLN PKWY, ESCONDIDO, CA 92026, (760…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH OR LESS, THE VEHICLE HAS STALLED WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS RELEASED IN MOVING TRAFFIC 5 TIMES. THE FAILURE OCCURRED FOUR TIMES IN APRIL, 3 TIMES WHILE DRIVING TO WORK. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO TOYOTA ESCONDIDO (231 E LINCOLN PKWY, ESCONDIDO, CA 92026, (760) 300-1112) TO BE DIAGNOSED AND THREE ABNORMAL CODES APPEARED, WHICH INDICATED ROUGH IDLING AND FAILURE WITH THE VEHICLE STARTING. THE MANUFACTURING WAS CONTACTED AND COULD NOT LOCATE A FAILURE. THE CONTACT WROTE TO THE DEALER'S OWNER AND REQUESTED THAT THEY EXTEND THE WARRANTY; HOWEVER, THE REQUEST WAS DENIED. THE MANUFACTURER PROMISED TO CALL THE CONTACT BACK, BUT DID NOT CALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,652. *BF CONSUMER STATED TOYTOA WAS UNABLE TO ESTABLISH A ROOT CAUSE. 'PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).'*JB

NHTSA ODI #11206270

8,940 miles · May 2, 2019
Electrical SystemPower Train

MY 2018 TOYOTA RAV4 HAS STALLED 5 TIMES WHILE DRIVING ON CITY STREETS IN MOVING TRAFFIC, FIRST TIME IN FEB 2019 WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK, IN APRIL THREE TIMES WHILE DRIVING TO WORK AND ONE TIME WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK(RUSH HOUR). ALL DOCUMENTED WITH TOYOTA. OCCURS WHEN I TAKE MY FOOT OFF THE GAS WHILE DRIVING, AND DIFF…

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MY 2018 TOYOTA RAV4 HAS STALLED 5 TIMES WHILE DRIVING ON CITY STREETS IN MOVING TRAFFIC, FIRST TIME IN FEB 2019 WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK, IN APRIL THREE TIMES WHILE DRIVING TO WORK AND ONE TIME WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK(RUSH HOUR). ALL DOCUMENTED WITH TOYOTA. OCCURS WHEN I TAKE MY FOOT OFF THE GAS WHILE DRIVING, AND DIFFICULTY RESTARTING AFTER IT STALLS WITH LOSS OF POWER AND SPUTTERING. 'CHARGING SYSTEM MALFUNCTION' WARNING MSG APPEARED ON DASHBOARD(I TOOK PHOTO AND EMAILED TO TOYOTA). I FOLLOWED INSTRUCTIONS IN 2018 TOYOTAL RAV4 OWNER'S MANUAL "STOP THE CAR IMMEDIATELY...CONTINUING TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE MAY BE DANGEROUS". HAD CAR TOWED TO TOYOTA IMMEDIATELY. 3 TROUBLE CODES WERE RECORDED P1603(ENGINE STALL), P1604 STARTABILITY MALFUNCTION, AND P1605(ROUGH IDLING), HOWEVER THEY WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE ROOT CAUSE OF STALLING AND REFUSED TO KEEP MY CAR TO DO FURTHER ANALYSIS DESPITE THE FACT THAT I TOLD THEM I DID NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING VEHICLE, AND MY CAR IS STILL UNDER COMPREHENSIVE WARRANTY COVERAGE. I CONTACTED CORPORATE, AND THEY RESTATED DEALER CONCLUSIONS AND WOULD NOT ALLOW ME TO SPEAK TO A FIELD TECH SPECIALIST. I THEN EMAILED AND WROTE A LETTER TO VP SALES OF TOYOTA, ANDREW GILLELAND. REP FROM EXECUTIVE OFFICE CALLED ME. I ASKED FOR TOYOTA TO PROVIDE ME WITH EITHER TRANSPORTATION ASSISTANCE AND A NO COST-TO-ME EXTENDED COMPREHENSIVE WARRANTY UNTIL THE UNDERLYING CAUSE IS DETERMINED AND WITHOUT FURTHER STALLING INCIDENCES, OR A REPLACEMENT VEHICLE. HE REFUSED, DESPITE ALL THE SIGNIFICANT POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SAFETY ISSUES IN A VEHICLE WITH LESS THAN 9,200 MILES. TOYOTA DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE CONCERNED WITH RELIABILITY, PEACE OF MIND, AND MOST OF ALL SAFETY. I HAVE A CASE # WITH TOYOTA. I RECENTLY DISCOVERED THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHER REPORTS ON THIS SITE WITH SAME STALLING ISSUES AS MY CAR.

NHTSA ODI #11205343

8,940 miles · May 2, 2019
Electrical SystemPower Train

MY 2018 TOYOTA RAV4 HAS STALLED 5 TIMES WHILE DRIVING ON CITY STREETS IN MOVING TRAFFIC, FIRST TIME IN FEB 2019 WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK, IN APRIL THREE TIMES WHILE DRIVING TO WORK AND ONE TIME WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK(RUSH HOUR). ALL DOCUMENTED WITH TOYOTA. OCCURS WHEN I TAKE MY FOOT OFF THE GAS WHILE DRIVING, AND DIFF…

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MY 2018 TOYOTA RAV4 HAS STALLED 5 TIMES WHILE DRIVING ON CITY STREETS IN MOVING TRAFFIC, FIRST TIME IN FEB 2019 WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK, IN APRIL THREE TIMES WHILE DRIVING TO WORK AND ONE TIME WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK(RUSH HOUR). ALL DOCUMENTED WITH TOYOTA. OCCURS WHEN I TAKE MY FOOT OFF THE GAS WHILE DRIVING, AND DIFFICULTY RESTARTING AFTER IT STALLS WITH LOSS OF POWER AND SPUTTERING. 'CHARGING SYSTEM MALFUNCTION' WARNING MSG APPEARED ON DASHBOARD(I TOOK PHOTO AND EMAILED TO TOYOTA). I FOLLOWED INSTRUCTIONS IN 2018 TOYOTAL RAV4 OWNER'S MANUAL "STOP THE CAR IMMEDIATELY...CONTINUING TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE MAY BE DANGEROUS". HAD CAR TOWED TO TOYOTA IMMEDIATELY. 3 TROUBLE CODES WERE RECORDED P1603(ENGINE STALL), P1604 STARTABILITY MALFUNCTION, AND P1605(ROUGH IDLING), HOWEVER THEY WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE ROOT CAUSE OF STALLING AND REFUSED TO KEEP MY CAR TO DO FURTHER ANALYSIS DESPITE THE FACT THAT I TOLD THEM I DID NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING VEHICLE, AND MY CAR IS STILL UNDER COMPREHENSIVE WARRANTY COVERAGE. I CONTACTED CORPORATE, AND THEY RESTATED DEALER CONCLUSIONS AND WOULD NOT ALLOW ME TO SPEAK TO A FIELD TECH SPECIALIST. I THEN EMAILED AND WROTE A LETTER TO VP SALES OF TOYOTA, ANDREW GILLELAND. REP FROM EXECUTIVE OFFICE CALLED ME. I ASKED FOR TOYOTA TO PROVIDE ME WITH EITHER TRANSPORTATION ASSISTANCE AND A NO COST-TO-ME EXTENDED COMPREHENSIVE WARRANTY UNTIL THE UNDERLYING CAUSE IS DETERMINED AND WITHOUT FURTHER STALLING INCIDENCES, OR A REPLACEMENT VEHICLE. HE REFUSED, DESPITE ALL THE SIGNIFICANT POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SAFETY ISSUES IN A VEHICLE WITH LESS THAN 9,200 MILES. TOYOTA DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE CONCERNED WITH RELIABILITY, PEACE OF MIND, AND MOST OF ALL SAFETY. I HAVE A CASE # WITH TOYOTA. I RECENTLY DISCOVERED THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHER REPORTS ON THIS SITE WITH SAME STALLING ISSUES AS MY CAR.

NHTSA ODI #11205342

8,940 miles · May 2, 2019
Electrical SystemPower Train

MY 2018 TOYOTA RAV4 HAS STALLED 5 TIMES WHILE DRIVING ON CITY STREETS IN MOVING TRAFFIC, FIRST TIME IN FEB 2019 WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK, IN APRIL THREE TIMES WHILE DRIVING TO WORK AND ONE TIME WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK(RUSH HOUR). ALL DOCUMENTED WITH TOYOTA. OCCURS WHEN I TAKE MY FOOT OFF THE GAS WHILE DRIVING, AND DIFF…

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MY 2018 TOYOTA RAV4 HAS STALLED 5 TIMES WHILE DRIVING ON CITY STREETS IN MOVING TRAFFIC, FIRST TIME IN FEB 2019 WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK, IN APRIL THREE TIMES WHILE DRIVING TO WORK AND ONE TIME WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK(RUSH HOUR). ALL DOCUMENTED WITH TOYOTA. OCCURS WHEN I TAKE MY FOOT OFF THE GAS WHILE DRIVING, AND DIFFICULTY RESTARTING AFTER IT STALLS WITH LOSS OF POWER AND SPUTTERING. 'CHARGING SYSTEM MALFUNCTION' WARNING MSG APPEARED ON DASHBOARD(I TOOK PHOTO AND EMAILED TO TOYOTA). I FOLLOWED INSTRUCTIONS IN 2018 TOYOTAL RAV4 OWNER'S MANUAL "STOP THE CAR IMMEDIATELY...CONTINUING TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE MAY BE DANGEROUS". HAD CAR TOWED TO TOYOTA IMMEDIATELY. 3 TROUBLE CODES WERE RECORDED P1603(ENGINE STALL), P1604 STARTABILITY MALFUNCTION, AND P1605(ROUGH IDLING), HOWEVER THEY WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE ROOT CAUSE OF STALLING AND REFUSED TO KEEP MY CAR TO DO FURTHER ANALYSIS DESPITE THE FACT THAT I TOLD THEM I DID NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING VEHICLE, AND MY CAR IS STILL UNDER COMPREHENSIVE WARRANTY COVERAGE. I CONTACTED CORPORATE, AND THEY RESTATED DEALER CONCLUSIONS AND WOULD NOT ALLOW ME TO SPEAK TO A FIELD TECH SPECIALIST. I THEN EMAILED AND WROTE A LETTER TO VP SALES OF TOYOTA, ANDREW GILLELAND. REP FROM EXECUTIVE OFFICE CALLED ME. I ASKED FOR TOYOTA TO PROVIDE ME WITH EITHER TRANSPORTATION ASSISTANCE AND A NO COST-TO-ME EXTENDED COMPREHENSIVE WARRANTY UNTIL THE UNDERLYING CAUSE IS DETERMINED AND WITHOUT FURTHER STALLING INCIDENCES, OR A REPLACEMENT VEHICLE. HE REFUSED, DESPITE ALL THE SIGNIFICANT POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SAFETY ISSUES IN A VEHICLE WITH LESS THAN 9,200 MILES. TOYOTA DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE CONCERNED WITH RELIABILITY, PEACE OF MIND, AND MOST OF ALL SAFETY. I HAVE A CASE # WITH TOYOTA. I RECENTLY DISCOVERED THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHER REPORTS ON THIS SITE WITH SAME STALLING ISSUES AS MY CAR.

NHTSA ODI #11205340

Official recalls

3

23V734000 · 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.

17V831000 · Equipment:other:labels

Dec 20, 2017

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Toyota 4Runner and Tundra, 2018 Toyota Highlander, RAV4 and Lexus GX460 and 2017 Toyota Sienna and Tacoma vehicles. These vehicles may have incorrect load carrying capacity modification labels. 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 load information label can result in the operator overloading the vehicle and increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Toyota will notify owners and provide them with corrected labels, free of charge. The recall began on January 23, 2018. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are H0Z for Toyota vehicles, and HLF for Lexus vehicles.

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

PE21005 · 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.

Go deeper into Toyota RAV4 problems