NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Engine complaints
32 reportsClear category filterMileage unknown · Oct 19, 2021
Electrical SystemEngine
Multiple times the cars front left sensor when wet, after heavy rains, will beep and flash on dash for no reason. I turn off the back up assist function and the beeping stops. Also, the rav won't engage drive on occasion when going from park to drive. After waiting a bit of time, drive appears on dash and car will go. Just this …
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Multiple times the cars front left sensor when wet, after heavy rains, will beep and flash on dash for no reason. I turn off the back up assist function and the beeping stops. Also, the rav won't engage drive on occasion when going from park to drive. After waiting a bit of time, drive appears on dash and car will go. Just this Saturday (10-16-21) after this p to d problem occurred, the engine lost ALL POWER, and drive turned off In traffic. I had to push the car out of busy 3 lane traffic while my friend turned the wheel. after 10 minutes it again engaged and we drove it home. My fear is if this electric issue occurs when Iam going 70 mph, I may crash and injure myself or others. Dealer to look at. VERY SCARY!
NHTSA ODI #11437287
Mileage unknown · Oct 14, 2021
Engine
The car lost the power and speed and got an error "AWD sytem malfunction, 2WD mode engage, see dealer". Car stopped and then did not restart. Itis dangerous situation where car lost the speed a d power the middle of the road in traffic.
NHTSA ODI #11436852
Mileage unknown · Mar 10, 2021
EngineService BrakesFire
WHILE DRIVING, THERE IS A LITTLE SHAKES ON THE CAR AND A MESSAGE APPEARED THAT THE ANTI LOCKING BRAKE FAILED. I STOP THE VEHICLE AND I SAW SMOKE COMING FROM THE HOOD. I TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE AND TOOK THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION. A FIRE START COMING OUT OF THE HOOD AND I TOLD MY WIFE TO GET OUT OF THE VEHICLE AND I GET OUT AL…
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WHILE DRIVING, THERE IS A LITTLE SHAKES ON THE CAR AND A MESSAGE APPEARED THAT THE ANTI LOCKING BRAKE FAILED. I STOP THE VEHICLE AND I SAW SMOKE COMING FROM THE HOOD. I TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE AND TOOK THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION. A FIRE START COMING OUT OF THE HOOD AND I TOLD MY WIFE TO GET OUT OF THE VEHICLE AND I GET OUT ALSO, THE DRIVER OF A VEHICLE BEHIND US CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND IN A FEW MINUTES THE FIRE FIGHTERS ARRIVED AND START EXTINGUISHING THE FIRE. THE FIRE ENGULF THE WHOLE VEHICLE.
NHTSA ODI #11400275
21,000 miles · Mar 8, 2021
EngineFuel/propulsion System
VEHICLE IN MOTION. I TRIED TO ACCELERATE TO PASS ON OTHER VEHICLE AND ACCELERATION STALLED OUT. THIS HASS OCCURED ON 3 SEPARATE OCCASIONS. BUT IT IS NOT CONSISTANT ON ALL OCCASIONS.
NHTSA ODI #11399839
66,000 miles · Sep 8, 2020
EngineFuel/propulsion SystemVehicle Speed Control
CAR IS FAILING TO SPEED UP PAST 60 UNLESS USING CRUISE CONTROL THEN THE CAR USED A LOT MORE GAS THEN NORMAL. I ALSO TRIED TO PASS A CAR TO GET UP TO HIGHWAY SPEED AND WAS UNABLE TO, VERY DANGEROUS ON THE HIGHWAY. THEN THE CAR WOULD NOT GO PAST 40 I TRIED TO SWITCH FROM ECO TO SPORT TO NORMAL THINKING THAT MAYBE THE COMPUTER WAS…
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CAR IS FAILING TO SPEED UP PAST 60 UNLESS USING CRUISE CONTROL THEN THE CAR USED A LOT MORE GAS THEN NORMAL. I ALSO TRIED TO PASS A CAR TO GET UP TO HIGHWAY SPEED AND WAS UNABLE TO, VERY DANGEROUS ON THE HIGHWAY. THEN THE CAR WOULD NOT GO PAST 40 I TRIED TO SWITCH FROM ECO TO SPORT TO NORMAL THINKING THAT MAYBE THE COMPUTER WAS CONFUSED BUT THAT DID NOTHING. SO AFTER TRYING TO SPEED UP MULTIPLE TIMES I GOT A HYBRID MALFUNCTION LIGHT AND TOLD TO PULL OVER. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME IN THE PAST AS WELL. TOYOTA DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE ANY ISSUES WITH IT AND JUST RESET THE COMPUTER.
NHTSA ODI #11353870
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
8,000 miles · Nov 24, 2019
EngineFuel/propulsion SystemService Brakes
WHEN I'M DRIVING AT SLOW SPEEDS THE ENGINE FEELS LIKE IT STALLED OR DOWNSHIFTED AND THE DISPLAY GETS DARK BUT CAR IS STILL 'ON', HOWEVER, IT WILL NO LONGER ACCELERATE. THE STEERING SEEMS TO BE AFFECTED TOO. UNFORTUNATELY, IT ONLY RESOLVED BY TURNING THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON, CAUSING TRAFFIC TO STOP OR SWERVE TO AVOID HITTING ME…
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WHEN I'M DRIVING AT SLOW SPEEDS THE ENGINE FEELS LIKE IT STALLED OR DOWNSHIFTED AND THE DISPLAY GETS DARK BUT CAR IS STILL 'ON', HOWEVER, IT WILL NO LONGER ACCELERATE. THE STEERING SEEMS TO BE AFFECTED TOO. UNFORTUNATELY, IT ONLY RESOLVED BY TURNING THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON, CAUSING TRAFFIC TO STOP OR SWERVE TO AVOID HITTING ME 3X THE PAST 2 WEEKS.
NHTSA ODI #11282038
48,000 miles · May 9, 2019
EngineFire
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2018 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED AFTER PARKING AND RETURNING TO THE VEHICLE IN THEIR GARAGE, SMOKE WAS SEEN COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT QUICKLY ENTERED THE VEHICLE AND REVERSED THE VEHICLE OUT OF THE GARAGE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED.…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2018 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED AFTER PARKING AND RETURNING TO THE VEHICLE IN THEIR GARAGE, SMOKE WAS SEEN COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT QUICKLY ENTERED THE VEHICLE AND REVERSED THE VEHICLE OUT OF THE GARAGE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED BY THE FIRE. THE CONTACT CALLED FRANK FLETCHER TOYOTA (2209 S RANGELINE RD, JOPLIN, MO 64804 (417) 622-5447) AND WAS INFORMED THAT SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS MOVED THEY COULD OFFER NO ASSISTANCE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 48,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
NHTSA ODI #11206563
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
4,700 miles · Feb 10, 2019
Electrical SystemEngine
WHILE DRIVING THE CAR JUST SHUT DOWN AND THE CODE READ CHARGING SYSTEM MALFUNCTION, WE HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY ERASED THE CODES BUT THEY ACKNOWLEDGED THEY EXISTED HOWEVER THEY SAID THERE IS NOTHING WRONG AND WANT US TO CONTINUE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE WITH NO ASSURANCE IT WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN
NHTSA ODI #11176121
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.
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.
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
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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