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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.
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
970–25K
2125–50K
1650–75K
475–100K
4100–150K
2150K+
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
What owners actually said
331 reportsWe had a car accident on I-84 in Oregon, westbound, was hit on the driver side rear area which caused us to spin around. We were hit by a semi truck on the driver side rear. We ended up perpendicular to the concrete median (this is a highway with two lanes on either side) which is what stopped us. The semi truck also sustaine…
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We had a car accident on I-84 in Oregon, westbound, was hit on the driver side rear area which caused us to spin around. We were hit by a semi truck on the driver side rear. We ended up perpendicular to the concrete median (this is a highway with two lanes on either side) which is what stopped us. The semi truck also sustained damage to their passenger side front wheel and had to be towed. Our car had to be towed. None of the airbags went off. The back window of the RAV4 hybrid was gone. There was damage to the front passenger side, front, rear driver side, rear of car. Sheriff and Oregon state patrol came, both vehicles towed. Contacted Toyota who says they are going to retrieve event data recorder box to investigate. We have a police crash report case #.
Sunroof just shattered/exploded while driving on highway. (Entering route I95N from Philadelphia). I did not see or was near any foreign object that could've caused this incident. Sunroof was closed, however the interior cover was open. When glass shattered, multiple fragments entered the car and fell on my body. Thankfully I w…
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Sunroof just shattered/exploded while driving on highway. (Entering route I95N from Philadelphia). I did not see or was near any foreign object that could've caused this incident. Sunroof was closed, however the interior cover was open. When glass shattered, multiple fragments entered the car and fell on my body. Thankfully I was the only person in the vehicle. I was not injured by fragments. I was able to close the interior lining and continue driving to my house. Once home I was able to assess damage and vacuumed car. I took the vehicle to Thompson Toyota in Doylestown, PA yesterday 8/12/22 where it is being inspected and repaired. I am convinced this requires further investigation since I think this may be safety issue with this type of vehicle.
Wiring harness in many vehicles defective. Letter sent, but not a recall. I drove from NY to VA unaware that a headlight was out- I had to change bulbs several times, and ended up having to pay $500 for a new lighting system because I put the bulb in (apparently) wrong the 5th time. Accident could have happened due to bad li…
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Wiring harness in many vehicles defective. Letter sent, but not a recall. I drove from NY to VA unaware that a headlight was out- I had to change bulbs several times, and ended up having to pay $500 for a new lighting system because I put the bulb in (apparently) wrong the 5th time. Accident could have happened due to bad lighting, but fortunately did not. Toyota did not make this issue easily known, or easily fixed.
I received a consumer advisory notice from Toyota. Notice number appears to be 21TG01 and is related to battery fires. Apparently the wrong size battery was installed and Toyota issued the notice to have the battery size checked. It should be a Group 35 battery. However, a Toyota Group 35 measures 6 7/8 inches wide across an…
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I received a consumer advisory notice from Toyota. Notice number appears to be 21TG01 and is related to battery fires. Apparently the wrong size battery was installed and Toyota issued the notice to have the battery size checked. It should be a Group 35 battery. However, a Toyota Group 35 measures 6 7/8 inches wide across and after market batteries to the best of my research are 6 3/8 inches wide. The top battery hold down that fits over the top of the battery does not fit a 6 3/8 wide battery which appears to be the standard with the exception of Toyota. The top hold down bracket is too big and does not fit properly over the top of the battery. If that makes sense.
I am told by the Dealer, Dolan Toyota in Reno NV, that my car has TPMS sensors and an idiot light that indicates when there is a problem with these sensors. I bought a second set of wheels to facilitate winter/spring tire changes and the wheels were not equipped with TPMS sensors. The idiot light never activated to tell me there…
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I am told by the Dealer, Dolan Toyota in Reno NV, that my car has TPMS sensors and an idiot light that indicates when there is a problem with these sensors. I bought a second set of wheels to facilitate winter/spring tire changes and the wheels were not equipped with TPMS sensors. The idiot light never activated to tell me there is a problem, so I went to the dealer and asked about this issue. The service department at Dolan told me there are aware of the problem of not indicating when there is an issue but there is nothing they can do about it. It's my understanding that federal regulations require TPMS to be installed AND operating on this car. I filed a complaint with Toyota corporate and all they said was there is no recall on this problem and they have noted it. The reference number for my complaint with Toyota corporate is 220531001527.
The contact's mother owned a 2018 Toyota RAV-4. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was able to pull over and noticed that there was smoke coming from the driver's side of the hood. The contact was able to exit the vehicle safely before it caught fire. No medi…
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The contact's mother owned a 2018 Toyota RAV-4. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was able to pull over and noticed that there was smoke coming from the driver's side of the hood. The contact was able to exit the vehicle safely before it caught fire. No medical attention was received. The fire department was able to extinguish the fire, and a police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard and was not yet deemed totaled by the insurance company. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Action Number: PE21005O. The failure mileage was approximately 35,000. The contact stated that while traveling at speeds of approximately 35-40 mph the electrical system started flashing and stopped working. Smoke and fire emerged from the left front hood and the contact was unable to turn the vehicle off. The manufacturer has since been made aware of this incident. The insurance company deemed the vehicle a total loss.
The brakes needed complete redo at 28.000 miles. The pads and rotors. The front passenger brakes were through to rotors. Was not expecting to do a complete brake job at this mileage and the only indication we had a problem was the sudden grinding on the front passenger side and we were glad we were not on a long trip. We too…
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The brakes needed complete redo at 28.000 miles. The pads and rotors. The front passenger brakes were through to rotors. Was not expecting to do a complete brake job at this mileage and the only indication we had a problem was the sudden grinding on the front passenger side and we were glad we were not on a long trip. We took it to an independent mechanic who saved the parts for us. There was no indication we needed a complete brake job until that sudden grinding on the one wheel which was worn way more than the other three.
My husband and I were driving down the road when we had warning lights and signals going off in the car and the electric was trying to reset in the car. The car was sputtering and stalled out. we managed to pull the car over as white smoke came from under the hood of the car and we jumped out and grabbed our dog as flames starte…
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My husband and I were driving down the road when we had warning lights and signals going off in the car and the electric was trying to reset in the car. The car was sputtering and stalled out. we managed to pull the car over as white smoke came from under the hood of the car and we jumped out and grabbed our dog as flames started to shoot from under the hood. We have never had any incident happen prior to this to indicate there would be any problems. The car is available for inspection if requested. The insurance company has not inspected the vehicle yet and is transporting it to a salvage yard for inspection.
Had an accident and the air bags did not deploy on April 08, 2022. Me and my son got injured. The impact was strong, and my vehicle was dragged about 300' feet on the street and the other vehicles air bags deployed.
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.
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
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.