IllustrationTHE VEHICLE DOWNSHIFTS 2X AT 40 MPH INTO A GEAR WHICH MAKES THE CAR LURCH AND THE RPMS GO FROM 2000 TO 4000. HAPPENS DURING MILD ACCELERATOR DEPRESSION. IF YOU ROMP ON THE GAS THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN. WHEN IT DOES UPSHIFT THE ECO LIGHT COMES ON BUT THEN IT UPSHIFTS AGAIN. THE SENSOR DOES NOT SELECT THE RIGHT GEAR FOR THE LOAD.
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 reportsTHE LANE DEPARTURE WARNING BUZZER'S WARNING CANNOT BE HEARD ON THE ROAD WITH THE RADIO ON LOW VOLUME OR WITH A RADIO OFF BUT DRIVING ABOVE 75MPH DUE TO THE ROAD NOISE. MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS TO DIFFERENT DEALERS RESULTED IN COMMENTS THAT THE BUZZER WORKS AS DESIGNED. CALLS TO TOYOTA'S "BRAND ENGAGEMENT ADVOCATE" RESULTED IN ADVICE …
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THE LANE DEPARTURE WARNING BUZZER'S WARNING CANNOT BE HEARD ON THE ROAD WITH THE RADIO ON LOW VOLUME OR WITH A RADIO OFF BUT DRIVING ABOVE 75MPH DUE TO THE ROAD NOISE. MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS TO DIFFERENT DEALERS RESULTED IN COMMENTS THAT THE BUZZER WORKS AS DESIGNED. CALLS TO TOYOTA'S "BRAND ENGAGEMENT ADVOCATE" RESULTED IN ADVICE TO GO TO A DEALER. THEY HAVE NO AUTHORITY TO INSTRUCT THE DEALER TO REPLACE THE BUZZER. I UNDERSTAND THAT LDW IS MANDATORY FOR 5 STARS SAFETY RATING, BUT I CANNOT FIND THE SPECIFICATION FOR THIS SAFETY FEATURE.
I HAVE AN AUTO SHIFT OFF FOR HIGH BEAM LIGHTS, I TURN MY HIGH BEAMS ON AND THEY DON'T WORK, AND WHEN I PULL THE SWITCH BACK LIKE I AM TRYING TO FLASH MY HIGH BEAMS AT SOMEONE THEY WORK BUT WHEN I TURN THEM ON TO KEEP THEM ON THEY DO NOT WORK AND MY AUTO HIGH BEAM LIGHT DOES NOT COME ON EITHER. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO…
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I HAVE AN AUTO SHIFT OFF FOR HIGH BEAM LIGHTS, I TURN MY HIGH BEAMS ON AND THEY DON'T WORK, AND WHEN I PULL THE SWITCH BACK LIKE I AM TRYING TO FLASH MY HIGH BEAMS AT SOMEONE THEY WORK BUT WHEN I TURN THEM ON TO KEEP THEM ON THEY DO NOT WORK AND MY AUTO HIGH BEAM LIGHT DOES NOT COME ON EITHER. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
I STOPPED THE VEHICLE ON A SMALL INCLINE WHILE THE GEAR SHIFT WAS IN DRIVE. I HIT THE POWER BUTTON (WHILE THE BRAKE WAS PRESSED) WITHOUT PUTTING THE CAR INTO PARK. WITH THE VEHICLE STILL IN DRIVE, AND NOT PROPERLY TURNED OFF, WHEN I REMOVED MY FOOT FROM THE BRAKE, MY VEHICLE ROLLED BACKWARDS SIX FEET. LATER THAT DAY I TRIED TO …
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I STOPPED THE VEHICLE ON A SMALL INCLINE WHILE THE GEAR SHIFT WAS IN DRIVE. I HIT THE POWER BUTTON (WHILE THE BRAKE WAS PRESSED) WITHOUT PUTTING THE CAR INTO PARK. WITH THE VEHICLE STILL IN DRIVE, AND NOT PROPERLY TURNED OFF, WHEN I REMOVED MY FOOT FROM THE BRAKE, MY VEHICLE ROLLED BACKWARDS SIX FEET. LATER THAT DAY I TRIED TO RECREATE THE SAME SCENARIO AND IT HAPPENED AGAIN. IF YOU PRESS THE POWER BUTTON TO TURN OFF YOUR VEHICLE WHILE IT IS STILL IN DRIVE AND YOU TAKE YOUR FOOT OFF OF THE BRAKE, THE CAR WILL ACT AS THOUGH IT IS IN NEUTRAL AND ROLL DOWNHILL. I HAVE NOT TRIED WITH THE CAR FACING DOWNHILL/ROLLING FORWARDS.
WHILE IN REVERSE WITH FOOT ON BRAKE (STOPPED) THE VEHICLE WAS REAR ENDED. WHILE FOOT STILL ON BRAKE THE VEHICLE HAD UNCOMMANDED FORWARD ACCELERATION (ENGINE REVVED UP LIKE FOOT FLOORED THE GAS PEDAL). VEHICLE ACCELERATED FORWARD ~25 FT AND HIT THE FRONT OF ANOTHER VEHICLE (FOOT ON BRAKE PEDAL ENTIRE TIME). UPON IMPACT, THE VEHIC…
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WHILE IN REVERSE WITH FOOT ON BRAKE (STOPPED) THE VEHICLE WAS REAR ENDED. WHILE FOOT STILL ON BRAKE THE VEHICLE HAD UNCOMMANDED FORWARD ACCELERATION (ENGINE REVVED UP LIKE FOOT FLOORED THE GAS PEDAL). VEHICLE ACCELERATED FORWARD ~25 FT AND HIT THE FRONT OF ANOTHER VEHICLE (FOOT ON BRAKE PEDAL ENTIRE TIME). UPON IMPACT, THE VEHICLE HAD UNCOMMANDED ACCELERATION IN REVERSE (FOOT ON BRAKE PEDAL STILL). WAS ABLE TO TURN OF IGNITION AND PULL THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP THE VEHICLE AFTER MOVING ~25FT IN REVERSE. AT FINAL STOP, THE VEHICLE'S TRANSMISSION LEVER WAS IN THE DRIVE POSITION. NOTE: TOW TRUCK DRIVER STARTED VEHICLE TO GO IN REVERSE A FEW FEET FOR POSITIONING. WITH ENGINE RUNNING, VEHICLE WAS PUT IN REVERSE AND GAS PEDAL PRESSED GENTLY. VEHICLE WENT IN REVERSE (< 2MPH) AS IT SHOULD. FOOT APPLIED TO BRAKE AND VEHICLE PUT IN PARK IN ONE MOTION. VEHICLE IN PARK AND FOOT ON BRAKE THE ENGINE BEGAN TO REV UP AGAIN. KEY WAS TURN OFF. VEHICLE TOWED.
MY CAR IS A TOYOTA RAV4 2018. ON OCTOBER 20, 2020, I WAS DRIVING MY CAR AROUND 60 MPH WITH MY SON ON A BRIGHT, SUNNY DAY IN ABOUT 80 DEGREE WEATHER ON HIGHWAY 605N JUST PAST HIGHWAY 60. OUT OF NOWHERE, WE WE HEARD A LOUD BURSTING NOISE THAT SOUNDED LIKE A GUNSHOT. THERE WEREN'T MANY CARS ON THE HIGHWAY AND I WAS DRIVING ON TH…
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MY CAR IS A TOYOTA RAV4 2018. ON OCTOBER 20, 2020, I WAS DRIVING MY CAR AROUND 60 MPH WITH MY SON ON A BRIGHT, SUNNY DAY IN ABOUT 80 DEGREE WEATHER ON HIGHWAY 605N JUST PAST HIGHWAY 60. OUT OF NOWHERE, WE WE HEARD A LOUD BURSTING NOISE THAT SOUNDED LIKE A GUNSHOT. THERE WEREN'T MANY CARS ON THE HIGHWAY AND I WAS DRIVING ON THE THIRD LANE FROM THE OUTER EDGE. WHEN I PULLED OVER, I NOTICED THE SUNROOF HAD COMPLETELY SHATTERED. WE HADN'T TRIED TO OPEN THE SUNROOF AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT NOR DID IT APPEAR THAT A ROCK OR OTHER OBJECT HIT THE SUNROOF. ON OCTOBER 22, 2020, I TOOK MY CAR TO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP IN WESTMINSTER. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THAT THEY WERE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DAMAGE BUT WOULD CONTACT TOYOTA DIRECTLY TO SEE IF TOYOTA MANUFACTURER WOULD COVER THE COSTS. A FEW DAYS LATER, I WAS TOLD THAT TOYOTA MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE SHATTERED SUNROOF. I WOULD NEED TO PAY FOR PARTS AND LABOR TO GET THE SUNROOF REPAIRED EVEN THOUGH THE INCIDENT WAS NO FAULT OF MY OWN. MY CAR HAS LESS THAN 10,000 MILES BECAUSE I BARELY DRIVE IT. MY CAR SPENDS MOST OF THE TIME PARKED INSIDE MY COVERED GARAGE. I TAKE EXTREMELY GOOD CARE OF MY CAR THAT IT DOESN'T EVEN HAVE ANY SCRATCHES ON IT. UPON SEARCHING THE WEB, I NOTICED THERE WERE OTHER REPORTED INCIDENTS FROM PEOPLE WHO EXPERIENCED SHATTERED SUNROOFS FROM THEIR TOYOTA CARS. THESE TYPES OF INCIDENTS POSE A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. AND WHAT SURPRISED ME EVEN MORE IS THAT TOYOTA IS NOT TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR RECALLING THE CARS THESE DEFEATS. I TRULY BELIEVE THAT TOYOTA SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR COVERING THE COST FOR REPAIRS FOR MY SUNROOF AND OTHER CARS THAT HAVE HAD SIMILAR TYPES OF DEFEATS.
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.
ON A STREET TURNING LEFT ON GREEN YIELDING TO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. IN MOTION OF TURNING AND THE OTHER CAR WHO WAS COMING HEAD ON OVER 80MPH CLIPPING MY FRONT END MAKING MY CAR SPIN 360 DEGREES AND AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY.
THE KEYLESS IS NOT FRIENDLY FOR THE DEAF. NEED TO SOMETHING FOR THE RIGHT AND SAFE. THANK YOU.
I PURCHASED THIS CAR IN FEBRUARY 2018 AND ON FEBRUARY 2019 THE FIRST FAILURE OCCURRED. I WAS DRIVING WHEN THE ENGINE STOPPED AND "CHARGING SYSTEM FAILURE" WAS DISPLAYED ON THE DASH. WITH THIS FAILURE, THE OWNERS MANUAL SAYS TAKE IT TO THE DEALER. THE CAR DID START UP AND I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE HOME. THE SELLING DEALER COULD NOT FIN…
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I PURCHASED THIS CAR IN FEBRUARY 2018 AND ON FEBRUARY 2019 THE FIRST FAILURE OCCURRED. I WAS DRIVING WHEN THE ENGINE STOPPED AND "CHARGING SYSTEM FAILURE" WAS DISPLAYED ON THE DASH. WITH THIS FAILURE, THE OWNERS MANUAL SAYS TAKE IT TO THE DEALER. THE CAR DID START UP AND I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE HOME. THE SELLING DEALER COULD NOT FIND ANY PROBLEMS. I IGNORED THE SAME FAILURE A COUPLE MORE TIMES, BUT WITH THE LAST FAILURE, I TOOK THE CAR TO BALL TOYOTA, CHARLESTON, WV. THEY TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS 3 ERROR CODES, PO 1603,1604,1605,P219A AND MADE A REFERRAL TO TOYOTA, TAS CASE #202130026. TOYOTA TOLD THE DEALER TO REPLACE THE TANK SUB-ASSY. AND THE CANISTER ASSY.. I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A DANGEROUS PROBLEM THAT I'M NOT SURE THEIR REPAIR WILL BE THE CORRECT FIX
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.