NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
What owners actually said
331 reports12,000 miles · Aug 11, 2020
Service BrakesCrash
SINCE I GOT MY RAV 4 2018 I'VE HAD ISSUES WITH THE BRAKES. BOTH MY BROTHER AND MOTHER DRIVE THE CAR AND EXPRESS THE SAME ISSUE. I'VE BROUGHT IT TO TOYOTA NUMEROUS TIMES ONLY TO BE TOLD THEY CANNOT REPLICATE THE ISSUE AND THAT THE BRAKES ARE WORKING FINE. WHEN I'M PUSHING THE BRAKES DOWN THEY FEEL LIKE THEY'RE GOING TO THE FLOOR.…
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SINCE I GOT MY RAV 4 2018 I'VE HAD ISSUES WITH THE BRAKES. BOTH MY BROTHER AND MOTHER DRIVE THE CAR AND EXPRESS THE SAME ISSUE. I'VE BROUGHT IT TO TOYOTA NUMEROUS TIMES ONLY TO BE TOLD THEY CANNOT REPLICATE THE ISSUE AND THAT THE BRAKES ARE WORKING FINE. WHEN I'M PUSHING THE BRAKES DOWN THEY FEEL LIKE THEY'RE GOING TO THE FLOOR. THERE IS A TERRIBLE SCREECHING SOUND HEARD AS WELL. I WAS IN AN ACCIDENT A FEW MONTHS AGO DUE TO THE BRAKES. I CALLED TOYOTA AND EXPRESSED MY CONCERNS AND THEY SENT AN INDEPENDENT INSPECTOR TO CHECK THE BRAKES. I RECEIVED AN EMAIL THAT STATED, "WE DO NOT BELIEVE THE VEHICLE SUFFERS FROM A DEFECT IN MATERIALS OR WORKMANSHIP THAT SUBSTANTIALLY IMPAIRS ITS USE, VALUE OR SAFETY". I'M UNSURE WHAT TO DO AT THIS POINT AS I'VE EXHAUSTED MY OPTIONS. I MAINTAIN EXCESSIVE DISTANCE FROM OTHER CARS BECAUSE I KNOW I HAVE TO START BRAKING WAY AHEAD OF TIME. ITS A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. CASE NUMBER: 2007132091
NHTSA ODI #11348725
Mileage unknown · Aug 9, 2020
Service Brakes
BOUGHT THE CAR BRAND NEW IN JAN/2018. IN MARCH/2019, 18,000 MILES, BRAKES WERE MAKING LOUD NOISES. AT FIRST TOYOTA SAID IT WAS NORMAL, JUST MOISTURE. MONTH LATER I INSISTED BC IT GOT WORSE, SO FINALLY THE MECHANIC AT TOYOTA DROVE MY CAR AND AGREED. THEY CHANGED THE ROTORS AND PADS, NO CHARGE (AFTER SOME ARGUES). NOW CAR IS 35,00…
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BOUGHT THE CAR BRAND NEW IN JAN/2018. IN MARCH/2019, 18,000 MILES, BRAKES WERE MAKING LOUD NOISES. AT FIRST TOYOTA SAID IT WAS NORMAL, JUST MOISTURE. MONTH LATER I INSISTED BC IT GOT WORSE, SO FINALLY THE MECHANIC AT TOYOTA DROVE MY CAR AND AGREED. THEY CHANGED THE ROTORS AND PADS, NO CHARGE (AFTER SOME ARGUES). NOW CAR IS 35,000 MILES (AFTER 17,000 MILES), BRAKES ARE MAKING NOISES AGAIN. TOOK AT TOYOTA AND AT THAT TIME I HAD TO PAY. THAT'S RIDICULOUS! THEY SAY YOU SHOULD CHANGE PADS BETWEEN 35,000 AND 70,000 MILES. RAV4 HAS PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKES FOR SURE!
NHTSA ODI #11344204
Mileage unknown · Jul 24, 2020
Service BrakesUnknown Or Other
NOT SOON AFTER I LEASED MY RAV4 THE BRAKES STARTED GRINDING AS IF I NEEDED NEW BRAKES & EVERYTIME I WENT IN FOR MAINTENANCE THEY SAID NOTHING IS WRONG WITH THEM & THEY LOOK FINE. THE ROTORS ARE RUSTED JUST ON THE INNER PART ON BOTH REAR ROTORS & MY CAR IS GARAGED SO THERE ISNT ANY REASON WHY THEY SHOULD BE GRINDING OR SQUEALING.…
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NOT SOON AFTER I LEASED MY RAV4 THE BRAKES STARTED GRINDING AS IF I NEEDED NEW BRAKES & EVERYTIME I WENT IN FOR MAINTENANCE THEY SAID NOTHING IS WRONG WITH THEM & THEY LOOK FINE. THE ROTORS ARE RUSTED JUST ON THE INNER PART ON BOTH REAR ROTORS & MY CAR IS GARAGED SO THERE ISNT ANY REASON WHY THEY SHOULD BE GRINDING OR SQUEALING. IT MAKES THE NOISE WHEN I'M IN MOTION. ALSO THE RADIO STATIONS ARE COMPLETE STATIC & I HAVE HAD 2 DIFFERENT TOYOTA DEALERS LOOK AT IT & THEY SAY NOTHING IS WRONG WITH THE WIRING BUT CAN'T FIGURE OUT WHY ALL MY STATIONS COME IN STATICALLY.
NHTSA ODI #11341323
15,000 miles · Jul 8, 2020
StructureSuspensionVehicle Speed ControlCrash
ON 7/3/20 AT ABOUT 3 PM EDT I WAS PREPARING TO TURN LEFT AND EXIT MY NEIGHBORHOOD. I WAS STOPPED. I PRESSED ON THE ACCELERATOR AND THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED STRAIGHT AHEAD AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. I WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. I TRAVELLED ABOUT 100 TO 150 FEET, CLIMBED AN ENBANKMENT AND LANDED IN A SMALL WOODED RAVI…
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ON 7/3/20 AT ABOUT 3 PM EDT I WAS PREPARING TO TURN LEFT AND EXIT MY NEIGHBORHOOD. I WAS STOPPED. I PRESSED ON THE ACCELERATOR AND THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED STRAIGHT AHEAD AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. I WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. I TRAVELLED ABOUT 100 TO 150 FEET, CLIMBED AN ENBANKMENT AND LANDED IN A SMALL WOODED RAVINE. I WAS ATTEMPTING TO EXIT MY NEIGHBORHOOD ONTO A PAVED ROAD.
NHTSA ODI #11338142
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
13,000 miles · Jun 12, 2020
Vehicle Speed Control
MY 2018 TOYOTA RAV4 HAS 13,000 MILES. DRIVING AT 20 MPH ON A ONE-LANE SECONDARY ROAD WHEN VEHICLE SPEED INCREASED ON ITS OWN. STEPPING ON FOOT BRAKE HAD NO EFFECT. ACCELERATION WAS CONSTANT AND NON-STOP. ABOUT 30 SECONDS LATER, CAR SLOWED AS THOUGH MY FOOT HAD BEEN REMOVED FROM THE ACCELERATOR. THE PROBLEM WAS - MY FOOT HAD…
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MY 2018 TOYOTA RAV4 HAS 13,000 MILES. DRIVING AT 20 MPH ON A ONE-LANE SECONDARY ROAD WHEN VEHICLE SPEED INCREASED ON ITS OWN. STEPPING ON FOOT BRAKE HAD NO EFFECT. ACCELERATION WAS CONSTANT AND NON-STOP. ABOUT 30 SECONDS LATER, CAR SLOWED AS THOUGH MY FOOT HAD BEEN REMOVED FROM THE ACCELERATOR. THE PROBLEM WAS - MY FOOT HAD BEEN CONSTANTLY ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. THIS UNCONTROLLED ACCELERATION HAS HAPPENED ONLY ONCE BUT I ONLY DROVE IT TO GET HOME. NOTE: FLOOR MATS WERE PROPERLY ANCHORED. *TR
NHTSA ODI #11328545
12,000 miles · May 26, 2020
Seat Belts
SEATBELT N THE BACK FOR CHILD DON'T CHIME WHEN KIDS ARE OUT OF SEAT AS MANUFACTURERS MADE. *TR
NHTSA ODI #11325919
4,000 miles · Apr 16, 2020
Service Brakes
SINCE I BROUGHT THIS RAV4 WHEN I START DRIVING THE FIRST 5 MINUTES IN THE MORNING AND COLD WEATHER WHEN I STEP ON THE BRAKE IT'S MAKE NOISE AND WHEN I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR 5K,10K,15K AND 20K SERVICE I TOLD THEM ABOUT THE BRAKE AND THERE ANSWER WAS THAT'S NORMAL. FOR ME THIS IS A BRAND NEW CAR. *TR
NHTSA ODI #11321331
17,300 miles · Apr 14, 2020
Unknown Or OtherCrash
I HAD BEEN USING THE ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL AT HIGHWAY SPEED ON THE WESTBOUND CA 134 IN GLENDALE/BURBANK, CA. I HAD TO MERGE INTO TRAFFIC FROM THE HOV LANE DISENGAGING THE CRUISE CONTROL. I THEN USED THE AUTO TRANSMISSION TO SHIFT TO A LOWER GEAR TO GAIN MORE TORQUE IN CHANGING LANES WHEN THE CAR WENT INTO A STALL AND LOST ALL…
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I HAD BEEN USING THE ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL AT HIGHWAY SPEED ON THE WESTBOUND CA 134 IN GLENDALE/BURBANK, CA. I HAD TO MERGE INTO TRAFFIC FROM THE HOV LANE DISENGAGING THE CRUISE CONTROL. I THEN USED THE AUTO TRANSMISSION TO SHIFT TO A LOWER GEAR TO GAIN MORE TORQUE IN CHANGING LANES WHEN THE CAR WENT INTO A STALL AND LOST ALL POWER. CONSEQUENTLY WE WERE REAR-ENDED BY ANOTHER CAR. OUR CAR WENT INTO A LOCKOUT AND HAD TO BE PUSHED TO THE SHOULDER BY THE CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL. I DON'T KNOW IF THIS WAS A RANDOM EVENT OR A GLITCH IN THE ON-BOARD COMPUTER.OR SOMETHING ELSE TOTALLY UNRELATED. *TR
NHTSA ODI #11321128
17,000 miles · Apr 9, 2020
Air BagsCrash
I HIT A DEER TRAVELING AT 60MPH+ WHILE TRAVELING ON I-470. THE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY, I DID SEE AN ERROR ON THE STATUS DISPLAY OF A SAFETY SYSTEM FAILURE. THE REPAIR SHOP FOUND THE FRONT SENSOR WAS CRUSHED IN THE COLLISION AND AMAZED THE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. I AM CONCERNED THIS IS A FUNCTIONAL FLAW WITH THE VEHICLE AND COUL…
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I HIT A DEER TRAVELING AT 60MPH+ WHILE TRAVELING ON I-470. THE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY, I DID SEE AN ERROR ON THE STATUS DISPLAY OF A SAFETY SYSTEM FAILURE. THE REPAIR SHOP FOUND THE FRONT SENSOR WAS CRUSHED IN THE COLLISION AND AMAZED THE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. I AM CONCERNED THIS IS A FUNCTIONAL FLAW WITH THE VEHICLE AND COULD RISK THE SAFETY OF OCCUPANTS. I HAVE PHOTOS OF THE VEHICLE IF NEEDED.
NHTSA ODI #11320662
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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