IllustrationGAS NEEDLE SHOWS EMPTY WHEN GAS TANK IS HALF FULL. THIS OCCURS WHEN AUTO IS STATIONARY, AND IN MOTION.
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 reportsLANE DEPARTURE WARNING, SEAT BELT WARNING, PEDESTRIAN WARNING AND OTHER AUDITORY SAFETY FEATURE WARNINGS ARE NOT ADJUSTABLE AND THEREFORE MAY BE INADEQUATE IN PROVIDING THE INTENDED SAFETY FUNCTION. THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD RETROFIT A CONTROL THAT MAKES IT POSSIBLE TO ADJUST THE SAFETY FUNCTION TO THE INDIVIDUAL NEEDS OF THE DR…
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LANE DEPARTURE WARNING, SEAT BELT WARNING, PEDESTRIAN WARNING AND OTHER AUDITORY SAFETY FEATURE WARNINGS ARE NOT ADJUSTABLE AND THEREFORE MAY BE INADEQUATE IN PROVIDING THE INTENDED SAFETY FUNCTION. THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD RETROFIT A CONTROL THAT MAKES IT POSSIBLE TO ADJUST THE SAFETY FUNCTION TO THE INDIVIDUAL NEEDS OF THE DRIVER.
I PURCHASED MY 2018 RAV4 IN NOVEMBER 2019. I HAD THE CAR FOR ABOUT 3 MONTHS WHEN I DROVE TO WORK, THE CAR ACTED SLUGGISH, WAS PRESSING ON THE GAS PEDAL BUT WASN'T GOING FASTER. THEN I HAD TO GO TO BANK, MY CAR WOULDN'T MOVE THE RPMS WENT UP TO 5 BUT CAR DIDNT MOVE, FINALLY CAR JUMPED SO I PRESSED ON GAS AN IT TRIED TO STALL SO …
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I PURCHASED MY 2018 RAV4 IN NOVEMBER 2019. I HAD THE CAR FOR ABOUT 3 MONTHS WHEN I DROVE TO WORK, THE CAR ACTED SLUGGISH, WAS PRESSING ON THE GAS PEDAL BUT WASN'T GOING FASTER. THEN I HAD TO GO TO BANK, MY CAR WOULDN'T MOVE THE RPMS WENT UP TO 5 BUT CAR DIDNT MOVE, FINALLY CAR JUMPED SO I PRESSED ON GAS AN IT TRIED TO STALL SO I LET OFF, THEN CAR ACTED LIKE IT HAD POWER AGAIN THE CAR DID THIS ALL THE WAY TO BANK. IT SAT IDEAL WHILE I WAS AT THE BANK I NOTICED THE CAR SMELLED GASSY, THEN IT DID THE SAME ALL THE WAY BACK TO WORK. WHEN I GOT BACK TO WORK I CALL THE DEALERSHIP IN ENID WHERE I GOT IT AND HE EVEN SAID I MAY BE MY FUEL PUMP. LATER THAT DAY MY CAR SEEMED FINE. NOW IT FEELS LIKE IT WILL JUMP, SLUGGISH, OR STALLS LIKE IT DOESN'T GET GAS WHEN I HAVE A FULL TANK. I HAD GREAT GAS MILEAGE NOW IT TAKES 20 BUCK FOR 20 MILES NO JOKE. I CALLED THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP IN AMARILLO TX 4 DAYS AGO ABOUT CHANGING MY PUMP, SO SHOWS I HAD ISSUES LONG BEFORE I GOT SENT THE RECALL MESSAGE FROM A FRIEND. I CALL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP IN ENID OK WHERE I GOT THE CAR AND HAVE PLANS TO TAKE IT IN ON THE 19TH TO BE LOOKED AT.
THE VIEW OUT THE FRONT WINDSHIELD BECOMES OBSCURED WHEN THE SUN SHINES DIRECTLY TOWARD WINDOW BECAUSE THE FRONT OF THE DASH AREA BECOMES REFLECTED BACK IN THE WINDOW AND YOU CAN NO LONGER SEE DUE OUT THE WINDOW TO THE GLARE. I'VE NEARLY HIT PEDESTRIANS BECAUSE I COULDN'T SEE THEM WALKING IN FRONT OF MY CAR WHEN THIS IS HAPPENING…
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THE VIEW OUT THE FRONT WINDSHIELD BECOMES OBSCURED WHEN THE SUN SHINES DIRECTLY TOWARD WINDOW BECAUSE THE FRONT OF THE DASH AREA BECOMES REFLECTED BACK IN THE WINDOW AND YOU CAN NO LONGER SEE DUE OUT THE WINDOW TO THE GLARE. I'VE NEARLY HIT PEDESTRIANS BECAUSE I COULDN'T SEE THEM WALKING IN FRONT OF MY CAR WHEN THIS IS HAPPENING.
I WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR ANOTHER REASON BUT I HAPPENED TO TELL THE SALESPERSON THAT I WAS VERY DISSATISFIED WITH THE FUEL SAVINGS. MY IN-TOWN AVERAGE IS 18.3 AND THE INTERSTATE FUEL ECONOMY IS 22.4 MPG. HE TOLD ME I SHOULD BE GETTING 30 MILES PER GALLON. NOT HAPPENING!!! I BOUGHT THIS SUV FOR TRAVELING. THAT'S NOT AN OPTION…
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I WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR ANOTHER REASON BUT I HAPPENED TO TELL THE SALESPERSON THAT I WAS VERY DISSATISFIED WITH THE FUEL SAVINGS. MY IN-TOWN AVERAGE IS 18.3 AND THE INTERSTATE FUEL ECONOMY IS 22.4 MPG. HE TOLD ME I SHOULD BE GETTING 30 MILES PER GALLON. NOT HAPPENING!!! I BOUGHT THIS SUV FOR TRAVELING. THAT'S NOT AN OPTION WITH THIS FUEL MILEAGE!
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.
AT AROUND 1:30 PM, FEBRUARY 7, 2020, ON A SUNNY AND WINDY DAY, I WAS DRIVING ON MD RTE. 32 HEADING TOWARDS COLUMBIA JUST PAST I-95, TRAVELING ABOUT 60 MPH. I WAS DRIVING NEXT TO A LARGE TRUCK AND BECAUSE THERE WAS A LOT OF WIND, AND THE TRUCK WAS BEING BLOWN BY THE WIND, I DECIDED TO DRIVE PASS IT. AFTER I HAD DRIVEN PAST THE TR…
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AT AROUND 1:30 PM, FEBRUARY 7, 2020, ON A SUNNY AND WINDY DAY, I WAS DRIVING ON MD RTE. 32 HEADING TOWARDS COLUMBIA JUST PAST I-95, TRAVELING ABOUT 60 MPH. I WAS DRIVING NEXT TO A LARGE TRUCK AND BECAUSE THERE WAS A LOT OF WIND, AND THE TRUCK WAS BEING BLOWN BY THE WIND, I DECIDED TO DRIVE PASS IT. AFTER I HAD DRIVEN PAST THE TRUCK, I HEARD A VERY LOUD BANG RIGHT ABOVE MY HEAD AS IF SOMETHING EXPLODED. I DID NOT SEE ANYTHING AND THE CAR APPEARED TO BE OK, SO I KEPT DRIVING. BUT THEN I STARTED HEARING THE SOUND OF WHAT I THOUGHT WAS SOMETHING LIKE GRAVEL BOUNCING RIGHT ABOVE THE SLIDER THAT COVERS THE SUNROOF. BECAUSE I DID NOT KNOW WHAT JUST HAPPENED, I DECIDED TO HEAD HOME WHICH IS JUST A FEW MINUTES AWAY. WHEN I GOT HOME I SAW THAT THE SUNROOF GLASS WAS SHATTERED AND MOST OF THE GLASS WAS GONE. I CALLED THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT OF THE COMPANY THAT SOLD ME THE CAR ABOUT GETTING THE SUNROOF REPLACED AND THEY TOLD ME THAT EVEN THOUGH THE CAR WAS ONLY 2 YEARS OLD AND HAD A THREE YEAR WARRANTY, THAT I SHOULD CALL MY INSURANCE AGENT. I CONTACTED OUR INSURANCE AGENT AND SHE SAID TO CALL THE CLAIMS DEPARTMENT. SHE ALSO MENTIONED THAT SOMETHING MUST HAVE HIT THE SUNROOF. TO MY KNOWLEDGE NOTHING HIT THE SUNROOF TO CAUSE THE GLASS TO EXPLODE. I AM NOT AWARE OF ANY PREVIOUS CRACKS OR OTHER DAMAGE TO THE SUNROOF THAT WOULD HAVE WEAKENED IT. I CALLED THE INSURANCE AGENT, AND WAS TRANSFERRED TO SUNROOF EXPRESS, THE COMPANY THAT HANDLES THE SUNROOF CLAIMS. I WAS REQUIRED TO PAY MY DEDUCTIBLE AND THEY SENT A NEW SUNROOF TO A REPAIR COMPANY NEAR ME AND THE SUNROOF WAS REPLACED. AT NO TIME DID ANY OF THESE COMPANIES ASK ME WHAT HAPPENED, WHICH ASTONISHED ME. NOR DID THEY SEEM SURPRISED AT THE OCCURRENCE. IT WAS LIKE THIS HAPPENS ALL THE TIME AND WE WANT TO BE EFFICIENT AND GET IT REPLACED FOR YOU AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
I HAVE HAD THIS VEHICLE FOR 18,000 MILES NOW AND I HAVE NOTICED SERIOUS ISSUES WITH THE BRAKING SYSTEM. WHEN I APPLY THE BRAKES, I HAVE TO (ALMOST) COMPLETELY FLOOR THE BRAKE PEDAL IN ORDER FOR THE CAR TO STOP. I HAD A 2015 HONDA CR-V FOR THREE YEARS AND IT NEVER HAD ANY ISSUES LIKE THAT. IN OTHER WORDS, THE BRAKE PEDAL IS TOO S…
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I HAVE HAD THIS VEHICLE FOR 18,000 MILES NOW AND I HAVE NOTICED SERIOUS ISSUES WITH THE BRAKING SYSTEM. WHEN I APPLY THE BRAKES, I HAVE TO (ALMOST) COMPLETELY FLOOR THE BRAKE PEDAL IN ORDER FOR THE CAR TO STOP. I HAD A 2015 HONDA CR-V FOR THREE YEARS AND IT NEVER HAD ANY ISSUES LIKE THAT. IN OTHER WORDS, THE BRAKE PEDAL IS TOO SOFT COMPARED TO SIMILAR VEHICLES. THIS IS ESPECIALLY PROBLEMATIC FOR SHORTER DRIVERS (LIKE MY MOTHER) BECAUSE SHE HAS SMALL FEET AND SHE NEEDS TO LIFT HER ENTIRE FOOT TO TRANSITION BETWEEN THE GAS/BRAKE PEDALS, PUTTING HER AT A SLIGHT DISADVANTAGE. I CONTACTED THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP REGARDING THIS ISSUE, BUT THEY TOLD ME THAT IT WAS NORMAL AND COULDN'T DO ANYTHING MAJOR ABOUT IT. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD. I ALMOST RAN INTO A DEER ONE NIGHT ON A LOCAL ROAD BECAUSE I COULDN'T STOP THE CAR ON TIME. HIGHWAY BRAKING IS ALSO DIFFICULT, SO I HAVE TO MAINTAIN EXTRA DISTANCE. HOWEVER, WHEN USING DYNAMIC CRUISE CONTROL, THE CAR IS ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY BRAKE IN ACCORDANCE TO THE VEHICLE TRAVELLING AHEAD OF ME.
PASSENGER SEAT BELTS DON'T CHIME WHEN UNLATCHED LIGHT ISN'T DISPLAYED
THERE IS NOT PARTICULAR INCIDENT TO REPORT. THE HEADLIGHT BEAMS ARE TO LOW ON LOW-BEAM USE, WITH A HARD EDGE AT THE TOP SO IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE FAR DOWN THE ROAD. THE HIGH BEAM SETTING IT TOO HIGH, SO THE LIGHT GOES 30 FEET ABOVE THE ROADWAY, AND DOES NOT ILLUMINATE THE ROAD FURTHER AHEAD. THIS IS A FAULTY DESIGN. I WAS A…
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THERE IS NOT PARTICULAR INCIDENT TO REPORT. THE HEADLIGHT BEAMS ARE TO LOW ON LOW-BEAM USE, WITH A HARD EDGE AT THE TOP SO IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE FAR DOWN THE ROAD. THE HIGH BEAM SETTING IT TOO HIGH, SO THE LIGHT GOES 30 FEET ABOVE THE ROADWAY, AND DOES NOT ILLUMINATE THE ROAD FURTHER AHEAD. THIS IS A FAULTY DESIGN. I WAS ABLE TO ADJUST THE BULB HOUSING TO LOWER THE HIGH BEAM SO IT ACTUALLY SHOWED MORE ROAD , AND THE PROBLEM OF DEER ON THE ROADWAY IN THE MOUNTAINS. THERE SHOULD BE SEPARATE ADJUSTMENTS FOR HIGH/LOW BEAMS, AND THE LOWER BEAM SHOULD SHOW MORE ROADWAY AHEAD.
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.