← New search

2019 Toyota RAV4

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most RAV4 years

Owner complaints for the 2019 Toyota RAV4 are substantially higher than the model-year median of 258.5.

About this comparison →

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

309 reports with mileage · 568 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.

  • Fuel/propulsion System. Review the 255 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 205 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 102 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

25 crash reports2 fire reports16 injury reports

What owners actually said

877 reports
Mileage unknown · Jun 10, 2024
Unknown Or Other

Vehicle has been releasing a chemical odor when engine is started. At 36,000 miles the Engine Maintenance Requird light alerted driver to have vehicle checked. Diagnostic indicated the Coolant Bypass Valve was needing replacement. Cost for repair $760 + tax. Part for repair is priced at less than $100 at local car parts store bu…

Read full complaint

Vehicle has been releasing a chemical odor when engine is started. At 36,000 miles the Engine Maintenance Requird light alerted driver to have vehicle checked. Diagnostic indicated the Coolant Bypass Valve was needing replacement. Cost for repair $760 + tax. Part for repair is priced at less than $100 at local car parts store but repair must be done at dealership to maintain powertrain warranty. POV: Excessive price for a part that should not be failing at 36,000 miles. Driver advised to not drive vehicle for safety reasons.

NHTSA ODI #11593394

Mileage unknown · Jun 4, 2024
Engine

"Engine Maintenance Required Visit Your Dealer" warning that would not clear for a defective coolant bypass valve. No way to know that this was the issue without taking the vehicle to the dealer. Car began to overheat presenting a danger when driving distances to myself and other drivers.

NHTSA ODI #11592530

Mileage unknown · Jun 3, 2024
Structure

For a long time, lift gate was not functioning correctly, when trying to close the liftgate does not close. In peak winters it was a lot of frustration to close the lift gate. Showed it dealership many times, later that issue worsened to hinge tear. Now it shows like falling apart. Requested to Toyota to repairs, repair is not …

Read full complaint

For a long time, lift gate was not functioning correctly, when trying to close the liftgate does not close. In peak winters it was a lot of frustration to close the lift gate. Showed it dealership many times, later that issue worsened to hinge tear. Now it shows like falling apart. Requested to Toyota to repairs, repair is not done yet. Assistance in this regards would be highly appreciated.

NHTSA ODI #11592065

Mileage unknown · Jun 1, 2024
Engine

Engine maintenance required, visit your local dealer warning light would not turn off. This in itself is a safety issue as it is distracting and disables on screen speed, miles left until empty, and other helpful driving information from being displayed in view. Visited dealer and was told COOLANT BYPASS VALVE was defective and…

Read full complaint

Engine maintenance required, visit your local dealer warning light would not turn off. This in itself is a safety issue as it is distracting and disables on screen speed, miles left until empty, and other helpful driving information from being displayed in view. Visited dealer and was told COOLANT BYPASS VALVE was defective and that continuing to drive the vehicle without replacing could cause blown head gasket and engine failure. Researched issue and came upon numerous threads including several Reddit threads explaining and detailing the severity and widespread issue that this is for regularly maintained RAV4s. This should be a recall.

NHTSA ODI #11591926

Mileage unknown · May 29, 2024
Engine

Engine maintenace required sign coming up on dashboard.

NHTSA ODI #11591356

Mileage unknown · May 29, 2024
Engine

"Engine maintenance required" warning light came on and unable to bypass at all, leaving driver unable to read odometer or speedometer while driving. Had to go to the dealership 2 days in a row before they finally addressed the warning. Service staff informed this is indicating the coolant bypass valve is damaged or has failed. …

Read full complaint

"Engine maintenance required" warning light came on and unable to bypass at all, leaving driver unable to read odometer or speedometer while driving. Had to go to the dealership 2 days in a row before they finally addressed the warning. Service staff informed this is indicating the coolant bypass valve is damaged or has failed. Also informed that this is a very common issue regardless of location, mileage, or usage of vehicle and will happen to all RAV4 owners of certain years eventually. A quick google search will show this is an extremely common issue and a result of using inferior quality parts in manufacturing. Toyota should recall this issue asap and reimburse drivers as many people have had the same problem. Had to pay over $600 at dealership to address issue that Toyota's manufacturing caused and to be able to have full usage of vehicle again. This is a dangerous issue if drivers without financial means to address this problem are driving without being able to use their vehicle display tools among other issues regarding the engine.

NHTSA ODI #11591345

Mileage unknown · May 27, 2024
EngineUnknown Or Other

Engine coolant valve by-pass issues. Engine coolant bypass hose fails.

NHTSA ODI #11590894

Mileage unknown · May 24, 2024
EngineFuel/propulsion SystemUnknown Or Other

"Engine Maintenance Required See Dealer" message keeps appearing on my bashboard took it to my local Toyota dealer and they confirmed the problem is the coolant bypass valve/hose $150 to find the find the problem and $700 to fix apparently this is common in 2019-2022 RAV4s. Now my car won't drive for long without over heating I …

Read full complaint

"Engine Maintenance Required See Dealer" message keeps appearing on my bashboard took it to my local Toyota dealer and they confirmed the problem is the coolant bypass valve/hose $150 to find the find the problem and $700 to fix apparently this is common in 2019-2022 RAV4s. Now my car won't drive for long without over heating I have only had my car for a year and a half and drive less than 5,000 a year.

NHTSA ODI #11590670

Mileage unknown · May 23, 2024
Electrical SystemEngine

“Engine maintenance required” maintenance light on dashboard. Very common issue within RAV4s. This message blocks the odometer on the dashboard when visible. It shows warning lights on the display as well. The part that needs replacing is a “coolant bypass valve”. My dealer wanted nearly $1000 to replace this part, and told me t…

Read full complaint

“Engine maintenance required” maintenance light on dashboard. Very common issue within RAV4s. This message blocks the odometer on the dashboard when visible. It shows warning lights on the display as well. The part that needs replacing is a “coolant bypass valve”. My dealer wanted nearly $1000 to replace this part, and told me this part was on back order nationwide. My car begins to overheat after 1.5 hours of driving. The dealer said to pull over when operating my vehicle and it begins to overheat. This problem is an inconvenience as I commute to work in a busy city. This problem was first presented last week after my scheduled oil change with my local dealer. The next day (5/17/2024) the light came on my dashboard—unable to be removed. I first brought it into the dealer for a diagnostic on 5/20/2024, this is when they diagnosed a coolant bypass valve. I brought it back to the dealer today (5/23/2024) to have the part replaced, and was told it was on back order. I am afraid to operate my vehicle for long periods of time due to this issue. It has become a major inconvenience in my personal life this week, causing me to call out of work twice. This needs to be addressed by Toyota immediately.

NHTSA ODI #11590460

Mileage unknown · May 22, 2024
Engine

Engine maintenance required warning notice came on. Researched showed this to be a failure of the coolant bypass valve. It is a well known and documented problem with can lead to the engine overheating and seizing. Called dealership and they were well aware of issue and wanted $1,100. to repair. My car only has 46K miles on it. …

Read full complaint

Engine maintenance required warning notice came on. Researched showed this to be a failure of the coolant bypass valve. It is a well known and documented problem with can lead to the engine overheating and seizing. Called dealership and they were well aware of issue and wanted $1,100. to repair. My car only has 46K miles on it. Toyota should issue a recall.

NHTSA ODI #11590076

Official recalls

7

20V682000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:fuel Pump

Nov 4, 2020

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018-2019 4Runner, 2019-2020 Avalon, 2019 Corolla Hatchback, 2017-2019 Highlander, 2018-2020 Camry, 2020 Corolla, 2018-2019 Land Cruiser, 2017-2020 Tacoma, 2019-2020 RAV4, 2019-2020 Sequoia, 2017-2020 Sienna, 2019-2020 Tundra, 2018-2020 Lexus ES350, 2017 Lexus GS200t, 2017-2019 Lexus GS350, 2019 Lexus GS300, 2018-2020 Lexus LC500h, 2019-2020 Lexus LS500, 2018-2019 Lexus GX460, 2017 Lexus IS200t, 2019 Lexus IS300, 2019 Lexus IS350, 2018-2020 Lexus LC500, 2018 Lexus LS500, 2019 Lexus LS500h, 2018-2019 Lexus LX570, 2017 Lexus RC200t, 2019 Lexus RC300, RC350, 2017 and 2019-2020 Lexus RX350, 2018-2020 RX350L, 2019 Lexus UX200, 2018-2019 Lexus NX300 vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the fuel pump fails, the engine can stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump assembly with an improved one, free of charge. Owners of specific models were notified that remedy parts were available starting January 21, 2021. Owners of other models will be notified as remedy parts become available. Remedy parts should be available for all affected vehicles by late March 2021. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 or Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987. Note: This recall is an expansion of recall 20V-012. Toyota's number for this recall is 20TA02. Lexus' number for this recall is 20LA01.

20V373000 · Steering:electric Power Assist System

Jun 24, 2020

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2019-2020 RAV4 and 2020 RAV4 Hybrid vehicles equipped with electric power steering (EPS). Water may enter through the steering gear box cover and cause a loss of electric power steering assist.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A loss of power steering assist could increase steering effort at low vehicle speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the power steering gear box, free of charge. The recall began August 17, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is 20TB11 / 20TA11.

20V286000 · Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Arm

May 20, 2020

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2019-2020 RAV4 and RAV4 Hybrid vehicles. The front lower suspension arms may have cracks, which may result in the suspension arm separating from the front wheel assembly.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If a suspension control arm breaks, it can result in a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace both front lower suspension arms, free of charge. This recall began August 10, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's interim numbers for this recall are 20TB08 / 20TA08.

20V064000 · Engine And Engine Cooling

Feb 6, 2020

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020 Toyota Avalon Hybrid, Camry, Camry Hybrid and Lexus ES300h and 2019-2020 RAV4 and RAV4 Hybrid vehicles equipped with 2.5L 4-Cylinder engines. Porosity in the engine castings may result in cracks than can allow coolant to leak internally and/or externally.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A coolant leak can cause the engine to overheat and cause a vehicle stall in conventional gasoline vehicles, increasing the risk of a crash. Additionally, for all involved vehicles, the engine may get damaged mechanically, possibly resulting in an engine oil leak, increasing the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the engine including the engine block, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began April 3, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 or Lexus at 1-800-255-3987. Toyota's number for this recall is 20TA04. Lexus' number for this recall is 20LA02.

19V576000 · Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera

Aug 6, 2019

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2019 RAV4 and RAV4 Hybrid vehicles. Due to a damaged electrical connector, the back-up camera may not activate when the vehicle is in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply to Federal Motor Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rearview Mirrors."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the backup camera system does not activate and the driver does not check his/her surroundings while reversing, there is an increased risk of a crash.

Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the back-up camera system and replace the audio display unit, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began September 27, 2019. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is K0N.

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.

19V244000 · Equipment:other:labels

Mar 27, 2019

Gulf States Toyota (GST) is recalling certain 2019 C-HR, 4Runner, Avalon, Avalon Hybrid, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Highlander, Land Cruiser, Prius, RAV4, Sequoia, Tacoma, Sienna, Tundra and Yaris vehicles. The text on the load capacity label may become illegible. 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: If the driver cannot read the label, they may unknowingly overload the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: GST will notify owners, and dealers will provide corrected load carrying capacity modification labels, free of charge. The recall began May 24, 2019. Owners may contact GST customer service at 1-800-444-1074. GST's number for this recall is 19R1.

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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.

Go deeper into Toyota RAV4 problems