IllustrationMy RAV4 doesn’t even have 40,000 miles on it. I found out that the coolant bypass system needs to be replaced. After investigating online, I realized that this is a very common problem for RAVs. I believe this should be a recall!
2020 Toyota RAV4
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most RAV4 years
Owner complaints for the 2020 Toyota RAV4 are substantially higher than 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
1600–25K
1725–50K
850–75K
175–100K
7100–150K
2150K+
195 reports with mileage · 439 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.
- Engine. Review the 180 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 119 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Fuel/propulsion System. Review the 90 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
17 crash reports5 fire reports11 injury reports
What owners actually said
634 reportsENGINE COOLANT BYPASS VALVE failed internally causing an open circuit.
2020 Toyota RAV4 XLE purchased July of 2020. Just hit 35K miles and an "engine maintenance required" message appeared. The error message would not go away while driving and blocked the entire display screen. There is an issue with the Engine Coolant Bypass Valve that costs $700-$1000 to repair. The part and repairs are not cove…
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2020 Toyota RAV4 XLE purchased July of 2020. Just hit 35K miles and an "engine maintenance required" message appeared. The error message would not go away while driving and blocked the entire display screen. There is an issue with the Engine Coolant Bypass Valve that costs $700-$1000 to repair. The part and repairs are not covered by the 60,000 power terrain warranty.
I have a 2020 RAV4 Toyota with 60,000 miles.. I have replaced the car battery 3 times now Toyota has no clue why. The 2nd battery only lasted 8 months and it was a name brand battery (Die Hard).. The engine problem started with a warning light that i could not turn off.. I took my car to Toyota and they told me right off (with…
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I have a 2020 RAV4 Toyota with 60,000 miles.. I have replaced the car battery 3 times now Toyota has no clue why. The 2nd battery only lasted 8 months and it was a name brand battery (Die Hard).. The engine problem started with a warning light that i could not turn off.. I took my car to Toyota and they told me right off (without checking) it was because of a Coolant Bypass Value, the Toyota service lady said it was her 5th Rav4 this week with the same problem. I checked on line and was surprised how many Rav4 customers were complaining about the same issue so i reported it to you.. Toyota is charging me $900 to replace.
Not
Under normal use, the rear Lift gate hinge appears to be failing for no reason. A gap on passenger side of the rear lift gate and body appears to widen and the hinge is squeaking as if it's failing. This causes the power lift gate to not close from time to time. This is still an issue and has not been addressed yet.
Coolant bypass valve failure my car has less than 50k Dealerships informed me that they fix around 10 a month for that part there is a defect regarding this pump
Despite the upkeep of maintenance the light warning light won’t go off. I follow rav4 groups this is a common problem.
Sunroof shattered while driving.
In my 2020 Toyota RAV4, a "Engine Maintenance Required: See Dealer" message came onto my dashboard and would not go away when I cleared it. I took it into the dealership, and they stated that they had many RAV4's come in with this same message. They said it was most likely the engine's coolant bypass valve. After diagnosing the…
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In my 2020 Toyota RAV4, a "Engine Maintenance Required: See Dealer" message came onto my dashboard and would not go away when I cleared it. I took it into the dealership, and they stated that they had many RAV4's come in with this same message. They said it was most likely the engine's coolant bypass valve. After diagnosing the problem, the dealership confirmed it was the coolant bypass valve. This was very expensive to fix, and for a car that is just over 3 years old it seems unusual for this to occur so soon and to so many other card within the same year and time period. This part needs to be recalled and reimbursement should be provided to those who had to pay hundreds of dollars to get this fixed when it is very likely a faulty part.
Official recalls
623V865000 · Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification
Dec 20, 2023
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Avalon, Avalon Hybrid, Corolla, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, RAV4, RAV4 Hybrid, Lexus ES350, Lexus RX350, Lexus RX450H, 2021 Sienna Hybrid, Lexus ES250, 2020-2022 Camry, Camry Hybrid, and ES300H vehicles. A short circuit may develop in the Occupant Classification System (OCS) sensor, preventing the front passenger air bag from deploying.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: An air bag that does not deploy during a crash increases the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the sensor as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed in February 2024. Some final remedy owner letters were mailed October 31, 2024. Letters will continue to be mailed in phases through January 2026. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 23TB15/23TA15 Lexus 23LB03/23LA03.
20V734000 · Air Bags:frontal; Steering:column
Nov 25, 2020
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Toyota Avalon and 2020 Avalon Hybrid, RAV4, and RAV4 Hybrid vehicles. Breakaway pins within the steering column, designed to absorb energy and reduce injury during a crash, could have been damaged during production, possibly affecting the performance of the driver's air bag in the event of a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: In the event of a crash, an air bag that does not perform as designed can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering column, free of charge. The recall began December 18, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 20TB17/20TA17.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Air Bags:frontal
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Toyota Avalon and 2020 Avalon Hybrid, RAV4, and RAV4 Hybrid vehicles. Breakaway pins within the steering column, designed to absorb energy and reduce injury during a crash, could have been damaged during production, possibly affecting the performance of the driver's air bag in the event of a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Consequence: In the event of a crash, an air bag that does not perform as designed can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering column, free of charge. The recall began December 18, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 20TB17/20TA17.
Steering:column
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Toyota Avalon and 2020 Avalon Hybrid, RAV4, and RAV4 Hybrid vehicles. Breakaway pins within the steering column, designed to absorb energy and reduce injury during a crash, could have been damaged during production, possibly affecting the performance of the driver's air bag in the event of a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Consequence: In the event of a crash, an air bag that does not perform as designed can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering column, free of charge. The recall began December 18, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 20TB17/20TA17.
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.
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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.