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2023 Toyota RAV4

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2023 Toyota RAV4 do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 258.5.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 12 of 153 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

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 41 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Steering. Review the 26 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 24 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

18 crash reports1 fire reports9 injury reports

Suspension complaints

6 reports
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Mileage unknown · Mar 16, 2026
SteeringSuspension

Had safety inspection done when having oil changed on 3/5/26. was informed by dealer that it needed both outer tie rod ends replaced has play in it. this came to a cost of $735.00 with alignment. Of course not covered by vehicle warranty which is useless at this point. I have never had this problem on any vehicles I have owned s…

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Had safety inspection done when having oil changed on 3/5/26. was informed by dealer that it needed both outer tie rod ends replaced has play in it. this came to a cost of $735.00 with alignment. Of course not covered by vehicle warranty which is useless at this point. I have never had this problem on any vehicles I have owned since starting to drive in 1975. This is a safety and quality issue and I should be reimbursed. I will seriously think about about an American owned company in the future. Having Friend at another dealership TCO 3/18/26 I was away last week and SUV parked in garage.

NHTSA ODI #11724605

74,000 miles · Feb 26, 2026
Suspension

The contact owns a 2023 Toyota RAV4. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was swaying back and forth. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle became inoperable and failed to properly switch lanes. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed…

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The contact owns a 2023 Toyota RAV4. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was swaying back and forth. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle became inoperable and failed to properly switch lanes. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the front and rear wheel alignment had failed and needed to be repaired. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 74,000.

NHTSA ODI #11720782

Mileage unknown · May 8, 2025
SteeringSuspensionWheels

After routine service at South Coast Toyota in Costa Mesa, CA, I unknowingly drove my 2023 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid for over a week with two missing lug nuts and one extremely loose lug nut on the front passenger wheel. The service performed on April 5, 2025, included an oil change, tire rotation, and full inspection. No issues were r…

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After routine service at South Coast Toyota in Costa Mesa, CA, I unknowingly drove my 2023 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid for over a week with two missing lug nuts and one extremely loose lug nut on the front passenger wheel. The service performed on April 5, 2025, included an oil change, tire rotation, and full inspection. No issues were reported to me at pickup. Over the next several days, I heard increasing thumping and metallic noises from the front right wheel area, especially at highway speeds. On [XXX], while driving with children in the car, the vehicle made loud metal screeching noises and the steering became impaired—I could not complete a basic turn. I limped the car home at 4 mph. Upon inspection, I found two lug nuts missing and one so loose I could unscrew it by hand. I had the car towed back to South Coast Toyota on April 18. The dealership admitted two lug nuts were missing but failed to apologize or fully document the issue. I was told via text that the only action needed was replacing the missing lug nuts. I received no formal inspection report or confirmation that the vehicle was safe. I paid out of pocket for a third-party inspection at a separate Toyota dealership, which confirmed that the previously recommended sway bar replacement was unnecessary and that my tires and components were in better condition than initially claimed. This was a clear service-related safety failure that could have led to wheel detachment and a serious accident. I drove over 200 miles on freeways with children in the vehicle. The dealership failed to follow basic safety protocols and has not taken responsibility. I am reporting this to NHTSA in the interest of safety and accountability. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI #11659811

Mileage unknown · Jul 16, 2024
Suspension

At estimated 25500 miles in the vehicle, I started to feel vibration at 65- 75 mph. Bouncy ride and slight bad bearing noise at 45 mph . After taking to the dealer, they also felt vibration and recommended tire balancing. After having that done, the problem still existed. I took the car next day and at first they where not wi…

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At estimated 25500 miles in the vehicle, I started to feel vibration at 65- 75 mph. Bouncy ride and slight bad bearing noise at 45 mph . After taking to the dealer, they also felt vibration and recommended tire balancing. After having that done, the problem still existed. I took the car next day and at first they where not willing to check my car but then when I forced, they test drove and confirmed light road noise and light vibration. After a little checking, they said the tires are feathering and should get new tires and or alignment. The tires only have 25500 miles and they were serviced by totota .I got new tires from from NTB and rebalanced and the issue still existed. I then also got alignment from another shop even then the vibration and bad bearing noise still exist. After searching, I have read many others had this issue with their rav4 and dealers just say it's normal . I as years of experience know it's not normal. The origin equipment tires that came with new vehicle were Dunlop grandtrek pt20. The new tires I got are Cooper Endeavor plus. Issue is definitely not the tires. Humbly request NHTSA to look into this as this is ongoing issue with many new Toyota Rav4.

NHTSA ODI #11602707

Mileage unknown · May 16, 2024
SuspensionWheels

Happened at ~644pm on 04/08/24- I heard the noise like a thump or thunk, The car initially pulled towards the roadside, then I corrected the wheel and slowly stopped the car. Upon exiting the car, it became apparent that the ball joint broke just above the plate that attaches to the axle.

NHTSA ODI #11589078

Mileage unknown · Jan 21, 2024
Forward Collision AvoidancePower TrainSuspension

Car loses traction over minor imperfections in the road. When braking and dropping speeds to 20-30 MPH, car will lose traction over imperfection in the road, causing the ABS to engage. The car shutters and grinds/vibrates until traction is regained. With an AWD system, a minor 6-inch drop in the road due to a pot hole or dip sho…

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Car loses traction over minor imperfections in the road. When braking and dropping speeds to 20-30 MPH, car will lose traction over imperfection in the road, causing the ABS to engage. The car shutters and grinds/vibrates until traction is regained. With an AWD system, a minor 6-inch drop in the road due to a pot hole or dip should not cause traction to be lost. The car consistently loses traction when braking and 1 tire runs over imperfection in the road (pot hole, dip, uneven pavement, etc.). If car drives over speed bump (which keeps tires aligned), car does not lose traction. Issue is only present if 1 tire different than the other 3 which shows instability of the vehicle. Issue has been verified by manufacturer and has shown up in the car log. Dealer said that the car recorded a loss of traction 4 times in the last month. Issue has been escalated to Toyota corporate and they do not see the sensitivity of the traction control as an issue. Issue has been persistent since the purchase of the car in early 2023. All components on the car are OEM and have only been looked at by Toyota dealers. Multiple online forums have shown that other owners face the same issues. Video proof of the issue can be provided.

NHTSA ODI #11566778

Official recalls

3

25V744000 · Back Over Prevention:display Function

Oct 30, 2025

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2022-2026 Toyota, Lexus, and Subaru Solterra vehicles equipped with a Panoramic View Monitor (PVM) system. Please see the recall report for a complete list of models. A software error may cause the rearview camera to freeze or display a blank screen when the vehicle is in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A rearview camera that fails to display an image can reduce the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will update the parking assist software, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed January 2, 2026. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 25TB13 and 25LB06. Subaru's number for this recall is WRE25.

25V595000 · Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/panel

Sep 11, 2025

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Toyota Venza, 2023-2025 RAV4 Prime, RAV4, Highlander, GR Corolla, Crown, 2024-2025 Lexus TX, LS, Toyota Tacoma, Grand Highlander, and 2025 Lexus RX, Toyota Crown Signia, Camry, RAV 4 Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV), and 4 Runner vehicles. Due to an error in the instrument panel software at vehicle startup, the instrument panel may fail to display vehicle speed, brake system, and tire pressure warning lights.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An instrument panel display that does not show critical information can increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Remedy: Dealers will update the instrument panel software over-the-air (OTA) for non-PHEV vehicles, free of charge. For PHEV vehicles, dealers will inspect the instrument panel assembly, and either replace it, or update the software, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed December 5, 2025. Additional letters will be sent, anticipated in May 2026. This is a phased recall. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 25TB08 and 25TA08. Lexus' numbers for this recall are 25LB05 and 25LA05.

23V485000 · Tires:valve

Jul 11, 2023

Gulf States Toyota, Inc. (GST) is recalling certain 2023 Toyota RAV4 vehicles equipped with 17" black alloy accessory wheels. During installation of the alloy wheels, the tire valve stem may have been improperly installed or damaged. In addition, the load carrying capacity label may state the incorrect weight. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A damaged or improperly installed valve stem may allow air to leak and/or the tires to be underinflated, increasing the risk of tire failure and a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the wheel valve stems and replace the load carrying capacity modification labels, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on August 18, 2023. Owners may contact GST customer service at 1-800-444-1074. GST's number for this recall is 23R1.

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.

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