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2012 Toyota RAV4 Ev

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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Compare all RAV4 Ev 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

Limited mileage data: 5 of 6 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.

  • Power Train. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

3 crash reports0 fire reports1 injury reports

Structure complaints

1 reports
Clear category filter
20,296 miles · Dec 22, 2015
Electrical SystemPower TrainStructureCrash

ON OCTOBER 17 SHORTLY BEFORE 2 PM PST IN CLEAR WEATHER, I WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING SPOT ON PRIVATE PROPERTY AT ABOUT 2 TO 3 MPH. I TURNED THE VEHICLE INTO THE SPOT AND APPLIED THE BRAKES BUT THE CAR SURGED OVER THE CURB, HIT A TREE, WENT OVER AN EMBANKMENT AND CRASHED ONTO A PARKED CAR. (THE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY, BUT THERE W…

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ON OCTOBER 17 SHORTLY BEFORE 2 PM PST IN CLEAR WEATHER, I WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING SPOT ON PRIVATE PROPERTY AT ABOUT 2 TO 3 MPH. I TURNED THE VEHICLE INTO THE SPOT AND APPLIED THE BRAKES BUT THE CAR SURGED OVER THE CURB, HIT A TREE, WENT OVER AN EMBANKMENT AND CRASHED ONTO A PARKED CAR. (THE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY, BUT THERE WERE NO INJURIES.) THE IGNITION WOULD NOT TURN OFF AFTER REPEATED ATTEMPTS. FINALLY I DEPRESSED THE IGNITION BUTTON FOR ABOUT 10 SECONDS AND IT TURNED OFF. JUST 5 DAYS EARLIER, THE CAR HAD UNDERGONE A SAFETY RECALL REPAIR TO THE ELECTRONIC CIRCUITRY. TOYOTA HAD ISSUED A SAFETY RECALL DUE TO A SOFTWARE DEFECT WHICH AFFECTED "COMPONENTS IN THE ELECTRIC VEHICLE TRACTION MOTOR ASSEMBLY." WE INFORMED TOYOTA THIS APPEARED TO BE AN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION INCIDENT. THEY PROMISED TO ASSIGN AN ENGINEER TO THOROUGHLY INSPECT THE VEHICLE AND DOWNLOAD INFORMATION FROM THE EVENT DATA RECORDER (EDR). THE ENGINEER INSPECTED THE CAR AND PREPARED A 22 PAGE REPORT. HOWEVER HE WAS UNABLE TO DOWNLOAD THE EDR INFORMATION DUE TO A DATA COMMUNICATION ERROR. TOYOTA CLAIMED IT WAS DUE TO A LOW BATTERY. THE ENGINEER CONFIRMED TO ME THAT IT WAS A DATA COMMUNICATION ERROR AND THAT THE VEHICLE WAS HALF CHARGED WHEN HE DROVE IT. TOYOTA REFUSED TO SHARE THE ENGINEER'S REPORT. THEY STATED IN SIX SHORT SENTENCES THAT THE ACCELERATION AND BRAKE PEDALS BOTH WORKED. THEY DID NOT ADDRESS THE RECALL, THE INCIDENT WITH THE IGNITION SWITCH, OR THE DATA COMMUNICATION ERROR, ALL OF WHICH SIGNAL POSSIBLE PROBLEMS WITH THE ELECTRIC CIRCUITRY/SOFTWARE. WHEN WE WROTE THEM A DETAILED LETTER WITH ALL THE ATTACHMENTS TO DOCUMENT THE RECALL, THEY SIMPLY RESPONDED THAT THE ACCELERATION PEDAL AND BRAKE PEDAL WORKED.

NHTSA ODI #10811744

Official recalls

3

16V096000 · Seat Belts:rear/other

Feb 19, 2016

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2006-2012 RAV4 vehicles manufactured July 28, 2005, to December 19, 2012, and 2012-2014 RAV4 EV vehicles manufactured July 24, 2012, to August 29, 2014. In the event of a frontal collision, the rear seat belts for the outboard seats may be cut by the seat cushion frame.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A cut seat belt may not properly restrain the seat occupant, increasing their risk of injury in a crash.

Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will install a protector over both rear seat cushion frames, free of charge. The recall began on June 24, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is G0F.

15V577000 · Visibility/wiper

Sep 18, 2015

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2009-2012 RAV4 vehicles manufactured October 27, 2008, to December 19, 2012 and 2012-2014 RAV4 EV vehicles manufactured July 24, 2012, to August 29, 2014. In the affected vehicles, water may drip onto the joint that connects the wiper linkage to the wiper motor.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Over time, the dripping water may cause corrosion and wear at the joint, potentially resulting in the separation of the wiper linkage. Once this occurs, the wipers would not function, reducing driver visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the water diverter channel. In addition, a new wiper linkage with a wiper motor crank arm will be installed. The wiper linkage will have a protective cover over the wiper linkage joint to minimize water splash and a retainer ring to prevent the wiper arm from separating from the wiper motor. The recall began on November 7, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service number at 1-800-331-4331.

15V143000 · Hybrid Propulsion System

Mar 13, 2015

Toyota Motor Engineering & manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2012-2014 Rav4 EV vehicles manufactured July 24, 2012, to August 29, 2014. Due to a software issue within a component of the Electric Vehicle Traction Motor Assembly, the electric propulsion motor may shift to "neutral" resulting in a possible loss of drive power.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A loss of drive power may increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will update the Electric Vehicle Traction Motor Assembly software, free of charge. The recall began on September 10, 2015. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.

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

1

DP22005 · Pedestrian Alert Sounds

Opened Jan 27, 2023 · Closed Aug 7, 2023

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Electrical System:propulsion System

NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified NHTSA he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review of data, there is no justification for asserting potential benefits that could be derived from actions sought by my petition. Based on the petitioner's withdrawal, DP22-005 is closed. Closure of this DP does not represent a determination by NHTSA regarding the subject matter of the petition.