IllustrationBRAKES MAKES LOUD GRINDING SOUNDS. *AK
1996 Toyota RAV4
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Fewer warning signs than most model years
Owner complaints for the 1996 Toyota RAV4 are lower 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
Limited mileage data: 8 of 47 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.
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 9 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
4 crash reports2 fire reports4 injury reports
What owners actually said
47 reportsCONTINUOUS PROBLEMS WITH FRONT BRAKES SQUEAKING/GRINDING, DUE TO FAULTY CALIPERS PRESSING DOWN TOO HARD ON PADS CAUSING PREMATURE WEAR, PADS REPLACED TWICE.
FRACTURE JUST FORWARD OF CATALYTIC CONVERTER. UNIT APPEARS TO HAVE INADEQUATE SUPPORT.
IN COLD WEATHER, BELOW 30 DEGREES, BOTH FRONT DOOR LOCK MECHANISMS ARE PRONE TO FREEZING. THIS SOMETIMES MAKES IT IMPOSSIBLE TO OPEN THE VEHICLE. OTHER TIMES, THE DOOR OPENS, BUT THEN WILL NOT SHUT BECAUSE THE LOCK MECHANISM IS FROZEN. THE DOOR JUST BOUNCES AGAINST THE FRAME AND DOES NOT LATCH. THIS HAS OCCURRED ON SIX SEPAR…
Read full complaint
IN COLD WEATHER, BELOW 30 DEGREES, BOTH FRONT DOOR LOCK MECHANISMS ARE PRONE TO FREEZING. THIS SOMETIMES MAKES IT IMPOSSIBLE TO OPEN THE VEHICLE. OTHER TIMES, THE DOOR OPENS, BUT THEN WILL NOT SHUT BECAUSE THE LOCK MECHANISM IS FROZEN. THE DOOR JUST BOUNCES AGAINST THE FRAME AND DOES NOT LATCH. THIS HAS OCCURRED ON SIX SEPARATE OCCASIONS SINCE LATE DECEMBER OF 1998. ON A FEW OF THE OCCASIONS I WAS FORCED TO DRIVE WHILE MANUALLY HOLDING THE DOOR SHUT, AND THEN TIE THE DOOR SHUT FROM THE INSIDE UPON ARRIVAL TO MY DESTINATION.
YOUR FORM IS NOT APPLICABLE TO MY PROBLEM. I HAD A PROBLEM WITH ENGINE SURGE OR STUCK ACCELERATOR. THIS HAPPNED TWICE DURING OWNERSHIP. ONCE WHILE PARKING AND I WAS ABLE TO STOP VEHICLE. SECOND TIME I WAS NOT ABLE TO BRING VEHICLE UNDER CONTROL,AND HAD TO CRASH INTO A PARKED VEHICLE TO AVOID HITTING PEDESTRIANS. THE ACCELERATOR …
Read full complaint
YOUR FORM IS NOT APPLICABLE TO MY PROBLEM. I HAD A PROBLEM WITH ENGINE SURGE OR STUCK ACCELERATOR. THIS HAPPNED TWICE DURING OWNERSHIP. ONCE WHILE PARKING AND I WAS ABLE TO STOP VEHICLE. SECOND TIME I WAS NOT ABLE TO BRING VEHICLE UNDER CONTROL,AND HAD TO CRASH INTO A PARKED VEHICLE TO AVOID HITTING PEDESTRIANS. THE ACCELERATOR EITHER STUCK AT FULL THROTTLE OR SOMETHING CAUSED THE THROTTLE TO OPEN TO FULL, MAKING THE VEHICLE IMPOSSIBLE TO CONTOL OR STOP. *AK
SINCE THE VEHICLE'S PURCHASE, IT WOULD OCCASSIONALLY HYDROPLANE ON SLIGHTY WET SURFACES AND GO TO THE LEFT. APPROXIMATELY THREE MONTHS AGO THE VEHICLE ABRUPTLY HYDROPLANED FROM THE RIGHT LANE OF THE FREEWAY TO THE LEFT WITH NO WARNING. THE LAST INCIDENT ENDED IN A CRASH. WHILE TRAVELING IN A LIGHT RAIN AT APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH,…
Read full complaint
SINCE THE VEHICLE'S PURCHASE, IT WOULD OCCASSIONALLY HYDROPLANE ON SLIGHTY WET SURFACES AND GO TO THE LEFT. APPROXIMATELY THREE MONTHS AGO THE VEHICLE ABRUPTLY HYDROPLANED FROM THE RIGHT LANE OF THE FREEWAY TO THE LEFT WITH NO WARNING. THE LAST INCIDENT ENDED IN A CRASH. WHILE TRAVELING IN A LIGHT RAIN AT APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE PULLED SHARPLEY TO THE RIGHT WITH NO WARNING. IT FELT AS IF TRAVELING ON ICE. THE VEHICLE SLAMMED HEAD ON INTO THE GUARD RAIL.
GAS LINE FAILURE.
THE ABS BRAKES MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING THE BRAKE PADS TO BURN AND RESULTING IN A "FIRE" ON THE BRAKES. BRAKES LOCKED UP UNEXPECTLY EVEN WHEN NOT PRESSING THE BRAKES. DEALER REPLACED CALIPERS/ PADS/ MASTER CYLINDER. HOWEVER, MASTER CYLINDER PROBLEM IS STILL OCCURRING. *AK
VEHICLE PARKED ON SLIGHT HILL LOCKED IN REVERSE, ROLLED FORWARD DOWN HILL AND HIT ANOTHER CAR. CAUSE OF THIS HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED. *AK
DURING SIDE IMPACT, DESIGN/SHAPE OF HEAD REST CAUSED NECK INJURY TO DRIVER. ACCORDIING TO DRIVER'S DOCTOR, SHAPE/HARDNESS OF HEAD REST, CAUSED NECK INJURY. DESIGN ALRIGHT FOR MAJOR CRASHES, NOT MINOR; WHILE AT STANDSTILL, VEHICLE SIDE SWIPED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. *AK
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
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.