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1997 Toyota RAV4

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Fewer warning signs than most model years

Owner complaints for the 1997 Toyota RAV4 are lower than the model-year median of 258.5.

About this comparison →
54Owner complaints

Model-year median: 258.5

0Recall campaigns

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0Investigations

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Other model years Selected year
4
19941
199547
199654
199777
199862
199930
2000
Compare all RAV4 years →

Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

Engine And Engine Cooling
10Vehicle Speed Control
7Structure
6Air Bags
5Power Train
5
All reported categories
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
4Electrical System
3Seat Belts
3Engine
2Fuel System, Gasoline
2Seats
2Tires
2Equipment
1Exterior Lighting
1Fuel System, Other
1Latches/locks/linkages
1Service Brakes, Electric
1Steering
1Suspension
1Wheels
1

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: 14 of 54 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.

  • Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 10 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 7 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Structure. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

9 crash reports2 fire reports6 injury reports

Equipment complaints

1 reports
Clear category filter
Mileage unknown · Jan 6, 2000
Equipment

THIS HAS CAUSED MANY PROBLEMS FOR MY TOYOTA TRUCK RAV - SINCE MY CAR WAS NEVER IN AN ACCIDENT TOYOTA IS CLAIMING THIS IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY. PARTS OF RAV HAVE BEEN RUBBING AGAINST MY A/C WHICH CAUSED BOTH UNITS TO FAIL AT SEPARATE TIMES, CAUSING A MAJOR HEADACHE FOR MYSELF. I HAVE NOT NOTICED ANY RECALLS FROM TOYOTA ON ANY O…

Read full complaint

THIS HAS CAUSED MANY PROBLEMS FOR MY TOYOTA TRUCK RAV - SINCE MY CAR WAS NEVER IN AN ACCIDENT TOYOTA IS CLAIMING THIS IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY. PARTS OF RAV HAVE BEEN RUBBING AGAINST MY A/C WHICH CAUSED BOTH UNITS TO FAIL AT SEPARATE TIMES, CAUSING A MAJOR HEADACHE FOR MYSELF. I HAVE NOT NOTICED ANY RECALLS FROM TOYOTA ON ANY OF THIS MAJOR COMPONETS. PLEASE HELP. *AK

NHTSA ODI #716967

Official recalls

0

No 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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.

Go deeper into Toyota RAV4 problems

Toyota RAV4 transmission problems →Toyota RAV4 electrical problems →