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2003 Toyota RAV4

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2003 Toyota RAV4 do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 258.5.

Counts are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. A lower count does not establish that a car is problem-free.

About this comparison →
314Owner complaints

Model-year median: 258.5

0Recall campaigns

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1Investigations

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Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗ Model-level counts do not show whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.

Inspection summary

2003 Toyota RAV4

NHTSA snapshot: September 18, 2026. 314 owner complaints · 0 recall campaigns · 1 investigations.

Counts are not failure probabilities and are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. One report may name several categories. Comparison method and limitations.

Top reported categories (up to 5)

  • Power Train: 209 reports
  • Electrical System: 42 reports
  • Vehicle Speed Control: 29 reports
  • Engine And Engine Cooling: 26 reports
  • Engine: 21 reports

Full reported-category list and vehicle report

Recall links

    No recall campaigns in this snapshot.

    Check a VIN with NHTSA. Model-level history does not establish whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.

    Print the top reported categories, recall links, snapshot date and comparison limits.

    How this year compares

    Owner complaints by model year

    Other model years Selected year
    30
    2000    309
    2001    527
    2002    314
    2003    154
    2004    141
    2005    704
    2006
    Compare all RAV4 years →

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

    What owners reported most

    Power Train
    209    Electrical System
    42    Vehicle Speed Control
    29    Engine And Engine Cooling
    26    Engine
    21
    All reported categories
    Unknown Or Other
    15    Air Bags
    10    Electronic Stability Control (esc)
    7    Seat Belts
    7    Structure
    6    Fuel System, Gasoline
    3    Steering
    3    Tires
    3    Visibility
    3    Fuel/propulsion System
    2    Service Brakes, Hydraulic
    2    Service Brakes, Electric
    1    Suspension
    1

    Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

    When problems were reported

    Mileage at the reported incident

    275 reports with mileage · 39 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.

    • Power Train. Review the 209 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
    • Electrical System. Review the 42 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
    • Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 29 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 reports4 fire reports8 injury reports

    Tires complaints

    3 reports
    Clear category filter
    16,000 miles · Sep 23, 2005
    Tires

    DT: WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH ON THE DRY HIGHWAY THERE WERE FUNNY NOISES COMING FROM FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. LEFT FRONT DRIVERS SIDE TIRE BLEW OUT. CONSUMER PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE SIDEWALL BLEW OUT AT 16,000 MILES, THERE W 40,000 MILES ON THE TIRES. THERE WERE NO PREVIOUS PROBLEMS WITH THESE TIRES. CONSUMER HAD TO CH…

    Read full complaint

    DT: WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH ON THE DRY HIGHWAY THERE WERE FUNNY NOISES COMING FROM FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. LEFT FRONT DRIVERS SIDE TIRE BLEW OUT. CONSUMER PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE SIDEWALL BLEW OUT AT 16,000 MILES, THERE W 40,000 MILES ON THE TIRES. THERE WERE NO PREVIOUS PROBLEMS WITH THESE TIRES. CONSUMER HAD TO CHANGE TIRES. DID NOT REPORT TO THE DEALER, BUT DID REPORT TO DUNLOP MANUFACTURER. DUNLOP SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO BECAUSE IT WAS A SIDEWALL BLOWOUT AND THERE WAS NO WARRANTY. DUNLOP, ST20, GRANTREC 215/70/R16, DOT# EUYN2V94002. *JB

    NHTSA ODI #10133906

    33,200 miles · Jul 21, 2005
    Tires

    HAD JUST GOT ON THE FREEWAY A COUPLE OF MILES AGO, WAS GOING ABOUT 70 MILES AND HOUR AND HAD THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE BLOWOUT IN TWO LOCATIONS ALONG THE SIDEWALL. THE TIRE IS A BRIDGESTONE DUELER H/T 687 (IT WASN'T LISTED AS A MODEL IN THE MENU).

    NHTSA ODI #10129632

    Mileage unknown · Oct 17, 2003
    TiresCrashInjury

    WHILE DRIVING EAST AT 75 MPH, THE RIGHT REAR TIRE BLEWOUT, WHICH CAUSED THE CONSUMER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER MADE A 190' TURN ON THE HIGHWAY AND STOPPED AFTER HITTING A GUARDRAIL. THERE WERE NO SERIOUS INJURIES, AND A AMBULANCE CAME TO THE SCENE AS WELL AS THE POLICE. CONSUMER BELIEVED THAT THE TIRES WERE D…

    Read full complaint

    WHILE DRIVING EAST AT 75 MPH, THE RIGHT REAR TIRE BLEWOUT, WHICH CAUSED THE CONSUMER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER MADE A 190' TURN ON THE HIGHWAY AND STOPPED AFTER HITTING A GUARDRAIL. THERE WERE NO SERIOUS INJURIES, AND A AMBULANCE CAME TO THE SCENE AS WELL AS THE POLICE. CONSUMER BELIEVED THAT THE TIRES WERE DEFECTIVE.*AK *TS

    NHTSA ODI #10034060

    Recall campaigns

    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 ↗

    Defect 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.

    An investigation is not a finding of a defect, and closure does not prove a vehicle is problem-free.

    Go deeper into Toyota RAV4 problems

    Toyota RAV4 transmission problems →Toyota RAV4 electrical problems →