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2004 Toyota RAV4

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2004 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

91 reports with mileage · 63 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.

  • Air Bags. Review the 47 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 23 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 20 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

16 crash reports4 fire reports11 injury reports

Seat Belts complaints

2 reports
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153,000 miles · Jun 20, 2017
Seat BeltsCrashInjury

MY SON AND I WERE ON WAY TO PEYTON MANNING CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL IN MY 2004 TOYOTA RAV4 WHEN THE DRIVER IN FRONT OF ME ABRUPTLY STOPPED, WHICH MADE ME ABRUPTLY STOP, HOWEVER, THE DRIVER BEHIND ME WAS NOT PAYING ATTENTION AND REAR ENDED ME AS I WAS COMPLETELY STOPPED AND HE WAS GOING ABOUT 30 MPH. THIS OCCURRED ON THE PASSENGER BAC…

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MY SON AND I WERE ON WAY TO PEYTON MANNING CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL IN MY 2004 TOYOTA RAV4 WHEN THE DRIVER IN FRONT OF ME ABRUPTLY STOPPED, WHICH MADE ME ABRUPTLY STOP, HOWEVER, THE DRIVER BEHIND ME WAS NOT PAYING ATTENTION AND REAR ENDED ME AS I WAS COMPLETELY STOPPED AND HE WAS GOING ABOUT 30 MPH. THIS OCCURRED ON THE PASSENGER BACK OF THE VEHICLE CAUSING ALMOST $4,000 WORTH OF DAMAGE, HOWEVER, MY SON NOR MY SEAT BELTS LOCKED INTO PLACE, THEREFORE, HE SUSTAINED A SIGNIFICANT CONCUSSION, WHIP LASH, MILD MEMORY LOSS, AND NEEDING PHYSICAL THERAPY. BOTH OF MY HANDS WERE ON THE WHEEL, BUT I SUSTAINED WHIP LASH, INJURY TO BOTH MY LEFT & RIGHT SHOULDERS, NECK, AND BACK. I MUST REINFORCE THAT STATEMENT THAT IF THE SEAT BELTS WOULD HAVE LOCKED PROPERLY MY SON AND I MAY HAVE NOT SUSTAINED THIS TYPE OF INJURY, THEREFORE, THIS ACCIDENT WAS LIKE WEARING NO SEATBELT WHEN WE WERE BOTH SECURELY BUCKLED IN AND THE SEAT BELTS NOT WORKING MADE IT LIKE WE WERE DRIVING WITH NO SEAT BELTS FOR PROTECTION.

NHTSA ODI #11000131

Mileage unknown · Jan 29, 2006
Air BagsSeat BeltsCrashInjury

DURING A HEAD ON COLLISION INVOLVING THE PASSENGER FRONT ENDS OF BOTH VEHICLES TWO OF THREE SEATBELTS DID NOT ENGAGE, CAUSING TWO PASSENGERS TO COLLIDE WITH THE DASHBOARD AND THE REAR OF THE FRONT SEAT. AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AS WELL. THE RAV 4 WAS TRAVELING AT ABOUT 10-15 MPH, THE OTHER VECHICLE WAS TRAVELING AT ABOUT 40-45 MP…

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DURING A HEAD ON COLLISION INVOLVING THE PASSENGER FRONT ENDS OF BOTH VEHICLES TWO OF THREE SEATBELTS DID NOT ENGAGE, CAUSING TWO PASSENGERS TO COLLIDE WITH THE DASHBOARD AND THE REAR OF THE FRONT SEAT. AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AS WELL. THE RAV 4 WAS TRAVELING AT ABOUT 10-15 MPH, THE OTHER VECHICLE WAS TRAVELING AT ABOUT 40-45 MPH.*AK

NHTSA ODI #10148945

Official recalls

2

19V741000 · Air Bags:frontal:driver Side:inflator Module; Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module

Oct 17, 2019

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2010-2016 4Runner, 2003-2006 Tundra, 2003-2013 Corolla, 2009-2010 Corolla Matrix, 2004-2005 RAV4, 2002-2007 Sequoia, 2011-2013 Sienna, 2008-2012 Scion xB, 2008-2009 Lexus IS-F, 2007-2012 Yaris and Lexus ES350, 2010-2017 Lexus GX460, 2002-2010 Lexus SC430, 2006-2012 Lexus IS250 and IS350 and 2010-2015 Lexus IS250C and IS350C vehicles. These vehicles had their driver or passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy: Toyota will notify owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front driver inflator, front passenger airbag inflator, the airbag assembly, or the front passenger airbag sub-assembly and inflator. The recall began November 20, 2019. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 or Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987. Toyota's numbers for this recall are J0A, J0B, and J0C. Lexus' numbers for this recall are JLI, JLJ, and JLK.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2010-2016 4Runner, 2003-2006 Tundra, 2003-2013 Corolla, 2009-2010 Corolla Matrix, 2004-2005 RAV4, 2002-2007 Sequoia, 2011-2013 Sienna, 2008-2012 Scion xB, 2008-2009 Lexus IS-F, 2007-2012 Yaris and Lexus ES350, 2010-2017 Lexus GX460, 2002-2010 Lexus SC430, 2006-2012 Lexus IS250 and IS350 and 2010-2015 Lexus IS250C and IS350C vehicles. These vehicles had their driver or passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy: Toyota will notify owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front driver inflator, front passenger airbag inflator, the airbag assembly, or the front passenger airbag sub-assembly and inflator. The recall began November 20, 2019. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 or Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987. Toyota's numbers for this recall are J0A, J0B, and J0C. Lexus' numbers for this recall are JLI, JLJ, and JLK.

Air Bags:frontal:driver Side:inflator Module

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2010-2016 4Runner, 2003-2006 Tundra, 2003-2013 Corolla, 2009-2010 Corolla Matrix, 2004-2005 RAV4, 2002-2007 Sequoia, 2011-2013 Sienna, 2008-2012 Scion xB, 2008-2009 Lexus IS-F, 2007-2012 Yaris and Lexus ES350, 2010-2017 Lexus GX460, 2002-2010 Lexus SC430, 2006-2012 Lexus IS250 and IS350 and 2010-2015 Lexus IS250C and IS350C vehicles. These vehicles had their driver or passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy: Toyota will notify owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front driver inflator, front passenger airbag inflator, the airbag assembly, or the front passenger airbag sub-assembly and inflator. The recall began November 20, 2019. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 or Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987. Toyota's numbers for this recall are J0A, J0B, and J0C. Lexus' numbers for this recall are JLI, JLJ, and JLK.

15V284000 · Air Bags:frontal:driver Side:inflator Module

May 13, 2015

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2004-2005 Toyota RAV4 vehicles manufactured May 13, 2003, to October 25, 2005. The affected vehicles are equipped with a dual-stage driver frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion which, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy: Owners of these vehicles are advised not to drive their vehicles until the recall remedy has been completed. Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag, free of charge. Owners were mailed an interim notice June 17, 2015. The recall began on August 21, 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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.

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