IllustrationTORQUE CONVERTER SHUDDER: OCCURS BETWEEN 35 MPH - 40 MPH, WHEN ENGINE STILL COLD AND ACCELERATING LIGHTLY. OCCURS DURING SHIFTING BETWEEN LOW GEARS. NEVER HAD THIS ISSUE AT HIGHER SPEEDS. SHUDDER IS TEMPORARY LASTING JUST A FEW SECONDS BUT VIBRATION IS OBVIOUS DURING POWER TRANSFER FROM FRONT TO BACK.
2013 Toyota RAV4
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2013 Toyota RAV4 do not stand out strongly from 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
870–25K
2325–50K
2150–75K
1275–100K
12100–150K
6150K+
161 reports with mileage · 96 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.
- Electrical System. Review the 75 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine. Review the 29 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. 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.
22 crash reports29 fire reports11 injury reports
Power Train complaints
29 reportsVIBRATION AT LOW SPEEDS .
POTENTIALLY LETHAL TRANSMISSION FAILURE IN TOYOTA RAV4 IN MARCH 2013 I BOUGHT A NEW TOYOTA RAV4 AT ACTON TOYOTA, IN MASSACHUSETTS. ON FEBRUARY 21ST 2014, I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE IN SUDBURY, MASSACHUSETTS ON ROUTE 20 WHEN SUDDENLY IT WENT COMPLETELY HAYWIRE. THE ENGINE STALLED OUT ? RESTARTED ? STALLED OUT AGAIN ? RESTART…
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POTENTIALLY LETHAL TRANSMISSION FAILURE IN TOYOTA RAV4 IN MARCH 2013 I BOUGHT A NEW TOYOTA RAV4 AT ACTON TOYOTA, IN MASSACHUSETTS. ON FEBRUARY 21ST 2014, I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE IN SUDBURY, MASSACHUSETTS ON ROUTE 20 WHEN SUDDENLY IT WENT COMPLETELY HAYWIRE. THE ENGINE STALLED OUT ? RESTARTED ? STALLED OUT AGAIN ? RESTARTED. THIS WAS ALL WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS MOVING. I DROVE INTO THE LOCAL CITIZENS BANK CAR PARK, WHERE I PARKED HEAD IN TO A VERY LARGE SNOW DRIFT. I THEN DISCOVERED THAT ALL THE GEARS WERE GONE EXCEPT FOR 'D'! OI CYCLED SEVERAL TIMES THROUGH CLOSING THE CAR DOWN AND RESTARTING IT - NO CHANGE. OI COULD NOT PUSH THE CAR BACKWARDS AWAY FROM THE SNOW DRIFT ON MY OWN. OEVENTUALLY I WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. OON ARRIVAL AT ACTON TOYOTA, THE SERVICE DIRECTOR - RANDY IRWIN - TESTED THE CAR AND IMMEDIATELY ENCOUNTERED THE ISSUE - SHIFTER IN REVERSE - REVVING THE ENGINE - NOTHING. HE TRIED THIS WITH ALL THE DIFFERENT SHIFTER POSITIONS OTHER THAN 'D', ALWAYS WITH THE SAME RESULT. HE THEN ENGAGED 'D' AND MOVED THE CAR FORWARD SLIGHTLY. HE THEN SLOWLY ENGAGED REVERSE AND THERE WAS A HUGE CLUNK FROM UNDER THE CAR. AND NOW REVERSE WAS ENGAGED! THE DEALERSHIP GAVE ME A LOANER VEHICLE AND KEPT THE RAV4. ON MARCH 3RD 2014, I PHONED IRWIN - HE SAID A TOYOTA REPRESENTATIVE DROVE IT THE PREVIOUS WEEK. THERE HAD BEEN NO RECURRENCE OF THE PROBLEM - NOW THEY WERE DOING A 'VISUAL INSPECTION' (WHATEVER THAT IS!) SINCE NOTHING CAME UP IN DIAGNOSTIC TESTS. ON MARCH 5TH 2014 I PHONED IRWIN AGAIN ? HE SAID THAT TOYOTA HAD TAKEN THE CASE OVER. TOYOTA THEN CALLED - THEY SAID THEY HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET THE ISSUE TO RECUR, AND SO THEY REQUESTED THAT I PICK UP THE VEHICLE AT THE DEALERSHIP. THIS I DID. AT NO POINT DID TOYOTA EVER ACKNOWLEDGE A PROBLEM ? THEY ALWAYS STATED SIMPLY THAT THEY HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET THE ISSUE TO RECUR. *TR
SINCE BRAND NEW AT TIMES WHEN STOPPED THEN ACCELERATE TO TURN LEFT OR RIGHT IT WILL HESITATE WHEN I AM HALF WAY TURNED CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO LOSE POWER THEN IT WILL CATCH CAUSING A BURST IN ACCELERATION. AT TIMES I HAVE LOST POWER WHEN I NEED IT MOST. IT IS VERY DANGEROUS. I HAVE CALLED MY DEALERS ATTENTION TO IT AND WAS TOLD T…
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SINCE BRAND NEW AT TIMES WHEN STOPPED THEN ACCELERATE TO TURN LEFT OR RIGHT IT WILL HESITATE WHEN I AM HALF WAY TURNED CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO LOSE POWER THEN IT WILL CATCH CAUSING A BURST IN ACCELERATION. AT TIMES I HAVE LOST POWER WHEN I NEED IT MOST. IT IS VERY DANGEROUS. I HAVE CALLED MY DEALERS ATTENTION TO IT AND WAS TOLD THEY CANNOT DUPLICATE IN A TEST DRIVE SO NOTHING IS WRONG. IT DOES NOT DO IT OFTEN 6 OR 7 TIMES A WEEK BUT IT SEEMS TO BE GETTING WORSE. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE. *TR
VEHICLE HESITATED WHEN SHIFTING INTO GEAR. NO POWER AND THEN A SURGE CAUSING THE CAR TO JERK. HAPPENS WHEN ACCELERATING FROM STOP INTO FIRST AND SECOND GEAR. THE ECM IS DEFECTIVE AND TOYOTA WAS FORCED TO ADDRESS THIS AFTER CLASS ACTION SUIT SEE RAV4ECMSETTLEMENT.COM, ALTHOUGH THIS RESULTED IN AN EXTENDED WARRANTY RATHER THAN A R…
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VEHICLE HESITATED WHEN SHIFTING INTO GEAR. NO POWER AND THEN A SURGE CAUSING THE CAR TO JERK. HAPPENS WHEN ACCELERATING FROM STOP INTO FIRST AND SECOND GEAR. THE ECM IS DEFECTIVE AND TOYOTA WAS FORCED TO ADDRESS THIS AFTER CLASS ACTION SUIT SEE RAV4ECMSETTLEMENT.COM, ALTHOUGH THIS RESULTED IN AN EXTENDED WARRANTY RATHER THAN A RECALL. MY CAR IS 4 MONTHS PASSED THE 10 YEAR WARRANTY ALTHOUGH IT HAS LOW MILEAGE. THE FAULTY ECM CAN CAUSE THE TRANSMISSION TO FAIL. THIS IS A DANGEROUS AND UNFAIR SITUATION FOR THOUSANDS OF OWNERS. TOYOTA DID NOT NOTIFY ME OF THIS ISSUE. *TR
I HAVE BRAND NEW 2013 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE, VEHICLE SUDDENLY STOPPED WITHOUT ANY KIND OF INDICATION OR WARNING. THE CAR BEHIND ME WAS ABOUT TO HIT MY VEHICLE. SOME HOW, HE COULD MANAGE TO DIVERT THE VEHICLE. AFTER THAT ENGINE STARTS, BUT IT WAS UNABLE TO MOVE ANY FURTHER. I HAD STAND IN THE MIDDLE OF ROAD…
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I HAVE BRAND NEW 2013 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE, VEHICLE SUDDENLY STOPPED WITHOUT ANY KIND OF INDICATION OR WARNING. THE CAR BEHIND ME WAS ABOUT TO HIT MY VEHICLE. SOME HOW, HE COULD MANAGE TO DIVERT THE VEHICLE. AFTER THAT ENGINE STARTS, BUT IT WAS UNABLE TO MOVE ANY FURTHER. I HAD STAND IN THE MIDDLE OF ROAD, BLOCKING THE TRAFFIC. FINALLY I HAD TO TOW THE VEHICLE FROM THAT PLACE TO SERVICE CENTER. LUCKILY IT HAPPENED IN THE CITY LIMITS. IF THE SAME THING HAPPENS ON THE HIGHWAY, I AM SURE, I MIGHT NOT BE LIVING ANYMORE. I CHECKED WITH TOYOTA SERVICE DEPARTMENT, THEY SAID IT IS AN AXLE FAILURE. I AM SURPRISED TO HEAR THAT, HOW COME A BRAND NEW CAR (4 MONTHS OLD) COULD HAVE MECHANICAL FAILURE WITHOUT ANYKIND OF WARNING AND IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD SUDDENLY STOPS. I COULD NOT EVEN PULL OUT THE CAR FROM THE ROAD. *TR
ON LOCAL ROAD, ACCELERATING FROM STOP. VEHICLE SUDDENLY "SHUT-OFF" GOING INTO NEUTRAL AND UNABLE TO PUT BACK INTO DRIVE. STEERING WENT "LIMP". VEHICLE DRIFTED RIGHT, POWER STEERING WAS EFFECTED, STEERING DIFFICULT. VEHICLE COASTED INTO PARKING LOT TO THE RIGHT, FORTUNATELY NO VEHICLES HAPPENED TO BE PASSING ON THE RIGHT AT T…
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ON LOCAL ROAD, ACCELERATING FROM STOP. VEHICLE SUDDENLY "SHUT-OFF" GOING INTO NEUTRAL AND UNABLE TO PUT BACK INTO DRIVE. STEERING WENT "LIMP". VEHICLE DRIFTED RIGHT, POWER STEERING WAS EFFECTED, STEERING DIFFICULT. VEHICLE COASTED INTO PARKING LOT TO THE RIGHT, FORTUNATELY NO VEHICLES HAPPENED TO BE PASSING ON THE RIGHT AT THAT PRECISE MOMENT, THEREFORE NO ACCIDENTS. BUT THERE COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN ONE. ATTEMPTS AT RESTARTING VEHICLE RESULTED IN "TAKE EV TO NEAREST DEALERSHIP" MESSAGE AND SEVERAL WARNING INDICATORS ON DASH. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO ORIGINATING DEALERSHIP WHICH IT CONTINUES TO BE DIAGNOSED AND UNRESOLVED. VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED ON 9/3/2013 < 6 DAYS PRIOR. *TR
WHILE ACCELERATING FROM APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, A JERK WAS FELT AND A NOISE WAS HEARD AS THE VEHICLE WAS SHIFTING GEARS. (THIS VEHICLE IS AN AUTOMATIC.) THIS SAME INCIDENT OCCURRED AGAIN LATER THE SAME DAY. HOWEVER, AFTER THE SECOND INCIDENT, THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT AND THE "TRACTION CONTROL" LIGHT CAME ON. THIS OCCURRED ON THE F…
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WHILE ACCELERATING FROM APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, A JERK WAS FELT AND A NOISE WAS HEARD AS THE VEHICLE WAS SHIFTING GEARS. (THIS VEHICLE IS AN AUTOMATIC.) THIS SAME INCIDENT OCCURRED AGAIN LATER THE SAME DAY. HOWEVER, AFTER THE SECOND INCIDENT, THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT AND THE "TRACTION CONTROL" LIGHT CAME ON. THIS OCCURRED ON THE FIRST DAY OF OWNERSHIP OF THE VEHICLE WITH ONLY 15 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. THIS VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT BACK TO THE DEALER FOR A REPLACEMENT. *TR
WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AT 55MPH,MY NEW 2013 TOYOTA RAV4 LIMITED SUDDENLY SLOWED DOWN AND WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO GEAR PROPERLY WHEN I ACCELERATED. I PULLED OFF THE ROAD ASAP AND HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. THEY HAVE DIAGNOSED TRANSMISSION FAILURE. THERE IS LESS THAN 600 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. *TR
Official recalls
223V734000 · Electrical SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V Battery
Nov 1, 2023
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2013-2018 RAV4 vehicles. Certain replacement 12-volt batteries may not fit properly in the battery tray, allowing the battery to move and contact the hold-down bracket, possibly causing a short circuit.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A battery short circuit increases the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the battery clamp sub-assembly, battery tray, and positive terminal cover, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed December 27, 2024, to 2013-2014 RAV4 owners. Additional owner notification letters will be mailed in phases, phase 2 will begin on May 14, 2025, and phase 3 in late July 2025. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 23TB13 and 23TA13.
15V011000 · Exterior Lighting; Trailer Hitches
Jan 16, 2015
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Toyota Rav4 vehicles manufactured June 1, 2013, to December 29, 2014, and equipped with an accessory trailer light module. The software within the module may incorrectly detect an electrical short and preventively turn off the electrical current and the trailer lights.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the system incorrectly detects an electrical short and turns off the trailer lights while the trailer is being towed at night, there is an increased risk of a crash.
Remedy: SET will notify owners, and dealers will replace the trailer light module with a new unit with corrected software, free of charge. The recall began on March 17, 2015. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET's number for this recall is SET-15A.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Trailer Hitches
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Toyota Rav4 vehicles manufactured June 1, 2013, to December 29, 2014, and equipped with an accessory trailer light module. The software within the module may incorrectly detect an electrical short and preventively turn off the electrical current and the trailer lights.
Consequence: If the system incorrectly detects an electrical short and turns off the trailer lights while the trailer is being towed at night, there is an increased risk of a crash.
Remedy: SET will notify owners, and dealers will replace the trailer light module with a new unit with corrected software, free of charge. The recall began on March 17, 2015. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET's number for this recall is SET-15A.
Exterior Lighting
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Toyota Rav4 vehicles manufactured June 1, 2013, to December 29, 2014, and equipped with an accessory trailer light module. The software within the module may incorrectly detect an electrical short and preventively turn off the electrical current and the trailer lights.
Consequence: If the system incorrectly detects an electrical short and turns off the trailer lights while the trailer is being towed at night, there is an increased risk of a crash.
Remedy: SET will notify owners, and dealers will replace the trailer light module with a new unit with corrected software, free of charge. The recall began on March 17, 2015. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET's number for this recall is SET-15A.
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
1PE21005 · Battery Hold Down Bracket Thermal Events
Opened Feb 25, 2021 · Closed Aug 12, 2024
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Electrical SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V Battery
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE) to understand the contributing factors and frequency of vehicle fires originating from the battery region of the engine compartment in Model Year (MY) 2013-2018 Toyota RAV4 vehicles on 25 February 2021. At the time of opening, ODI attributed eleven allegations and additional EWR events to this PE. PE21005 focused on replacement batteries installed in the subject vehicles. No reported fire event identified in PE21005 involved the originally supplied 12V battery. The reported fires took place in vehicles known to contain aftermarket batteries or whose age exceeded the expected life of the original equipment battery. ODI identified battery dimensioning as it relates to the battery retention system (hold down bracket, radiator support bolt, J-hook, and battery tray) as the main factor set in the contact between the battery hold down bracket contacting the positive terminal of the 12V battery. The subject vehicles carried over the same battery tray and retention system from the prior generation (MY2006 – MY2012) of RAV4 vehicles. However, the subject vehicles were equipped with a dimensionally smaller battery (Group 35) than the prior generation (Group 24F). The smaller- length measurement in the Group 35 battery size in a battery tray originally designed to fit a Group 24F battery contributed to increased potential for battery movement which was exacerbated by the diversity in aftermarket battery configuration and irregularities intrinsic to battery replacement procedures. Battery movement coupled with the proximity of the B+ terminal on the battery and the grounded electrically conductive hold down bracket set the stage for a short to ground leading to an engine stall (if in operation) followed by a vehicle fire. This investigation was not able to classify the installation status, battery size, or cause of every allegation due to the fire event causing damage to the area, inaccessible vehicle, modification to the battery retention system after the event, and/or inconclusive photographic evidence. Toyota's investigation of the issue identified aftermarket battery catalogs that listed an improper battery replacement size (Group 26R) that would nevertheless fit into the subject vehicles whose battery retention system is incapable of reliably restraining a Group 26R battery. On 18 November 2021, Toyota initiated a consumer advisory campaign (21TG01) to the subject vehicle owners, notifying them of the correct size battery and offering a free inspection of the battery and retention hardware, a caution label to affix to the hold down bracket, and a discounted replacement 12V battery. This investigation with Toyota established three broad categories to characterize the battery retention system state of a given vehicle: "correct", "minor mis-installation", and "major mis-installation". - The "correct" terminology references the front bolt, bracket, and J-hook installed in a position not in contact with the positive battery terminal and the front bolt torqued to 17 Nm and the J-hook engaged with the tray hole and torqued to 4.9 Nm. - A "minor mis-installation" would describe the three retention components installed in the prescribed location, however not to the correct torque values. - The "major mis-installation" condition would constitute a retention component missing or disconnected from the system. Toyota's own testing used five exemplar batteries installed on a subject vehicle in each battery categorization resulted in: - Contact between the B+ terminal and hold down bracket in "major mis-installations" - Movement of the battery in "minor mis-installations" - No observable motion in "correct" installations. ODI conducted its own evaluation of the Toyota- specified replacement battery and 5 aftermarket Group 35 batteries. The six batteries tested conformed to the Group 35 Battery Council International (BCI) standard on overall dimensional tolerance and terminal location. That standard does not define the edge shape or material of battery casing. Physical interaction between the hold down bracket and the battery case and the friction between the casing material and the battery tray resulted in a large variability in movement forces required to incite movement when the battery was installed in the "correct" condition. Resulting in movement at an induced lateral load between 0.6 G and 1.91 G equivalent force across each battery. This force is higher than a typical vehicle could exert in a steady state turn and would only experience loads through brief shock or impulses. Multiple shock or impulse loads across time would contribute to a delay between the replacement battery installation and the fire event. Likelihood of a fire event increases as the installation method degraded from the "correct", to "minor mis-installation", and then to "major mis-installation". Protruding vent caps atop some of the batteries tested aided in restricting battery movement relative to the hold down. An absence of vent caps permitted additional movement. Following several discussions and vehicle inspections with ODI during this investigation, on 01 November 2023, Toyota filed a safety recall (NHTSA 23V-734) of 1,853,568 MY 2013 through MY 2018 Toyota RAV4 vehicles to reduce the risk of a vehicle fire with redesigned battery retention components. To review the ODI reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.