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
What owners actually said
257 reports
Mileage unknown · Apr 28, 2022
Electrical SystemEngineStructureFire
I turned the key and started the RAV4 parked in my driveway. It immediately made unusual noices (gurgling, spitting, etc.). Within a minute, there was a loud "BOOM" under the hood and fire began coming out from underneath the car. I got out of the car and got a safe distance from it. My neighbors came running over as they he…
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I turned the key and started the RAV4 parked in my driveway. It immediately made unusual noices (gurgling, spitting, etc.). Within a minute, there was a loud "BOOM" under the hood and fire began coming out from underneath the car. I got out of the car and got a safe distance from it. My neighbors came running over as they heard subsequent explosions and saw black smoke billowing from my direction. Within a matter of a few minutes, the entire car was engulfed in flames. The fire department came and extinguished it. There is nothing left! BTW, I am 91 years old. This could have had a very different and sad outcome!
NHTSA ODI #11462559
Mileage unknown · Mar 21, 2022
Engine
While driving , the dashboard lights start flicker off first as a warning before the entire car shuts completely down. The car was start having those issues back in 2014 and delaer told us it was the battery negative wire that causing the issue. Suddenly, it start doing the same thing and in my opinion very dangerous to drive on…
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While driving , the dashboard lights start flicker off first as a warning before the entire car shuts completely down. The car was start having those issues back in 2014 and delaer told us it was the battery negative wire that causing the issue. Suddenly, it start doing the same thing and in my opinion very dangerous to drive on street and highways. No one wnats to have a car that just suddenly stalled on highway.
NHTSA ODI #11457691
Mileage unknown · Mar 14, 2022
Unknown Or Other
Please see letter attached. Thank you!
NHTSA ODI #11456641
Mileage unknown · Feb 27, 2022
Power Train
The car when driving around 30 to 45 mph starts shuddering. Looks apparently it's the torque converter
NHTSA ODI #11454381
Mileage unknown · Feb 15, 2022
Engine
car is consuming 2 Quarts of oil in a very short time.
NHTSA ODI #11452123
Mileage unknown · Feb 11, 2022
Electrical SystemFire
The battery on my 2013 Toyota Rav4 burst into flames while the engine was going and I was at a traffic stop/intersection. The electrical system failed, car died in place, luckily while at a stop and smoke from the engine compartment filled the car. I had just pulled off the highway and had come to an intersection in a residenti…
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The battery on my 2013 Toyota Rav4 burst into flames while the engine was going and I was at a traffic stop/intersection. The electrical system failed, car died in place, luckily while at a stop and smoke from the engine compartment filled the car. I had just pulled off the highway and had come to an intersection in a residential neighborhood of a densely populated city center. Residents came from the street to help put the engine compartment fire out. Driver and passenger (a dog) were able to get out safely, police and fire department came to the scene and asked people to move away from the vehicle in case of explosion. Fire was extinguished. Car was towed to local Toyota dealership, Car insurance agent has done preliminary inspection as well as dealership service manager. Both state that the battery did catch on fire. Battery installed was correct size as per service technician's initial report. At this time, total damage to the car is unclear, as a full inspection of the vehicle and electrical system has not been done. two or three times sporadically over the two days prior, the lights on the dashboard flickered on momentarily as though there was some kind of electrical short circuit happening somewhere. At present the vehicle remains at the dealership awaiting full Toyota inspection, since as a result of this office's investigation of numerous battery fires, Toyota has issued a Consumer safety recall.
NHTSA ODI #11451539
Mileage unknown · Jan 30, 2022
Structure
Paint peeling on car. Paint could come off hood while driving and obstruct vision while driving.
NHTSA ODI #11449455
63,000 miles · Jan 28, 2022
EngineFire
The contact owned a 2013 Toyota RAV-4. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at an unknown speed, she detected a burning odor inside the vehicle as smoke was coming through the vents. As well as flames from under the hood. The contact's daughter pulled and stopped upon exiting the vehicle the front was engulfed …
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The contact owned a 2013 Toyota RAV-4. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at an unknown speed, she detected a burning odor inside the vehicle as smoke was coming through the vents. As well as flames from under the hood. The contact's daughter pulled and stopped upon exiting the vehicle the front was engulfed in flames. The fire department was called and extinguished the fire. A fire department report was not filed nor a police department was not filed as they were on the scene. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed by a dealer or an independent mechanic. The insurance company deemed the vehicle a total loss. The manufacturer was notified and a case was opened. The contact stated researched failure online and found an investigation by NHTSA. The approximate failure mileage was 63,000.
NHTSA ODI #11449223
Mileage unknown · Jan 18, 2022
Air BagsCrashInjury
On Jan 3, 2022 while my daughter and granddaughter were using my 2013 Rav4, traffic was stopped on Rt 11, and they stopped and the car behind them stopped. But the drunk driver in a Dodge pickup did not stop, pushing the car behind my car into on coming traffic and then slamming into the back of my Rav4, pushing it into the bump…
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On Jan 3, 2022 while my daughter and granddaughter were using my 2013 Rav4, traffic was stopped on Rt 11, and they stopped and the car behind them stopped. But the drunk driver in a Dodge pickup did not stop, pushing the car behind my car into on coming traffic and then slamming into the back of my Rav4, pushing it into the bumper of a dump truck. The pickup truck stopped in the back seat of the Rav4. The Rav4 stopped when it hit the bumper, just short of going through the windshield. It is unknown how fast the drunk driver was traveling, but my Rav4 was totaled. However, no airbags deployed. Fortunately, my daughter and granddaughter, although completely shaken, walked away from the collision.
NHTSA ODI #11447896
Mileage unknown · Jan 14, 2022
Power Train
While driving the vehicle it experiences an intermittent shutter in the drive train. On flat roads it is an annoyance; when driving on mountain roads or with a loaded vehicle it becomes more severe to the point the vehicle feels like it will lose control. At its worse the issue impacts the ability of the driver to maintain co…
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While driving the vehicle it experiences an intermittent shutter in the drive train. On flat roads it is an annoyance; when driving on mountain roads or with a loaded vehicle it becomes more severe to the point the vehicle feels like it will lose control. At its worse the issue impacts the ability of the driver to maintain control (e.g., braking down a mountain), at a minimum it causes significant distraction in situations requiring constant focus on the road. The Toyota dealer diagnosed the issue as a torque converter flex lock up. Toyota corporate is aware is this defect and issued a Warranty Policy Bulleting (No. POL17-06) to address it. While the company issued a warranty enhancement to address the issue, they are treating it as a minor defect affecting customer satisfaction instead of the safety issue it is. Due to Toyota's approach, they limited the time period they would cover safety related repairs. This leaves 2013-2015 RAV4 vehicle owners to either not correct the issue and hope for the best, pay to correct the defect themselves (expensive due to the need for a Toyota drivetrain expert or master technician to perform the repair), or pass the problem off to the next owner. I contacted Toyota Corporate on and even though the vehicle has low mileage (95K), because the problem appeared after a Toyota established date they would not correct the defect. In my conversation with Toyota Corporate they confirmed it was a safety issue and advised me to have it repaired right away at my own cost. This manufacturer defect in 2013-2015 RAV 4s, in certain road conditions, creates an unreasonable safety risk to drivers. Toyota's approach to resolving the issue is insufficient and does not protect owners from unreasonable risk of an accident because of this safety flaw. Please start an investigation into this safety defect and initiate a safety recall compelling Toyota to correct the issue regardless of the vehicle's age. Thank you
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.
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
1
PE21005 · 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.
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