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 · Dec 27, 2021
Service Brakes
Brakes failed to stop while parking vehicle with a speed of less than 5 mph hitting landscaping with a young pine tree that made the vehicle stopped. Hit and went over some matured bushes on the landscaped parking lot. The SUV cannot be stopped even brakes were depressed all the way. I needed to have my vehicle towed out of t…
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Brakes failed to stop while parking vehicle with a speed of less than 5 mph hitting landscaping with a young pine tree that made the vehicle stopped. Hit and went over some matured bushes on the landscaped parking lot. The SUV cannot be stopped even brakes were depressed all the way. I needed to have my vehicle towed out of the bushes and the broken young tree in order to get out of the rubble. I need to have my brakes inspected by the dealership this week as it happened this Christmas Eve and the service are closed.
NHTSA ODI #11445036
Mileage unknown · Dec 10, 2021
Power Train
11443340 FILE number please add this commentary. Toyota provided and extended warranty for this vehicle due to torque converter defects. I was not notified because I was not owner at time. Extended warranty expired on 10/13/21 . My car developed problem around 11/22/21. Toyota now refuses to help in any form.
NHTSA ODI #11443396
132,000 miles · Dec 10, 2021
Power Train
The contact owns a 2013 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated while his wife was driving 30 MPH, the vehicle failed to shift automatically to the next gear. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The driver was able to drive to her destination. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with…
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The contact owns a 2013 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated while his wife was driving 30 MPH, the vehicle failed to shift automatically to the next gear. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The driver was able to drive to her destination. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the torque converter to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired but was pending repairs. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 132,000.
NHTSA ODI #11443340
103,000 miles · Oct 25, 2021
Steering
The contact owns a 2013 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that an abnormal clicking sound was coming from the steering column without warning. The contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer where he was informed that the steering gear and rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The contact was also informed that there were no reca…
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The contact owns a 2013 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that an abnormal clicking sound was coming from the steering column without warning. The contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer where he was informed that the steering gear and rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The contact was also informed that there were no recalls associated with the VIN. The contact then took the vehicle to an independent mechanic who provided the same information as the dealer. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 103,000.
NHTSA ODI #11438047
80,000 miles · Oct 7, 2021
Visibility/wiper
The contact owns a 2013 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that the front driver’s side windshield wiper was not functioning properly when activated. The front driver’s side windshield wiper would get stuck in the upright position. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The c…
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The contact owns a 2013 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that the front driver’s side windshield wiper was not functioning properly when activated. The front driver’s side windshield wiper would get stuck in the upright position. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V577000 (Visibility/Wiper). The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
NHTSA ODI #11435867
Mileage unknown · Sep 20, 2021
Tires
On June 17 the tread separated on a tire that was purchased on 4/2/21. I was driving on the interstate at 65 mph with the tire separated.
NHTSA ODI #11433739
Mileage unknown · Sep 13, 2021
Electrical SystemEnginePower Train
Note: This is a fully electric vehicle. It was made by Toyota, but the drive train (electric motor, battery, etc.) is made by Tesla. Earlier this summer (Around June 2021) while starting the vehicle from a stop, the vehicle either shifted to neutral (halfway through an intersection) or stalled. The vehicle displays a message sa…
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Note: This is a fully electric vehicle. It was made by Toyota, but the drive train (electric motor, battery, etc.) is made by Tesla. Earlier this summer (Around June 2021) while starting the vehicle from a stop, the vehicle either shifted to neutral (halfway through an intersection) or stalled. The vehicle displays a message saying "Check EV System". We have since taken it to two Toyota dealerships. The first (Toyota of Tacoma in Tacoma WA) said the 12V battery needed to be replaced, but the issue happened again almost immediately after we took the vehicle off the lot and completely stalled in the middle of a busy intersection. We brought it back to the same dealership who then said nothing was wrong with the vehicle. We also took the vehicle to a local auto repair shop that specializes in electric vehicles where they were able to recreate the issue but unfortunately were unable to work on the car as Tesla had locked the codes needed to diagnose the issues. The second dealership (Titus Will Toyota in Tacoma WA) was able to reproduce the issue, but they didn't have the equipment to work on the vehicle. They said that they spoke to the Toyota engineering team who told them that the speed sensor had moisture on it, and the coolant on the right side was low which indicates that coolant was leaking into the electric motor and the vehicle needed a new drive train. Toyota said that since the drive train was made by Tesla, they are unable to work on the vehicle and we would need to figure out how to get the vehicle from Washington to California to find a shop that could service the vehicle and completely replace the entire drive train - a diagnosis made and given over the phone. We purchased the vehicle just over a year ago in Washington and now it has a dangerous safety issue that neither Toyota nor Tesla is wanting anything to do with and that local repair shops cannot address.
NHTSA ODI #11432802
Mileage unknown · Aug 2, 2021
Fuel/propulsion System
The Fuel Pump entire system failed. I have a receipt of $731.50 to have it fixed. I was stranded coming off Belt Parkway in New York City, I feared for my car as the cars came flying off of the exit ramp. The Toyota Company has sent recalls on most of their Fuel Pumps except my 2013 Toyota Rav4. All of my alerts went on immedia…
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The Fuel Pump entire system failed. I have a receipt of $731.50 to have it fixed. I was stranded coming off Belt Parkway in New York City, I feared for my car as the cars came flying off of the exit ramp. The Toyota Company has sent recalls on most of their Fuel Pumps except my 2013 Toyota Rav4. All of my alerts went on immediately but then the car just stopped and I managed to coast to the off the ramp. There were no warnings but when I looked up Toyota Recalls the main problem is their Fuel Pump Injectors in most of their cars and I had no knowledge of this.
NHTSA ODI #11427495
Mileage unknown · Jul 29, 2021
Power Train
My 2013 RAV4 is having torque converter issues and shudders at low acceleration. Toyota issued a customer bulletin with an extended warranty deadline of 8 years of first use or 150K miles. My car started having this issue sometimes in 2018 and Toyota dealership diagnosed it as replace bolts. I explained to Toyota but they said e…
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My 2013 RAV4 is having torque converter issues and shudders at low acceleration. Toyota issued a customer bulletin with an extended warranty deadline of 8 years of first use or 150K miles. My car started having this issue sometimes in 2018 and Toyota dealership diagnosed it as replace bolts. I explained to Toyota but they said extended warranty has expired and will not cover costs to get torque converter/transmission fixed. Now the issue on my car has gotten worse and brought it up with dealership again this year and they linked it to the customer notice which had expired. Now, Toyota corporation won't make an exception and assume that I had tried to get it fixed the first time within an active warranty in 2018. Issue is with torque converter and transmission shudder at low acceleration.
NHTSA ODI #11427012
Mileage unknown · Jun 24, 2021
Service Brakes
The brake line on the on the driver's side leaked brake fluid on the rotors and pads leading to an increased risk of crash due to lubricated brakes
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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