IllustrationAudio System, Navigation. Cannot enter and use set up Menu for Radio, CD. The Panel continuously displays the screen of the software, hardware, Entune starting and restarting.
2014 Toyota RAV4
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2014 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
360–25K
2025–50K
2050–75K
1075–100K
11100–150K
10150K+
107 reports with mileage · 90 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 69 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine. Review the 31 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Steering. Review the 21 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
20 crash reports25 fire reports16 injury reports
What owners actually said
197 reportsI have been experiencing a strange burning smell in my RAV4 for the past week but was unable to locate the source. No warning lights were active on the dash and the vehicle was functioning properly. Because I live in a colder climate I generally use the heated seat function daily, but would like to clarify that the use of my veh…
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I have been experiencing a strange burning smell in my RAV4 for the past week but was unable to locate the source. No warning lights were active on the dash and the vehicle was functioning properly. Because I live in a colder climate I generally use the heated seat function daily, but would like to clarify that the use of my vehicle amounts to less than an hour a day with my combined morning and afternoon commute. Today I noted that there is a sizeable hole in my driver seat that is burned and melted from the heated seat function. I have not turned the heated seat function back on for fear of a fire.
Shortly after I purchased the vehicle, the Entune application began sending “movement alerts” and frequently showed that it was in a different location. The dealership said that an update was required, but that did not fix the problem. About a year later, it began to drain batteries repeatedly (4 in one year). The Toyota deal…
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Shortly after I purchased the vehicle, the Entune application began sending “movement alerts” and frequently showed that it was in a different location. The dealership said that an update was required, but that did not fix the problem. About a year later, it began to drain batteries repeatedly (4 in one year). The Toyota dealership could not find a problem. After the last battery replacement, I noticed that the Entune app shows that I have over 960,000,000 miles on the vehicle (when the odometer isn’t even at 85,000) and the battery voltage was 14.6 volts! My car was broken into and the front window was broken, but the app failed to inform me of that! About a month ago, I left home and all of the lights on the dash started flashing. The engine temperature was rising (according to the temperature gauge), and then the gauges stopped functioning. The tachometer showed 0 RPMs and I was unable to see the odometer, temperature, or even my speed. After disconnecting and reconnecting the battery cables, it appeared to solve the problem. I am afraid of what may happen next and would trade it in if I could afford to.
My 2014 Toyota RAV4 had an accident (front end collision) No air bags deploy
Vehicles transmission torque converter has issues and makes entire vehicle shake while driving. It causes issues when going up and down hills and shifting gears to maintain appropriate speeds. Vehicle shakes aggressively when at high speeds making highway travel impossible and unsafe. Toyota dealerships quote $3000 in repairs to…
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Vehicles transmission torque converter has issues and makes entire vehicle shake while driving. It causes issues when going up and down hills and shifting gears to maintain appropriate speeds. Vehicle shakes aggressively when at high speeds making highway travel impossible and unsafe. Toyota dealerships quote $3000 in repairs to replace defective part.
My husband made sure he took the car into the dealership before his current deployment & records showed nothing was wrong. About 2 months ago I noticed the vehicle would jump from 2 to 3 RPM. He changed the spark plugs and battery. The drive improved but soon started revving again. In September, I called the dealership & describ…
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My husband made sure he took the car into the dealership before his current deployment & records showed nothing was wrong. About 2 months ago I noticed the vehicle would jump from 2 to 3 RPM. He changed the spark plugs and battery. The drive improved but soon started revving again. In September, I called the dealership & described the issue & noted that there was no check engine light or any light indicating anything was wrong. The maintenance personnel said to drop it off for further diagnosis. On October 15, I took the vehicle in for a diagnostic it came back with another clean report and was advised to bring it back in if the problem persist. The next morning, I noticed the vehicle was still behaving the same way. I called the dealership and told them I will bring the vehicle back in. I was insistent on finding out what the problem was & showed them a video of what I was describing the vehicle was doing. The dealership said they would keep it overnight to try & figure out what was wrong. The following evening October 21, I got a call stating that my transmission fluid was black with metal shavings and it was supposed to be red. The transmission fluid could no longer be changed at this point but instead the entire transmission needed to be replaced for $8,947.95! Keep in mind that the average cost of changing the transmission fluid is $250. If my vehicle was properly maintained when took it to Toyota dealerships since 2014 for ALL the recommended maintenance, we would not be having this issue. We TRUSTED the dealerships to tell us what maintenance was needed. The transmission fluid should have been replaced at 60,000 miles & it was not. Now we have to replace the entire transmission. Toyota needs to take ownership of their mistake; not properly maintaining our vehicle. It is no fault of our own that it was never indicated to us that the transmission fluid needed to be replaced. His family with no vehicle, exactly what he was trying to avoid before he deployed.
On Sunday, Aug 29th, our RAV4 caught fire in our driveway. The vehicle was off/parked at the time and required the fire department to extinguish. The fire spread to our truck which was parked next to the RAV4. Both are a complete loss.
The first thing that happened was while driving in the day my dash board lights shut off and back on three different times with in 5-7 minutes. Then the next day while driving down the road by vehicle electrical dash board system shut itself off and came back while I was driving. The warning symbol for the electrical steering …
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The first thing that happened was while driving in the day my dash board lights shut off and back on three different times with in 5-7 minutes. Then the next day while driving down the road by vehicle electrical dash board system shut itself off and came back while I was driving. The warning symbol for the electrical steering power flashed on and my steering wheel locked up as I was turning and caused me not to be able to steer normally. Also, my air conditioning shut off and back on during these incidents.
The contact owns a 2014 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, the power steering assist message displayed, and the steering wheel became very difficult to turn in either direction. The next day the vehicle was towed to the local dealer who was unable to duplicate the failure. The cause of the failure was not dete…
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The contact owns a 2014 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, the power steering assist message displayed, and the steering wheel became very difficult to turn in either direction. The next day the vehicle was towed to the local dealer who was unable to duplicate the failure. The cause of the failure was not determined, and no repairs were performed. The manufacturer was contacted regarding the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in the NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V144000 (Steering). The contact indicated that the vehicle had experienced the same failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 74,800.
The contact owns a 2014 Toyota RAV4. The contact stated while driving 15 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. After multiple attempts, the contact was able to restart the vehicle. Soon after the vehicle was restarted there was smoke coming from the vehicle and the vehicle stalled again. The contact stated that the battery h…
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The contact owns a 2014 Toyota RAV4. The contact stated while driving 15 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. After multiple attempts, the contact was able to restart the vehicle. Soon after the vehicle was restarted there was smoke coming from the vehicle and the vehicle stalled again. The contact stated that the battery had caught on fire. The battery was destroyed. The fire department was not notified of the fire. There was no injury sustained. Due to the failure, the contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic for repair. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired and remained in the possession of the mechanic. The failure mileage was approximately 135,000. The VIN was not available.
Official recalls
423V734000 · 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.
15V144000 · Steering:electric Power Assist System
Mar 13, 2015
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2015 Camry, Camry Hybrid, Highlander, and Highlander Hybrid, and 2014-2015 Rav4 vehicles. A component of the electric power steering (EPS) electronic control unit (ECU) may have been damaged during the manufacturing process. Over time, this damage may result in failure of the electric power steering system.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: An unexpected loss of power steering increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the serial number of the EPS ECU or steering column assembly. If the number is within the affected range, the EPS ECU will be replaced, free of charge. The recall began on May 7, 2015. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.
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.
14V828000 · Equipment
Dec 30, 2014
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Toyota 4Runner, Tacoma, FJ Cruiser, Land Cruiser, RAV4, Scion FRS, and XB vehicles. The affected vehicles may have accessories installed by SET, such as running boards or other items, that were incorrectly installed. The accessory attaching fasteners were not tightened with the proper torque, possibly causing the accessory to detach from the vehicle.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Accessories that detach from a vehicle may result in a vehicle crash and/or personal injury.
Remedy: SET will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and tighten the affected bolts, free of charge. The recall began February 23, 2015. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET's number for this recall is SET-14B.
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.