NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
What owners actually said
303 reportsMileage unknown · Dec 3, 2021
Power Train
Our Torque convertor went in our RAV4. There is a warranty bulletin on this issue for our make/year and our vehicle fell within the years and mileage needed to be covered by this warranty but when we asked Toyota to repair it under the warranty they told us that our VIN was not on the list for free repair. We recently had our …
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Our Torque convertor went in our RAV4. There is a warranty bulletin on this issue for our make/year and our vehicle fell within the years and mileage needed to be covered by this warranty but when we asked Toyota to repair it under the warranty they told us that our VIN was not on the list for free repair. We recently had our local certified mechanic replace the torque convertor out of fear if we waited for VIN to show up on list further damage would be done. We sent a certified letter to Toyota Corp along with our invoice for repair and asked if they would reconsider and cover us under warranty and the answer is no. The reason for this complaint is to document the fact that we had faulty parts and even though the vehicle met all the guidelines needed for free repair, we were still denied. The warranty bulletin is #POL17-06 this covers models 2013-2015 up to 150,000 miles. We own a 2015 with 89,000 miles. We have logged a complaint with the Federal Trade Commissioner as well as THE Better Business Burea. Thank you for your time.
NHTSA ODI #11442561
Mileage unknown · Nov 18, 2021
Electrical SystemFire
The electrical system failed and the car has been towed by State Farm Insurance to Cop-art Savage Vendor in Elgin Il today. My safety was at risk by fast rapidly engulfing flames coming from under the car hood.The problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center that we know of. Vehicle or c…
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The electrical system failed and the car has been towed by State Farm Insurance to Cop-art Savage Vendor in Elgin Il today. My safety was at risk by fast rapidly engulfing flames coming from under the car hood.The problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center that we know of. Vehicle or components have been inspected by police, and might have been inspected by our Insurance after the vehicle was towed. There was a warning battery light just before smoke came out from under the hood, then the car stopped and then flames started to come out from under the hood engulfing the front part of the car.
NHTSA ODI #11440975
Mileage unknown · Sep 30, 2021
Electrical SystemUnknown Or OtherFire
My wife was driving her 2015 Toyota Rav4 on September 13, 2021 when the car stalled while on the interstate. She coasted to the side. It started back up so she continued to work which was off the next exit. As soon as she entered the parking lot, the Rav4 stalled again and she was able to coast in to a parking lot. As soon a…
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My wife was driving her 2015 Toyota Rav4 on September 13, 2021 when the car stalled while on the interstate. She coasted to the side. It started back up so she continued to work which was off the next exit. As soon as she entered the parking lot, the Rav4 stalled again and she was able to coast in to a parking lot. As soon as she walked inside the building the Rav4 caught on fire. There were no warning lights are any indication of anything wrong with the vehicle up until this point. According to the dealer and the insurance company, the battery caught on fire. What exactly caused this I do not know. The Insurance company deemed the vehicle a total loss per the Toyota Dealers recommendation.
NHTSA ODI #11434953
Mileage unknown · Sep 27, 2021
Electronic Stability Control (esc)Service Brakes, Hydraulic
The contact owns a 2015 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH and attempting to depress the brake pedal, the brake pedal went to the floor. The contact stated that he had to top off the brake fluid constantly. The contact stated that the ABS warning light was illuminated. Upon investigation, the contact associated…
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The contact owns a 2015 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH and attempting to depress the brake pedal, the brake pedal went to the floor. The contact stated that he had to top off the brake fluid constantly. The contact stated that the ABS warning light was illuminated. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V198000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic, Electronic Stability Control) however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was unavailable.
NHTSA ODI #11434578
Mileage unknown · Aug 25, 2021
Electrical SystemEngineService BrakesFire
Slow down to make a right turn, the car completely shut off. Put on emergency lights pulled into nearest safest parking lot, braking systems failed, finally put car in park. Pulled keys out of ignition. Took a look around nothing was physically wrong, got back into vehicle started it, with no problem. Took it through the same pa…
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Slow down to make a right turn, the car completely shut off. Put on emergency lights pulled into nearest safest parking lot, braking systems failed, finally put car in park. Pulled keys out of ignition. Took a look around nothing was physically wrong, got back into vehicle started it, with no problem. Took it through the same parking lot, through the drive-thru. Started smoking at the second window, pulled back into the parking lot, shut off vehicle. Got out of vehicle to access smoke, fire started, got back int car then an explosion. Grabbed my daughter and my things the best I could. There was about two or three more explosions afterwards, the fire department came to take out the flames; this was after other employees from the same area tried to put out the fire with fire extinguishers but it wasn’t much help. It halfway burned into the ground, the Fireman had to use the jaws of life to get the hood off of the car to extinguish the fire.
NHTSA ODI #11430552
90,000 miles · Aug 20, 2021
EngineFire
The contact owned a 2015 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while his wife was driving and making a right turn the vehicle loss motive power and stalled without warning. The contact stated that his wife coasted to the side of the road, restarted the vehicle, and several unknown warning lights flashed on the instrument panel an…
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The contact owned a 2015 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while his wife was driving and making a right turn the vehicle loss motive power and stalled without warning. The contact stated that his wife coasted to the side of the road, restarted the vehicle, and several unknown warning lights flashed on the instrument panel and then disappeared. While driving through the drive-thru at McDonalds his wife was notified by an employee of an abnormal burning odor. While pulling out of the drive-thru, the vehicle stalled. The driver restarted the vehicle and pulled into a parking space and the vehicle caught on fire underneath the hood. The contact stated that after his wife removed the child from the vehicle there were a series of explosions. The Fire Department was called out and the fire was extinguished. A fire report was filed. The vehicle was towed from the scene and deemed a total loss. There was no injuries and no medical attention was needed. The dealer and the manufacturer were not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 90,000.
NHTSA ODI #11429925
Mileage unknown · Aug 18, 2021
EngineFire
The contact owns a 2015 Toyota RAV4. The contact stated that while driving approximately at 45 mph when they noticed the vehicle's speed began to lower as if it wanted to stall. The contact was able to pull over and turn their vehicle off. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle however the vehicle failed to restart. They n…
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The contact owns a 2015 Toyota RAV4. The contact stated that while driving approximately at 45 mph when they noticed the vehicle's speed began to lower as if it wanted to stall. The contact was able to pull over and turn their vehicle off. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle however the vehicle failed to restart. They noticed smoke coming from underneath the hood of the vehicle. The contact opened the hood of the vehicle to cool the vehicle down however in about 1-2 minutes they noticed flames near the engine of the vehicle. The fire department was called and put out the fire. A report was not filed. There were no injuries and no medical assistance needed. The vehicle was towed. The contact was waiting on the status of the vehicle from their insurance report. The dealer was not made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was unknown.
NHTSA ODI #11429597
Mileage unknown · Aug 3, 2021
Steering
The power steering has recently stopped working while driving. When the car is started, the power steering works fine, but within a few minutes, it will stop working and steering has to be done manually.
NHTSA ODI #11427561
Mileage unknown · Jul 28, 2021
EngineUnknown Or OtherFire
Was driving along when some warning lights came on, specifically the check engine light, traction control off light and the AWD light. 2 seconds later I heard a loud pop, saw smoke coming from the hood. I pulled over and looked in the engine compartment and saw flames. I suspect the coolant line popped and caught fire. My safety…
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Was driving along when some warning lights came on, specifically the check engine light, traction control off light and the AWD light. 2 seconds later I heard a loud pop, saw smoke coming from the hood. I pulled over and looked in the engine compartment and saw flames. I suspect the coolant line popped and caught fire. My safety could have been at risk if the battery exploded or oil/gas components were to catch fire. The car is currently at a dealer to be inspected. A NHP accident report was filled out and can be available if needed.
NHTSA ODI #11426907
Mileage unknown · Jul 24, 2021
Electrical SystemEngineFire
Driver was driving on the highway when the screen turned off and on and the steering wheel seized momentarily. Approximately 5 minutes later, screen went blank again and could not accelerate. Driver pulled over to the side of the road. Strange noises were coming from under the hood and the car starting smoking and then caught on…
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Driver was driving on the highway when the screen turned off and on and the steering wheel seized momentarily. Approximately 5 minutes later, screen went blank again and could not accelerate. Driver pulled over to the side of the road. Strange noises were coming from under the hood and the car starting smoking and then caught on fire.
NHTSA ODI #11426275
Official recalls
4Nov 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.
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.
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.
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.
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