Electrical System. Review the 59 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Service Brakes. Review the 44 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Exterior Lighting. Review the 28 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

33 crash reports12 fire reports21 injury reports

Service Brakes complaints

44 reports

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22,000 miles · Dec 29, 2018

Service Brakes

I HAD A GRINDING NOISE IN THE FRONT BRAKES AND TOOK IT TO THE DEALER A COUPLE OF TIMES FINALLY THEY REPLACED THE BRAKES AND TURN THE ROTORS THAT WAS ABOUT SEVEN MONTHS AGO THAT NOISE STARTED AND THEY REPLACE THEM ABOUT A MONTH AGO AND NOW THEY'RE MAKING NOISE AGAIN I DON'T KNOW THERE'S A PROBLEM OR A DEFECT

NHTSA ODI #11163907

41,000 miles · Sep 27, 2018

Service Brakes

I WAS DRIVING MY CAR IN THE RAIN, AND A WARNING CAME ON THAT THE ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEM WAS MALFUNCTIONING. I KEPT DRIVING, AND ALL THER DASHBOARD LIGHTS FLASHED OFF THEN BACK ON TWICE. I PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, TURNED THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON AND IT STOPPED. THIS ISN'T THE FIRST TIME I'VE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE ABS NO…

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NHTSA ODI #11131866

10,900 miles · May 31, 2018

Service BrakesCrash

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, TWO DEER SUDDENLY EMERGED FROM THE WOODS. WHEN THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE VEHICLE DID NOT STOP AND STRUCK ONE OF THE DEER. THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE VEHICLE WAS DAMAGED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED (NUMBER: 18-05410) AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO CEDAR RAPIDS TOYOTA (1190 BOYSON ROAD, HIAWATHA, IOWA 52233), BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TOWED TO A BODY SHOP. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,900.

NHTSA ODI #11099064

42,000 miles · Feb 8, 2018

Air BagsService BrakesCrashInjury

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS APPLIED, BUT THE BRAKES FAILED TO RESPOND WITHOUT WARNING. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO AN EMBANKMENT. THE FRONT DRIVER, FRONT PASSENGER, AND FRONT SIDE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE PASSENGER SEAT WAS NOT OCCUPIED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED A SPRAINED RIGHT ANKLE, WHICH DID NOT REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND OPENED CASE NUMBER: 1802082867. NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 42,000.

NHTSA ODI #11071841

26,000 miles · Oct 23, 2017

Electronic Stability Control (esc)Service BrakesVehicle Speed Control

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PASSENGER FRONT WHEEL SENSOR HARNESS WAS DAMAGED BY RODENT. VEHICLE HAS 26K MILES AND TOYOTA REFUSED TO REPAIR THE BREAK, AND WOULD ONLY REPLACE THE ENTIRE HARNESS AT A COST NOT COVERED OF $6300. THE MATERIAL CHANGE OF THESE PARTS ATTRACT RATS. THIS DAMAGED CAUSE ABS, LANE DEPARTURE, BLIND SPOT MONITORING AND CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEMS TO FAIL. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY AND I LIVE IN A GATE COMMUNITY. I CALLED THE TOYOTA CUSTOMER LINE AND WAS GIVEN THE SAME EXPLANATION OF THE LACK OF WARRANTY COVERAGE. CASE #1710230814

NHTSA ODI #11035705

13,200 miles · Sep 8, 2017

Service Brakes

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I BOUGHT THE CAR ABOUT A YEAR AND HALF BACK FROM TOYOTA DEAER IN ROCKVILLE, MD. WHEN I APPLIED BRAKE TO SLOW DOWN AND STOP THE CAR AT THE HIGHWAY INTERSECTIONS, IT ACCELERATED UNCONTROLLABLY. THIS HAPPENED THREE TIMES ON THREE DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. I HAVE REPORTED THE BRAKE SYSTEM FAILURE AND SUDDEN ACCELERATION EVENTS TO TOYOTA COMPANY IN TEXAS. THE ASSIGNED CASE MANAGER, CAREY CARTER IN TOYOTA COMPANY FURNISHED THE CASE # 1708302943 ON SEPTEMBER 1, 2017. COREY'S CONTACT TELEPHONE # : 1-800-333-4331, OPTION 3, EXTENSION 73834. THE CAR IS NOW PARKED IN MY GARAGE, AND I DARE NOT DRIVE IT, AS IT IS VERY UNSAFE. I REQUEST THAT NHTSA INITIATE PROMPTLY INVESTIGATION OF POSSIBLE DEFECTS IN THE DESIGN AND /OR MANUFACTURE OF THE TOYOTA RAV4 CARS TO AVERT JEOPARDY TO TRAFFIC SAFETY. ALSO, I REQUEST NHTSA 'S ADVICE TO RESOLVE MY CASE FAVORABLY.

NHTSA ODI #11022407

7,000 miles · Jul 30, 2017

Service Brakes

THIS IS A FOLLOW UP TO REPORT 10995701. AFTER TOYOTA REFUSED TO DO ANY REPAIRS TO THE CAR, I REPLACED THE MASTER CYLINDER MYSELF. I TOOK THE MASTER CYLINDER APART AND FOUND AN UNUSUAL MACHINING PATTERN WITHIN THE MASTER CYLINDER THAT COULD POTENTIALLY AFFECT THE SEALS. THERE ARE THREE "GOUGE" PATTERNS MACHINED 120 DEGREES …

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NHTSA ODI #11011566

19,000 miles · Jun 27, 2017

Service Brakes

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WHEN APPROACHING A STOP SIGN IN A ROUTINELY DRIVEN RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD AT LOW SPEED WITH THE CAR IN DRIVE GEAR AND CLEAR WEATHER, SOMETIMES THE BRAKE PEDAL SLIPS PART WAY OR ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR ALLOWING THE CAR TO ROLL INTO THE INTERSECTION BEFORE STOPPING. THE PEDAL HAS SLIPPED REPEATEDLY WITHIN 2 HOURS WHEN DRIVING IN URBAN, RUSH HOUR, STOP AND GO TRAFFIC. IT HAS ALSO SLIPPED TO THE FLOOR AT 70 MPH ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS DECELERATING ON A DRY SURFACE. PUMPING THE BRAKE PEDAL A FEW TIMES ENGAGES THE BRAKES. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TO THE DEALER TO CORRECT THE ISSUE 4 TIMES AND TO ANOTHER DEALER 1 TIME FOR A 2ND OPINION WITH THE SAME RESULT ON EACH VISIT, 'COULD NOT DUPLICATE.' THE 4TH REPAIR VISIT INVOICE SHOWS 'LOSES VACUUM WHEN BRAKES CONTINUOUSLY APPLIED AT IDLE.' ON THE 5TH VISIT I ASKED FOR THE VACUUM TO BE RESTORED TO PROPER FUNCTION. THEY SAID THERE WAS NO VACUUM LEAK OR RECORD OF A CODE THAT WOULD INDICATE LOSS OF VACUUM, AND THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE. I CANNOT DUPLICATE IT EITHER OR PREDICT WHEN THE PEDAL WILL SLIP. IT HAPPENS SPORADICALLY. AS SUGGESTED BY A SERVICE ADVISOR, I CALLED THE TOYOTA 800 NUMBER. I SPOKE WITH A REPRESENTATIVE ON 12-15-16. I TOLD HER MY EXPERIENCE WITH THE BRAKE ISSUE AND MY REQUESTS FOR REPAIR WITH UNSATISFACTORY RESULTS. SHE SAID SHE WOULD CALL THE DEALERSHIP AND GET BACK TO ME. ON 12-16-16, SHE REPORTED THE DEALER SAID THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE, SO NOTHING COULD BE DONE. SHE ASKED ME WHAT I WANTED. I REPLIED THAT I WANTED THE BRAKES TO WORK PROPERLY. SAFETY IS AT RISK FOR ME AND PASSENGERS AT ANY SPEED. AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, IT IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS.

NHTSA ODI #11001782

2,478 miles · Jun 27, 2017

EngineService Brakes

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH, THE BRAKES FAILED TO WORK AND THE VEHICLE AUTOMATICALLY STOPPED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS SLOWLY DRIVEN TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED TWICE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER (WEST HERR TOYOTA OF WILLIAMSVILLE LOCATED AT 8129 MAIN ST, WILLIAMSVILLE, NY 14221; (716) 803-8010), BUT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AT 800-331-4331 AND WAS INFORMED THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE. CASE NUMBER: 1706191051 WAS PROVIDED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,478.

NHTSA ODI #11001720

Mileage unknown · Jun 22, 2017

Service Brakes

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS SPONGY WHEN APPLIED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER (AUTONATION TOYOTA LAS VEGAS 6300 W SAHARA AVE, LAS VEGAS, NV 89146 (702) 605-5801) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE BRAKE PADS AND DISCS MAY NEED TO BE REPLACED, BUT THEY WERE UNSURE. THE MA…

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NHTSA ODI #11000698

Official recalls

23V734000 · 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.

16V236000 · Equipment:other:labels; Tires

Apr 22, 2016

Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2016 Toyota Yaris, Rav4, Land Cruiser and 4Runner vehicles, and Scion FR-S, iM, and TC vehicles manufactured January 28, 2016, to March 14, 2016. The Load Carrying Capacity Modification Label may not reflect the correct added weight of the installed accessories. As a result, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims for Passenger Cars."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An incorrect label may result in the vehicle being overloaded, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: SET will notify owners, and provide them a corrected label to be installed over the inaccurate label, free of charge. The recall began on June 3, 2016. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET's number for this recall is SET16A.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Equipment:other:labels

Consequence: An incorrect label may result in the vehicle being overloaded, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: SET will notify owners, and provide them a corrected label to be installed over the inaccurate label, free of charge. The recall began on June 3, 2016. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET's number for this recall is SET16A.

Tires

Consequence: An incorrect label may result in the vehicle being overloaded, increasing the risk of a crash.

16V198000 · Electronic Stability Control (esc); Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip

Apr 7, 2016

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2016 Toyota RAV4 vehicles manufactured October 30, 2015, to February 3, 2016, 2016 Lexus RX350 vehicles manufactured October 26, 2015, to February 8, 2016, and 2016 Lexus ES350 vehicles manufactured September 1, 2015, to February 29, 2016. These vehicles are equipped with an ABS actuator that may have a damaged O-ring which could result in improper brake fluid pressure control during ABS, Traction Control, or Stability Control activation. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 126, "Electronic Stability Control Systems."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Insufficient brake fluid pressure may cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the brake actuator, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on May 4, 2016, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is G0I, GLC.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Electronic Stability Control (esc)

Consequence: Insufficient brake fluid pressure may cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the brake actuator, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on May 4, 2016, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is G0I, GLC.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip

Consequence: Insufficient brake fluid pressure may cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.

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

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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