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2020 Toyota RAV4

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most RAV4 years

Owner complaints for the 2020 Toyota RAV4 are substantially higher than the model-year median of 258.5.

About this comparison →

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

195 reports with mileage · 439 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.

  • Engine. Review the 180 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 119 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Fuel/propulsion System. Review the 90 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

17 crash reports5 fire reports11 injury reports

What owners actually said

634 reports
Mileage unknown · Aug 18, 2021
Fuel/propulsion System

My car’s distance to empty never goes above 420 miles, despite a visit to the Lexington MA Toyota dealership with this complaint. Published range is about 580 miles. The dealership reset values in the car, but this did not make any difference, and at no point during my ownership of the car (which was bought new) has the range …

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My car’s distance to empty never goes above 420 miles, despite a visit to the Lexington MA Toyota dealership with this complaint. Published range is about 580 miles. The dealership reset values in the car, but this did not make any difference, and at no point during my ownership of the car (which was bought new) has the range on the dashboard when the tank is full exceeded 430 miles.

NHTSA ODI #11429669

54,354 miles · Aug 5, 2021
Air BagsCrashInjury

The contact owned a 2020 Toyota RAV4.The contact stated while stopped at a red light the vehicle was struck from behind by a Ford F-150 which resulted in none of the air bags deploying. The contact sustained a broken nose, cheeks, dislocated shoulders, and back injury. The contact was transported by ambulance from the scene of …

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The contact owned a 2020 Toyota RAV4.The contact stated while stopped at a red light the vehicle was struck from behind by a Ford F-150 which resulted in none of the air bags deploying. The contact sustained a broken nose, cheeks, dislocated shoulders, and back injury. The contact was transported by ambulance from the scene of the collision. A police report was taken and the vehicle was towed to a junkyard where it was determined to be destroyed. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and the contact was awaiting a reply. The failure mileage was approximately 54,354. The malfunction airbags according to Toyota Manufacturer.

NHTSA ODI #11427932

Mileage unknown · Jul 29, 2021
Electrical System

Car sat for 4 days while we here hiking. Battery went dead. We were 15 miles up a gravel road and thankfully someone came by who had jumper cables. Reported issue to Toyota today and will take to dealer. Apparently, Toyota has no current fix for the battery drain when vehicle is off. Searched online and found 100s of repor…

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Car sat for 4 days while we here hiking. Battery went dead. We were 15 miles up a gravel road and thankfully someone came by who had jumper cables. Reported issue to Toyota today and will take to dealer. Apparently, Toyota has no current fix for the battery drain when vehicle is off. Searched online and found 100s of reports of this same issue from 2019, 2020 rav4 owners, both hybrid and non-hybrid.

NHTSA ODI #11426967

Mileage unknown · Jul 9, 2021
Unknown Or Other

While driving on the freeway, the panoramic sunroof exploded. I have photos showing the glass exploding up & outward (away from the vehicle), rather than downward as one would see if the glass had been impacted by a foreign object. Had I not had the sunroof screen closed glass would have come down onto myself along with any ot…

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While driving on the freeway, the panoramic sunroof exploded. I have photos showing the glass exploding up & outward (away from the vehicle), rather than downward as one would see if the glass had been impacted by a foreign object. Had I not had the sunroof screen closed glass would have come down onto myself along with any other passengers who could have been inside the vehicle, and possibly caused an accident with other vehicles. Currently the vehicle is at the Toyota dealership and I am awaiting inspection from Toyota's corporate department and my insurance company. There was no warning prior to this event occurring.

NHTSA ODI #11424057

Mileage unknown · Jul 4, 2021
EnginePower TrainUnknown Or Other

I have had issues with my 2020 rav4. I have had kickbacks during acceleration, antifreeze/coolant loss, abnormal amount of blow-by, engine runs loud at times, car shakes when I start it, weird noise from under the hood, the dash lights and screen lights went dark once. I have been to multiple dealerships not long after I bough…

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I have had issues with my 2020 rav4. I have had kickbacks during acceleration, antifreeze/coolant loss, abnormal amount of blow-by, engine runs loud at times, car shakes when I start it, weird noise from under the hood, the dash lights and screen lights went dark once. I have been to multiple dealerships not long after I bought it and they said they “could not duplicate the issue”.. when I went to them regarding the antifreeze leak they said it is normal in new cars which I know is absolute lies. I need help as they are not willing to find the issues. I have pictures and videos to back this up.

NHTSA ODI #11423418

Mileage unknown · Jun 22, 2021
Vehicle Speed Control

A different problem that involves steering is when using speed control (cruise control). I only have attempted this while on the PA Turnpike at faster speeds, or a highway with a higher speed limit, but when engaging speed control with lane centering assistance, vehicle will sometimes pull you too close to the left side of your…

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A different problem that involves steering is when using speed control (cruise control). I only have attempted this while on the PA Turnpike at faster speeds, or a highway with a higher speed limit, but when engaging speed control with lane centering assistance, vehicle will sometimes pull you too close to the left side of your lane. In some cases, it will almost appear to others you are drunk as it is working to keep you centered in your lane, but at times it will just pull you to the left side of your lane, so close to others that traffic will beep and I'll want to poop my pants, because it harder to pull back to center when this is doing the steering for you in cruise control mode. Have turned off lane center assist and the speed control works fine, including slowing you down as traffic slows. But with lane center assist on, and using cruise control, this is when erratic behavior exists. Dealer could not duplicate the issue - would require taking this on a fast moving highway, like the PA turnpike, and hope it happens while out on that trip. Does not always do it, and have to been able to figure out why it does it (I.E. double yellow line vs. white intermittent line). When it happens, it puts you too close to traffic next to you and could cause other vehicles to either impact with you or make them swerve out of the way thinking you are coming into their lane. Very serious when it happens, moving at high rate of speed, and lane centering when using speed control is very strong and harder to override vs. the small bump it gives you when not using speed control and too close to the shoulder for example. That lane correction works well, albeit a bit weak to correct. Has happened since new, August 2020. And continues to happen sporadically.

NHTSA ODI #11421779

Mileage unknown · Jun 22, 2021
Steering

Ongoing problem with an intermittent steering issue. The problem is that this is an intermittent issue and hard to get to dealer during time of concern, and while they could troubleshoot the issue before the issue fixes itself. The concern ALWAYS happens upon starting vehicle. Never happens when you are already going and iss…

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Ongoing problem with an intermittent steering issue. The problem is that this is an intermittent issue and hard to get to dealer during time of concern, and while they could troubleshoot the issue before the issue fixes itself. The concern ALWAYS happens upon starting vehicle. Never happens when you are already going and issue is not present. Steering wheel will pull right, or left, upon start up, and then at some point it fixes itself and problem is no longer an issue. Could happen at any time upon start up, cold or hot weather, fresh start, or going back out after having been on road already, just no rhyme or reason for it. The safety issue is that when turning, when it is pulling, is that it pulls you towards the curb/shoulder, or towards oncoming traffic. Additionally, it will also not return the wheel after a turn, so if it was pulling left, and you are turning left for example, you have to manually get that wheel back or it'll just keep going left. I've experimented with turning off lane keep assist, lane centering (cruise control), put it in different modes like trail, sport, etc. and even stopped on the shoulder, and tried to re-start the vehicle. Nothing can stop it consistently. And it fixes itself within a 10 minute period. I have checked the AWD monitor screen to see if a wheel is pulling harder than the others based on the display of power going to wheels, no luck. It has been doing this since day one. Not every trip. Not even every week. Sometimes it could happen 5x in a week, and sometimes it could be 2 weeks before it happens again and then again in another couple of weeks. Not the road either. Must be paying attention when starting out because it could happen on any trip, during a trip if stopping and re-starting vehicle while on a trip, etc. because it can/will pull you. I have a video, albeit hard to really see much but shows car pulling. Also note this is NOT a torque steer because it could happen on acceleration OR not.

NHTSA ODI #11421778

Mileage unknown · Jun 21, 2021
Forward Collision AvoidanceLane DepartureStructureCrash

I bumped the car in front of me when starting from a red light at an intersection. Impact speed was less than 3 MPH. The damage from this impact resulted in repair cost of almost $4,200. This is outrageous and an example of poor design on the part of Toyota. It is my understanding that the standards require vehicles to absorb up…

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I bumped the car in front of me when starting from a red light at an intersection. Impact speed was less than 3 MPH. The damage from this impact resulted in repair cost of almost $4,200. This is outrageous and an example of poor design on the part of Toyota. It is my understanding that the standards require vehicles to absorb up to 5 MPH frontal impact with no damage. Had I known this vehicle was so poorly protected I would have chosen to purchase something else.

NHTSA ODI #11421657

Mileage unknown · Jun 8, 2021
Electrical System

My computer car shows these messages: 1. Pre-Collision System: A malfunction in the System has been detected. do not relay on this system. 2. Vehicle Stability Control System: A malfunction in the VSC, TRAC, or hill-start assist control system has been detected. Do not relay on these systems. I ask to another costumer who have t…

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My computer car shows these messages: 1. Pre-Collision System: A malfunction in the System has been detected. do not relay on this system. 2. Vehicle Stability Control System: A malfunction in the VSC, TRAC, or hill-start assist control system has been detected. Do not relay on these systems. I ask to another costumer who have the similar car and he said he has the same messages. My Toyota dealer could not detected in all the PM..!!!

NHTSA ODI #11420097

Mileage unknown · Jun 1, 2021
Electrical SystemUnknown Or Other

Went to start car and received warning that smart key was not working Unable to turn on car followed instructions in manual car would not turn on and all power lost Unable to open doors Called AAA and technician stated front battery was drained no power and that battery bad Took to dealer who stated it was computer problem that …

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Went to start car and received warning that smart key was not working Unable to turn on car followed instructions in manual car would not turn on and all power lost Unable to open doors Called AAA and technician stated front battery was drained no power and that battery bad Took to dealer who stated it was computer problem that caused battery to be drained This is a safety issue as this appears to be a recurring problem Should not be occurring in new car

NHTSA ODI #11419265

Official recalls

6

23V865000 · Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification

Dec 20, 2023

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Avalon, Avalon Hybrid, Corolla, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, RAV4, RAV4 Hybrid, Lexus ES350, Lexus RX350, Lexus RX450H, 2021 Sienna Hybrid, Lexus ES250, 2020-2022 Camry, Camry Hybrid, and ES300H vehicles. A short circuit may develop in the Occupant Classification System (OCS) sensor, preventing the front passenger air bag from deploying.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An air bag that does not deploy during a crash increases the risk of injury.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the sensor as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed in February 2024. Some final remedy owner letters were mailed October 31, 2024. Letters will continue to be mailed in phases through January 2026. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 23TB15/23TA15 Lexus 23LB03/23LA03.

20V734000 · Air Bags:frontal; Steering:column

Nov 25, 2020

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Toyota Avalon and 2020 Avalon Hybrid, RAV4, and RAV4 Hybrid vehicles. Breakaway pins within the steering column, designed to absorb energy and reduce injury during a crash, could have been damaged during production, possibly affecting the performance of the driver's air bag in the event of a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: In the event of a crash, an air bag that does not perform as designed can increase the risk of injury.

Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering column, free of charge. The recall began December 18, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 20TB17/20TA17.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Air Bags:frontal

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Toyota Avalon and 2020 Avalon Hybrid, RAV4, and RAV4 Hybrid vehicles. Breakaway pins within the steering column, designed to absorb energy and reduce injury during a crash, could have been damaged during production, possibly affecting the performance of the driver's air bag in the event of a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

Consequence: In the event of a crash, an air bag that does not perform as designed can increase the risk of injury.

Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering column, free of charge. The recall began December 18, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 20TB17/20TA17.

Steering:column

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Toyota Avalon and 2020 Avalon Hybrid, RAV4, and RAV4 Hybrid vehicles. Breakaway pins within the steering column, designed to absorb energy and reduce injury during a crash, could have been damaged during production, possibly affecting the performance of the driver's air bag in the event of a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

Consequence: In the event of a crash, an air bag that does not perform as designed can increase the risk of injury.

Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering column, free of charge. The recall began December 18, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 20TB17/20TA17.

20V682000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:fuel Pump

Nov 4, 2020

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018-2019 4Runner, 2019-2020 Avalon, 2019 Corolla Hatchback, 2017-2019 Highlander, 2018-2020 Camry, 2020 Corolla, 2018-2019 Land Cruiser, 2017-2020 Tacoma, 2019-2020 RAV4, 2019-2020 Sequoia, 2017-2020 Sienna, 2019-2020 Tundra, 2018-2020 Lexus ES350, 2017 Lexus GS200t, 2017-2019 Lexus GS350, 2019 Lexus GS300, 2018-2020 Lexus LC500h, 2019-2020 Lexus LS500, 2018-2019 Lexus GX460, 2017 Lexus IS200t, 2019 Lexus IS300, 2019 Lexus IS350, 2018-2020 Lexus LC500, 2018 Lexus LS500, 2019 Lexus LS500h, 2018-2019 Lexus LX570, 2017 Lexus RC200t, 2019 Lexus RC300, RC350, 2017 and 2019-2020 Lexus RX350, 2018-2020 RX350L, 2019 Lexus UX200, 2018-2019 Lexus NX300 vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the fuel pump fails, the engine can stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump assembly with an improved one, free of charge. Owners of specific models were notified that remedy parts were available starting January 21, 2021. Owners of other models will be notified as remedy parts become available. Remedy parts should be available for all affected vehicles by late March 2021. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 or Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987. Note: This recall is an expansion of recall 20V-012. Toyota's number for this recall is 20TA02. Lexus' number for this recall is 20LA01.

20V373000 · Steering:electric Power Assist System

Jun 24, 2020

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2019-2020 RAV4 and 2020 RAV4 Hybrid vehicles equipped with electric power steering (EPS). Water may enter through the steering gear box cover and cause a loss of electric power steering assist.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A loss of power steering assist could increase steering effort at low vehicle speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the power steering gear box, free of charge. The recall began August 17, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is 20TB11 / 20TA11.

20V286000 · Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Arm

May 20, 2020

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2019-2020 RAV4 and RAV4 Hybrid vehicles. The front lower suspension arms may have cracks, which may result in the suspension arm separating from the front wheel assembly.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If a suspension control arm breaks, it can result in a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace both front lower suspension arms, free of charge. This recall began August 10, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's interim numbers for this recall are 20TB08 / 20TA08.

20V064000 · Engine And Engine Cooling

Feb 6, 2020

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020 Toyota Avalon Hybrid, Camry, Camry Hybrid and Lexus ES300h and 2019-2020 RAV4 and RAV4 Hybrid vehicles equipped with 2.5L 4-Cylinder engines. Porosity in the engine castings may result in cracks than can allow coolant to leak internally and/or externally.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A coolant leak can cause the engine to overheat and cause a vehicle stall in conventional gasoline vehicles, increasing the risk of a crash. Additionally, for all involved vehicles, the engine may get damaged mechanically, possibly resulting in an engine oil leak, increasing the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the engine including the engine block, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began April 3, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 or Lexus at 1-800-255-3987. Toyota's number for this recall is 20TA04. Lexus' number for this recall is 20LA02.

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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.

Go deeper into Toyota RAV4 problems