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2025 Toyota RAV4

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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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

Limited mileage data: 8 of 86 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

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 15 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 13 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Structure. Review the 8 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

7 crash reports0 fire reports3 injury reports

Service Brakes complaints

7 reports
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Mileage unknown · Sep 1, 2026
EngineExterior LightingService Brakes

Driving my one owner 2025 Rav 4 Hybrid- pulling into a parking spot while gently pressing on the brake to slow car. Car was slowing then suddenly accelerated while brake pedal still being pressed, lunged forward and hit a wall in front of the parking space. No warning lamps/alarms went off and drivers seat belt did not engage.…

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Driving my one owner 2025 Rav 4 Hybrid- pulling into a parking spot while gently pressing on the brake to slow car. Car was slowing then suddenly accelerated while brake pedal still being pressed, lunged forward and hit a wall in front of the parking space. No warning lamps/alarms went off and drivers seat belt did not engage. Called dealership to report incident.

NHTSA ODI #11761382

Mileage unknown · Jun 5, 2026
Service Brakes

The brakes have been overly sensitive... but then, without warning, braking power is completely lost. This has happened on 2 separate occasions... the pedal goes all the way to the floor and provides ZERO braking power. We can no longer trust this car on the road. Toyota sent someone to inspect the vehicle and they claim that …

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The brakes have been overly sensitive... but then, without warning, braking power is completely lost. This has happened on 2 separate occasions... the pedal goes all the way to the floor and provides ZERO braking power. We can no longer trust this car on the road. Toyota sent someone to inspect the vehicle and they claim that they have found no problems or issues and that they have not been able to reproduce the problem. There were no warning lamps or message; there were no prior symptoms, other than the brakes were overly sensitive. These symptoms occurred immediately after purchasing the car. Toyota refuses to purchased the car back from us, and now we are stuck with a very dangerous vehicle. Interestingly, I have found others talking about EXACTLY the same symptoms on other Toyota Rav4 vehicles.

NHTSA ODI #11742361

Mileage unknown · May 28, 2026
Forward Collision AvoidanceService Brakes

My daughter reported an incident that occurred on XXX while driving this vehicle. As she drove, it slammed on the brakes (without any input from her) causing her to skid. The vehicle brought itself to a stop and the engine turned off. She reported that there were no vehicles or other object close to the front of her vehicle. The…

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My daughter reported an incident that occurred on XXX while driving this vehicle. As she drove, it slammed on the brakes (without any input from her) causing her to skid. The vehicle brought itself to a stop and the engine turned off. She reported that there were no vehicles or other object close to the front of her vehicle. The incident did not cause a crash or cause anyone to be injured. It was, however, a very scary situation that almost caused her to be rear-ended by the vehicles that were following her. The car was taken to Cobb County Toyota in Kennesaw, Georgia for an inspection the morning of May 28, 2026. As of this submission, the vehicle is still at the dealership service department for inspection.

NHTSA ODI #11740541

Mileage unknown · Apr 30, 2026
Service Brakes

On April 29, 2026 around 10:00 PM, my 2025 Toyota RAV4 experienced sudden brake failure. The pedal became hard and I lost stopping and steering power. At the same time, Check Engine, battery warning, steering warning, and ‘Not Ready to Drive’ all appeared simultaneously with no prior warning. I brought it to a Toyota dealer the …

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On April 29, 2026 around 10:00 PM, my 2025 Toyota RAV4 experienced sudden brake failure. The pedal became hard and I lost stopping and steering power. At the same time, Check Engine, battery warning, steering warning, and ‘Not Ready to Drive’ all appeared simultaneously with no prior warning. I brought it to a Toyota dealer the next morning and they found no fault. The vehicle is available for inspection.

NHTSA ODI #11734963

Mileage unknown · Mar 4, 2026
EngineService BrakesVehicle Speed ControlCrashInjury

We were on a funeral procession when suddenly the car accelerated at a very high speed and hit the end of guard rail head on. My wife on the passenger side and two people at the back were all taken to the emergency room. I got pinned on the steering column and taken out via the roof. I had severe abrasions on both legs, wife has…

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We were on a funeral procession when suddenly the car accelerated at a very high speed and hit the end of guard rail head on. My wife on the passenger side and two people at the back were all taken to the emergency room. I got pinned on the steering column and taken out via the roof. I had severe abrasions on both legs, wife has 3 broken ribs,the 2 passengers suffered whiplash and complains of chest pains. Car was purchased 11/3/2025 and I took it for a recall fix about a month ago at Burien Toyota dealership where we bought it. Incident # 2026-55959 Seattle police. At present our car insurance is investigating and our claim # is 082 0356939 Allstate.

NHTSA ODI #11721892

Mileage unknown · Nov 12, 2025
Service BrakesCrash

I rented the Toyota RAV4 from Fox Rent a Car (855 571-8414) at the Denver International Airport for a trip to Boulder, CO. On November 9 evening, I drove to the Sugarloaf Mountain Trail Head (GPS: 40.05, -105.425) for a time-lapse photography. Date/Time: 2025-11-09 6:29 PM Location Description: Uneven dirt parking area commonly…

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I rented the Toyota RAV4 from Fox Rent a Car (855 571-8414) at the Denver International Airport for a trip to Boulder, CO. On November 9 evening, I drove to the Sugarloaf Mountain Trail Head (GPS: 40.05, -105.425) for a time-lapse photography. Date/Time: 2025-11-09 6:29 PM Location Description: Uneven dirt parking area commonly used by sightseers. Visibility was completely dark at the time of arrival. After arriving at the hilltop, as I parked the vehicle, while applying very light pressure to the accelerator pedal with my right foot, I felt a gradual drop of several inches on the passenger side of the vehicle. Instinctively, I moved my right foot to the brake pedal and applied pressure. However, I immediately sensed that the vehicle was not decelerating; instead, it was accelerating forward. I pressed the brake pedal more firmly, and the vehicle accelerated further until it came to a complete stop after colliding with a rock on the driver's side approximately 15 feet from the point of initial acceleration. Once the situation stabilized, I exited the vehicle and observed a red, non-oily liquid of normal viscosity leaking from underneath the vehicle on the front driver's side, which I later identified as coolant. Upon opening the hood, I confirmed that approximately half of the coolant had been depleted. I Googled AI Mode: Question: For a Toyota RAV4 HEV, is it possible for the vehicle to accelerate when the brakes are applied forcefully and abruptly? Answer (Source): [XXX] Potential Perceptions and Known Issues While the car will not accelerate due to the brakes being applied correctly, drivers have occasionally reported sensations that might be might be misinterpreted as acceleration, such as a slight "lurch" when the braking system transitions between regenerative and friction braking, ** especially at very low speeds or over rough surfaces. ** INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI #11699075

Mileage unknown · Sep 26, 2025
Service Brakes

Stopped to allow a car to pass. Once the car passed, there was acceleration of the engine but the car would not move. When the car gear was changed to park and then back to drive, it would not move. In order to get the car out of the traffic lane, the car was placed in neutral but the car brakes were locked. All this time the re…

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Stopped to allow a car to pass. Once the car passed, there was acceleration of the engine but the car would not move. When the car gear was changed to park and then back to drive, it would not move. In order to get the car out of the traffic lane, the car was placed in neutral but the car brakes were locked. All this time the red 'park' on the dash and the red button on the console kept flashing. We called AAA and they arrived in 40 minutes. The man got in the car and stated they sometimes reset themselves. The car did start and he was able to drive it as the brakes were no longer locked. We took it to Toyota of Orange but they were unable to find the cause. They stated that they elevated this incident to a test case. TA252650358 This car only has 2,689 miles on it !!

NHTSA ODI #11690029

Official recalls

3

26V256000 · Seats:critical Fasteners

Apr 22, 2026

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2025 RAV 4 vehicles. The front seat brackets for the seat rails may be welded improperly.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Improperly welded seat brackets can prevent the seat from adequately restraining an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and repair the seat bracket welds as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 19, 2026. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 26TB09 and 26TA09.

25V744000 · Back Over Prevention:display Function

Oct 30, 2025

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2022-2026 Toyota, Lexus, and Subaru Solterra vehicles equipped with a Panoramic View Monitor (PVM) system. Please see the recall report for a complete list of models. A software error may cause the rearview camera to freeze or display a blank screen when the vehicle is in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A rearview camera that fails to display an image can reduce the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will update the parking assist software, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed January 2, 2026. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 25TB13 and 25LB06. Subaru's number for this recall is WRE25.

25V595000 · Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/panel

Sep 11, 2025

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Toyota Venza, 2023-2025 RAV4 Prime, RAV4, Highlander, GR Corolla, Crown, 2024-2025 Lexus TX, LS, Toyota Tacoma, Grand Highlander, and 2025 Lexus RX, Toyota Crown Signia, Camry, RAV 4 Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV), and 4 Runner vehicles. Due to an error in the instrument panel software at vehicle startup, the instrument panel may fail to display vehicle speed, brake system, and tire pressure warning lights.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An instrument panel display that does not show critical information can increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Remedy: Dealers will update the instrument panel software over-the-air (OTA) for non-PHEV vehicles, free of charge. For PHEV vehicles, dealers will inspect the instrument panel assembly, and either replace it, or update the software, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed December 5, 2025. Additional letters will be sent, anticipated in May 2026. This is a phased recall. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 25TB08 and 25TA08. Lexus' numbers for this recall are 25LB05 and 25LA05.

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.

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