Toyota RAV4 Reliability by YearBest & worst years, problems & recalls — NHTSA data

This is not about my car. It is about other cars. I have seen multiple SUVs traveling on the highway with their front lights on, but no rear lights. This happened the other day when it was dark and with heavy rain. This is a safety issue. A Gemini AI search says this is a problem with many new cars. It is a switch setting error. You need to correct this situation before someone gets rear ended. There should be no switch setting that allows driving with front but no back lights, or at least there should be a warning light on the dash board.

While driving with apple carplay and maps displayed for directions, Toyota's Experience Drive Connect screen appears on display. The only way to get back to navigation is to pull over shut the car off, or reboot the display by holding the volume button in. It's a safety issue— a driver distraction The owner is held captive with the advertising until they buy a subscription, over and over again

Driving at 70mph on the freeway when the rear windshield blew out. Seemingly for no reason. Didn't sound like anything hit the windshield, just the pop of the glass. Seems like a defective windshield.

On July 31, 2026, while traveling approximately 55 mph on a Maryland highway, my 2025 Toyota RAV4 unexpectedly lost power and shut off while in motion. There was no check-engine warning before the failure. The vehicle became disabled in a travel lane. Police responded, and the lane had to be closed because the vehicle could not be safely moved. There was no crash, fire, or injury. The vehicle was taken to an authorized Toyota dealership. The dealer documented that it had “shut off mid drive,” reported finding no codes in the engine ECU, and performed service campaign 26TC03 concerning an incorrect mass airflow sensor reading. The dealer replaced a radiator air guide and stated that the vehicle should return for further diagnosis if it stalled again. On August 2, only approximately 36 miles after that service, the vehicle failed to restart at approximately 40,529 miles and required a jump. LTA and pre-collision system malfunction warnings appeared. The pre-collision warning returned while the vehicle was moving, and the Toyota connected app also recorded the malfunction. The vehicle was then towed back to the dealership and is available for inspection. The cause remains unknown. The concern involves an intermittent engine shutdown/no-start condition, a possible 12-volt electrical or charging-system failure, and the loss of forward-collision and lane-assistance functions. The dealer’s prior multipoint inspection marked the battery as acceptable, but no actual CCA battery-test result was documented.

Drove home vehicle under 20,000 miles 2025, got to drove way parked and car stalled shaking amd stated steering power low, and shut off. Tried to re start it and did the same thing stalled shook amd shut off with the same warning. No previous issues

While driving using Apple Carplay with maps loaded, the multimedia screen switches to Toyota's Experience Drive Connect. The only way to get directions back up is to reboot the Multimedia screen by holding down the power switch, which takes a long time while trying to navigate. I called Toyota Connected Services and was informed that they are aware of the problem, but there is nothing they can do unless I pay for services I don't want or need. this has been happening since we purchased the car new 12/31/2026

The contact owns a 2025 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while driving the vehicle at an undisclosed speed and activating the A/C, there was hot air coming from the vents. The dealer was contacted, and the contact was informed that the A/C condenser was damaged by an object, causing a refrigerant leak. The contact stated that the vehicle was sold with the pre-existing failure. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 556.

Navigation system does not place the car in the correct location. The location will shift and "float" while trying to navigate. Toyota has acknowledged that the navigation failure is due to a firmware issue with no current available solution or repair. We have tried working with the dealer with repeated visits, a certified letter and arbitration with NCDS.

Sudden self-acceleration by new RAV4 hybrid with less than 1000 miles on it. I made a hard left at low speed onto an uphill residential street. Saw a car backing down the street 1/2 block ahead so I took my foot off accelerator to slow down. Instead, car self-accelerated while my foot was not pressing any pedal, and shot uphill and over a speed bump, throwing the car off course toward parked cars. I stepped hard on brake, and assisted braking probably also kicked in. Car slammed to a stop. No damage or injuries. I took the car to Toyota dealer service immediately to report and address self-acceleration. Was told Vehicle Control History confirmed an event but not its nature or cause; didn’t find problem. Dealer claimed they reported incident to Toyota national center as UA (Unintended Acceleration), as we requested. Returned the car to me without repair or further diagnostic steps. There was never any follow up by Toyota, local or national. One year later, a similar self-acceleration by this car after a hard left turn at low speed caused life-threatening event and damage. I was told then that Toyota corporate had no record of first UA incident. The 2nd incident is reported separately on this site. I have now realized it’s important to report each incident.

Properly inflated at all times "Firestone Destination LE2 225/65R17" tire ruptured suddenly! There is a 1" radial slit in the sidewall near the beginning of the tread line.

As i was driving to work my sunroof shattered out of nowhere, there was no provocation. There was a big pop and then there were noises coming from the roof. When i checked I saw the sunroof had shattered into tine pieces. Toyota does not want to take responsability into this incident.

UNKNOWN - On XXX, at just 7,741 miles, my 2025 Toyota RAV4 XLE Premium AWD (VIN: [XXX]) suffered a catastrophic and life-threatening complete mechanical and hydraulic transmission failure. The vehicle completely lost forward propulsion when placed in Drive mode, rendering it entirely immobile. When placed in Reverse gear, the transmission violently over-pressurized, causing the vehicle to suddenly surge and jump uncontrollably. Simultaneously, the dashboard displayed 6 critical safety system failures: 1. Check Engine — electronic control malfunction 2. Vehicle Stability Control System (VSC/TRAC) malfunction 3. Secondary Collision Brake System malfunction 4. Pre-Collision System malfunction 5. Parking Brake System malfunction 6. Advanced Ultrasonic Detecting and Ranging System malfunction Ourisman Toyota Chantilly (RO# XXX) has confirmed complete transmission failure. Fault codes found: P28167F — Pressure Control Solenoid H Actuator Stuck Off, P08BA7F — Pressure Control Solenoid L Actuator Stuck Off. Estimated repair cost: $11,347.42. While this failure fortunately occurred on a local road, had it occurred while merging onto I-66 or I-95 at highway speeds, it would have inevitably caused a catastrophic high-speed collision. This represents an extreme manufacturing defect and life-threatening safety hazard. Toyota Corporate Cases opened: #XXX (original case) and #XXX (full replacement request). I am requesting full vehicle replacement. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owns a 2025 Toyota RAV4. The contact stated that while driving under normal conditions, the contact heard an abnormally loud, violent, and shattering sound. The contact then noticed that the moonroof glass panel had exploded without impact, causing shattered glass to fall inside the cabin. A police report was filed. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 12,838.

I purchased this car used in December 2025 with 10k miles on it. After 15k mileage, the rear tires were bald and I had to buy new tires. I then took it back to the dealer and had to pay to get an allignment, as I was concerned that is what was causing the tires to go bald so fast. That was less than 2 months ago and now I'm in getting the 20k service appointment and the rear allignment is now off way more than when I paid to get it checked. Apparently the rear wheels cannot be adjusted? The right rear is way off and this is for sure causing uneven wear on my tires. It is for sure an issue and should not be, in that the car is new. It is obvious it is a fault in design and for sure can cause major safety issues, let alone burn my money up in needing new tires every less than a year.