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

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.

The moonroof on my car spontaneously shattered while I was driving on the highway. It made a very loud noise like a large object hitting the top of my car. There was no prior warning and no other vehicles were close to me at the time. I was not driving under a bridge or overpass. The sliding roof panel was closed, but I heard wind and there was shattered glass on the top of sliding roof panel. If it had been open, passengers would have had been showered in broken glass. The glass pieces went flying across the roof and scratched the paint. I took the car to a glass shop and the Toyota dealership. Toyota inspected it for defects in the seal/gasket that holds the moonroof, but found nothing. Our insurance company did cover replacing the moonroof glass and the paint damage. This happened at the end of February on a very cold & clear day (about -15 degrees), so I had auto-started and warmed up my car before driving.

On August 29, 2026, at approximately 9:04 PM, my vehicle was turned off and parked in my driveway. I entered the driver’s side of the vehicle and closed the driver’s door normally. Immediately after the door was closed, the rear windshield/back glass completely shattered without warning. There was no known impact to the rear windshield at the time of the incident. The outside temperature was approximately 76°F with 85% humidity, and the incident occurred after dark. I did not notice any warning lights, messages, visible damage, or other symptoms before the glass shattered. The sudden failure created a safety risk because shattered glass could strike or injure vehicle occupants and left the vehicle without an intact rear windshield. The cause of the failure is UNKNOWN at this time.

I purchased my vehicle new from the dealership in 2025. After driving the vehicle for several months I noticed the back seat floors were filling with road dirt and debris. I also noticed water was getting into the doors frames. This will certainly cause rust to the doors early on. I made an appointment with the dealership to investigate the problem, and looked forward to them resolving the issues. The dealership had the regional tech person (FTS) come out to look into the matter. I was told there was nothing they could do it was part of the car design. I expressed it was a design flaw that needs to be addressed. I have reached out to Toyota Brand Engagement Center (7/29/26), and received no follow-up to date. I would to request an investigation into these issues.

I was driving on a 4 lane highway heading north bound in the right hand lane with my sister in the passenger seat both wearing seat belts traveling at approximately 55-60 miles per hour. Traffic was light. At the time of the incident other cars were at least 1/2 mile in front of me with no car close behind me and no one passing me. There were also no overpasses at the time of the incident. I heard what sounded as a large and loud explosion. The car continued to drive just fine but within minutes I realized the panoramic sunroof roof exploded. My exit was approximately 1 mile from the incident and I live 1/2 mile from that exit so I continued driving to my driveway. I continued hearing what sounded like ice cubes cracking after being placed in a warm liquid. The window was completely shattered and all the frame was out of the window laying on the top of my car. I made calls to my insurance, Toyota corporate in [XXX], my specific car dealer where I purchased and service my vehicle and XXX. The incident happened on Wednesday XXX at 1:15pm. Photos were sent to Toyota corporate. The car was towed that day to my dealer and was inspected Thursday XXX by my insurance adjuster. It is currently being inspected by my Toyota dealer. I’m currently waiting for a call from my car dealer. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

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.