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Toyota · vehicle model

Toyota Rav4

11,733 NHTSA complaints and 137 safety recalls across model years 1994–2025.

Complaints
11,733
Recalls
137
Model years
32

The verdict

The Toyota Rav4 pairs above-average complaint volume with 137 recalls (heavily recalled).

1st pctile
complaint volume, US models
137
recall campaigns
Follow this model's NHTSA record changes

Toyota Rav4 vs. all tracked models

Total NHTSA ODI complaints across models with substantive safety data

11,733 Higher than most more complaints than 99% of 3,088 models

tracked vehicle models, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more models. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · August 2026

The Toyota Rav4 appears in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database with 11,733 consumer safety complaints and 137 recall campaigns across 32 model years (1994–2025). That averages roughly 367 complaints per model year. Report counts can differ between model years for many reasons; this dataset does not establish the cause of a difference.

Complaint volume on a nameplate alone is not a reliability verdict: a long-running bestseller can accumulate more filings than a low-volume niche model because more vehicles are on the road. The table below shows report counts and published NHTSA crash-test ratings side by side for each model year. The filing-year histogram shows the timing of submitted reports, not a causal trend.

NHTSA has 51 investigation files tied to this model, with 1 currently open. Investigation records, complaint reports, and recall campaigns each provide different context. Use the official NHTSA VIN lookup and the underlying notices to research a specific vehicle; PlainCars does not infer a vehicle-risk or pricing conclusion from these records.

Complaints by Year

Year Complaints
2025 55
2024 212
2023 200
2022 173
2021 466
2020 771
2019 1136
2018 422
2017 402
2016 289
2015 391
2014 264
2013 328
2012 355
2011 398
2010 493
2009 391
2008 707
2007 1240
2006 879
2005 168
2004 180
2003 392
2002 682
2001 418
2000 34
1999 75
1998 92
1997 61
1996 54
1995 1
1994 4

Complaint Filing Trend

NHTSA complaint volume by year filed (not model year).

Filings moved from 2,861 in 2017-2021 to 3,168 in 2022-2026, a rise of 10.7% . That is the 65th percentile of change across the 763 nameplates with enough filings in both windows to compare, where 0 is the steepest fall and 100 the steepest rise.

Filing volume, not a reliability verdict: counts also move with how many vehicles are on the road, how old they are, and whether a recall drew attention. Computed from this portal's NHTSA filing-year records over the same two windows the trend rankings use.

2
’96
23
’97
17
’98
52
’99
34
’00
61
’01
66
’02
46
’03
42
’04
42
’05
91
’06
108
’07
222
’08
428
’09
1042
’10
381
’11
465
’12
604
’13
698
’14
620
’15
660
’16
564
’17
429
’18
587
’19
705
’20
576
’21
468
’22
717
’23
947
’24
941
’25
95
’26

Year filed (bar labels show the complaint count).

View all trending models →

Compare Toyota Rav4 to Similar Vehicles

Toyota Rav4 vs Hyundai Elantra → Toyota Rav4 vs Jeep Liberty → Toyota Rav4 vs Ford F-250 → Toyota Rav4 vs Ford Mustang →

NHTSA Investigations 1 Open

DP23005 Defect Petition Open 2023-11-22

Brake Actuator Valve Wear
DP23004 Defect Petition Closed 2023-08-30

Electrical problems / No-start
EQ21001 EQ Closed 2021-04-07

Joyson Passenger Side Air Bag Cushion
PE21005 Preliminary Evaluation Closed 2021-02-25

Battery Hold Down Bracket Thermal Events
DP19004 Defect Petition Closed 2019-09-30

Brake Actuator Valve Wear
DP18002 Defect Petition Closed 2018-08-17

Frame corrosion
PE18005 Preliminary Evaluation Closed 2018-05-04

Upper Steering Column Separation
PE16006 Preliminary Evaluation Closed 2016-06-14

Yaw rate sensor malfunction
DP15007 Defect Petition Closed 2015-10-19

Low-speed surging
DP15005 Defect Petition Closed 2015-07-09

Low-speed surging

View all 51 investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How reliable is the Toyota Rav4?▼
The Toyota Rav4 has received 11,733 NHTSA complaints spanning model years 1994 to 2025, with 137 recalls. That averages about 367 complaints per model year.
What years of Toyota Rav4 are available?▼
PlainCars has complaint and recall data for the Toyota Rav4 from 1994 to 2025 (32 model years). Select any year to see component-level complaint breakdowns and safety ratings.
Does the Toyota Rav4 have safety ratings?▼
NHTSA safety ratings (NCAP 5-star program) are available for many Toyota Rav4 model years from 2011 onward. Select a specific year to see front crash, side crash, and rollover ratings where available.
What are the most common Toyota Rav4 complaints?▼
NHTSA complaints for the Toyota Rav4 are categorized by component, common areas include engine, transmission, electrical system, airbags, and brakes. Select a model year for a detailed component-by-component breakdown.
How do I check if my Toyota Rav4 has been recalled?▼
Visit the year-specific page on PlainCars to see all recalls for your model year, or enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov for official recall status and available remedies.
Data sources

Data vintage: August 2026. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.

Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. Toyota Rav4 totals are aggregated from the linked NHTSA model-year rows; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.