2018 TOYOTA RAV4

422 complaints filed with NHTSA.

422
Complaints
51
Crashes
48
Fires
27
Injuries
0
Deaths

NHTSA Safety Rating

5/5
Overall
4/5
Front Crash
5/5
Side Crash
4/5
Rollover

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM121
UNKNOWN OR OTHER67
ENGINE32
SERVICE BRAKES28
POWER TRAIN25
EXTERIOR LIGHTING20
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL19
VISIBILITY/WIPER17
AIR BAGS13
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM12
STEERING10
STRUCTURE:BODY7
STRUCTURE4
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS4
VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY3

Recalls (3)

19V50300028/06/2019

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS

Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Toyota Camry, Corolla, Rav4, Sienna, and Yaris iA vehicles equipped with factory-installed floor mats. The load carrying capacity modification label may be incorrect. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirement

17V83100020/12/2017

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Toyota 4Runner and Tundra, 2018 Toyota Highlander, RAV4 and Lexus GX460 and 2017 Toyota Sienna and Tacoma vehicles. These vehicles may have incorrect load carrying capacity modification labels. As such, these vehicles

23V73400001/11/2023

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2013-2018 RAV4 vehicles. Certain replacement 12-volt batteries may not fit properly in the battery tray, allowing the battery to move and contact the hold-down bracket, possibly causing a short circuit.

Recent Complaints

20260106ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The contact owned a 2018 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V734000 (Electrical System); and requested to be removed from the recall distribution list because she no longer owns the vehicle. The dealer and the manufacturer were not contacted.

20251129ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

While picking up my son from school, my 2018 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid suddenly experienced a complete steering failure. The steering wheel locked without warning and became impossible to move, making the vehicle inoperable and creating an immediate safety hazard. My son and I were stranded for over 7 hours in a public area. AAA was dispatched twice, but they were unable to resolve the issue. The vehicle ultimately had to be towed to a Toyota dealership. Toyota dealership diagnosed the car with a faile

20251129STEERING

While picking up my son from school, my 2018 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid suddenly experienced a complete steering failure. The steering wheel locked without warning and became impossible to move, making the vehicle inoperable and creating an immediate safety hazard. My son and I were stranded for over 7 hours in a public area. AAA was dispatched twice, but they were unable to resolve the issue. The vehicle ultimately had to be towed to a Toyota dealership. Toyota dealership diagnosed the car with a faile

20251113POWER TRAIN

XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX 11/13/2025 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Office of Defects Investigation 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE Washington, DC 20590 Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. 19001 South Western Avenue Torrance, CA 90501 Subject: Complaint Regarding Torque Converter Shudder – 2018 Toyota RAV4 AWD To Whom It May Concern, I am submitting this complaint regarding a serious transmission defect in my 2018 Toyota RAV4 AWD, specifically a torque converter shudder t

20251110ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notice of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V734000 (Electrical System). The contact stated that while changing the oil, he became aware that the battery was covered in corrosion and there was acid leaking from the battery tray. The vehicle was not diagnosed, but the contact was advised that the tray needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but refused to replace the battery. The failure mil

Mileage: 66,327

20251027FireUNKNOWN OR OTHER

I had just gotten off my vehicle, we were at a shopping center specifically Marshall’s, the employee announced a blue Toyota, I went outside and my car was in flames, the Fire Department said it was an electrical fire. I had never received a letter of a recall let alone Toyota calling me to tell my car was defective. Not only until after my vehicle was damaged I received a call from them which made it suspicious.

20251007ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

My vehicle has a recall for the battery. I took my car into Toyota in San Juan Capistrano. Car was purchased and owner’s manual states this vehicle uses a size 35 battery. When I returned to pick up my vehicle the service technician told me that “Toyota will only honor the recall on vehicles with a size 36 battery, and in order for them to rectify the recall was for me to purchase a size 36 battery. There is no mention of that on our recall notice nor is there anything stating that on the NT

20251003UNKNOWN OR OTHER

I purchased my 2018 Toyota RAV4 Limited Hybrid in June 2018. The automatic liftgate has been a consistent issue with this vehicle since January 2024. It either fails to close completely or takes an unusually long time to shut. I followed the official Toyota dealership videos and performed the recommended recalibration steps, but the problem remains unresolved. This is not just a matter of convenience. It presents a safety concern, particularly when loading items at night. Living in the Pacific N

20250926ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V734000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). The dealer was contacted; however, the contact was informed that parts were unavailable to repair the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted about parts availability. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start due to a severed wiring harness. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehic

Mileage: 64,000

20250915ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

After receiving a recall notice from Toyota for the battery mount I scheduled my appointment on June 24, 2025. After spending $916.31 on maintenance products all of a sudden the dealership did not have the battery mount for my vehicle. Is this legal? Why would a dealership schedule a repair and not have the product to complete the recall? I was informed that I would be called when they had the part available and I still have not heard from the Toyota dealership. Are three months later con

20250911UNKNOWN OR OTHER

On September 3, 2025, I was driving down the I-10 in Biloxi, MS, at 6:45 a.m. It was around 75-80 degrees and the sun was just barely coming up. All of the sudden the glass in my sunroof completely shattered. There were no cars around me and it was an open portion of the road, so no rocks were flung up by nearby vehicles. Luckily, my kids were not with me, because a majority of the glass ended up in my backseat, ranging from huge chunks of about 3-4 inches in diameter to smaller shards being eve

20250905CrashPOWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that upon entering her carport in an attempt to park(P), the vehicle surged forward without warning. The vehicle blew through the carport's back wall and crashed into her neighbor's fence before coming to an independent stop. The air bags did not deploy upon impact. The contact did not seek medical attention but did sustain soreness in her neck, shoulders, and back. The carport's back wall, a bicycle, the neighbor's fence, and the hammock w

Mileage: 134,000

20250905CrashELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that upon entering her carport in an attempt to park(P), the vehicle surged forward without warning. The vehicle blew through the carport's back wall and crashed into her neighbor's fence before coming to an independent stop. The air bags did not deploy upon impact. The contact did not seek medical attention but did sustain soreness in her neck, shoulders, and back. The carport's back wall, a bicycle, the neighbor's fence, and the hammock w

Mileage: 134,000

20250831CrashVISIBILITY/WIPER

The passenger side mirror and the collum that holds the windshield on the right side makes a complete blind spot that you can't see anything on that area. If you are turning you can't see even a whole car. The left side mirror and collum that holds the windshield is ok, but not the right one. I got into an accident with the fire hydrant at a parking lot in town because I could not see it. I was turning right into the street and hit the fire hydrant.

20250831UNKNOWN OR OTHER

The tailgate does not lift all the way. The hinges are intact. I believe its a pistón or sensor problem.

20250813ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I received a recall notice from Toyota in 2023 for battery defect that could case short circuit and risk of fire. as of today aug. 13, 2025 they have been unable to repair/replace.

20250729CrashENGINE

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while at a stop at a traffic light, the vehicle independently accelerated and rear-ended another vehicle. The engine revved during the acceleration while the brake pedal was depressed. The vehicle continued to accelerate for 20 feet. No warning lights illuminated. No air bags deployed. No injuries were sustained, and medical attention was not sought. A police report was not filed. The contact stated that the failure had reoccurred whil

Mileage: 56,368

20250721ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while parked at the residence, the contact turned off the vehicle and noticed that the vehicle lost power. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V734000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); however, the recall repair failed to fix the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure had occurred after the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 7,000.

Mileage: 7,000

20250717ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota RAV4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V734000(Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. An unknown local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

20250709ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V734000 (Electrical System); however, the dealer refused to perform the recall repair. The contact was informed that the correct size battery needed to be purchased to replace the current battery before the recall repair could be performed. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that battery was not the correct size, and a new battery was needed. The manufacturer declined to ass