Toyota RAV4 problems by model year
NHTSA data checked October 31, 2026
Summary
Across model years 2010–2020, NHTSA's public databases list 4,113 owner complaints and 33 distinct recall campaigns for the Toyota RAV4.
The year with the most complaints is 2019 (884; owners name fuel/propulsion system most). The year with the fewest is 2014 (197). The median year has 305.
These are raw counts. They are not adjusted for how many of each year were sold, and older years have had longer to collect complaints.
Every model year
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Crash | Fire | Most-named component |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 400 | 14 | 57 | 3 | Suspension (25%) |
| 2011 | 287 | 11 | 44 | 8 | Vehicle Speed Control (24%) |
| 2012 | 266 | 5 | 39 | 4 | Visibility/Wiper (20%) |
| 2013 | 256 | 2 | 22 | 29 | Electrical System (29%) |
| 2014 | 197 | 4 | 20 | 25 | Electrical System (35%) |
| 2015 | 305 | 4 | 37 | 41 | Electrical System (28%) |
| 2016 | 239 | 3 | 33 | 12 | Electrical System (24%) |
| 2017 | 307 | 3 | 33 | 24 | Electrical System (35%) |
| 2018 | 333 | 3 | 31 | 33 | Electrical System (39%) |
| 2019 | 884 | 7 | 25 | 3 | Fuel/Propulsion System (29%) |
| 2020 | 639 | 6 | 17 | 5 | Engine (28%) |
Linked years have a full page with every component and recall. Other years get pages over time; the counts above are already live.
Quick answers
What is the worst year for the Toyota RAV4?
By NHTSA owner complaints, 2019 (884 complaints; top component fuel/propulsion system). That is a raw count, not adjusted for sales or age.
Which Toyota RAV4 year has the fewest complaints?
2014, with 197 complaints in NHTSA's data, among model years 2010–2020.
Which Toyota RAV4 year has the most recalls?
2010, with 14 recall campaigns in NHTSA's recall database.
Sources
Each count comes from NHTSA's Complaints API (complaintsByVehicle) and Recalls API (recallsByVehicle) for make TOYOTA, model RAV4, one request per model year, for example https://api.nhtsa.gov/complaints/complaintsByVehicle?make=TOYOTA&model=RAV4&modelYear=2019. Checked 2026-10-31. See method.