Equipment Problems of Toyota RAV4 - part 1

Info center went real dark in bright sun light--March 26 2026.

See all problems of the 2025 Toyota RAV4 🔎.

Yesterday March 25th 2026 I went to work and parked my 2017 Toyota Rav4 and about 30minutes later it was on fire in the parking lot. The fire happened around the battery area.

See all problems of the 2017 Toyota RAV4 🔎.

The infotainment display screen frequently goes black while the audio and navigation continues. It requires repeated forced reboots and glitches between the carplay and Toyota ui screen.

Sat in driver seat, closed driver seat door, and the rear window shattered. There was no impact or other incident to the glass.

See all problems of the 2023 Toyota RAV4 🔎.

Engine maintenance light came on. Many others are reporting the same problem. Coolant bypass hose or valve.

See all problems of the 2020 Toyota RAV4 🔎.

The sunroof shattered without any thing hitting the glass.

See all problems of the 2021 Toyota RAV4 🔎.

There is a stress fracture to the windshield starting at the bottom of the glass where it attaches to the body of the car, below the wipers. It’s not a chip nor was it caused by an object. It’s a semi circle crack. Two employees at the dealer glass department concurred that it’s not damage from a foreign object hitting and that it’s a stress crack. Yet dealer refuses to cover hands warranty. Car has less than 12,000 when this cracked.

On 2/24/2026, while driving down I-5 freeway, the panoramic sun roof spontaneously shattered while I was driving. It sounded like a gunshot. Nobody was injured. There was no accident. I pulled off the freeway and the wasdot incident response truck pulled off with me to inspect. He taped the shattered and cracking glass until I could get to safelite in federal way and get a crash wrap so glass didn't continue to fly off while I was driving. I contacted my glass repair team and he reported to me that this has happened with thousands of my Toyota cars. I will be calling the dealership today.

I am submitting this complaint regarding a structural failure of the rear liftgate hinges on my 2020 Toyota Rav4 xle. The liftgate began opening and closing crooked, and I noticed the door was no longer aligned evenly. After inspection by Toyota dealership, I was informed that the metal hinges attached to the liftgate and body are cracked and must be replaced. This failure is not the result of an accident, misuse, or impact. I have never been in a collision involving the rear of the vehicle. I was told this damage is considered “wear and tear,” so my insurance company declined coverage. The Toyota dealership also declined to cover the repair, stating it is not covered under warranty so I will have to pay out of pocket. However, after researching this issue, I found that many other Toyota Rav4 owners have reported the same hinge cracking and liftgate misalignment problem. This appears to be a widespread manufacturing or design defect rather than normal wear. This is a serious safety concern. If the hinges continue to crack, the liftgate could fail completely and fall, potentially causing injury. The misalignment also prevents the liftgate from opening and closing properly, which affects vehicle safety and usability. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate this issue and consider whether a safety recall or technical service bulletin is necessary to protect drivers and passengers. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Driving up a slope of about 20-30 degrees gradient of a straight lane going into a private parking lot. Braked and decided to make a 3-point turn to get back out. There was no traffic in the lane. Put gear on reverse while on the slope with the vehicle pointing in the up direction of the slope. Vehicle suddenly surge backwards, accelerating. Vehicle sped down the slope and crossed a street. Could not stop. Vehicle was stopped only after placing gear into park from reverse, and after jumping curb across the street. Fortunately, there were no cross traffic in either direction on the street, otherwise vehicle could have been t-boned. Tire wall on the rear passenger side busted. Aaa was called to replace tire with spare. There were no warnings on the dashboard or any symptoms anywhere else, although the vehicle had all the safety features. . The next morning, vehicle was taken to Toyota of carlsbad. Left there for diagnosis and tires change. Vehicle is left with Toyota of carlsbad until this issue is answered/solved. Told by service manager of Toyota of carlsbad to call Toyota USA at [xxx] to report incident by customer, and request Toyota USA to send expert from Toyota to diagnose issue. Called the [xxx] , and given a report ref #xxx for further action. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

See all problems of the 2022 Toyota RAV4 🔎.

I was driving the speed limit (75) when I heard an explosion. I immediately pulled over to see if I had a flat tire or if someone had shot my car. I could see no damage and nothing was showing up on my dashboard so I continued to drive but heard a whistling sound. I checked all my windows and then my sunroof. Somehow the sunroof had exploded. There were no cars close to me and no overpasses or trees in the vicinity. I have had the car for almost 3 months and have never opened the sunroof.

Iam having transmission issues. I have been to 3 different mechanic shops, 2 being transmission specialist. Going to a Toyota dealership on 3/26/26 to confirm. Was told I need a whole new transmission, my Rav4 is a 2018 with only 115k for miles no engine light on or have any codes. I have spent a bit of money trying to address this issue. And was told that this particular year has a lot of transmission issues and have over 100 on back order. Why is this not a recall?.

See all problems of the 2018 Toyota RAV4 🔎.

Rear hatch were repaired new actuators but still malfunctioning now hinges are defective dealer won't honor extended warranty suggest take to body shop have defective hinges replaced at my cost.

Unknown.

See all problems of the 2007 Toyota RAV4 🔎.

On [xxx], at approximately [xxx], in greenwich CT, while I was very slowly driving into a parking space, the engine suddenly and unexpectedly surged,. The vehicle overcame the brakes and raced forward and collided with a stone wall, about 3 ft away. This was a new (since may 2025) vehicle with only approx 3,500 miles on it. I had not had any previous problems with it and there were no warning lights on the instrument panel. At the time, I was proceeding at a very low rate of speed, 1 - 3 mph. I drive only with my right foot which was on the brake, not on the gas. The vehicle accelerated with no action on my part and collided with a stone wall approx 3 ft away and bounced back several feet. Fortunately I was close to the wall so the vehicle did not have a long distance to accelerate and I was wearing my seat belt which probably protected me from injury. No other vehicle was involved. I was the sole occupant of the vehicle. I was wearing my seat-belt, the oem rubber mats were securely in place. The airbags did not deploy and I was not injured. I had the car towed to the Toyota dealership by aaa because I was afraid it might accelerate into traffic at a red light or stop sign if I drove it before the problem was repaired. I have reported this incident to Toyota motor corporation USA, through their brand engagement center (as instructed by the dealership) and they are sending out an engineer to the dealership to inspect the vehicle. I do not know which part malfunctioned or failed. The vehicle is at a Toyota dealership and presumably could be inspected (unless they replace some parts). Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Rear hatch fails repeatedly to open. It locks up. It failed to shut too and damaged a rear taillight, forcing me to bring it to Toyota. I had Toyota dealer look at it twice now. From Jan up to Mar of this year. They had my car 2 weeks. Even after replacing hatch struts and hinges,it still happens. It has to be an electrical, mechanical, or computer issue causing it. New vehicle, now under 20k mi. The hatch is widespread in Rav4 models and I've found soo many reports online of same problem. This needs to be investigated more and fixed and recalled.

Jerks during acceleration. Lurching sensation when acceleration from a stop or after slowing down for a turn. The engine control module (ecm) not communicating effectively with the transmission, leading to searching for gears, rough shifting and low speed hesitation.

See all problems of the 2019 Toyota RAV4 🔎.

Why a brand new 2025 Toyota Rav4 ev only 6 months old needed a brand new battery? car on the highway could only reach speed of 40 mph. I did not receive any recall on my new Rav4 ev took it to the Toyota dealer in wausau WI they said they had no clue what the issue was and put in a brand new battery. Said it was under warranty but could not tell me what tge issue was?I need to know why I never got a answer or a recall notification from Toyota? on a brand new SUV.

My 2019 Toyota 8 speed transmission jerking in stop and go traffic.

My 2017 Toyota Rav4 suddenly caught fire while it was parked in front of my home. The vehicle was turned off and had been parked for several minutes. Without any warning, flames started in the battery area and rapidly spread, resulting in a total loss of the vehicle. The wylie, texas fire department responded and extinguished the fire. Component or system involved: exact cause unknown. Fire appears to have originated from the engine compartment. The remains of the vehicle are available for inspection upon request by NHTSA, Toyota, or investigators. Safety risk: this was a severe and unexpected fire with no warning and posed a serious risk to my family, neighbors, and surrounding property. The fire could have spread to my home and other vehicles nearby. It created a dangerous situation for anyone in the area. Reproduction / confirmation: the problem cannot be reproduced because the vehicle is a total loss. No prior mechanical issues or symptoms suggested this could happen. Inspection status: the vehicle has been inspected by the wylie fire department, and my insurance company has opened a case and is investigating. Toyota USA has also opened a case (# [insert case number]) and is expected to review the incident. No final cause has been determined yet. Warning lamps or symptoms: there were no warning lights, messages, unusual smells, smoke, or performance issues before the fire. The vehicle showed no signs of trouble prior to the incident. Additional details: I later verified that my VIN is included in an open recall related to potential fire risk. I believe this issue may be connected, but the cause is still unknown pending investigation.

My 2019 Toyota Rav4 experienced a dangerous electrical and transmission failure that ultimately caused the vehicle to stall while driving and made me lose control. For several weeks before the incident, the vehicle showed subtle hesitation when accelerating but no warning lights. After the car stalled and spun out coming off the ben franklin bridge onto I-76 near downtown camden, police responded, confirmed the vehicle had unexpectedly shut off, and verified there was no crash damage. I later brought the car to the Toyota dealership, where they discovered corrosion on the battery cable, failed abs sensors, and a weak battery. I paid $668 for a new battery, new cable, and abs sensor repairs. At that time, the dealership did not inform me of any transmission issues and released the vehicle back to me. I made it only a short distance up the road before realizing the vehicle could not accelerate past 40 mph and was still malfunctioning, so I immediately returned it. The next day, the dealership initially claimed there was nothing wrong with the vehicle, but after I insisted they re-evaluate the car, they then informed me that the transmission was failing and needed replacement. This sequence of electrical instability, combined with the transmission malfunction, ultimately led to the earlier stall where I lost all power steering and braking assist and spun out into the median. The vehicle, diagnostic records, and replaced components are available for inspection. The sudden loss of power and control created a major safety risk to me and other drivers in a high-traffic area.

There were two recalls on paint chipping off the body of the car. The last one ended in Nov 2025 I think. But. . . There are many of us who had no idea there was a paint recall, me included. I brought my rav (great car btw, no issues with how it runs at all) thru a car wash over thanksgiving, and two softball size paint chips came off, probably due to high pressure water. I then researched the paint and found out that there was a recall but I just missed it. This recall needs to be extended needs for I have paint chips missing now all over my car. This is unacceptable from a great car company like Toyota, they need to stand by something so basic as paint quality. The paint color in question is white pearl, code is 070. Thanks for your time here.

See all problems of the 2015 Toyota RAV4 🔎.

The design of some Rav4 grilles (particularly 2019-2024 models) allows rocks and road debris to easily pass through and damage the vulnerable a/c condenser, or radiator behind it, which leads to very expensive repairs. This is what happened to my 2019 Toyota rav 4. Now I have to pay 1300. 00 to get it repaired.

Rear door liftgate hinges defective. They are too week combined with electric power struts. They are being pulled away from body of vehicle and become misshapen (bent, deformed,etc) and causes door/liftgate to be unbalanced and and stick out too far away from body. Now the door/liftgate can not close and be secured.

The panoramic sunroof shattered on its own out of nowhere. It just made loud noise. We thought it was tire, but car did not make move, looking above we saw the panoramic section of sunroof shattered. I went to dealer, they said there is a point of contact (means something has hit the roof) and they told me I have to file with insurance company. Insurance company is asking a million questions. It seems they are both passing it to each other. To my opinion it is manufacturing flaw. Very unsafe!.

Novemver 18, 2025 "I was driving my 2024 Rav4 . . Suddenly - I only heard the glass shatter, not an impact on my sunroof glass. After 10mins driving (7:10am) speed 65 mph in freeway it was not raining when I started driving but a little windy and splash of rain started no impact or debris and I am far away from cars in from of me the remaining glass edges (show outward shattered).

See all problems of the 2024 Toyota RAV4 🔎.

I was driving for less than 5 minutes when my sunroof exploded and shattered out of nowhere. My safety was put at risk for several reasons - 1) it sounded like a gun shot had come at me while I was operating the vehicle which was extremely startling. 2) glass could have shattered all over me and affected my sight on the road. 3) I had to pull over on a busy road not knowing where glass was in my car. 4) this happened due to no impact, out of nowhere.

We discovered severe mold contamination and water intrusion in our 2023 Toyota Rav4 hybrid. My wife, our [xxx] child, and I have been experiencing dizziness and nausea for months whenever we were inside the vehicle, but we did not know the cause until the dealer (dll) showed us extensive mold throughout the cabin and standing water trapped inside the vehicle. The dealer confirmed that this was not normal wear and tear. The mold has spread into the floors, interior panels, and even the steering components. This is a serious health hazard. After doing research, we found many other Rav4 hybrid owners reporting similar water leaks and mold growth issues. This raises the concern of a potential design or sealing defect in this model. This vehicle is unsafe to drive, especially with a young child. We are requesting a full safety investigation into the water intrusion, sealing integrity, and air quality risks associated with this model. Symptoms:     •    dizziness     •    nausea     •    headache     •    strong mold smell     •    corrosion of interior components this is a serious safety and health issue, and we are asking NHTSA to investigate. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Never collusion with ever.

The rear lift hatch on my 2017 Toyota Rav4 is not working properly. It can be raised without a problem most of the time but not lowered without a lot of effort and time. It might go down several inches and stop before going back up again causing me to have to start the process all over again. It definitely could present a danger if someone tried to force it up or down or if they got a body part under it while it was doing its weird motions. Plus it would not be safe to drive it unless it lowered all the way and latched. I did take it in to my Toyota mechanic who acknowledged the problem and said the only remedy was to replace parts at a cost of somewhere between $1200 and $1300. Since the issue with my rear lift hatch started a year ago, I have read numerous complaints from other persons who are having the same issue. My mechanic confirms that he has had a number of vehicles brought to him with the same or similar issue. I strongly feel that there should be a recall. I have been a loyal Toyota owner for many years and over the years have steered numerous persons toward purchasing a Toyota. My Rav4 is available for inspection if that is necessary.

After driving for 35 minutes (in the rain), I pulled up to work and let someone out. While car was sitting there in park, it bucked in the back, I then put it into park and almost immediately, it shut off with this on the display "engine off, steering power low, do not drive". My lights and windshield wipers remained on. I tried to turn it back and and it shut off again. I waited a few minutes, turned it on and went to pull out onto main road and the car shut off again with the same message. Thankfully I was turning onto the main road so close to shoulder and able to keep my car pretty close to side of the road. I called the Toyota dealer who told me not to drive it and it would need to be towed. I towed it to the closest dealer and when they checked the codes (the next day), they said there were no codes and they could not replicate the problem. As a note, the rain was off and on, nothing that was worse than anything I have driven in previously. I drive main roads and did not go through any large puddles or anything similar. This is a major safety issue and I am terrified that it could happen while driving on a highway where I may not have time to get out of the way of other traffic (car literally stopped with no option of continuing to coast). I am also shocked that there were no codes triggered as there was obviously some event and that the car is only one month outside of warranty.

Driving on a city portion of highway 69 between prescott and prescott valley, traveling about 45mph, the panoramic moonroof suddenly exploded. There was no one near us and the road is newly paved so no obstacles. Glass shards rained down on us. This happened on a normal day about 75 degrees. Totally unexpected. I did sustain a cut on a finger. This could have harmed one of us with flying glass. We have contacted our insurance company and directed us to a collision compare place. In checking online, I see that others have experienced the same problem and there are lawsuits about this issue.

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.

During an aws outage on 10/20/2025, the connect app which can turn on or off the vehicle, unlock/lock doors, etc had issues where it performed an unlock on our vehicle 5 times in 24hrs without us doing anything. Key fob was in sleep mode / low power mode (cannot signal vehicle). Reports of this happening to others found online, but Toyota dealership states no reports on any of this happening.

The contact owned a 2021 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that his wife had just parked the vehicle in front of the business and was about to move the shift gear lever to park(p), when the vehicle accelerated independently, jumped the cement parking block, and crashed into a tree, where it came to a stop. None of the air bags were deployed. The contact suffered minor injuries; had a bruise on the right breast, back pain, chest pain, and lower neck pain that did not require medical attention. The police were not notified. The vehicle was towed to a collision center, and the insurance company then towed to vehicle to another collision center where the vehicle was declared a total loss. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 23,000.