Power Train Problems of Toyota RAV4 - part 1

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 were all destroyed as a result of the accident. A police report was filed. The dealer was notified of the failure and immediately referred the contact to the manufacturer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was filed. The manufacturer informed the contact that an engineer could be sent to a nearby dealer or independent mechanic to perform an investigation into the defect. The vehicle had yet to be serviced or diagnosed for the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 134,000.

See all problems of the 2018 Toyota RAV4 🔎.

Car is one year old, 13k miles and is having transmission issues, most likely related to e-cvt system. When braking you can hear grinding sounds from under the middle of the car. Acceleration is sluggish going up hills and engine seems to slip or race going down hills. Car is being taken to dealer Tuesday July 15 for diagnostics. No warning lights appeared on dash and no alerts on my mobile app. Internet search shows other Rav4 awd hybrids are experiencing the same issues.

See all problems of the 2024 Toyota RAV4 🔎.

The roof of my SUV is leaking and it’s leaking into my two airbags. There’s a sunroof and the roof rack.

See all problems of the 2019 Toyota RAV4 🔎.

The vehicle was a 2023 Toyota Rav4 hybrid. When the driver attempted to park the vehicle in a parking lot, it suddenly began moving forward without use of the accelerator. The driver applied the brakes but the pedal went to the floor without braking. The vehicle seemed to be moving faster than expected without use of the gas pedal and went through the parking lot. The driver stopped the vehicle by running up over a curb, through a traffic island with soft dirt and mulch and finally crashing into a metal storage unit. Two air bags deployed. Toyota was notified of the crash and a Toyota representative made the 911 call. A new york state trooper and two fire trucks arrived. The vehicle was towed and eventually collected by our insurance company. The tow truck driver said the brake pedal went to the floor when he tried it. The car was declared a total loss. 1. The notable failure was in the braking system. The car also seemed to be traveling faster than it should and didn't slow down. The insurance company has the vehicle now. 2. The safety issue was loss of speed and braking control of the vehicle. Steering was normal. Fortunately the parking lot had few cars or people in it. 3. No investigation of the problem aside from assessment of damage that I know of. 4. Liberty mutual assessed the damage. The NY state trooper made a collision information form and gave us a copy. 5. No warning lights or related symptoms were noted prior to the car traveling on its own. After the crash, a local Toyota dealer called and said that they were notified that the check engine light was on and there was a problem with the hybrid system, along with other warnings.

See all problems of the 2023 Toyota RAV4 🔎.

The battery is off . It does not work. The car does not start. It looks like the battery is not properly installed. I just left my car at the Toyota dealership in June 12 for maintenance services, for brake fluid and flush etc including the replacement of a battery mounting hardware however it does not look right. The car started to go off and today it does not start at all. Please advice sincerely, [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

See all problems of the 2015 Toyota RAV4 🔎.

While driving on or around 6/5/25, an active recall on my vehicle caused damage to my battery connections causing my vehicle to completely shut off while driving on an highway exit ramp. I almost lost complete control of the vehicle. Thankfully, the vehicle turned back on and I was able to get the vehicle to safety. I had to get the car towed and repaired. The repair was directly related to the damage from an active recall issue being open without remedy for over 3 years on my vehicle. When I asked Toyota for reimbursement of under $200 they refused. This is a safety issue beyond the recall and I am concerned this is going to happen to someone else and there are going to be deaths. Toyota needs to stand by their recall too and may the financial aspect correct with me. Other members of the public need to be aware of the issues beyond their recall that can affect their cars and that Toyota is requiring them to be responsible for the damage that was caused while waiting on a remedy to the recall.

See all problems of the 2017 Toyota RAV4 🔎.

My vehicle Toyota Rav4 hybrid 2020 began lost power and jerk on highway driving and then following messages appeared: hybrid system malfunction, a malfunction in electronic control of engine, throttle or automatic transmission has been detected and check engine light. This happened in September 2024. Toyota dealership replaced the low fuel pressure sensor a after my complaint and vehicle diagnostic, but it did not help. I recently had the same problem while driving on the highway for a long distance.

See all problems of the 2020 Toyota RAV4 🔎.

I drove through heavy rain and after sitting in park for about 15 minutes, my car started shaking and the dashboard lit up. I received a power steering low message and when I tried shifting into drive, it said car not ready to drive. I turned it off and back on and it started, but eventually stalled after a few seconds. I called a tow truck to have it taken to the dealership and by the time he arrived, it start up like normal. Based on what im seeing online, this is becoming more of a common problem.

While at the end of a car wash with the car in neutral, the car accelerated by itself. It reached 60 mph for over a half mile, and was unresponsive to steering and brakes. The left front wheel was severely damaged. Fortunately, there were no accidents.

See all problems of the 2012 Toyota RAV4 🔎.

The contact owns a 2024 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that after driving for 45 minutes, the vehicle was parked. While attempting to restart the vehicle, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. The engine stopped; engine power was low, and the message “not ready to drive” was displayed. The contact stated that the gear shifter failed to move, and the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, who determined that the vehicle was working as designed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer informed the contact that there were no diagnostic trouble codes saved in the history. The manufacturer was contacted, and referred the contact to another dealer, but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 8,063.

While turning slowly, right tun, into a parking space, the vehicle lunged forward at a much higher speed than anticipated. The vehicle jumped the sidewalk, went up an embankment, about 20 degrees, and about 25 feet until it stopped on its own. Happened on April 14th, 2025, about 11:30 am. Driver was is good health, no medical conditions. Driver also has a clean driving record, no infarctions. The vehicle jumped a curb 4 inches high, ran over some light brush, but luckily no damage to vehicle. There are train tracks about 15 feet away, which could have been another incident. Driver says when she slowly pulled into the spot, the car lunged forward, with good thrust, and I am a witness to this incident.

See all problems of the 2021 Toyota RAV4 🔎.

I have owned this new vehicle for only approximately 2 months and have had at least 4 instances where the vehicle does not respond immediately to my foot on the accelerator when attempting to restart from a stop. Three times I was at a stop light and when I attempted to go as the light turned green there was no acceleration response from the gas pedal for a couple of seconds, and in two of the instances because I had my foot pressed far on the gas attempting to get power, there was a sudden acceleration and lurch forward. Most recently, on the fourth occasion I was turning out into traffic from a parking lot after being at a standstill and got no response and instead rolled slowly out in front of an oncoming car until after a few seconds the accelerator finally responded and I could go. I believe this is a safety risk as it could happen when I was attempting a left turn in traffic, which would subject me and my passengers/children to an extreme risk of being hit. I took the car into the dealership after the first two instances and they were not able to reproduce the incidents and offered no help. There are no warning lamps or indicators that appear when this occurs. The first incident occurred about three weeks into my ownership of the vehicle.

I have had my car for about 2 1/2 years, never been in an accident or anything . . I take the car for an oil change and when I picked it up they informed me that they ran a diagnostics test that indicated that my transmission was out. They asked if I’ve been in any accidents, but I assure them that I have been any accidents at all. The car has been driving perfectly fine but after that news, the car has been dying out! I don’t travel far in the car or go on road trips so I’m not understanding how the transmission has failed!.

The contact owns a 2017 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while driving 20-25 mph, the vehicle shuddered while the transmission was shifting into the next gear. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that upon scanning the vehicle with an obd ii code reader, the contact retrieved diagnostic trouble codes indicating a starter failure. However, upon investigating the failure online, the contact related the failure to Toyota warranty bulletin number: pol17-06. The contact stated that a preventative service was previously performed on the vehicle, however, the failure occurred. The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered under the warranty. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.

When remote starting the vehicle. The vehicle allows you to put the vehicle in gear from inside and turn off the parking brake allowing the vehicle to roll freely. The vehicle does shut off 1-2 seconds after but the vehicle is already in gear. To reproduce the defect you must remote start the vehicle using either the Toyota app or Smart key fob. You then must be sitting in the vehicle once the vehicle is started you quickly depress the brake pedal shift into gear and turn off the parking brake quickly. The vehicle then shuts off while in gear allowing the vehicle to roll freely. This increases the risk of accident as the driver may not be in the vehicle and a child or other person may accidentally put the vehicle in gear while remote started. I believe this issue affects many other Toyota and Lexus vehicles as many share the same platforms and systems. You may contact me at my email address listed for more information or a video recording of the defect. Thanks.

The contact owns a 2019 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the messages "parking brake malfunction", "secondary brake system malfunction”, “4wd malfunction", "lane assist malfunction", "pre-collision malfunction" and messages indicating malfunctions of the electrical system, the engine throttle, and the transmission were displayed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where a spark plug and ignition coil were replaced; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the contact was informed that all the spark plugs, and ignition coils needed to be replaced prior to the final diagnostic test. The vehicle was not completely diagnosed and was taken back to the mechanic, where a specialist used a camera to diagnose that there was coolant intrusion in cylinder #4, due to a fractured cylinder head. The mechanic related to the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 20v064000 (engine and engine cooling); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided because the vehicle was not covered under warranty and the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 87,230.

It’s been raining for about 4-5 hours by now, I drove to church (1 hour drive) left my car outside in the parking lot in the rain while I was there. Then drove home (another 1 hour) and when I came home just now I sat in my car parked with the engine on for about 5 minutes when suddenly the car started shaking and then it turned off with a message “engine stopped - power steering low, ignition on” on my 2022 Toyota Rav4 xle. I think this issue needs to be investigated ASAP as it is a big safety concern, what if it happened when I was driving on the highway in the rain, at night? my google and reddit search revealed that a lot of people are experiencing this issue and this is a place to help start an investigation. I had a full inspection on my car at the Toyota dealership just a few weeks ago and everything including the battery was fine.

See all problems of the 2022 Toyota RAV4 🔎.

The vehicle shudders significantly when accelerating/cruising between 35-45 mph. The shudder started slight and did not pose an issue for a while, but now its significant enough that is causes erratic steering. The vehicle waved back and forth from the vibration yesterday and went across the median line into oncoming traffic. I was able to regain control and accelerated through past 45 mph when the vibration receded. After calling Toyota I learned that Toyota knew about this issue and the a faulty torque converter was to blame. There was no recall or notification just (as the dealer explained, an extended warranty). Since I was not "notified" I did not know of this dangerous exposure and missed the time period to get the convertor replaced by Toyota.

See all problems of the 2013 Toyota RAV4 🔎.

All wheel drive disengages while driving. It has disengaged several times while driving up a steep hill in the rain resulting in loss of control of vehicle. First time car skidded into a ditch. Warning on dash said return vehicle to dealer. Vehicle has been returned 3 times. They blame the problem on a defect in the emission control system which turns off the awd system when a leak in the vapor control system is detected. Dealer first replaced the fuel filler cap. That worked for a couple of weeks, then something under the hood which worked a few days. Now the car is scheduled for a gasket on the fuel tank to be replaced for $1,500! I am all for controlling emissions to the environment, but it should not be at the cost of safety. A fix is needed to separate the awd from the emission control system. Safety first!.

The rear differential stopped working in January, 2025 and went into two wheel drive only. The message lit up on the dash board saying the vehicle was driving in two wheel drive only. We were driving home and the roads were slippery. We brought it to mountain states Toyota and they confirmed there was a technical service bulletin (0086-19) issued in 2019, due to a Toyota manufacturing problem. It was issued three months after we bought the new vehicle. We were never notified and a recall was never issued in 2019 when Toyota knew about it. I contacted Toyota brand engagement and they agreed to pay for half of the $4,800 cost to replace the entire rear differential even though they acknowledged it was a Toyota manufacturing problem and possible safety issue. We don't understand why we were not notified about the known manufacturing problem that affected the drive train of an all wheel drive vehicle. We also don't understand why they won't cover the entire cost of the required repair to make the all wheel drive operational when they acknowledge it is a known Toyota manufacturing problem. We believe it is also a safety issue. Thank you! Toyota repair invoices #1178424, #1169684.

Coolant bypass valve needs to be replaced per Toyota. Many people are having this problem.

Wire harness failure according to the Toyota dealership representative I spoke with after inspection on 12/18/24. Rep said this is a known issue with certain years and they will cover cost of replacement. Previously, I had received a message stating, "hybrid system malfunction, visit your dealer" but could not get an appointment until 12/18. The dealer rep said they needed to order parts to fix the wire harness issue and that I would be okay taking the car and bringing it back when parts were in. The day after the inspection (12/19) I was in a walmart parking lot and my car started but I could not get it to drive or reverse. A message stated "vehicle not ready to drive" and "no power to rear brakes". If I put the car into drive or reverse and stepped on the gas, the car interior lit up and the dinging sound (usually associated with unbuckled safety belt) was heard. I had my safety belt fastened. My car could be put into neutral and had to be towed to the dealership. After looking into the issue, I found out that the car could had died while I was driving it resulting in loss of power brakes, etc. I live in a more rural area and could have been stuck with out cell reception, etc. This should be a recall and they never should have let me leave the dealership in my car. Note: as of today (12/20) the dealer rep stated they will cover all towing costs and cover a loaner vehicle for me. My dealership is very helpful but this could be a serious issue for someone else. Google "rav 4 cablegate" for more information.

I was driving on a highway, there was a red light and I pressed on the brakes. The car kept going forward, the brakes became resistant to any pressure and the car continued to roll forward. There were no warning lights when the car was started or during the incident. I kept trying to brake the car, but the car kept moving forward and was about to hit the car in front of me. The cars around me started honking, trying to move out of the way; luckily the light turned red and the car in front of me was able to move out of the way. I could not press on the gas or the break, I decided to turn the ignition off and the car was able to turn off. I re-started the car and then was able to go again. Had this been on the highway and I was moving at a faster speed, I probably wouldn't be typing this right now and would be in the er with potentially others. This is the second time an issue like this happened. The first time the car was in reverse and it wouldn't brake and I almost slammed into the car behind me. The brakes and gas were not responsive. I took it to a mechanic right away, got new brakes, rotors, engine and transmission was checked. A couple months later this happened again.

See all problems of the 2004 Toyota RAV4 🔎.

The contact owns a 2024 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that the vehicle was leaking oil. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that after the first failure, the vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, no cause for the failure was found. The contact stated that the failure persisted, and the vehicle was taken back to the dealer and an undisclosed part was cleaned; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was unknown.

Broken- coolant bypass valve my safety was put at risk as the coolant bypass value broke leaking coolant over my cars electrical components and not keeping my engine cool. This could have resulted in my engine, overheating, exploding while operating the car and putting my life at risk. Also “engine maintenance alert” that couldn’t not be dismissed by the driver, obstructed the view of my dashboard. This problem was confirmed by the the Toyota dealership there is currently a class action lawsuit against Toyota for this specific issue.

The coolant bypass valve is needing to be replaced. The vehicle only has 52k miles and just happened after warranty.

My Toyota 2020 Rav4 has a dangerous design flaw. It rolls when turned off and in drive mode. For example, my driveway is on an incline, and a couple times I have pulled into my driveway, gotten distracted, and I forgot to put the car in park. When I hit the on/off button, the car rolls backwards, accelerating due to gravity. If you're not quick, you can end up rolling out into traffic, or running someone over that is behind your car. All the other cars I've ever owned didn't roll when the car was turned off unless you were in neutral. I believe this is a design flaw because I've spoken to a few other Rav4 owners that have experienced the same thing, and on one occasion, I tested it on another Rav4 and it was the same. I can see this being very dangerous. If you are standing outside of the car and hit the on/off button while it's in drive, you would get knocked down by the door, and your car would be rolling without you in the car.

No accident but dealer mechanic says I need a new transmission as torque converter is the problem. . Car has 107500 miles and has had routine maintenance. I have since learned that there were dealer service bulletins on this issue and some owners got repairs. My vehicle, a 2012 Rav4, was not included in the bulletin. I read many situations like mine on the Rav4world website and other social media. Toyota needs to be held accountable for the thousands in repair costs owners are experiencing for a design flaw. The safety issue is the transmission could fail prematurely.

Toyota vehicles, namely Rav4’s are having a coolant bypass valve defect. And Toyota is denying this claim and charging to diagnostic and repair. This is a defect and should be set to recall as many owners are experiencing the issue. Mine began on a out of state trip with a engine maintenance light, and leaking fluid from the coolant valve, which can lead to engine stalling and issues while driving. Very dangerous! I took mine to my mechanic and had it repaired since I am beginning not to trust Toyota.

After only 35k miles the car start showing a failure in the coolant by pass valve that could cause major failure of the engine. It has been reported that it is an ongoing situation with most 2020 Rav4. The repair is not covered by warranty and it cost over $700.

Abs lights have been on since I bought vehicle the dealership that sold it to me cleared the code and did not fix vehicle.

10 days ago transmission on 2004 rav started to act funny. Slow/jerky to engage in lower gears. Check engine lights came on. Checked out by mechanic who said it looked like a transmission problem and should have it looked at by transmission specialist who said it was not safe to drive as is since it could simply die at any time, and it needed a new transmission. When replacing trans, the trans man found the ecm had to be replaced. He said this often happened with 2003 thru 2005 Rav4s. On looking through your site, discovered others had similar issues with their 2004 ravs. I also found out that the electronic control module for these vehicles is defective and must be repaired to correct the transmission issues. What did Toyota have to say when you looked into this, or do you not think it’s a safety issue?.

Toyota Rav4 2019 xle - engine coolant pump performance/stuck off error code p26cb milage 56,920 Toyota says this is not covered by the 5 year power train warranty. For years Toyota has manufactured this water pump that freezes up due to manufacturing defect that allows the magnetic base housing to rupture. Dealers want to replace entire pump (or at least charge for it) verses replacing the frozen plastic rotor. Dealer claims this is not covered under 5 year power train warranty. Why not? my car temp started climbing and took me hours to get home (10 miles) as I kept stopping for hours waiting for engine cool and sprinkling water from bottles over the engine and trans housing where it butts against the engine (silver brading). (this was late in weekend night - repair shops not open. I do see a recall investigation started (no recall yet) and just wanted to add my complaint to the issue. At first the temp gauge read normal but later started climbing. The engine light did come on the the db2 said p26cb.

The contact's daughter owns a 2018 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that she (not her daughter) was driving the vehicle at approximately 50 mph when the vehicle was losing forward momentum. The contact stated that the check engine light illuminated and the vehicle was vibrating. The contact stated that she heard an abnormal sound like "grinding" from under the floor boards. The contact stated that she pulled over and was having difficulty shifting to park (p). The contact stated that she turned the vehicle off an on, however the vehicle was not functioning normally. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact had taken the vehicle to the same mechanic prior to the failure for two other transmission failures. The contact stated that this was the third transmission failure in 1 year and a half. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

Dear NHTSA, I am writing to formally lodge a complaint regarding a recurring issue with my 2019 Toyota Rav4, which I believe poses a significant safety concern. The check engine light on my vehicle frequently illuminates, resulting in the disablement of the all-wheel drive (awd) system. I initially brought my vehicle to a Toyota dealership, where they replaced the charcoal canister (evap) three times based on the diagnostic code. Despite these repeated repairs, the problem persists. Suspecting that the issue might be related to the dealership's service, I sought a second opinion from another Toyota dealership. Unfortunately, they provided the same diagnosis and solution, which again failed to resolve the issue. Given that the awd system is a critical safety feature, especially in adverse driving conditions, I believe this issue should be considered a safety concern and potentially covered by a recall. Further given that the evap system is directly tied to the fuel it also should be considered a safety concerns. The repeated failure to address the root cause of the problem not only undermines the reliability of the vehicle but also compromises the safety of its occupants. I kindly request that the NHTSA investigate this matter and consider issuing a recall to address this widespread issue. Your attention to this matter would be greatly appreciated, as it would ensure the safety and satisfaction of Toyota Rav4 owners. Thank you for your time and consideration. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).