Owners filed 400 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the suspension. It has been recalled 14 times.
When it fails
03432534,325 milesMedian miles at failure
278 complaints record an odometer reading. Failures cluster around 0–10,000 miles.
What fails
Component
Reports
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Suspension
86
1
0
0
Vehicle Speed Control
61
22
0
7
Unknown or Other
26
1
1
0
Air Bags
22
11
1
15
Power Train
17
2
0
0
Steering
15
2
0
1
Engine
15
0
0
0
Visibility/Wiper
14
0
0
0
Seat Belts
14
0
0
0
Structure › Body
11
5
0
1
14 safety recalls
Part 573 reports
Suspension › Rear16V596000
Filed Aug 12, 2016337,449 vehiclesToyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing
Defect. Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2006-2011 Toyota RAV4 vehicles manufactured October 31, 2005, to September 7, 2010, and 2010 Lexus HS250h vehicles manufactured July 6, 2009, to August 26, 2010. The affected vehicles have rear suspension arms (rear tie rods) with adjusting lock nuts that may have been improperly tightened after servicing. As a result of being loose, the arm may have thread damage and may rust, possibly leading to the failure of the arm and an abrupt change in the vehicle's alignment.
Risk. Failure of the rear tie rod could cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy. Toyota will notify owners and dealers will replace both rear suspension arms and encapsulate the locknuts, free of charge. The recall began on September 30, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are G0V for Toyota vehicles and GLK for Lexus vehicles. Note: This recall supersedes recall 13V-383, in which some vehicles were only inspected, sealed, and did not have both arms replaced. The affected vehicles were previously recalled under 13V-383, but did not have both rear suspension arms replaced at that time. Those vehicles need to have both arms replaced as part of this recall remedy.
Seats › Front Assembly › Seat Heater/Cooler16V396000
Filed Jun 2, 20167,749 vehiclesSoutheast Toyota Distributors, Llc
Defect. Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2005-2011 4Runner, Highlander, Sequoia, and Sienna, 2005-2010 Avalon and Tundra, 2006-2008 Camry Solara, 2006-2010 Highlander hybrid, 2006-2011 Rav4 and Tacoma, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2007-2011 Camry hybrid, 2009-2010 Venza, 2010-2012 Prius, 1988-1990 and 2005-2010 Camry, and 1989 and 2009-2010 Corolla vehicles equipped with aftermarket accessory seat heaters with a copper strand heating element. The electrical wiring in the seat heaters may be damaged when the seat cushion is compressed.
Risk. If damaged, the copper strand heating element may short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy. SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the seat heaters, free of charge, and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory. The recall began on July 14, 2016. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET number for this recall is SET16B.
Seat Belts › Rear/Other16V096000
Filed Feb 19, 20161,123,752 vehiclesToyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing
Defect. Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2006-2012 RAV4 vehicles manufactured July 28, 2005, to December 19, 2012, and 2012-2014 RAV4 EV vehicles manufactured July 24, 2012, to August 29, 2014. In the event of a frontal collision, the rear seat belts for the outboard seats may be cut by the seat cushion frame.
Risk. A cut seat belt may not properly restrain the seat occupant, increasing their risk of injury in a crash.
Remedy. Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will install a protector over both rear seat cushion frames, free of charge. The recall began on June 24, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is G0F.
Visibility › Power Window Devices and Controls15V689000
Filed Oct 22, 20151,814,284 vehiclesToyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing
Defect. Toyota Motor Company (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2009-2011 Tundra, Sequoia, Corolla, Corolla Matrix and Scion xB, 2008-2011 Highlander and Highlander Hybrid, 2007 Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2009 Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2006-2011 RAV4, 2006-2010 Yaris, and 2009-2010 Scion xD and Pontiac Vibe vehicles. During the manufacturing of the Power Window Master Switch (PWMS), grease lubricant may have been inconsistently applied to the sliding electrical contacts.
Risk. If the sliding electrical contacts are not protected by lubricant, debris and moisture that get into the switch may cause a short circuit and the switch assembly may overheat and melt, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy. Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the switch, applying a lubricant if no abnormality is found. If abnormality is found, the PWMS circuit board will be replaced, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin December 20, 2015. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is C0M.
Visibility/Wiper15V577000
Filed Sep 18, 2015423,456 vehiclesToyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing
Defect. Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2009-2012 RAV4 vehicles manufactured October 27, 2008, to December 19, 2012 and 2012-2014 RAV4 EV vehicles manufactured July 24, 2012, to August 29, 2014. In the affected vehicles, water may drip onto the joint that connects the wiper linkage to the wiper motor.
Risk. Over time, the dripping water may cause corrosion and wear at the joint, potentially resulting in the separation of the wiper linkage. Once this occurs, the wipers would not function, reducing driver visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy. Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the water diverter channel. In addition, a new wiper linkage with a wiper motor crank arm will be installed. The wiper linkage will have a protective cover over the wiper linkage joint to minimize water splash and a retainer ring to prevent the wiper arm from separating from the wiper motor. The recall began on November 7, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service number at 1-800-331-4331.
Seats › Front Assembly › Seat Heater/Cooler14V743000
Filed Nov 19, 20143,233 vehiclesSoutheast Toyota Distributors, Llc
Defect. Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 Prius and Corolla, 2009-2011 Venza, 2006-2010 Avalon, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2005-2011 Sienna and Sequoia, 2006-2011 Tacoma 4x2 and 4x4, Camry, Highlander, Tundra 4x2 and 4x4, and 2007-2011 Rav4 and 4Runner. The affected vehicles may experience compression of the seat cushion which may damage the seat heater wiring.
Risk. Damage to the seat heater wiring could cause the wires to short, increasing the risk of the seat burning and causing personal injury to the occupant.
Remedy. SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the heaters with copper strand heating elements and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory, free of charge. The recall is expected to began in January 2015. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226.
Suspension › Rear13V383000
Filed Aug 28, 2013780,584 vehiclesToyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing
Defect. Toyota is recalling certain model year 2006 through 2011 RAV4 and 2010 Lexus HS250h passenger vehicles manufactured from October 2005 through September 2010. If the nuts for adjusting the rear wheel alignment are improperly tightened during service, the rear suspension arm (rear tie rod) may develop unwanted movement and rust leading to thread damage and eventual failure. Failure of the rear tie rod will cause an abrupt change in the vehicle's alignment.
Risk. Failure of the rear tie rod could cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy. Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the tie rods and replace any that have rust or corrosion on the alignment adjustment threads. All of the rear tie rods will then be encased in an epoxy to prevent future environmental damage. Due to limitations in parts, the recall remedy will be launched in phases from September 2013 through mid-April 2014. All owners will receive notification of the recall, with most receiving second notifications when parts are available in their area. IMPORTANT: This recall supersedes Toyota and Lexus recall 12V-373. All vehicles that have been inspected and remedied under the previous recall need to be re-inspected and have the appropriate remedy applied.
Equipment › Other › Labels13V123000
Filed Apr 9, 20137,525 vehiclesSoutheast Toyota Distributors, Llc
Defect. Southeast Toyota is recalling certain model year 2008 and 2010-2013 Toyota Tundra, 2010-2012 Rav4, 2012 Toyota Sequoia, 2010-2011 Toyota Corolla, 2010-2011 Toyota Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2010-2013 Toyota Highlander and Highlander Hybrid, 2010-2013 Toyota FJ Cruiser, 2011 Toyota Land Cruiser, 2010-2013 Toyota Venza, 2010-2011 Toyota 4Runner, 2010-2013 Toyota Tacoma, 2011-2012 Toyota Sienna, 2012 Toyota Prius, 2013 Scion FR-S, 2011 Scion XD, 2011 Scion XB, and 2012 Scion TC vehicles. These vehicles were sold with labels that were outside the allowable one percent of accuracy of actual weight added. Thus, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) Number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Risk. An inaccurate label could lead to owners overloading their vehicles and tires. An overloaded vehicle can result in a tire failure which may result in a vehicle crash, personal injury, or property damage.
Remedy. Southeast Toyota will notify owners and provide a corrected label with instructions concerning its installation. A small group of the affected vehicles will need additonal remedies which are still being developed. The recall began on May 28, 2013. Owners may contact Southeast Toyota at 1-800-301-6859.
Seats13V014000
Filed Jan 16, 20133,235 vehiclesSoutheast Toyota Distributors, Llc
Defect. Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain models interspersed through model years 2009 through 2013 as follows: model year 2009-2012 Tacoma, 4Runner, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Prius, and RAV4; model year 2009-2010 Avalon, FJ Cruiser, and Highlander Hybrid; model year 2010-2013 model year Corolla, Sienna and Tundra; model year 2009-2013 Highlander and Venza; model year 2012 Prius V; and model year 2010-2012 Sequoia. During modification by SET to include accessories such as leather seat covers, seat heaters or headrest DVD systems, these vehicles may not have had the passenger seat occupant sensing system calibration tested. Without passing the calibration test, the occupant sensing system may not operate as designed.
Risk. If the front passenger seat occupant sensing system is out of calibration, the front passenger airbags may not deploy or they may deploy inappropriately for the passenger's size and position. This could increase the risk of personal injury during the event of a vehicle crash necessitating airbag deployment.
Remedy. Southeast Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will test the sensitivity of the occupant detection sensors, and recalibrate them as necessary. The recall began on March 21, 2013. Owners may contact Southeast Toyota at 1-800-301-6859.
Suspension › Rear12V373000
Filed Aug 2, 2012780,584 vehiclesToyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing
Defect. Toyota is recalling certain model year 2006 through 2011 RAV4 and 2010 Lexus HS250h passenger vehicles manufactured from October 2005 through September 2010. If the nuts for adjusting the rear wheel alignment are improperly tightened during service, the rear suspension arm (rear tie rod) may develop unwanted movement and rust, leading to thread damage and eventual failure. Failure of the rear tie rod will cause an abrupt change in the vehicle's alignment.
Risk. Failure of the rear tie rod could cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy. Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear tie-rod nut for looseness and replace any suspect tie-rod found loose. Dealers will also affix instructions in multiple places to prevent improper servicing in the future. The recall began on November 30, 2012. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331 or Lexus at 1-800-255-3987.
Showing 10 of 14 campaigns, newest first.
What owners reported
Newest filings
Electrical System › Instrument Panel › Speedometer/Odometer
Filed Apr 28, 2026290,055 milesCA
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2010 Toyota Rav4. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 111,000, and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 290,055.
Lane Departure › Warning
Filed Apr 12, 2026TX
I totaled my car into a fence
Power Train
Filed Mar 29, 2026CA
I was about to accelerate on a main avenue, made a clunking sound and came to a halt. Couldn't pull over safely. Investigated by mechanic, said the Transmission exploded, and the differential gears broke. No warning lights.
Suspension
Filed Aug 22, 202586,000 milesPA
The contact owns a 2010 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V383000 (Suspension) in 2015. The contact stated that in 2015 while driving at an undisclosed speed, the low tire pressure warning light illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to a tire dealer, and it was determined that the rear tires were worn and needed to be replaced. The contact replaced all four tires. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that in 2020 the low tire pressure and the traction control warning light illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to another tire dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the rear tires were worn and needed to be replaced. The contact was advised that the rear tires could not be aligned because of the rear suspension arms, that was causing the quick wear of the tires. The vehicle was repaired. The vehicle was taken to a tire dealer in 2024 and observed that the low tire pressure and traction control warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was shaking while driving at various speeds prior to the warning lights being illuminated. The contact was informed that the rear tires could not be aligned due to a failure with the rear suspension arms. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and advised the contact to take the vehicle to a dealer. The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer who aligned the front wheels, but the rear tires cou
Structure › Body
Filed Aug 12, 2025FL
The paint on hood is rusty and corroded, this can affect the body of the vehicle since it exposes the metal and can pose a safety problem. Toyota had a recall for 2010 white paint well the same thing happen to mine which is metallic gray. I have another car from another brand from 2012 and paint is intact just faded which is normal but not corroded. I contacted Toyota and they refuse to take my complaint. They only gave me a claim number 250808001898 for record
Engine
Filed Apr 5, 2025NC
Burns oil. No leaks and compression is spot on. Burns oil so bad that around every 2,000 miles, if you hit the brakes to hard it causes the car to stall. Whether it's in a parking lot or intersection. Has happened several times. Since I purchased the car in 2022. Has been inspected by Toyota mechanics on more than one occasion, but can't find any solution, have tried thicker oils, oil stabilizers and nothing helps.
Engine
Filed Mar 24, 2025TX
Engine oil is burning with out discharging from the engine. Can find no leak anywhere in the engine compartment. Constantly adding oil to the car as the oil indicator isn’t working either. The engine compression is spot on to manufacturers specifications. If the engine runs out of oil it could lead to a crash. Suspension: Loud popping in the rear drivers side when first moving. Don’t know if it is tie rod or something else. Don’t need whatever is causing the pop to break as that could lead to a crash.
Service BrakesCrash
Filed Nov 6, 2024113,000 milesPA
The contact owns a 2010 Toyota RAV4. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and approaching a stop light, with the brake pedal depressed to the floorboard the vehicle failed to stop as intended. As a result, the contact rear-ended the vehicle ahead. The air bags did not deploy. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. A police report was filed and injuries were not reported. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 113,000.
SuspensionCrash
Filed Sep 11, 2024CA
NHTSa CAMPAIGN ID 16v596000 AUG 12, 2016 Recalls supercedes 13V-383 vehicles inspected but did not have both arms replaced. Vehicles need to have both arms replaced. Recall done on vehicle (RAV4 2010) were COJ - 1/9/2013 Stevens Creek Toyota CSJ - 9/21/2014 Capitola Toyota Control Arm were not replaced at these times. My car is currently being serviced at IQ Autoworks in Campbell CA. I've been told the control arm needs replacement. Quoted $1700 to replace one control arm.
Steering
Filed Nov 2, 2023VA
Steering becomes very hard to control with no slack and in the wheel and occasionally it feels like you hit ice and sliding when you change lanes, happens on dry paved road without warning. Also when using cruise control hitting button to slow down the headlights and dash lights fade out and then brighter when acceleration
Visibility › Sun/Moon Roof Assembly
Filed Jun 7, 2023187,000 milesMD
The contact owns a 2010 Toyota RAV4. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the moon roof glass fractured without impact. The local dealer was contacted and an appointment was scheduled. The vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 187,000.
Suspension
Filed Apr 22, 2023IL
I just purchased a used 2010 toyota rav 4 base fwd and when making left or right turn I hear loud clunking noises and when backing up I hear squeaking noises plus I see liquid under car near middle. I also noticed when I add washer fluid and check level couple days later without using it ,,it is not visible ...and can't find pink coolant in stores that is in resivoir which needs to be topped off according to mechanic
Engine
Filed Apr 3, 2023FL
Transmission vavle body issue and not safe to drive
Seat Belts
Filed Mar 31, 2023FL
Driver belt seat loose
Electrical System
Filed Feb 14, 2023NJ
I have a 2010 Toyota rav4 limited and sometimes the car starts and sometimes it doesn’t but all the light come on but the car itself doesn’t start I replaced the battery, starter, starter safety switch but it still doesn’t start sometimes
Air BagsCrash1 injured
Filed Jan 26, 2023OH
Impact on Right front end at 60 mph and air bags did not deploy
Vehicle Speed Control
Filed Aug 14, 2022MD
On August 10 2022 I was pulling slowly into a parking spot with foot lightly on brake to control forward motion car attempted to surge /accelerate . I stepped firmly on brake and since car was nearly stopped I put it in to park. RPM's went up dramatically and then car reverted to normal rpms. I estimate that the entire process.I estimate that the entire process took place in about 30 seconds or less. I immediately took vehicle to the Toyota dealer and they presumably checked it out and found no problems with vehicle. They "deemed it accidental accelerator pedal engagement by customer" which it was definitely not! A similar situation occurred about 3 months earlier. That time I was pulling slowly into traffic and suddenly car tried to accelerate. I pressed firmly on brake pedal and acceleration stopped. Entire event was very brief seconds and I ignored it as a possible anomaly not requiring attention. I reported that to dealer as well when I took it in for the 10 August incident.
Engine and Engine Cooling
Filed Mar 4, 2022200,000 milesMS
The contact owns a 2010 Toyota RAV4. The contact stated that she gets her vehicle maintenance on a regular basis, however, when she took her vehicle to get serviced by an independent mechanic she was advised that the oil was low. The contact stated that they put oil in the vehicle, however, when it was time for the vehicle to get maintenance again, she was again advised that the oil was low and that the vehicle was leaking oil. The contact stated that after a while she noticed she was inputting 3 quarts of oil per week in the vehicle. The contact stated that there were no warning lights illuminated on the vehicle at the time of failure. The contact stated that she does not know if the vehicle was losing oil until she checks the oil, which occurs on a regular basis. The contact stated she did contact the manufacturer, who was not able to assist. The failure mileage was 200,000.
Unknown or OtherFire
Filed Dec 29, 2021NY
While driving my vehicle, it began to smoke under the hood. I exited the highway in order to pull over in a safer location. Some smoke started coming through the vent in the car as I pulled over. I exited the car and moved away and small flames began at the air vents on the outside. After I called 911, The fire kept building until the front half of the car was engulfed. The fire department came and put out the fire. They weren’t sure the exact cause, but believe it started in the engine. My car was up to date on inspection and was not yet due for an oil change. No dashboard service lights were on beforehand. I had State Farm insurance and am not sure yet if they were able to find anything from their investigation.
Suspension
Filed Dec 1, 202197,900 milesTN
The contact owns a 2010 Toyota RAV4. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made abnormal sounds. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the dealer could not duplicate the failure. The vehicle was taken to another dealer, Nashville Toyota North (2400 Gallatin Pike N, Madison, TN 37115), and diagnosed that the rear differential coupling was leaking oil, the rear driver's side axle bearing was faulty, and the radiator was leaking. The rear differential coupling, rear driver's side axle bearing, and radiator needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was past the nine-year extended warranty coverage. The failure mileage was 97,900.
A high number of complaints describe fires or crashes.
Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.
Most recent recall on file: Aug 12, 2016. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.