Toyota RAV4 Years to Avoid

Why 2010, 2012, 2019 and 2021 call for caution

2010 Toyota RAV4

Use cautionTop issue: speed control · 39% of complaints · median 7,000 miles

Owners describe brakes that suddenly feel soft or unresponsive, sometimes with the engine surging, and some say unintended acceleration continued after the accelerator pedal recall repair. Others report rear suspension arms or links failing after clunking or swaying, with long waits for recall parts.

Full 2010 report ›

2012 Toyota RAV4

Use cautionTop issue: air bags · 11% of complaints · median 27,000 miles

Owners describe air bags failing to deploy in crashes, brakes that feel soft or fail to stop the car, and sudden acceleration while braking or parking. Some report dealers could not find a cause, and some say recall repairs were delayed by part shortages.

Full 2012 report ›

2019 Toyota RAV4

Use cautionTop issue: fuel and propulsion · 44% of complaints · median 1,000 miles

Owners describe a coolant bypass valve failure that triggers an 'Engine Maintenance Required' warning, plus stalling, hesitation and jerky acceleration from stops. Many, especially Hybrid owners, also report the fuel tank won't fill past roughly 9-10 gallons of its rated 14.5, cutting driving range.

Full 2019 report ›

2021 Toyota RAV4

Use cautionTop issue: air bags · 29% of complaints · median 18,000 miles

Owners of the 2021 RAV4 describe front air bags that didn't deploy in crashes and long waits for passenger air bag recall parts. Others report brakes intermittently losing stopping power and electrical faults causing stalling, with dealers often unable to reproduce or fix the problems.

Full 2021 report ›

Summaries are written with AI from the owner complaints on NHTSA's site and checked against them; the counts and mileages come from our data.

Best Toyota RAV4 years to buy

2014 Toyota RAV4

Best betTop issue: air bags · 9% of complaints

Owners filed 69 complaints with NHTSA about the 2014 RAV4 in its first five years, about 27 for every 100,000 sold: 0.4× the rate of a typical RAV4 year. 9% of them involve the air bags.

Full 2014 report ›

2016 Toyota RAV4

Best betTop issue: brakes · 27% of complaints · median 9,000 miles

Owners filed 142 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 RAV4 in its first five years, about 41 for every 100,000 sold: 0.5× the rate of a typical RAV4 year. 27% of them involve the brakes, at a median of 9,000 miles.

Full 2016 report ›

2017 Toyota RAV4

Best betTop issue: brakes · 19% of complaints · median 12,000 miles

Owners filed 167 complaints with NHTSA about the 2017 RAV4 in its first five years, about 42 for every 100,000 sold: 0.5× the rate of a typical RAV4 year. 19% of them involve the brakes, at a median of 12,000 miles.

Full 2017 report ›

2018 Toyota RAV4

Best betTop issue: brakes · 15% of complaints · median 12,000 miles

Owners filed 187 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 RAV4 in its first five years, about 44 for every 100,000 sold: 0.5× the rate of a typical RAV4 year. 15% of them involve the brakes, at a median of 12,000 miles.

Full 2018 report ›

2022 Toyota RAV4

Best betTop issue: electrical · 27% of complaints

Owners filed 171 complaints with NHTSA about the 2022 RAV4 in its first five years, about 43 for every 100,000 sold: 0.5× the rate of a typical RAV4 year. 27% of them involve the electrical system.

Full 2022 report ›

A best bet drew 0.6× the complaint rate of a typical RAV4 year or less in its first five years on the road. How we rate

1. Electrical16% of complaints · 631 complaints · median 1,000–47,000 miles by year · worst years: 2019, 2020 and 2021
2. Engine13% of complaints · 522 complaints · median 5,000–47,000 miles by year · worst years: 2019, 2020 and 2021
3. Fuel and propulsion13% of complaints · 491 complaints · median 1,000–35,000 miles by year · worst years: 2019, 2020 and 2021
4. Speed control12% of complaints · 468 complaints · median 4,000–18,000 miles by year · worst years: 2008, 2009 and 2010
5. Brakes11% of complaints · 418 complaints · median 2,000–23,000 miles by year · worst years: 2016, 2017 and 2021

Complaints owners filed with NHTSA in each model year's first five years on the road, all years combined. A complaint can name more than one area. Worst years are the rated years with the most complaints about that area. Mileage is reported on about half of complaints.

Questions owners ask

Which Toyota RAV4 years should you avoid?

No RAV4 year from 2008 to 2022 drew more than twice the complaint rate of a typical RAV4 year. The 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2019 and 2021 ran above average, so use caution.

What is the best year for a used Toyota RAV4?

The best bets are the 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2022 RAV4, which drew far fewer complaints per vehicle sold than a typical RAV4 year. The 2014 drew the fewest for its time on the road (0.4× the rate of a typical RAV4 year). Years from 2023 on haven't had five years on the road, so they aren't rated yet.

What is the most common problem with the Toyota RAV4?

Across every year, the problem area owners report most is the electrical system (16% of complaints), followed by the engine (13%) and the fuel or propulsion system (13%). A complaint can name more than one area.

Has the Toyota RAV4 been recalled?

Yes. NHTSA lists 51 recall campaigns covering RAV4 model years 2008 to 2026, the most recent in October 2026. Enter a vehicle's VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to see whether its repairs were done.