UsedScore

2014 Toyota RAV4: Best bet

Owners filed 69 complaints with NHTSA about the 2014 Toyota RAV4 in its first five years on the road, about 27 for every 100,000 sold: 0.4× the rate of a typical RAV4 year. That's among the fewest of any RAV4 year.

The biggest problem area, counting serious complaints more, is the air bags (9% of complaints).

Complaint index
0.4×
per vehicle sold, vs. a typical RAV4 year
Rank
1st of 14
1st = fewest complaints
Complaints
69
first five years; 27 per 100,000 sold
Recalls
4
campaigns
4th generation, 2013–2018 · Updated September 24, 2026 · How we rate
2013 Toyota RAV4 XLE AWD

Photo: 2013 Toyota RAV4 XLE AWD · Mr.choppers, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Problem areas

Ranked by severity-weighted complaints · share · median miles
  1. Air bags9% · 6 complaints
  2. Electrical20% · 14 complaints · median 24,000 miles
  3. Body and structure13% · 9 complaints · median 19,000 miles
  4. Brakes14% · 10 complaints · median 8,000 miles
  5. Engine13% · 9 complaints · median 29,000 miles
  6. Seats and belts3% · 2 complaints
  7. Speed control7% · 5 complaints
  8. Visibility10% · 7 complaints
  9. Steering9% · 6 complaints · median 5,000 miles
  10. Powertrain7% · 5 complaints · median 32,000 miles

Bars rank problem areas by complaints weighted for severity (crashes, fires, injuries and deaths count more). A complaint can name more than one area. Mileage is reported on about half of complaints.

What owners describe

Air bags

Owners describe crashes ranging from parking lot impacts to highway collisions where air bags did not deploy, sometimes despite significant vehicle damage. A few also describe an air bag deploying but failing to deflate, or a knee airbag causing injury upon deployment.

Warning signs:
Owners describe collision impacts including head-on, T-bone, and pole strikes without any accompanying warning signs before the air bags failed to activate.
What shops did:
A few owners report Toyota investigated the vehicle and stated they found no manufacturing or design defect; others do not describe a fix.
Mileage:
most between 5,000 and 40,000 miles, among 7 complaints that give it

“The air bags did not deploy after hitting the tree at 21 MPH.”

“the driver's side door side airbag never deflated”

Body and structure

Owners of this RAV4 commonly report paint peeling off the hood, roof, or doors, along with water leaks and door or hatch mechanisms that stop working properly. Repairs sometimes fixed the issue, but several owners say problems recurred or that warranty coverage for paint peeling had already expired.

Warning signs:
Owners notice paint bubbling and peeling on metal panels, water dripping in during rain, doors failing to lock/unlock, and rear hatches that stop closing or opening properly.
What shops did:
Dealers repainted affected panels, replaced door actuators or hatch shocks, and in some cases denied coverage once a paint warranty program had expired.
Mileage:
most between 20,000 and 60,000 miles, among 9 complaints that give it

“The factory paint on my 2014 Toyota RAV4 (Blue ) is peeling in large sections on the roof and hood.”

“rainwater leaked into the cabin of the vehicle from the A, B, C, and D pillars and the ceiling control center”

Electrical

Owners of this RAV4 commonly report the touchscreen/radio system freezing in a repeating reboot loop and door locks that stop working, sometimes needing costly replacement. A separate group describes sudden stalling, loss of power steering, or engine fires, with many linking these to an unresolved battery-related recall.

Warning signs:
Some report warning lights, dim instrument panels, smoke or burning smells, flickering dash lights, or a screen stuck loading before the failure occurred.
What shops did:
Dealers often replaced door lock actuators, batteries, or entire radio/infotainment units, sometimes at owner expense once out of warranty; several say recall parts for the battery-related fix were unavailable.
Mileage:
most between 30,000 and 95,000 miles, among 31 complaints that give it

“I get a blue picture of the stereo and a status bar loading like on computers when a program is loading”

“The car started to smoke and flame and was on fire”

Summaries are written with AI from the owner complaints shown on NHTSA's site and checked against them; quotes are word for word.

Recalls (4)

Check a VIN on NHTSA ›
  • NHTSA 23V734000November 20231,853,568 vehicles

    Electrical system: 12v/24v/48v battery

    Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2013-2018 RAV4 vehicles. Certain replacement 12-volt batteries may not fit properly in the battery tray, allowing the battery to move and contact the hold-down bracket, possibly causing a short circuit.

    Risk: A battery short circuit increases the risk of a fire.

    Fix: Dealers will replace the battery clamp sub-assembly, battery tray, and positive terminal cover, free of charge.

  • NHTSA 15V144000March 2015110,085 vehicles

    Steering: electric power assist system

    Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2015 Camry, Camry Hybrid, Highlander, and Highlander Hybrid, and 2014-2015 Rav4 vehicles. A component of the electric power steering (EPS) electronic control unit (ECU) may have been damaged during the manufacturing process. Over time, this damage may result in failure of the electric power steering system.

    Risk: An unexpected loss of power steering increases the risk of a crash.

    Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the serial number of the EPS ECU or steering column assembly.

  • NHTSA 15V011000January 20151,140 vehicles

    Trailer hitches · Exterior lighting

    Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Toyota Rav4 vehicles manufactured June 1, 2013, to December 29, 2014, and equipped with an accessory trailer light module. The software within the module may incorrectly detect an electrical short and preventively turn off the electrical current and the trailer lights.

    Risk: If the system incorrectly detects an electrical short and turns off the trailer lights while the trailer is being towed at night, there is an increased risk of a crash.

    Fix: SET will notify owners, and dealers will replace the trailer light module with a new unit with corrected software, free of charge.

  • NHTSA 14V828000December 20143,958 vehicles

    Equipment

    Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Toyota 4Runner, Tacoma, FJ Cruiser, Land Cruiser, RAV4, Scion FRS, and XB vehicles. The affected vehicles may have accessories installed by SET, such as running boards or other items, that were incorrectly installed. The accessory attaching fasteners were not tightened with the proper torque, possibly causing the accessory to detach from the vehicle.

    Risk: Accessories that detach from a vehicle may result in a vehicle crash and/or personal injury.

    Fix: SET will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and tighten the affected bolts, free of charge.

A recall only helps if the repair was done. Enter the vehicle's 17-character VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup before you buy.

Service bulletins

Toyota sent NHTSA 373 service bulletins and other notices to dealers covering the 2014 RAV4. These are repair instructions, not recalls. Warranty extensions and bulletins about its top problem areas:

  • 21TG01 · June 202521TG01 Exprired - Replaced with Campaign 23TA13 During a recent investigation of reported battery fires in 2013-2018 RAV4 vehicles with gasoline engines (excluding hybrid models), Toyota discovered…
  • T-SB-0058-23 Rev1 · June 2025The air conditioning dye injection tool kit has been developed to aid in identifying the location of air conditioning refrigerant leaks.
  • T-SB-0035-24 Rev2 · December 2024Acid rain results from rainwater or other airborne moisture that become acidic due to industrial chemical impurities in the atmosphere.
  • T-SB-0038-24 Rev2 · December 2024To prevent brake rotor rust from forming during transportation and storage, wheel film will be used instead of a cardboard type of anti-rust cover.
  • T-SB-0039-24 Rev2 · December 2024The condition known as acid rain is caused by airborne chemicals or particles in the atmosphere, which mix with rainwater, nighttime dew, or high humidity to form acidic compounds.
  • T-SB-0061-23 Rev2 · December 2024Toyota vehicles are currently protected with RapgardTM protective film designed to protect the horizontal painted surfaces.
  • T-SB-0062-23 Rev2 · December 2024Vehicles may occasionally be subjected to contamination by airborne iron particles shed from railroad tracks, train wheels, exposure to heavy machinery facilities, grinding, welding, etc.
  • T-SB-0055-24 Rev1 · July 2024Some 2005 – 2024 Toyota vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present.

All 2014 RAV4 bulletins on NHTSA ›

Questions owners ask

Is the 2014 Toyota RAV4 reliable?
Owners filed 69 complaints with NHTSA about the 2014 Toyota RAV4 in its first five years on the road, about 27 for every 100,000 sold: 0.4× the rate of a typical RAV4 year. That's among the fewest of any RAV4 year. Ratings compare RAV4 years with each other using complaints filed with NHTSA; they don't measure every problem owners have.
What are the most common 2014 RAV4 problems?
Owners' complaints most often involve the air bags (9%), the electrical system (20%) and the body and structure (13%). A complaint can name more than one area.
Has the 2014 Toyota RAV4 been recalled?
Yes. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2014 Toyota RAV4, the most recent in November 2023 (electrical system). Enter the vehicle's VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to see whether the repairs were done.

Sources

Owner complaints, recalls and manufacturer communications from NHTSA's public data files, as of September 24, 2026. Complaints are counted once each, over the model year's first 60 months on the road. UsedScore is not affiliated with NHTSA or Toyota. The 2014 Toyota RAV4 on NHTSA.gov · How we rate