Complaint volume
864 consumer-submitted complaints are matched to this model year. Treat the count as a research signal, then read the actual summaries for repeated symptoms.
Complaint records
864 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2019 Toyota RAV4, grouped by component category.
Buyer interpretation
Complaint records are most useful when they turn into inspection points, seller questions, and comparison checks against nearby model years.
864 consumer-submitted complaints are matched to this model year. Treat the count as a research signal, then read the actual summaries for repeated symptoms.
The most common categories are fuel/propulsion system, engine, unknown or other. Use those categories as a test-drive checklist instead of judging the vehicle from the total count alone.
Enriched records include 25 crash reports, 2 fire reports, 16 injury reports, and 0 fatality reports. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage is available on 307 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 12,567 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Build a buyer checklist to turn these issues into questions and inspection points.
864 total complaints on record
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 2020 | STRUCTURE | ON MARCH 14, 2020, AND AT 12:30 PM, I CRASHED INTO THE FRONT OF A PARKED SMALL SUBARU SUV ON MY PRIVATE COMMUNITY STREET, WHICH WAS AT LOW-SPEED (10 MPH) BUT THE FRONT OF MY CAR WAS BADLY DAMAGED AND COST ME ABOUT $17,000 TO FIX IT! WHILE NOTHING HAPPENED TO THE OTHER VEHICLE EXCEPT SOME MINOR SCRATCHES ON ITS FRONT BUMPER! ALSO, MY LEFT LEG WAS INJURED BECAUSE OF THE HARMFUL KNEE AIRBAG, AND GOD KNOWS WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED TO ME IF THE ACCIDENT WAS AT A HIGHER SPEED, OR ON THE FREEWAY? OR WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO ME IF ANOTHER ACCIDENT HAPPENS IN THE FUTURE AT A HIGHER SPEED, OR ON THE FREEWAY? SO, I SENT A COMPLAINT LETTER TO TOYOTA AND ASKED THEM TO RETURN THE CAR AND CANCEL MY CONTRACT WITH TOYOTA FINANCIAL SERVICES. BUT THEY DENIED MY COMPLAINT AND SAID THAT THEY DO NOT BELIEVE THE CONCERN IS THE RESULT OF A DEFECT IN MATERIALS OR WORKMANSHIP! WHILE I HAD TOLD THEM THAT MY COMPLAINT AND CONCERN IS ABOUT SAFETY ISSUES AND THAT VEHICLE IS NOT SAFE AT ALL, BECAUSE THE BODY OF THE VEHICLE IS VERY WEAK AND CANNOT SAVE MY LIFE IF ANOTHER ACCIDENT IS LIKELY TO OCCUR IN THE FUTURE AT A HIGHER SPEED, OR ON THE FREEWAY. AND AFTER THAT ACCIDENT, I CANNOT TRUST MY CAR ANYMORE, BUT THEY JUST IGNORED ME! I STILL CANNOT BELIEVE THAT A MINOR ACCIDENT CAN CAUSE THAT MUCH DAMAGE TO MY CAR, WHILE THE CAR I CRASHED INTO WAS NOT DAMAGED AT ALL! THE PICTURES OF THE CARS AND MY INJURED LEG ARE AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST. | Crash: Yes Fire: No Injuries: 1 Towed | 10 |
| Jul 2020 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS,STRUCTURE | WATER STAINS ON THE INTERIOR HEADLINER WHERE THE PLASTIC A-PILLAR COVER MEETS THE ROOF. THIS APPEARS ON BOTH SIDE OF THE CAR. THE WATER LEAKS ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE FLOOR NOT THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE. THERE IS A LOT OF ELECTRONIC WIRES / CONNECTORS / SIDE AIRBAGS AND DRIVER DASH PANEL AND THEY ALL GET WET AND APPEAR THEY GET CORRODED THUS IMPAIRING FUNCTION OF THE CAR AND CREATE DANGER OR UNEXPECTED BEHAVIOR OF THE CAR. THE ISSUE APPEARS TO BE A PIN THAT MOUNTS THE ROOF RAILS TO THE BODY OF THE CAR. WATER WILL LEAK INSIDE THE CAR AFTER RAIN OR CAR WASH. THE ISSUE APPEARS WHEN CAR IS STATIONARY AND WHILE IN MOTION BUT DURING MOVEMENT WATER LEAKS FASTER. | Crash: No Fire: No | 8,000 |
| Jul 2020 | POWER TRAIN | MY 2019 MY 2019 ADVENTURE IS MAKING A GROANING SOUND WHEN I ACCELERATE CONSERVATIVELY BETWEEN 20-30 MPH. THIS HAPPENS PROBABLY 50% OF THE TIME. SEEMS TO BE THE AWD SYSTEM. THERE IS A BULLETIN REGARDING IT: HTTPS://STATIC.NHTSA.GOV/ODI/TSBS/2019/MC-10169438-9999.PDF . IT'S AN ONGOING PROBLEM. SEEMS LIKE THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL. | Crash: No Fire: No | 7,500 |
| Jul 2020 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | THE CAR HAS STALLED TWICE OUT OF THE BLUE. IT WAS TAKEN TO THE SHOP, AND THEY SAID THE VAPOR LOCK HAD GAS IN IT. THEY WANTED TO CHARGE $1000. THE EXCUSE WAS WHEN IT IS HOT OUTSIDE YOU RUN THE RISK OF GAS GETTING INTO THE VAPOR LOCK EVERY TIME YOU FILL UP... THAT IS BULL. IT STALLED IN MOTION TWICE ON A CITY STREET. | Crash: No Fire: No | 80,647 |
| Jul 2020 | POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | MOANING, BUZZING NOISE OF FRONT DIFFERENTIAL WHEN ACCELERATION TO 35MPH, ALSO UPON DECELERATION, ESPECIALLY WHEN CAR IS HOT. | Crash: No Fire: No | 7,200 |
| Jul 2020 | AIR BAGS,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),SERVICE BRAKES | TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AT START-UP SEVERAL WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED INCLUDED THE ABS, POWER STEERING, HEADLAMPS, BACK-UP CAMERA, PARKING SUPPORT BRAKE, REAR CROSS TRAFFIC ALERT, BLIND SPOT MONITORING, DRIVE START CONTROL SYSTEM, PARKING BRAKE ASSIST, SRS, AIR BAGS AND PRE- COLLISION ASSIST. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO MAC HAIK TOYOTA (2112 GULF FWY S, LEAGUE CITY, TX 77573; (281) 338-9700). THE CONTACT STATED THAT SEVERAL ATTEMPTS WERE MADE TO TOW THE VEHICLE DUE TO THE PARKING BRAKE FAILURE. THE DEALER REPAIRED OR REPLACED THE ABS CONTROL, ECU, BRAKE ACTUATOR, PASSENGER'S SIDE REAR WHEEL SPEED SENSOR AND WHEEL BEARING HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE SAME DEALER. THE DEALER INSTALLED NEW TERMINALS 17 AND 18, AND SOLDERED THE WIRING HARNESS HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS AGAIN RETURNED TO THE SAME DEALER WHERE THE CHARCOAL CANISTER WAS REPLACED. THE DEALER ALSO ORDERED AN ENGINE COMPUTER SYSTEM TO PERFORM A REPLACEMENT REPAIR TO THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND PROVIDED A CASE NUMBER. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,293.*DT | Crash: No Fire: No Towed | 2,293 |
| Jul 2020 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | TOYOTA RAV4 2019 DON'T HAVE A CAR BUMPER THAT PROTECTS THE CARE WAIL PARKING OR IN THE PARKING LOT IT HAS A PLACK COVERING THE LOWER PART OF THE CAR AND IN THE SAME LEVEL AS THE FIBERGLASS ON THE UPPER PART SO IF ABUT TO HIT A WALL YOU GET THE CAR BODY AT THE SAME TIME AS THE BUMPER IN NEW YORK STATE REQUIRE CARES TO HAVE BUMPER PLUS ALL THE SENSITIVE PARTS IN THIS CARE ARE BEHIND THE BUMPER TO FIX IT COSTED ME $18000 | Crash: No Fire: No | 4,000 |
| Jun 2020 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | WE BOUGHT THE VEHICLE USED. WHEN WE TRY TO FILL THE GAS TANK UP IT WILL ONLY FILL UP ABOUT 3/4 OF THE WAY. THIS IS A RECURRING ISSUE WITH THE GAS TANK. WE TOOK IT TO TOYOTA WHO ONLY RESET THE COMPUTER. HOWEVER, WE ARE STILL HAVING THE SAME ISSUE. EVEN THOUGH TOYOTA IS AWARE THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE, THEY SAID THEY DO NOT PRESENTLY HAVE A FIX AND DON'T KNOW WHEN THEY'LL HAVE ONE. THE FUEL READING IS NOT ACCURATE AND WE ARE ALSO NOT GETTING THE FULL FUNCTIONALITY OF THE VEHICLE WE PURCHASED. WE WERE ALSO NOT MADE AWARE AHEAD OF TIME THAT THIS WAS AN ISSUE ON THE VEHICLE. | Crash: No Fire: No | 12,200 |
| Jun 2020 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | THE VEHICLE KEY WILL NOT COME OUT OF THE IGNITION. THE VEHICLE WAS PLACE ON PARK, THE KEY WILL GO DOWN TO THE ACCESSORY POSITION. HOWEVER, WHEN THE KEY IS PUSHED IN TO REMOVE THE KEY, THE KEY WILL NOT MOVE TO THE OFF POSITION, SO THE KEY MAY BE REMOVED. *TR | Crash: No Fire: No | 31,231 |
| Jun 2020 | SERVICE BRAKES | BREAKS MAKE A CHIRPING NOISE WHEN YOU STEP ON THE BREAKS. MOST RECENTLY HEARD ON 6.26.20. *TR | Crash: No Fire: No | 13,000 |
| Jun 2020 | ENGINE | TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AND SLOWING DOWN, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT RESTARTED THE VEHICLE HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO WELLESLEY TOYOTA (234 WORCESTER ST, WELLESLEY, MA 02481, 781-237-2970) WHERE THE MECHANIC RETRIEVED AN UNDISCLOSED FAULT CODE. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE CODE SHOWED A NON-SPECIFIC ENGINE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. | Crash: No Fire: No | 20,000 |
| Jun 2020 | STEERING | I AM HEARING CLICKING NOISE FROM STEERING WHEEL WHEN I MAKE TURNS AT LOW SPEED, SPECIALLY WHILE I AM APPLYING BRAKE (AND TURNING STEERING WHEEL). THE NOISE SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING IS TOUCHING INSIDE THE STEERING! BUT IT IS NOT CONSTANT. MAYBE ELECTRIC MOTOR OR A COMPONENT IN STEERING WHEEL. *TR | Crash: No Fire: No | 10,100 |
| Jun 2020 | STEERING,SUSPENSION,SERVICE BRAKES | WHEN BRAKING THE VEHICLE TAKES LONG TO STOP AND THIS IS A BRAND NEW 2019 RAV4 ? IT ONLY HAS 5K MILES ON IT. I NOTICED A CLINKING SOUND WHEN TURNING RIGHT AND LEFT OR GOING OVER BUMPS. I RESEARCHED THIS AND THERE ARE SEVERAL RECALLS AND COMPLAINTS OF THE SAME ISSUE REGARDING THE LOWER CONTROL ARM REPLACEMENT DUE TO IT DETACHING FROM THE WHEEL HUB AND IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE! THERE IS ALSO A RECALL FOR A SAFETY ISSUE ON THE MOTOR TO BE REPLACED DUE TO CRACKS ON THE ENGINE BLOCK DUE TO MANUFACTURE OVERSIGHT! MY CAR WAS MANUFACTURED IN THE TIME FRAME OF THE RECALL MONTH OF MANUFACTURE??? THERE IS ALSO AN ISSUE ON THE REVERSE CAMERA SYSTEM GOING BLANK WHEN REVERSING? I RESEARCHED THIS AND THERE IS ALSO A RECALL ON THIS ISSUE? *TR | Crash: No Fire: No | 5,000 |
| Jun 2020 | POWER TRAIN | VEHICLE JERKS AFTER ACCELERATING FROM A "ROLLING STOP." IT SEEMS LIKE THERE IS AN ISSUE WITH THE THROTTLE - THERE SEEMS TO BE A DELAY WITH GOING, SO THE CAR JERKS TO KICK INTO THE SPEED IT SHOULD BE. I'VE TAKING MY CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AT LEAST 3 TIMES TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE, BUT THEY ALWAYS SAY THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. *TR | Crash: No Fire: No | 100 |
| Jun 2020 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),SERVICE BRAKES | WAS AT DRIVE THROUGH CASH MACHINE, STOPPED, PUT INTO PARK, DID MY TRANSACTION, PUT CAR INTO DRIVE LEFT TO GET TO STREET VIA A SIDE STREET. NOTED AT STOPS THAT THE BRAKES WERE HARD AS WHEN ABS IS NOT QUITE RIGHT. ON A TOWN STREET, TWO PEDESTRIANS STEPPED OUT INTO MY LANE OF TRAVEL. I PUT ON MY BRAKES, HARD. THE ENGINE REV'D AND CONTINUED FASTER AND I KEPT MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, THE WOMEN GOT OUT OF THE LANE. I REALLY DON'T RECALL SEQUENCE, I WAS TERRIFIED (HAVE HAD A CAR RUN AWAY WITH ME LONG AGO). BUT I DO KNOW IT WAS REV'ING HARD, I WAS SO TERRIFIED I DID NOT NOTE IF ANY DASH LIGHTS WERE ON, OR WHAT THE TACH (?) WAS DOING. RAV WAS IN DRIVE, I PUSHED LEVER TO N AND FINALLY TO PARK AND THE ENGINE WAS SHUT DOWN. I HAD PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE STREET, SO FIRED IT UP, AND IT WAS 'NORMAL' BRAKES NO LONGER HARD. I CAUTIOUSLY PULLED OUT INTO THE LANE AND MADE IT TO THE TOYOTA DEALER. IT TRIED ONE MORE TIME TO DO A REV WHEN I PUT THE BRAKES ON, BUT NOT LIKE THAT FIRST TIME AS I IMMEDIATELY TURNED IT OFF AND PUT INTO NEUTRAL/PARK. TOYOTA SERVICE PERSON SHOWED CONCERN AND DROVE THE RAV AROUND FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES AND COULD NOT GET IT TO REPEAT THIS. HE THINKS MAYBE I SHOULD HAVE THE SHOP BYPASS THE AUTOMATIC STOP ENGINE THING, PERMANENTLY BUT THERE'S NOT LONGER A WAY TO DO IN NEWER RAVS. SO PUSHED THE A BUTTON TO TURN IT OFF AND FEAR DRIVING IT. SERVICE MAN WAS GOING TO CALL ME BACK IF HE COMES UP WITH ANYTHING. HE MAY NOT RECALL THE UNINTENTIONAL ENGINE REVS OF A FEW YEARS AGO IN TOYOTAS, WHICH CAUSED ACCIDENTS AND DEATHS. IT WAS NOT THE FLOOR MATS I ONLY HAVE THE RUBBER ONES, 'BOLTED DOWN". FIRST FEW WEEKS AFTER PURCHASE RAV MADE BEARING-LIKE GRINDING NOISES WHEN THE AUTO STOP WAS TURNED OFF SO TURNED IT BACK ON. WHEN A ON OR OFF, VEHICLE JERKS COMING TO A STOP AND WHEN MOVING FORWARD AFTER A STOP. CAR HAS <4000 MILES. BOUGHT NEW. *TR | Crash: No Fire: No | 3,790 |
| Jun 2020 | POWER TRAIN | AS I DRIVE THE VEHICLE AND COME TO A STOP AND RE-ACCELERATE IT JERKS VIOLENTLY! IT FEELS LIKE IT DOES THIS AS IT'S ACCELERATING IN FIRST GEAR ONLY. THIS SEEMS TO BE A POTENTIAL TRANSMISSION ISSUE, BUT I'M NOT COMPLETELY SURE. *TR | Crash: No Fire: No | 23,000 |
| Jun 2020 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | WHEN WE FIRST PURCHASED THE VEHICLE, WE USED TO BE ABLE TO FILL IT UP ALL THE WAY AND COMPLETELY NOW YOU CAN'T FILL IT UP ALL THE WAY. WHEN WE FIRST BOUGHT THE CAR, WE WERE ABLE TO GET ABOUT 450 MILES WITH A FULL TANK OF FUEL. NOW, WHEN WE GO TO FILL UP, WE ONLY GET ABOUT 350 MILES FOR A FULL TANK WHEN FILLING UP THE TANK DOESN'T ALLOW US TO FILL THE TANK UP COMPLETELY THIS IS VERY UNUSUAL! *TR | Crash: No Fire: No | 2,500 |
| Jun 2020 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1) WHILE DRIVER APPLIES THE BRAKE PEDAL TO BRING VEHICLE TO A COMPLETE STOP ON A CITY STREET, AT A POINT APPROXIMATELY BETWEEN 1500 AND 1000 RPM, THE VEHICLE ATTEMPTS TO ACCELERATE UP TO APPROXIMATELY 2000 RPM WHILE THE BRAKE PEDAL IS BEING PRESSED, FOR A DURATION OF APPROXIMATELY 1-2 SECONDS BEFORE DISENGAGING AND DECELERATING. 2) WHILE THE VEHICLE IS STOPPED AND IDLING IN A PARKING LOT, AT APPROXIMATELY 1000 RPM, WITH THE TRANSMISSION IN THE DRIVE (D) POSITION, WITH THE BRAKE PEDAL DEPRESSED, THE VEHICLE ATTEMPTS TO ACCELERATE TO APPROXIMATELY 1500 RPM FOR APPROXIMATELY 1 SECOND AND LURCH FORWARD AND THEN DISENGAGES AND DECELERATES BACK TO IDLE AS LONG AS THE BRAKE PEDAL REMAINS DEPRESSED.*DT*JB | Crash: No Fire: No | 200 |
| Jun 2020 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | UNABLE TO FILL GAS TANK FULLY IN ADDITION TO DISPLAYED RANGE BEING INACCURATE. TANK ONLY FILLS ABOUT 3/4 WITH AVERAGE DISTANCE TO EMPTY READING ABOUT 350 MILES, WHICH IS ACTUALLY MORE THAN THE DISTANCE WE ARE ABLE TO TRAVEL BEFORE NEEDING TO REFUEL. *TR | Crash: No Fire: No | 10,000 |
| Jun 2020 | ENGINE | I NOTICED THAT IS A DRIP OF OIL UNDER THE CAR. LOOKS LIKE IT'S COMING FROM THE ENGINE. *TR | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2020 | ENGINE | I NOTICE THAT MY RAV4 WAS DRIPPING OIL ON THE FLOOR OF THE GARAGE. I READ THE REPORTS ON YOUR SITE AND THIS MATTER COULD BE SERIOUS, AND CAN START FIRE.THE CAR IS NEW ONLY 8.000 MILES ON IT. I NEED HELP TO FIX IT. *TR | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2020 | SUSPENSION,POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | I RECEIVED 2 SPEEDING CAMERA TICKETS DUE TO SUDDEN ACCELERATION NOTICED TIME TO TIME, FRONT SUSPENSIONS ARE NOT EVEN AND ROUGH, TRANSMISSION IS NOT SMOOTH WHEN CHANGING GEARS AND/OR STOPPING VEHICLE. *TR | Crash: No Fire: No | 9,880 |
| Jun 2020 | VISIBILITY,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AT 60MPH ON A 65-DEGREE DAY AND MY SUNROOF EXPLODED. IT SOUNDED LIKE A GUNSHOT, THE GLASS BLEW OUT AND DOWN THE BACK OF MY CAR. *TR | Crash: No Fire: No | 9,000 |
| May 2020 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | FUEL TANK DOES NOT FILL TO CORRECT CAPACITY. WHENEVER I FILL MY TANK, EVEN WHEN THE LOW FUEL LIGHT IS ON, I AM ONLY ABLE TO FILL APPROXIMATELY 9 GALLONS. THE ADVERTISED CAPACITY OF THE TANK IS 14.5 GALLONS. THIS IS VERIFIED BY THE RANGE AND FUEL INDICATOR ON MY DASHBOARD. THE FUEL TANK STOPS FILLING AT ABOUT 3/4-7/8 OF A TANK AND THEN RANGE INDICATED BETWEEN 380-400 MILES. TOYOTA ADVERTISES A RANGE ON 580 MILES. TAKING INTO ACCOUNT MY CURRENT MPG, I SHOULD BE WITHIN ABOUT 40 MILES OF THIS NUMBER. *TR | Crash: No Fire: No | 5,000 |
| May 2020 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | FUEL TANK IS UNABLE TO FILL TO CAPACITY-!4 1/2 GALLON TANK -CAN ONLY FILL. 8 OR 9 GALLONS.*DT*JB *TR | Crash: No Fire: No | 300 |