Complaint volume
626 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
2020 Toyota RAV4 Complaints
626 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2020 Toyota RAV4, grouped by component category.
626 Total complaints
17 Crash reports
5 Fire reports
11 Injury reports
Complaint data reflects consumer-submitted reports. A complaint is not proof
of a defect, recall, or manufacturer fault. Enriched severity fields come
from official bulk records when the complaint can be matched by ODI number.
Buyer interpretation
How to use these complaints before buying
Complaint records are most useful when they turn into inspection points, seller questions, and comparison checks against nearby model years.
Pattern to inspect
The most common categories are engine, fuel/propulsion system, unknown or other. Use those categories as a test-drive checklist instead of judging the vehicle from the total count alone.
Severity flags
Enriched records include 17 crash reports, 5 fire reports, 11 injury reports, and 0 fatality reports. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage clue
Mileage is available on 194 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 15,183 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Questions to ask the seller
- Have you had any problems related to engine, fuel/propulsion system, unknown or other?
- Can I see recent maintenance and repair records?
- Has the vehicle ever been towed, involved in a crash, or repaired for the same issue twice?
- Can we also check the recall record for this 2020 Toyota RAV4?
Used-car checklist
Use these complaints before the test drive.
Build a buyer checklist to turn these issues into questions and inspection points.
2020 Toyota RAV4
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.
How severe are the 2020 Toyota RAV4 complaints?
17 Crash
5 Fire
11 Injury
0 Fatality
16 Towed
10 Medical attention
What are the most common 2020 Toyota RAV4 complaint categories?
ENGINE 119
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 78
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 70
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 62
STRUCTURE 42
AIR BAGS 39
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE 20
STEERING 16
POWER TRAIN 15
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 12
626 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | Car has 26K miles on it (3 year 2 months old). A light appears saying Emergency Engine Maintenance is required. After research as this error is not in manual, found out it was a failed coolant bypass valve and this was a common failure/faulty equipment but we are being asked to pay full price to repair. A simple internet search shows 100's of consumers with same issue in same model and low miles. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2023 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Coolant bypass valve required replacement due to faulty equipment, causing sensor to read “engine maintenance required”. Costs $650 to replace and dealership will not cover in warranty or admit fault. Many other Rav 4 owners are having same issue. This should not be on the customer, but rather Toyota for having faulty equipment in vehicle. Also “engine maintenance required” sensor will not go away. Since this is not an engine issue, this is unsafe, false alarming. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2023 | ENGINE | Coolant Bypass Valve breaks easily and in many RAV4s and Corollas. When this happens an "Engine Maintenance Required" see your dealer message comes up in the heads up display and won't go away. Makes seeing the important details of speed, miles to empty, etc on the screen impossible read. It is a known issue by Toyota and they refuse to do a recall. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2023 | ENGINE | Over a month ago, I had an engine maintenance required error light come up on my dashboard. I had done some research and found that this has been an ongoing issue with multiple RAV4s. I discussed this recently with the dealership as well as contacting Toyota’s customer service and they did not address the issue as a concern and replied I would have to have the dealership run a diagnostic to see what the issue was. I already knew the answer from multiple threads I had read prior to my appointment. I ended up paying $190+ for the diagnostic of what I already knew was going to be the issue. And now I have an appointment to have the part changed next week for another $600+ | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2023 | ENGINE | The coolant bypass valve failed. If this was not repaired it could have resulted in leaking coolant which would eventually cause engine failure. The issue started with a message on the dash stating there was "engine maintenance required" on 6/28/2023. I took my vehicle to my service provider the next day, 06/29/2023. The dealer service tech knew exactly what the issue was before diagnostics because they had 4 RAV4's come in that week with this same issue. The bypass valve was replaced on this visit and I paid for the job. I have since seen many posts online with this same failure on 2019 and 2020 RAV4 models. It appears Toyota had a recall for this in 2020 for Hybrid RAV4's and some non hybrid RAV4's but apparently my vehicle and many others were not included in this recall. https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1127163_some-2019-2020-toyota-and-lexus-hybrids-recalled-for-coolant-leak-concern This recall needs to be extended for the other vehicles like mine that are currently being affected by this faulty part. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2023 | POWER TRAIN | Only 46,000 miles and needing a Coolant Bypass Valve replacement | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2023 | POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | The Coolant Bypass Valve failed for my RAV4 at 59,210 miles. This was confirmed to me by Hoover Toyota. The part has not been inspected by the manufacture, police, insurance representatives, or any others. I had a message appear at 59,202 miles on my dashboard screen that said, "Engine Maintenance Required." I have already gotten Hoover Toyota to fix my part. My concern comes in part that reading through online forums, it appears this is a very regular/common problem for RAV4s (2019-2022) and seems to happen between 45,000 - 65,000 miles. If this is a known issue, I am curious as to why Toyota has not recalled this part since you wouldn't expect a car under 5 years old and driven less than 100,000 miles to have this kind of problem. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2023 | STRUCTURE | Torn bracket holding very rear door in place | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2023 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Per my research and talking with dealerships, the coolant bypass valve on this generation of RAV4’s is a known issue at 45,000 miles. Many users online and the dealership report seen many cars experiencing the same issue but it’s not currently under recall and would be a $1300 fix right now to drive my car safely without blowing up the engine. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2023 | ENGINE | Code p268115 part failed at 60k miles outside of warranty. Plastic wasn't designed to withstand normal operation. Cracked and leaks coolant causing a short to battery. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2023 | POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | My Toyota 2020 RAV 4 Hybrid accelerates in REVERSE when in drive mode and parked on an incline. My car ran over me on 2 occasions while outside the vehicle. Both times I pulled into my driveway, came to a complete stop, and believed I was parked and the car engine was off. Once I exited, I realized my car was still on, reached inside my car to push the off engine button, and the car IMMEDIATELY ACCELERATED in reverse (while in DRIVE MODE/not REVERSE or PARK MODE), knocked me down and pulled me under the front driver side tire and ran over my legs/body. The fire dept and police arrived to transport me to UCI Trauma Center. The car accelerated so fast that it knocked me down/pulled me under/rolled over my body, then rolled down the driveway, across the street, popped the curb and landed in the neighbor’s lawn – all from the force of acceleration in reverse while in DRIVE mode. This happens whenever the car is in DRIVE mode and you push the OFF button, the car accelerates in reverse when parked on an incline. This happens in parking lots as well with an incline. Toyota Service REFUSES to let me show them this product design defect and how the car accelerates in reverse while in DRIVE MODE when the "on/off" engine button is pushed off and the car is on a slight incline. It is a major hazard to the driver, passengers and community, whoever is standing outside and behind the car. Toyota REFUSES to memorialize this design problem. Our other Toyota cars require the car to be in park before you can shut it off and DO NOT accelerate in reverse when in the drive mode, only when in reverse mode. Toyota maintenance staff told me they are not allowed to memorialize the problem in writing; they won't come to my house to see what happened or let me demonstrate at their service facilities. The police officer told me he has seen this happen before, and that we were lucky no kids in the street were run over, which he said has happened before. How many others were run over? | Crash: No Fire: No Injuries: 1 Medical attention | Unknown |
| May 2023 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Our RAV4 was parked in an open lot (not under any trees or overhangs) and was no inclement weather. The glass sunroof spontaneously shattered— we were lucky the cover was closed (we have heard of many such instances with Toyota from other people and have kept the cover closed when not in use), no one was injured, thankfully. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2023 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where a failure code was retrieved for an engine coolant bypass valve circuit short, and it was diagnosed that the bypass hose and valve needed to be replaced. The local dealer was made aware of the failure; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V064000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 30,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 30,000 |
| May 2023 | AIR BAGS | Every time I take my car to the car wash I have a really bad roof leak my head liner is damaged from water linking | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2023 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | Engine maintenance required notification came on. Car is only 3 years old. Dealership stated that the coolant bypass valve needs to be replaced and it could potentially cause a fire. Service professional at the dealership stated that this is a common issue and most of the time Toyota warranty doesn't want to repair it, also said that it should be recalled. I have also seen hundreds of people complain about this on Rav4 forums. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2023 | POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | The contact leases a 2020 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while idling at a red light, the vehicle would suddenly and unintendedly surged forward. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The manufacturer was not yet notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 3. The consumer stated she intends to purchase the vehicle and would like it to be repaired. | Crash: No Fire: No | 3 |
| Apr 2023 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | Cannot fill the 14.5 gallon fuel tank at the pump. Half tank takes 5.2 gallons and empty tank takes 10.2 gallons when empty light comes on. Distance to empty only reads 380 mpg on a full tank of fuel and vehicle advertised to go 580 miles at 40 mpg. This situation causes range anxiety and constant stopping at the fuel pumpto only add 5 gallons at a time not knowing how much available fuel at any point in time. I do achieve 40 to 43 mpg on average. Maybe 39 on highway as I stick close to the speed limit. Dealers state nothing wrong and will not help. Toyota corporate states vehicle working as it should. This is not correct. Please help. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2023 | ENGINE | I took my vehicle to the dealership (Doral Toyota) on 22-Apr-23 and spoke to Mr. Rafael Sanchez (title: Toyota Advisor) because the "Engime Maintenance Required" light went off. Mr. Sanchez verified the vehicle and confirmed that the "Enginge Coolant Bypass Valve" was defective but he stated that there are 597 other owners also waiting for the same part. They were not able to resolve the issue and no estimated time to get the part. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2023 | SUSPENSION,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | The front suspension has problem I noticed recently the sway bar and front studs of the car is not reliable and also the fuel tank also has issue even if the tank is not fuel it refuses to take more fuel | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2023 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,ENGINE | The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that soon after he had the vehicle serviced at the dealer, the "engine maintenance required" message was displayed. The contact stated that the warning advisory remained displayed, which rendered the speedometer unviewable. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and was diagnosed with a defective coolant bypass valve. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and the contact was informed that the vehicle was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired and remained in the possession of the dealer. The parts to repair the vehicle was on backorder. The failure mileage was approximately 66,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 66,000 |
| Apr 2023 | ENGINE | At about 51,000 miles the engine maintenance required light came on. After taking it to the dealership I found out it was the coolant bypass valve. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | I bought my car brand new in August 2020. In September 2021, my car died, I couldn’t get it on at all, even to turn off the automatic emergency brake. No lights were left on, no doors ajar. Toyota came and jumped it so I could drop it off at the dealership. They ran tests and found no issues. Fast forward to March 2023, my car died again in the driveway. No lights left on, no doors ajar. It seems unreasonable that a brand new car would die twice in less than 3 years. Replaced the battery after the second time it died. How long until it happens again? I’ve read that there seems to be a battery issue with the 2020 Rav 4. Will there be a fix? I no longer feel confident in my car. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2023 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | There is a class action lawsuit against toyota for known issues with leaks happening because of plastic being used in the roof racks of 2019-2020 Rav4 models https://www.motorbiscuit.com/lawsuit-alert-toyota-rav4-roof-leak-causes-water-damage-electronics-airbags/ | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2023 | STRUCTURE | In preparing for a trip, the automatic tailgate went out of alignment and would not close. A local body shop diagnosed the issue as a bent hinge. There was no incident that caused this - the hinge appears to be insufficiently sturdy for a heavy tailgate. The body shop temporarily hammered the hinge back into place, but the seal of the tailgate is imperfect, allowing exhaust fumes to enter the cabin when driving at low speeds. This may also have been true before the gate failed to close, but was not noticed. This is beginning to show up on other RAV4s. The local Toyota dealer would not accept a warranty claim for the issue. A permanent repair is scheduled, but will require several weeks due to scheduling. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2023 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | On several occaisions the vehicle has incorrectly detected an impending collision, disconnected the adaptive speed control and applied the brakes forcefully. On one occasion, it happened while driving in heavy slushy snow. Speed control wouldn't reengage. The dealer suggested cleaning off the Toyota logo in front and that resolved the problem. The other times the problem occured, the vehicle was being drive in late afternoon daylight on I 80. The vehicle was in the left lane, going around a tight (for an Interstate) curve with another vehicle in the right lane and slightly ahead. It apparently thought that the other vehicle was in the same lane. i.e., the vehicle had inadequate knowledge of it's position relative to the roadway. Up to that point, it understood that it was in it's own lane. Each time this occurred, the road was (fortunately) relatively empty so no crash occurred. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |