Complaint volume
620 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
620 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2020 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.
620 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 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.
Enriched records include 16 crash reports, 5 fire reports, 10 injury reports, and 0 fatality reports. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage is available on 191 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 14,165 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Build a buyer checklist to turn these issues into questions and inspection points.
620 total complaints on record
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2021 | LANE DEPARTURE | WHEN THE FEATURE IS ENGAGED, THE CAR CHANGES LANES. HAD IT INSPECTED AND ADJUSTED BY THE DEALER. DEALER SAID "IF I DON'T LIKE THE FEATURE, TURN IT OFF" SO I DO NOT USE THIS "SAFETY" FEATURE AS IT WOULD CAUSE ME TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT. I'VE ONLY TURNED IT ON WHEN I CAN DO SO SAFELY WITHOUT SOMEONE NEAR ME TO SHOW. FEATURE IS ONLY ENGAGED OVER 35 MPH SO WHEN I AM ON THE HIGHWAY. | Crash: No Fire: No | 3,900 |
| Mar 2021 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | AFTER THE CAR SITS FOR 3 OR 4 DAYS I DRIVEN THE BATTERY DIES AND NEEDS TO BE JUMPED TO GET IT STARTED AGAIN. NO LIGHTS LEFT ON OR ANYTHING. ON COLD START THE ENGINE MAKES A TICKING NOISE THAT HAS BEEN GETTING LOUDER OVER THAT LAST FEW MONTHS. | Crash: No Fire: No | 6,000 |
| Mar 2021 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 2020 RAV4 HYBRID: BATTERY KEEPS DYING. PURCHASED 6/22/20, BATTERY DIED MULTIPLE TIMES 3 WEEKS LATER, BATTERY REPLACED 7/16/20. BATTERY DYING AGAIN 2/19/21 AND AGAIN 3/5/21. ONGOING ISSUE. ALSO HEAD UNIT W/USB PORT HAD TO BE REPLACED 12/8/20 AFTER FOUND INOPERABLE MULTIPLE TIMES, THE FINAL BEING 11/9/20. BOTH STOPPED WORKING AFTER SITTING 1-3 DAYS. MAIN. RECORDS NOT UPLOADED SINCE FILE MAY BE PUBLIC DOMAIN, SENSITIVE INFORMATION ON RECORDS. TOYOTA MAY CONTACT ME DIRECTLY FOR RECORDS HOWEVER, AS I HAVE KEPT ALL OF THEM. | Crash: No Fire: No | 1,481 |
| Feb 2021 | ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | THE MILEAGE I AM GETTING IS FAR BELOW THE STATED RATING ON THE STICKER. I AM AVERAGING ABOUT 33.5 MPG IN MIXED DRIVING WHEREAS THE STATED RATING IS 41 MPG OVERALL. IT'S NOT EVEN CLOSE. THE TANK WAS RECENTLY REPLACED BECAUSE YOU COULD NOT FILL THE TANK. EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED IN THE MILEAGE WHICH WAS THE MAIN PURPOSE OF BUYING THIS VEHICLE. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2021 | STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,LANE DEPARTURE | NEW VEHICLE BROUGHT IN FOR IT'S 5K MAINTENANCE, TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT OF THE DEALERSHIP IT WAS PURCHASED FROM. I POINTED OUT SEVERAL ISSUES WITH THE GAS TANK RANGE, BSM, CAMERA SHUTTING OFF, AND THAT I HAVE TO KEEP THE STEARING WHEEL TURNED TO THE RIGHT IN ORDER TO GO STRAIGHT. 5K MAINTENANCE IS PERFORMED, THEY NOTICED THE CAR NEEDED TO BE REALIGNED. DRIVING HOME, NO DIFFERENCE FROM WHEN FIRST BROUGHT IN. BRING IT IN TO THE DEALERSHIP NEXT DAY, THE DAY AFTER, I'AM NOTIFIED THAT THE CAR IS READY FOR PICK UP, I ASK WERE IF THEY WERE ABLE TO FIND WHAT CAUSED THE AGLINMENT TO GO OUT A SECOND TIME. THERE RESPONSE IS THAT THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF WHAT CAUSED IT. INFORM THEM THAT 1. I'AM CONCERNED FOR MY SAFETY AND 2. THE LONG TERM DAMAGE THIS IS CAUSING. THEY INFORM ME THAT THEY WILL LOOK INTO THE PROCESS, AND HAVE MANAGEMENT INVOLVED. NEXT DAY, MANAGER INFORMS ME THAT THE AGLINMENT MACHINE WAS OUT OF CALIBRATION, HE HAD TO STOP A TECHNICIAN FROM WORKING ON THE CAR, HAD THE MACHINE CALIBRATED, AND THAT HE PERSONALLY PERFORMED THE ALGINMENT. I PICK UP THE CAR AND THE STEERING WHEEL HAS TO BE TURNED TO THE LEFT TO GO STRAIGHT ON THE HIGHWAY AT 35-45MPH, SLOWING DOWN/STOPPING & ACCLERATING. BRING IT IN NEXT DAY, MANGER HAS 3 ALGINMENTS PERFORMED TO SEE IF THERE ARE ANY VARIATIONS, TELLS ME EVERYTHING IS IN SPEC. IT IS SO PERFECT THEY DIDNT EVEN HAVE TO TAKE A WRENCH TO IT. REASSURES ME NUMEROUS TIMES THAT IT IS SAFE AND IN SPEC, HANDS ME A PAPER "PROVING" SO. DRIVE HOME, STEERING WHEEL IS STILL TO THE LEFT. I LOOK AT THE PAPER AND IT CLEARLY LISTS 3 VALUES THAT ARE MARKED AS NOT WITHIN SPEC, AND THAT IT MAY CAUSE WEAR, HANDLING AND SAFETY ISSUES. CAR IS TOWED TO A DIFFERENT DEALERSHIP. DURING THERE TEST DRIVE THE TECH NOTICED THE WHEEL WAS JERKING TO THE LEFT WITHOUT WARNING. WAS INFORMED THAT THE STEARING WHEEL NEEDED A SOFTWARE UPDATE & THE ALGIMENT IS OUT OF SPEC. | Crash: No Fire: No | 5,000 |
| Feb 2021 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | FRONT WINDSHIELD DEFROSTER IS LOCATED IN THE CENTER 1/2 OF THE WINDSHIELD, BUT NOT ON THE LEFT OR RIGHT SIDE. AS SUCH, THE LEFT AND RIGHT SIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD WILL ICE-OVER DURING NORMAL WINTER SNOW CONDITIONS. ADDITIONALLY, PASSENGER-SIDE WINDSHIELD WIPER FALLS OUTSIDE OF THE DEFROSTER AND WILL FREEZE OVER, ALLOWING THE WIPER TO BUILD-UP ICE THAT MAY SCRATCH THE WINDSHIELD. BECAUSE OF THE AUTOMATIC WEATHER SYSTEM, IT IS ALSO POSSIBLE TO RUIN YOUR WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR FROM THE AUTOMATIC WEATHER SYSTEM TURNING THE WIPERS ON TO FULL IN AN ATTEMPT TO TRY AND REMOVE THE ICE. BECAUSE THE ICE NEVER MELTS, IT CAN'T WIPE THE ICE OFF AND THUS CONTINUES WIPING AT FULL-SPEED. IF THIS PERSISTS, MOTOR WILL BURN-OUT LEAVING BOTH WIPERS OUT OF COMMISSION. I HAD THIS PROBLEM WHILE DRIVING ON A MOUNTAIN HIGHWAY IN NORMAL SNOW CONDITIONS. BOTH SIDES OF WINDSHIELD LOCATED OUTSIDE OF THE CENTER 1/2 FROZE OVER AND BECAME HARD TO DEFROST, AND THE PASSENGER-SIDE WIPER HAD AN ICE BUILD-UP. SEEMS TO AFFECT THE 2019-2021 MODEL RAV4 AS WELL AS SOME 4RUNNER MODELS WITH THE SAME DEFROSTER BUILD. | Crash: No Fire: No | 8,000 |
| Feb 2021 | POWER TRAIN | HYBRID MALFUNCTION WARNING LIGHT WHILE DRIVING. | Crash: No Fire: No | 6,800 |
| Feb 2021 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS ON THE DRIVEWAY FOR LESS THAN 24 HOURS, IT WOULD NOT UNLOCK DOORS, DISENGAGE THE SHIFT FROM PARK, OR START THE ENGINE. THE BATTERY APPEARED TO HAVE CHARGE AS THE LIGHTS WOULD GO ON. THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME THE PROBLEM OCCURRED. TOYOTA UPDATED THE SOFTWARE, BUT THIS FIX DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. | Crash: No Fire: No | 7,200 |
| Feb 2021 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | LEASED MY 2030 RAV 4 XLE AWD IN LATE NOV 2019 IN JULY 2020 THE ENGINE STOPPING WHEN BREAKING FEATURE WOULD NOT WORK. MESSAGE SAID BATTERY CHARGING. BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY SAID THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG THAT DIDN'T DRIVE IT ENOUGH. TOOK IT HOME. A WEEK LATER IT HAPPENED AGAIN.DEALER KEPT IT OVERNIGHT TO CHECK THE FULL ELECTRIC SYSTEM. FOUND NOTHING WRONG TOLD YOU DRIVE IT MORE. HAPPENS EVERY ONCE AND AWHILE. JUMP TO FEBRUARY 2021. DRIVING IT MORE PARKED CAR OUTSIDE 30 DEGREE NIGHT. NEXT MORNING WENT TO TAKE MY SON TO WORK AND THE CAR WAS TOTALLY DEAD. NOTHING WORKED. DIDN'T LEAVE ANYTHING ON, EVERYTHING LIKE IT ALWAYS WAS. CALLED TOYOTA SERVICE WHO SENT SOMEONE TO JUMPSTART IT. THAT WORKED. I WAS TOLD TO LET IT RUN FOR 30 MINS. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP TOYOTA OF MASSAPEQUA NY. THEY CHECK THE BATTERY AND FOUND NOTHING WRONG. THEY KEPT IT OVERNIGHT TO PREFORM A FIRMWARE UPDATE. I AM JUST READING THAT THE CAR BATTERY SHUTTING DOWN IS A PROBLEM WITH MANY OTHER OWNERS. I HOPE THE FIRMWARE UPDATE WORKS BUT KNOWING WHAT I KNOW NOW I'M NOT SURE. WISH THE UPDATE WAS DOWN BACK IN JULY. TOYOTA SHOULD RECALL ALL 2020 RAV 4 | Crash: No Fire: No | 6,400 |
| Feb 2021 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | ON FEBRUARY 6, 2021 IN ATLANTA GA, THE VEHICLE, WHILE IN MOTION AT AROUND 30MPH, DISPLAYED A 'HYBRID SYSTEM MALFUNCTION' WARNING AND BEGAN BEEPING AND TREMBLING. THE WARNING SAID THAT THE CAR MUST BE STOPPED WITHIN 0.9 MILES BUT LASTED FAR LESS THAN THAT, FULLY LOSING ANY EFFECT OF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL MID-TRAFFIC. THE VEHICLE COASTED INTO A PARKING LOT ON MOMENTUM AND WAS STOPPED WITH A FINAL WARNING THAT BRAKING POWER WAS REDUCED. HAD THIS VERY SITUATION OCCURRED ON AN INTERSTATE, IT EASILY COULD HAVE BEEN FATAL TO MY WIFE, WHO WAS DRIVING AT THE TIME, AND TO OUR UNBORN CHILD. THE VEHICLE IS 9 MONTHS OLD, WAS PURCHASED NEW, AND HAS AROUND 15,000 MILES. | Crash: No Fire: No | 15,000 |
| Feb 2021 | STRUCTURE | ON A CITY STREET, THIS IS A UNSAFE CONDITION ,THE CAR DO NOT HAVE A TOWING EYELET OR HOOK.VEHICLE BECAME STUCK, NO WAY TO BE REMOVE FROM STREET ,ACCIDENT ETC. .ALL RAV4 BEFORE HAVE THIS TOWING EYELET OR HOOK OR METAL RING TO HOOK A CHAIN AND REMOVE THE CAR FROM A DANGER SITUATION. | Crash: No Fire: No | 320 |
| Feb 2021 | STRUCTURE | WHEN TAKING THE VEHICLE THROUGH A CAR WASH THE EDGE OF THE HOOD BY THE WINDSHIELD BUCKLES, FLEXES AND THEN RETURNS TO IT'S NORMAL SHAPE. THE HOOD ALSO HAS A RIPPLING APPEARANCE WHILE DRIVING AT SPEEDS AROUND 70 MPH | Crash: No Fire: No | 2,500 |
| Jan 2021 | SERVICE BRAKES,LANE DEPARTURE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | A FEW MONTHS AFTER I PURCHASED MY 2020 RAV4 XLE HYBRID, I NOTICED THAT MY BRAKES SQUEAKS WHENEVER I MAKE A QUICK STOP, OR AFTER I RELEASE THE BRAKES AFTER STOPPING OR WHEN I AM BACKING UP. IT DOESN'T MATTER ON THE KIND OF ROAD THAT I AM ON. I BROUGHT MY CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THAT IT IS NORMAL FOR A HYBRID TO SQUEAKS DUE TO THE BREAK ACTUATOR. I KNOW PEOPLE WITH TOYOTA HYBRIDS AND THEY DO NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM. I AM CONCERNED BECAUSE THIS COULD BE A DANGEROUS ISSUE. PLEASE ADVISE. THANK YOU | Crash: No Fire: No | 5,100 |
| Jan 2021 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | VEHICLE WAS PARKED AT HOME, DID NOT TURN ON AT ALL.VEHICLE WAS ONLY AT ABOUT 5K TOPS. CALLED ROADSIDE & WAS GIVEN A JUMPSTART. | Crash: No Fire: No | 4,976 |
| Jan 2021 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | VEHICLE PARKED FOR LESS THAN 24 HRS. 14 MONTHS OLD, APPROX 12,000MI. BATTERY TOTALLY DRAINED. LEFT STRANDED WITHOUT VEHICLE USE. INDICATES SMART KEY PROBLEM, TRIED OTHER KEYS. BATTERY IS TOTALLY DRAINED. | Crash: No Fire: No | 12,000 |
| Jan 2021 | LANE DEPARTURE | I HAVE HAD A NUMBER OF INSTANCES WHERE MY VEHICLE'S LANE KEEP ASSIST WILL RANDOMLY JERK ME OUT OF MY LANE. IN SEPT 2020 I EXPERIENCED A SIGNIFICANT EVENT OF THIS HAPPENING WHEN I WAS DRIVING IN THE RIGHT LANE OF AN INTERSTATE AND THE VEHICLE JERKED RIGHT SUDDENLY, PULLING THE VEHICLE INTO THE RIGHT SHOULDER AND ALMOST DROVE ME OFF THE INTERSTATE. ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT INSTANCE HAPPENED ON 1/23/2021. I WAS DRIVING NORTHBOUND ON I-44 AND I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF 3 LANES. MY VEHICLE SUDDENLY JERKED THE VEHICLE TO THE LEFT INTO THE LEFT LANE OF TRAFFIC. LUCKILY, THE VEHICLE NEXT TO ME SWERVED ONTO THE SHOULDER THINKING I WAS GOING TO HIT THEM. THERE HAVE BEEN OTHER REGULAR INCIDENTS OF THIS HAPPENING, BUT NOT AS SEVERE AS THESE TWO.*DT*DT THE CONSUMER STATED WHILE DRIVING ON I-44, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY JERKED TO THE LEFT TOWARDS TRAFFIC. THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS NOT ACTIVATED. THE CONSUMER STATED THE REPAIR TECHNICIANS WERE ABLE DULICATE THE FAILURE BUT, UNABLE TO REPAIR IT. | Crash: No Fire: No | 4,600 |
| Jan 2021 | STEERING,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1.OCCASIONALLY STEERING ISSUES, CAR WANTING TO VEER LEFT OR RIGHT WHILE DRIVING MAINLY NOTICE ON HIGHWAY. 2. SECOND INCIDENT WHERE BATTERY DEAD AFTER NOT DRIVING CAR FOR THREE DAYS. | Crash: No Fire: No | 10,000 |
| Jan 2021 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | THE TOYOTA ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL KEEPS A SAFE DISTANCE TO THE VEHICLE IN FRONT, SLOWING AND ACCELERATING PROPERLY TO KEEP A SET DISTANCE EVEN DOWN TO A FULL STOP. HOWEVER, WHEN TRAVELING AT ANY SPEED AND ANOTHER CAR ENTERS MY LANE IMMEDIATELY IN FRONT OF MY VEHICLE THE SYSTEM DOES NOT RECOGNIZE THE NEW VEHICLE AND HOW CLOSE IT IS TO THE FRONT OF MY VEHICLE. IT DOES NOT SLOW AT ALL EVEN IF THE DISTANCE TO THE INTRUDER IS ONLY A CAR LENGTH OR LESS. I HAVE TO MANUALLY BRAKE QUICKLY TO PREVENT FOLLOWING TO CLOSE AND CAUSING A POSSIBLE REAR END COLLISION. THIS HAPPENS EVERY TIME A CAR SQUEEZES IN FROM OF ME WITH THE ADAPTIVE CRUSE ON AND IS VERY REPEATABLE. I'VE EXPERIENCED IT IN ANOTHER NEW RAV 4 TOO. THIS HAS BEEN REPEATABLY GOING ON SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED NEW ON JAN, 2020 | Crash: No Fire: No | 3,000 |
| Jan 2021 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | TOYOTA STATES THE RAV4 HYBRID HAS A 14.5 GAL GAS TANK. WHEN GAS GAUGE SHOWED 27 MI LEFT, I WAS ONLY ABLE TO PUT 11.8 GAL IN TANK. DEALER TOLD ME TO JUST ASSUME I HAD MORE GAS LEFT. THIS WAS AFTER THEY HAD REPAIRED THE RECALL ON THE TANK APPROVED BY TOYOTA. NO WAY TO KNOW HOW FAR I COULD GO. THE RECALL DIDN'T WORK | Crash: No Fire: No | 6,000 |
| Jan 2021 | STRUCTURE | DRIVING ON INTERSTATE AND HEARD AN EXPLOSION AND SAW GLASS FLYING. STOPPED AND LOOKED AT TOP OF CAR AND SUNROOF HAD A LARGE PART OF IT MISSING. THERE WERE NO OVERPASSES NOR DID I SEE ANYTHING THAT WOULD CAUSE IT. TOYOTA'S STATEMENT WHEN I TOOK IT THERE WAS, "IT HAPPENS." I DO NOT KNOW HOW IT WOULD HAPPEN. IT MAKES ME THINK IT WAS A MANUFACTURING ERROR. IF I DID NOT HAVE THE SUNSHADE CLOSED, I WOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED IN GLASS. | Crash: No Fire: No | 7,947 |
| Jan 2021 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | FUEL-TANK CAPACITY IS LISTED AT 14.5 GALLONS THE TANK WON'T ACCEPT MORE THAN 9 OR 10 GALLONS. | Crash: No Fire: No | 4,000 |
| Dec 2020 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | WITHIN A WEEK FROM THE DATE OF PURCHASE ,THE VEHICLE DID NOT START , HAD TO BE TOWED BACK TO THE DEALER, DEALER SAYS THE VEHICLE STARTED NORMALLY THE PROBLEM DID NOT DUPLICATE AT THEIR END. NO FAULT DETECTED. 9 MONTHS LATER WHEN THE VEHICLE HAD A MILEAGE OF 6066 AGAIN IT FAILED TO START, HAD TO BE TOWED BACK TO THE DEALER, DEALER AGAIN STARTED THE VEHICLE NORMALLY NO FAULT WAS DETECTED, LATER WHEN THE VEHICLE HAD THE MILEAGE OF 7079 THE VEHICLE STALLED WHILE IN QUE IN A GAS STATION. FLASHING NOTIFICATION IN THE DASH BOARD INDICATED "DIRT IN THE ENGINE" THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED BACK TO THE DEALER FOR THE THIRD TIME IN A YEAR NEXT DAY DEALER SAYS THEY DID NOT FIND ANY ISSUE IN THE VEHICLE. MY CONCERN IS NOT ONCE BUT THRICE THE VEHICLE STOPED WORKING BUT THE THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT JUST COULD NOT DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. I AM FRUSTRATED - 3 BREAKDOWNS IN THE 1ST YERAR OF THE PERFORMANCE WITHIN 7100 MILEAGE. I THINK THE MECHANICS OF THIS DEALER"S SERVICE DEPARTMENT ARE NOT EXPERIENCED TO DETECT THE PROBLEM IN A NEW VEHICLE. HELP | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2020 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | VEHICLE GAS TANK WILL NOT FILL TO CAPACITY.. I AM STOPING AT GAS STATIONS ALL THE TIME BECAUSE I AM FLYING THROUGH GAS ..AND IT'S A HYBRID ..WON'T FILL MORE THAN 9 OR 10 GALS .. THE VEHICLE HAS NO RANGE FOR A HYBRID WHICH IS THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF WHAT THEY SAY WHEN THEY'RE TRYING TO SELL YOU ONE.. HAD I KNOWN I WOULD BE AT A GAS STATION EVERY 3 DAY'S WITH A HYBRID I WOULD HAVE NEVER BOUGHT IT | Crash: No Fire: No | 23,350 |
| Dec 2020 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | CAR BATTERY COMPLETELY DRAINED AFTER NOT BEING DRIVEN FOR 24 HOURS LEAVING ME STRANDED. CAR WOULD NOT START AND HAD TO BE JUMP STARTED. THERE IS AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE CAUSING QUICK AND SIGNIFICANT BATTERY DRAIN. CAR WAS PURCHASED IN SEPTEMBER 2020 AND HAS LESS THAN 10,000 MILES. | Crash: No Fire: No | 9,172 |
| Dec 2020 | SEATS | TETHER ANCHORS ARE MISSING OR NOT VISIBLE. THE LABELS ARE MISSING AS WELL. I'M TRYING TO USE A CARSEAT FORWARD FACING AND NEED TO USE THE TETHER ANCHORS. COULDN'T UPLOAD THE PICTURES. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |