Complaint volume
625 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
625 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2020 Toyota RAV4, grouped by component category.
625 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 69
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 62
STRUCTURE 42
AIR BAGS 39
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE 20
STEERING 16
POWER TRAIN 15
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 12
625 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 2024 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | While under warranty, my vehicle's “engine maintenance required” alert came on. I called Toyota immediately and the customer service representative (not a mechanic) said it’s a common issue - coolant bypass valve. This is without me bringing the vehicle in for diagnostics. Shortly after the alert disappeared. Took it to the dealer and they said they didn't have any issues when they ran diagnostics. A few days later it came on again. I went to the nearest mechanic and they said that it should be recalled because there was no alert by the time I got there. I reached out to the dealership again and when they checked the vehicle they said the car alert needed to be reset. It’s been almost a year now and it’s back on and the dealership now wants $800+ to change the coolant bypass. The vehicle drives as it should with no issues other than the alert. I’ve read multiple forums where this is a common issue. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2024 | ENGINE | The problem starts with a service notice for the engine. when they check it at the dealer they say it is the coolant bypass valve and they charge 1000 dollars to fix the problem. a new car is not supposed to have these types of problems. they are making a lot of money by changing this part because there are many cars of the same year and with few miles that come to the Toyota dealer for the same problem. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2024 | AIR BAGS,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | I demand that the airbags in my car be fixed immediately. It has been a year since I paid for them and they are still not working. This is a serious safety issue, and I cannot afford to wait any longer. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | I have had a Service Engine message on my dash that would return within seconds of my hitting the button to signal I received the message. When I took the vehicle to the dealership I was told it was a leaking coolant bypass valve and would need to be replaced. I was told the cost would be $215 plus three hours of labor. The final cost was $240 for the parts and $709 for the labor. The vehicle only has 31,209 miles on it. As I have researched the part, I have found numerous people have had the same issue within a similar range of mileage. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2024 | ENGINE | Engine Coolant Bypass Valve Failed expecting close to $1000 for repair. This is not a normal failing part. 2019-2023 rav4 and corollas have this faulty valve that fails prematurely. It is well documented throughout the internet and forums of people having the same issue. 3 dealerships I have spoken with list this as a well known issue that is common with the car. It throws engine maintenance required sign non stop. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2024 | STRUCTURE | The contact's son owns a 2020 Toyota RAV4. The contact stated that when it rained, rainwater entered the vehicle onto the passenger’s side front door panel. The contact stated that the sound of the water slushing around in the front passenger's door panel was very distracting. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed door trim. The contact was informed that the front passenger’s side door trim needed to be cut and drained. The contact stated that there was more than a gallon of water released from the front passenger's side door panel drain. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 111,000. The VIN was not available. | Crash: No Fire: No | 111,000 |
| Aug 2024 | POWER TRAIN | I searched online after the Toyota dealership told me that my coolant flow control valve is failing. I became aware that it is a common issue for my 2020 Toyota Rav4. The warranty does not cover it even though it should be part of the powertrain warranty. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2024 | POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | I bought the 2020 Rav4 XLE back in 2019 and had driven for four and half years now. I went to the dealership to get my routine oil change just this Monday July 29th 2024. As usual, the dealership did multi-inspection on my Rav4 and didn't find any problem that requires immediate attention. Two days later, a warning message popped up on the MID screen right after I started the car and read "Engine Maintenance Required". After searching online, calling both local mechanic and Toyota dealership, it happens to be a well-known issue for many 2019-2023 Toyota models including Rav4, Camry, Corolla that the faulty coolant bypass valve has to be replaced. I'm not a car person and I don't know much about cars but I have had the radiator broken while I was driving on my old car due to coolant related issue and almost got me into an accident so I know I shouldn't overlook any issues related to coolant. That being said, Toyota dealership knew about the issue, my local mechanic heard about the issue, an overwhelming number of users had reported the issue on online forums, and with no surprise, a class action lawsuit was filed regarding this issue on June 2024. For a solid car brand that advertises reliability and accountability for its vehicles, not informing or recalling for affected customers is extremely disappointing and unacceptable. After all, I had to pay $785 out of pocket for a repair that should never be done in less 5 years/45000 miles. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | 52,000 miles, and was just informed the coolant bypass valve has failed. This is apparently an issue with ALL 2019~2022 Toyota Rav4 vehicles. It was a known issue to Toyota, using substandard parts. It results in an error message that cant be turned off, masking all other messages, and can only be fixed by a dealer for over $1,000 in costs. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2024 | AIR BAGS | The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2024 | ENGINE | A code for the coolant bypass valve appeared through an independent service center. Warning message shows "Engine Maintenance Required", when air conditioning is turned on and does not go away. Warning message does not show when air conditioning is turned off. I had a independent service center check any damages to the coolant bypass valve, show that the part was faulty. Through various testimonials Toyota Rav4 owners, they also had the same issue. Warning message started at approximately 55,000 miles and has not gone away even after service. Quote for repair goes above $700, although part has been claimed to be faulty and not disclosed. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2024 | STEERING | While I was driving the power steering light came on and lost power. A message came on the vehicle history alert. After driving slowly for 2 miles it when away and got power back on the steering | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2024 | AIR BAGS,ENGINE | The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated while operating the vehicle, the message "Engine Maintenance Required - See Dealer" was display on the instrument panel. No warning light was illuminated. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired due to the cost. In addition, the contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 47,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available. | Crash: No Fire: No | 47,000 |
| Jul 2024 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | My engine maintenance screen kept coming up. Bought it to the dealership & was told that my coolant bypass value needed to be replaced. Not covered by warranty & $700 to replace. This is a known issue with Toyota rav4. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2024 | ENGINE | A warning message saying "Warning Notification A warning light was turned on. Would you like to call an operator?". Diagnostic performed by Yark Toyota confirmed coolant bypass valve malfunction which can cause overheating. Warning comes on when I turn on the A/C. I now have no air conditioning in the hottest summer I can remember. Repair costs just under $1,000 total. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2024 | ENGINE | Recurring engine maintenance required alert due to a Heater coolant bypass valve fail issue at 58,100. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2024 | ENGINE | Engine coolant valve Malfunction | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2024 | ENGINE | I got a message popup saying "Engine Maintenance Required" which is different from the oil change reminder. I cleared it thinking it was about an oil change (that isn't due yet), and it came right back. I took it to a mechanic who ran diagnostics and wasn't able to find the issue. After a few internet searches, I found that the coolant bypass valve is a known issue on certain years of this vehicle. I followed the suggested steps for resetting it (to turn on the vehicle with the heater on, then lower the AC temp without hitting the lowest temperature setting). It's currently working as a fix, but I'm concerned about any long-term situations that could arise. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2024 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | I had a message on my dash for "engine maintenance required" but my check engine light was not on. Coolant bypass Valve failed, it is definitely a known issue and the dealership knew the likely issue before the car was seen by any technician. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2024 | ENGINE | Premature Coolant bypass hose failure at 120k Very common according to online forums $1000 cost of repair | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | PARASITIC BATTERY DRAIN DEFECT complaint: prior to 07/16/2024, I received a "low voltage" error on my Toyota RAV4 screen a few times. On 07/16/2024, I took it to the dealership. My battery tested "good" and the Toyota dealership charged me 39.95 to tell me that everything was working well on my vehicle. The very next day (24 hours later), 07/17/2024, my vehicle would not start and had to be towed to the dealership. The tow truck driver told me the battery was "dead" (based on his measurement) and leaking acid (based on a smell). Toyota charged me 272.52 to replace the battery on 07/18, that was supposedly "good" two days prior. This is a known issue to Toyota, part of a class action lawsuit referred to as "Parasitic Battery Drain Defect." This is dangerous since I was stranded with a car that would not start in a summer day of high heat, but could have been much worse in other circumstances. The tow truck driver told me that the battery acid could be dangerous. Toyota should be providing a fix and a recall, but they had no solution for me other than a new battery which is a "quick fix" (but not a real solution) as described in the Class Action lawsuit documents. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2024 | ENGINE | Coolant bypass value failure. 2020 with 32751 miles. There are many of this failures reported on-line. Example: [XXX] At the dealer, the service manager relayed that a mechanic stated they've replaced several of these and it should be a recall. Cost was $520 and not covered by warranty. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2024 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | Driving at highway speeds with no other vehicles around, sunroof closed but shade open, sunroof exploded. Edges of sunroof that didn't fall in were pushed up as if an over pressure condition had occurred. There was no evidence of anything striking the glass found upon inspection. Quick internet search confirms others with this same make/model have experienced the same issue. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2024 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | We replaced the original battery on May 27, 2024. A few weeks later, on June 15, 2024, an "Engine Maintenance Required" message appeared on the display screen. A local mechanic diagnosed the code and stated that the oil level was low so we added one quarter of motor oil. We also called the dealership, which stated that this code generally indicates a coolant bypass valve malfunction. We topped off the coolant fluid but the "Engine Maintenance Required" message still appeared (we were not able to clear it). A few days later, we took the vehicle to another mechanic, who informed us that the coolant bypass valve was broken and needed to be replaced. Given the 95-degree temperatures, we felt that we had no choice but to replace the broken valve because we did not want the engine to overheat. So we paid $570.28 for the mechanic to replace the coolant bypass hose and valve. The mechanic stated that this issue should not occur in any vehicle with only 38,000 miles, which means the valve was likely defective to begin with. It is suspicious that this issue occurred about two weeks after we replaced the battery and about 2,000 miles after we surpassed the factory warranty. Please investigate! | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2024 | AIR BAGS | I received a notice in the mail from Toyota with Toyota Recall # 23TA15 or NHTSA Recall # 23V-865. The notice clearly states that they will notify consumers when the remedy is available. However, it also states that if your vehicle's supplemental restraint (SRS) warning light is illuminated, then your vehicle may be experiencing symptoms related to this safety call. Earlier this morning, 7/16/24, my car did show the SRS warning and told me to contact my dealership. I have tried discussing this issue with my local Toyota dealership located in North Austin TX. They have stated that the car is in fact not safe to keep driving, and the parts to fix the vehicle may take as long as 3 months to 6 months to come in. They are refusing to put me in a rental car until the vehicle can be fixed unless I agree to pay out of pocket up to $12 per day over the course of 3-6 months. I am already paying $450.00 a month for a vehicle that is unsafe to drive, but am being forced to pay additional out of pocket expenses that I am unable to afford in order to keep myself and my family safe. This is unreasonable considering that the recall is not the consumers fault. I hope photos of the SRS warning displaying on my car and proof of the Toyota dealership informing me that the vehicle is not safe to continue driving until the car is fixed. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |