Complaint volume
142 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
2023 Toyota RAV4 Complaints
142 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2023 Toyota RAV4, grouped by component category.
142 Total complaints
18 Crash reports
1 Fire reports
9 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 unknown or other, electrical system, steering,electrical system,engine. Use those categories as a test-drive checklist instead of judging the vehicle from the total count alone.
Severity flags
Enriched records include 18 crash reports, 1 fire report, 9 injury reports, and 0 fatality reports. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage clue
Mileage is available on 10 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 39,084 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Questions to ask the seller
- Have you had any problems related to unknown or other, electrical system, steering,electrical system,engine?
- 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 2023 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.
2023 Toyota RAV4
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.
How severe are the 2023 Toyota RAV4 complaints?
18 Crash
1 Fire
9 Injury
0 Fatality
9 Towed
8 Medical attention
What are the most common 2023 Toyota RAV4 complaint categories?
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 22
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 10
STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE 7
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 6
STEERING 5
STEERING,ENGINE 5
TIRES 5
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 4
STRUCTURE 4
AIR BAGS 3
142 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 2024 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES | The incredibly frightening incident occurred 2 times within 3 days. My 2023 RAV unexpectedly and very forcibly accelerated on its own when I was pulling into a parking space. Luckily I am in the habit of parking my RAV far away from other vehicles in parking lots when the option exists. The first ‘acceleration and/or braking’ malfunction occurred 5/31/24 in a Walmart parking lot. When pulling into a parking spot my right foot was fully off the accelerator (I use my right foot only for the accelerator and brake pedals) and was gradually depressing the parking brake pedal to come to a complete stop. Instead my RAV suddenly and forcibly accelerated forward through the empty parking spot in front of me and beyond!! I would have absolutely smashed into the car and or person if one were there!! As the RAV shot forward I began desperately pushing full force on the brake pedal; the RAV did not stop! so, I began full force repeatedly pushing and pumping the brake pedal. My RAV eventually came to a halt as the tires may have locked up which it skidded about 12-18 inches. By God’s grace no one was hurt! On 6/2/24 ‘it’ happened again!! Pulling into a parking spot at an outdoor cafe, as I was gradually depressing the brake pedal to come to a complete stop my RAV instead quickly and forcibly accelerated forward!! I thank God that I did not pull into the other spot (my sister took that one) which was just a few feet away from around 12 people and families enjoying their outside lunch dining!!! This 2nd horrifying incident my RAV took longer to come to a complete stop. I fully and forcefully pushed on the brake pedal but my RAV kept going!! I continued repeatedly releasing and fully depressing the brake pedal but it kept going! The next thing my RAV was approaching was someone’s backyard and house!! I forcibly pushed the brake pedal one more time and also threw the RAV shifter into “park” finally the RAV stopped! I am so shaken up by these traumatic malfunction incidents. | Crash: No Fire: No Injuries: 1 Medical attention | Unknown |
| May 2024 | SUSPENSION,WHEELS | Happened at ~644pm on 04/08/24- I heard the noise like a thump or thunk, The car initially pulled towards the roadside, then I corrected the wheel and slowly stopped the car. Upon exiting the car, it became apparent that the ball joint broke just above the plate that attaches to the axle. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2024 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Unintended sudden aggressive acceleration when I made a right as I was slowly pulling into a spot in the parking lot. Breast’s did not work fast enough and car ended up going up the hill and front colliding with it. | Crash: Yes Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2024 | STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | Toyota RAV4 2023 , had it not even a whole year bought it from the dealer 0miles. Today while running errands parked on the side of the road, car started to vibrate weirdly and then it shut off. I try starting the vehicle again and it just keep showing the same message “Engine Stopped Steering Power Low” with the check engine light and steering wheel light on. After 30minutes I let it sit and when I tried turning the car on again, it ran perfectly but I wasn’t risking it happening again. So I had to call Toyota roadside to tow it since the warranty still covers it. And now I gotta wait to see what’s going on. I did my research on google and a lot of people have the same problem going on with RAV4s. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | A car pulled out right infront of me at an intersection, I hit their back drivers side rear with most of the front of my car. I was doing approximately 41-45 mph. No airbags were deployed and my SOS button didn't work nor did it call for help. | Crash: Yes Fire: No Injuries: 3 Towed Medical attention | Unknown |
| Apr 2024 | STRUCTURE | At less than 8000 miles on this brand new vehicle, the paint started chipping away all the way down to the metal under the paint on the front of the car… The dealership that I ordered from the manufacturer through stated it will probably start to rust and that I need to have someone repaint it… They tried to refer me to someone that they use for paintwork… And stated it will be at my expense; although I was forced to purchase Toyoguard Platinum and the clear paint cover protection packages/warranties. I have owned multiple of this make and model vehicle in the past and have never had an issue with the paint peeling off and chipping as it is on this brand new vehicle. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2024 | STRUCTURE,VISIBILITY/WIPER | I was driving on a highway posted speed limit 75mph on a clear day with no precipitation and without cause, the panoramic sunroof above my head imploded with glass shattering down upon my head. I did not hit anything and nothing hit me. No rocks, no debris, no outside force caused this. The panoramic sunroof showed a crack around the seal where it meets the body of the car and it imploded and cracked (shattered) inward from this cracking. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2024 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Pre collision malfunction, RSA malfunction, LTA malfunction, Headlight malfunction. These warnings keep coming up showing the vehicle is not safe. Parts were ordered in February but are on back order. Might get by June. Vehicle has also rebooted the screens, tried to lane change, and failed to start once. To me this is a programming problem. This has been an on going problem for months now. The dealership claims that it is a wonky camera causing the problem. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2024 | STEERING,ENGINE | I was sitting in line at a drive-thru with my wiper blades on the intermittent setting when suddenly the engine shut off and I got an error message that said “engine shut off steering power low”. The check engine light, battery, and steering light all came on. I turned the car off and then on again. It rumbled and then shut off again with the same message. I had to shift to neutral and push into a parking spot. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2024 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | A strong fuel odor was evident in the cabin, and also under the hood after operation. Vehicle use was low, approx. 6K miles from new. My wife reported this to the dealer service department. They said nothing was wrong with the vehicle. Approx. 2K miles later, I reported the same problem to the dealer. Service rep said vehicle was unsafe to drive due to over torqued and leaking fuel line. They repaired it for no charge. No fuel vapors now, but if this is a production quality issue that others have reported, only to be told nothing was wrong, I think a major fuel-combustion safety issue may be overlooked. I am submitting documentation. Also, I am concerned about health effects of sustained fuel vapor exposure over months of driving. My wife rear-ended a stopped vehicle, possibly due to cognitive impairment from fuel vapor exposure. No warning indicators were ever triggered. Thank you. | Crash: Yes Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2024 | STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,VISIBILITY/WIPER | While driving down the highway at the speed limit in our town on a clear evening with no weather, the sunroof of our 2023 Toyota RAV 4 exploded. There was a loud bang and it shattered as if the glass had been under significant stress or pressure. The glass bowed up in the middle and a section the size of a small saucer dropped out. There was a rigged break along the front edge of the sun roof. There were no bumps or holes in the road - it was smooth. There were no other vehicles nearby - no one threw a rock at our car. The noise was so loud that it was disruptive and shocking and thankfully I was not in heavy traffic or an accident might have occurred. I researched the web and found numerous instances of this sunroof explosion occurring. Please get Toyota to fix this before someone is serious injured. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2024 | POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | Check engine sing comes and all dash board alarms lights on and bleep and while driving it shuts off while vehicle is on motion. This vehicle operates as yellow taxi and this issues is serious concern about passengers safety on board . The vehicle took to bay ridge Toyota dealer and the technician was unable troubleshoot and solve the concern Dealer charged 200 dollars for diagnostic and car is still under warranty. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2024 | WHEELS,SERVICE BRAKES | I was turning left pulling into my carport with my foot lightly on brake and the car suddenly accelerated forward !!! I slammed the break hard and was able to stop the car from hitting the concrete wall because my front tire hit the wall to the left and the car hit the cement parking bumper in my carport!! It scared me so bad I am afraid to drive the car in fear I could hurt someone. The dealer could not replicate the problem and sent me home with the car. I am not happy with Toyota !! The car is 8 months old with 7,000 miles on it!! | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2024 | STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | Vehicle will shut off while in “drive” gear after a complete stop and will report on the dash screen “ Engine stopped. Steering power low.” All other alert lights will be on and unable to change the gear into neutral to move the vehicle into a safe location. This vehicle has already done this exact issue twice and it’s currently less than 10,000 miles on the vehicle. First incident was 2k mileage in a safe environment however the next incident was at 6880 miles. Vehicle shut down in the middle of a highway and I was unable to place the car into neutral gear to move the car to safety. Dealership has not been successful to find the source of the issue. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2024 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,BACK OVER PREVENTION,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | I was pulling into a handicaped parking space and the car just jumped over the curb and hit the handicaped sign plowed into the landscapping. it went from 5miles an hour to 20miles an hour in 5 seconds by itself . computer took over . no air bags were deployed . | Crash: Yes Fire: No Towed | Unknown |
| Jan 2024 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | My 2023 Rav4 is having same or similar issues previously described on tsb 010920 for models 2019 to 2021. Toyota of Iowa city is saying issue is under investigation for the last 5 months. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2024 | SUSPENSION,POWER TRAIN,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Car loses traction over minor imperfections in the road. When braking and dropping speeds to 20-30 MPH, car will lose traction over imperfection in the road, causing the ABS to engage. The car shutters and grinds/vibrates until traction is regained. With an AWD system, a minor 6-inch drop in the road due to a pot hole or dip should not cause traction to be lost. The car consistently loses traction when braking and 1 tire runs over imperfection in the road (pot hole, dip, uneven pavement, etc.). If car drives over speed bump (which keeps tires aligned), car does not lose traction. Issue is only present if 1 tire different than the other 3 which shows instability of the vehicle. Issue has been verified by manufacturer and has shown up in the car log. Dealer said that the car recorded a loss of traction 4 times in the last month. Issue has been escalated to Toyota corporate and they do not see the sensitivity of the traction control as an issue. Issue has been persistent since the purchase of the car in early 2023. All components on the car are OEM and have only been looked at by Toyota dealers. Multiple online forums have shown that other owners face the same issues. Video proof of the issue can be provided. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2024 | POWER TRAIN | I am an owner of new 2023 RAV4 and believe some of the newer 2023 & 2024 Toyota Rav4 models with ICE (non-hybrid) have a potentially dangerous defect with the transmission system, which causes these cars to jerk and stutter when the gas pedal is lightly depressed (light acceleration) when the car speed is between 15 and 40 mph and tachometer is between 1500 and 2500 RPM. The reason I believe this defect is potentially dangerous is that a few weeks ago I was going through a school zone with an active 20mph limit, and when trying to keep the speed at 20mph, experienced jerkiness, RPM jump and sudden speed bouncing (momentary jerking from lower to faster and back to lower speeds a few times in a row). Typically this issue is a lot more subtle but occasionally it is so bad that I have a momentary feeling of loosing control over the speed of the car and active school zone is the least place I'd like that to happen. Besides, these stutters are pretty bad disturbers when they occur drawing focus away from the road and onto the car itself, since it does feel like the car is about to stall. I have visited the dealership twice regarding this concern, however since these stuttering have a random nature I was not able to replicate the issue during my visits to the dealership. I have also passed this concern to Toyota USA Corporate office and they in fact have acknowledged that they received numerous complaints on the same matter and suspect the issue is in the newer 8 speed transmission system they are now installing. Unfortunately there has been no further action taken by Toyota to remedy this issue, although they are fully aware of it. Hoping you get more complains on this matter and force Toyota to take action. Thank you! | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2023 | POWER TRAIN | The vehicle several occasions been unresponsive to accelerate. This has happened on two separate occasions (days) in which the vehicle would not accelerate. The first occurrence was right after I purchased the car and drove it the first full day I owned it in September 2023. The second time was on Saturday December 16, 2023. When the vehicle is driven under 40 mph such as slowing for a turn, braking for a traffic light, picking up speed to enter onto a highway this problem occurs. It is when the gas is pressed down to accelerate, the vehicle does not respond by increasing the speed. The RPM's would go really high and the vehicle would receive the gas but would not "shift" and felt stuck. And the transmission was very loud. It felt like the vehicle transmission was slipping or not engaging/shifting. Adding more gas was not beneficial. The gas pedal could be pressed down to the floor and the vehicle was not responsive by shifting "gears" or picking up speed. The vehicle would not accelerate above 20 mph and the RPMs would go up. No lights or warnings were produced. The only way to get the vehicle to act normally once again was to pull the car over into a safe location, shift the car into park, shut the car off, wait for a few seconds, restart the car and proceed. In one session (driving the same day) the car repeated the inability to accelerate each time the vehicle was slowed down below 40 mph to come to a stop at a stop sign, take a turn, stop at a traffic light etc. This was dangerous as I was not able to proceed in traffic and caused other drivers to honk their horns at me, and left me stuck in intersections. This was very disconcerting and left me feeling endangered by not being able to follow the flow of traffic. Toyota Service did a diagnostic test on it twice now. The first time had torque converter codes. This 2nd time they claim there were no codes on the diagnostic test. They dropped the transmission pan and found no metal shavings. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2023 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER,BACK OVER PREVENTION | Screen used for backup camera and radio was intermittently non-responsive. Issue has been seen/confirmed at the dealership. Safety concern is the failure/inaccessibility to the safety/visibility feature associated with the reverse camera. (Issue was intermittent upon ignition and remain non functional until vehicle would be powered off and back on again.) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2023 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | The navigation system very frequently loses your location and begins jumping all over the place searching. I've been complaining to Toyota about since the day after I purchased my 2023 RAV4 Hybrid and at first they blamed my iPhone, then claimed they knew nothing about the problem, only after months of complaining do they now acknowledge that there is an issue and they are working to fix it. In addition to the navigation issues with the new head unit, it also no longer pauses or mutes music when reading text messages or dictating text messages. I previously had a 2019 RAV4 Hybrid and didn't have either of these issues. Now I am no longer able to handsfree listen to or respond to text messages and the navigation system is so faulty it is virtually useless. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2023 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | The Media system is used prevalently to navigate in cities like Dallas and can be considered a crucial part of the car. However in all Toyotas this is a defective part and often disconnects while driving making it difficult and often unsafe due to the sudden interruptions especially when you are traveling at on highways or city streets. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2023 | SERVICE BRAKES | When I drive this vehicle i have to be very careful. The moment you take break pedal the vehicle doesn't stop, It started shuffling and showing a warning sign of slippery road. It takes extra couple space to fully complete stop. It is summer time there is not slippery road road around. I hope they will fix this issue before it gets bad or kill someone. This is a dangerous act when you can not control your break pedal. All break pads are new this is 2023 vehicle built in June. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2023 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | I was coasting into a parking space (at 6.8 mph) and as I attempted to park, the car suddenly accelerated and went up and over the concrete rectangle park stop and smashed into a brick building (12.4 mph) and went back over the park stop before the engine in the vehicle finally died. During the acceleration, I was trying to brake the car, but the car wouldn’t stop. I was yelling to my husband that the car wouldn’t stop. The driver airbags deployed as well as the knee air bag. The passenger airbags did not deploy as there was not a passenger in the front seat. The car had 4258 miles and was totaled. My husband and I both sustained injuries. According to the Toyota app, the vehicle had a “0” rating for fast acceleration and a “1” rating for harsh braking during this particular trip. I contacted Toyota and an investigation was conducted using Bosch Crash Data Retrieval Tool 23.2.1. The data shows a 5 second timeframe with .50 second intervals. The vehicle speed at the 5 second mark was 6.8mph with 0% accelerator pedal. At 2 seconds, the speed was 5.0mph with 8.5% accelerator pedal. And, at the crash point the vehicle speed was 12.4mph with 100% accelerator pedal. Toyota product liability contacted me with their report stating that there was no brake pedal application prior to the impact and that pressure was applied to the accelerator pedal at wide open throttle seconds prior to the impact, and they found no obstructions or interference with the operation of the accelerator pedal. Further, they found the brakes to be operational However, the vehicle could not be test test driven as it would not turn on. In summary they did not find any evidence of an issue or defect with the vehicle based on inspection and electronic data. | Crash: Yes Fire: No Injuries: 2 Towed Medical attention | Unknown |
| Oct 2023 | BACK OVER PREVENTION | Backed into a mailbox on the passenger side rear taillight. Car did not detect the mailbox and give any warning to the driver. Mckinnon Toyota in Clanton Alabama advised that this vehicle is not equipped to detect a stationary object behind the vehicle. Three individuals at Toyota customer service advised that it did. R/O Number for the visit is [XXX]. The reference number from Toyota customer service is [XXX]. Car was purchased on 6/2/23. Car was purchased with the expectation that it was equipped to detect rear stationary objects when in reverse. I consider this a safety issue if it will not detect a person behind the car in reverse. This is my daughter's car. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: Yes Fire: No | Unknown |