Toyota RAV4: which model years to avoid
Complaint and recall totals for every Toyota RAV4 model year we track, ranked by severity.
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Crashes | Fires | Severity | Most-reported system |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 266 | 5 | 39 | 4 | 136.8 High | VISIBILITY/WIPER |
| 2013 | 255 | 2 | 22 | 28 | 163.1 High | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM |
| 2014 | 194 | 4 | 19 | 25 | 203.1 High | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM |
| 2015 | 302 | 4 | 37 | 41 | 223.2 High | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM |
| 2016 | 234 | 3 | 33 | 11 | 176.9 High | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM |
| 2017 | 301 | 3 | 32 | 24 | 191.4 High | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM |
| 2018 | 328 | 3 | 31 | 32 | 140.2 High | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM |
| 2019 | 870 | 7 | 25 | 2 | 32.2 Low | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM |
| 2020 | 627 | 6 | 17 | 5 | 33.5 Low | ENGINE |
| 2021 | 376 | 1 | 46 | 7 | 164.4 High | AIR BAGS |
| 2022 | 135 | 1 | 13 | 0 | 168.9 High | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM |
| 2023 | 144 | 3 | 18 | 1 | 131.9 High | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM |
| 2024 | 163 | 3 | 25 | 0 | 139.9 High | UNKNOWN OR OTHER |
| 2025 | 71 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 118.3 High | UNKNOWN OR OTHER |
Across 14 model years, the 2015 Toyota RAV4 carries the highest severity index (223.2, driven by electrical system), while the 2019 is the cleanest at 32.2.
Source. NHTSA public complaint and recall APIs. Complaint counts are not normalised by units sold; a high-volume seller will attract more filings than a rare trim.