2012 Toyota RAV4: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 266 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 5 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
266
Complaints
5
Recalls
39
Crash reports
4
Fire reports
23
Injuries
136.8
Severity index
Severity index 136.8 - High. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 129 2012 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2012 Toyota RAV4 ranks 12 of 129 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 91% of its model-year peers. See the full 2012 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| VISIBILITY/WIPER | 54 | 20.3% |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 50 | 18.8% |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 39 | 14.7% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 31 | 11.7% |
| SEAT BELTS | 31 | 11.7% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 26 | 9.8% |
| ENGINE | 23 | 8.6% |
| POWER TRAIN | 22 | 8.3% |
The single most-reported system is VISIBILITY/WIPER, cited in 54 of 266 complaints (20.3%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2012 | 18 |
| 2013 | 29 |
| 2014 | 34 |
| 2015 | 23 |
| 2016 | 63 |
| 2017 | 21 |
| 2018 | 17 |
| 2019 | 19 |
| 2020 | 10 |
| 2021 | 9 |
| 2022 | 2 |
| 2023 | 8 |
| 2024 | 3 |
| 2025 | 7 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 3 |
Complaint volume is broadly steady year over year.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16V096000 | 19/02/2016 | SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2006-2012 RAV4 vehicles manufactured July 28, 2005, to December 19, 2012, and 2012-2014 RAV4 EV vehicles manufactured July 24, 2012, to August 29, 2014. In the event of a frontal collision, the rea |
| 14V054000 | 12/02/2014 | SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE | Toyota is recalling certain model year 2012 and 2013 Toyota Tacoma and Lexus RX350 vehicles and certain model year 2012 Toyota Rav4 vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the brake system contains a brake actuator that adjusts the fluid pressure of each wheel cylinder. An electric |
| 15V577000 | 18/09/2015 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2009-2012 RAV4 vehicles manufactured October 27, 2008, to December 19, 2012 and 2012-2014 RAV4 EV vehicles manufactured July 24, 2012, to August 29, 2014. In the affected vehicles, water may drip o |
| 13V014000 | 16/01/2013 | AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE-INACTIVE | Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain models interspersed through model years 2009 through 2013 as follows: model year 2009-2012 Tacoma, 4Runner, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Prius, and RAV4; model year 2009-2010 Avalon, FJ Cruiser, and Highlander Hybrid; model ye |
| 13V123000 | 09/04/2013 | EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS | Southeast Toyota is recalling certain model year 2008 and 2010-2013 Toyota Tundra, 2010-2012 Rav4, 2012 Toyota Sequoia, 2010-2011 Toyota Corolla, 2010-2011 Toyota Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2010-2013 Toyota Highlander and Highlander Hybrid, 2010-2013 Toyota FJ Cruiser, 2011 Toyota L |
Source. US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-07-25. Complaints are unverified consumer reports; volume is influenced by how many units were sold and how long the vehicle has been on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.