2016 Toyota RAV4: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 234 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 3 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
234
Complaints
3
Recalls
33
Crash reports
11
Fire reports
27
Injuries
176.9
Severity index
Severity index 176.9 - High. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 140 2016 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2016 Toyota RAV4 ranks 7 of 140 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 95% of its model-year peers. See the full 2016 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 56 | 23.9% |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 45 | 19.2% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 33 | 14.1% |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 28 | 12.0% |
| ENGINE | 24 | 10.3% |
| AIR BAGS | 18 | 7.7% |
| STRUCTURE | 14 | 6.0% |
| VISIBILITY/WIPER | 12 | 5.1% |
The single most-reported system is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, cited in 56 of 234 complaints (23.9%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 34 |
| 2017 | 32 |
| 2018 | 24 |
| 2019 | 24 |
| 2020 | 18 |
| 2021 | 20 |
| 2022 | 17 |
| 2023 | 15 |
| 2024 | 27 |
| 2025 | 18 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 5 |
Complaint volume is broadly steady year over year.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16V198000 | 07/04/2016 | SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2016 Toyota RAV4 vehicles manufactured October 30, 2015, to February 3, 2016, 2016 Lexus RX350 vehicles manufactured October 26, 2015, to February 8, 2016, and 2016 Lexus ES350 vehicles manufactured |
| 16V236000 | 22/04/2016 | TIRES | Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2016 Toyota Yaris, Rav4, Land Cruiser and 4Runner vehicles, and Scion FR-S, iM, and TC vehicles manufactured January 28, 2016, to March 14, 2016. The Load Carrying Capacity Modification Label may not reflec |
| 23V734000 | 01/11/2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2013-2018 RAV4 vehicles. Certain replacement 12-volt batteries may not fit properly in the battery tray, allowing the battery to move and contact the hold-down bracket, possibly causing a short circuit. |
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.