2016 Toyota RAV4 problems and recalls

Owners have filed 239 complaints on the 2016 Toyota RAV4, and NHTSA has issued 3 recalls. The most cited component is the Electrical System (58 complaints).

239
Complaints
3
Recalls
33
Crash reports
12
Fire reports
27
Injuries
141.9
Severity index

Severity index 141.9 High. The index weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints. How it is calculated.

Middle half of all tracked vehiclesThis vehicle: 141.9p25 46p75 80cleanestworst
Severity index against the quartile range for all tracked vehicles.

Ranked 5 of 142 by severity index among 2016 vehicles with at least 40 complaints, highest first. 96% of those vehicles scored lower. Full 2016 ranking.

Components cited in complaints

Electrical SystemElectrical System: 58 complaints (24.3%)58 24%Service BrakesService Brakes: 46 complaints (19.2%)46 19%Unknown Or OtherUnknown Or Other: 33 complaints (13.8%)33 14%Exterior LightingExterior Lighting: 28 complaints (11.7%)28 12%EngineEngine: 24 complaints (10.0%)24 10%Air BagsAir Bags: 19 complaints (7.9%)19 8%StructureStructure: 15 complaints (6.3%)15 6%Visibility/WiperVisibility/Wiper: 12 complaints (5.0%)12 5%
A single complaint can cite more than one component, so shares total over 100%.
ComponentComplaintsShare of complaints citing it
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM5824.3%
SERVICE BRAKES4619.2%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER3313.8%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING2811.7%
ENGINE2410.0%
AIR BAGS197.9%
STRUCTURE156.3%
VISIBILITY/WIPER125.0%

Complaints filed per year

017342016: 342017: 322018: 252019: 242020: 182021: 202022: 172023: 152024: 272025: 182026: 9 (partial year)163417181920212223242526
Complaints by the calendar year they were filed. The hatched bar is the current year to date.
YearComplaints
201634
201732
201825
201924
202018
202120
202217
202315
202427
202518
2026 (year to date)9
Filings in 2023 to 2025 were close to 2020 to 2022 (60 against 55).

Recall campaigns

CampaignReportedComponentSummary
16V19800007/04/2016SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIPToyota 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
16V23600022/04/2016TIRESSoutheast 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
23V73400001/11/2023ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERYToyota 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.

Other Toyota RAV4 model years

Severity index for every other model year on file. Compare all 14 years side by side.

Source. NHTSA public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-09-28. Complaints are unverified consumer reports. Totals vary with units sold and years on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.