1999 Toyota RAV4

Complaint history

When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.

Problems owners report

Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.

AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.

Recalls

• NHTSA recall #20V033000January 22, 2020138,842 vehicles affected

  air bags: frontal: driver side: inflator module

  Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 1998-2000 RAV4, 1998-1999 RAV4 EV and Celica and 1997-1998 Supra vehicles. These vehicles were equipped with Non-Azide Driver air bag Inflators (NADI) and do not contain phase stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant. Due to a manufacturing issue, the NADI inflators may absorb moisture, causing the inflators to rupture or the air bag cushion to underinflate.

  In the event of a crash necessitating air bag deployment, an inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants. An underinflated air bag may not properly protect the occupant, and increases the risk of serious injury or death.

  Remedy

  Toyota will notify owners, and owners will have the option to self-inspect, or have a dealer inspect the steering wheel on their vehicle to determine if their vehicle may be equipped with an affected inflator. Potentially affected steering wheel serial numbers will be inspected by a dealer. Based on the inspection, dealers will replace the front driver air bag inflator with an alternate one, as necessary. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began August 28, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's numbers for this recall is 20TB01 and 20TA01.

• NHTSA recall #00V211000August 9, 2000756 vehicles affected

  power train: automatic transmission: park/neutral start interlock switch

  Vehicle description: sport utility electric vehicles. If the subject vehicles are repeatedly parked by placing the shift lever into the "p" position without applying the parking brake, the parking lock rod, a component of the transmission parking lock system, could break.

  This condition Can render the system inoperative, increasing the risk of a crash.

  Remedy

  Dealers will replace the parking lock rod.

• NHTSA recall #00V212000August 9, 2000780 vehicles affected

  service brakes, air: disc: rotor

  Vehicle description: sport utility electric vehicles. The front disc brake rotor, when equipped with steel wheels, Can develop stress fractures if the lug nuts are tightened with excessive torque.

  The disc rotor could break (where it mounts to the wheel), resulting in a loss of braking action on that wheel, increasing the risk of a crash.

  Remedy

  Dealers will replace the disc brake rotors. If the vehicle is equipped with steel wheels, Toyota will replace the front disc brake rotors and steel wheels with new disc brake rotors and new aluminum wheels. In addition a caution label that reads, "use new genuine Toyota aluminum wheels." will be affixed. Vehicles already equipped with aluminum wheels will only require caution label installation.

• NHTSA recall #98V278000October 19, 19981,960 vehicles affected

  electrical system: ignition: anti-theft: control module

  Vehicle description: sport utility vehicles, mini vans and passenger vehicles equipped with a theft deterrent systems (tds) supplied by audiovox corporation and distributed by southeast Toyota distributors, inc. In the states of alabama, florida, georgia, north and south carolina. The alarm wiring harness plugs into the vehicle's ignition switch and the vehicle's ignition switch wiring harness plugs into the alarm harness to complete the circuit. A percentage of the female terminals used in the alarm connector were found to be defective, causing an 'open circuit' condition when mated to the male ignition switch terminals.

  This condition Can cause intermittent performance of the vehicle's electrical components such as the dash warning lights and/or HVAC fan speed controls. Also, the vehicle may not run smoothly and could stall.

  Remedy

  Dealers will inspect the date code label on the security system harness and any displaying the manufacturing/final date code will be replaced with newly produced harnesses. The date codes are: RAV4 - 6/24/98, 6/25/98, 6/26/98; sienna - 6/25/98, 6/26/98; and avalon - 6/30/98, 7/1/98, 8/31/98, 9/1/98, 9/2/98, and 9/3/98.

Other model years

• 1996 47
• 1997 54
• 1998 77
• 1999
• 2000 30
• 2001 309
• 2002 527
• 2003 315
• 2004 154
• 2005 141
• 2006 705
• 2007 1,004
• 2008 575
• 2009 327
• 2010 400
• 2011 287
• 2012 260
• 2013 257
• 2014 197
• 2015 305
• 2016 240
• 2017 307
• 2018 333
• 2019 884
• 2020 639
• 2021 389
• 2022 149
• 2023 164
• 2024 176
• 2025 91