Your vehicle report
2015 Toyota RAV4
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 305
- Received Dec 2014 to Oct 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Vehicle catches fire from wiring39 complaints · 13% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Unintended acceleration despite braking28 complaints · 9.2% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Glass shatters or cracks without impact18 complaints · 5.9% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #23V734000Toyota 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.
- Recall #15V144000Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2015 Camry, Camry Hybrid, Highlander, and Highlander Hybrid, and 2014-2015 Rav4 vehicles. A component of the electric power steering (EPS) electronic control unit (ECU) may have been damaged during the manufacturing process. Over time, this damage may result in failure of the electric power steering system.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 37 crashes, 41 fires, 30 people injured, 1 death.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
- Vehicle catches fire from wiring
- Battery drains and dies when parked
- Infotainment screen ghost-touches and changes on its own
1 more problem
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
1 more problem
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 1 |
| 2015 | 37 |
| 2016 | 22 |
| 2017 | 26 |
| 2018 | 14 |
| 2019 | 22 |
| 2020 | 23 |
| 2021 | 31 |
| 2022 | 35 |
| 2023 | 34 |
| 2024 | 30 |
| 2025 | 21 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 9 |
| Total | 305 |
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.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 39 | 13% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 28 | 9.2% | – | |
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 18 | 5.9% | 3.3× | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 18 | 5.9% | – | |
| Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly | 15 | 4.9% | 5.7× | NHTSA recall #15V144000 |
| Power steering cuts out while driving | 12 | 3.9% | 7.3× | NHTSA recall #15V144000 |
| Paint peels off roof and hood | 10 | 3.3% | – | |
| Transmission shudders during acceleration at low speeds | 7 | 2.3% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 6 | 2.0% | – | |
| Tailgate or trunk latch fails | 6 | 2.0% | – | |
| Battery drains and dies when parked | 6 | 2.0% | 9.9× | |
| Infotainment screen ghost-touches and changes on its own | 5 | 1.6% | – | |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 5 | 1.6% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 5 | 1.6% | – | |
| Exhaust smell enters cabin during acceleration | 5 | 1.6% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 4 | 1.3% | – | |
| Water leaks into cabin during rain | 3 | 1.0% | – | |
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 3 | 1.0% | – | |
| Parking brake fails to hold or release | 3 | 1.0% | – | |
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 3 | 1.0% | – |
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 #23V734000November 1, 20231,853,568 vehicles affected
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.
A battery short circuit increases the risk of a fire.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the battery clamp sub-assembly, battery tray, and positive terminal cover, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed December 27, 2024, to 2013-2014 RAV4 owners. Additional owner notification letters will be mailed in phases, phase 2 will begin on May 14, 2025, and phase 3 in late July 2025. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 23TB13 and 23TA13.
NHTSA recall #15V144000March 13, 2015110,085 vehicles affected
steering: electric power assist system
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2015 Camry, Camry Hybrid, Highlander, and Highlander Hybrid, and 2014-2015 Rav4 vehicles. A component of the electric power steering (EPS) electronic control unit (ECU) may have been damaged during the manufacturing process. Over time, this damage may result in failure of the electric power steering system.
An unexpected loss of power steering increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the serial number of the EPS ECU or steering column assembly. If the number is within the affected range, the EPS ECU will be replaced, free of charge. The recall began on May 7, 2015. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.
NHTSA recall #15V011000January 16, 20151,140 vehicles affected
exterior lighting; trailer hitches
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Toyota Rav4 vehicles manufactured June 1, 2013, to December 29, 2014, and equipped with an accessory trailer light module. The software within the module may incorrectly detect an electrical short and preventively turn off the electrical current and the trailer lights.
If the system incorrectly detects an electrical short and turns off the trailer lights while the trailer is being towed at night, there is an increased risk of a crash.
Remedy
SET will notify owners, and dealers will replace the trailer light module with a new unit with corrected software, free of charge. The recall began on March 17, 2015. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET's number for this recall is SET-15A.
NHTSA recall #14V828000December 30, 20143,958 vehicles affected
equipment
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Toyota 4Runner, Tacoma, FJ Cruiser, Land Cruiser, RAV4, Scion FRS, and XB vehicles. The affected vehicles may have accessories installed by SET, such as running boards or other items, that were incorrectly installed. The accessory attaching fasteners were not tightened with the proper torque, possibly causing the accessory to detach from the vehicle.
Accessories that detach from a vehicle may result in a vehicle crash and/or personal injury.
Remedy
SET will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and tighten the affected bolts, free of charge. The recall began February 23, 2015. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET's number for this recall is SET-14B.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2015 Toyota RAV4.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN