Your vehicle report
2016 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
- 240
- Received Feb 2016 to Sep 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Headlights dim or fail at night25 complaints · 10% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Glass shatters or cracks without impact21 complaints · 8.8% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Airbags fail to deploy in crashes19 complaints · 7.9% 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 #16V236000Southeast 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 reflect the correct added weight of the installed accessories. As a result, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims for Passenger Cars."
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: 33 crashes, 12 fires, 27 people injured, 0 deaths.
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 18 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
- Brakes make grinding or squealing noise
- Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines
- Automatic emergency braking applies without reason
1 more problem
Electrical & lights
- Headlights dim or fail at night
- Vehicle catches fire from wiring
- Infotainment screen ghost-touches and changes on its own
1 more problem
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
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 |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 34 |
| 2017 | 32 |
| 2018 | 25 |
| 2019 | 24 |
| 2020 | 18 |
| 2021 | 20 |
| 2022 | 17 |
| 2023 | 15 |
| 2024 | 28 |
| 2025 | 18 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 9 |
| Total | 240 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 25 | 10% | – | |
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 21 | 8.8% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 19 | 7.9% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 15 | 6.3% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 13 | 5.4% | – | |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 9 | 3.8% | – | |
| Brakes make grinding or squealing noise | 8 | 3.3% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 7 | 2.9% | – | |
| Water leaks into cabin during rain | 6 | 2.5% | – | |
| Automatic emergency braking applies without reason | 5 | 2.1% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 4 | 1.7% | – | |
| Rearview backup camera fails or goes black | 4 | 1.7% | – | |
| Infotainment screen ghost-touches and changes on its own | 4 | 1.7% | – | |
| Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps | 4 | 1.7% | – | |
| Battery drains and dies when parked | 4 | 1.7% | – | |
| Ford Focus transmission clutch slips and hesitates | 3 | 1.3% | – | |
| Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed | 3 | 1.3% | – | |
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 3 | 1.3% | – | NHTSA recall #16V198000 |
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 #16V236000April 22, 201694 vehicles affected
equipment: other: labels; 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 reflect the correct added weight of the installed accessories. As a result, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims for Passenger Cars."
An incorrect label may result in the vehicle being overloaded, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
SET will notify owners, and provide them a corrected label to be installed over the inaccurate label, free of charge. The recall began on June 3, 2016. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET's number for this recall is SET16A.
NHTSA recall #16V198000April 7, 201616,656 vehicles affected
electronic stability control (esc); 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 September 1, 2015, to February 29, 2016. These vehicles are equipped with an ABS actuator that may have a damaged O-ring which could result in improper brake fluid pressure control during ABS, Traction Control, or Stability Control activation. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 126, "Electronic Stability Control Systems."
Insufficient brake fluid pressure may cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the brake actuator, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on May 4, 2016, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is G0I, GLC.
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 2016 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