Your vehicle report
2017 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
- 307
- Received Dec 2016 to Sep 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Headlights dim or fail at night29 complaints · 9.4% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Vehicle catches fire from wiring28 complaints · 9.1% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Airbags fail to deploy in crashes16 complaints · 5.2% 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 #19V503000Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Toyota Camry, Corolla, Rav4, Sienna, and Yaris iA vehicles equipped with factory-installed floor mats. The load carrying capacity modification label may be incorrect. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
- Vehicle catches fire from wiringFirst signal: Aug 2020
Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 33 crashes, 24 fires, 28 people injured, 2 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 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
1 more problem
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
- Glass shatters or cracks without impact
- Rear door latch fails to open or close
- Frame rusts and corrodes through
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
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 | 3 |
| 2017 | 38 |
| 2018 | 34 |
| 2019 | 24 |
| 2020 | 29 |
| 2021 | 29 |
| 2022 | 24 |
| 2023 | 30 |
| 2024 | 47 |
| 2025 | 37 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 12 |
| Total | 307 |
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 | 29 | 9.4% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 28 | 9.1% | 6.8× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Aug 2020 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 2.3% |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 16 | 5.2% | – | |
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 13 | 4.2% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 10 | 3.3% | – | |
| Front brake rotors warp and wear early | 7 | 2.3% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 6 | 1.9% | – | |
| Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps | 6 | 1.9% | – | |
| Battery drains and dies when parked | 6 | 1.9% | – | |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 5 | 1.6% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 5 | 1.6% | – | |
| Frame rusts and corrodes through | 4 | 1.3% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 4 | 1.3% | – | |
| Parking brake fails to hold or release | 4 | 1.3% | 26.2× | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 3 | 1.0% | – | |
| Tailgate or trunk latch fails | 3 | 1.0% | – | |
| Infotainment screen ghost-touches and changes on its own | 3 | 1.0% | – | |
| Steering wheel shakes violently at highway speed | 3 | 1.0% | – | |
| Air conditioner blows hot air or fails | 3 | 1.0% | – | |
| Transmission shudders during acceleration at low speeds | 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 #19V503000June 28, 20191,325 vehicles affected
equipment: other: labels
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Toyota Camry, Corolla, Rav4, Sienna, and Yaris iA vehicles equipped with factory-installed floor mats. The load carrying capacity modification label may be incorrect. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
An incorrect label may lead to unintentionally overloading the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
SET will notify owners and provide a corrected label for placement over the inaccurate label, free of charge. The recall began August 23, 2019. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. SET's number for this recall is SET19A.
NHTSA recall #17V295000May 2, 2017409 vehicles affected
tires: temporary/emergency spare tire
Gulf States Toyota, Inc. (Gulf States) is recalling certain 2017 4Runner , 86, Avalon, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Corolla, Corolla iM, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, Prius, Prius C, RAV4, RAV4 Hybrid, Sienna and Yaris vehicles. The spare tire air pressure was not adjusted to the proper pressure as stated on the Tire Pressure Label.
A spare tire that is not inflated to the proper value may not perform as intended, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Gulf States will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the spare tires, adjusting their pressure as necessary, free of charge. The recall began June 15, 2017. Owners may contact Gulf States customer service at 1-800-444-1074. Toyota's number for this recall is 17R2.
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 2017 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