Your vehicle report
2018 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
- 333
- Received Dec 2017 to Oct 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Glass shatters or cracks without impact29 complaints · 8.7% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Vehicle catches fire from wiring28 complaints · 8.4% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Headlights dim or fail at night20 complaints · 6.0% 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: Jan 2019
- Tailgate or trunk latch failsFirst signal: Mar 2026
Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 31 crashes, 33 fires, 18 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 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
- Unintended acceleration despite braking
- Engine suddenly shuts off while driving
- Cruise control fails to disengage
1 more problem
Brakes
Electrical & lights
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 |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 30 |
| 2019 | 47 |
| 2020 | 31 |
| 2021 | 42 |
| 2022 | 27 |
| 2023 | 34 |
| 2024 | 45 |
| 2025 | 56 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 19 |
| Total | 333 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 29 | 8.7% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 28 | 8.4% | 4.7× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Jan 2019 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 4.6% |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 20 | 6.0% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 16 | 4.8% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 12 | 3.6% | 2.4× | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 11 | 3.3% | – | |
| Battery drains and dies when parked | 11 | 3.3% | – | |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 7 | 2.1% | 2.5× | |
| Tailgate or trunk latch fails | 6 | 1.8% | 8.9× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Mar 2026 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 0.9% |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 5 | 1.5% | – | |
| Cruise control fails to disengage | 5 | 1.5% | – | |
| Brakes make grinding or squealing noise | 5 | 1.5% | – | |
| Rearview backup camera fails or goes black | 4 | 1.2% | – | |
| Frame rusts and corrodes through | 4 | 1.2% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 4 | 1.2% | – | |
| Side mirrors give poor rear visibility | 3 | 0.9% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 3 | 0.9% | – | |
| Water leaks into cabin during rain | 3 | 0.9% | – | |
| Infotainment screen ghost-touches and changes on its own | 3 | 0.9% | – | |
| Automatic emergency braking applies without reason | 3 | 0.9% | – |
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 #17V831000December 20, 2017649 vehicles affected
equipment: other: labels
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Toyota 4Runner and Tundra, 2018 Toyota Highlander, RAV4 and Lexus GX460 and 2017 Toyota Sienna and Tacoma vehicles. These vehicles may have incorrect load carrying capacity modification labels. 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 load information label can result in the operator overloading the vehicle and increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Toyota will notify owners and provide them with corrected labels, free of charge. The recall began on January 23, 2018. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are H0Z for Toyota vehicles, and HLF for Lexus vehicles.
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 2018 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