2012 Toyota Rav4 Ev problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Visibility/Wiper (1) · Vehicle Speed Control (1) · Structure:body (1)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Toyota Rav4 Ev model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
Safety recalls (3)
Seat Belts:rear/Other 2016-02-19 · campaign 16V096000 · 1,123,752 vehicles
Defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2006-2012 RAV4 vehicles manufactured July 28, 2005, to December 19, 2012, and 2012-2014 RAV4 EV vehicles manufactured July 24, 2012, to August 29, 2014. In the event of a frontal collision, the rear seat belts for the outboard seats may be cut by the seat cushion frame.
Risk: A cut seat belt may not properly restrain the seat occupant, increasing their risk of injury in a crash.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will install a protector over both rear seat cushion frames, free of charge. The recall began on June 24, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is G0F.
Visibility/Wiper 2015-09-18 · campaign 15V577000 · 423,456 vehicles
Defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2009-2012 RAV4 vehicles manufactured October 27, 2008, to December 19, 2012 and 2012-2014 RAV4 EV vehicles manufactured July 24, 2012, to August 29, 2014. In the affected vehicles, water may drip onto the joint that connects the wiper linkage to the wiper motor.
Risk: Over time, the dripping water may cause corrosion and wear at the joint, potentially resulting in the separation of the wiper linkage. Once this occurs, the wipers would not function, reducing driver visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the water diverter channel. In addition, a new wiper linkage with a wiper motor crank arm will be installed. The wiper linkage will have a protective cover over the wiper linkage joint to minimize water splash and a retainer ring to prevent the wiper arm from separating from the wiper motor. The recall began on November 7, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service number at 1-800-331-4331.
Hybrid Propulsion System 2015-03-13 · campaign 15V143000 · 2,497 vehicles
Defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2012-2014 Rav4 EV vehicles manufactured July 24, 2012, to August 29, 2014. Due to a software issue within a component of the Electric Vehicle Traction Motor Assembly, the electric propulsion motor may shift to "neutral" resulting in a possible loss of drive power.
Risk: A loss of drive power may increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will update the Electric Vehicle Traction Motor Assembly software, free of charge. The recall began on September 10, 2015. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.
Service bulletins (308)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Unknown Or Other 2026-01-07 · T-SB-0055-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some 2005 – 2026 toyota vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present. follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. the purpose of this service bulletin is to provide general guidelines and procedures
Structure:body 2024-12-06 · T-SB-0039-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
the condition known as acid rain is caused by airborne chemicals or particles in the atmosphere, which mix with rainwater, nighttime dew, or high humidity to form acidic compounds. if these contaminants settle and remain on a painted vehicle surface, especially the horizonal areas of the hood, roof,
Structure:body 2024-12-06 · T-SB-0038-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
to prevent brake rotor rust from forming during transportation and storage, wheel film will be used instead of a cardboard type of anti-rust cover. the purpose of the wheel film is to shield the disc brake rotor from weather elements and initial rust before the vehicle is delivered to the customer.
Structure:body 2024-12-06 · T-SB-0035-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
acid rain results from rainwater or other airborne moisture that become acidic due to industrial chemical impurities in the atmosphere. if these acidic compounds settle on an exposed vehicle, especially the horizontal areas such as the hood, roof, and decklid, significant damage to the painted surfa
Structure:body 2024-12-05 · T-SB-0061-23 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
toyota vehicles are currently protected with rapgardtm protective film designed to protect the horizontal painted surfaces. this material protects from acid rain, environmental fallout, and rail contamination. follow the removal procedure in this bulletin to remove the rapgardtm protective film wi
Structure:body 2024-12-03 · T-SB-0062-23 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
vehicles may occasionally be subjected to contamination by airborne iron particles shed from railroad tracks, train wheels, exposure to heavy machinery facilities, grinding, welding, etc. this type of contamination can be identified by the presence of small, red or brown particles on the paint surfa
Showing the 6 most recent of 308 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2017-04-18 · Visibility/Wiper“tl* the contact owns a 2012 toyota rav4 ev. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign numbers: 15v577000 (visibility/wiper) and 16v096000 (seat belts) however, the parts to do the recall repair were not yet available. the contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the manufacturer …”
2016-03-06 · Power Train · 33,000 mi · 💥 crash“my 2012 rav4 ev has an unsafe condition where the electronic transmission does not actually engage from r to d, or d to r when stationary, even though the vehicle instrumentation indicates so. the vehicle instead moves inadvertently in the wrong direction. it has been a chronic issue with the vehicle, and i have reported it to the toyota dealer o…”
2015-12-22 · Structure:body · 20,296 mi · 💥 crash“on october 17 shortly before 2 pm pst in clear weather, i was pulling into a parking spot on private property at about 2 to 3 mph. i turned the vehicle into the spot and applied the brakes but the car surged over the curb, hit a tree, went over an embankment and crashed onto a parked car. (the airbag did not deploy, but there were no injuries.) th…”
2015-12-07 · Vehicle Speed Control · 50,000 mi · 💥 crash“tl* the contact owns a 2012 toyota rav4 ev. the contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer for a manufacturer's recall remedy. five days after the recall remedy was performed, the contact experienced unintended acceleration. while driving in a parking lot at 5 mph, the vehicle surged forward to a high speed without warning. the vehicle…”
2014-12-24 · Steering · 13,000 mi“i was driving in the parking garage at work and the yellow exclamation light appeared on the dash with a message that says "check ev system. have you vehicle checked by a dealership immediately." i was able to stop and the car started after several attempts. the dealership replaced the ecu. *tr…”
2014-12-20 · Fuel/Propulsion System · 8,300 mi“while driving 35 on a local road, the vehicle lost all power to the propulsion system. power steering and brakes worked as i was lucky to be able to coast safely to a turnout. the vehicle warning light saying "check ev system, have dealer check immediately" was illuminated on the information display. this is a common problem for the rav4 ev a…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.