2015 Toyota Rav4 problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Electrical System (49) · Steering (44) · Structure:body (23)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Toyota Rav4 model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
170 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (4)
Electrical System:12v/24v/48v Battery 2023-11-01 · campaign 23V734000 · 1,853,568 vehicles
Defect: 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.
Risk: A battery short circuit increases the risk of a fire.
Fix: 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.
Steering:electric Power Assist System 2015-03-13 · campaign 15V144000 · 110,085 vehicles
Defect: 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.
Risk: An unexpected loss of power steering increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Trailer Hitches 2015-01-16 · campaign 15V011000 · 1,140 vehicles
Defect: 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.
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
Equipment 2014-12-30 · campaign 14V828000 · 3,958 vehicles
Defect: 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.
Risk: Accessories that detach from a vehicle may result in a vehicle crash and/or personal injury.
Fix: 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.
Service bulletins (313)
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
Electrical System 2025-06-18 · 21TG01 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
campaign expired - replaced with campaign 23ta13technical instructions for consumer advisory 21tg01 12-volt battery size and installation inspection certain 2013 – 2018 rav4
Electrical System 2025-06-18 · 21TG01 · Service Campaign
21tg01 exprired - replaced with campaign 23ta13 during a recent investigation of reported battery fires in 2013-2018 rav4 vehicles with gasoline engines (excluding hybrid models), toyota discovered that many non-toyota retailers and others who sell or install replacement batteries were recommending
Electrical System 2025-06-13 · T-SB-0058-23 Rev1 · Service Campaign
the air conditioning dye injection tool kit has been developed to aid in identifying the location of air conditioning refrigerant leaks. the procedures outlined in this service bulletin aid in locating, inspecting, and repairing refrigerant leaks.
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.
Showing the 6 most recent of 313 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-10-01 · Steering“the steering "micro" sticking in steps for last 4 years. talked to the cedar park toyota dealership, they informed that there was no recall on the vehicle. but i found recall # 15v-144. i never received a recall notice. always observes sticking a low speeds. concerned about steering lock up. what should i do to fix it?…”
2026-09-19 · Steering“while driving my 2015 toyota rav4 xle 2wd (2.5l, about 207,000 miles), the electric power steering assist failed instantly with no warning, making the steering wheel feel locked. at the same moment, the infotainment screen went black and rebooted. it has happened at freeway speeds and at low neighborhood speeds, including on 9/14 and 9/15/2026, and…”
2026-08-19 · Structure:body:hatchback/Liftgate:hinge And Attachments“in july 2026, the rear power liftgate on my toyota rav4 suddenly stopped operating properly and would not close. i was unable to push the hatch down normally and then noticed that one of the hinges appeared bent and the liftgate was misaligned. because i needed to close the vehicle, i tried to lower the hatch very slowly, moving it down only a sma…”
2026-06-25 · Steering · 189,000 mi“the contact owns a 2015 toyota rav4. the contact stated that the radio was inoperable. the contact stated that the gauges failed to properly operate. while driving 65 mph, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. additionally, the rearview camera image was reversed before becoming inoperable. the abs, awd, and engine warning lights were illum…”
2026-05-26 · Unknown Or Other“car’s sunroof exploded while driving, was going about 55 on the highway and i heard a loud pop followed by the sound of breaking glass which i found to be my whole sunroof exploding from the inside out. this is dangerous because of the possibility of glass landing on people or in the car leading to potential injury. this issue is apparently one tha…”
2026-05-19 · Structure:body:hatchback/Liftgate:hinge And Attachments“purchased less than 2 months ago from performance mitsubishi in delray beach fl. lift gate was not opening and closing properly. yesterday the hinges broke and lift gate won't shut. it appears there is a class action lawsuit for this issue. i am now responsible for fixing this because the dealership won't.…”
2026-03-02 · Service Brakes · 🔥 fire“on friday february 27, 2026 as the vehicle was being driven it caught fire. fire department and sheriffs office was called to the scene. vehicle fire was put out but the whole front end burned. …”
2026-01-12 · Unknown Or Other“there were two recalls on paint chipping off the body of the car. the last one ended in nov 2025 i think. but...there are many of us who had no idea there was a paint recall, me included. i brought my rav (great car btw, no issues with how it runs at all) thru a car wash over thanksgiving, and two softball size paint chips came off, probably due…”
2026-01-08 · Engine“the oil filter housing is made of plastic and can crack when removing and installing and if not alert after an oil change, the engine can blow if oil drains out under pressure.…”
2025-12-09 · Electrical System · 🔥 fire“when we bought the suv, it had a small top battery installed. the battery slid over and caused my alternator to go out completely. i must have caught fire, as there were burnt wires to the alternator. we replaced the alternator, and it was over $295 dollars and then had to get a new battery, and that was over $150 dollars. i installed it myself …”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.