2017 Toyota Rav4 Hybrid problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Vehicle Speed Control (2) · Structure:body (2) · Wheels (1)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Toyota Rav4 Hybrid model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
Safety recalls (1)
Tires:temporary/Emergency Spare Tire 2017-05-02 · campaign 17V295000 · 409 vehicles
Defect: 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.
Risk: A spare tire that is not inflated to the proper value may not perform as intended, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Service bulletins (168)
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.
Engine 2026-02-13 · T-SB-0009-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin includes basic procedures for performing a rescue charge on ni-mh high voltage (hv) batteries. this bulletin should be used in conjunction with the applicable model and model year repair manual while performing a rescue charge. the grx-5100 should be used wherever the repair manual ref
Engine 2026-02-13 · T-SB-0119-15 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
obsolete notice february 13, 2026: this bulletin is now obsolete. please see t-sb-0009-26.
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 2025-06-13 · 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 168 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2023-09-14 · Electrical System · 41,000 mi“the contact owns a 2017 toyota rav4 hybrid. the contact stated that on numerous occasions while the vehicle was being charged, the battery intermittently failed to charge. as a result, the vehicle failed to start. the contact stated that unknown warning lights were illuminated but turned off after the battery was on charge mode. the vehicle was tak…”
2021-06-03 · Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings · 40,000 mi“the contact owns a 2017 toyota rav4 hybrid. the contact stated while driving 50 mph, he attempted to avoid a rock but was unsuccessful. the contact stated that rock struck the fuel neck and caused a substantial fuel leak, 13/8 hose was unprotected and cut. a fellow motorist alerted the contact of the failure. the contact inspected the vehicle and f…”
2019-05-08 · Seat Belts · 41,000 mi“lda audio warning too low to be heard when driving i should not need to be looking at a screen instead of the road. seat belt warning not audible…”
2019-02-22 · Service Brakes“2017 toyota rav 4. consumer writes in regards to unintended braking while car is in cruise control. *ld *tr…”
2019-01-30 · Unknown Or Other · 42,800 mi“jan 29, 4:45pm, everett wa. shortly after merging onto southbound i-5 from 526 there was a single loud exploding noise followed by the sound of glass pieces. the shade guard was closed. opening shade guard showed that sunroof had exploded leaving jagged glass around the edge tilting upwards. vehicle speed about 55mph. weather was clear and …”
2018-10-09 · Wheels · 9,425 mi“re.: premature failure of 2017 toyota rav-4 se hybrid 4-wd aluminum wheel. on sunday, october 7th, 2018, while driving eastbound on highway 70 at around 10:25 a.m., the left rear wheel failed unexpectedly on my wife's 2018 toyota rav-4 se hybrid. i was traveling with my wife, my 13-year old daughter, and my 9-year old son when we were startled b…”
2018-08-17 · Vehicle Speed Control · 1,123 mi“purchased 02/13/17. mar va to fl, seat heater on, noticed hot smell seat got extremely hot, turned it off, takes 10-15 mins to cool down while in seat. day 2 of trip, happened again. stopped at rest area, jeans stuck to leg, exam showed red popped blister on upper right leg, extremely painful. applied burn cream and bandaid. drove to friends, sit…”
2018-04-16 · Visibility/Wiper · 4,000 mi“the wipers do not work in cold weather, the wipers are stuck even with a clean windshield…”
2017-12-01 · Unknown Or Other · 12,273 mi“the sunroof spontaneously shattered while driving the car at a speed of approximately 60 mph on the highway. no other cars were ahead on the road at the time and there were no overpasses. there was no debris from the road or overhead. sunny day, approximately 45 degrees. after market crossbars had been installed by the dealer 6 days prior. unab…”
2017-11-29 · Vehicle Speed Control · 1,900 mi“while driving in radar cruise mode, the vehicle will not stop fully if the car in front drops below 25 mph. it will beep ans then allow the vehicle to rearend the car in front.…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.