2020 Toyota Rav4 problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Engine (142) · Fuel/Propulsion System (83) · Electrical System (60)
🧭 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
195 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (6)
Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification 2023-12-20 · campaign 23V865000 · 999,901 vehicles
Defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Avalon, Avalon Hybrid, Corolla, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, RAV4, RAV4 Hybrid, Lexus ES350, Lexus RX350, Lexus RX450H, 2021 Sienna Hybrid, Lexus ES250, 2020-2022 Camry, Camry Hybrid, and ES300H vehicles. A short circuit may develop in the Occupant Classification System (OCS) sensor, preventing the front passenger air bag from deploying.
Risk: An air bag that does not deploy during a crash increases the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the sensor as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed in February 2024. Some final remedy owner letters were mailed October 31, 2024. Letters will continue to be mailed in phases through January 2026. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 23TB15/23TA15 Lexus 23LB03/23LA03.
Air Bags:frontal 2020-11-25 · campaign 20V734000 · 161 vehicles
Defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Toyota Avalon and 2020 Avalon Hybrid, RAV4, and RAV4 Hybrid vehicles. Breakaway pins within the steering column, designed to absorb energy and reduce injury during a crash, could have been damaged during production, possibly affecting the performance of the driver's air bag in the event of a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Oc
Risk: In the event of a crash, an air bag that does not perform as designed can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering column, free of charge. The recall began December 18, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 20TB17/20TA17.
Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:fuel Pump 2020-11-04 · campaign 20V682000 · 1,525,742 vehicles
Defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018-2019 4Runner, 2019-2020 Avalon, 2019 Corolla Hatchback, 2017-2019 Highlander, 2018-2020 Camry, 2020 Corolla, 2018-2019 Land Cruiser, 2017-2020 Tacoma, 2019-2020 RAV4, 2019-2020 Sequoia, 2017-2020 Sienna, 2019-2020 Tundra, 2018-2020 Lexus ES350, 2017 Lexus GS200t, 2017-2019 Lexus GS350, 2019 Lexus GS300, 2018-2020 Lexus LC500h, 2019-2020 Lexus LS500, 2018-2019 Lexus GX460, 2017 Lexus IS200t, 2019 Lexus IS300, 2019 Lexus I
Risk: If the fuel pump fails, the engine can stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump assembly with an improved one, free of charge. Owners of specific models were notified that remedy parts were available starting January 21, 2021. Owners of other models will be notified as remedy parts become available. Remedy parts should be available for all affected vehicles by late March 2021. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 or Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987. Note: This recall is an
Steering:electric Power Assist System 2020-06-24 · campaign 20V373000 · 46 vehicles
Defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2019-2020 RAV4 and 2020 RAV4 Hybrid vehicles equipped with electric power steering (EPS). Water may enter through the steering gear box cover and cause a loss of electric power steering assist.
Risk: A loss of power steering assist could increase steering effort at low vehicle speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the power steering gear box, free of charge. The recall began August 17, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is 20TB11 / 20TA11.
Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Arm 2020-05-20 · campaign 20V286000 · 9,502 vehicles
Defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2019-2020 RAV4 and RAV4 Hybrid vehicles. The front lower suspension arms may have cracks, which may result in the suspension arm separating from the front wheel assembly.
Risk: If a suspension control arm breaks, it can result in a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace both front lower suspension arms, free of charge. This recall began August 10, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's interim numbers for this recall are 20TB08 / 20TA08.
Engine And Engine Cooling 2020-02-06 · campaign 20V064000 · 44,191 vehicles
Defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020 Toyota Avalon Hybrid, Camry, Camry Hybrid and Lexus ES300h and 2019-2020 RAV4 and RAV4 Hybrid vehicles equipped with 2.5L 4-Cylinder engines. Porosity in the engine castings may result in cracks than can allow coolant to leak internally and/or externally.
Risk: A coolant leak can cause the engine to overheat and cause a vehicle stall in conventional gasoline vehicles, increasing the risk of a crash. Additionally, for all involved vehicles, the engine may get damaged mechanically, possibly resulting in an engine oil leak, increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the engine including the engine block, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began April 3, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 or Lexus at 1-800-255-3987. Toyota's number for this recall is 20TA04. Lexus' number for this recall is 20LA02.
Service bulletins (304)
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 2026-08-11 · 24TE04 · Warranty Program/Extension
although the flow shut-off valve is covered by toyota’s new vehicle limited warranty for 36 months or 36,000 miles (whichever comes first), we at toyota care about the customers’ ownership experience. toyota is providing coverage for repairs related to flow shut-off valve coolant leak.
Engine 2026-02-27 · T-SB-0104-21 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
obsolete notice february 27, 2026: this bulletin is no longer applicable and is now obsolete.
Electrical System 2026-01-30 · T-SB-0106-22 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
obsolete notice january 30, 2026: this bulletin is now obsolete. please see t-sb-0001-26.
Electrical System 2026-01-28 · T-SB-0001-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some 2018 – 2024 model year toyota vehicles equipped with a premium audio with dynamic navigation system require a special service tool (sst) usb flash drive to update the map, points of interest, and system software.
Electrical System 2026-01-12 · T-TT-0797-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some rav4 vehicles power seat where the automatic seat adjustment by the memory function does not work.
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
Showing the 6 most recent of 304 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-10-27 · Vehicle Speed Control“vehicle electrical failure when driving with the automatic start/stop option turned on vehicle shows a low voltage abnormality that kills all my electrical components including battery, sometimes it happens while driving on the highway at 70 speed …”
2026-10-26 · Service Brakes“on [xxx], my 2020 toyota rav4 underwent brake service at an authorized toyota dealership in new jersey. the service included replacement of all four brake pads and both front brake rotors. on [xxx], while driving my [xxx] daughter to school, i experienced a sudden and severe loss of braking capability. the driver’s-side rear brake caliper had comp…”
2026-10-24 · Structure:body“power liftgate hinges separating from body. lift gate is no longer working as designed, liftgate is inoperable. …”
2026-10-21 · Structure:body“subject: vehicle safety complaint – loose and wobbling hood on 2020 toyota rav4 xle i am filing a safety complaint regarding my 2020 toyota rav4 xle. the hood is loose and wobbles excessively. it moves when pressed while closed, appears uneven, and shakes or bounces while the vehicle is in motion. i am concerned that the hood may not be securely l…”
2026-09-25 · Unknown Or Other“its the sway bar stabilizer bar in the front end of my 2020 rav4 i bought it brand new in 2020. after just 24k miles i had to replace the sway bar now just a few months later ima gonna have to get it back in the shop because its making the same noise as before …”
2026-09-14 · Fuel/Propulsion System“while driving on the highway, the vehicle suffered a sudden loss of engine power and went into a low-power/vapor lock state due to severe fuel starvation. this created a major safety hazard by stranding the vehicle on the highway shoulder and exposing occupants to high-speed traffic. prior to the power loss, there were no advance warning lights unt…”
2026-09-07 · Structure:body:hatchback/Liftgate:hinge And Attachments“cracking, bending, and failing liftgate hinges and struts.…”
2026-09-04 · Structure:body:hatchback/Liftgate:hinge And Attachments“the rear liftgate is no longer aligned and does not sit evenly when closed. after noticing the uneven fit, i inspected the liftgate hinges and found that both metal hinge brackets appear to be cracking and splitting at their mounting points. there were no warning lights or messages before the problem appeared. i am concerned that the hinges could f…”
2026-09-04 · Power Train“during summer 2026 i began to notice a noise/whine above 30mph that would only occur when foot is on accelerator. my vehicle has 83k miles on it (me being only owner with routine maintenance). as a responsible owner, i had my dealer do an inspection. after a drive and a listen, they claimed it was a transmission bearing failure and only solution…”
2026-08-28 · Unknown Or Other“vehicle was parked in my garage and it was 80° outside. i was standing at the door and heard an explosion. i found out that the rear glass on my rav4 suv exploded. just glad the wife or kids were not standing around the vehicle. i have filed on my insurance and it will be taken care of in a few days by my insurance company.…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.