2013 TOYOTA RAV4 — Owner-Reported Problems

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-08-22 260 complaints · 5 recalls
Most-reported system: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (50 complaints · 19.2%)
Safety signals:
  • Crashes 22
  • Fires 28
  • Injuries 15
  • Deaths 1
Compare with 2012 →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Component Problem Distribution

Share of owner complaints filed for each vehicle system (unaffected by sales volume)

Component Problem Distribution ELECTRICAL SYSTEM appears in 50 of 260 owner complaints (19.2%) in this vehicle snapshot. ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: 50 complaints, 19.2% of reports ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 50 · 19.2% · 11 fire reports POWER TRAIN: 25 complaints, 9.6% of reports POWER TRAIN 25 · 9.6% · 1 crash reports ENGINE: 24 complaints, 9.2% of reports ENGINE 24 · 9.2% · 7 fire reports STRUCTURE: 20 complaints, 7.7% of reports STRUCTURE 20 · 7.7% · 1 crash reports SERVICE BRAKES: 16 complaints, 6.2% of reports SERVICE BRAKES 16 · 6.2% · 3 crash reports VISIBILITY: 14 complaints, 5.4% of reports VISIBILITY 14 · 5.4% VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL: 12 complaints, 4.6% of reports VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 12 · 4.6% · 3 crash reports AIR BAGS: 10 complaints, 3.9% of reports AIR BAGS 10 · 3.9% · 9 crash reports FUEL SYSTEM: 10 complaints, 3.9% of reports FUEL SYSTEM 10 · 3.9% UNKNOWN OR OTHER: 94 complaints, 36.2% of reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER 94 · 36.2% · 5 crash reports 10 fire reports 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

UNKNOWN OR OTHER is an NHTSA classification artifact and is always listed last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 50 19.2% 0 crashes · 11 fires
POWER TRAIN 25 9.6% 1 crashes · 0 fires
ENGINE 24 9.2% 0 crashes · 7 fires
STRUCTURE 20 7.7% 1 crashes · 0 fires
SERVICE BRAKES 16 6.2% 3 crashes · 0 fires
VISIBILITY 14 5.4% 0 crashes · 0 fires
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 12 4.6% 3 crashes · 0 fires
AIR BAGS 10 3.9% 9 crashes · 0 fires
FUEL SYSTEM 10 3.9% 0 crashes · 0 fires
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 94 36.2% 5 crashes · 10 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Problem & Recall Timeline

Observed complaint volume and manufacturer recall actions over time

Problem & Recall Timeline Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Apr 2013; the first recall shown was reported in Jan 2015. 2013-Q2: 9 owner reports 9 2013-Q3: 14 owner reports 14 2013-Q4: 16 owner reports 16 2014-Q1: 11 owner reports 11 2014-Q2: 9 owner reports 9 2014-Q3: 5 owner reports 5 2014-Q4: 6 owner reports 6 2015-Q1: 10 owner reports 10 2015-Q2: 6 owner reports 6 2015-Q3: 5 owner reports 5 2015-Q4: 8 owner reports 8 2016-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2016-Q2: 8 owner reports 8 2016-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2016-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2017-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2017-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2017-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2017-Q4: 6 owner reports 6 2018-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2018-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2018-Q3: 5 owner reports 5 2018-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2019-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2019-Q2: 7 owner reports 7 2019-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2019-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2020-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2020-Q3: 5 owner reports 5 2020-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2021-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2021-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2021-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2021-Q4: 5 owner reports 5 2022-Q1: 9 owner reports 9 2022-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2022-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2023-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2023-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2023-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2023-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2024-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2024-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2024-Q3: 9 owner reports 9 2024-Q4: 6 owner reports 6 2025-Q1: 9 owner reports 9 2025-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2025-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2025-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2026-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2026-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2026-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Apr 2013 Jul 2026 Recall campaign 15V011000 ◆ Recall campaign 15V011000 Recall campaign 15V143000 ◆ Recall campaign 15V143000 Recall campaign 15V577000 ◆ Recall campaign 15V577000 Recall campaign 16V096000 ◆ Recall campaign 16V096000 Recall campaign 23V734000 ◆ Recall campaign 23V734000 Investigation PE21005 ● Investigation PE21005 Investigation DP22005 ● Investigation DP22005
  • Campaign 16V096000 was reported 402 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 23V734000 was reported 3,843 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2013-Q2 Owner reports 9
2013-Q3 Owner reports 14
2013-Q4 Owner reports 16
2014-Q1 Owner reports 11
2014-Q2 Owner reports 9
2014-Q3 Owner reports 5
2014-Q4 Owner reports 6
2015-Q1 Owner reports 10
2015-Q2 Owner reports 6
2015-Q3 Owner reports 5
2015-Q4 Owner reports 8
2016-Q1 Owner reports 4
2016-Q2 Owner reports 8
2016-Q3 Owner reports 2
2016-Q4 Owner reports 4
2017-Q1 Owner reports 3
2017-Q2 Owner reports 3
2017-Q3 Owner reports 2
2017-Q4 Owner reports 6
2018-Q1 Owner reports 5
2018-Q2 Owner reports 2
2018-Q3 Owner reports 5
2018-Q4 Owner reports 1
2019-Q1 Owner reports 3
2019-Q2 Owner reports 7
2019-Q3 Owner reports 3
2019-Q4 Owner reports 4
2020-Q1 Owner reports 4
2020-Q3 Owner reports 5
2020-Q4 Owner reports 4
2021-Q1 Owner reports 3
2021-Q2 Owner reports 5
2021-Q3 Owner reports 4
2021-Q4 Owner reports 5
2022-Q1 Owner reports 9
2022-Q2 Owner reports 1
2022-Q4 Owner reports 4
2023-Q1 Owner reports 2
2023-Q2 Owner reports 3
2023-Q3 Owner reports 2
2023-Q4 Owner reports 4
2024-Q1 Owner reports 3
2024-Q2 Owner reports 5
2024-Q3 Owner reports 9
2024-Q4 Owner reports 6
2025-Q1 Owner reports 9
2025-Q2 Owner reports 2
2025-Q3 Owner reports 1
2025-Q4 Owner reports 3
2026-Q1 Owner reports 2
2026-Q2 Owner reports 3
2026-Q3 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 15V011000
Recall campaign 1 15V143000
Recall campaign 1 15V577000
Recall campaign 1 16V096000
Recall campaign 1 23V734000
Defect investigation 1 PE21005
Defect investigation 1 DP22005
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Safety Recalls (5)

Official safety recall campaigns filed with NHTSA

  1. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 15V011000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    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.
    Remedy:
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 15V143000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    A loss of drive power may increase the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 15V577000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    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.
    Remedy:
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  4. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 16V096000

    Report date
    Component:
    SEAT BELTS
    Consequence:
    A cut seat belt may not properly restrain the seat occupant, increasing their risk of injury in a crash.
    Remedy:
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  5. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 23V734000

    Report date
    Component:
    ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
    Consequence:
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Complaint Narrative Explorer

Verbatim owner-reported defect narratives from NHTSA public records

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-08-21
Safety incident filters
Showing 0 of 260 complaints · page 1 of 11

No complaints match the current filters.
EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Data sourced from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Snapshot date: 2026-08-21.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources