2014 Toyota RAV4
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Electrical system is the leading concern among 197 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 19th highest complaint count among 26 RAV4 model years with reports.
Of the 2014 reports, 20 involved a crash and 25 involved a fire. 22 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Electrical system, 12v/24v/48v batteryNov 1, 2023
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.
A battery short circuit increases the risk of a fire.
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.
Campaign 23V734000 on NHTSA.gov
Steering, electric power assist systemMar 13, 2015
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.
An unexpected loss of power steering increases the risk of a crash.
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.
Campaign 15V144000 on NHTSA.gov
Trailer hitchesJan 16, 2015
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.
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.
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.
Campaign 15V011000 on NHTSA.gov
EquipmentDec 30, 2014
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.
Accessories that detach from a vehicle may result in a vehicle crash and/or personal injury.
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.
Campaign 14V828000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: electrical system
69 reports, newest first. Show all
Electrical system, May 24, 2023
The multimedia screen has been stuck in a powering up/loading cycle but would not able to complete the loading cycle, so none of the multimedia functions (radio, DVD Player, Bluetooth, GPS, etc.) would be able to function. This happened to me in early 2023. Over the past months, I have searched similar issues and possible fixes on the internet, but seems no easy fixes, while reported dealer repair estimates for $800+. A Google search shows many similar problems with RAV4 from their 2013 model year on. One Youtube viedeo "Rav4 radio stuck in boot loop" has had 10,000 views as of today, May 23, 2023.
Steering, Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Oct 31, 2022
As I drive the multimedia system reboots on its own. Also as I was exiting the freeway coming off a curvy ramp, the car shut down as I was driving and the steering wheel locked for a second and then it came back to life. As this happened the dashboard lit up as if it was in accessory mode. Luckily there was not a lot of traffic on the ramp. Also about 5 months ago i had it repaired at the dealer because of a torque converter extended recall
Electrical system, Sep 14, 2022, fire
The contact owns a 2014 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at an undetermined speed, an unknown vehicle crashed into the driver's side front quarter panel. There were no warning indicator lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent body shop. The vehicle was taken to another independent mechanic for tires who stated the battery was losing power and surging and not working efficiently. While at the mechanic's, they noticed smoke underneath the hood and the vehicle caught fire. The battery bar compartment was burnt. They were able to extinguish the fire. There were no reported injuries or police reports filed. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact had previously affixed a group 35 sticker on the battery. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 87,000.
Steering, Electrical system, Service brakes, Aug 18, 2022, fire
Steering and brakes quit working while driving. Able to safely get off road. Took to Toyota Service Department. Per invoice "improperly installed battery caused everything to melt" battery installed by AAA in March 2020. Size 35 battery. Extensive damage.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Apr 6, 2022, fire
Our 2014 Rav4 LE with 37k miles caught on fire while parked in a shopping plaza parking lot. The fire department says I was lucky that I wasn't driving the car or I wasn't in the car with children, pets, or elderly parents or we could have died. If my car was parked next to others this fire could have spread and been absolutely catastrophic. We've had our car fully inspected once within the last 6 months, and a limited inspection during an oil change within the last 3 months. I believe the fire started with the battery, we think we were affected by this... https://www.consumerreports.org/car-safety/toyota-rav4-under-investigation-due-to-battery-fire-concerns-a8630737173/ Our battery was inspected recently during an oil change and it was fine. The car has very low miles. Prior to parking the car I noticed a sulfuric rotten egg smell which I thought was coming from one of the nearby restaurants in this plaza. I turned the engine off, rolled up the windows, and put the in-car ventilation on at which point I noticed the smell coming from the vents. I rolled the windows down and was going to pop the hood to investigate but I decided to wait a few minutes for the car to cool down. There were no check engine lights or attention lights on the dashboard. As I got out of the car to walk to the plaza I noticed a small amount of steam coming from between the cracks of the hood. About 45 seconds later when I walked to a nearby storefront I noticed a flame coming from between the windshield and hood. I promptly called 911 and the Skokie fire department arrived on the scene about 5 minutes later. They put out the car fire in about 3 - 4 minutes, but the car was a complete loss.
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Mar 31, 2022
Audio System, Navigation. Cannot enter and use set up Menu for Radio, CD. The Panel continuously displays the screen of the software, hardware, Entune starting and restarting.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Dec 5, 2021
Shortly after I purchased the vehicle, the Entune application began sending “movement alerts” and frequently showed that it was in a different location. The dealership said that an update was required, but that did not fix the problem. About a year later, it began to drain batteries repeatedly (4 in one year). The Toyota dealership could not find a problem. After the last battery replacement, I noticed that the Entune app shows that I have over 960,000,000 miles on the vehicle (when the odometer isn’t even at 85,000) and the battery voltage was 14.6 volts! My car was broken into and the front window was broken, but the app failed to inform me of that! About a month ago, I left home and all of the lights on the dash started flashing. The engine temperature was rising (according to the temperature gauge), and then the gauges stopped functioning. The tachometer showed 0 RPMs and I was unable to see the odometer, temperature, or even my speed. After disconnecting and reconnecting the battery cables, it appeared to solve the problem. I am afraid of what may happen next and would trade it in if I could afford to.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Engine, Aug 31, 2021, fire
On Sunday, Aug 29th, our RAV4 caught fire in our driveway. The vehicle was off/parked at the time and required the fire department to extinguish. The fire spread to our truck which was parked next to the RAV4. Both are a complete loss.
Electrical system, Engine, Jul 19, 2021, fire
The contact owns a 2014 Toyota RAV4. The contact stated while driving 15 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. After multiple attempts, the contact was able to restart the vehicle. Soon after the vehicle was restarted there was smoke coming from the vehicle and the vehicle stalled again. The contact stated that the battery had caught on fire. The battery was destroyed. The fire department was not notified of the fire. There was no injury sustained. Due to the failure, the contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic for repair. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired and remained in the possession of the mechanic. The failure mileage was approximately 135,000. The VIN was not available.
Electrical system, Engine, Jun 6, 2021, crash, fire
After a minor front end collision, the RAV4 immediately began smoking and caught fire. With a minor accident where the other car only had their front bumper minorly damaged, the RAV4 should not have caught fire. Their must be a defect in either the battery or oil line for the car to have caught fire. The car is a total loss and I am asking for a full investigation as my 2 children were in the car when the fire started.
Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Jun 1, 2021, fire
Making a turn onto a local toll road and entire car went dead without warning of any kind. I had to struggle with loss of power steering to complete turn without going off road. Car came to a stop. I tried to call my wife to advise her I was having car problems which is surprising as I haven't had issues previously and had an earlier version of the RAV4 that I drove for 210,000 miles. Anyway, another vehicle stopped alongside and inquired if I needed assistance. As I talked, I noticed a smokey smell from what I had initially assumed was steam. I stepped outside the vehicle and observed through the drivers side front wheel well to see fire at the bottom of the engine compartment. Since I was driving to trails to ride my mountain bike, I had a water bottle and squeezed it onto the flames which partially extinguished and then relit. I hit the hood release but decided it was better to leave the hood down. I went to the rear lift gate to open it to retrieve my expensive carbon fiber mountain bike but it was locked. I tried to open the back driver side door also without success and tried hitting the unlock button on the drivers door but there was no power. About this time the smoke coming from the hood increased and I decided to heed the advise being given to step away from the car. Had I remembered sooner, I probably could have reached around the driver's seat to recover my wallet from the back pocket of the seat. As the fire increased, I stepped increasingly further back from the vehicle. About 5 minutes into the fire a state trooper arrived and expended his only extinguisher in an unsuccessful attempt to put out the fire. It was probably another 12-15 minutes before the fire department arrived to extinguish the fire but by that time, the car and its contents were a total loss.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, May 20, 2021
All but one lock has now failed. The truck is not able to be opened. There were no warnings/indications, and now the company is telling me that it is no longer under warranty and it cannot be repaired unless paid for. I do find similar stories online and that the locks fail a second time in some cases.
Electrical system, Engine, Apr 7, 2021, fire
ON MARCH 20, MY 2014 TOYOTA RAV4 CAUGHT FIRE. IT WAS PARKED IN MY GARAGE AND HAD NOT BEEN MOVED FOR AT LEAST 24 HOURS. THE CAR FIRE CAUGHT THE RAFTERS IN MY ATTACHED GARAGE AND THEN CAUGHT THE REST OF MY HOME ON FIRE.
Electrical system, Mar 2, 2021
OVER THE PAST THREE MONTHS, THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WILL RESTART WHILE I'M DRIVING, USUALLY WHEN FLICKING ON MY BRIGHTS. I GOT THE CAR CHECKED AND THE MECHANICS STATED IT PROBABLY WAS FROM THE BUILD UP ON THE BATTERY. THERE WERE A COUPLE DAYS WHEN THE BATTERY WAS COMPLETELY DEAD. THANKS FOR ANY ADVICE.
Electrical system, Feb 1, 2021
MY HEAD UNIT WHICH PROVIDES NAVIGATION, SOUND, HANDS FREE PHONE, BLUETOOTH AND MUSIC OPTIONS CONTINUALLY ATTEMPTS TO RELOAD. SO I HAVE NONE OF THE ABOVE FEATURES TO USE. THIS PRESENTS A PROBLEM, AS IF I WANT TO MAKE OR RECEIVE A PHONE CALL, OR SPEAK HANDS FREE, THE OPTION NO LONGER EXISTS. I HAVE REVIEWED WEBSITES LIKE YOUTUBE AND CARCOMPLAINTS.COM, AND THERE ARE A LOT OF OWNERS OF NOT JUST A RAV4, BUT OTHER TOYOTA BRANDS WHO ARE HAVING OR HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME ISSUE. I'VE CALLED TOYOTA, AND THEY SAID THERE IS NO RECALL ON THIS SYSTEM. I DON'T SEE HOW NOT HAVING YOUR NAVIGATION, OR HANDS FREE PHONE SERVICES NOT WORKING, CANNOT BE A SAFETY CONCERN! THE WHOLE POINT OF HANDS FREE IS INDEED A SAFETY ISSUE! IT DOESN'T MATTER WHETHER YOU ARE DRIVING OR NOT, THE SYSTEM JUST WANTS TO CONTINUALLY REBOOT. FROM WHAT I'VE READ AND WATCHED, THIS IS A KNOWN MANUFACTURING FLAW WITHIN THE 'ENTUNE' SYSTEM. I'M HOPING YOUR ORGANIZATION CAN REVIEW THIS ISSUE AND SUPPORT THE MILLIONS OF TOYOTA OWNERS ACROSS THE NATION.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Oct 10, 2020
I'VE HAD MULTIPLE ISSUES WITH THIS CAR. THE LOCK ACTUATORS ON ALL THE DOORS AND REAR HATCH CONSTANTLY BREAK, THE RADIO COMPLETELY STOPPED WORKING AND A NEW AFTER MARKET RADIO HAD TO BE INSTALLED SINCE TOYOTA WON'T RECALL THE RADIOS, THE AC BLOWER MOTOR KEEPS SHORTING OUT, AND THE USB PORTS SHORT OUT AND STOP WORKING.
Exterior lighting, Electrical system, Jul 16, 2020
FUEL GAUGE LIGHT IS ON EMPTY BUT THE CAR HAS A FULL TANK
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Apr 8, 2020
RADIO WILL COMPLETELY STOP WORKING TO WHERE YOU HAVE TO BUY A NEW $1200 RADIO FROM THE DEALER. ALL DOOR LOCK ACTUATORS WILL STOP WORKING AFTER A PERIOD OF TIME CAUSING YOU TO NOT BEING ABLE TO UNLOCK OR OPEN YOUR DOORS.
Electrical system, Mar 7, 2020
2014 TOYOTA RAV 4. OVER THE PAST YEAR--THE ELECTRIC LOCKS ON ALL FOUR DOORS STOPPED WORKING--TOOK TO LOCAL MECHANIC AND TOYOTA DEALERSHIP WHO SAID IT WAS THE ACTUATORS IN THE DOORS AND WOULD COST OVER $2000 TO FIX THEM. I WOULDN'T HAVE A PROBLEM, BUT THIS CAR IS ONLY 6 YEARS OLD AND HAS 60,000 MILES ON IT. I FIND IT VERY HARD TO BELIEVE THAT ALL FOUR WOULD BE KNOCKED OUT AT ONCE, AND SUSPECT THAT IT IS A . IT IS A SAFETY CONCERN. I SUSPECT THAT THEY USED INFERIOR/FAULTY PARTS.
Electrical system, Feb 17, 2020
THE RADIO CONTROL UNIT WENT INTO A REBOOT CYCLE AND NEVER COMPLETES. THE ENTIRE UNIT IS UNABLE TO BE USED FOR ANY OF IT'S FUNCTIONS. RADIO, BLUETOOTH, GPS, ETC. THERE ARE A LOT OF TOYOTA OWNERS REPORTING THIS PROBLEM ESPECIALLY WITH THE 2014 RAV4. THERE ARE MANY EXAMPLE AND VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE.
Electrical system, Nov 19, 2019
NAVIGATION AND ENTERTAINMENT PANEL WENT OUT WHILE VEHICLE WAS IN USE. SON WAS DRIVING IN AN UNFAMILIAR AREA AND WAS USING NAVIGATION SYSTEM TO GET HOME WHEN SYSTEM WENT OUT.
Electrical system, Vehicle speed control, Oct 28, 2019
CAR RANDOMLY STOPPED ACCELERATING WHILE ON THE FREEWAY. THE CHECK EV SYSTEM LIGHT CAME ON WITH A TURTLE IN A CIRCLE AS WELL. THANKFULLY WE WERE ABLE TO PUSH TO SIDE OF ROAD.
Electrical system, Aug 13, 2019
AT 46K MILES, DRIVER DOOR LOCK/ACTUATOR BEGAN TO FAIL WHEN UNLOCKING WITH KEYFOB/HAND SENSOR WHEN VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY. PRESSING THE LOCK/UNLOCK ON KEY FOB/DOOR PANEL WORKED 50% OF THE TIME. AT 50K MILES, ALL DOORS (DRIVER, PASSENGER, DRIVER REAR, AND PASSENGER REAR) NO LONGER UNLOCK/LOCK EXCEPT WHEN DONE MANUALLY THROUGH INSERTION OF KEY IN DRIVER DOOR AND MANUALLY UNLOCKING ALL OTHER DOORS (PASSENGER, PASSENGER REAR, AND DRIVER REAR) FROM EACH INDIVIDUAL DOOR LOCK .
Electrical system, Jun 12, 2019
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTING WAS DIM. THE CONTACT HAD DIFFICULTY VIEWING THE GAUGES. LAST WEEK, THE CONTACT ALMOST CRASHED BECAUSE HE WAS FOCUSING SO HARD ON TRYING TO SEE THE SCREEN. YARK TOYOTA (1377 CONANT ST, MAUMEE, OH 43537, (419) 737-4373) WAS NOTIFIED, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTING WAS NORMAL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND AGREED WITH THE DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 18,000. THE VIN WAS INVALID.
Electrical system, May 7, 2019
RADIO STOPPED WORKING ON 4-24-2019