2016 Toyota RAV4
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Electrical system is the leading concern among 239 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 18th highest complaint count among 26 RAV4 model years with reports.
Of the 2016 reports, 33 involved a crash and 12 involved a fire. 27 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
TiresApr 22, 2016
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2016 Toyota Yaris, Rav4, Land Cruiser and 4Runner vehicles, and Scion FR-S, iM, and TC vehicles manufactured January 28, 2016, to March 14, 2016. The Load Carrying Capacity Modification Label may not reflect the correct added weight of the installed accessories. As a result, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims for Passenger Cars."
An incorrect label may result in the vehicle being overloaded, increasing the risk of a crash.
SET will notify owners, and provide them a corrected label to be installed over the inaccurate label, free of charge. The recall began on June 3, 2016. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET's number for this recall is SET16A.
Campaign 16V236000 on NHTSA.gov
Service brakes, hydraulic, antilock/traction control/electronic limited slipApr 7, 2016
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2016 Toyota RAV4 vehicles manufactured October 30, 2015, to February 3, 2016, 2016 Lexus RX350 vehicles manufactured October 26, 2015, to February 8, 2016, and 2016 Lexus ES350 vehicles manufactured September 1, 2015, to February 29, 2016. These vehicles are equipped with an ABS actuator that may have a damaged O-ring which could result in improper brake fluid pressure control during ABS, Traction Control, or Stability Control activation. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 126, "Electronic Stability Control Systems."
Insufficient brake fluid pressure may cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the brake actuator, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on May 4, 2016, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is G0I, GLC.
Campaign 16V198000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: service brakes
46 reports, newest first. Show all
Service brakes, Dec 14, 2024
The braking system malfunctioned during Winter and snowy road conditions. Several instances happened during the month of December 2023 and 2024. Latest were December 10 and 13, 2024. The brake pad was soft when depressed that the car accelerated instead of stopping.
Steering, Service brakes, Jul 14, 2024
On July 13th I was driving at a slow speed and I was making a right turn and the steering wheel felt like it was locked in not being able to turn into my lane and so a car coming into my direction, so quickly I had to stop across the opposite lane to let the car go by me, Then I looked at the dashboard it had the steering wheel and brake symbol illuminated, so I tried to restart the motor but it made the clinching noise telling me that still running so I stopped and restarted the motor and the symbols went off and continued driving with caution, made it home safe
Service brakes, Jun 6, 2024, crash
The contact owned a 2016 Toyota RAV4. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed, however, the vehicle failed to stop as intended. The contact stated that due to the failure, the vehicle in front of the contact's vehicle was rear-ended. The Police and ambulance arrived on the scene. A Police report was filed. No injuries were sustained, however, the contact was later informed that a passenger who was riding in the vehicle that was rear-ended later received medical attention. The contact's vehicle was towed to a local tow yard. The contact's vehicle was condemned as a total loss. The contact stated that no damage to the other vehicle had been reported. The contact stated that the vehicle was serviced at the dealer for full maintenance six weeks before the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 61,000.
Power train, Electrical system, Service brakes, Dec 10, 2023, crash
While exiting slowly from the parking lot, the Toyota started to make a beeping alarm noise, then suddenly lurched forward. Applying the brake had no effect, and the car accelerated across the LRT tracks, climbed onto the passenger platform, and only stopped when it collided with an electrical box there.
Vehicle speed control, Service brakes, Aug 13, 2023
I was parking the car in a gravel parking lot. When I pressed the brakes and shifted into park it instead accelerated and went over the side of an enbankment. I could not stop it even though my foot was pressing hard on the brake. Luckily there was no other person or property affected by the error and my car did not suffer external damage. It damaged a sensor on the bottom side of the car which had to be replaced. There was no indication of any problems beforehand. My mechanic did an extensive review of the car and could not find anything that would have explained the unintended acceleration.
Service brakes, Feb 9, 2023, crash
The contact owns a 2016 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while driving at an undetermined speed, she noticed traffic had slowed down and the driver applied the brake pedal but the brakes failed to respond and crashed into the rear of an unknown vehicle. The TPMS warning indicator light was illuminated. The contact sustained injuries to her neck, but medical attention was not provided. A police report was filed. There was no fire due to the crash. All the frontal air bags deployed. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The contact stated the failure was similar to NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V198000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic, Electronic Stability Control). The approximate failure mileage was 89,500.
Service brakes, Hydraulic, Mar 9, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated while driving 10 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed and went to the floorboard. The contact stated that extra effort was needed to depress the brake pedal while stopping the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 135,000.
Service brakes, Nov 11, 2021
I was traveling at a speed of 40 mph on a wet road. As I approached an intersection with stop sign I applied brakes about 100 feet before the stop sign. The ABS engaged shortly after I applied the brakes. I continued to keep foot on brake but was continuing to get closer to the intersection and the ABS was not disengaging. I attempted once to let off the ABS and apply the brakes but the ABS was still on disengaging. At this point I was entering the intersection and turned my wheel toward the left at an embankment and pulled up on my emergency parking brake to stop the vehicle. The incident did not result in a collision, as it was a 3 way stop and the other vehicles at the intersection was able to avoid hitting me. I called Rohrich Toyota immediately to see if there was a recall in the brakes or a known problem. I was told there wasn't any known problem. I tested out the brakes at slow speed and the problem didn't repeat itself under slow conditions so I drove home. I believe there is a problem with the ABS not disengaging.
Air bags, Service brakes, Nov 1, 2021, crash
I was driving on the entrance road to a major highway, and as I approached the curve in the road and pressed on the brakes to decelerate, the vehicle began to shake, and as I pressed the brakes harder to slow down, they did not engage, the front wheels became locked in the position of the curving road at an angle and the vehicle went off road at approx 45mph down an embankment and into a tree. The air bags did not deploy. The vehicle is totaled and although there were no fatalities minor injuries did occur since the airbags did not keep the passenger nor driver from hitting there head on the windows and door jam, and the steering wheel.
Other or unspecified, Service brakes, Mar 14, 2021
HAVE TO REPLACE BRAKES ONLY AFTER 20K MILES. BATTERY BECOME DEAD AFTER 25K MILES
Service brakes, Dec 28, 2020
SOMETIMES MY BRAKES WORK NORMALLY. OTHER TIMES, THE BRAKE PEDAL WILL BE HARD TO PUSH, AND THE BRAKE PEDAL WILL NOT COME BACK UP WHEN I RELEASE IT. IF I DON'T PULL THE PEDAL BACK UP WITH MY FOOT, BRAKES WILL CONTINUE TO BE APPLIED EVEN WHEN I'M ACCELERATING. I CAN'T TELL WHY THEY WORK SOMETIMES AND NOT OTHERS. I COULD SPEND 4 HOURS DRIVING AROUND WITH STICKY BRAKES, AND THEN SUDDENLY, THEY'RE FINE.
Service brakes, Oct 29, 2020, crash
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE HER HUSBAND WAS DRIVING 65 MPH AND APPROACHING AN EXIT OFF THE FREEWAY RAMP, THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL WHICH FAILED TO ENGAGE PROPERLY AS THE BRAKE PEDAL TRAVELED TO THE FLOORBOARD. THE CONTACTS HUSBAND PUMPED THE BRAKE PEDAL A COUPLE OF TIMES BUT FAILED TO RESPOND CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO CROSSOVER A 4 LANE HIGHWAY, ONTO A UPHILL ONRAMP WHERE IT CAME TO A STOP AFTER CRASHING INTO A CURB. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AND THE VEHICLE RESUMED TO NORMAL. THE VEHICLE RECEIVED MINOR DAMAGE TO THE PASSENGER FRONT TIRE, AND THE RIM WAS CRACKED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER (BALISE TOYOTA 1399 RIVERDALE ST, WEST SPRINGFIELD, MA 01089 (413) 306-3037) HOWEVER THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR SEEN. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT A TECHNICIAN WOULD GO OUT TO THE DEALER AND INSPECTED THE VEHICLE RECORDERS WHICH DETERMINED NO FAULTY CODES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 40,132.
Service brakes, Aug 26, 2020, crash
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE SYSTEM FAILED. THE CONTACT STATED WHEN THE DRIVER DROVE AT 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE IN FRONT MADE A SUDDEN STOP AND WHEN THE DRIVER ENGAGED THE BRAKE PEDAL IT WENT TO THE FLOOR BOARD AND CAUSED THE DRIVER TO CRASH INTO THE TRUCK'S REAR END. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN UNKNOWN DEALER FOR INSPECTION. HOWEVER, THE DEALER TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE AND WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT ALSO WANTED TO ADVISE THAT THE BRAKE PADS WAS PREVIOUSLY REPLACED BY AN UNKNOWN DEALER BECAUSE THE CONTACT HAD NOTICED THAT TOOK A LONGER TIME FOR THE BRAKE TO ENGAGE WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN OVER 60 MPH. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO REPORT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000.
Service brakes, Hydraulic, Aug 13, 2020
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AND TAPPING ON THE BRAKE PEDAL TO SLOW THE VEHICLE, THE FRONT-END VIBRATED ABNORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE KOONS FORD OF BALTIMORE DEALER LOCATED AT 6970 SECURITY BLVD, WOODLAWN, MD 21244, WHERE THE BRAKE PADS AND BRAKE ROTORS WERE REPLACED. THE FAILURE RECURRED AND THE VEHICLE VIBRATED MUCH HARDER AND WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE SAME DEALER WHO THEN REPLACED A PIECE OF RUBBER AROUND THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT PROVIDED.
Service brakes, Jan 8, 2020, crash
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 TOYOTA RAV-4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PARK THE VEHICLE AT A LOW RATE OF SPEED, THE BRAKES FAILED WITHOUT WARNING AND THE VEHICLE DROVE INTO A BRICK PILLAR. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY UPON IMPACT. POLICE WERE CALLED AND A REPORT WAS FILED; NO MEDICAL ASSISTANCE WAS GIVEN AT THE SCENE. THE CONTACT'S WIFE SUFFERED BRUISING ACROSS HER CHEST DUE TO THE SEAT BELT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED FROM THE SCENE TO THE CONTACT'S HOME AND WAS REPAIRED AT AN INDEPENDENT AUTO BODY SHOP. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE MATTER AND WAS INFORMED THAT AN INTERNAL INVESTIGATION WOULD BE LAUNCHED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 49,623.
Service brakes, Oct 8, 2019
ABS SYSTEM LIGHT IS ON AND THERE IS NO COVERAGE PLUS I DID NOT GET THE RECALL OF 2016. I AM ON LONG-TERM DISABILITY AND THIS IS EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR.
Service brakes, Sep 16, 2019
BRAKES ARE SQUEAKY AT A LOW RATE OF SPEED (20 MPH AND LESS) AT APPROXIMATELY 20K MILES.
Service brakes, Sep 11, 2019, crash
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE VEHICLE DID NOT STOP WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF A SECOND VEHICLE. IN TURN, THE SECOND VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A THIRD VEHICLE. THE CONTACT'S AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE DRIVER AND THE TWO OCCUPANTS IN THE SECOND VEHICLE SUSTAINED MINOR NECK INJURIES. MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS RECEIVED. POLICE REPORT NUMBER: 197537 WAS FILED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER AND AN UNKNOWN DEALER WERE NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Service brakes, Jul 27, 2019
STARTED MY 2016 RAV4 LIMITED ON 7/27/2019. AFTER STARTING IT NONE OF THE SAFETY FEATURES ARE WORKING. THIS APPEARS TO BE A KNOWN ISSUE AMONG OTHER TOYOTA OWNERS. THE VEHICLE WAS FINE WHEN I SHUT IT OFF THE NIGHT BEFORE. NOW ANTI LOCK BRAKING, LANE DEPARTURE ALERT, PRE-COLLISION SYSTEM, AND ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL ARE ALL FAILING.
Service brakes, Jun 18, 2019
MY BRAKES SEEM TO SCRAPE ABOUT THE FIRST 5 TIMES I USE THEM THEN THE SOUND GOES AWAY
Service brakes, May 20, 2019
MY CAR HAS ONLY 22,700 MILES. FRONTS END BRAKES AND ROTOR ARE TOTALLY WORN OUT. THE CAR WAS DRIVEN NORMALLY.
Service brakes, Mar 30, 2019
WHILE STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED AND LUNGED FORWARD. BRAKES WOULD NOT HOLD THE VEHICLE FROM GOING FORWARD. HAD TO TURN THE VEHICLE OFF.
Service brakes, Dec 29, 2018
I HAD A GRINDING NOISE IN THE FRONT BRAKES AND TOOK IT TO THE DEALER A COUPLE OF TIMES FINALLY THEY REPLACED THE BRAKES AND TURN THE ROTORS THAT WAS ABOUT SEVEN MONTHS AGO THAT NOISE STARTED AND THEY REPLACE THEM ABOUT A MONTH AGO AND NOW THEY'RE MAKING NOISE AGAIN I DON'T KNOW THERE'S A PROBLEM OR A DEFECT
Service brakes, Sep 27, 2018
I WAS DRIVING MY CAR IN THE RAIN, AND A WARNING CAME ON THAT THE ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEM WAS MALFUNCTIONING. I KEPT DRIVING, AND ALL THER DASHBOARD LIGHTS FLASHED OFF THEN BACK ON TWICE. I PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, TURNED THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON AND IT STOPPED. THIS ISN'T THE FIRST TIME I'VE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE ABS NOT WORKING RIGHT IN THE RAIN. I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE WHEN THIS HAPPENED.
Service brakes, May 31, 2018, crash
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, TWO DEER SUDDENLY EMERGED FROM THE WOODS. WHEN THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE VEHICLE DID NOT STOP AND STRUCK ONE OF THE DEER. THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE VEHICLE WAS DAMAGED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED (NUMBER: 18-05410) AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO CEDAR RAPIDS TOYOTA (1190 BOYSON ROAD, HIAWATHA, IOWA 52233), BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TOWED TO A BODY SHOP. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,900.