2018 Toyota RAV4
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Electrical system is the leading concern among 331 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 9th highest complaint count among 26 RAV4 model years with reports.
Of the 2018 reports, 31 involved a crash and 32 involved a fire. 18 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
Equipment, other, labelsJun 28, 2019
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Toyota Camry, Corolla, Rav4, Sienna, and Yaris iA vehicles equipped with factory-installed floor mats. The load carrying capacity modification label may be incorrect. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
An incorrect label may lead to unintentionally overloading the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
SET will notify owners and provide a corrected label for placement over the inaccurate label, free of charge. The recall began August 23, 2019. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. SET's number for this recall is SET19A.
Campaign 19V503000 on NHTSA.gov
Equipment, other, labelsDec 20, 2017
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Toyota 4Runner and Tundra, 2018 Toyota Highlander, RAV4 and Lexus GX460 and 2017 Toyota Sienna and Tacoma vehicles. These vehicles may have incorrect load carrying capacity modification labels. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
An incorrect load information label can result in the operator overloading the vehicle and increasing the risk of a crash.
Toyota will notify owners and provide them with corrected labels, free of charge. The recall began on January 23, 2018. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are H0Z for Toyota vehicles, and HLF for Lexus vehicles.
Campaign 17V831000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints
331 reports, newest first.
Other or unspecified, Sep 11, 2025
On September 3, 2025, I was driving down the I-10 in Biloxi, MS, at 6:45 a.m. It was around 75-80 degrees and the sun was just barely coming up. All of the sudden the glass in my sunroof completely shattered. There were no cars around me and it was an open portion of the road, so no rocks were flung up by nearby vehicles. Luckily, my kids were not with me, because a majority of the glass ended up in my backseat, ranging from huge chunks of about 3-4 inches in diameter to smaller shards being everywhere. I cut myself several times while trying to clean it up, so I can only imagine what it could have done to my kids! Luckily, I was able to keep my cool and not swerve off the road, as it was quite startling.
Power train, Electrical system, Sep 5, 2025, crash
The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that upon entering her carport in an attempt to park(P), the vehicle surged forward without warning. The vehicle blew through the carport's back wall and crashed into her neighbor's fence before coming to an independent stop. The air bags did not deploy upon impact. The contact did not seek medical attention but did sustain soreness in her neck, shoulders, and back. The carport's back wall, a bicycle, the neighbor's fence, and the hammock were all destroyed as a result of the accident. A police report was filed. The dealer was notified of the failure and immediately referred the contact to the manufacturer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was filed. The manufacturer informed the contact that an engineer could be sent to a nearby dealer or independent mechanic to perform an investigation into the defect. The vehicle had yet to be serviced or diagnosed for the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 134,000
Other or unspecified, Aug 31, 2025
The tailgate does not lift all the way. The hinges are intact. I believe its a pistón or sensor problem.
Visibility/wiper, Aug 31, 2025, crash
The passenger side mirror and the collum that holds the windshield on the right side makes a complete blind spot that you can't see anything on that area. If you are turning you can't see even a whole car. The left side mirror and collum that holds the windshield is ok, but not the right one. I got into an accident with the fire hydrant at a parking lot in town because I could not see it. I was turning right into the street and hit the fire hydrant.
Electrical system, Aug 13, 2025
I received a recall notice from Toyota in 2023 for battery defect that could case short circuit and risk of fire. as of today aug. 13, 2025 they have been unable to repair/replace.
Engine, Jul 29, 2025, crash
The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while at a stop at a traffic light, the vehicle independently accelerated and rear-ended another vehicle. The engine revved during the acceleration while the brake pedal was depressed. The vehicle continued to accelerate for 20 feet. No warning lights illuminated. No air bags deployed. No injuries were sustained, and medical attention was not sought. A police report was not filed. The contact stated that the failure had reoccurred while at a stop, and the vehicle traveled approximately 20 feet before coming to a complete stop while forcefully depressing the brake pedal. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 56,368.
Electrical system, Jul 21, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while parked at the residence, the contact turned off the vehicle and noticed that the vehicle lost power. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V734000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); however, the recall repair failed to fix the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure had occurred after the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 7,000.
Electrical system, Jul 17, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Toyota RAV4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V734000(Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. An unknown local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Electrical system, Jul 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V734000 (Electrical System); however, the dealer refused to perform the recall repair. The contact was informed that the correct size battery needed to be purchased to replace the current battery before the recall repair could be performed. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that battery was not the correct size, and a new battery was needed. The manufacturer declined to assist with the cost of replacing the battery. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Power train, Jun 17, 2025
I have had my car for about 2 1/2 years, never been in an accident or anything .. I take the car for an oil change and when I picked it up they informed me that they ran a diagnostics test that indicated that my transmission was out. They asked if I’ve been in any accidents, but I assure them that I have been any accidents at all. The car has been driving perfectly fine but after that news, the car has been dying out! I don’t travel far in the car or go on road trips so I’m not understanding how the transmission has failed!
Electrical system, Jun 13, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V734000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Electrical system, Jun 10, 2025, fire
The contact owned a 2018 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated while driving into a parking lot at a very low speed when the vehicles engine shut off, the contact proceeded to attempt to restart the vehicle however the engine would not start, and upon inspecting underneath the hood of the vehicle the contact noticed that a flame had began to arise from the battery. The contact immediately proceeded to extinguish the fire with a towel. The vehicle was unoccupied as soon as the fire was noticed. A fire department report was not filed. A police department report was not filed. The vehicle was not destroyed. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, where the vehicle was diagnosed however, the contact was advised that further diagnosis was required in order to determine the cause for failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V734000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) as pthe robable cause for the failure experienced. The approximate failure mileage was 78,000.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, May 25, 2025
The recall (Manufacturer Recall # 23TB13; NHTSA Recall # 23V734) has been un-repaired since 1 Nov 2023. The un-repaired recall did not cause a safety issue in this case, but I have moved to Canada and the recall has prevented me from registering and using the vehicle (it is not possible to complete the import process or register any vehicle that has an outstanding recall).
Other or unspecified, May 19, 2025
The recall was for the battery size. This issues has been repaired by the Toyota Dealership 6969 Tyee Dr. SW Tumwater, Wa 98512 360 539-4000. Customer# [XXX] and invoice # [XXX]. I do not understand why I am getting notified of this recall from 2023 stating it has not been taken care of as of this date. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Other or unspecified, May 17, 2025
The recall (Manufacturer Recall # 23TB13; NHTSA Recall # 23V734) has been un-repaired since 1 Nov 2023. The un-repaired recall has not caused a safety issue in my case, but I have moved to Canada and the recall has prevented me from registering and using the vehicle for over a year (it is not possible to complete the import process or register any vehicle that has an outstanding recall).
Latches/locks/linkages, May 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that upon pressing the liftgate emergency release button, the liftgate opened half-way. Additionally, the contact stated that the liftgate had failed to latch or to lock securely while closed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the liftgate needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.
Electrical system, May 12, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V734000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the front driver's side door and the liftgate had failed to open intermittently while using the key fob. The contact stated that the front driver's side door opened upon pulling the interior door handle, and the liftgate would manually open with the key. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle had failed to smoothly shift into gear. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. Parts distribution disconnect.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Engine, May 10, 2025
The recall (NHTSA Recall # 23V734) has been un-repaired since 1 Nov 2023. The un-repaired recall did not cause a safety issue in my case, but I have moved to Canada and the recall has prevented me from registering and using the vehicle for the last for the past year (it is not possible to complete the import process or register any vehicle that has an outstanding recall).
Structure, May 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while it was raining, rainwater was leaking into the vehicle on the driver's side through the factory installed roof rack. The contact stated that water had accumulated under the brake and accelerator pedals. The contact stated that the floor mat was saturated with water. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the roof rack needed to be replaced and the electrical system needed to be inspected. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 39,286.
Electrical system, May 5, 2025, fire
The vehicle's battery area caught fire. I was able to get out of the vehicle on time and call the fire department. Over 50% of the vehicle was consumed by the fire. Vehicle was my spouse's and she usually drives it alone with my [XXX] and she is [XXX]. Thankfully, I was driving it alone. NHTSA recall 23V734 came out on 11/2023 and they expected to have the fix by the end of 2024 but it never happened. The last vehicle maintenance by the dealer was in 02/15/2025. The vehicle has not been inspected yet but the insurance will make an appointment soon to do so. The preliminary findings of the fire department pinpointed the problem in the battery area. Prior to the fire, the vehicle shut down and the steering wheel locked. I turned it on and drove it out of the road and it did it again and when I came out of the vehicle, I saw smoke coming out of the hood and that's when I saw the fire. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Other or unspecified, May 3, 2025
The recall (Manufacturer Recall # 23TB13; NHTSA Recall # 23V734) has been un-repaired since 1 Nov 2023. The un-repaired recall did not cause a safety issue in this case, but I have moved to Canada and the recall has prevented me from registering and using the vehicle (it is not possible to complete the import process or register any vehicle that has an outstanding recall).
Electrical system, May 2, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V734000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Electrical system, Apr 21, 2025
The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V734000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Electrical system, Apr 16, 2025
I took a video: for at least the 6th time since owning this vehicle a multi alert shows up on dash. “Brake Power Low, Visit your dealer”, “Antilock Brake System Malfunction, visit your dealer”, “Lame departure alert, visit your dealer”, “Pre-collision system malfunction, visit your dealer”, “AWD system malfunction, 2WD mode engaged, visit your dealer”, I have 2 other Rav 4s both of which have also shown this issue. A 2016 & a 2017. The 2017 this happened twice I believe. The 2016 at least twice. It’s currently on now in my 2018. Been on 2 days, but was off previous 2 days, but on 1 day before that.
Electrical system, Apr 9, 2025
See attached document for complaint.