2019 Toyota RAV4
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Fuel/propulsion system is the leading concern among 879 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 2nd highest complaint count among 26 RAV4 model years with reports.
Of the 2019 reports, 25 involved a crash and 2 involved a fire. 21 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Fuel system, gasoline, delivery, fuel pumpNov 4, 2020
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 IS350, 2018-2020 Lexus LC500, 2018 Lexus LS500, 2019 Lexus LS500h, 2018-2019 Lexus LX570, 2017 Lexus RC200t, 2019 Lexus RC300, RC350, 2017 and 2019-2020 Lexus RX350, 2018-2020 RX350L, 2019 Lexus UX200, 2018-2019 Lexus NX300 vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
If the fuel pump fails, the engine can stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
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 expansion of recall 20V-012. Toyota's number for this recall is 20TA02. Lexus' number for this recall is 20LA01.
Campaign 20V682000 on NHTSA.gov
Steering, electric power assist systemJun 24, 2020
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.
A loss of power steering assist could increase steering effort at low vehicle speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
Campaign 20V373000 on NHTSA.gov
Suspension, front, control arm, lower armMay 20, 2020
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.
If a suspension control arm breaks, it can result in a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
Campaign 20V286000 on NHTSA.gov
Engine and engine coolingFeb 6, 2020
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.
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.
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.
Campaign 20V064000 on NHTSA.gov
Back over prevention, sensing system, cameraAug 6, 2019
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2019 RAV4 and RAV4 Hybrid vehicles. Due to a damaged electrical connector, the back-up camera may not activate when the vehicle is in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply to Federal Motor Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rearview Mirrors."
If the backup camera system does not activate and the driver does not check his/her surroundings while reversing, there is an increased risk of a crash.
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the back-up camera system and replace the audio display unit, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began September 27, 2019. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is K0N.
Campaign 19V576000 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, labelsMar 27, 2019
Gulf States Toyota (GST) is recalling certain 2019 C-HR, 4Runner, Avalon, Avalon Hybrid, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Highlander, Land Cruiser, Prius, RAV4, Sequoia, Tacoma, Sienna, Tundra and Yaris vehicles. The text on the load capacity label may become illegible. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
If the driver cannot read the label, they may unknowingly overload the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
GST will notify owners, and dealers will provide corrected load carrying capacity modification labels, free of charge. The recall began May 24, 2019. Owners may contact GST customer service at 1-800-444-1074. GST's number for this recall is 19R1.
Campaign 19V244000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: other or unspecified
169 reports, newest first. Show all
Other or unspecified, Service brakes, Engine, May 12, 2024
I bought this car last year on October 4th from carmax (mileage was 62k at the time of purchase). I started to have problems the next month on November 6th with the brakes which was rusted and had to replace the pads. That was very dangerous and could have hurt myself driving around the heavy rain at the time. I was scared for my safety and others wellbeing so I took the car to the dealership. Their mechanic checked the car and told me that this wasn't fixed or checked since April 2023 before I bought the car in october 2023. I had problems with the infotainment system. the map navigation for my android and iPhone doesnt work anymore. the mechanic at the dealership fixed the rear break pads and discs but couldnt fix the infotainment system even after updating the system. He issued me a 250 dollar refund and was charged 680 dollars for the rest of the job. Another issue happened on March 2024 for the front barring needed to be replaced from a carmax mechanic shop. Paid 380 to fix. This month I got a message saying " engine maintenance required, go to dealership". I took the car to the mechanic and explained that the computer code error message means the coolant valve is defective. I'm thinking of going to the dealer tomorrow up until I found out the car never got the recall repaired from this website. Could this be the reason why I'm having this may problems? The car hasn't been inspected by police or insurance, only the toyota manufacturer on November 6th who told me about the car not getting fixed since April 2023. I have the invoice of all these repairs done. The latest mechanic that told me about the coolant valve being defective thought I needed to change my oil. He did change the oil and charged me 189 dollars. I'm planning on taking the mechanic to fix that problem since the toyota dealership was gonna charge me to fix the transmission fluid which isn't the problem. I will upload the receipt for the oil change job.
Other or unspecified, Fuel/propulsion system, May 10, 2024
Bypass coolant valve is a known issue and while the valve isn’t broken or leaking the car is prompting for a fix that isn’t necessary of a fix.
Other or unspecified, Engine, May 6, 2024
#16260-F0010 B/0 PART COOLANT BY-PASS LOST Vehicle is a 2019 RAV4, odometer reads 37849. I've had a persistent "Engine Maintenance Required" notification on the MID screen for the last 1500 miles or so, literally the day after getting a scheduled service at the dealer. I initially thought it was just the service reminder, so I didn't think much of it, and just ignored it. But eventually it became so annoying that I tried to clear the notification, and couldn't-- and upon further research, it turns out the notification is probably the result of a leaking coolant bypass valve. I haven't noticed any loss in coolant, haven't experienced any abnormal engine temps, and haven't had any CELs. I've also noticed that the notification only comes on now when I have the A/C turned on.
Other or unspecified, May 2, 2024
The engine maintenance light came on at 82,300 miles. After running diagnostics, I was told at the Toyota dealership that it was the coolant bypass valve assembly. Toyota stated that this was a very common problem in this year model RAV4. The fix was almost $1000.
Other or unspecified, May 2, 2024
I spoke to a Toyota customer service rep and they advised me to also log my issue on this site as a way to get the manufacturer to address it. The material on the steering wheel has been increasingly coming off. I'm [XXX] and retired, so the car does not experience rough usage and yet the material is not holding up. I would put a steering cover on, but the steering assist requires touching the steering wheel and I'm not sure how it would continue to work with a cover installed. This is my second Rav4 and I did not experience this problem with that one. This will be a very expensive replacement at some point, and I don't want the same defective material to be installed. I wish the manufacturer would address this. I have not been to the dealer yet to be honest, but wear and tear isn't covered under the warranty. I don't think this is normal though and the material should be holding up better than this. The car is stored in the garage, so it's not being caused by the sun. There's just 50,000 miles on the vehicle now. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Other or unspecified, Apr 16, 2024
Sunroof glass exploded for no reason. We were driving down the highway. The weather was mild. The glass exploded out. We have pictures of the glass protruding upwards not down
Other or unspecified, Apr 14, 2024
The coolant bypass vavle is going bad and needs to be replaced. If it goes bad then it could cause significant damage to my engine. The car Toyota car dealership stated that it is an a common issue with this year, make, and model.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Apr 4, 2024
Coolant Bypass Valve leaking onto electrical systems. If not fixed, electrical system will fail. Toyota is aware that it's a common problem.
Other or unspecified, Mar 26, 2024
Engine Maintenance Required Alert popped up on my vehicle. It’s a 2019 RAV4 with barely 60k mileage on it that I bought new off the dealership back in 2019. They are charging me $800 to get the coolant bypass valve repaired, but this is a known issue that all RAV4’s are experiencing (regardless if it’s at 20k or 100k miles)
Other or unspecified, Mar 26, 2024
Engine maintenance light on for coolant by pass valve
Other or unspecified, Mar 19, 2024
On [XXX], I brought my car in for its 60,000 mile check up. Everything was marked in the green zone including the “coolant.” On [XXX], car brought back in due to message on the car stating “Engine Service Required.” I went to the dealer and the advisor Daniel already had an idea it was the coolant bypass valve was most likely leaking coolant. Per advisor, he stated he has seen this many times before for these types of car bought within this year always has this problem. Upon inspection, the advisor was correct and it was the coolant bypass valve leaking coolant and needing to be repaired. I had to pay $1,278.55 just to fix this in a low mileage car. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Other or unspecified, Feb 16, 2024
The DCM failed. On 2/11/2024, a speaker was no longer working. On 2/15/2024, it was confirmed that the vehicle's microphone was not working. The vehicle was taken to a Toyota dealership on 2/16/2024. They confirmed that the speaker/microphone were not working. They identified a Toyota Service Bulletin for this issue, requiring DCM replacement at the cost of the consumer. Since there is a Toyota Service Bulletin, it seems that this is a known issue. Safety is at risk as the vehicle is no longer hands-free for communication. There were no warning signs of this failure.
Air bags, Seat belts, Other or unspecified, Feb 10, 2024, crash
The vehicle was totaled due to a front end collision. The air bags did not deploy, the seat belt did not lock and the emergency alert when in an accident did not work. The driver was trapped in vehicle and unable to get door open, the vehicle was going about 40-45 mph at the time of the collision and the driver was flung forward causing whiplash and a concussion.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Feb 9, 2024
Coolant bypass valve is faulty. Everyone is having this issue, please please recall!
Other or unspecified, Jan 9, 2024
Major insurance companies have been refusing to insure my car because my car was affected by the natural disasters before I purchased the car. This information was fraudulently withheld by the dealership at the time of my purchase. Thus, I would like to have full refunds equal to my purchase price and repair costs.
Other or unspecified, Dec 16, 2023
Sunroof shattered while driving down the interstate. A chunk of glass was missing & small pieces of glass fell into the car into my hair & into my clothes. Safety put at risk due to shock of event occurring while driving. It caught me off guard & I could not just stop on the highway to inspect what happened as cars were on the side & behind me. Increased anxiety while driving. Insurance claim filed with $500 deductible & without a car for an unknown period of time until glass is repaired. Car inspected by collision shop upon arrival.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Dec 6, 2023
The car's hesitation when I try to accelerate from a slow roll or lower gear. Resulting in lurches when I try to speed up. We got this car for my daughter she is a new driver and the hesitating and lurching is a problem.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Nov 19, 2023
In my Rav4, I had a message pop up that said "Engine Maintenance Required" and it wouldn't go away. I couldn't get rid of it. So I took it to the dealership and they immediately said that I needed my engine coolant bypass valve replaced. They also said it has been a constant issue with other Rav4 vehicles, but there has not been a recall yet. So I paid $650 to get the valve replaced and the continuous message taken off.
Other or unspecified, Nov 18, 2023, crash
Vehicle accelerated uncontrollably in reverse at 50-60 mph and crashed into a wall, almost killing me. I could not stop the vehicle. Braking did not stop it.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Oct 30, 2023
Engine Maintenance Required light on due to a faulty Coolant Bypass Valve. After doing research online, there are many 2019 and 2020 RAV4 that have been having this problem. The dealer said the same thing. Would like to put this on the record in hopes that a recall will happen in the future.
Other or unspecified, Oct 15, 2023
Water Pump failure; check engine light came in while the car was not moving.
Other or unspecified, Oct 6, 2023
Back driver's door panel retaining water. Water swishes back and forth. Replaced roof clips on top already. Just realized today that it was not my gas tank making the sound.
Vehicle speed control, Other or unspecified, Fuel/propulsion system, Sep 18, 2023
Unintended acceleration.
Other or unspecified, Sep 12, 2023
engine light would not reset. I'm told that i have FAULTY HEATER BYPASS VALVE. I will also need a flush on my coolant. Total repairs just under $1000.00. The light came on around 69,000 miles.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Engine, Aug 31, 2023
Hybrid Harness Malfunction. As reported on FaceBook by my wife to [XXX] of LIA Toyota: "Well my husband's RAV 4 wasn't safe and you knew it. And corporate knew it. You are in the business of saving lives by informing your customers when you find a defect in your cars. This faulty harness is dangerous. And the repair is costly and there aren't many of these parts available to make the repair. You put my husband and countless others in danger. Shame on you." Not only has the problem been confirmed: On May 11th, I received a letter from TOYOTA Motor Sales, USA, Inc. entitled, Certain 2019-2022 Model Year Rav4 Hybrid Vehicle (AWD Only) Coverage for High Voltage Floor Under Wire Harness and Rear Traction Motor Cable Corrosion CUSTOMER SUPPORT PROGRAM 22TE09 NOTIFICATION... There was a YouTube Video made by [XXX] about this problem A YEAR AGO entitled, "CableGate," AND an article at TorqueNews. (I have links if needed) The vehicle has been inspected and repaired by LIA Toyota in Rockland County. OVER $5,500 that I'm looking to get a FULL refund. LIA gave me back $1,000 for over-charging me. I want the FULL refund from Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. A warning lamp/message appeared on May 6. I have emails, reports to corporate & screenshots of conversations with LIA service...all lasting almost 2 months. Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. and LIA Toyota BOTH new of this problem a year ago BEFORE they sent out the letter. The letter states they would repair it for free if under 100,000 miles. I had 114,000, BUT...if I knew a year ago, I would have brought it in...UNDER the 100,000 miles, and got a FREE repair. Thank you for helping me get a full refund and for helping others with this same problem. USA Toyota owners NEED TO KNOW THIS! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)