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
879 reports, newest first.
Visibility/wiper, Feb 17, 2022
Wipers would not turn on when activated. I checked all fuses were good and still not working. I drove home with no wipers in rain. Then next day I went to recheck fuses and relays, but the wipers came on.
Power train, Vehicle speed control, Jan 29, 2022
Car hesitates when pulling out from a stop. The natural reaction is to depress accelerator more causing a shift feels like a lower gear and the car pulls out abruptly . This happens very often and I contribute it to lower gas mileage then car is rated at along with accelerated tire wear. I feel it is a safety issue when merging into traffic and causing a possible accident. I've taken my concerns to dealership on numerous occasions with complete disregard of condition calling it a " characteristic" of the vehicle. I feel there needs to be a recall to correct this issue.
Fuel/propulsion system, Jan 19, 2022
Engine stalled on a highway going 65 mph in cruise control. I had 1/4 full fuel tank. just before the engine stopped working I read information on my dashboard I have to stop the car in .5 miles, than .3 miles and engine stalled within seconds. I was able to pull over with dead engine. I shut down the car using key (I have a mechanical key for ignition) and car started with a message 'hybrid system malfunction. output power reduced . visit your dealer." I visited local mechanic who read the codes and instructed its a faulty fuel pump. I filled the car with more gas and drove couple of miles with reduced power. I left the car for 36 hours and it started to run ok by itself. dealer replaced fuel pump and now it works fine. The day of incident I was able to smell gas around engine bay before incident. I was able to smell strong gas smell after incident after I filled more gas in the vehicle most likely from engine bay fresh air intake. My assumption is this is due to bad fuel/air ratio and the result was unburned fuel. The week before the incident engine felt it kicked in roughly on its start up (my car is a hybrid). I had a fuel pump recall performed 4 months before but the fuel pump failed based on codes p319300 p008700 p107a2a . dealer replaced fuel pump (2nd time) and car works well and much smoother than before.
Electrical system, Air bags, Jan 18, 2022
I bought my vehicle new in August 2019, it currently has approximately 30,500 miles. A few months ago I noticed a water stain by the roof, right on the A pillar on the passenger side. I took it to Toyota and they determined it was from the sunroof, according to them one of the drains was clogged with leaves and dirt (prior to this I had NEVER opened/used the sunroof, not sure if leaves are able to get in there without ever opening the roof). They cleaned the water stain and sent me on my way, without checking for water damage. After doing some research online found out this was happening to quite a few frustrated people and seemed to happen in the 2019-2021 RAV4 vehicles, most people were told it was the sunroof but further research revealed the possibility that it was the roof rail that contained bad seals. The water is now pooling on both A pillars right where the airbags are housed. I feel there is a good possibility those airbags will not deploy properly in case of an accident. In addition, multiple customers have complaint of this issues causing electrical problems as well.
Fuel system, Gasoline, Electrical system, Jan 13, 2022
The contact owns a 2019 Toyota RAV4. The contact stated that there was an unknown blinking red light on the instrument cluster. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 20V682000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact called the local dealer and it was confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. Parts distribution disconnect. The approximate failure mileage was 25,000.
Visibility/wiper, Jan 11, 2022
The Panoramic Sunroof spontaneously exploded while driving on the freeway. There was no impact point and the glass is bowed outward. When it exploded it was a very load pop and pressure feeling that made everyone's ears ring. About 2 seconds later small glass particles and glass dust fell down on the driver and passenger. This was reported to insurance company and taken to independent service center for estimate and repair. There were no warning lights or prior issues. The sun roof was in perfect working order and the vehicle has less than 25,000 miles on it. Driving context - 10:30 PM, light rain, outside temp was 38degrees, inside car temp set at 72 with heater on, sunshade was back, radio off, very little traffic on freeway with no road disturbances.
Electrical system, Jan 10, 2022
The contact owns a 2019 Toyota RAV4. The contact stated while driving approximately 50 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently stalled. The contact stated that an error electrical system warning message was displayed. The contact pulled over and had the vehicle towed to a local dealer where it was awaiting diagnostic testing. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 34,000. The VIN was not available.
Air bags, Structure, Jan 9, 2022
The roof rack rails have begun leaking due to failed weather sealants around them. Water is seeping through when it rains, getting water on the airbags, headliner, and moves along the top frame. I’m scared the electrical components will become damaged. Issue began happening right around 45,000 miles when I noticed. I have only owned vehicle for 2.5 years.
Seat belts, Dec 27, 2021
The seat belt for the driver's seat often wedges itself between one or another of the levers of the seat-adjustment mechanisms and the side of driver's seat. I am concerned that this may cause the belt to operate less than optimally.
Electrical system, Air bags, Other or unspecified, Dec 24, 2021
The issue is the stock roof rack that comes with the vehicles. The clips that clip on to the body of the car have gaskets that deteriorate. Water leaks in through those holes and into the headliner of the car. The front SRS airbags are compromised and potentially rendered useless. The wiring that attaches to the airbags is also compromised because the water will eventually corrode it.
Electrical system, Structure, Forward collision avoidance, Dec 21, 2021, crash
Around 2:30 pm on Thursday, December 2, 2021, my wife and I were on our way to the gym for a workout. I was pulling my auto out of my garage. It was in reverse when it stopped half way and did not finish backing out. I put it in drive and then in reverse and I was able to back out. Once out of my driveway, I backed out into the street in reverse. From reverse, I put my car in Drive to start driving on the street. At this point, the car spun out of control and I could not control its movements. The car turned around on the street and drove into my yard. It ran through the yard, spun around through some hedges, onto my driveway and continued back into the yard. At this time it hit a tree in the yard, went back on the road, turned into my driveway before coming to a stop. We got out and inspected the damage. The entire front bumper and the assembly was hanging from the body of the car. The damage was extensive. Thankfully, no one was on the road and the only damage was to my car and my yard. shrubs and tree. This car is a Limited Edition with cameras and braking functions that stop the car if an object comes in its way. The car kept accelerating and did not brake to avoid collision. Note: We bought this 2019 RAV4 in March 2019. It was brand new, full loaded with many safety features. In October of 2019, we heard sounds coming from the front of the car. We took it to Toyota dealership to have it diagnosed. They determined that the Electromagnetic Clutch Assembly needed to be replaced. The car had 7100 miles on the Odometer.
Power train, Electrical system, Engine, Dec 8, 2021
After a recall repair order was issued, the repairs were made and now accelerating under load or uphill, the vehicle will accelerate and then bogs down or chokes (the vehicle then loses speed and no longer accelates). The issue has occurred several times while accelerating to freeway speeds on freeway on-ramps (it’s a safety hazard). 1st attempt to repair by the dealer was made on 11/22/2021. 2nd attempt by the same dealership is pending for today 12/08/2021 at 1:30pm.
Vehicle speed control, Service brakes, Dec 8, 2021, crash
The contact owns a 2019 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated while attempting to park the vehicle, depressing on the brake pedal but the vehicle began to accelerate independently causing the vehicle to crash into a tree trunk. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. No air bags deployed. The contact stated she had chest and neck pains due to hitting the steering wheel and did go to urgent care but did not seek medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.
Air bags, Structure, Nov 29, 2021
My roof rack rail assembly is leaking water down my A and C pillars, and into the inside of my vehicle. When it leaks into my car it also leaks down into my side curtain airbags to the point if I were to get into an accident where the side curtain airbags needed to deploy because of my windshield, they would not which could cause me to lose my life. I have asked my dealership about it and they told me they had numerous roof racks replaced because of the leaking but because my vehicle is no longer under warranty, I have to pay to have the roof racks replaced. I have tried to reseal my roof racks but did not work. The Toyota dealership told me that if resealing didn't work, the only other option was to replace. I cannot drive in the rain, even when it is just sprinkling or wash my car because any sort of water will leak into my vehicle. Toyota will not send a recall out for this issue but is known to be a safety issue with the Toyota dealership and numerous people that own a 2019-2021 Toyota Rav4.
Other or unspecified, Nov 29, 2021
My sunroof exploded for absolutely no reason.
Visibility/wiper, Nov 11, 2021
The sunroof/moonroof in my 2019 Toyota RAV4 spontaneously exploded while parked overnight in my driveway. There was not any damage on or around that area of my car, nothing above my car. The following morning when I pulled out of my driveway, I noticed a strange sound , retracted my visor and noticed the roof glass was completely shattered in a volcanic like shape. Pieces began to fall as I began to pull back into the driveway.
Structure, Nov 9, 2021
Was driving on the freeway and heard a loud pop noise. upon pulling over, i noticed a hole in my in my sunroof (punctured from the inside out)
Other or unspecified, Oct 25, 2021
I noticed water pooling on the driver side floor after it rained. I determined water was leaking in the drivers side window and streaming down to the floor and wetting the electrical components. An online search found others with a similar problem. It appears to stem from inadequate gaskets on the roof rails. All of my windows have water seeping in during rain. My concern is the electrical components getting wet. I found one example of corrosion that someone posted online.
Other or unspecified, Oct 24, 2021
Standing water on plastic mat/ passenger-side footwell. Lifted matt up and carpet soaked. Visually and sopping wet to the touch. While driving noise continually of sloshing…. Sounds like water rolling back and forth under passenger seat. Heard Most when slowing or speeding up. Called toyota service departments and currently closed
Air bags, Structure, Oct 19, 2021
Roof headliner leak due to poor design and/or water proofing materials on the clips of the roof top bar. This causes concerns about potential damage to the side air bags and electricals.
Structure, Oct 13, 2021
The contact owns a 2019 Toyota RAV4. The contact stated that whenever it rained, water would enter the cabin of the vehicle. The contact was concerned that it might cause an electrical failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 37,000.
Air bags, Oct 2, 2021
The roof rails allow water to enter the vehicle along the A pillar where the side curtain airbags and connectors reside. Moisture was found inside the connectors, which will lead to corrosion over time and would cause a failure of the airbags to deploy.
Air bags, Structure, Sep 24, 2021
My RAV4 has factory roof rails and the seals on the rails for drivers and passengers sides have begun leaking which caused water to get inside the liner of the roof and travel down the a pillars to the side curtain airbags. I had the vehicle inspected at Toyota of Terre Haute Indiana. And they confirmed where the leak was at and stated that they have no reports of this issue happening. However there are a lot of people reporting the same issues online.
Seats, Sep 16, 2021
The contact owns a 2019 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while picking up her husband, upon sitting on the front passenger’s seat, he noticed that the seat was extremely hot. The contact stated that the heated seat feature was in the off position. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer and the vehicle was being diagnosed while filing the complaint. The vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 39,000.
Suspension, Electrical system, Engine, Aug 16, 2021
The contact owns a 2019 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle was making an abnormal humming and grinding sound. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact received a recall notification for an unknown recall in regards to a humming sound coming from the transfer case of the vehicle; however, the dealer diagnosed that no issues were found and informed the contact that the recall repair did not need to be completed on the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving and he had been hearing abnormal bumping sounds from underneath of the vehicle. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 3.