Toyota RAV4 2019–2025
5th generation (XA50)
NHTSA data through 12 August 20263,328 complaints, 796 with mileageMethod
On this generation, 70% of failures fall within the first 12,000 miles — a rate roughly 18 times higher than during the rest of the car's life.
- First 12,000 miles — 70% of all failures
- Rest of the range
- Median
- 10%
- 100
- 25%
- 578
- Median
- 4,650
- 75%
- 17,500
- 90%
- 56,000
Show the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–10,000 | 522 | 65.6% |
| 10,000–20,000 | 84 | 10.6% |
| 20,000–30,000 | 32 | 4.0% |
| 30,000–40,000 | 42 | 5.3% |
| 40,000–50,000 | 24 | 3.0% |
| 50,000–60,000 | 26 | 3.3% |
| 60,000–70,000 | 27 | 3.4% |
| 70,000–80,000 | 6 | 0.8% |
| 80,000–90,000 | 10 | 1.3% |
| 90,000–100,000 | 2 | 0.3% |
| 100,000–110,000 | 4 | 0.5% |
| 110,000–120,000 | 6 | 0.8% |
| 120,000–130,000 | 2 | 0.3% |
| 130,000–140,000 | 5 | 0.6% |
| 140,000–150,000 | 2 | 0.3% |
| 170,000–180,000 | 2 | 0.3% |
What this can and cannot tell you: these are complaints owners chose to file, not a failure rate. Popular models accumulate more of them simply by being common. How this is built.
Owners filed 3,328 complaints with NHTSA about the 2019–2025 Toyota RAV4, and 796 of them record the mileage at which the failure happened. That is enough to show not just what fails, but when.
70% of failures fall within the first 12,000 miles — a rate roughly 18 times higher than during the rest of the car's life. Failures clustered that early usually indicate a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear.
The most-reported areas are the engine (15.5% of complaints, typically around 8,000 miles), problems owners could not categorise (15.1% of complaints, typically around 3,000 miles), the fuel and propulsion system (11.7% of complaints, typically around 625 miles).
15 recall campaigns cover this generation.
What fails, and when
- Engine8,000median 8,063 miles, middle half 1,000 to 53,000
- Problems owners could not categorise3,000median 3,000 miles, middle half 400 to 7,000
- Fuel and propulsion system625median 625 miles, middle half 370 to 3,000
- Electrical system5,000median 4,888 miles, middle half 1,000 to 21,000
- Airbag system18,000median 18,250 miles, middle half 10,000 to 44,000
- Body structure24,000median 24,000 miles, middle half 8,000 to 58,000
- Transmission and driveline5,000median 4,800 miles, middle half 1,000 to 10,000
| System | Complaints | Share | Median | 25–75% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 516 | 15.5% | 8,000 | 1,000–53,000 |
| Problems owners could not categorise | 502 | 15.1% | 3,000 | 400–7,000 |
| Fuel and propulsion system | 389 | 11.7% | 625 | 370–3,000 |
| Electrical system | 384 | 11.5% | 5,000 | 1,000–21,000 |
| Airbag system | 256 | 7.7% | 18,000 | 10,000–44,000 |
| Body structure | 217 | 6.5% | 24,000 | 8,000–58,000 |
| Transmission and driveline | 169 | 5.1% | 5,000 | 1,000–10,000 |
| Steering | 152 | 4.6% | 7,500 | 2,000–46,000 |
| Brakes | 118 | 3.5% | 4,500 | 1,500–9,000 |
| Forward collision avoidance | 114 | 3.4% | — | — |
Which systems, and when
Complaints about this generation are not spread evenly across the vehicle, and the systems that generate the most of them do not all fail at the same point in a car's life. The median failure across all systems here is 4,650 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.
The engine accounts for 15.5% of complaints (516 reports, 51 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails late — a median of 8,063 miles, considerably beyond the vehicle's overall median. That pattern is consistent with normal service life rather than a defect, though it matters for anyone buying an example already near that mileage. The middle half of these reports falls between 1,000 and 53,000 miles.
Problems owners could not categorise accounts for 15.1% of complaints (502 reports, 67 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails early — a median of 3,000 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 400 and 7,200 miles.
The fuel and propulsion system accounts for 11.7% of complaints (389 reports, 208 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails early — a median of 625 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 370 and 3,000 miles.
The electrical system accounts for 11.5% of complaints (384 reports, 84 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 4,888 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 1,100 and 21,000 miles.
The airbag system accounts for 7.7% of complaints (256 reports, 40 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails late — a median of 18,250 miles, considerably beyond the vehicle's overall median. That pattern is consistent with normal service life rather than a defect, though it matters for anyone buying an example already near that mileage. The middle half of these reports falls between 10,000 and 43,956 miles.
Body structure accounts for 6.5% of complaints (217 reports, 52 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails late — a median of 24,000 miles, considerably beyond the vehicle's overall median. That pattern is consistent with normal service life rather than a defect, though it matters for anyone buying an example already near that mileage. The middle half of these reports falls between 7,947 and 57,650 miles.
Differences between model years
Within this generation, complaint volume is not constant across model years. The 2019 model year drew the most — 1,177 complaints — while 2025 drew the fewest at 112. The median year sits at 257.
That makes 2019 an outlier: roughly 4.6 times the median year of this generation. A single year standing that far apart usually reflects either a first-year issue that was later corrected, or a component change introduced for that year. Anyone shopping this generation has a straightforward reason to prefer a different year, all else being equal.
Recalls and what they cover
NHTSA records 15 recall campaigns covering vehicles in this generation. A recall means the manufacturer or the regulator concluded there was a safety defect or a standard was not met, and that a free remedy is owed to owners — including second and later owners.
The campaigns cluster around the airbag system (3), the reversing camera and sensors (2), equipment (2). Repeated recalls against the same area of the car generally mean the first remedy did not fully resolve the underlying problem.
Recall status is specific to the individual vehicle, not the model. Checking a VIN against NHTSA's lookup is free and takes under a minute, and it is the only way to know whether a particular car has had the work done.
Reported severity
Of the 3,328 complaints filed against this generation, 260 reported a crash; 31 reported a fire; 227 reported an injury; 2 reported a fatality. Crash-involved reports represent 7.8% of the total.
These are owner-reported outcomes, not verified investigations, and they are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. They are included because the distinction between a fault that strands a car and a fault that causes a collision is the one that matters most, and it is not visible in a complaint count alone.
What this means if you are buying one
For a buyer, an early-failure pattern is comparatively good news on a used example: 70% of the reported failures occur in the first 12,000 miles, which on a car of this age means they have already happened or they were never going to. Service history matters more than mileage here.
On inspection, the engine and problems owners could not categorise are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. Problems owners could not categorise in particular shows a median failure mileage of 3,000, which gives a concrete number to compare against the odometer of any car you are considering.
None of this is a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on the individual car. Aggregate patterns describe a population; the example in front of you has its own history.
Documented problems
Fuel System 2019–2020
Denso low-pressure fuel pump impeller cracks and swells, seizing the pump and causing engine stall without warning; recalled in 2019 and expanded in 2020 across a large Toyota population.
Transmission (ua80 8-Speed) 2019–2020
Harsh, hesitant and clunky low-speed shifting and delayed engagement, addressed by control-module recalibration TSBs.
Fuel Tank 2019–2020
AWD models will not accept a full tank of fuel from the pump's automatic shutoff, an acknowledged tank-geometry limitation rather than a defect fix.
Electrical 2019–2020
12-volt battery hold-down clamp allows the battery to shift and short against the hood, a fire risk; recalled on 2019-2020 vehicles.
By model year
| Year | Complaints | With mileage |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 1,177 | 398 |
| 2020 | 799 | 242 |
| 2021 | 516 | 89 |
| 2022 | 216 | 19 |
| 2023 | 251 | 12 |
| 2024 | 257 | 28 |
| 2025 | 112 | 8 |
Recalls (15)
| Campaign | Date | Component |
|---|---|---|
| 26V256000 | 2026-06-19 | Seats:critical Fasteners |
| 25V744000 | 2025-12-05 | Back Over Prevention:display Function |
| 25V595000 | 2025-12-05 | Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/Panel |
| 24V911000 | 2025-01-23 | Wheels:hub |
| 23V865000 | 2024-10-31 | Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification |
| 23V485000 | 2023-08-18 | Tires:valve |
| 22V519000 | 2022-09-12 | Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification:front Passenger |
| 20V682000 | 2021-01-21 | Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:fuel Pump |
| 20V734000 | 2020-12-18 | Air Bags:frontal |
| 20V373000 | 2020-08-17 | Steering:electric Power Assist System |
| 20V286000 | 2020-08-10 | Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Arm |
| 20V064000 | 2020-04-03 | Engine and Engine Cooling |
| 19V576000 | 2019-09-27 | Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera |
| 19V503000 | 2019-08-23 | Equipment:other:labels |
| 19V244000 | 2019-05-24 | Equipment:other:labels |
What owners reported
When driving my car everytime i make a turn there is a noise coming from the shock of the wheels front and rear i took it to the dealership 3 times and they said they hear nothing then i took it to my mechanic and he said it's the ball bearing on top of the shock. Now the noise is getting louder and louder, i'm…
2019 · Suspension
I bought my brand new car in aug 2019. A 2019 Toyota RAV4 hybrid xse. My fuel gauge does not go all the way to full when i fill up on gas. I noticed this after having the car for 1 month. I made an appointment for service and took the car in. The service employee said that Toyota is aware of the problem and there is…
2019 · 2 miles · Fuel and propulsion system
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…
2019 · 3 miles · Engine
2019 RAV4 hybrid exhibits fueling problems, consistently. Parked on level concrete, shut off, in "refuel" status, at the fuel island, it dependably suffers abject failure at attempts to refill the gasoline tank at the fuel pump. With the fuel pump nozzle set to lowest flow setting, at any moment, the fuel being…
2019 · 9 miles · Fuel and propulsion system
Built from 796 NHTSA complaints with mileage · snapshot 2026-08-12 · open data · reproduce this page