Toyota RAV4 Engine Problems by Year

By CarWhere Research · Updated

Some. 1,025 of the 6,198 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2008–2025 Toyota RAV4 (16.5%) name the engine, 0.9× the median share across the 152 models we track. Across the 2015–2022 cohorts with published sales, the Toyota RAV4 rate is 0.19 per 1,000 sold, below the 0.44 median. The worst years are 2019, 2020 and 2008.

Engine complaints

1,025

Filed with NHTSA, 2008–2025 models

Per 1,000 sold

0.19

2015–2022 cohorts

Share of all complaints

16.5%

of 6,198 complaints for this model

Engine recalls

1

NHTSA campaigns, all years

Toyota RAV4 engine complaints by model year

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA whose component list includes Engine and Engine Cooling, and per 1,000 vehicles sold where a published U.S. sales figure exists. Worst years are highlighted.

Toyota RAV4 engine complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year
Model yearEngine complaintsPer 1,000 soldShare of all complaintsCrash / fire / injuryEngine recallsEngine TSBs*
2008WORST160—27.8%6—117
200935—10.7%4—40
201031—7.8%2—41
201136—12.6%8—33
201224—9%2—21
201331—12%10—14
201433—16.2%15—10
2015370.1212.3%19—0
2016250.0710%10—7
2017340.0810.8%16—6
2018350.0810.2%12—17
2019WORST2110.4723.7%120V06400054
2020WORST1940.4530.5%320V06400055
2021390.17.9%3—62
2022270.0717%2—44
202325—11.6%0—22
202439—20.3%5—16
20259—10.7%3—4
  • Per 1,000 sold = complaints ÷ published U.S. calendar-year sales × 1,000. Calendar-year sales stand in for the model-year cohort. A dash means no published figure or fewer than 5,000 sold, too small to divide by.
  • Older model years have had more time on the road to collect complaints, so compare neighboring years, not 2010 against 2024.
  • Crash / fire / injury = complaints where the owner reported a crash, a fire or an injury.
  • *Technical service bulletins in the year's leading TSB categories that name the engine.

Common Toyota RAV4 engine problems owners describe

We searched the narratives of all 1,025 engine complaints for symptom keywords. One complaint can mention several, so the shares don't add up to 100%.

Overheating or coolant loss337 · 32.9%
Stalling or shutting off while driving147 · 14.3%
Smoke, burning smell or fire132 · 12.9%
Misfire or check-engine light105 · 10.2%
Oil consumption or oil leaks97 · 9.5%
Engine failure, seizure or replacement53 · 5.2%
Loss of power or limp mode24 · 2.3%
Knocking, ticking or rattling23 · 2.2%
Timing chain or belt3 · 0.3%

Toyota RAV4 years to avoid for the engine

2019 Toyota RAV4

211 engine complaints (23.7% of the year's 889), 0.47 per 1,000 sold. Most often described: overheating or coolant loss. Covered by engine recall 20V064000.

2020 Toyota RAV4

194 engine complaints (30.5% of the year's 637), 0.45 per 1,000 sold. Most often described: overheating or coolant loss. Covered by engine recall 20V064000.

2008 Toyota RAV4

160 engine complaints (27.8% of the year's 575). Most often described: oil consumption or oil leaks.

Worst years are those with at least 10 engine complaints and at least 1.5 times the model's median year. For every year's overall verdict, including other systems, see the Toyota RAV4 years to avoid.

Toyota RAV4 engine recalls

NHTSA recall campaigns filed under Engine for any Toyota RAV4 model year. Recall repairs are free at a dealer. Check a specific car by VIN on NHTSA's site.

  • 20V064000 · 2020-02-06 · 2019–2020 models

    Porosity in the engine castings may result in cracks than can allow coolant to leak internally and/or externally.

Related research

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2019 Toyota RAV4 have engine problems?

Yes, it is one of the worst years. Owners filed 211 engine complaints with NHTSA for the 2019 Toyota RAV4, 23.7% of all 889 complaints for that year, or 0.47 per 1,000 sold. The most common description is "overheating or coolant loss" (139 complaints). One engine-related recall covers it: 20V064000. 1 of those complaints report a crash, fire or injury.

Does the 2020 Toyota RAV4 have engine problems?

Yes, it is one of the worst years. Owners filed 194 engine complaints with NHTSA for the 2020 Toyota RAV4, 30.5% of all 637 complaints for that year, or 0.45 per 1,000 sold. The most common description is "overheating or coolant loss" (153 complaints). One engine-related recall covers it: 20V064000. 3 of those complaints report a crash, fire or injury.

Does the 2008 Toyota RAV4 have engine problems?

Yes, it is one of the worst years. Owners filed 160 engine complaints with NHTSA for the 2008 Toyota RAV4, 27.8% of all 575 complaints for that year. The most common description is "oil consumption or oil leaks" (79 complaints). 6 of those complaints report a crash, fire or injury.

Which Toyota RAV4 years have the most engine complaints?

2019 (211), 2020 (194) and 2008 (160), by owner complaints filed with NHTSA that name the engine. Raw counts favor older and higher-selling years, so compare the per-1,000-sold column too.

What are the most common Toyota RAV4 engine problems?

In the 1,025 engine complaints, owners most often describe overheating or coolant loss (32.9%), stalling or shutting off while driving (14.3%) and smoke, burning smell or fire (12.9%). One complaint can mention several symptoms.

Is this a engine failure rate?

No. These are complaints owners chose to file with NHTSA. Many failures are never reported, and one complaint is not a confirmed defect. Dividing by sales shows how often owners complain relative to how many were sold, which makes models of different sizes comparable.

How we count

Counts are unique owner complaints (by NHTSA ODI number) filed with NHTSA for each Toyota RAV4 model year, from NHTSA's public complaints data fetched July 2026 to November 2026. A complaint counts as a engine complaint when NHTSA's component list for it includes Engine and Engine Cooling.

Per 1,000 sold divides complaints by published U.S. calendar-year sales for that year. A year needs at least 5,000 sales to get a rate, and a model needs at least 3 such years for its overall rate. The comparison median covers every model with at least 50 engine complaints that clears those floors.

These are complaint rates, not failure rates. Owners report some problems more than others, and a complaint is not a confirmed defect.

Sources

  1. NHTSA complaints by vehicle (owner complaints API) — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
  2. NHTSA recalls by vehicle — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
  3. Report a vehicle safety problem — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration