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Toyota

2012 Toyota RAV4 EV

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Excellent Reliability

Quick Summary

The 2012 Toyota RAV4 EV has 11 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 0.1x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is transmission problems (27% of all complaints), specifically: i was driving in the parking garage at work and the yellow exclamation light appeared on the dash with a message that says "check ev system. have you vehicle checked by a dealership immediately." i was able to stop and the car started after several attempts. the dealership replaced the ecu. *tr.

5 crash reports 1 injury

11

Total Complaints

0

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

0.1x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

TRANSMISSION

3 complaints
27%
  • • I WAS DRIVING IN THE PARKING GARAGE AT WORK AND THE YELLOW EXCLAMATION LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASH WITH A MESSAGE THAT SAYS "CHECK EV SYSTEM. HAVE YOU VEHICLE CHECKED BY A DEALERSHIP IMMEDIATELY." I WAS ABLE TO STOP AND THE CAR STARTED AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE ECU. *TR
  • • ON OCTOBER 17 SHORTLY BEFORE 2 PM PST IN CLEAR WEATHER, I WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING SPOT ON PRIVATE PROPERTY AT ABOUT 2 TO 3 MPH. I TURNED THE VEHICLE INTO THE SPOT AND APPLIED THE BRAKES BUT THE CAR SURGED OVER THE CURB, HIT A TREE, WENT OVER AN EMBANKMENT AND CRASHED ONTO A PARKED CAR. (THE AIRB
  • • MY 2012 RAV4 EV HAS AN UNSAFE CONDITION WHERE THE ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION DOES NOT ACTUALLY ENGAGE FROM R TO D, OR D TO R WHEN STATIONARY, EVEN THOUGH THE VEHICLE INSTRUMENTATION INDICATES SO. THE VEHICLE INSTEAD MOVES INADVERTENTLY IN THE WRONG DIRECTION. IT HAS BEEN A CHRONIC ISSUE WITH THE VEHI
Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 2 crashes

“I WAS DRIVING IN THE PARKING GARAGE AT WORK AND THE YELLOW EXCLAMATION LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASH WITH A MESSAGE THAT SAYS "CHECK EV SYSTEM. HAVE YOU VEHICLE CHECKED BY A DEALERSHIP IMMEDIATELY." I WAS ABLE TO STOP AND THE CAR STARTED AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE ECU. *TR”

— NHTSA complaint filing

FUEL SYSTEM

1 complaints
9%
  • • WHILE DRIVING 35 ON A LOCAL ROAD, THE VEHICLE LOST ALL POWER TO THE PROPULSION SYSTEM. POWER STEERING AND BRAKES WORKED AS I WAS LUCKY TO BE ABLE TO COAST SAFELY TO A TURNOUT. THE VEHICLE WARNING LIGHT SAYING "CHECK EV SYSTEM, HAVE DEALER CHECK IMMEDIATELY" WAS ILLUMINATED ON THE INFORMATION DISP
Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“WHILE DRIVING 35 ON A LOCAL ROAD, THE VEHICLE LOST ALL POWER TO THE PROPULSION SYSTEM. POWER STEERING AND BRAKES WORKED AS I WAS LUCKY TO BE ABLE TO COAST SAFELY TO A TURNOUT. THE VEHICLE WARNING LIGHT SAYING "CHECK EV SYSTEM, HAVE DEALER CHECK IMMEDIATELY" WAS ILLUMINATED ON THE INFORMATION DISP”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ENGINE

1 complaints
9%
  • • I WAS DRIVING IN THE PARKING GARAGE AT WORK AND THE YELLOW EXCLAMATION LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASH WITH A MESSAGE THAT SAYS "CHECK EV SYSTEM. HAVE YOU VEHICLE CHECKED BY A DEALERSHIP IMMEDIATELY." I WAS ABLE TO STOP AND THE CAR STARTED AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE ECU. *TR
Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“I WAS DRIVING IN THE PARKING GARAGE AT WORK AND THE YELLOW EXCLAMATION LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASH WITH A MESSAGE THAT SAYS "CHECK EV SYSTEM. HAVE YOU VEHICLE CHECKED BY A DEALERSHIP IMMEDIATELY." I WAS ABLE TO STOP AND THE CAR STARTED AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE ECU. *TR”

— NHTSA complaint filing

STEERING

1 complaints
9%
  • • I WAS DRIVING IN THE PARKING GARAGE AT WORK AND THE YELLOW EXCLAMATION LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASH WITH A MESSAGE THAT SAYS "CHECK EV SYSTEM. HAVE YOU VEHICLE CHECKED BY A DEALERSHIP IMMEDIATELY." I WAS ABLE TO STOP AND THE CAR STARTED AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE ECU. *TR
Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“I WAS DRIVING IN THE PARKING GARAGE AT WORK AND THE YELLOW EXCLAMATION LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASH WITH A MESSAGE THAT SAYS "CHECK EV SYSTEM. HAVE YOU VEHICLE CHECKED BY A DEALERSHIP IMMEDIATELY." I WAS ABLE TO STOP AND THE CAR STARTED AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE ECU. *TR”

— NHTSA complaint filing

SPEED CONTROL

1 complaints
9%
  • • TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 TOYOTA RAV4 EV. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR A MANUFACTURER'S RECALL REMEDY. FIVE DAYS AFTER THE RECALL REMEDY WAS PERFORMED, THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. WHILE DRIVING IN A PARKING LOT AT 5 MPH, THE VEHICLE SURGED FO
Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 1 crashes

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 TOYOTA RAV4 EV. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR A MANUFACTURER'S RECALL REMEDY. FIVE DAYS AFTER THE RECALL REMEDY WAS PERFORMED, THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. WHILE DRIVING IN A PARKING LOT AT 5 MPH, THE VEHICLE SURGED FO”

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

TRANSMISSION(~50K mi)
$500
FUEL SYSTEM(~50K mi)
$500
ENGINE(~50K mi)
$500
STEERING(~50K mi)
$500
SPEED CONTROL(~50K mi)
$500

Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 11 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

  • ☐
    TRANSMISSION: I WAS DRIVING IN THE PARKING GARAGE AT WORK AND THE YELLOW EXCLAMATION LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASH WITH A MESSAGE THAT SAYS "CHECK EV SYSTEM. HAVE YOU VEHICLE CHECKED BY A DEALERSHIP IMMEDIATELY." I WAS ABLE TO STOP AND THE CAR STARTED AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE ECU. *TR

    Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500

  • ☐
    FUEL SYSTEM: WHILE DRIVING 35 ON A LOCAL ROAD, THE VEHICLE LOST ALL POWER TO THE PROPULSION SYSTEM. POWER STEERING AND BRAKES WORKED AS I WAS LUCKY TO BE ABLE TO COAST SAFELY TO A TURNOUT. THE VEHICLE WARNING LIGHT SAYING "CHECK EV SYSTEM, HAVE DEALER CHECK IMMEDIATELY" WAS ILLUMINATED ON THE INFORMATION DISP

    Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500

  • ☐
    ENGINE: I WAS DRIVING IN THE PARKING GARAGE AT WORK AND THE YELLOW EXCLAMATION LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASH WITH A MESSAGE THAT SAYS "CHECK EV SYSTEM. HAVE YOU VEHICLE CHECKED BY A DEALERSHIP IMMEDIATELY." I WAS ABLE TO STOP AND THE CAR STARTED AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE ECU. *TR

    Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500

  • ☐
    STEERING: I WAS DRIVING IN THE PARKING GARAGE AT WORK AND THE YELLOW EXCLAMATION LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASH WITH A MESSAGE THAT SAYS "CHECK EV SYSTEM. HAVE YOU VEHICLE CHECKED BY A DEALERSHIP IMMEDIATELY." I WAS ABLE TO STOP AND THE CAR STARTED AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE ECU. *TR

    Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500

  • ☐
    General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)

Toyota RAV4 EV — Year Comparison

How does 2012 compare to other years? Fewer complaints = more reliable.

2014
14Excellent Reliability
2013
9Excellent Reliability
2012
11Excellent Reliability
Full years-to-avoid analysis →

NHTSA Safety Rating

No NHTSA safety rating available

At a Glance

Complaints
11
Recalls
0
Fire reports
0
Crash reports
5
Injury reports
1
Segment avg
80

Check a Specific VIN

See recalls for YOUR 2012 Toyota RAV4 EV

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