2017 Toyota RAV4

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Avoid This Year

Quick Summary

The 2017 Toyota RAV4 has 407 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 5.1x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is electrical problems (26% of all complaints), specifically: the navigation system malfunctions with strange letters and imagery.. ⚠️ 39 fire reports filed.

39 fire reports 39 crash reports 30 injuries

407

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

5.1x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

ELECTRICAL

106 complaints

26%

• THE NAVIGATION SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONS WITH STRANGE LETTERS AND IMAGERY.
• THE CAR IS A 2017 TOYOTA RAV4 XLE AWD. THE CAR WAS A REPLACEMENT VEHICLE FOR A 2015 TOYOTA RAV4 XLE AWD THAT HAD NON REPARABLE ELECTRICAL ISSUES AND WAS REPLACED BY TOYOTA BY AN ARBITRATION DECISION. THE FIRST DAY I DROVE THE CAR THE PASSIVE SAFETY SENSE SYSTEM ACTIVATED WHILE ON THE FREEWAY WHEN A
• THE LANE DEPARTURE WARNING TONE CANNOT BE HEARD WHEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE. THERE IS NO WAY TO INCREASE THE VOLUME OF THE WARNING TONE AS THE CONSUMER. TOYOTA KNOWS THIS IS A PROBLEM (SEE PG 258 OF OWNER'S MANUAL) BUT REFUSES TO FIX. THIS IS A RISK TO PERSONAL SAFETY.

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 15 fire reports💥 5 crashes

“THE NAVIGATION SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONS WITH STRANGE LETTERS AND IMAGERY.”

— NHTSA complaint filing

OTHER

65 complaints

16%

• LANE DEVIATION WARNING IS NOT AUDIBLE WHEN VEERING EITHER RIGHT OR LEFT AT SPEEDS OVER 32 MILES PER HOUR AS STATED IN THE OWNERS MANUAL. OUR 2015 TOYOTA RAV 4 LANE DEVIATION WARNING WAS LOUD AND CLEAR.
• UNABLE TO HEAR LANE DEPARTURE ALERT MOST OF THE TIME. DEALER SAYS IT CANNOT BE ADJUSTED, CONFIRMED BY TOYOTA.COM.
• WAS DRIVING AND THE PRE-COLLISION SYSTEM PICKED UP A CAR IN THE LEFT HAND TURNING LANE WHEN I WAS GOING STRAIGHT AND BROUGHT MY CAR TO A DEAD STOP. HAPPENED A SECOND TIME- SAME TRIP, DIFFERENT LOCATION. NO PRE-BRAKE OR WARNING, JUST BROUGHT MY CAR TO A DEAD STOP WHEN PASSING A CAR IN A TURNING LANE

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 6 fire reports💥 8 crashes

“LANE DEVIATION WARNING IS NOT AUDIBLE WHEN VEERING EITHER RIGHT OR LEFT AT SPEEDS OVER 32 MILES PER HOUR AS STATED IN THE OWNERS MANUAL. OUR 2015 TOYOTA RAV 4 LANE DEVIATION WARNING WAS LOUD AND CLEAR.”

— NHTSA complaint filing

BRAKES

36 complaints

• I WAS DRIVING AND TAKING A TURN AND AS I APPLIED THE BRAKES THE CAR DID NOT SLOW DOWN RESULT IN A MINOR ACCIDENT. *TR
• PURCHASED CAR FROM ST. CHARLES TOYOTA IL ON JULY4, 2017 VIN [XXX]. PURCHASED AND PICKED UP 2017 RAV4 LE FROM THEM ON JULY4TH (BETWEEN 11AM - 3PM). DROVE CAR FROM ST. CHARLES TO PEORIA IL. TODAY ON JULY6 RAV4 HAS 194 MILES. LATER CAME TO KNOW THAT THEIR SERVICE DEPT. WAS ACTUALLY CLOSED ON JULY 4TH.
• AS I WAS APPROACHING THE MAIL BOX AREA IN MY APARTMENT COMPLEX AT APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH, I PUT MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE TO TURN INTO THE PARKING AREA IN FRONT OF THE FOUR METAL MAILBOXES AND PUT THE VEHICLE IN "PARK" WHEN THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY LURCHED FORWARD AND JUMPED THE SIX-INCH, BRICK-PAVER CURB. I

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 7 crashes

“I WAS DRIVING AND TAKING A TURN AND AS I APPLIED THE BRAKES THE CAR DID NOT SLOW DOWN RESULT IN A MINOR ACCIDENT. *TR”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ENGINE

33 complaints

• PURCHASED CAR FROM ST. CHARLES TOYOTA IL ON JULY4, 2017 VIN [XXX]. PURCHASED AND PICKED UP 2017 RAV4 LE FROM THEM ON JULY4TH (BETWEEN 11AM - 3PM). DROVE CAR FROM ST. CHARLES TO PEORIA IL. TODAY ON JULY6 RAV4 HAS 194 MILES. LATER CAME TO KNOW THAT THEIR SERVICE DEPT. WAS ACTUALLY CLOSED ON JULY 4TH.
• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY AND WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, TOXIC FUMES EMITTED FROM THE HEATER ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. KOONS ARLINGTON TOYOTA IN ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND ACKNOWLEDGED THE PRESENCE OF THE FUMES
• ON THE EVENING OF SEPTEMBER 6TH, 2017, MY 88-YEAR-OLD FATHER, DIED OF ACCIDENTAL CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING. HIS DEATH RESULTED FROM HIS NEW TOYOTA RAV4 KEYLESS CAR NOT TURNING OFF, ULTIMATELY FLOODING HIS APARTMENT WITH THE DEADLY GAS. HE WAS FOUND IN HIS BED, DEAD, ON SEPTEMBER 7TH, AROUND 10:2

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 14 fire reports💥 1 crashes

“PURCHASED CAR FROM ST. CHARLES TOYOTA IL ON JULY4, 2017 VIN [XXX]. PURCHASED AND PICKED UP 2017 RAV4 LE FROM THEM ON JULY4TH (BETWEEN 11AM - 3PM). DROVE CAR FROM ST. CHARLES TO PEORIA IL. TODAY ON JULY6 RAV4 HAS 194 MILES. LATER CAME TO KNOW THAT THEIR SERVICE DEPT. WAS ACTUALLY CLOSED ON JULY 4TH. ”

— NHTSA complaint filing

LIGHTING

31 complaints

• HALOGEN PROJECTION HEADLIGHTS ARE UNSAFE. THEY DO NOT ILLUMINATE THE SIDES AND UPPER PART OF THE ROAD AND CAUSE A MOVING LINE IN THE CENTER OF YOUR FIELD OF VISION WHERE THERE IS DARKNESS ABOUT THE LINE MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE CLEARLY AT NIGHT USING THE LOW BEAMS. ON A DOWNHILL, THE AREA OF ILLU
• THE DASH LIGHTING DURING CERTAIN DAYLIGHT CONDITIONS IS UNREADABLE, OR REQUIRES EXCESSIVE STARING TO DETERMINE QUANTITIES SUCH AS VEHICLE SPEED, FUEL AMOUNT, AND OTHER QUANTITIES ON THE MULTI FUNCTION INFORMATION DISPLAY (MFID). WHETHER IT IS UNREADABLE DEPENDS ON THE ANGLE OF THE SUN RELATIVE TO TH
• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE HEADLIGHTS MALFUNCTIONED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS DID NOT PROVIDE ENOUGH LIGHTING TO ILLUMINATE THE ROAD AHEAD. IN ADDITION, THE AUTO HIGH BEAM HEADLIGHTS WERE INTERMITTENT IN ILLUMINATING THE ROAD AHEAD. HOSEL

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 1 fire reports

“HALOGEN PROJECTION HEADLIGHTS ARE UNSAFE. THEY DO NOT ILLUMINATE THE SIDES AND UPPER PART OF THE ROAD AND CAUSE A MOVING LINE IN THE CENTER OF YOUR FIELD OF VISION WHERE THERE IS DARKNESS ABOUT THE LINE MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE CLEARLY AT NIGHT USING THE LOW BEAMS. ON A DOWNHILL, THE AREA OF ILLU”

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

ELECTRICAL(~50K mi)

$500

OTHER(~50K mi)

$500

BRAKES(~50K mi)

$500

ENGINE(~50K mi)

$500

LIGHTING(~50K mi)

$500

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

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 407 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
ELECTRICAL: THE NAVIGATION SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONS WITH STRANGE LETTERS AND IMAGERY.
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
OTHER: LANE DEVIATION WARNING IS NOT AUDIBLE WHEN VEERING EITHER RIGHT OR LEFT AT SPEEDS OVER 32 MILES PER HOUR AS STATED IN THE OWNERS MANUAL. OUR 2015 TOYOTA RAV 4 LANE DEVIATION WARNING WAS LOUD AND CLEAR.
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
BRAKES: I WAS DRIVING AND TAKING A TURN AND AS I APPLIED THE BRAKES THE CAR DID NOT SLOW DOWN RESULT IN A MINOR ACCIDENT. *TR
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
ENGINE: PURCHASED CAR FROM ST. CHARLES TOYOTA IL ON JULY4, 2017 VIN [XXX]. PURCHASED AND PICKED UP 2017 RAV4 LE FROM THEM ON JULY4TH (BETWEEN 11AM - 3PM). DROVE CAR FROM ST. CHARLES TO PEORIA IL. TODAY ON JULY6 RAV4 HAS 194 MILES. LATER CAME TO KNOW THAT THEIR SERVICE DEPT. WAS ACTUALLY CLOSED ON JULY 4TH.
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)