2003 Toyota RAV4 problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
314 owner complaints analyzed
0 distinct recall campaigns
95,363 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2003 model year. Data snapshot: . 274 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Power Train:Automatic Transmission is the most frequently named component, appearing in 106 of 314 complaints (33.8%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Transmission and shifting | 211 | 67.2% |
| Engine operation | 33 | 10.5% |
| Braking behavior | 26 | 8.3% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 8 | 2.5% |
| Steering behavior | 4 | 1.3% |
| Fuel system concerns | 1 | 0.3% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Power Train:Automatic Transmission | 106 |
| Power Train | 100 |
| Electrical System | 39 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 27 |
| Engine | 21 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 15 |
| Unknown Or Other | 15 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | 8 |
Power Train:Automatic Transmission: 106; Power Train: 100; Electrical System: 39; Vehicle Speed Control: 27; Engine: 21; Engine And Engine Cooling: 15; Unknown Or Other: 15; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 8
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 11 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 13 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 37 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 91 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 97 |
| 150,000 and above | 25 |
Under 25,000: 11; 25,000 to 49,999: 13; 50,000 to 74,999: 37; 75,000 to 99,999: 91; 100,000 to 149,999: 97; 150,000 and above: 25
100,000 to 149,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (97). 40 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2002 | 1 |
| 2003 | 5 |
| 2004 | 5 |
| 2005 | 7 |
| 2006 | 4 |
| 2007 | 4 |
| 2008 | 21 |
| 2009 | 44 |
| 2010 | 90 |
| 2011 | 18 |
| 2012 | 11 |
| 2013 | 23 |
| 2014 | 23 |
| 2015 | 20 |
| 2016 | 19 |
| 2017 | 4 |
| 2018 | 7 |
| 2019 | 4 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2023 | 2 |
2002: 1; 2003: 5; 2004: 5; 2005: 7; 2006: 4; 2007: 4; 2008: 21; 2009: 44; 2010: 90; 2011: 18; 2012: 11; 2013: 23; 2014: 23; 2015: 20; 2016: 19; 2017: 4; 2018: 7; 2019: 4; 2020: 2; 2023: 2
Pattern summary
Power Train:Automatic Transmission leads the component reports. Transmission and shifting appears in 211 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 33 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 26 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10044772 · 2003-10-27 (October 27, 2003)
WHILE COASTING DOWN A HILL DRIVER BEGAN TO DEPRESS THE BRAKES AND THERE WAS NO BRAKE PRESSURE. ALSO, DRIVER HAD DIFFICULTY WITH THE VEHICLE DOWN SHIFTING AT ANYTIME. *AK
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10044772 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10080483 · 2004-07-07 (July 7, 2004)
I HAD MY HAND RESTING ON THE GEAR SHIFT (AUTOMATIC ON THE FLOOR) AND BUMPED IT FROM DRIVE INTO NEUTRAL. I DID NOT PUSH THE BUTTON DESIGNED FOR SHIFTING. I WAS STOPPED ON A HILL; WHEN I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE TO START, I DRIFTED BACKWARD TOWARD ANOTHER CAR. *NM
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10080483 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10183093 · 2007-02-20 (February 20, 2007)
THE FOLLOWING ARE THE EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE OF MY '03 TOYOTA RAV4: - CURRENT MILEAGE: 93K MILES - AFTER COMING TO A FULL STOP AT A STREET LIGHT I STARTED TO ACCELERATE AND NOTICED MY CAR STARTED TO STALL. I FIGURED MY FOOT MAY HAVE SLIPPED OFF THE GAS PEDAL AND DIDN'T THINK MUCH OF IT. - LATER THAT WEEK THE STALLING WORSENED AND MY CAR WOULD THEN START TO SHUTTER UNCONTROLLABLY. - THIS LED ME TO TAKE NOTICE THAT THE STALLING/SHUTTERING OCCURRED AFTER MY CAR WAS WARMED UP AND I HAD DRIVEN ABOUT 20 MINS. - I BROUGHT MY CAR TO THE…
Owner-reported narrative. 93,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10183093 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10185741 · 2007-03-21 (March 21, 2007)
WHILE DRIVING THE RAV 4 ON COUNTRY ROADS, THE CAR STALLED AT A STOP. AFTER MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS, WE WERE ABLE TO RE-START THE CAR AND DRIVE IT HOME ALTHOUGH IT RAN VERY ROUGH. TOWED CAR TO DEALER WHO EVENTUALLY DETERMINED IT WAS CAUSED BY A INTERMITTENT GROUND-WIRE CONNECTION BETWEEN COMPUTERS. CAR HAD ABOUT 50,000 MILES ON IT.*AK
Owner-reported narrative. 50,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10185741 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10034531 · 2003-08-15 (August 15, 2003)
TOYOTA RAV 4 DRIVE BELT PULLEYS WERE NOT INSTALLED CORRECTLY.*MR. WHILE DRIVING, THE BATTERY DISCHARGER LIGHT CAME ON, AND THE VEHICLE LOST ALL STEERING CAPABILITY. IT WAS DISCOVERED THE BELT TENSIONER AND BELT HOUSING BROKE.*TS *JB
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10034531 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10162172 · 2006-07-11 (July 11, 2006)
WE HAVE A TOYOTA RAV4 ELECTRIC VEHICLE. CAR ROLLED AWAY FROM CHARGING STATION WHILE PLUGGED IN - PERSON IN CAR SHIFTED INTO 'NEUTRAL' BY MISTAKE. RIPPED OUT CHARGING PADDLE DOWN TO THE ELECTRICAL WIRES - POTENTIAL ELECTRICAL HAZARD. COULD BE AVOIDED BY A SIMPLE RELAY THAT WILL PREVENT PEOPLE FROM SHIFTING OUT OF 'PARK' WHEN CAR IS PLUGGED IN. HAPPENS TO MANY TOYOTA ELECTRIC VEHICLES - I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN FILED. PICTURE (JPEG) AVAILABLE IF NEEDED PLEASE DO PASS ON THIS COMPLAINT TO TOYOTA. *JB
Owner-reported narrative. 43,173 miles reported. Look up ODI 10162172 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10269909 · 2009-05-26 (May 26, 2009)
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO DRIFT UNCONTROLLABLY TOWARD THE RIGHT. AS AN ATTEMPT TO GAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND TURNED THE STEERING COLUMN. AS A RESULT, HE CRASHED INTO A TRAFFIC DIVIDING WALL. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, HE NOTICED THAT THE TIE ROD FAILED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED REPAIR SHOP AND THE TECHNICIAN CONCLUDED THAT THE TIE ROD FRACTURED AND CAUSED THE F…
Owner-reported narrative. 40,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10269909 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10319783 · 2010-03-17 (March 17, 2010)
S10 APPROPRIATE HANDLING RE SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION INCIDENT FM OWNER OF A 2003 TOYOTA RAV4. *KB THE CONSUMER STATED ON 3 SEPARATE OCCASIONS, WHEN SHE TRIED TO CHANGE LANES TO GET IN FRONT OF ANOTHER VEHICLE, IT WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED NOTHING WAS WRONG. AFTER THE THIRD OCCURRENCE, THE CONSUMER WENT BACK TO THE DEALER AND THEY KEPT THE VEHICLE. UPON INSPECTION, THE DEALER DISCOVERED THE SENSOR IN THE GAS TANK WAS NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. *JB
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10319783 at NHTSA ↗