2019 Toyota RAV4 HYBRID: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
22 owner complaints analyzed
3 distinct recall campaigns
1,809 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2019 model year. Data snapshot: . 17 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Fuel/Propulsion System is the most frequently named component, appearing in 11 of 22 complaints (50.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel system concerns | 9 | 40.9% |
| Braking behavior | 3 | 13.6% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 2 | 9.1% |
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 |
|---|---|
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 11 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 3 |
| Service Brakes | 2 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 |
| Air Bags | 1 |
| Electrical System | 1 |
| Structure:Body:Door | 1 |
| Unknown Or Other | 1 |
Fuel/Propulsion System: 11; Fuel System, Gasoline: 3; Service Brakes: 2; Service Brakes, Hydraulic: 2; Air Bags: 1; Electrical System: 1; Structure:Body:Door: 1; Unknown Or Other: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 13 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 1 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 2 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 0 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 1 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 13; 25,000 to 49,999: 1; 50,000 to 74,999: 2; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 1; 150,000 and above: 0
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (13). 5 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 |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 12 |
| 2020 | 3 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2023 | 3 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 2 |
2019: 12; 2020: 3; 2021: 1; 2023: 3; 2024: 1; 2025: 2
Pattern summary
Fuel/Propulsion System leads the component reports. Fuel system concerns appears in 9 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 3 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 2 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.
Examples from the source records
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 11204777 · 2019-04-30 (April 30, 2019)
I AM CONCERNED THAT THE DESIGN OF THE 'SMART KEY' SYSTEM IS SUCH THAT IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO INADVERTENTLY LEAVE THE CAR RUNNING AFTER PARKING THE CAR IN A HOME GARAGE, THEREBY ALLOWING DANGEROUS CARBON MONOXIDE TO ACCUMULATE IN THE HOME. THIS MIGHT HAPPEN BECAUSE OF TWO DESIGN FEATURES OF THE CAR: 1) THE SMART KEY SYSTEM ALLOWS THE CAR ENGINE TO RUN, WHEN THE KEY IS REMOVED FROM THE CAR. WITH TRADITIONAL KEYS, REMOVING THE KEY TURNS OFF THE ENGINE. WITH A 'SMART KEY,' REMOVING THE KEY DOES NOT TURN OFF THE ENGINE/HYBRID SYSTEM. THE O…
Owner-reported narrative. 100 miles reported. Look up ODI 11204777 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11221485 · 2019-06-20 (June 20, 2019)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 TOYOTA RAV4 HYBRID. WHILE REFUELING THE VEHICLE, THE FUEL GAUGE FAILED TO DISPLAY THE PROPER AMOUNT OF FUEL AND THE CONTACT HEARD AN ABNORMAL NOISE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO WILSON TOYOTA OF AMES (LOCATED AT 2212 S DUFF AVE, AMES, IA 50010, [phone removed]), BUT NO MECHANICAL FAILURE WAS DETECTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200.
Owner-reported narrative. 200 miles reported. Look up ODI 11221485 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11221951 · 2019-06-23 (June 23, 2019)
WHEN FILLING THE GAS TANK THE SAME WAY ALL CARS ARE FILLED, THE FUEL PUMP HANDLE/NOZZLE CLICKS OFF LONG BEFORE THE TANK SHOWS AS FULL. THE TANK IS NOT GETTING FILLED COMPLETELY, AS I CAN [VIOLATE OREGON STATE LAW] AND CONTINUE FILLING IT ABOUT 1.5 MORE GALLONS. 1ST ATTEMPT AT TOYOTA DEALERSHIP THEY DISMISSED THE CONCERN. 2ND ATTEMPT WAS AFTER I COMPLAINED TO TOYOTA AND THE DEALER CALLED ME BACK IN AND WITNESSED THE "UNFULL" TANK UPON FILLING IT USING THEIR IN-HOUSE STATION. I HAVE ANOTHER APPOINTMENT SCHEDULED FOR JUNE 27, 2019 BUT I'M READING …
Owner-reported narrative. 400 miles reported. Look up ODI 11221951 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11221991 · 2019-06-23 (June 23, 2019)
WHEN FILLING UP, THE GAS CUTS OFF VERY EARLY; THE GAS GAUGE WILL ONLY READ 3/4 TO 7/8 FULL. THIS LEADS TO "TOPPING OFF" WHICH IS AN ENVIRONMENTAL AND SAFETY ISSUE.
Owner-reported narrative. 300 miles reported. Look up ODI 11221991 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11222043 · 2019-06-24 (June 24, 2019)
FUEL TANK DOES NOT FILL UP TO FULL. RANGE ADVERTISED AS WELL OVER 500 MILES BUT USUAL RANGE AFTER FILL UP IN 400S.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11222043 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11229116 · 2019-07-03 (July 3, 2019)
MY 14 GALLON CAPACITY FUEL TANK WILL NOT ACCEPT MORE THAN 9.9 GALLONS. EVEN WHEN I'VE RUN IT TO LOW FUEL WARNING LIGHTS, NEVER DOUBLE DIGIT FILLS. I'VE USED AT LEAST A DOZEN DIFFERENT GAS STATIONS AND SUPPLIERS INCLUDING ONE IN OREGON AND ALWAYS THE SAME LIMITATION. OWNERS MANUAL CAUTIONS AGAINST CONTINUING TO FILL AFTER AUTO SHUT OFF. WE HAVE TRIED FAST FILLS, SLOW FILLS, MANUALLY HOLDING THE NOZZLE AND HOLDING THE TRIGGER, MANY ANGLES ARE FAILING TO GET OVER 9.9! ROTTEN TO GET FAR LESS MILEAGE PER TANK THAN TOYOTA COMMERCIALS SHOW. I AM TEM…
Owner-reported narrative. 1,809 miles reported. Look up ODI 11229116 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11229761 · 2019-07-06 (July 6, 2019)
THE FUEL SAYS EMPTY BUT ONLY TAKES 9 GALLONS ON A 14 GALLON TANK. THE DEALER SAID THAT WE ARE NOT THE ONLY ONES THIS IS HAPPENING TO AND TOYOTA IS WORKING ON IT. MY SISTER-IN-LAW BOUGHT ONE A WEEK BEFORE US AND SHE IS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11229761 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11230375 · 2019-07-09 (July 9, 2019)
THERE IS AN INABILITY TO COMPLETELY FILL UP THE GAS TANK. EVEN WHEN REACHING THE EMPTY READING ON THE GAS GAUGE, THE CAR ONLY SEEMS TO FILL 9.5-10 GALLONS OF FUEL. THE ARE IS ADVERTISED AS A 14.5-GALLON TANK, BUT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO GET THAT MUCH FUEL INTO THE TANK.
Owner-reported narrative. 4,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11230375 at NHTSA ↗
Recall history
3 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
19V544000 · Service Brakes | Electronic Stability Control (Esc)
Reported: 2019-07-24 (July 24, 2019)
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2019 Lexus LS500, LC500, ES300h, UX250h, LS500h, Toyota Prius, RAV4 HV, 2019-2020 Toyota Prius Prime, and 2020 Corolla HV vehicles. The brake booster pump may fail causing a deactivation of the Vehicle Stability Control system and a loss of braking assist. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 126, "Electronic Stability Control Systems."
Consequence: Deactivation of the vehicle stability control system or a loss of braking assist increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the brake booster pump, free of charge. The recall began September 20, 2019. Toyota owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 and Lexus owners may contact Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987. Toyota's numbers for this recall are K1L/K0L. Lexus' numbers for this recall are K2F/KLF.
NHTSA campaign record ↗20V064000 · Engine And Engine Cooling
Reported: 2020-02-06 (February 6, 2020)
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020 Toyota Avalon Hybrid, Camry, Camry Hybrid and Lexus ES300h and 2019-2020 RAV4 and RAV4 Hybrid vehicles equipped with 2.5L 4-Cylinder engines. Porosity in the engine castings may result in cracks than can allow coolant to leak internally and/or externally.
Consequence: A coolant leak can cause the engine to overheat and cause a vehicle stall in conventional gasoline vehicles, increasing the risk of a crash. Additionally, for all involved vehicles, the engine may get damaged mechanically, possibly resulting in an engine oil leak, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the engine including the engine block, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began April 3, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 or Lexus at 1-800-255-3987. Toyota's number for this recall is 20TA04. Lexus' number for this recall is 20LA02.
NHTSA campaign record ↗20V286000 · Suspension:Front:Control Arm:Lower Arm
Reported: 2020-05-20 (May 20, 2020)
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2019-2020 RAV4 and RAV4 Hybrid vehicles. The front lower suspension arms may have cracks, which may result in the suspension arm separating from the front wheel assembly.
Consequence: If a suspension control arm breaks, it can result in a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace both front lower suspension arms, free of charge. This recall began August 10, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's interim numbers for this recall are 20TB08 / 20TA08.
NHTSA campaign record ↗