2016 Toyota RAV4: complaints, problems and recalls

MY CAR WAS 4 DAYS OLD. I WAS DRIVING IN THE POURING RAIN, ON A HIGHWAY GOING 55-60MPH, WITH NO OTHER VEHICLES AHEAD OF ME OR ON THE SIDE OF ME. MY SUNROOF SPONTANEOUSLY EXPLODED! THE SUNROOF WAS IN THE CLOSED POSITION AT THE TIME BUT THE CLOTH COVER WAS OPEN. LUCKILY IT EXPLODED OUTWARD BUT SOME TINY SLIVERS OF GLASS DID COVER THE INSIDE.

Owner-reported narrative. 180 miles reported. Look up ODI 10824253 at NHTSA ↗

NOTICED THE BRANDNEW 2016 RAV4 XLE PULLS TO THE RIGHT STRONGLY AFTER 3 DAYS OWNING THE CAR WITH 200 MILES. WENT TO THE DEALER TWICE AND DID 2 ALIGNMENTS AND CROSS TIRE ROTATION. THE SERVICE ADMITS THE PULLS AND CLAIM THEY FIXED IT THE 1ST TIME. HOWEVER ACTUALLY NOTHING IS CHANGED. STILL PULLS TO THE RIGHT, NOT ANY BETTER. COME BACK AGAIN AND THE SAME TECHNICIAN TRIED TO ALIGN AND ROTATE AGAIN. WE TESTED DRIVE AND STILL FOUND IT. THE DEALER'S LEAD TECHNICIAN MENTIONED HE DID EVERYTHING HE CAN BUT STILL CANNOT FIX IT. HE OPENED A CASE TO TOYOTA…

Owner-reported narrative. 250 miles reported. Look up ODI 10851724 at NHTSA ↗

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 TOYOTA RAV4. THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED FORWARD WHILE THE CONTACT'S FATHER WAS GENTLY DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE CONTACT'S FATHER DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL ALL THE WAY DOWN, BUT THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE AND STRUCK A GATE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HER FATHER HAD TO REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND DIAGNOSED, BUT NO FAILURE WAS DETECTED. THE FRONT BUMPER WAS DAMAGED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. TH…

Owner-reported narrative. 3,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10854436 at NHTSA ↗

MY 2016 RAV4 LE COMES WITH A SIDE VIEW MIRROR THAT HAS A BUILT IN NON-ADJUSTABLE BLIND SPOT MIRROR. THIS BLIND SPOT MIRROR DOES NOT SHOW THE BLIND SPOT AREA. IT SHOWS AN AREA TWO LANES AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE. PAGE 154 OF THE RAV4 OWNERS MANUAL ERRONEOUSLY INDICATES THIS ADDITIONAL MIRROR IS A BLIND SPOT MIRROR AND HAS A DIAGRAM ERRONEOUSLY SHOWING HOW IT FUNCTIONS.THE BLIND SPOT MIRROR IS MISLEADING AND DANGEROUS. I DISCUSSED THIS WITH THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID I NEEDED TO GET APPROVAL FROM THE TOYOTA CORP. TO REPLACE THE GLASS MIR…

Owner-reported narrative. 60 miles reported. Look up ODI 10855713 at NHTSA ↗

THE SUNROOF EXPLODED WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY. NO ROCK WAS SEEN BEFORE IT HAPPENED AND THE GLASS WAS CURVED OUTWARD WHEN WE STOPPED TO LOOK AT IT. FORTUNATELY, THE VISOR/COVER WAS BELOW IT SO THE GLASS SHARDS DID NOT SPRAY INTO OUR FACES. IT SOUNDED LIKE A BOMB WENT OFF. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND WE HAVE NO OPTION BUT TO HAVE THE SUNROOF REPLACED. IT WOULD BE WISE TO ALWAYS DRIVE WITH THE SUNROOF COVER OVER THE GLASS TO PROTECT YOURSELF.

Owner-reported narrative. 3,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10860191 at NHTSA ↗

I HAVE HAD THIS CAR SINCE JANUARY 2016. RECENTLY, I HEARD A NOISE AS I APPLY A BRAKE. I WENT TO THE DEALER TO EXAMINE THE ISSUE. HOWEVER, I WAS TOLD THE BRAKES ARE DOING FINE. BUT THE NOISE HAS BECOME EVEN LOUDER. I ASKED ONE OF MY FRIENDS WHO BOUGHT THE SAME CAR AS MINE, A COUPLE MONTH BEFORE ME. HE TOLD ME HE IS EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH HIS CAR TOO. ALSO, HE HAD ALSO ENCOUNTERED WITH AN EMPTY BRAKE FLUID TANKER AFTER HE SAW A BRAKE MALFUNCTION SIGNAL ON HIS DASHBOARD. FOLLOWING, MY FRIEND AND I STARTED TO SHOP AROUND OTHER FRIENDS W…

Owner-reported narrative. 5,100 miles reported. Look up ODI 10863917 at NHTSA ↗

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, ANOTHER VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SUSTAINED MULTIPLE INJURIES THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER, BUT WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15,000.

Owner-reported narrative. 15,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10872409 at NHTSA ↗

PURCH 2016 TOYOTA AWD RAV4 1 WK AGO. NEVER TRIED LIGHTS B4 PURCH AS WAS DAYLIGHT. THE NEXT MORNING W/DARK GOING TO WORK I USED THE HEADLIGHTS TO FIND OUT YOU CANT SEE W/THEM. I HAVE NEVER HAD HEADLIGHTS I COULDNT SEE WITH. ON DIM: BEAMS SHORT FOOTAGE IN FRONT OF VEHICLE & THE FIELD OF VISION IS DARK W/LINE OF DARKNESS ABOVE BEAM & YOU CANNOT SEE ANY FUTHER. LIKE YOU ARE IN A BIG BLACK TUNNEL. YOU DONT HAVE A FIELD OF VISION ON THE FRONT & SIDES OF THE VEHICLE AT ALL! THE DRIVER COULD POSSABLY HIT SOMETHING OR A PEDESTRIAN, ETC.DUE TO IMPROPER V…

Owner-reported narrative. 50 miles reported. Look up ODI 10872981 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2016-04-07 (April 7, 2016)

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2016 Toyota RAV4 vehicles manufactured October 30, 2015, to February 3, 2016, 2016 Lexus RX350 vehicles manufactured October 26, 2015, to February 8, 2016, and 2016 Lexus ES350 vehicles manufactured September 1, 2015, to February 29, 2016. These vehicles are equipped with an ABS actuator that may have a damaged O-ring which could result in improper brake fluid pressure control during ABS, Traction Control, or Stability Control activation. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 126, "Electronic Stability Control Systems."

Consequence: Insufficient brake fluid pressure may cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the brake actuator, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on May 4, 2016, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is G0I, GLC.

Reported: 2016-04-22 (April 22, 2016)

Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2016 Toyota Yaris, Rav4, Land Cruiser and 4Runner vehicles, and Scion FR-S, iM, and TC vehicles manufactured January 28, 2016, to March 14, 2016. The Load Carrying Capacity Modification Label may not reflect the correct added weight of the installed accessories. As a result, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims for Passenger Cars."

Consequence: An incorrect label may result in the vehicle being overloaded, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: SET will notify owners, and provide them a corrected label to be installed over the inaccurate label, free of charge. The recall began on June 3, 2016. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET's number for this recall is SET16A.

Reported: 2023-11-01 (November 1, 2023)

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2013-2018 RAV4 vehicles. Certain replacement 12-volt batteries may not fit properly in the battery tray, allowing the battery to move and contact the hold-down bracket, possibly causing a short circuit.

Consequence: A battery short circuit increases the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the battery clamp sub-assembly, battery tray, and positive terminal cover, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed December 27, 2024, to 2013-2014 RAV4 owners. Additional owner notification letters will be mailed in phases, phase 2 will begin on May 14, 2025, and phase 3 in late July 2025. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 23TB13 and 23TA13.