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What 194 owners told NHTSA about the 2014 Toyota RAV4

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (194)Crash / fire / injury (48)Electrical system (69)Engine (31)Transmission & drivetrain (20)Steering (19)Body & structure (17)Brakes (16)Airbags (11)Lights (8)Visibility & wipers (8)Fuel system (7)

3 of 194 complaints match · Transmission & drivetrain · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Sep 7, 2023Transmission & drivetrainFire

The contact owned a 2014 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, it was noticed that there was smoke coming from under the hood of the vehicle, and the vehicle lost motive power. The contact arrived at the residence and the vehicle burst into flames causing the rear of another vehicle to melt. The fire department was able to extinguish the fire. A police report was filed. No one was injured. The vehicle was not towed or diagnosed. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 120,000.

NHTSA ODI 11543080

Nov 24, 2019Transmission & drivetrainBrakes1 injury

THE INCIDENT OCCURRED ON 11/13/2019 @ 8:30AM. I HAD STARTED MY 2014 TOYOTA RAV4, PULLED OUT FROM UNDER THE CARPORT APPRX. 25FT AND PUT THE VEHICLE IN PARK AND FULLY ENGAGED THE PARKING BRAKE I ALWAYS DO THIS IF I NEED TO LEAVE THE VEHICLE RUNNING FOR ANY REASON. IN THIS CASE I WAS HEATING THE INTERIOR AS IT WAS CHILLI. I WENT BACK INSIDE MY HOME TO GET THE ANIMAL CRATE THAT CONTAINED MY CAT WHO NEEDED TO GO TO THE VET. AS I WAS LOADING THE CRATE INTO THE FRONT SEAT THE VEHICLE BEGAN MOVING IN REVERSE. I WAS BETWEEN THE OPEN DOOR AND THE VEHICLE ITSELF AND AFTER FREAKING OUT A SECOND LOOKED TO SEE IF THE PARKING BRAKE HAD DISENGAGED. IT HAD NOT.AT THAT POINT I WAS ALONG FOR THE RIDE AND THE CAR DRUG ME TOWARD THE LAUNDRY ROOM AND I WENT UNDERNEATH THE OPEN DOOR HOLDING ONTO THE ARMREST. WHEN I HAD TO RELEASE MY TRIP I WAS LAID OUT ON MY BACK WITH MY ARMS AND HANDS RAISED. THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE CAME INTO CONTACT WITH FIRST MY LEFT ELBOW THEN WRIST THEN HAND WRENCHING MY LEFT SHOULDER AS IT DID SO. THIS ACCIDENT SHOULD NEVER HAVE OCCURRED. THE SAFETY MEASURES FAILED. I BOUGHT THE CAR IN OCTOBER 2017 AND HAD NO TROUBLE DOING THE EXACT SAME THING AS DESCRIBED MANY MANY TIMES. TOYOTA HAS BEEN NOTIFIED AND NOW NEEDS TO GO TO ANY LENGTHS NECESSARY TO MAKE SURE THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN TO ANYONE ELSE.

NHTSA ODI 11281992

Dec 21, 2018Transmission & drivetrainAirbagsSpeed controlCrash

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS ATTEMPTING TO PULL INTO A PARKING SPOT, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AND CRASHED INTO A PARKED VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE BODY REPAIR WOULD COST APPROXIMATELY $4,700. THE MECHANIC SUGGESTED THAT THE ACCELERATION MAY HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY THE TRANSMISSION. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 32,000. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE FRONT AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. *JS

NHTSA ODI 11162919

Working with the data? Download all 194 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 10, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2014 Toyota RAV4 verdict →