Home · 2015 Toyota RAV4 Hv · Complaints

What 302 owners told NHTSA about the 2015 Toyota RAV4 Hv

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 (302)Crash / fire / injury (80)Electrical system (84)Steering (45)Engine (37)Brakes (31)Body & structure (30)Transmission & drivetrain (25)Speed control (21)Airbags (15)Fuel system (13)Visibility & wipers (8)

84 of 302 complaints match · Electrical system · clear filters · page 2 of 4

Apr 22, 2024Electrical systemFire

The contact owned a 2015 Toyota RAV4. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in his driveway, he observed black smoke emanating from the engine compartment. Shortly afterward, the vehicle became engulfed in flames originating from the engine compartment. Local emergency services arrived and were able to extinguish the flames. No warning lights were illuminated. A fire report was filed. A police report was not filed, and no injuries were reported. The vehicle remained at the contact's residence but was deemed a total loss by his insurance provider. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V734000 (Electrical System), and the VIN was included, but parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but did not assist. The failure mileage was 34,000.

NHTSA ODI 11584532

Mar 26, 2024Electrical system

The contact owns a 2015 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V734000 (Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11579457

Mar 21, 2024Electrical system

The contact owns a 2015 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, various unknown warning lights flashed and stalled. The vehicle was restarted but on several occasions, the vehicle would not start and required a jump start. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle was burning oil at a faster rate due to the oil being changed less than a month ago. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the battery needed to be replaced and an oil change was needed. The vehicle was repaired but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

NHTSA ODI 11578653

Mar 6, 2024Electrical system

I just called Toyota dealer at Grime City IA this morning to make an appointment for recall the battery hold-down clamp and the battery tray as I just knew yesterday. Unfortunately, the customer lady let me know they are unavailable to do that because they do not have enough parts for now. As I knew, the program just extended until June 2024 then I asked her to put my case on the list, but she denied to do it too. So would you please give me your recommendation and email me back as a proof. After June 2024, if they continue to deny me as today, I will have proof to talk with them. Thank you very much and have a good day.

NHTSA ODI 11575819

Feb 26, 2024Electrical systemFire

My son was driving our RAV4 LE 2015 and took an exit. While driving, the car shut off, and the dashboard lights blinked. He turned the car on and moved about 40 feet in the exit when the car shut off again, and smoke came from the hood. A few minutes later, the car was on fire. The cause was a battery-induced short circuit. The burned RAV4 LE 2015 is available for inspection. This incident put my son and a friend at serious risk. At this moment, the problem hasn't been confirmed by a dealer or independent service. However, months later, the manufacturer issued a recall on Nov 01, 2023. The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or any other party. There were no warning lamps or messages, except for the first time it shut off when the dashboard lights blinked.

NHTSA ODI 11573992

Feb 4, 2024Electrical systemEngineFire

When I try to start up my car after a full month of parking as usual I knew already it has a dead battery so I jump started then once it started I heard a very small explosion with smoke coming from underneath the glove compartment then I found a very small fire started from the same place so I left the car and I called 911 who came and extinguished the fire after the entire car was already engulfed and exploded in fire. The car closed the other two cars on both sides to melt partially as well. The picture attached has the incident number.

NHTSA ODI 11569829

Jan 2, 2024Electrical system

The contact owns a 2015 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V734000 (Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11562974

Dec 31, 2023Electrical system

RADIO NOT UPDATING

NHTSA ODI 11562833

Dec 31, 2023Electrical system

Audio stopped working, display keeps rebooting

NHTSA ODI 11562835

Dec 21, 2023SteeringElectrical systemFire

My vehicle's electrical components short-circuited, steering became difficult to control and the vehicle caught on fire under the hood near the battery compartment.

NHTSA ODI 11561334

Dec 20, 2023Electrical systemFire1 injury

The recall for my RAV4 was for the battery, and it may cause a fire. The safety of my family members and other families was affected by this fire. We are all displaced. My mom parked our car under our apartment, and 15 minutes later, the vehicle was engulfed in flames. The battery was replaced in 2019, and the rep told us of farmers that they can't confirm that the recall may be the root of the fire. I was told by the farmers rep that a certain battery is responsible for the fire. The car was parked and no lights were on.

NHTSA ODI 11561074

Dec 19, 2023Electrical system

The contact owns a 2015 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V734000 (Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11560944

Dec 18, 2023Electrical system

The contact owns a 2015 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V734000 (Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11560782

Sep 20, 2023Electrical system

The contact owns a 2015 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that the touchscreen on the main computer failed to show the desired display on the lower right side of the screen. The failure occurred intermittently at first but had since become a persistent failure. The contact stated that the system updates could not be updated as needed due to the failure. The contact had not taken the vehicle to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The approximate failure mileage was 144,675.

NHTSA ODI 11545544

Aug 10, 2023Electrical systemFire

I drove all day for work without issues and when I made a right into my neighborhood, I lost power and power steering. I pulled over and parked my car. I noticed smoke coming from it and popped the hood. The wired connecting to the battery caught fire. It seems the battery could have shifted and grounded itself.

NHTSA ODI 11537737

Jul 13, 2023Electrical systemFire

Cause and Origin of the fire which led to the spread from the vehicle to the home resulted from a known issue with stated vehicle electrical failure. Fortunately the homeowner was able to remove herself from the home without injury. The vehicle had been parked and not operating for approximatley 18 hours prior to fire.

NHTSA ODI 11531986

Mar 9, 2023Electrical systemEngineFire

Approximately two minutes after turning the vehicle off, smoke started coming from the engine area. Within the next two minutes, flames emerged. The fire quickly engulfed the vehicle in flames causing a total loss. The fire department declared it a loss and stated a cause will likely not be known by them. I was not in the vehicle at the time of the smoke. A truck next to the vehicle quickly moved away. Insurance company is in route to investigate. No warning signs prior.

NHTSA ODI 11510956

Feb 25, 2023Electrical systemEngineFire

Today I started my RAV4 in my driveway to warm it up and went back in the house. Approximatly 5-10 minutes later someone knocked on the door to let me know the car was on fire. The fire department said it was likley that the fire started in the engine and spread to the rest of the vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11509082

Feb 22, 2023Electrical systemBackup camera & sensors

Radio and Navigation system is not working. Dealership stated this is a factory problem that is very costly to repair. A lot of Toyota vehicles are having the same problem. It is a safety issue because driver can't use the hands free option or navigation system. So using the phone while driving is really not safe!

NHTSA ODI 11508519

Feb 3, 2023Electrical system

The infotainment unit is stuck in a loop. Spoke to multiple dealers that said they’ve seen at least 200+ of these issues in the past year. They said their fix is a total replacement of the unit.

NHTSA ODI 11505293

Nov 3, 2022Electrical systemEngineFire

Car caught on fire in my driveway .

NHTSA ODI 11492163

Oct 27, 2022Electrical system

The contact owns a 2015 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that whenever the vehicle was started, the instrument panel went blank and then illuminated as needed. Additionally, while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle was jerking. The contact stated that on one occasion while driving 45 MPH, the instrument panel went blank and the radio became inoperable; however, soon after the failure, the functions returned and operated as designed. The contact took the vehicle to a certified mechanic who was not able to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 65,000.

NHTSA ODI 11491189

Aug 4, 2022Electrical systemBody & structure

The power hatch door liftgate support rods problems. The hatch door won't close. This is the third times. First two times were under warranty, this time is after warranty. The liftgate must have mechanical or design problem when manufacturing. If the hatch back door suddenly drop, it will hurt my head or body when I try to reach my trunks.

NHTSA ODI 11477644

May 23, 2022SteeringElectrical systemEngine

Power to the vehicle was lost while making a turn under a stop light. Emergency flashers were used. All dashboard lights came on at the time the vehicle lost power. Radio stopped. The car was turned off and was able to be restarted after several seconds. The danger was having a vehicle stopped under a stop light for several seconds. The problem has yet to be repeated. It happened just this morning 5/23/22. No other warnings were given before loss of power. We have not yet had an inspection by any other parties but will plan on it as we are aware there had been an issue with a 12 volt battery case in the past on this model.

NHTSA ODI 11465757

Apr 19, 2022Electrical systemFire

The contact owns a 2015 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while his wife was driving, the instrumental panel shut down after the vehicle was pulled over. The contact mentioned there was a dark brown smoke coming from the front passenger dashboard and the front of the vehicle was on fire. The fire department extinguished the fire. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot. The contact contacted the dealer to inform the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 87,000.

NHTSA ODI 11461306

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Working with the data? Download all 302 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 26, 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 2015 Toyota RAV4 Hv verdict →