Home · 2018 Toyota RAV4 Hv · Complaints

What 328 owners told NHTSA about the 2018 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 (328)Crash / fire / injury (62)Electrical system (128)Engine (32)Brakes (30)Transmission & drivetrain (26)Lights (23)Visibility & wipers (21)Speed control (20)Airbags (16)Body & structure (14)Fuel system (12)

62 of 328 complaints match · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters · page 3 of 3

Jul 8, 2020SuspensionBody & structureSpeed controlCrash

ON 7/3/20 AT ABOUT 3 PM EDT I WAS PREPARING TO TURN LEFT AND EXIT MY NEIGHBORHOOD. I WAS STOPPED. I PRESSED ON THE ACCELERATOR AND THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED STRAIGHT AHEAD AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. I WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. I TRAVELLED ABOUT 100 TO 150 FEET, CLIMBED AN ENBANKMENT AND LANDED IN A SMALL WOODED RAVINE. I WAS ATTEMPTING TO EXIT MY NEIGHBORHOOD ONTO A PAVED ROAD.

NHTSA ODI 11338142

Jun 14, 2020Electrical systemSpeed controlEngineCrash

PULLED INTO DRIVEWAY AND HAD FOOT ON BREAK. GOING VERY SLOW TO PARK . WENT TO PUT CAR INTO PARK AND CAR LUNGED FORWARD AND HIT GARAGE. BACKED UP AND CAR WENT VERY FAST SO HAD TO MOVE FORWARD AGAIN OUT OF ROAD. PUT CAR INTO DRIVE AND CAT SURGED FORWARD AND OUT OF CONTROL. ABLE TO AVOID GARAGE BUT CAR WENT BESIDE GARAGE, AND INTO SLIGHT DROP OFF. I WAS ABLE TO STOP CAR BY FLOORING BREAK AND PUTTING INTO PARK. CALLED POLICE THEY MADE REPORT, CALLED ROADSIDE SERVICE AND TOWED TO DOWNEAST TOYOTA IN BREWER MAINE. IT'S NOW GOING TO HAVE INFORMATION PULLED AND RESEARCHED TO DETERMINE WHAT HAPPENED. NO PICTURES. A LOT OF DAMAGE TO FRONT AND MAYBE UNDERNEATH. CAR WENT OVER A CEMENT BLOCK.

NHTSA ODI 11328730

Apr 14, 2020Crash

I HAD BEEN USING THE ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL AT HIGHWAY SPEED ON THE WESTBOUND CA 134 IN GLENDALE/BURBANK, CA. I HAD TO MERGE INTO TRAFFIC FROM THE HOV LANE DISENGAGING THE CRUISE CONTROL. I THEN USED THE AUTO TRANSMISSION TO SHIFT TO A LOWER GEAR TO GAIN MORE TORQUE IN CHANGING LANES WHEN THE CAR WENT INTO A STALL AND LOST ALL POWER. CONSEQUENTLY WE WERE REAR-ENDED BY ANOTHER CAR. OUR CAR WENT INTO A LOCKOUT AND HAD TO BE PUSHED TO THE SHOULDER BY THE CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL. I DON'T KNOW IF THIS WAS A RANDOM EVENT OR A GLITCH IN THE ON-BOARD COMPUTER.OR SOMETHING ELSE TOTALLY UNRELATED. *TR

NHTSA ODI 11321128

Apr 9, 2020AirbagsCrash

I HIT A DEER TRAVELING AT 60MPH+ WHILE TRAVELING ON I-470. THE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY, I DID SEE AN ERROR ON THE STATUS DISPLAY OF A SAFETY SYSTEM FAILURE. THE REPAIR SHOP FOUND THE FRONT SENSOR WAS CRUSHED IN THE COLLISION AND AMAZED THE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. I AM CONCERNED THIS IS A FUNCTIONAL FLAW WITH THE VEHICLE AND COULD RISK THE SAFETY OF OCCUPANTS. I HAVE PHOTOS OF THE VEHICLE IF NEEDED.

NHTSA ODI 11320662

May 9, 2019EngineFire

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2018 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED AFTER PARKING AND RETURNING TO THE VEHICLE IN THEIR GARAGE, SMOKE WAS SEEN COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT QUICKLY ENTERED THE VEHICLE AND REVERSED THE VEHICLE OUT OF THE GARAGE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED BY THE FIRE. THE CONTACT CALLED FRANK FLETCHER TOYOTA (2209 S RANGELINE RD, JOPLIN, MO 64804 (417) 622-5447) AND WAS INFORMED THAT SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS MOVED THEY COULD OFFER NO ASSISTANCE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 48,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ODI 11206563

Feb 28, 2019Electrical systemBody & structureFire

I WAS DRIVING TO WORK AROUND 740AM ON 287 SOUTH JUST PAST RT 24. DASHBOARD HAS "4WD" WARNING AND SMOKE COMING OUT FROM HOOD. I QUICKLY MOVED TO THE SHOULDER AND FIRE BROKE OUT BEFORE CAR CAME TO FULL STOP, ALL WITHIN ONE MINUTE. I BARELY ESCAPE THE CAR AND CALLED POLICE AND FIRE DEPT. THEY CAME AND PUT OFF THE FIRE. THERE ARE TWO EXPLOSIONS BEFORE THE FIRE WAS PUT OFF.

NHTSA ODI 11183106

Jan 30, 2019AirbagsSpeed controlBrakesCrash

VEHICLE WAS IN A PARKING SPACE; FOOT ON BRAKE. WENT TO SHIFT THE VEHICLE INTO PARK AND IT ACCELERATED INTO THE GLASS / BUILDING I WAS PARKED IN FRONT OF. AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY.

NHTSA ODI 11173003

Jan 2, 2019Electrical systemEngineFuel systemFire

AFTER PURCHASING OUR BRAND-NEW 2018 RAV4 FROM AUTHORIZED TOYOTA DEALER, WE WERE HEADING BACK HOME. ON OUR WAY, WE NOTICED BURNING SMELL FOLLOWED BY BLACK SMOKE FILLED FRONT SIDE OF THE CABIN. I QUICKLY MOVED MY CAR TO THE RIGHT SIDE PARKING LOT. WHILE CHANGING THE LANE I COULD NOT EVEN SEE THE RIGHT MIRROR BECAUSE OF THE BLACK SMOKE IN THE CABIN. AS SOON AS I PARKED THE CAR AND WE GOT OFF THE CAR, WITHIN A FEW SECONDS FLAMES FROM THE HOODS WERE NOTICED I CALLED EMERGENCY SERVICE (911) AND TO OUR DISBELIEF TO WATCH OUR NEW CAR BURNING IN FRONT OF US. IT WAS ONLY 15 MINS DRIVE FROM DEALER WHEN WE THE INCIDENT HAPPENED. IT TOOK ONLY 10 MINS TO SEE MY CAR WAS DESTROYED BY FLAMES. I COULD NOT GET ANYTHING OUT FROM FRONT OR BACK SEATS

NHTSA ODI 11164698

Sep 1, 2018Body & structureBrakesCrash

THE VEHICLE BREAKING SYSTEM FAILED WHILE TRYING TO SLOW DOWN TO STOP A COUPLE HUNDRED FEET BACK FROM STOPPED VEHICLE SITTING AT REDLIGHT, THIS COMPLETELY RESULTED IN COLLISION ON AUGUST 26, 2018. THERE WAS ONLY APPROXIMATELY 500 MILES ON THE VEHICLE ORIGINALLY PURCHASED ON AUGUST 18, 2018

NHTSA ODI 11123950

Aug 30, 2018Crash2 injuries

HAZARDS OF THE PUSHBUTTON START: THE ENGINE CAN BE TURNED OFF WHILE CAR IS STILL IN GEAR.....MINE WAS IN REVERSE, (I THOUGHT IT WAS IN P AS THERE IS NOT AN ALIGNMENT (R IS UP & TO THE RIGHT).....FIRST DAY I DROVE IT, JUMPED OUT, WAS KNOCKED DOWN, FRONT L TIRE ROLLED OVER MY LEG....NO WARNING, NO SAFEGUARD AGAINST THIS.......

NHTSA ODI 11123536

Aug 22, 2018Electrical systemFire1 injury

MY RAV4 CAUGHT FIRE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT WHILE PARKED ON THE STREET IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE. IT HAD BEEN PARKED FOR 12+ HOURS. AFTER BURNING FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES, IT EXPLODED WITH A FORCE SO GREAT THAT IT LIFTED THE CAR ONTO THE CURB, KNOCKED OVER A FIREFIGHTER, AND DAMAGED OUR BOAT PARKED 10 FEET ACROSS THE STREET. THE INSPECTOR FROM THE FIRE DEPARTMENT DETERMINED THE INITIAL FIRE WAS FROM FAULTY ELECTRICAL WIRING BUT SAID HE HAD NEVER SEEN A CAR EXPLODE IN HIS 25 YEARS ON THE FORCE. TOYOTA CONDUCTED THEIR OWN INVESTIGATION AND AGREED IT WAS ELECTRICAL BUT COULD NOT DETERMINE FAULT DUE TO THE SEVERITY OF THE DAMAGE

NHTSA ODI 11121578

Dec 27, 2017BrakesCrash

I WAS DRIVING IN A FAST FOOD DRIVE THROUGH. IT WAS A STOP AND GO PACE BECAUSE THERE WERE AROUND 5 CARS BEFORE ME AND WAS TRAVELING APPROX 3 MPH. I BEGAN TO PROCEED BUT THIS TIME AS I WENT TO APPLY MY BRAKES THEY WENT TO THE FLOOR AND I COULDN'T STOP THE CAR. IN ORDER TO AVOID THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME I TURNED MY WHEEL TO THE RIGHT AND JUMPED THE CURB AND HIT A WALL. THE VEHICLE WAS 3 DAYS OLD.

NHTSA ODI 11056950

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Working with the data? Download all 328 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 2018 Toyota RAV4 Hv verdict →