Home · 2020 Toyota RAV4 Hv · Complaints

What 627 owners told NHTSA about the 2020 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 (627)Crash / fire / injury (23)Engine (179)Electrical system (119)Fuel system (89)Body & structure (59)Airbags (55)Transmission & drivetrain (36)Steering (27)Brakes (19)Visibility & wipers (17)Engine & cooling (15)

179 of 627 complaints match · Engine · clear filters · page 3 of 8

Jul 31, 2024Transmission & drivetrainEngine

I bought the 2020 Rav4 XLE back in 2019 and had driven for four and half years now. I went to the dealership to get my routine oil change just this Monday July 29th 2024. As usual, the dealership did multi-inspection on my Rav4 and didn't find any problem that requires immediate attention. Two days later, a warning message popped up on the MID screen right after I started the car and read "Engine Maintenance Required". After searching online, calling both local mechanic and Toyota dealership, it happens to be a well-known issue for many 2019-2023 Toyota models including Rav4, Camry, Corolla that the faulty coolant bypass valve has to be replaced. I'm not a car person and I don't know much about cars but I have had the radiator broken while I was driving on my old car due to coolant related issue and almost got me into an accident so I know I shouldn't overlook any issues related to coolant. That being said, Toyota dealership knew about the issue, my local mechanic heard about the issue, an overwhelming number of users had reported the issue on online forums, and with no surprise, a class action lawsuit was filed regarding this issue on June 2024. For a solid car brand that advertises reliability and accountability for its vehicles, not informing or recalling for affected customers is extremely disappointing and unacceptable. After all, I had to pay $785 out of pocket for a repair that should never be done in less 5 years/45000 miles.

NHTSA ODI 11605667

Jul 29, 2024Electrical systemEngine

52,000 miles, and was just informed the coolant bypass valve has failed. This is apparently an issue with ALL 2019~2022 Toyota Rav4 vehicles. It was a known issue to Toyota, using substandard parts. It results in an error message that cant be turned off, masking all other messages, and can only be fixed by a dealer for over $1,000 in costs.

NHTSA ODI 11605096

Jul 29, 2024Engine

A code for the coolant bypass valve appeared through an independent service center. Warning message shows "Engine Maintenance Required", when air conditioning is turned on and does not go away. Warning message does not show when air conditioning is turned off. I had a independent service center check any damages to the coolant bypass valve, show that the part was faulty. Through various testimonials Toyota Rav4 owners, they also had the same issue. Warning message started at approximately 55,000 miles and has not gone away even after service. Quote for repair goes above $700, although part has been claimed to be faulty and not disclosed.

NHTSA ODI 11605099

Jul 26, 2024AirbagsEngine

The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated while operating the vehicle, the message "Engine Maintenance Required - See Dealer" was display on the instrument panel. No warning light was illuminated. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired due to the cost. In addition, the contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (Air Bags) 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 not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 47,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11604791

Jul 24, 2024Engine

A warning message saying "Warning Notification A warning light was turned on. Would you like to call an operator?". Diagnostic performed by Yark Toyota confirmed coolant bypass valve malfunction which can cause overheating. Warning comes on when I turn on the A/C. I now have no air conditioning in the hottest summer I can remember. Repair costs just under $1,000 total.

NHTSA ODI 11604177

Jul 23, 2024Engine

Recurring engine maintenance required alert due to a Heater coolant bypass valve fail issue at 58,100.

NHTSA ODI 11604129

Jul 22, 2024Engine

I got a message popup saying "Engine Maintenance Required" which is different from the oil change reminder. I cleared it thinking it was about an oil change (that isn't due yet), and it came right back. I took it to a mechanic who ran diagnostics and wasn't able to find the issue. After a few internet searches, I found that the coolant bypass valve is a known issue on certain years of this vehicle. I followed the suggested steps for resetting it (to turn on the vehicle with the heater on, then lower the AC temp without hitting the lowest temperature setting). It's currently working as a fix, but I'm concerned about any long-term situations that could arise.

NHTSA ODI 11603730

Jul 22, 2024Engine

Engine coolant valve Malfunction

NHTSA ODI 11603868

Jul 18, 2024Engine

Premature Coolant bypass hose failure at 120k Very common according to online forums $1000 cost of repair

NHTSA ODI 11603227

Jul 17, 2024Engine

Coolant bypass value failure. 2020 with 32751 miles. There are many of this failures reported on-line. Example: [XXX] At the dealer, the service manager relayed that a mechanic stated they've replaced several of these and it should be a recall. Cost was $520 and not covered by warranty. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11603053

Jul 16, 2024Engine

We replaced the original battery on May 27, 2024. A few weeks later, on June 15, 2024, an "Engine Maintenance Required" message appeared on the display screen. A local mechanic diagnosed the code and stated that the oil level was low so we added one quarter of motor oil. We also called the dealership, which stated that this code generally indicates a coolant bypass valve malfunction. We topped off the coolant fluid but the "Engine Maintenance Required" message still appeared (we were not able to clear it). A few days later, we took the vehicle to another mechanic, who informed us that the coolant bypass valve was broken and needed to be replaced. Given the 95-degree temperatures, we felt that we had no choice but to replace the broken valve because we did not want the engine to overheat. So we paid $570.28 for the mechanic to replace the coolant bypass hose and valve. The mechanic stated that this issue should not occur in any vehicle with only 38,000 miles, which means the valve was likely defective to begin with. It is suspicious that this issue occurred about two weeks after we replaced the battery and about 2,000 miles after we surpassed the factory warranty. Please investigate!

NHTSA ODI 11602659

Jul 13, 2024Engine

Bypass coolant valve needed to be replaced after engine maintenance required warning came on

NHTSA ODI 11601833

Jul 11, 2024Electrical systemEngine

Coolant bypass valve needs to be replaced. Car under 60k miles and should be covered on the powertrain warranty but is being required to be repaired out of pocket otherwise will ruin engine

NHTSA ODI 11601326

Jul 9, 2024Engine & coolingEngine

The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, the "Engine Maintenance Required" message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the coolant bypass control value needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 60,000.

NHTSA ODI 11600587

Jul 8, 2024Electrical systemEngine

I currently own a 2020 Toyota Rav 4. About two weeks ago I got a notification on my car saying "Engine Maintenance Required" i had taken my car to Toyota wondering what the problem was. They informed me it it the coolant bypass valve without hesitation. This is going to cost me more money than I want to spend. To make the situation better the parts needed are on back order for almost two weeks. The fact this is a common problem right now and there is no Recall is unacceptable. You are causing thousands of customers to spend an unnecessary amount of money and wait weeks just to get the correct parts to fix the situation. There is currently a lawsuit against Toyota because of this issue. There needs to be a recall immediately.

NHTSA ODI 11600071

Jun 25, 2024Engine

Engine Maintenance Required indicator turned on at around 42K miles. My oil change was not due until 45K miles. I had my oil changed at around 43K miles and the indicator still remained on. Issue was the coolant bypass valve need to be replaced. Many other Rav4 owners have had the same issue. The faulty coolant bypass valve if failed while driving could of caused my car to overheat and possibly catch on fire depending on how sever the overheating is while I'm driving.

NHTSA ODI 11596473

Jun 24, 2024Engine

Engine maintenance required warning on dash that prevents me from seeing any dashboard information. It is not possible to turn off the warning. Dealership say it is due to faulty coolant bypass valve. There is a class action lawsuit regarding this part failing.

NHTSA ODI 11596153

Jun 21, 2024Engine

A message light is shown stating "Engine Maintenance Required. Visit your dealer." Upon inspection from the dealer, it is a problem with the coolant bypass valve. The service men expressed concern for the heat regulation of the engine and things related to the coolant. This seems to be an extremely common problem with other Toyota RAV4s after looking it up online. Given the extent of the issue, this seems warranted to issue a recall for this part.

NHTSA ODI 11595659

Jun 21, 2024Engine

Coolant Flow Valve failure at 89,000 miles. It was replaced at Toyota dealership so the faulty valve is not available. My safety was compromised by an impossible to delete dashboard message which obscured the speedometer. The only way to delete the message was to have Toyota dealership fix part and clear code. Other safety concerns would be further engine damage if this part, which is known to be extremely prone to failure, is not repaired. This Coolant Flow Valve failure was indeed confirmed by the Toyota Dealership who also stated it is a very common issue with these 2020 RAV4 models. After completion of the repair the Toyota Dealership did complete a passing inspection of my RAV4 vehicle. The aforementioned warning on the dash appeared around 89,000 miles, no prior problems or symptoms noted.

NHTSA ODI 11595723

Jun 10, 2024Engine

I got the "Engine maintenance required. Visit your dealer" warning. (conveniently after my scheduled oil change 1 week later) My vehicle is a 2020 Rav4. I purchased it 2022. It has UNDER 30k miles. I have researched this warning and found it to be very common. And the price to fix it upwards of $900 ??!! I was even quoted this when I called my dealer. I have found threads going back 1 to 2 years stating this repair. No warranty, no recall. as I said I have UNDER 30k miles too.

NHTSA ODI 11593368

Jun 10, 2024Engine

Engine coolant valve failed. Known Toyota issue for this model and no recall has been issued.

NHTSA ODI 11593515

May 25, 2024EngineFuel system

1. I had to have Injector Fuel Service due to my vehicle having a sluggish feeling while driving from Stop to Start. The vehicle also had a throttling motion while driving. 2. A message appeared on dashboard after a recent visit to the dealership after normal maintenance service, “Engine Maintenance Required” “Reach out to Dealer.” This message specifically shows while I start up my vehicle and will not disappear if cancelled. “This is a warning for a coolant bypass valve failure”

NHTSA ODI 11590766

May 22, 2024Engine

The vehicle start showing the ( Engine maintenance required) message around 40k miles. The bypass coolant valve needs to be replaced. The dealership did confirm the issue. The issue will result in the engine overheating or seizure. A lot of people who own RAV4 2019-2024 had the same issue.

NHTSA ODI 11590051

May 22, 2024Engine

Engine maintenance required, contact dealer Alert displaying to replace coolant bypass valve. Vehicle has 38,144 miles. Internet search of this issue has been reported by several consumers with vehicles less then 4 years old. Not covered under warranty and quoted at $700- ridiculous!

NHTSA ODI 11590086

May 18, 2024Engine

Engine Maintenance Required

NHTSA ODI 11589404

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Working with the data? Download all 627 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 2020 Toyota RAV4 Hv verdict →