What 142 owners told NHTSA about the 2023 Toyota RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid

I am writing to formally express my concern regarding the premature oxidation developing inside the tail lights on my 2023 Toyota RAV4 XLE. The oxidation is present on both the driver and passenger side tail light assemblies. As the oxidation continues to worsen, it reduces the clarity and effectiveness of the tail lights. This is not only a cosmetic concern but also a potential safety issue. Diminished light output can make it more difficult for other drivers to clearly see my brake lights, tail lights, and turn signals, particularly during nighttime driving or in adverse weather conditions. This increases the risk of rear-end collisions and compromises the safety of both myself and other motorists. I have taken good care of my vehicle, and I do not believe this level of deterioration is reasonable for a 2023 model. Exterior lighting components should remain clear and functional for many years under normal use. The fact that both tail lights are experiencing the same issue suggests this may be a manufacturing or material defect rather than normal wear and tear. I respectfully request that Toyota investigate this matter and inspect my vehicle under the applicable warranty or goodwill policy. If this is a known issue affecting other 2023 RAV4 vehicles, I ask that Toyota consider replacing the affected tail light assemblies at no cost. Vehicle lighting is a critical safety feature, and I believe it is important to address this issue before visibility is further compromised. I have always appreciated Toyota’s reputation for quality, reliability, and commitment to customer safety, and I hope this concern will be resolved promptly. I look forward to your response and a satisfactory resolution. Thank you for your time and attention to this matter.

NHTSA ODI 11750968

Back up camera stopped working screen is black when put into reverse. Approximately 2 weeks after camera stopped working warnings appeared on dash headlight system malfunction pre collision system malfunction rear cross traffic alert malfunction blind spot monitor malfunction LTA malfunction. There is no current recalls on this particular car but others of same make and model have recalls with same issues

NHTSA ODI 11748789

The contact owns a 2023 Toyota RAV4. The contact stated that while driving at 46 MPH in heavy rain, a warning message indicating that the pre-collision sensor was blocked and needed to be cleared, was displayed temporarily, and the contact continued driving. The contact stated that the vehicle suddenly lost motive power shortly after, and the message "Steering power is low; please contact dealer" was displayed. The vehicle stalled and failed to restart.The following day, the contact's husband successfully restarted the vehicle, but the vehicle immediately stalled again, displaying a "Pre-collision malfunction; please call dealer" message. A local dealer was contacted, and the contact spoke with a receptionist regarding the battery, but the vehicle was neither diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer had not been made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 58,829.

NHTSA ODI 11748756

Odometer shows incorrect speed than actual.

NHTSA ODI 11748368

Vehicle was traveling straight approximately 70–80 mph in very light drizzle. No warning lights or messages before the event. Vehicle suddenly entered an uncontrolled spin multiple times. During the spin, I heard a grinding noise. After stopping, brake/parking brake system warnings appeared on the dash, video after the event recorded.

NHTSA ODI 11748288

Vehicle was traveling straight approximately 70–80 mph in very light drizzle. No warning lights or messages before the event. Vehicle suddenly entered an uncontrolled spin multiple times. During the spin, I heard a grinding noise. After stopping, brake/parking brake system warnings appeared on the dash, video after the event recorded.

NHTSA ODI 11748290

The front camera is known to overheat in weather that exceeds 70°F. Which disables the AEB, Cruise Control, Lane Keep, Automatic Headlights, and Automatic Wipers.

NHTSA ODI 11747538

I have owned this vehicle close to three years and these were the all season tires that came with the car.I live in New England where I run snow tires on the car from October to April every year that I have owned the car. The car has 30K miles on it ,but the tires that came with the car only have about 10K or 7/8 tire tread left. The tires have become very noisy and are starting to cup. I did take the car to the dealer and had the front end checked out and nothing is worn or out of alignment. Tires were rotated at 5K intervals .I contacted Dunlop and was told there was not much they would do since the tires were made when Dunlop was owned by Goodyear. Dunlop is now owned by Falken. I was offers 30% off a new set of tires (Dunlop) as a good will gesture. A new set of tires will run about 1K with tax and mounting/balance. I should have to spend that kind of money on tires that are not worn, just poorly made. Falken admitted that they have a lot of complaints about this tire. Tire size is 225/60R18/ 2023 Toyota RAV4 XSE

NHTSA ODI 11744003

I was driving across a mountain pass in Washington State at an elevation of approximately 4,000 ft. With no warning I hear a very loud noise, sounding like a gunshot. I was in pretty heavy traffic and pulled over as soon as it was safe. A walk around the car revealed no problems, but looking at the top of the car showed that the glass over the sunroof had imploded. I'm not a fan of sunroofs and I may have never opened it. My favorite AI search engine Gemini had plenty of information. I experienced what is known as a spontaneous sunroof implosion/explosion. Fortunately, neither my passengers nor I was injured. Toyota is not accepting responsibility for these incidents.

NHTSA ODI 11742484

The display goes black and then will restart. It foes this over and over. The navigation and other features can’t be used and it will not stay on long enough to try and update.

NHTSA ODI 11742009

My car has shut off for a second time without warning. This time was in a busy chic [XXX] drive through line in [XXX] . The car read “low power steering” and the battery and engine light came on. These have both been checked before in addition to the alternator and they cannot find an issue. I am having it taken back to the dealership tomorrow for further investigation. Given I purchased this vehicle with a little over 19k miles and the car now only has 22k miles on it. It should not have any significant issues such as cutting off while driving on the interstate or while sitting in a busy drive through lane waiting for food. Now I am wondering if the previous owner traded it in for this issue. I will say, both incidences it has been raining and the first time I could have been hit by oncoming traffic due to low visibility and I am wondering if heavy rain has something to do with this. The car has not been through any significant puddles or left out in the rain. It sits in the garage when not in use and has only been used as a work commute vehicle. Something is wrong. They need a recall! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11741686

The video display screen shuts off while driving. You end of trying to get it going again while driving and getting distracted. Ongoing issue over a dozen times in last 2 years.

NHTSA ODI 11741275

The contact owns a 2023 Toyota RAV4. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the hatch door glass independently fractured. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and repaired. The contact was informed that the failure was a known failure with the vehicle. The dealer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 119,000.

NHTSA ODI 11739118

Nav Screen randomly goes black for variable amounts of time.

NHTSA ODI 11738694

Was moving forward when all of the sudden the tailpipe flew off (metal thing in the muffler). No real cause, moves the vehicle normally oyt of the driveway and it just flew off.

NHTSA ODI 11735637

During the day after driving in rain in a 2023 Rav 4 LE AWD with 19000 miles car turned off. I was parked with it idling and with no warning stalled. I turned on multiple times and it kept stalling out. Finally a message appeared on dash "power steering low". After inspecting under hood and seeing all fluids ok I tried car again (maybe 10 min) and it started. Drove around parking lot it was fine. Drove to my mechanic. No error codes, battery was in good shape. This is very concerning. Suspect water in a hard rain somehow got in car. I was on major roads prior to parking, no huge puddles. Others online have mentioned this issue with no real answer and fears this will occur again while driving. NEEDS A RECAL.

NHTSA ODI 11734960

I have a limited service campaign from Toyota 25TD01 that my local authorized Toyota dealer refuses to repair. The dealer is Classic Toyota of Henderson

NHTSA ODI 11733218

When I put the vehicle in reverse the backup camera is displaying a black screen. I looked up recalls and see there is a recall on RAV4’s for this very issue, but my VIN shows no recalls. I called service at Hubler Toyota in Greenwood IN and they confirmed my VIN is not included in the recall. I want to know why it is not included. I am taking it to Hubler tomorrow for diagnostic and repair. I called Toyota manufacturing to report the incident and was advised to contact NHTSA.

NHTSA ODI 11728859

System states Pre System Collision Malfunction- Parking Brake Malfunction- secondary collision Malfunction warnings. AWD system malfunctions

NHTSA ODI 11727790

The vehicle exhibits a consistent and reproducible malfunction in the powertrain system, specifically related to acceleration response and drivetrain engagement. While driving at a steady speed, when the accelerator is pressed gradually (approximately 50–60%), the engine RPM increases but the vehicle does not accelerate accordingly. There is a delay in power delivery. When the accelerator is released, the engine may continue revving briefly, followed by a sudden and jerky engagement of the drivetrain. This issue occurs consistently under the same driving conditions and can be reproduced every time. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. This malfunction creates a safety risk when merging into traffic, entering intersections, or making turns. The vehicle does not respond when acceleration is required, which can lead to dangerous situations where other vehicles may approach at higher speeds. After the delay, the vehicle may surge forward unexpectedly, increasing the risk of collision. The issue has been reported to multiple authorized Toyota dealerships on several occasions within the first 15 months of ownership. The vehicle has been inspected by dealership technicians, but the concern has not been diagnosed or repaired. Dealerships have stated that the behavior is normal, despite the repeatable nature of the issue. No warning lights, error messages, or diagnostic indicators have appeared at any time. No diagnostic trouble codes have been reported. The vehicle is equipped with an 8-speed automatic transmission, and the behavior appears consistent with a possible transmission, torque converter, or drivetrain control malfunction affecting acceleration response. The condition is not related to driver input and occurs under controlled, repeatable conditions.

NHTSA ODI 11726160

The 2023 Toyota RAV4 8-speed transmission is catastrophically defective and poses an immediate safety hazard. It exhibits severe hesitation, slipping, and lurching when accelerating from a stop or low speed, and when attempting to merge into high-speed traffic (I-15/Las Vegas), creating a high risk of rear-end collisions. During these events, the RPMs spike and fall rapidly but the vehicle fails to accelerate. Furthermore, the vehicle lunges forward while the brakes are applied. The engine actively fights the braking system, requiring extreme physical force to stop the car and prevent front-end collisions. This lunging has repeatedly triggered the Pre-Collision System, causing the seatbelts to lock and tension against the driver’s body. Additionally, the vehicle exhibits steering resistance and feedback during turns, making it difficult to maneuver safely. The local dealership (AutoNation Toyota Las Vegas) inspected the vehicle and claimed these life-threatening behaviors are "normal" for this model.

NHTSA ODI 11725439

Sat in driver seat, closed driver seat door, and the rear window shattered. There was no impact or other incident to the glass.

NHTSA ODI 11725668

Had safety inspection done when having oil changed on 3/5/26. was informed by dealer that it needed both outer tie rod ends replaced has play in it. this came to a cost of 735.00 with alignment. Of course not covered by vehicle warranty which is useless at this point. I have never had this problem on any vehicles I have owned since starting to drive in 1975. This is a safety and quality issue and I should be reimbursed. I will seriously think about about an American owned company in the future. Having Friend at another dealership TCO 3/18/26 I was away last week and SUV parked in garage.

NHTSA ODI 11724605

rear hatch fails repeatedly to open. it locks up. it failed to shut too and damaged a rear taillight, forcing me to bring it to toyota. i had toyota dealer look at it twice now. from jan up to mar of this year. they had my car 2 weeks. even after replacing hatch struts and hinges,it still happens. it has to be an electrical, mechanical, or computer issue causing it. new vehicle, now under 20k mi. the hatch is widespread in rav4 models and I've found soo many reports online of same problem. this needs to be investigated more and fixed and recalled.

NHTSA ODI 11723999

On a rainy day after driving on the interstate, I pulled into a drive thru. Once there and idling for a few minutes, I tried moving forward and the car rough idled, shows message on dash "Engine Stopped, Power Stering Low" and had reduced engine power and no power steering and then stalls out. I tried turning it back on and it stays on for less than 3 seconds and shuts off. I had it towed to the dealer and they say there are no codes. After reading online, multiple other users experienced the exact same thing when its raining, wipers were on and they were idling after a trip on the interstate. If this would have occurred on the interstate and I lost engine power and reduced steering, it would cause major safety concerns. There were no warning lights prior to the issue and the only thing that flashed for a second when the engine stalled was the power steering, check engine and battery light. Toyota checked the battery and said its at 100%. Dealer cannot identify and issue, but I couldnt drive, had no power steering and had to have the car towed.

NHTSA ODI 11721942