Research · Sport Utility Vehicle - 2WD

2008 Toyota RAV4Recalls, problems, MPG & safety

NHTSA lists 14 safety recalls and 575 owner complaints for the 2008 Toyota RAV4. Most complaints involve engine (137) and vehicle speed control (92). The EPA rates it 21–24 mpg combined.

Combined MPG
21–24mpg
EPA · 4 versions
NHTSA overall
—
Not rated by NCAP
Safety recalls
14campaigns
Latest Aug 2016
Owner complaints
575
Top: engine
Fuel cost / yr
$2,700est.
EPA estimate, best version
01 —Recalls

Safety recalls

14 NHTSA campaigns · applies to some vehicles, check your VIN

Suspension: rear

Free remedy

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2006-2011 Toyota RAV4 vehicles manufactured October 31, 2005, to September 7, 2010, and 2010 Lexus HS250h vehicles manufactured July 6, 2009, to August 26, 2010. The affected vehicles have rear suspension arms (rear tie rods) with adjusting lock nuts that may have been improperly tightened after servicing. As a result of being loose, the arm may have thread damage and may rust, possibly leading to the failure of the arm and an abrupt change in the vehicle's alignment.

SuspensionReported Aug 12, 2016NHTSA 16V596000

Seats: seat heater

Free remedy

Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2005-2011 4Runner, Highlander, Sequoia, and Sienna, 2005-2010 Avalon and Tundra, 2006-2008 Camry Solara, 2006-2010 Highlander hybrid, 2006-2011 Rav4 and Tacoma, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2007-2011 Camry hybrid, 2009-2010 Venza, 2010-2012 Prius, 1988-1990 and 2005-2010 Camry, and 1989 and 2009-2010 Corolla vehicles equipped with aftermarket accessory seat heaters with a copper strand heating element. The electrical wiring in the seat heaters may be damaged when the seat cushion is compressed.

SeatsReported Jun 2, 2016NHTSA 16V396000

Seat belts: rear

Free remedy

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2006-2012 RAV4 vehicles manufactured July 28, 2005, to December 19, 2012, and 2012-2014 RAV4 EV vehicles manufactured July 24, 2012, to August 29, 2014. In the event of a frontal collision, the rear seat belts for the outboard seats may be cut by the seat cushion frame.

Seat beltsReported Feb 19, 2016NHTSA 16V096000
Data from NHTSA Recalls API · synced Oct 27, 2026 · All recall detailsNHTSA vehicle page
02 —Complaints

Owner complaints by component

575 complaints filed with NHTSA · Jan 2008 – Apr 2026
  1. Engine137
  2. Vehicle speed control92
  3. Suspension81
  4. Steering73
  5. Air bags58
  6. Power train37
  7. Electrical system27
  8. Engine and engine cooling24
  9. Structure19

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

By model year

Complaints for each RAV4 model year we’ve synced.

View as table
Model yearNHTSA complaints
199647
199757
199885
199963
200040
2001314
2002555
2003327
2004154
2005141
2006704
20071,003
2008575
2009327
2010400
2011287
2012266
2013261
2014207
2015305
2016239
2017307
2018333
2019884
2020639
2021389
2022149
2023164
2024176
202594
Crashes reported
42
Fires reported
16
Injuries reported
32
Deaths reported
2
Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 27, 2026 · Full problem breakdownNHTSA vehicle page
03 —Common problems

What owners report most

Verbatim excerpts from NHTSA complaints, by component

Engine

137 reports4 fires
“My daughter and I are leasing our Toyota Rav4 almost paid off. Our last 2 oil changes done by professional the engine has burned off the oil in between the oil changes. I seen multiple complaints for this same issue for other owners and that there's not been any recalls only investigations. I read 1 person their engine caught fire. I'm disabled if what happened to that person's family happened to my Toyota I might not be as lucky as I, my daughter and my oldest daughter who is disabled and needs help moving and I'd have to get my dog out of the car and we all get safely away from the car and pray we were in a safe area no one else gets hurt. This oil burning from these cars is a dangerous safety hazard and expensive. Instead of a investigation recalls are needed to get the malfunctioning pistons replaced before someone physically gets injured or killed. This is a known issue by the Toyota manufacturer and obviously more and more owners are finding and coming forward with complaints. As for me and my daughter the car is not a new model but it's a new vehicle to use and we didn't know about the pistons malfunctioning issues or oil burning off until it happened.…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 4, 2025EngineODI 11702965

Vehicle speed control

92 reports20 crashes
“Starting in June 2018, I have had seven episodes of unintended acceleration. (I have owned the car, purchased in private sale, since June of 2013.) There were common elements to each incident:1. gradually slowing; 2. foot on brake; 3. engine accelerates sharply, a moment before complete stop in first six, a moment after in seventh and last. In each incident able to maintain control as foot already was on brake; yet in three of the incidents, including the last two, the car bucked forward a few inches despite the pressure on the brake. Situation resolved when I turned off the ignition, a reflex developed after the first incident. This last incident was particularly upsetting as I was in a long line of slow moving cars on a relatively narrow road with pedestrians on each side of my car. Each incident has been reported to the local dealer with which I have been trading for many years. They did a thorough inspection when I reported the incidents to them in January of 2020 and again just today after the last incident that occurred on May 19, 2023. They could find nothing wrong and include on their report "TAS STATES SUSPECTED DRIVER ERROR, PEDAL MISS [sic]…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 22, 2023Vehicle speed control, Engine, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11523360

Suspension

81 reports
“The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle failed to drive in a straight line and would erroneously drift out of the lane. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the rear suspension was faulty and needed to be repaired. The contact indicated that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA campaign number: 16V596000 (Suspension) however, the failure occurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 157,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 6, 2021SuspensionODI 11423572
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 27, 2026
04 —Key specs

Engines, transmissions & drive

4 versions rated by the EPA
EPA class
Sport Utility Vehicle - 2WD, Sport Utility Vehicle - 4WD
Engines
2.4L 4-cyl · 3.5L 6-cyl
Transmissions
Automatic 4-spd · Automatic 5-spd
Drive
Front-Wheel Drive · 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
Fuel
Regular Gasoline

Towing, payload and dimensions aren’t in the EPA or NHTSA data, so we don’t list them.

Data from EPA fueleconomy.gov · synced Oct 27, 2026EPA listing
05 —Fuel economy

EPA fuel economy by version

City / highway / combined, annual fuel cost and CO₂
EPA
VersionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yrCO₂ g/mi
RAV4 2WD
Auto 4-spd, 4 cyl, 2.4 L · Front-Wheel Drive
212724$2,700370
RAV4 2WD
Auto 5-spd, 6 cyl, 3.5 L · Front-Wheel Drive
192722$2,900404
RAV4 4WD
Auto 4-spd, 4 cyl, 2.4 L · 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
202522$2,900404
RAV4 4WD
Auto 5-spd, 6 cyl, 3.5 L · 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
192621$3,050423
  • RAV4 2WD
    Auto 4-spd, 4 cyl, 2.4 L
    21 city · 27 hwy · $2,700/yr
    24
    mpg comb.
  • RAV4 2WD
    Auto 5-spd, 6 cyl, 3.5 L
    19 city · 27 hwy · $2,900/yr
    22
    mpg comb.
  • RAV4 4WD
    Auto 4-spd, 4 cyl, 2.4 L
    20 city · 25 hwy · $2,900/yr
    22
    mpg comb.
  • RAV4 4WD
    Auto 5-spd, 6 cyl, 3.5 L
    19 city · 26 hwy · $3,050/yr
    21
    mpg comb.
Data from EPA fueleconomy.gov · synced Oct 27, 2026 · Fuel cost is EPA’s annual estimate (15,000 mi, 55% city)
06 —Safety

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings

1 tested variant
NHTSA has not published 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2008 Toyota RAV4 as of Oct 27, 2026.
Data from NHTSA NCAP Safety Ratings API · synced Oct 27, 2026Vehicle 2502
07 —Maintenance

Maintenance basics

General guidance, not the OEM schedule. Check your owner’s manual.
General guidance
ItemMilesTimeNote
Engine oil & filter5,000–10,000 mi6–12 monthsFollow the oil-life monitor if fitted
Tire rotation5,000–7,500 miEvery oil changeCheck pressure monthly
Engine air filter15,000–30,000 mi1–2 yearsSooner in dusty areas
Cabin air filter15,000–25,000 mi1–2 years
Brake fluid—2–3 yearsAbsorbs moisture over time
Coolant60,000–100,000 mi5–10 yearsLong-life coolants last longer
Spark plugs60,000–100,000 mi—Iridium/platinum plugs at the long end
12V battery—3–5 yearsHeat shortens battery life
  • Engine oil & filter5,000–10,000 mi
    6–12 months
  • Tire rotation5,000–7,500 mi
    Every oil change
  • Engine air filter15,000–30,000 mi
    1–2 years
  • Cabin air filter15,000–25,000 mi
    1–2 years
  • Brake fluid—
    2–3 years
  • Coolant60,000–100,000 mi
    5–10 years
  • Spark plugs60,000–100,000 mi
    —
  • 12V battery—
    3–5 years
Typical intervals for modern cars. Severe service (towing, short trips, extreme heat or cold) shortens them.
09 —FAQ

2008 RAV4 questions

How many recalls does the 2008 Toyota RAV4 have?

14 safety recalls as of Oct 27, 2026, according to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at a dealer. Check your VIN to see whether your car is included and whether the repair was done.

What are the most common 2008 Toyota RAV4 problems?

Owners filed 575 complaints with NHTSA. The most-cited components are engine (137), vehicle speed control (92), suspension (81). Complaints are unverified owner reports and aren't adjusted for how many cars were sold.

What MPG does the 2008 Toyota RAV4 get?

The EPA rates the 2008 Toyota RAV4 at 21–24 mpg combined, depending on engine and drivetrain (4 versions rated).

Data from NHTSA & EPA · synced Oct 27, 2026