Problems · NHTSA complaints

2017 Toyota RAV4 problems

Owners filed 307 complaints about the 2017 Toyota RAV4 with NHTSA between Dec 2016 and Sep 2026. The most-cited component is electrical system (108).

Complaints
307
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
33
Reported by owners
Fires
24
Reported by owners
Injuries
28
People reported injured
Deaths
2
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Electrical system108
  2. Service brakes38
  3. Exterior lighting32
  4. Engine31
  5. Air bags20
  6. Structure19
  7. Power train16
  8. Vehicle speed control13
  9. Steering12
  10. Fuel/propulsion system12
  11. Visibility/wiper10
  12. Forward collision avoidance8
  13. Wheels8
  14. Suspension6

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

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 3, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
20163
201738
201834
201924
202029
202129
202224
202330
202447
202537
202612

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Electrical system

108 reports4 crashes15 fires1 related recall
“Toyota ABS Actuator Accumulator shows problems after a while. Most common on hybrid vehicles. Signs comes up such ABS Malfunction, Pre-Collision Malfunction, Low Braking Power, and lose traction control.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 11, 2026Electrical system, Service brakes, Forward collision avoidanceODI 11763678

Service brakes

38 reports8 crashes
“I was pulling into a parking spot in a parking garage and pressed on the brake. The brake pedal did not offer the usual resistance and went flat to the floor. The car began to accelerate and smashed into a concrete I-beam on the wall of the garage. I put the car in park and kept my foot on the brake but it still kept trying to move forward. Then I put it in reverse and it slowly backed away from the wall but still wouldn’t stop with the brake applied and in park. I pulled the emergency brake on and the car stopped and then I turned off the engine.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 29, 2026Vehicle speed control, Service brakesCrash reportedODI 11760634

Exterior lighting

32 reports1 fire
“The tail light assembly on these vehicles seems to be a reoccurring issue reported by other owners on online forums and unfortunately we seem to fall under the same category. Water and moisture constantly gets into the rear brake/turn lighting assembly and has been constantly burning out the bulbs it’s become quite ridiculously expensive now. How was my safety put at risk? Well it’s the brake lights! If my brake lights are out or greatly dimmed from moisture that puts me at a higher risk of having someone rear end me at any moment! No the component has not been inspected again by the dealer! I had already brought it up once during a regular maintenance visit but was ignored. There was no warning lamps or such thing. I can not remember when it first began to give problems. But the most recent incident where I had to change out all the bulbs again was just recently on 09/02/2026”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 9, 2026Exterior lightingODI 11763224

Engine

31 reports1 crash13 fires
“Yesterday March 25th 2026 I went to work and parked my 2017 Toyota RAV4 and about 30minutes later it was on fire in the parking lot. The fire happened around the battery area”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 26, 2026Structure, Unknown or other, EngineFire reportedODI 11727377

Air bags

20 reports13 crashes
“This vehicle has twice had the same issue where the sunroof drain lines become clogged or dislocated and the water fills the liner in the front driver and passenger seats resulting in flooding in the compartment and mold damage throughout the interior. the mole spore are transmitted throughout the interior. The water damaged the airbags and the electrical harness in the dash of the car resulting in the dashboard electrical system shutting off and restarting spontaneously while driving. The leaks were repairs and the interior replaces in october 2023 and the same incident has recurred in august 2026. The claims adjuster recommends that the entire wiring harness, airbags, and carpets, seats and liners be replaced for health and safety of passengers.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 6, 2026Electrical system, Air bags, StructureODI 11755337

Structure

19 reports5 crashes3 fires
“The liftgate on my 2017 Toyota RAV4 has been having issues for a couple of months. Makes a horrific noise when opening and closing. On several occasions it won't even open but about 5 inches then stops. The driver's side door won't lock/unlock with the smart key fob. I have to manually lock it and then use the "key" in the fob to unlock it. It is very hard to turn the key and I am always afraid it is going to break off in the lock. I feel this is dangerous for me that the time it takes to do this, something could happen to me. I have checked a couple of places for repair of the lock and it can run between $600 and $800 per lock.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 19, 2026Structure, Latches/locks/linkagesODI 11745217
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 3, 2026

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