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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
3 / 18
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
11,161 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2018 Toyota RAV4 electrical problems

electrical problem

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2018 Toyota RAV4 Owner Comments (Page 4 of 5)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #25

May 112021

RAV4

  • 21,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I was waiting at the traffic light to turn green once it did I pressed the gas pedal to go and the vehicle stall and lost power completely and gave a message saying power failure and a picture of a battery after this happened the vehicle was able to start back

- Pataskala, OH, USA

problem #24

Apr 112021

RAV4

  • 47,000 miles
Car started stalling whole in motion yesterday. I haven't thought too much about it. Today in my 3rd drive of the day after I stop at a restaurant, I start the car to the surprise it just stalled and give me charging system malfunction I try to start it again with no luck. I'm far from home I call the local dealership and is closed. I will have to wait tomorrow morning to tow the car to them. I wasn't expecting this to happen in a Toyota vehicle only 3 year older. Last year they change the battery because it let me stranded something wrong with the electric system for sure.

- Miami, FL, USA

problem #23

Nov 302020

RAV4

  • 4,874 miles
The vehicle use purchased in Dec '18. In Dec '19 the battery went dead and was replaced. Toyota said the battery had a bad cell.. in Apr '20 the battery went bad again and was replaced. Toyota said the wrong size battery was installed the last time. In Aug '20 the battery went bad again and was replaced, Toyota said it was because of a gps devise that was installed by the selling dealership and was never made aware to the buyer. In Dec '20 the battery went bad again and was replaced. This time Toyota said it was because the car was not being driven enough. The driving pattern has been the same with this vehicle since it was purchased. If that was the problem then why was it not a problem in the first year of ownership. Also it was not a problem with the previous vehicle that was used as a trade-in on this vehicle. There seems to be an obvious problem with the electrical system of the vehicle.

- Hilliard, OH, USA

problem #22

Mar 162021

RAV4

  • 14,500 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Starting late aug2020 the dashboard starting to show warning lights randomly and inconsistently. All warning lights do not come at the same time but when turning the external lights on other warning lights turn on and so far the car have stalled more than 4 times while driving under 40 mph. The last 3 times the car started right after being parked and but this last time it did not and while I was waiting for a tow almost had an accident from behind me as the car that was coming behind me stopped and was hit by another car behind him. I took it to the dealer and since it is out of warranty they would not touch it and all they did was disconnect the battery so the warranting lights turn off and send me back out and with in 15 min on the road the lights started to comeback on again but the car did not die on the road. The car is barely 3 years old and only have 14,500 miles on it and it is becoming very unreliable to drive.

- Stone Mountain, GA, USA

problem #21

Feb 282021

RAV4

  • 30,000 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated while driving at 55 mph, when the vehicle stalled. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated she saw smoke exit the hood. The contact was able to park on the side of the road. The vehicle was not drivable. The vehicle was towed to her residence. The contact called local dealer eastern shore Toyota (29732 frederick blvd, daphne, al 36526: (251) 250-0161) and were made aware of the failure. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.

- Gulf Shores, AL, USA

problem #20

Feb 252021

RAV4

  • 7,000 miles
Constant battery failure on 2018 rav 4. replaced Jan 2020 and again March 2021. All the lights lit up, bells & whistles then dead. Have called triple a so many times we are out of service unless upgrade plan. Dealer states car not driven enough (despite driven several times per week) but dealer would not state how much car should be driven to avoid battery failure issue. Also noted squirrel had built nest under the hood with insulation. Notified dealer of all & they replaced battery which was not included in warranty that is active. Vehicle was stationary. Concerned as others having same issue and some with battery explosion/fire. My mom is elderly and concerned about her being stranded out and about or worse fire hazard.

- Virginia Beach, VA, USA

problem #19

Jan 072019

RAV4

  • 0 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The keyless is not friendly for the deaf. Need to something for the right and safe. Thank you.

- Chapmanville, WV, USA

problem #18

Jun 052020

RAV4

  • 47,800 miles
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.

- Old Town, ME, USA

problem #17

May 232018

RAV4

  • 160 miles
Next day after I bought the vehicle, I brought the SUV back to the dealer (centennial Toyota of las vegas ) with problem on the gate opener. Dealer replaced the control module in the rear view mirror but the problem did not get resolved. Brought it back to the dealer again and the technician came with me to reprogram the control but cant resolved the problem. I was told that I need to buy a remote control for the gate compatible with the SUV control systems. We have two gates which means T I have to buy the controls. I tried to return the vehicle but the next day I found the vehicle in my drive way, with a note saying the problem was on the gate. Still further made the complain to the main Toyota manufacturers office to no avail, still insisting that the problem was in the gate control. However the control button for the garage work properly. Still the problem is unresolved at this moment.

- Las Vegas, NV, USA

problem #16

Dec 012019

RAV4

  • 16,000 miles
The lane departure warning system works intermittently at night on a wet roadway. The vehicle was on a four lane road with two lanes in each direction. Speed was around 45mph. Lane departure warning works above approximately 32mph. The system would not recognize the white shoulder line on the right hand side of the vehicle or the dotted white line on the left hand side of the lane. This was the second time this had happened to me. The other time was approximately a month ago.

- Cranberry Township, PA, USA

problem #15

Nov 102019

RAV4

  • 6,750 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

While driving the car shuttered then stopped while in traffic and check engine light and charging system malfunction error message appeared. I coasted over to side of road. Restarted car to get home and this same thing happened 3 more times until I got home and parked it. We ran the car in the driveway and the same thing happened 3 more times. Since it is Sunday afternoon will have to call Toyota on Monday. After reading online about similar issues...I'm afraid to drive the car again. It seems Toyota has no fix or has acknowledged it as a problem.

- East Norriton, PA, USA

problem #14

May 182019

RAV4 4-cyl

  • 17,000 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Rav4. While attempting to drive the vehicle, all the warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was taken to checkered flag Toyota (located at 5301 Virginia beach blvd, Virginia beach, va 23462, (757) 490-1111) where it was diagnosed that the soy wires attracted rodents who were eating the wires. The dealer replaced the wires. In addition, the contact stated that the washer fluid hose was eaten by the rodents. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where the washer fluid hose was replaced. The contact was informed that they could not use anything else to prevent the rodents from eating the wires and advised the contact to get an exterminator. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided case number: [xxx]. the approximate failure mileage was 17,000. 'parts of this document have been redacted to protect personally identifiable information pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).'

- Virginia Beach, VA, USA

problem #13

Feb 132019

RAV4 4-cyl

  • 8,652 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Rav4. While driving 20 mph or less, the vehicle has stalled when the accelerator pedal was released in moving traffic 5 times. The failure occurred four times in April, 3 times while driving to work. The contact took the vehicle to Toyota escondido (231 E Lincoln pkwy, escondido, ca 92026, (760) 300-1112) to be diagnosed and three abnormal codes appeared, which indicated rough idling and failure with the vehicle starting. The manufacturing was contacted and could not locate a failure. The contact wrote to the dealer's owner and requested that they extend the warranty; however, the request was denied. The manufacturer promised to call the contact back, but did not call. The failure mileage was 8,652. Consumer stated toytoa was unable to establish a root cause. 'parts of this document have been redacted to protect personally identifiable information pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).'

- San Diego, CA, USA

problem #12

Apr 022019

RAV4

  • 8,940 miles
My 2018 Toyota Rav4 has stalled 5 times while driving on city streets in moving traffic, first time in Feb 2019 while driving home from work, in April three times while driving to work and one time while driving home from work(rush hour). All documented with Toyota. Occurs when I take my foot off the gas while driving, and difficulty restarting after it stalls with loss of power and sputtering. 'charging system malfunction' warning msg appeared on dashboard(I took photo and emailed to Toyota). I followed instructions in 2018 toyotal Rav4 owner's manual "stop the car immediately...continuing to drive the vehicle may be dangerous". had car towed to Toyota immediately. 3 trouble codes were recorded P1603(engine stall), P1604 startability malfunction, and P1605(rough idling), however they were unable to determine root cause of stalling and refused to keep my car to do further analysis despite the fact that I told them I did not feel safe driving vehicle, and my car is still under comprehensive warranty coverage. I contacted corporate, and they restated dealer conclusions and would not allow me to speak to a field tech specialist. I then emailed and wrote a letter to vp sales of Toyota, andrew gilleland. Rep from executive office called me. I asked for Toyota to provide me with either transportation assistance and a no cost-to-me extended comprehensive warranty until the underlying cause is determined and without further stalling incidences, or a replacement vehicle. He refused, despite all the significant potentially dangerous safety issues in a vehicle with less than 9,200 miles. Toyota does not appear to be concerned with reliability, peace of mind, and most of all safety. I have a case # with Toyota. I recently discovered there are several other reports on this site with same stalling issues as my car.

- San Diego, CA, USA

problem #11

Apr 022019

RAV4

  • 8,940 miles
My 2018 Toyota Rav4 has stalled 5 times while driving on city streets in moving traffic, first time in Feb 2019 while driving home from work, in April three times while driving to work and one time while driving home from work(rush hour). All documented with Toyota. Occurs when I take my foot off the gas while driving, and difficulty restarting after it stalls with loss of power and sputtering. 'charging system malfunction' warning msg appeared on dashboard(I took photo and emailed to Toyota). I followed instructions in 2018 toyotal Rav4 owner's manual "stop the car immediately...continuing to drive the vehicle may be dangerous". had car towed to Toyota immediately. 3 trouble codes were recorded P1603(engine stall), P1604 startability malfunction, and P1605(rough idling), however they were unable to determine root cause of stalling and refused to keep my car to do further analysis despite the fact that I told them I did not feel safe driving vehicle, and my car is still under comprehensive warranty coverage. I contacted corporate, and they restated dealer conclusions and would not allow me to speak to a field tech specialist. I then emailed and wrote a letter to vp sales of Toyota, andrew gilleland. Rep from executive office called me. I asked for Toyota to provide me with either transportation assistance and a no cost-to-me extended comprehensive warranty until the underlying cause is determined and without further stalling incidences, or a replacement vehicle. He refused, despite all the significant potentially dangerous safety issues in a vehicle with less than 9,200 miles. Toyota does not appear to be concerned with reliability, peace of mind, and most of all safety. I have a case # with Toyota. I recently discovered there are several other reports on this site with same stalling issues as my car.

- San Diego, CA, USA

problem #10

Apr 022019

RAV4

  • 8,940 miles
My 2018 Toyota Rav4 has stalled 5 times while driving on city streets in moving traffic, first time in Feb 2019 while driving home from work, in April three times while driving to work and one time while driving home from work(rush hour). All documented with Toyota. Occurs when I take my foot off the gas while driving, and difficulty restarting after it stalls with loss of power and sputtering. 'charging system malfunction' warning msg appeared on dashboard(I took photo and emailed to Toyota). I followed instructions in 2018 toyotal Rav4 owner's manual "stop the car immediately...continuing to drive the vehicle may be dangerous". had car towed to Toyota immediately. 3 trouble codes were recorded P1603(engine stall), P1604 startability malfunction, and P1605(rough idling), however they were unable to determine root cause of stalling and refused to keep my car to do further analysis despite the fact that I told them I did not feel safe driving vehicle, and my car is still under comprehensive warranty coverage. I contacted corporate, and they restated dealer conclusions and would not allow me to speak to a field tech specialist. I then emailed and wrote a letter to vp sales of Toyota, andrew gilleland. Rep from executive office called me. I asked for Toyota to provide me with either transportation assistance and a no cost-to-me extended comprehensive warranty until the underlying cause is determined and without further stalling incidences, or a replacement vehicle. He refused, despite all the significant potentially dangerous safety issues in a vehicle with less than 9,200 miles. Toyota does not appear to be concerned with reliability, peace of mind, and most of all safety. I have a case # with Toyota. I recently discovered there are several other reports on this site with same stalling issues as my car.

- San Diego, CA, USA

problem #9

Apr 022019

RAV4

  • 8,940 miles
My 2018 Toyota Rav4 has stalled 5 times while driving on city streets in moving traffic, first time in Feb 2019 while driving home from work, in April three times while driving to work and one time while driving home from work(rush hour). All documented with Toyota. Occurs when I take my foot off the gas while driving, and difficulty restarting after it stalls with loss of power and sputtering. 'charging system malfunction' warning msg appeared on dashboard(I took photo and emailed to Toyota). I followed instructions in 2018 toyotal Rav4 owner's manual "stop the car immediately...continuing to drive the vehicle may be dangerous". had car towed to Toyota immediately. 3 trouble codes were recorded P1603(engine stall), P1604 startability malfunction, and P1605(rough idling), however they were unable to determine root cause of stalling and refused to keep my car to do further analysis despite the fact that I told them I did not feel safe driving vehicle, and my car is still under comprehensive warranty coverage. I contacted corporate, and they restated dealer conclusions and would not allow me to speak to a field tech specialist. I then emailed and wrote a letter to vp sales of Toyota, andrew gilleland. Rep from executive office called me. I asked for Toyota to provide me with either transportation assistance and a no cost-to-me extended comprehensive warranty until the underlying cause is determined and without further stalling incidences, or a replacement vehicle. He refused, despite all the significant potentially dangerous safety issues in a vehicle with less than 9,200 miles. Toyota does not appear to be concerned with reliability, peace of mind, and most of all safety. I have a case # with Toyota. I recently discovered there are several other reports on this site with same stalling issues as my car.

- San Diego, CA, USA

problem #8

Feb 192019

RAV4

  • 10 miles
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.

- Parsippany, NJ, USA

problem #7

Feb 172019

RAV4 4-cyl

  • 7,000 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Rav4. While driving approximately 65 mph in snow and icy conditions, the warning messages suddenly displayed indicating that the brakes and safety features were not available, and instructed the driver not to drive the vehicle. When the vehicle was turned off and restarted, it resumed normal operation. The cause of the failure was not determined. Love Toyota (215 E. fairmount ave, lakewood, NY) was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not notified. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 7,000. Consumer let the car sit for 15", cleared the ice off. The technician stated feature were satellite enabled and probably the ice intersected with the signals.

- Jamestown, NY, USA

problem #6

Feb 062019

RAV4

  • 4,700 miles
While driving the car just shut down and the code read charging system malfunction, we had it towed to the dealership and they erased the codes but they acknowledged they existed however they said there is nothing wrong and want us to continue driving this vehicle with no assurance it will not happen again

- Pine Mountain, GA, USA

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