2016 Toyota RAV4 Complaint Log

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2016 Toyota Rav4. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was purchased from a private seller. At the time of the purchase, the mileage was 98,000. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and a Carfax report indicated that in November 2025, the mileage was reported at 170,000.

The contact owned a 2016 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated while driving 30-40 MPH and attempting to change lanes, the contact looked through the sideview mirrors and then looked forward. The contact noticed that the vehicle in front of the vehicle had stopped. The contact depressed the brake pedal, but the vehicle did not stop in time and rear-ended the other vehicle. The contact's dog was occupying the front passenger's side seat and was not wearing a seat belt. The contact stated that it was a fender-bender; however, the driver's side and passenger's side curtain air bags deployed in addition to the front air bags, causing the vehicle to be totaled. The contact stated that the front driver's side air bag deployed and hit the contact's face, and the contact's eyeglasses caused a bruise on the contact's eyebrow. The contact also sustained a bloody nose and soreness on the forehead. The contact sustained bruises from the shoulder to the elbow after being hit by the driver's side curtain air bag. A police officer called medical personnel, who took the contact's blood pressure, checked the contact's injuries, and confirmed that an ambulance was not needed. The contact had not sought medical assistance. The contact stated that the hood of the vehicle opened and closed upon impact, and one of the coolant hoses was leaking. The trunk of the other vehicle opened and closed upon impact, and the other vehicle sustained minor damage to the fender. The other vehicle was drivable, and the other driver did not sustain injuries. A police report was filed, but the police report information was not available. The vehicle was towed and deemed a total loss by the insurance company. The dealer and Pedersen Toyota(4455 S College Ave Fort Collins, CO 80525) were notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000.

Rear seat belt passenger side would not unlatch, trapping the passenger. This was and is the only time we have ever used this seat belt.It took two people to help get her thru the upper part of seat belt,had to exit over the top of back seat passenger. This life saving mechanism was and is unsafe and could of caused death if in the event of accident with fire. We have Owned two other Toyota's. Never any other dangerous life threatening events. Our request is the right thing to do. Replace this inoperative major defective part at an authorized Toyota Dealership here in. Dayton Ohio? Do we need to report this to the Highway Safety Dept.? [XXX] & [XXX] . Please respond. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact leased a 2016 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V734000 (Electrical System) and requested to be removed from the recall distribution list because the contact no longer had the vehicle. The dealer and the manufacturer were contacted.

While shopping at the grocery store, I experienced an incident upon leaving the parking lot. After reaching my first red light, I noticed smoke rapidly billowing from under the hood of my vehicle. My husband, who was driving behind me, immediately saw the smoke and instructed me to pull over. Once I stopped, he asked me to pop the hood. Upon opening it, he urgently removed his shirt to try and extinguish the fire. The damage was extensive — a hole burned through the hood, significantly compromising the vehicle’s crash safety rating. Additionally, melted plastic covered the battery area, and the radiator hose was damaged, rendering the vehicle unsafe to drive.

The contact owns a 2016 Toyota Rav4. The contact received a notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V734000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. 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 issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

The contact owned a 2016 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V734000 (Electrical System); and requested to be removed from the recall distribution list. The local dealer was not contacted; however, the manufacturer was contacted.

UNKNOWN - UNABLE TO COMPLETE REPAIR IN VEHICLE’S CURRENT LOCATION. This car is currently being stored in England and requires shipment back to the United States per my lienholder and military orders. Because of the recall that is currently open, the government’s provided shipment service (Mildenhall VPC) refuses to ship the vehicle unless I can get this repair performed locally. I’ve contacted numerous Toyota dealerships regarding this recall, and none of them have been able to address the repair due to the car not being made within the country, lack of OEM parts, etc. I’ve been back in the United States for over a month now, and the car is being stored with my friend/power of attorney until I’m able to get some resolution to this situation. I’ve tried to ship it numerous times now and they are refusing to do so unless the repair can be performed (which isn’t possible) or it is cleared from the VIN’s recall notice.

Headlights and taillights are fogging/hazing up to where they dimmed out the lights when turned on making is somewhat difficult to see or others behind me to see me.

The contact owns a 2016 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V734000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. 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 issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

Air bags malfunction. There is a warning ️ pop up message on my dashboard that says, Air bags malfunction contact manufacturer dealer. This is clearly a safety issue and it should be part of a recall or a recall needs to be started with this issue.

I called for a jumpstart for my truck after it cut off while I was turning onto a parking lot I hit a bump and it just cut off. I had to turn the truck completely off then start it again, after it started I made it completely onto the lot and parked it. When I went to start it again it wouldn’t turn over or startup. I used my State Farm app to request for a jumpstart or possible tow 2/23/25. On 3/9/25 the truck wouldn’t start again and I requested for another jumpstart. The engine light came on shortly thereafter saying that the AWD wasn’t available and that the FWD train was only available. I took it in for a battery replacement and that seemed to help for a couple of months, then my headlights started going out one at a time. The passenger side bulb went out first. I replaced it with a new one at Valvoline and then the driver side bulb went out two weeks or so later and I replaced it then the check engine light came back on and I eventually had to take into the dealership for repairs and maintenance. They said they fixed it. It worked for about a 12 days and then the headlights started dimming over time as the week went on the engine light came back on and the driver side bulb was out again. So from 12/23/25 to 1/5/2026 was the length of time the truck worked but still poorly performance wise. The gas goes very quickly still and I have to fill it way too often now in its condition. I’ve spent about $5400.00 in total with trying to repair and keep gasoline in it to work. I’m taking it back to the dealership today after reporting this to NHTSA.

The contact owns a 2016 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V734000 (Electrical System); 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 dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The braking system malfunctioned during Winter and snowy road conditions. Several instances happened during the month of December 2023 and 2024. Latest were December 10 and 13, 2024. The brake pad was soft when depressed that the car accelerated instead of stopping.

Sunroof exploded while driving on the freeway, approximately 60 MPH.

Driving down the freeway approximately 70mph, dashboard lit up and car completed turned off without warning for approximately 30 seconds before power came back on it's own. I was able to drive an additional 15 minutes to work. After parking, I tried to lock the car with the key fob and nothing happened. Upon further review, I determined that the car was completely dead, no power, no clicking when cranking, no lights, nothing came on. Had to tow to a Toyota dealer, where they replaced a positive battery terminal but the car still wouldn't start.

The contact owns a 2016 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that after driving and parking the vehicle, the vehicle failed to restart. The contact opened the hood and saw smoke. The contact stated that the battery had melted. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was contacted, and the vehicle was inspected at the residence. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V734000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the failure was related to the electrical system. There was also fluid leaking from the battery. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2016 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V734000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. 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 issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2016 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V734000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. 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 issue. The contact stated that while his wife was driving approximately 30 MPH, the instrument cluster and the infotainment display were turning off and on and resetting. The contact stated that his wife parked the vehicle and while attempting to restart the vehicle, the vehicle was not starting. The contact was able jumpstart the vehicle. The contact's wife drove the vehicle to a battery store where the battery was checked and was confirmed that it was within normal operating procedure. The failure reoccurred and the contact was able to drive the vehicle to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the battery needed to be replaced. The contact questioned the dealer about NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V734000 (Electrical System) and was informed by the dealer that the recall repair was completed. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 96,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2016 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V734000 (Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

The contact owns a 2016 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V734000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. 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 issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

On July 13th I was driving at a slow speed and I was making a right turn and the steering wheel felt like it was locked in not being able to turn into my lane and so a car coming into my direction, so quickly I had to stop across the opposite lane to let the car go by me, Then I looked at the dashboard it had the steering wheel and brake symbol illuminated, so I tried to restart the motor but it made the clinching noise telling me that still running so I stopped and restarted the motor and the symbols went off and continued driving with caution, made it home safe

The contact owns a 2016 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that the liftgate failed to properly close while pressing the electrical buttons on both the key fob and the two liftgate buttons located inside or outside the vehicle. The contact stated that the liftgate had to be closed manually to securely close the liftgate. The contact stated that after her daughter had loaded groceries inside vehicle, the liftgate failed to latch properly but was closed after several attempts. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the contact's daughter was informed that the hinges and liftgate needed to be replaced. The contact was provided with an estimate for the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided the contact with a case number. The contact was then referred to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 108,000.

Battery recall and Toyota on 6/7/2024 stated that the battery issues is unrelated to the recall and they cannot do anything. I was refused service a few months back for this recall.

The contact owns a 2016 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH and driving over a bump in the roadway, the steering wheel seized, and the information system rebooted. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was unable to determine the cause of the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 99,388.

The contact owns a 2016 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V734000 (Electrical System); 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 dealer was not made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and informed the contact that the dealer would contact him. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2016 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V734000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. 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 issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

involved in a multi car accident at the intersection of [XXX] , and [XXX] bound on ramp at [XXX] and the other two parties involed air bags deployed . I t boned the car traveling on [XXX] that had ran the intersection red light after the incrdent i was facing acroos all lanes of traffic and a car traveling the same direction hit me in the passenger front door and no air bags deployed in my 2016 toyota rav 4 INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

A fogging/white residue has developed over time on the inside of the tail lights. As this continues to progress it would make the lights much dimmer and harder to see. ( I see several references to the same issue doing an online search for 2016 rav4 taillight fogging)

Headlights are cloudy to the point of dimming the visibility of the light. When I asked the dealer, they could not clean headlight apparatus. I also cannot clean the buildup as it is on the inside of the headlight cover. I feel that this is a defective part that could potentially be the cause of an accident.

The contact owns a 2016 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while inspecting the engine compartment, he observed abnormal corrosion on the battery terminals. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to diagnose the failure. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 42,000.

The 2016 Toyota Rav4 XLE has a defective Power Door Lock Actuator for the front passenger and the driver side. It does not work manually or using the keyfobs. Previous Drivers have reported that the door locks appear to engage when locking using the remote key fob, but the locks do not engage. As a result, the locks may not be engaged while driving or when the vehicle is parked in a public place. Previous owners have also complained about having to pay to replace door lock actuators and, in some instances, have to pay for multiple replacements.

Delayed/harsh shifting when accelerating or maintaining speeds of 60 - 70 mph. Shuddering sporadically when RPMs are between 2000 - 3000. Marysville Toyota of Washington reproduced and confirmed the issue noted above. They diagnosed the vehicle with a failed Torque Converter. No warning light have come on and the dealership was made aware of this as well. Due to no warning lights, it came as a surprise when the vehicle jolted. I was on the highway maintaining speed when all of a sudden there was a delay and the vehicle began to reduce speed then after 20 - 30 seconds the vehicle forced itself over 3000 RPM and began to regain speed. As the vehicle would suddenly reduce speed without warning I utilized the right lane until I was able to exit from the highway as I was becoming a hazard on the road due to the issuing my vehicle was having.

The contact owns a 2016 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a burning odor on the interior of the vehicle. The contact also stated that the vehicle displayed a message reading "System Malfunction," after which the vehicle lost motive power. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to diagnose the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to the VIN, but the VIN was not included. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V734000 (Electrical System) but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

When slowing to a stop with foot off gas pedal and on the brake pedal engine suddenly revs to approximately 7K rpms. Mashing brake pedal and turning off engine is only way to control the vehicle. Restarting motor has returned it to normal operation until last occurrence when it took about 5-6 restarts before it returned to normal operation. This has been happening since car was maybe 1 year old. However, it goes for extended periods of 6 months or more without it occurring. It occurs with absolutely no warning.

The contact owns a 2016 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V734000 (Electrical System) 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 dealer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

While exiting slowly from the parking lot, the Toyota started to make a beeping alarm noise, then suddenly lurched forward. Applying the brake had no effect, and the car accelerated across the LRT tracks, climbed onto the passenger platform, and only stopped when it collided with an electrical box there.

The contact owns a 2016 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 23V734000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Notified of a battery movement problem that can cause a fire with Toyota RAV4 2016. Need to have it fixed. Thank you.

The contact owns a 2016 Toyota RAV4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V734000 (Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed the parts were 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 issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2016 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V734000 (Electrical System); 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 dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2016 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V734000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. 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 issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

On two occasions as of this date, the engine just shut off while driving my 2016 Toyota RAV 4 XLW AWD. My daughter was able to get to the side of the road when it happened while she was driving thankfully (in a 25 or 30MPH zone). Additionally, at times the vehicle won't start when sitting parked and operating the push to start. It takes several tries, the vehicle just makes a clicking noise. After a short time, it starts up like nothing happened. I took the vehicle into a Toyota dealer and explained the issue. They said they found nothing wrong. There is seriously something wrong with this vehicle and no one seems to be able to figure it out...until someone dies. I've read several similar issues on this site that included incidents with fire and smoke. There needs to be a recall. Now! Or, a class action suit. Now!

I am writing to inquire about a issue I have with my 2016 Toyota RAV 4. It only has 120800 miles on it and the transmission has malfunctioned and had to be replaced, costing me $6000 to replace. I believe their transmissions are defective and Toyota should take responsibility for the defects of their transmissions in the RAV 4. I have researched and found that many others have the same issue with this year, make and model and would like to file a report. in case there is a class action lawsuit, I would like to be notified. Sincerely, [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owns a 2016 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V734000 (Electrical System). The contact stated that while his wife was driving at approximately 35 MPH, the check engine warning light and an additional unknown warning light illuminated. The vehicle was driven home. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the oil and air filter, and an additional unknown part needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 65,000.

All 6 of mine lights (front/fog and inside/outside rear) are collecting haze / contamination on the inside of the lens. Lights are a primary safety/warning device. Anything (like interior fogging) that interferes with this function is a SERIOUS safety defect that the manufacturer should fix under a safety recall. I have already spent money replacing one of the side rear light assemblies, due to these being a safety hazard. I would like to avoid an accident or possible legal tickets.

I was parking the car in a gravel parking lot. When I pressed the brakes and shifted into park it instead accelerated and went over the side of an enbankment. I could not stop it even though my foot was pressing hard on the brake. Luckily there was no other person or property affected by the error and my car did not suffer external damage. It damaged a sensor on the bottom side of the car which had to be replaced. There was no indication of any problems beforehand. My mechanic did an extensive review of the car and could not find anything that would have explained the unintended acceleration.

I needed a battery change so I changed it.

My sunroof is leaking for the fourth time. The first time it ruined the curtain airbags on the driver side. It started leaking again today and I am wondering if the airbags will be damaged again.

The contact owned a 2016 Toyota RAV4. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed, however, the vehicle failed to stop as intended. The contact stated that due to the failure, the vehicle in front of the contact's vehicle was rear-ended. The Police and ambulance arrived on the scene. A Police report was filed. No injuries were sustained, however, the contact was later informed that a passenger who was riding in the vehicle that was rear-ended later received medical attention. The contact's vehicle was towed to a local tow yard. The contact's vehicle was condemned as a total loss. The contact stated that no damage to the other vehicle had been reported. The contact stated that the vehicle was serviced at the dealer for full maintenance six weeks before the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 61,000.