2012 Toyota RAV4 EV Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other RAV4 EV years
- Not enough data 2nd of 3 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 6 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Toyota RAV4 EV. That ranks 2nd out of 3 RAV4 EV model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is power train (3 complaints, 50%), typically at around 20,296 miles. Complaints mention 3 crashes, 1 injury. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 6owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 3complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2012 Toyota RAV4 EV problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 3 | 50% | 20,296 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 1 | 17% | 20,296 | — | — |
| Engine | 1 | 17% | 13,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 17% | 8,300 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 17% | — | — | — |
| Steering | 1 | 17% | 13,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 1 | 17% | 20,296 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 17% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 17% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2012 Toyota RAV4 EV recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Seat belts:rear/other
Problem: 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.
Risk: A cut seat belt may not properly restrain the seat occupant, increasing their risk of injury in a crash.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will install a protector over both rear seat cushion frames, free of charge. The recall began on June 24, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is G0F.
Visibility/wiper
Problem: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2009-2012 RAV4 vehicles manufactured October 27, 2008, to December 19, 2012 and 2012-2014 RAV4 EV vehicles manufactured July 24, 2012, to August 29, 2014. In the affected vehicles, water may drip onto the joint that connects the wiper linkage to the wiper motor.
Risk: Over time, the dripping water may cause corrosion and wear at the joint, potentially resulting in the separation of the wiper linkage. Once this occurs, the wipers would not function, reducing driver visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the water diverter channel. In addition, a new wiper linkage with a wiper motor crank arm will be installed. The wiper linkage will have a protective cover over the wiper linkage joint to minimize water splash and a retainer ring to prevent the wiper arm from separating from the wiper motor. The recall began on November 7, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service number at 1-800-331-4331.
Hybrid propulsion system
Problem: Toyota Motor Engineering & manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2012-2014 Rav4 EV vehicles manufactured July 24, 2012, to August 29, 2014. Due to a software issue within a component of the Electric Vehicle Traction Motor Assembly, the electric propulsion motor may shift to "neutral" resulting in a possible loss of drive power.
Risk: A loss of drive power may increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will update the Electric Vehicle Traction Motor Assembly software, free of charge. The recall began on September 10, 2015. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Pedestrian alert sounds (DP22005) — opened Jan 27, 2023, closed Aug 7, 2023, led to recall 22V063000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 toyota rav4 ev. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign numbers: 15v577000 (visibility/wiper) and 16v096000 (seat belts) however, the parts to do the recall repair were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable…
My 2012 rav4 ev has an unsafe condition where the electronic transmission does not actually engage from r to d, or d to r when stationary, even though the vehicle instrumentation indicates so. The vehicle instead moves inadvertently in the wrong direction. It has been a chronic issue with the…
On october 17 shortly before 2 pm pst in clear weather, i was pulling into a parking spot on private property at about 2 to 3 mph. I turned the vehicle into the spot and applied the brakes but the car surged over the curb, hit a tree, went over an embankment and crashed onto a parked car. (the…
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 toyota rav4 ev. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer for a manufacturer's recall remedy. Five days after the recall remedy was performed, the contact experienced unintended acceleration. While driving in a parking lot at 5 mph, the vehicle surged…
I was driving in the parking garage at work and the yellow exclamation light appeared on the dash with a message that says "check ev system. Have you vehicle checked by a dealership immediately." i was able to stop and the car started after several attempts. The dealership replaced the ecu. *tr
Other Toyota RAV4 EV years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 RAV4 EV | 10 | 3 |
| 2013 RAV4 EV | 5 | 3 |
| 2012 | 6 | 3 |
See all Toyota RAV4 EV problems by year, every Toyota model, or the Toyota VIN decoder.
Similar Toyota models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2012 Toyota RAV4 EV?
Owners most often report power train, electrical system, engine problems. The top one, power train, accounts for 3 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2012 Toyota RAV4 EV?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2012 Toyota RAV4 EV a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other RAV4 EV model years, the 2012 has too little data to compare. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.