2003 Toyota RAV4 Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other RAV4 years
- About as many complaints as other years 11th of 31 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- None on file
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 315 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003 Toyota RAV4. That ranks 11th out of 31 RAV4 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is power train (209 complaints, 66%), typically at around 98,298 miles. Complaints mention 19 crashes, 4 fires, 9 injuries. There are no safety recalls on file for this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 315owner complaints
- 0safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 19complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2003 Toyota RAV4 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 problems | 209 | 66% | 98,298 | “control module” (7%) | $5,500 |
| Electrical System | 42 | 13% | 98,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 29 | 9% | 103,150 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 26 | 8% | 89,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 21 | 7% | 89,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 15 | 5% | 120,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 10 | 3% | 35,547 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 7 | 2% | 108,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 7 | 2% | 104,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 6 | 2% | 70,668 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 3 | 1% | 78,509 | — | — |
| Steering | 3 | 1% | 40,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 3 | 1% | 24,600 | — | — |
| Visibility | 3 | 1% | 30,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 2 | 1% | 144,036 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 | 1% | 64,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 1 | 0% | 35,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2003 Toyota RAV4 recalls (0)
No safety recalls are on file for the 2003 Toyota RAV4.
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.
See attached document for complaint
The contact owns a 2003 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH and at various speeds, the transmission slipped out of the intended gear. The contact stated that after depressing the accelerator pedal, the engine would rev before the transmission would jolt into gear. The…
The vehicle is very delayed shifting and will slow down without pushing the breaks
I drive and the sleep while i'm driving and the can not change correctly the gear. *tr
This car has been maintained and preserved and only 84000 miles on it. And the car wont shift. It jolts me or revs extremely high and also almost caused me an accident as it almost shut down on power while making a left turn in intersection. The check engine light comes on and off. It's only while…
Other Toyota RAV4 years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 RAV4 | 89 | 3 |
| 2024 RAV4 | 176 | 3 |
| 2023 RAV4 | 158 | 3 |
| 2022 RAV4 | 149 | 1 |
| 2021 RAV4 | 387 | 1 |
| 2020 RAV4 | 635 | 6 |
| 2019 RAV4 | 879 | 7 |
| 2018 RAV4 | 332 | 3 |
| 2017 RAV4 | 307 | 3 |
| 2016 RAV4 | 240 | 3 |
| 2015 RAV4 | 305 | 4 |
| 2014 RAV4 | 197 | 4 |
| 2013 RAV4 | 257 | 2 |
| 2012 RAV4 | 260 | 5 |
| 2011 RAV4 | 287 | 11 |
| 2010 RAV4 | 400 | 14 |
| 2009 RAV4 | 327 | 15 |
| 2008 RAV4 | 575 | 14 |
| 2007 RAV4 | 1,004 | 14 |
| 2006 RAV4 | 705 | 11 |
| 2005 RAV4 | 141 | 5 |
| 2004 RAV4 | 154 | 2 |
| 2003 | 315 | 0 |
| 2002 RAV4 | 527 | 0 |
| 2001 RAV4 | 309 | 0 |
| 2000 RAV4 | 30 | 3 |
| 1999 RAV4 | 62 | 4 |
| 1998 RAV4 | 77 | 4 |
| 1997 RAV4 | 54 | 0 |
| 1996 RAV4 | 47 | 0 |
| 1995 RAV4 | 1 | 0 |
See all Toyota RAV4 problems by year, every Toyota model, or the Toyota VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2003 Toyota RAV4?
Owners most often report power train, electrical system, vehicle speed control problems. The top one, power train, accounts for 209 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Toyota RAV4?
No safety recalls are on file for this model year.
Was the 2003 Toyota RAV4 a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other RAV4 model years, the 2003 has about as many complaints as a typical year. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.