2003 Toyota RAV4 Power Train Problems
Owners have filed 209 complaints with NHTSA about power train problems on the 2003 Toyota RAV4, 66% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 98,298 miles. The words owners use most often: “control module” (7% of reports).
- 209power train complaints
- 98,298median miles at failure
- 3mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $5,500typical repair cost reported by owners
- 7%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Control module: mentioned in 14 of 209 complaints (7%)
- ECM transmission: mentioned in 11 of 209 complaints (5%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical power train repair on the 2003 Toyota RAV4 at $5,500, and half of them between $2,750 and $6,600.
Based on 40 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2006–2018), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do power train problems happen?
Based on 192 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 209 complaints, 3 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 1 an injury.
Toyota RAV4 power train complaints by model year
| Model year | Power Train complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 RAV4 | 6 | 7% | — |
| 2024 RAV4 | 8 | 5% | 8,063 |
| 2023 RAV4 | 11 | 7% | 24,500 |
| 2022 RAV4 | 11 | 7% | 10,000 |
| 2021 RAV4 | 22 | 6% | 2,468 |
| 2020 RAV4 | 38 | 6% | 500 |
| 2019 RAV4 | 80 | 9% | 5,304 |
| 2018 RAV4 | 26 | 8% | 9,470 |
| 2017 RAV4 | 16 | 5% | 39,000 |
| 2016 RAV4 | 11 | 5% | 19,500 |
| 2015 RAV4 | 25 | 8% | 41,500 |
| 2014 RAV4 | 20 | 10% | 58,661 |
| 2013 RAV4 | 29 | 11% | 43,000 |
| 2012 RAV4 | 19 | 7% | 22,360 |
| 2011 RAV4 | 25 | 9% | 47,000 |
| 2010 RAV4 | 38 | 10% | 30,000 |
| 2009 RAV4 | 28 | 9% | 78,385 |
| 2008 RAV4 | 37 | 6% | 77,100 |
| 2007 RAV4 | 53 | 5% | 47,250 |
| 2006 RAV4 | 53 | 8% | 40,000 |
| 2005 RAV4 | 8 | 6% | 90,000 |
| 2004 RAV4 | 23 | 15% | 85,918 |
| 2003 RAV4 | 209 | 66% | 98,298 |
| 2002 RAV4 | 376 | 71% | 96,000 |
| 2001 RAV4 | 190 | 61% | 103,690 |
| 2000 RAV4 | 5 | 17% | 65,000 |
| 1999 RAV4 | 4 | 6% | 114,000 |
| 1998 RAV4 | 10 | 13% | 111,500 |
| 1997 RAV4 | 5 | 9% | 114,000 |
| 1996 RAV4 | 9 | 19% | 60,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists power train for the 2003 Toyota RAV4. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
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
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2003 Toyota RAV4s have power train problems?
No. NHTSA has 209 owner complaints about power train for the 2003 Toyota RAV4 (66% of the 315 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Toyota RAV4 power train?
No recall currently lists power train for this vehicle.
At what mileage do power train problems start?
The median reported mileage is 98,298 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix power train problems on the 2003 Toyota RAV4?
Owners report a typical cost of $5,500 (half paid between $2,750 and $6,600), from 40 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about power train problems on the 2003 Toyota RAV4?
The most frequent phrase is “control module”, in 14 of 209 complaints, followed by “ecm transmission” (11).
See all 2003 Toyota RAV4 problems or power train problems across all RAV4 years.