2005 Toyota RAV4 Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other RAV4 years
- Fewer complaints than other years 24th of 31 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 5 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 141 complaints with NHTSA about the 2005 Toyota RAV4. That ranks 24th out of 31 RAV4 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (59 complaints, 42%), typically at around 91,000 miles. Complaints mention 22 crashes, 2 fires, 13 injuries. There are 5 safety recalls covering this model year.
- 141owner complaints
- 5safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 22complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2005 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags problems | 59 | 42% | 91,000 | “takata air bags” (22%) | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 13 | 9% | 71,165 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 11 | 8% | 120,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 9 | 6% | 93,732 | — | — |
| Steering | 9 | 6% | 108,050 | — | — |
| Power Train | 8 | 6% | 90,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 8 | 6% | 44,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 6 | 4% | 96,100 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 6 | 4% | 73,825 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 6 | 4% | 120,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 6 | 4% | 35,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 5 | 4% | 185,232 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 5 | 4% | 34,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 4 | 3% | 52,613 | — | — |
| Suspension | 4 | 3% | 104,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 3 | 2% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 2 | 1% | 89,754 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 1% | 97,464 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 1% | 7,991 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 1% | 60,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2005 Toyota RAV4 recalls (5)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module; air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Problem: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2010-2016 4Runner, 2003-2006 Tundra, 2003-2013 Corolla, 2009-2010 Corolla Matrix, 2004-2005 RAV4, 2002-2007 Sequoia, 2011-2013 Sienna, 2008-2012 Scion xB, 2008-2009 Lexus IS-F, 2007-2012 Yaris and Lexus ES350, 2010-2017 Lexus GX460, 2002-2010 Lexus SC430, 2006-2012 Lexus IS250 and IS350 and 2010-2015 Lexus IS250C and IS350C vehicles. These vehicles had their driver or passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front driver inflator, front passenger airbag inflator, the airbag assembly, or the front passenger airbag sub-assembly and inflator. The recall began November 20, 2019. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 or Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987. Toyota's numbers for this recall are J0A, J0B, and J0C. Lexus' numbers for this recall are JLI, JLJ, and JLK.
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator moduleDo not drive
Problem: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2004-2005 Toyota RAV4 vehicles manufactured May 13, 2003, to October 25, 2005. The affected vehicles are equipped with a dual-stage driver frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion which, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture.
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Owners of these vehicles are advised not to drive their vehicles until the recall remedy has been completed. Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag, free of charge. Owners were mailed an interim notice June 17, 2015. The recall began on August 21, 2015. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.
Equipment:other:labels
Problem: Gulf states toyota is recalling certain model year 2005-2010 vehicles for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 110, "tire selection and rims." these vehicles were sold between september 1, 2005 and june 2, 2008 without the requisite load carrying capacity modification labels.
Risk: This does not meet the standard requirements.
Fix: Dealers will mail to consumers the corrected label or the customer will have the option for dealers to install the label free of charge. Dealers will also correct the owner's manual. The safety recall began on may 27, 2010. Owners may contact gulf states toyota at 713-580-3300.
Equipment:other:labels
Problem: Southeast toyota is recalling certain model year 2005-2011 passenger vehicles for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 110, "tire selection and rims." these vehicles were sold without the requisite load carrying capacity modification labels.
Risk: A driver may overload a vehicle which may increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will mail to consumers the corrected label or the customer will have the option for dealers to install the label free of charge. The safety recall began on may 27, 2010. Owners may contact southeast toyota at 1-800-301-6859.
Air bags
Problem: On certain vehicles, due to improper assembly of the air bag inflator, which is used in the side air bag, the curtain shield air bag, and the knee air bag assembly, some inflators were produced with an insufficient amount of the heating agents necessary for proper air bag deployment. In this condition, the expansion force of the gas may be insufficient to properly inflate the air bag when the srs system is activated during a crash.
Risk: This may increase the risk of injury to the occupant in the involved seating position in the event of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the specific srs air bag. The recall began on april 6, 2006. Owners may contact toyota at 1-888-270-9371, scion at 1-866-548-1851, or lexus at 1-800-255-3987.
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.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Electronic door locking mechanism on front passenger side has failed and cannot be controlled by the key fob like the other doors. Therefore, it is necessary for the driver to reach across the front seat to lock and unlock this door. The locking mechanismâs failure could be considered an…
The recall repair was completed 7/15/25. It never updated in anyoneâs system. I have been fighting between Toyota corp and the dealership for weeks more like a month just to get them to do the repair. After it was done I got my car damaged. A whole separate issue. I need to get inspection done on…
Very often, while driving at normal speeds around curving and hilly roads, the traction control light comes on. It even locks the speed until the light goes off. And sometimes the VSC (Vehicle stability control) light comes on and takes control of the car. When the warning lights go off, the car…
On 10/1/2022 in Berwick, PA while pulling into the Dollar Tree parking lot, smoke appeared in the passenger cabin and the vehicle accelerated on it's own. The brakes were applied and the vehicle continue to accelerate. The vehicle went down through a yard, across a road through another parking lot…
When driving at or under the speed limit on some turns my cars slip indicator goes off without any apparent issues and it will start beeping and sometimes it even breaks on it's own and jerks the car. The slip indicator light has turned one while driving under 30 mph in a dry and paved road. The…
Other Toyota RAV4 years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 RAV4 | 90 | 3 |
| 2024 RAV4 | 176 | 3 |
| 2023 RAV4 | 159 | 3 |
| 2022 RAV4 | 149 | 1 |
| 2021 RAV4 | 387 | 1 |
| 2020 RAV4 | 635 | 6 |
| 2019 RAV4 | 879 | 7 |
| 2018 RAV4 | 333 | 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 | 141 | 5 |
| 2004 RAV4 | 154 | 2 |
| 2003 RAV4 | 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 2005 Toyota RAV4?
Owners most often report air bags, vehicle speed control, unknown or other problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 59 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2005 Toyota RAV4?
Yes, 5 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2005 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 2005 has fewer complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.