2016 Toyota RAV4 Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other RAV4 years
- About as many complaints as other years 18th of 31 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 5 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 240 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Toyota RAV4. That ranks 18th out of 31 RAV4 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is electrical system (59 complaints, 25%), typically at around 52,000 miles. Complaints mention 33 crashes, 12 fires, 27 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 240owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 33complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2016 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System problems | 59 | 25% | 52,000 | “electrical contacted” (15%) | — |
| Service Brakes | 44 | 18% | 21,500 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 33 | 14% | 15,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 28 | 12% | 13,400 | — | — |
| Engine | 25 | 10% | 14,600 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 19 | 8% | 25,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 15 | 6% | 9,300 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 12 | 5% | 3,500 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 12 | 5% | 9,878 | — | — |
| Power Train | 11 | 5% | 19,500 | — | — |
| Steering | 10 | 4% | 6,145 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 4 | 2% | 31,658 | — | — |
| Visibility | 4 | 2% | 18,386 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 3 | 1% | 26,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 3 | 1% | 108,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 3 | 1% | 30,100 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 2 | 1% | 4,000 | — | — |
| Lane Departure | 2 | 1% | 30,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 1% | 74,800 | — | — |
| Seats | 2 | 1% | 2,400 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 | 1% | 135,000 | — | — |
| Back Over Prevention | 1 | 0% | 30,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 0% | 1,200 | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 0% | 1,900 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2016 Toyota RAV4 recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Electrical system:12v/24v/48v battery
Problem: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2013-2018 RAV4 vehicles. Certain replacement 12-volt batteries may not fit properly in the battery tray, allowing the battery to move and contact the hold-down bracket, possibly causing a short circuit.
Risk: A battery short circuit increases the risk of a fire.
Fix: Dealers will replace the battery clamp sub-assembly, battery tray, and positive terminal cover, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed December 27, 2024, to 2013-2014 RAV4 owners. Additional owner notification letters will be mailed in phases, phase 2 will begin on May 14, 2025, and phase 3 in late July 2025. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 23TB13 and 23TA13.
Equipment:other:labels; tires
Problem: Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2016 Toyota Yaris, Rav4, Land Cruiser and 4Runner vehicles, and Scion FR-S, iM, and TC vehicles manufactured January 28, 2016, to March 14, 2016. The Load Carrying Capacity Modification Label may not reflect the correct added weight of the installed accessories. As a result, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims for Passenger Cars."
Risk: An incorrect label may result in the vehicle being overloaded, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: SET will notify owners, and provide them a corrected label to be installed over the inaccurate label, free of charge. The recall began on June 3, 2016. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET's number for this recall is SET16A.
Electronic stability control (esc); service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip
Problem: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2016 Toyota RAV4 vehicles manufactured October 30, 2015, to February 3, 2016, 2016 Lexus RX350 vehicles manufactured October 26, 2015, to February 8, 2016, and 2016 Lexus ES350 vehicles manufactured September 1, 2015, to February 29, 2016. These vehicles are equipped with an ABS actuator that may have a damaged O-ring which could result in improper brake fluid pressure control during ABS, Traction Control, or Stability Control activation. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 126, "Electronic Stability Control Systems."
Risk: Insufficient brake fluid pressure may cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the brake actuator, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on May 4, 2016, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is G0I, GLC.
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
- Battery Hold Down Bracket Thermal Events (PE21005) — opened Feb 25, 2021, closed Aug 12, 2024, led to recall 23V734.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Mechanic said he thought rear lower rearward; non-adjustable control arms, lateral arms were a recall. They were falling apart. I've been complaining about a clunky noise for a year or so. Thank you for your help [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C…
I was driving 9/3 and my left blinker light came on solid. I was not using my blinker. Within a few seconds my check engine light came on and another light. Then within 2 minutes the front left engine/tire caught fire.
â"The red master warning triangle and an 'SRS Airbag System Malfunction' message illuminated unexpectedly on the dashboard of my 2016 Toyota Rav4 XLE under normal driving conditions. I contacted a certified Toyota dealership, and they confirmed that this dashboard warning indicates the vehicle's…
The repair shop I was able to pull into as I was experiencing the issue with my vehicle reported: "Battery is unstable and is arcing off of the positive terminal. Battery tray, battery hold down tie, and battery j hook hold down were missing upon arrival." The issue was fixed by a Brakes Plus…
Intermittent stalling in various conditions including idling, highway driving and city driving.
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 | 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 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 2016 Toyota RAV4?
Owners most often report electrical system, service brakes, unknown or other problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 59 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2016 Toyota RAV4?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2016 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 2016 has about as many complaints as a typical year, and NHTSA rates it 5 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.