2020 Toyota RAV4 Engine Problems
Owners have filed 180 complaints with NHTSA about engine problems on the 2020 Toyota RAV4, 28% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 6,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “coolant bypass” (65% of reports).
- 180engine complaints
- 6,000median miles at failure
- 1mention a crash
- 2mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- $850typical repair cost reported by owners
- 41%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.
- Coolant bypass: mentioned in 117 of 180 complaints (65%)
- Engine maintenance required: mentioned in 70 of 180 complaints (39%)
- Valve failed: mentioned in 13 of 180 complaints (7%)
- Visit your: mentioned in 10 of 180 complaints (6%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical engine repair on the 2020 Toyota RAV4 at $850, and half of them between $740 and $1,000.
Based on 33 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2023–2025), 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 engine problems happen?
Based on 14 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 180 complaints, 1 mention a crash, 2 an injury.
Toyota RAV4 engine complaints by model year
| Model year | Engine complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 RAV4 | 13 | 14% | — |
| 2024 RAV4 | 38 | 22% | 13,764 |
| 2023 RAV4 | 24 | 15% | — |
| 2022 RAV4 | 27 | 18% | 52,000 |
| 2021 RAV4 | 41 | 11% | 53,000 |
| 2020 RAV4 | 180 | 28% | 6,000 |
| 2019 RAV4 | 206 | 23% | 6,000 |
| 2018 RAV4 | 33 | 10% | 48,000 |
| 2017 RAV4 | 31 | 10% | 37,000 |
| 2016 RAV4 | 25 | 10% | 14,600 |
| 2015 RAV4 | 37 | 12% | 45,000 |
| 2014 RAV4 | 31 | 16% | 47,145 |
| 2013 RAV4 | 29 | 11% | 20,225 |
| 2012 RAV4 | 22 | 8% | 34,000 |
| 2011 RAV4 | 33 | 11% | 68,630 |
| 2010 RAV4 | 21 | 5% | 80,000 |
| 2009 RAV4 | 27 | 8% | 65,400 |
| 2008 RAV4 | 137 | 24% | 86,000 |
| 2007 RAV4 | 195 | 19% | 97,250 |
| 2006 RAV4 | 109 | 15% | 90,000 |
| 2005 RAV4 | 9 | 6% | 93,732 |
| 2004 RAV4 | 11 | 7% | 100,000 |
| 2003 RAV4 | 21 | 7% | 89,000 |
| 2002 RAV4 | 22 | 4% | 94,615 |
| 2001 RAV4 | 9 | 3% | 135,000 |
| 2000 RAV4 | 2 | 7% | 169,266 |
| 1998 RAV4 | 1 | 1% | 149,000 |
| 1997 RAV4 | 2 | 4% | 81,982 |
| 1996 RAV4 | 1 | 2% | 70,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Engine and engine cooling
Problem: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020 Toyota Avalon Hybrid, Camry, Camry Hybrid and Lexus ES300h and 2019-2020 RAV4 and RAV4 Hybrid vehicles equipped with 2.5L 4-Cylinder engines. Porosity in the engine castings may result in cracks than can allow coolant to leak internally and/or externally.
Risk: A coolant leak can cause the engine to overheat and cause a vehicle stall in conventional gasoline vehicles, increasing the risk of a crash. Additionally, for all involved vehicles, the engine may get damaged mechanically, possibly resulting in an engine oil leak, increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the engine including the engine block, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began April 3, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 or Lexus at 1-800-255-3987. Toyota's number for this recall is 20TA04. Lexus' number for this recall is 20LA02.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
"Engine Coolant Bypass Valve failed suddenly on highway (Code P2681-15), risking engine overheat and stall. Toyota acknowledged this defect under CSP 24TE04 but refused assistance due to vehicle having 103,660 miles (just past 100k miles). Failure causes immediate safety and overheating hazard."
Coolant bypass valve leak. An known issue however dealership will not pay for repairs due to vehicle having 106000 mile. 6000 over what the bulletin 24TE04 states it will cover.
Toyota made a defective coolant valve in their 2019-2021 cars that leaked spontaneously in these vehicles. Over 950,000 cars have been affected to date, including my 2020 Rav4. They are aware of the issue and made a customer support program for this issue which led to engines overheating/electrical…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2020 Toyota RAV4s have engine problems?
No. NHTSA has 180 owner complaints about engine for the 2020 Toyota RAV4 (28% of the 635 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 2020 Toyota RAV4 engine?
Yes: 1 safety recall list engine. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do engine problems start?
The median reported mileage is 6,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix engine problems on the 2020 Toyota RAV4?
Owners report a typical cost of $850 (half paid between $740 and $1,000), from 33 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about engine problems on the 2020 Toyota RAV4?
The most frequent phrase is “coolant bypass”, in 117 of 180 complaints, followed by “engine maintenance required” (70).
Other 2020 Toyota RAV4 problems
See all 2020 Toyota RAV4 problems or engine problems across all RAV4 years.