2003 Toyota RAV4 problems
Owners have filed 394 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003 Toyota RAV4. Transmission is the most reported problem area, at 28% of complaints. After that come drivetrain & axles (25%) and engine (12%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 394 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Transmission 28% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 26 and 4
- Injuries and deaths
- 13 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 95,000 miles 342 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 11 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 9 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 19 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 51 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 102 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 66 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 39 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 22 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 10 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 7 |
| 200k+ miles | 6 |
What the data shows
Among the 342 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 95,000 miles. For transmission specifically, the median reported mileage is about 95,000 miles (99 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 26 complaints mention a crash; 4 complaints mention a fire; 13 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2003 ranks 23rd most-complained-about out of 30 model years of the Toyota RAV4 with enough data (67 complaints in that window).
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
While driving east at 75 MPH, the right rear tire blewout, which caused the consumer to lose control of the vehicle. Consumer made a 190' turn on the highway and stopped after hitting a guardrail. There were no serious injuries, and a ambulance came to the scene as well as the police. Consumer believed that the tires were defective.
While driving 50 MPH consumer's vehicle was involved in a frontal collision. Upon impact, both frontal air bags failed to deploy. Driver sustained minor injuries, and was transported to a hospital. The vehicle was towed to dealer for inspection.
When the consumer rear ended another vehicle at 25 MPH the front air bag did not deploy, nor did the seat belt restrain the consumer. Vehicle was towed. The dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem.. Vehicle was totaled.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota rav4. The contact stated that while driving in rainy conditions at 35 MPH, the brakes were applied and seized. As a result the contact lost control of the vehicle and crashed head on into a tree. The airbags did not deploy during the crash. An authorized dealer was notified and stated that the airbag might not have deployed because the airbag sensors were located on the sides of the vehicle. The vehicle had not been repaired. A police report was filed.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota rav4. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, she noticed that the engine was overheating. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis. The dealer stated that the head bolts would need replacing. The vehicle was repaired and the manufacturer was contacted who stated that there was nothing they could do to assist with the defect. The failure mileage was 89,000 and the current mileage was 89,500. The VIN was not available.