2004 Toyota RAV4 problems
Owners have filed 183 complaints with NHTSA about the 2004 Toyota RAV4. Air bags is the most reported problem area, at 26% of complaints. After that come engine (15%) and cruise control (11%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 183 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Air bags 26% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 23 and 5
- Injuries and deaths
- 21 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 80,000 miles 110 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 | 10 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 14 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 16 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 13 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 17 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 13 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 14 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 10 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 0 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 2 |
| 200k+ miles | 1 |
What the data shows
Among the 110 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 80,000 miles. For air bags specifically, the median reported mileage is about 102,000 miles (14 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 23 complaints mention a crash; 5 complaints mention a fire; 21 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2004 ranks 25th most-complained-about out of 30 model years of the Toyota RAV4 with enough data (51 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 2 safety recall campaigns.
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.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota rav4. The contact was driving approximately 15 MPH and attempting a left turn when another vehicle crashed into the front passenger side door of the contact's vehicle. The vehicle slid forward and proceeded to crash over a curb and into a pole. The side curtain air bags failed to deploy. Immediately after the crash, smoke began emitting from the engine compartment. The driver was able to exit the vehicle and noticed flames coming from under the hood.
During a head on collision involving the passenger front ends of both vehicles two of three seatbelts did not engage, causing two passengers to collide with the dashboard and the rear of the front seat. Air bags did not deploy as well. The rav 4 was traveling at about 10-15 MPH, the other vechicle was traveling at about 40-45 MPH.
I entered my car in the home garage while coasting and the car suddenly accelerated as I approached about 5 feet within my parking spot. After the car suddenly accelerated, it was a matter of seconds before the car crashed into a floor cabinet and refrigerator that rests against our garage wall stopping the car's forward movement and allowing me put the car in the drive gear and turn off the engine. The air bags did not deploy and fortunately I was not injured.
Vehicle decelerate, ignores throttle input with esp light flashing and sometimes a 'beeping' sound with violent sequential brake application by itself of right front wheel, with the violent consequence that it has on steering wheel. Made a 'reset' of steering wheel angle sensor procedure by toyota steps. Problem not solved. By my experience as an automotive technician I suspected of an esp problem.