2007 Toyota RAV4 problems
Owners have filed 1,241 complaints with NHTSA about the 2007 Toyota RAV4. Steering is the most reported problem area, at 22% of complaints. After that come engine (19%) and suspension (10%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 1,241 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Steering 22% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 72 and 56
- Injuries and deaths
- 54 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 65,000 miles 985 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 | 118 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 139 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 201 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 143 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 142 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 106 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 69 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 37 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 16 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 9 |
| 200k+ miles | 5 |
What the data shows
Among the 985 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 65,000 miles. For steering specifically, the median reported mileage is about 46,000 miles (230 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 72 complaints mention a crash; 56 complaints mention a fire; 54 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2007 ranks 3rd most-complained-about out of 30 model years of the Toyota RAV4 with enough data (592 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 14 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.
Other vehicle making a left turn hit my car at front right bumper and my car caught on fire. Air bags did not deployed either. I think there is some manufacturing defect in my car it should not caught on fire in such a small accident at low speed of 25 MPH. Please contact glen ellyn, illinois police and fire department for their reports. Police report number: 08092403046. Please help me. Luckily other car passing by show my car on fire and shouted to my daughter to get out of the car and she is being saved.
My teenage son lost control of my 2007 toyota rav4 and crashed into a tree. I believe the car hit the tree at an angle on the passenger side headlight area. He has been charged with speeding, but I don't know exactly how fast he was going. Three of his friends were in the car, all wearing seat belts. The front seat passenger suffered a serious closed head injury, broken leg and arm, and a punctured lung. The driver had a broken clavicle and the driver's side backseat passenger broke his pelvis.
I was turning my 2007 toyota rav4 south onto interstate 182 to head east, the car sudden out of my control and went off the road and hit a concrete barrier at 5:49 pm at 5/8/17. Two passengers were hurt.
The car is burning oil and at a rapid pace. My dealer states that it is not burning fast enough to warrant any factory repair. I have to carry oil and check frequently. 60,000 miles now. Two days ago, I thought I saw the oil light flash, it only is a quick flash. I decided to check the oil, it took 4 quarts. No warning except one extremely rapid flash so fast that you're not sure if you saw it. And the car was down four quarts! The oil was put in by a mechanic who couldn't believe it.
At 51,000 miles, there is a heavy rattle in the front end when driving on rough roads. After replacing several parts, local mechanics now tell me that the rack and pinion steering gear needs replacement. This does not seem to be the intermediate steering shaft problem that is the subject of toyota service bulletin #t-sb-0319-08. I do not feel anything abnormal in the steering wheel, steering is smooth and the problem is not noticeable driving on smooth road surfaces.