2013 Toyota RAV4 problems
Owners have filed 333 complaints with NHTSA about the 2013 Toyota RAV4. Electrical system is the most reported problem area, at 23% of complaints. After that come engine (9%) and drivetrain & axles (8%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 333 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Electrical system 23% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 29 and 35
- Injuries and deaths
- 17 and 1
- Typical mileage
- 17,000 miles 214 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 | 113 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 33 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 17 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 21 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 8 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 10 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 6 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 0 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 2 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 2 |
| 200k+ miles | 2 |
What the data shows
Among the 214 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 17,000 miles. For electrical system specifically, the median reported mileage is about 8,000 miles (44 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 29 complaints mention a crash; 35 complaints mention a fire; 17 injuries reported; 1 death reported. Its complaints are more severe on average than those of 83% of model years in our database.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2013 ranks 17th most-complained-about out of 30 model years of the Toyota RAV4 with enough data (203 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.
Dear sirs, I don't have nothing to hide, we here on the island of curacao have been experiencing many vehicles which are chinese and their VIN no, are also cloned, I believe this is a world problem, and also us manufacturers have to understand that this is a world problem, and they can also help to expose this situation. I have posted many on blogs, which has to do with the cloning of cars.
The toyota was traveling 35 MPH north bound and a mercedes made a left hand turn in front of the toyota. The toyota t-bone the mercedes at 35 MPH and the air bags on the toyota did not deploy. The driver and passenger in the toyota suffered several injuries to the neck, back, hands, leg and feet and was transported to the hospital for treatment. The toyota was totaled by the insurance carrier.
The contact's husband owns a 2013 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while the husband was driving at approximately 35 MPH, smoke was coming from under the hood. The contact's husband managed to pull into a parking lot to inspect the vehicle where it was noticed that the battery compartment caught on fire. The contact's husband managed to extinguish the fire by hand. The contact's husband had sustained slight burns however, no medical attention was sought. No police report was filed.
I purchased the 2013 rav4 in april, 2013. Within a few months, I began to smell an odor coming from the AC when I start the car. The dealership states that the box that holds the AC condensation is too small due to manufacturing changes. On my second trip to the dealership with this complaint, they sprayed AC freshener in the part underneath the car. This helped with the odor but only temporarily. I am concerned that what I am breathing is mold and that this will only get worse as long as I keep the car.
This vehicle has a faulty brake, it makes a sound every time you apply brake. Moreover the brakes feels very soft, need to push very hard on brakes to stop the car. Bought the car new and on original toyota brakes that came with the new car. It is a safety problem.