repaired · 2018 Q1
Suspension: rear
Risk. Failure of the rear tie rod could cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
2006 Toyota RAV4Problems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 705 owner complaints about the 2006 Toyota RAV4, most often about the steering. It is covered by 11 safety recalls, and for recall 16V-396 the manufacturer reports only 24% of affected cars repaired.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through September 26, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: OSX, Public domain.
Complaints by system
Where the 2006 Toyota RAV4 has problems
705 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
230Steering5 crash/fire/injury
109Engine3 crash/fire/injury
74Vehicle speed control12 crash/fire/injury
73Suspension1 crash/fire/injury
57Air bags5 crash/fire/injury
53Power train4 crash/fire/injury
42Electrical system
40Engine and engine cooling
23Structure
15018 other systems14 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Steering | 230 | 5 |
| Engine | 109 | 3 |
| Vehicle speed control | 74 | 12 |
| Suspension | 73 | 1 |
| Air bags | 57 | 5 |
| Power train | 53 | 4 |
| Electrical system | 42 | 1 |
| Engine and engine cooling | 40 | 2 |
| Structure | 23 | 2 |
| 18 other systems | 150 | 14 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
11 recalls
2006 Toyota RAV4 recalls and how many were fixed
Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
repaired · 2017 Q4
Front assembly: seat heater/cooler
Risk. If damaged, the copper strand heating element may short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.
repaired · 2017 Q3
Seat belts: rear/other
Risk. A cut seat belt may not properly restrain the seat occupant, increasing their risk of injury in a crash.
repaired · 2017 Q1
Visibility: power window devices and controls
Risk. If the sliding electrical contacts are not protected by lubricant, debris and moisture that get into the switch may cause a short circuit and the switch…
Show 7 more recalls
repaired · 2016 Q3
Driver side: inflator module
Risk. If the FFC is damaged, connectivity to the driver's air bag module could be lost and the air bag deactivated.
no report yet
Suspension: rear
Risk. Failure of the rear tie rod could cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
no report yet
Suspension: rear
Risk. Failure of the rear tie rod could cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
no report yet
Vehicle speed control: accelerator pedal
Risk. A STUCK OPEN ACCELERATOR PEDAL MAY RESULT IN VERY HIGH VEHICLE SPEEDS AND MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO STOP THE VEHICLE, WHICH COULD CAUSE A CRASH, SERIOUS INJURY OR…
no report yet
Other: labels
Risk. A DRIVER MAY OVERLOAD A VEHICLE WHICH MAY INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.
no report yet
no report yet
Other: labels
Risk. INCORRECT LOAD CARRYING CAPACITY MODIFICATION LABELS COULD RESULT IN THE VEHICLE BEING OVERLOADED, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Toyota.
Mileage at failure
When do steering problems start?
40kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 192 steering complaints. 93% were reported before 100,000 miles.
50under 30k miles178under 100k miles14100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs
What owners say repairs cost
Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.
Steering
37 owners mentioned a cost$800median
Middle half: $523 – $1,134
Air bags
11 owners mentioned a cost$509median
Middle half: $493 – $600
Engine and engine cooling
9 owners mentioned a cost$1,300median
Middle half: $600 – $1,600
Engine
9 owners mentioned a cost$3,172median
Middle half: $3,000 – $3,500
If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.
Best & worst years
2006 vs. every other RAV4 year
Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the RAV4 median. How we score
'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
NHTSA crash tests
2006 Toyota RAV4 safety ratings
2006 Toyota RAV4 4-DR. w/SAB in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.
Frontal crashNot rated
Side barrierNot rated
- Rollover: 4 stars (17.4% risk)
- Stability control: Standard
- Forward collision warning: No
- Lane departure warning: No
2 investigations
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 2006 Toyota RAV4, and the recalls they led to.
- Rear Suspension Arm Assembly FailureLed to recall 12V-373
- Unintended and Uncontrolled AccelerationLed to recall 11V-112
In owners' words
What RAV4 owners report
Recent steering complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
For several months the 2006 Rav4 with only 118k miles had been experiencing intermittent failure of power steering while driving at speeds between 5-20mph. These failures resulted in the steering wheel to become extremely difficult if not impossible to turn while the car is driving. In each…
The contact owns a 2006 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while making a right or left turn, there was a loud popping sound coming from the steering wheel. There was no warning light illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that the popping noise was progressively louder while steering to…
While my son was driving me the vehicles steering wheel locked and he was unable to steer the vehicle. It caused us to go off the road down a steep hill and wreck. I’ve never had any problems with this vehicle so it was completely unexpected. If there had been anyone in our path we wouldn’t of been…
Own a 2006 RAV4?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.