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.
2007 Toyota RAV4Problems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 1,004 owner complaints about the 2007 Toyota RAV4, most often about the steering. It is covered by 14 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 3, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: Vauxford, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Complaints by system
Where the 2007 Toyota RAV4 has problems
1,004 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
271Steering6 crash/fire/injury
195Engine5 crash/fire/injury
125Suspension10 crash/fire/injury
101Vehicle speed control21 crash/fire/injury
99Air bags23 crash/fire/injury
76Electrical system26 crash/fire/injury
53Power train
41Engine and engine cooling
26Service brakes
20120 other systems27 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Steering | 271 | 6 |
| Engine | 195 | 5 |
| Suspension | 125 | 10 |
| Vehicle speed control | 101 | 21 |
| Air bags | 99 | 23 |
| Electrical system | 76 | 26 |
| Power train | 53 | 2 |
| Engine and engine cooling | 41 | 3 |
| Service brakes | 26 | 4 |
| 20 other systems | 201 | 27 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
14 recalls
2007 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 10 more recalls
repaired · 2016 Q2
Front assembly: seat heater/cooler
Risk. Damage to the seat heater wiring could cause the wires to short, increasing the risk of the seat burning and causing personal injury to the occupant.
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.
repaired · 2015 Q1
Visibility: power window devices and controls
Risk. If the switch overheats, it may melt, possibly resulting in a fire.
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
Air bags
Risk. INADVERTENT ACTIVATION OF THE CSA AND/OR THE SEAT BELT PRETENSIONER CAN CAUSE INJURY TO A VEHICLE OCCUPANT.
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?
46kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 228 steering complaints. 89% were reported before 100,000 miles.
45under 30k miles202under 100k miles26100k 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
62 owners mentioned a cost$700median
Middle half: $500 – $975
Air bags
20 owners mentioned a cost$500median
Middle half: $407 – $548
Engine
18 owners mentioned a cost$3,500median
Middle half: $2,048 – $4,998
Suspension
9 owners mentioned a cost$500median
Middle half: $480 – $700
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
2007 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
2007 Toyota RAV4 safety ratings
2007 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
4 investigations
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 2007 Toyota RAV4, and the recalls they led to.
- Power Window Master Switch FireLed to recall 12V-491
- Power Window Master Switch FireNo recall
- 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.
The contact owns a 2007 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the steering wheel seized. The contact was able to regain control of the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle…
while driving down the big bear mountain, the vehicle lost power steering i could not turn the wheel and hit the railing, thank god i didn't hit another car. The battery light was flashing steering locked up other dash lights came on. The mechanic could not give me any answers, Toyota says there is…
AT 65270 MILES RAV4 FAILED STEERING INSPECTION WHICH IS MANDATED BY NC. PARTS REPLACED PASSED INSPECTION BUT SQUEALING CONTINUES GETS WORSE AFTER ABUT 15 MINUTES OF CITY DRIVING - METAL TO METAL CONTACT? 265 COMPLAINTS SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THE OVERALL STEERING SYSTEM SQUEALING OCCURS AT IDLE…
Own a 2007 RAV4?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.