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.
2008 Toyota RAV4Problems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 575 owner complaints about the 2008 Toyota RAV4, most often about the engine. 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 April 13, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: Vauxford, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Complaints by system
Where the 2008 Toyota RAV4 has problems
575 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
137Engine4 crash/fire/injury
92Vehicle speed control20 crash/fire/injury
81Suspension1 crash/fire/injury
73Steering6 crash/fire/injury
58Air bags14 crash/fire/injury
37Power train
27Electrical system
24Engine and engine cooling
19Structure
12018 other systems16 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 137 | 4 |
| Vehicle speed control | 92 | 20 |
| Suspension | 81 | 1 |
| Steering | 73 | 6 |
| Air bags | 58 | 14 |
| Power train | 37 | 3 |
| Electrical system | 27 | 8 |
| Engine and engine cooling | 24 | 2 |
| Structure | 19 | 1 |
| 18 other systems | 120 | 16 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
14 recalls
2008 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 engine problems start?
86kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 100 engine complaints. 63% were reported before 100,000 miles.
0under 30k miles63under 100k miles37100k 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.
Engine
15 owners mentioned a cost$5,000median
Middle half: $3,570 – $6,000
Steering
12 owners mentioned a cost$1,270median
Middle half: $735 – $2,625
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
2008 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
2008 Toyota RAV4 safety ratings
2008 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 2008 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 engine complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
My daughter and I are leasing our Toyota Rav4 almost paid off. Our last 2 oil changes done by professional the engine has burned off the oil in between the oil changes. I seen multiple complaints for this same issue for other owners and that there's not been any recalls only investigations. I read…
My engine recently start to burning oil. Toyota had an extended Warranty for this issue which had to do with piston rings failure. which has expired. Searching the internet this problem is popping up all over the internet. Calling you
Issue started when I noticed the vehicle was burning oil, hence why I had to keep refilling the oil levels often. This is an issue many other RAV4 owners have reported. However, the problem was made worse when my mother used my vehicle to pick up some family from the nearest airport. On her way…
Own a 2008 RAV4?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.