repaired · 2026 Q3
Electrical system: 12v/24v/48v battery
Risk. A battery short circuit increases the risk of a fire.
2018 Toyota RAV4Problems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 333 owner complaints about the 2018 Toyota RAV4, most often about the electrical system. It is covered by 3 safety recalls, and for recall 23V-734 the manufacturer reports only 38% of affected cars repaired.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through October 15, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: Throwawayacc222, CC0.
Complaints by system
Where the 2018 Toyota RAV4 has problems
333 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
130Electrical system27 crash/fire/injury
33Engine13 crash/fire/injury
28Service brakes12 crash/fire/injury
26Power train2 crash/fire/injury
23Exterior lighting2 crash/fire/injury
20Vehicle speed control
17Visibility/wiper
16Air bags
14Structure
6619 other systems10 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 130 | 27 |
| Engine | 33 | 13 |
| Service brakes | 28 | 12 |
| Power train | 26 | 2 |
| Exterior lighting | 23 | 2 |
| Vehicle speed control | 20 | 8 |
| Visibility/wiper | 17 | 2 |
| Air bags | 16 | 12 |
| Structure | 14 | 3 |
| 19 other systems | 66 | 10 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
3 recalls
2018 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 · 2021 Q2
Other: labels
Risk. An incorrect label may lead to unintentionally overloading the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
repaired · 2019 Q2
Other: labels
Risk. An incorrect load information label can result in the operator overloading the vehicle and 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 electrical system problems start?
17kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 40 electrical system complaints. 90% were reported before 100,000 miles.
Only 44% of complaints for this model year include a mileage.
25under 30k miles36under 100k miles4100k miles or more
Best & worst years
2018 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
2018 Toyota RAV4 safety ratings
2018 Toyota Rav4 SUV FWD in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.
★★★★★
Frontal crash★★★★★
Side barrier★★★★★
Side pole★★★★★
- Rollover: 4 stars (17.4% risk)
- Stability control: Standard
- Forward collision warning: Standard
- Lane departure warning: Standard
1 investigation
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 2018 Toyota RAV4, and the recalls they led to.
- Battery Hold Down Bracket Thermal EventsLed to recall 23V-734
In owners' words
What RAV4 owners report
Recent electrical system complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
All warning lights came on and started flashing, steering wheel locked completely and total system failure. Car suddenly died and I had no control of it. Engine started smoking with black smoke. I got out of car and engine immediately caught fire starting at the bottom left driver side of engine…
Before o had taken my RAV4 into Toyota for the recall a AAA tech. had replaced the battery after jump starting it. There was nothing wrong with the sensors or anything else but after the battery was replaced all the electric sensors that are for lane change warnings and cruise control etc. stopped…
While I am driving my Toyota RAV4, the car will suddenly shut off and I can restart it and keep driving as the month is going on. The incidents are happening more often and now the dashboard is going black. I’ve had a couple of warning signs on the dashboard. I brought the car to Toyota and Pep…
Own a 2018 RAV4?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.