2013 Toyota RAV4 EV: problems, recalls and reliability
3 recalls and 5 owner complaints on record; most reports concern seat belts.
Data updated weekly · latest recall Feb 2016
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 5 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“Tl* the contact owns a 2013 toyota rav4 electric vehicle. While driving 55 mph, the electric warning indicator illuminated and the vehicle decelerated. The contact stated that the vehicle continued to decelerate while the accelerator pedal was engaged. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to andrew toyota (1620 w silver spring drive, milwaukee, wi 53209, (877) 308-0883), but the dealer was not able to diagnose the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and stated that a toyota engineer would be sent to the dealer to inspect the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 28,564.”Owner report · Electrical System · Sep 2018
“Toyota of lake city (seattle, wa) refused to do, or even help with, the NHTSA recall no. 15v-577 for my toyota vehicle. Both the service adviser and the service manager told me that they can't and won't do the work for this national safety recall they did not call toyota corporate, they did not lift a finger to help get this recall done for my vehicle.”Owner report · Visibility/Wiper · Dec 2016
“For the second time in a month, my car lost drive while I was cruising on the highway. The car just popped into netural with warning messages coming on the dash. It appears to be the same problem the recall addressed yet after 3 months, there is still no known fixes for it. Could you please help toyota into pushing a fix for it asap as the car isn't really safe. 3 months wait to make a software patch is pathetic.”Owner report · Fuel/Propulsion System · Jul 2015
Show 1 more owner reports
“While driving approximately 70 mph in the hov lane of the 405 fwy, an error message appeared stating that the car was in "neutral". I tried to shift it into "drive" but it would not respond. Since there was no room in the center divider to pull over, I coasted as safely as possible to the right through 5 lanes of traffic and stopped on the right shoulder. I restarted the car and it ran fine after that. There was a message indicating an ev system error and indicated I should immediately take the car to an authorized dealer, which I did. The dealer replaced the motor and the problem has not returned. *tr”Owner report · Power Train · Jan 2014
Recalls - 3 campaigns
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2009-2012 RAV4 vehicles manufactured October 27, 2008, to December 19, 2012 and 2012-2014 RAV4 EV vehicles manufactured July 24, 2012, to August 29, 2014. In the affected vehicles, water may drip onto the joint that connects the wiper linkage to the wiper motor.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the water diverter channel. In addition, a new wiper linkage with a wiper motor crank arm will be installed. The wiper linkage will have a protective cover over the wiper linkage joint to minimize water splash and a retainer ring to prevent the wiper arm from separating from the wiper motor. The recall began on November 7, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service number at 1-800-331-4331.
Toyota Motor Engineering & manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2012-2014 Rav4 EV vehicles manufactured July 24, 2012, to August 29, 2014. Due to a software issue within a component of the Electric Vehicle Traction Motor Assembly, the electric propulsion motor may shift to "neutral" resulting in a possible loss of drive power.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will update the Electric Vehicle Traction Motor Assembly software, free of charge. The recall began on September 10, 2015. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2006-2012 RAV4 vehicles manufactured July 28, 2005, to December 19, 2012, and 2012-2014 RAV4 EV vehicles manufactured July 24, 2012, to August 29, 2014. In the event of a frontal collision, the rear seat belts for the outboard seats may be cut by the seat cushion frame.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will install a protector over both rear seat cushion frames, free of charge. The recall began on June 24, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is G0F.
How other years compare
Counts are not adjusted for time on the road here - see all RAV4 EV years ranked fairly for the age-adjusted comparison.
Check your exact RAV4 EV by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2013 Toyota RAV4 EV reliable?
NHTSA has 5 owner complaints and 3 recall campaigns on record for the 2013 Toyota RAV4 EV. The most complained-about area is seat belts.
Does the 2013 Toyota RAV4 EV have open recalls?
3 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning visibility and wiper. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.