2014 Toyota RAV4 EV: problems, recalls and reliability
3 recalls and 10 owner complaints on record; most reports concern power train; the 2013 model year looks more trouble-free.
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 10 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“Sometimes when I step on the gas it does not respond and I have to lift my foot off of the pedal and press the gas pedal again. This is an ongoing problem.”Owner report · Fuel/Propulsion System · Dec 2018
“Was driving in city at about 30 mph , car stopped having propulsion, stopped with a shudder and warnings lights pop up. "check ev system" was able to reset the computer by powering off/on for 3 cycles to make it over to the curb. Called tow to transport to the dealer. Send me away after resetting the error message in the computer. Week later it happened again backing out of a parking spot. Now toyota is blaming my add ons like charge indicator (showing volts/amps of the j1772 input) and the fact I fitted a trailer hitch (for a bike rack). Which has absolutely nothing to do with the electrical propulsion system.”Owner report · Fuel/Propulsion System · Nov 2015
“Lost driving power on highway at 45mph. Car switched automatically to neutral. Displayed "check ev system. Take to dealer" warning. Was able to turn power on and off and regain motor, but still displayed message. Drove home. Took to dealer next morning.”Owner report · Power Train · Jul 2015
Show 4 more owner reports
“I was driving to work and was approximately at 70 mph on california highway interstate 880 just near the junction on i580, all of a sudden the vehicle lost power and came to neutral and would not shift to drive, with a message on the dash board check ev soon take it to the nearest toyota dealer.it was pretty scary and finally I managed to steer it to the left shoulder which was very narrow and half of my vehicle was still on the fast lane, easy chance of a crash. Called chp they had to stop the traffic and push me to the right shoulder, finally road side assistance showed up and towed it to oakland toyota dealer. Its just a year old. *tr”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Apr 2015
“Whilst driving at 70mph on the hov lane of the freeway, the car switched into neutral and coasted to a stop. Because this happened at night, and on a lane that does not have a stopping lane, it was grossly unsafe as cars whizzed by. The car was towed to a dealer for repairs. The dealership, toyota carlsbad, has informed me that a new drive motor will be installed. Unfortunately, this issue with the propulsion system failing is common in the toyota rav4 ev (it uses a tesla motor). There are so many drive motors being replaced right now, I have to wait at least two weeks for a new one. Others have recently waiting up to a month. *tr”Owner report · Power Train · Feb 2015
“While backing to my driveway, car lost power and stopped. After turning it off and back on, power restored. There was a message on dashboard: "check ev system have your vehicle checked by a dealership immediately" which later (after few off/on cycles) disappeared. *tr”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · Dec 2014
“While charging the car at a schneider public charging station, extreme heat and electrical arcing resulted in heat/burning damage to the vehicle and damage to the charging station. Prior to the incident, while charging at the same public schneider charging station, on many occasions, I noticed an electrical burning smell and heat. *tr”Owner report · Electrical System · Jul 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 2014 Toyota RAV4 EV reliable?
NHTSA has 10 owner complaints and 3 recall campaigns on record for the 2014 Toyota RAV4 EV. The most complained-about area is power train.
Does the 2014 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.