2016 Toyota RAV4: problems, recalls and reliability
3 recalls and 236 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is electrical system (24% of complaints).
Data updated weekly · 2 new complaints in the last 90 days · latest recall Nov 2023
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 236 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2016 Toyota Rav4. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was purchased from a private seller. At the time of the purchase, the mileage was 98,000. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and a Carfax report indicated that in November 2025, the mileage was reported at 170,000.”Owner report · Electrical System · Dec 2025
“The contact leased a 2016 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V734000 (Electrical System) and requested to be removed from the recall distribution list because the contact no longer had the vehicle. The dealer and the manufacturer were contacted.”Owner report · Electrical System · Jun 2025
“While shopping at the grocery store, I experienced an incident upon leaving the parking lot. After reaching my first red light, I noticed smoke rapidly billowing from under the hood of my vehicle. My husband, who was driving behind me, immediately saw the smoke and instructed me to pull over. Once I stopped, he asked me to pop the hood. Upon opening it, he urgently removed his shirt to try and extinguish the fire. The damage was extensive - a hole burned through the hood, significantly compromising the vehicle's crash safety rating. Additionally, melted plastic covered the battery area, and the radiator hose was damaged, rendering the vehicle unsafe to drive.”Owner report · Structure · Apr 2025
Show 7 more owner reports
“The contact owns a 2016 Toyota Rav4. The contact received a notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V734000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.”Owner report · Electrical System · Apr 2025
“The contact owned a 2016 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V734000 (Electrical System); and requested to be removed from the recall distribution list. The local dealer was not contacted; however, the manufacturer was contacted.”Owner report · Electrical System · Apr 2025
“The contact owns a 2016 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V734000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.”Owner report · Electrical System · Mar 2025
“Headlights and taillights are fogging/hazing up to where they dimmed out the lights when turned on making is somewhat difficult to see or others behind me to see me.”Owner report · Exterior Lighting · Mar 2025
“Air bags malfunction. There is a warning â ï¸ pop up message on my dashboard that says, Air bags malfunction contact manufacturer dealer. This is clearly a safety issue and it should be part of a recall or a recall needs to be started with this issue.”Owner report · Air Bags · Mar 2025
“The contact owns a 2016 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V734000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.”Owner report · Electrical System · Dec 2024
“The braking system malfunctioned during Winter and snowy road conditions. Several instances happened during the month of December 2023 and 2024. Latest were December 10 and 13, 2024. The brake pad was soft when depressed that the car accelerated instead of stopping.”Owner report · Service Brakes · Dec 2024
When filing, owners marked a crash in 33 of these complaints and injuries in 27 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 3 campaigns
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2013-2018 RAV4 vehicles. Certain replacement 12-volt batteries may not fit properly in the battery tray, allowing the battery to move and contact the hold-down bracket, possibly causing a short circuit.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the battery clamp sub-assembly, battery tray, and positive terminal cover, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed December 27, 2024, to 2013-2014 RAV4 owners. Additional owner notification letters will be mailed in phases, phase 2 will begin on May 14, 2025, and phase 3 in late July 2025. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 23TB13 and 23TA13.
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2016 Toyota RAV4 vehicles manufactured October 30, 2015, to February 3, 2016, 2016 Lexus RX350 vehicles manufactured October 26, 2015, to February 8, 2016, and 2016 Lexus ES350 vehicles manufactured September 1, 2015, to February 29, 2016. These vehicles are equipped with an ABS actuator that may have a damaged O-ring which could result in improper brake fluid pressure control during ABS, Traction Control, or Stability Control activation. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 126, "Electronic Stability Control Systems."
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the brake actuator, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on May 4, 2016, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is G0I, GLC.
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2016 Toyota Yaris, Rav4, Land Cruiser and 4Runner vehicles, and Scion FR-S, iM, and TC vehicles manufactured January 28, 2016, to March 14, 2016. The Load Carrying Capacity Modification Label may not reflect the correct added weight of the installed accessories. As a result, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims for Passenger Cars."
Remedy: SET will notify owners, and provide them a corrected label to be installed over the inaccurate label, free of charge. The recall began on June 3, 2016. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET's number for this recall is SET16A.
How other years compare
Check your exact RAV4 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 2016 Toyota RAV4 reliable?
NHTSA has 236 owner complaints and 3 recall campaigns on record for the 2016 Toyota RAV4. The most complained-about area is electrical system (24% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2016 Toyota RAV4 problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 25,000 miles or less.
Does the 2016 Toyota RAV4 have open recalls?
3 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning electrical system:12v/24v/48v battery. 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.