Motor Almanac

Toyota / RAV4 / 2017

2017 Toyota Rav4

Family: RAV4 · filed with NHTSA as RAV4, RAV4 HYBRID

Summary

  • In its first three years the 2017 Rav4 drew 111 complaints — 1.0× the median of its generation (2013–2018). It does not stand out from the other years of this generation.
  • These are complaint counts, not failure rates: they are not divided by how many cars were sold, because no public source reports U.S. sales by model year.
  • Complaints are spread across systems: the largest, Electrical System, holds 40% of the 281 that name a component.
  • 3 recalls filed for this model year.
  • 2 federal defect investigations cover this model year.

In the news

At a glance

Owner complaints
321
Recalls
3
Investigations
2
NCAP overall
5 of 5 stars
Combined MPG
24–32
Annual fuel cost
$1,950–$2,600
Median mileage at complaint
20,000 mi (n = 175)
Crashes / fires / injuries / deaths
34 / 24 / 30 / 2

What owners report

Electrical System

111 complaints · 40% of complaints that name a component · median 37,000 mi (n = 46)

Owner report Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2017 Toyota Rav4. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 110,000 and at the time of a Carfax check, it was discovered that the mileage was 300,000.
Owner report Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2017 Toyota RAV4. The contact stated that it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 85,887, and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 237,660.

Brakes

40 complaints · 14% of complaints that name a component · median 10,050 mi (n = 24)

Owner report The brake system on my 2017 Toyota RAV4 LE has repeatedly failed to provide normal stopping power, even after the replacement of pads and rotors in July 2025. This poses a serious safety hazard and may indicate a defect in the braking system.
Owner report Hi, Im reporting a serious safety issue with my 2017 Toyota rav4 The emergencybrake failed to engage, which caused the car to roll down the hill , I took the car to Toyota dealership while it was under the warranty and back down they told me it was nothing wrong with it. It just needed to be adjusted but it never…

Engine

34 complaints · 12% of complaints that name a component · median 37,000 mi (n = 18)

Owner report 11/1/23 recall for battery safety. Hold down clamp issue. I received an interim recall notification in 2023. I have called Toyota twice and they still don’t have a remedy. It’s been over a year and this is a safety/fire hazard. It’s unacceptable they have not arranged for a remedy over a year later.
Owner report Driving along, and all of sudden engine shuts down. Message indicated a malfunction, showed picture of battery, and indicated to put vehicle in park, and restart engine. Did so, and engine started. Dangerous situation, but luckily traffic was light.

12% of complaints name no specific component and are left out of the shares above.

Across the generation (2013–2018)

To compare years fairly, each year is counted over the same span: complaints received up to two calendar years after its model year. A year is compared only when that span is over and it holds at least 50 complaints. Median of the comparable years: 107.

Model yearAll complaintsFirst three yearsNote
201326299
201420746not compared
201530586
2016257107
2017321111
2018348122

Recalls

Whether a recall has been fixed on a specific car depends on its VIN; check it at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

23V734000 · ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY

Filed 2023-11-01 · 1,853,568 vehicles

Defect: 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.

Risk: A battery short circuit increases the risk of a fire.

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.

19V503000 · EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS

Filed 2019-06-28 · 1,325 vehicles

Defect: Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Toyota Camry, Corolla, Rav4, Sienna, and Yaris iA vehicles equipped with factory-installed floor mats. The load carrying capacity modification label may be incorrect. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."

Risk: An incorrect label may lead to unintentionally overloading the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: SET will notify owners and provide a corrected label for placement over the inaccurate label, free of charge. The recall began August 23, 2019. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. SET's number for this recall is SET19A.

17V295000 · TIRES:TEMPORARY/EMERGENCY SPARE TIRE

Filed 2017-05-02 · 409 vehicles

Defect: Gulf States Toyota, Inc. (Gulf States) is recalling certain 2017 4Runner , 86, Avalon, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Corolla, Corolla iM, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, Prius, Prius C, RAV4, RAV4 Hybrid, Sienna and Yaris vehicles. The spare tire air pressure was not adjusted to the proper pressure as stated on the Tire Pressure Label.

Risk: A spare tire that is not inflated to the proper value may not perform as intended, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Gulf States will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the spare tires, adjusting their pressure as necessary, free of charge. The recall began June 15, 2017. Owners may contact Gulf States customer service at 1-800-444-1074. Toyota's number for this recall is 17R2.

Federal investigations

ActionComponentOpenedClosedRecall
DP22005ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM2023-01-272023-08-0722V063000
PE21005ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY2021-02-252024-08-1223V734

DP22005: Pedestrian alert sounds

PE21005: Battery Hold Down Bracket Thermal Events

Engines and fuel economy

VersionEngineTransmissionDriveCityHwyCombinedFuel cost / yr
RAV42.5L 4cylAutomatic (S6)Front-Wheel Drive232925$2500
RAV4 AWD2.5L 4cylAutomatic (S6)All-Wheel Drive222825$2500
RAV4 Hybrid AWD2.5L 4cyl HybridAutomatic (AV-S6)All-Wheel Drive343032$1950
RAV4 LE/XLE2.5L 4cylAutomatic (S6)Front-Wheel Drive233026$2400
RAV4 Limited AWD/SE AWD2.5L 4cylAutomatic (S6)All-Wheel Drive222824$2600

Fuel cost is EPA's estimate at the fuel prices of its last update, not today's.

Crash test ratings (NCAP)

VariantOverallFrontalSideRollover
2017 Toyota Rav4 SUV FWD★★★★★★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆
2017 Toyota Rav4 SUV AWD★★★★★★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆
2017 Toyota Rav4 Hybrid SUV AWD★★★★★★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆

Service bulletins

Toyota issued 374 service bulletins listed against this model year, most often about equipment.

A bulletin tells dealers how to fix a known condition. It is not a recall and not a defect finding. Most bulletins cover several model years at once, so one listed here may not be specific to this year. The number of bulletins tracks how long and how widely a model was sold, so it is not a measure of reliability.

DateComponentSummary
2026-02-13ENGINEOBSOLETE NOTICE February 13, 2026: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see T-SB-0009-26.
2026-02-13ENGINEThis bulletin includes basic procedures for performing a rescue charge on Ni-MH high voltage (HV) batteries. This bulletin should be used in conjunction with the applicable model and model year Repair Manual while performing a rescue charge…
2026-01-07UNKNOWN OR OTHERSome 2005 – 2026 Toyota vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. The purpose of this Serv…
2026-01-07UNKNOWN OR OTHERSome 2005 – 2026 Toyota vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. The purpose of this Serv…
2025-06-18ELECTRICAL SYSTEM21TG01 Exprired - Replaced with Campaign 23TA13 During a recent investigation of reported battery fires in 2013-2018 RAV4 vehicles with gasoline engines (excluding hybrid models), Toyota discovered that many non-Toyota retailers and others …
2025-06-18ELECTRICAL SYSTEMCampaign Expired - replaced with campaign 23TA13TECHNICAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR CONSUMER ADVISORY 21TG01 12-VOLT BATTERY SIZE AND INSTALLATION INSPECTION CERTAIN 2013 – 2018 RAV4
2025-06-13ELECTRICAL SYSTEMThe air conditioning dye injection tool kit has been developed to aid in identifying the location of air conditioning refrigerant leaks. The procedures outlined in this Service Bulletin aid in locating, inspecting, and repairing refrigerant…
2025-06-13ELECTRICAL SYSTEMThe air conditioning dye injection tool kit has been developed to aid in identifying the location of air conditioning refrigerant leaks. The procedures outlined in this Service Bulletin aid in locating, inspecting, and repairing refrigerant…
2024-12-06STRUCTURE:BODYAcid rain results from rainwater or other airborne moisture that become acidic due to industrial chemical impurities in the atmosphere. If these acidic compounds settle on an exposed vehicle, especially the horizontal areas such as the hood…
2024-12-06STRUCTURE:BODYTo prevent brake rotor rust from forming during transportation and storage, wheel film will be used instead of a cardboard type of anti-rust cover. The purpose of the wheel film is to shield the disc brake rotor from weather elements and in…

How to read this page

Complaint counts are not failure rates. A model that sells more cars draws more complaints, and owners file more often after news coverage or a recall. That is why this page compares a model year only with other years of the same generation, never with other models.

Each complaint is counted once, even when it names several components; a complaint that names several systems appears under each of them. Owner reports are quoted as filed and have not been verified by NHTSA or by us.

Every model year of this RAV4, including the ones without a page of their own, is listed on the Toyota RAV4 model page.

Sources

  • NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation: complaints, recalls and investigations (bulk files, data as of 2026-10-28).
  • NHTSA New Car Assessment Program: crash test ratings.
  • U.S. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov: engines, transmissions and fuel economy.

MotorAlmanac is independent and not affiliated with NHTSA, EPA or any manufacturer. This page summarises public records; it is not a mechanical inspection. Before buying a used car, check its VIN for open recalls and have it inspected.