Motor Almanac

Toyota / RAV4 / 2018

2018 Toyota Rav4

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

Summary

  • In its first three years the 2018 Rav4 drew 122 complaints — 1.1× 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.
  • Of the 294 complaints that name a component, 45% concern Electrical System (131).
  • 3 recalls filed for this model year.
  • 2 federal defect investigations cover this model year.

In the news

At a glance

Owner complaints
348
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
12,000 mi (n = 157)
Crashes / fires / injuries / deaths
33 / 33 / 19 / 0

What owners report

Electrical System

131 complaints · 45% of complaints that name a component · median 17,000 mi (n = 41)

Owner report The contact owned a 2018 Toyota RAV4. The contact stated that the vehicle experienced a defect with the key fob and the door locks for the passenger doors. When starting the vehicle, the brake locking mechanism could not detect the key, and a message was displayed indicating that the key was not found. The contact stat…
Owner report On October 27, 2025, I was housesitting and watching a friends' son and dropped him off at school. I returned to their house, shut off the car, went into the house, started cleaning home in preparation of returning to my home. I was in downstairs master suite on opposite end of home when I heard a car horn. I went to t…

Engine

36 complaints · 12% of complaints that name a component · median 48,000 mi (n = 15)

Owner report The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while at a stop at a traffic light, the vehicle independently accelerated and rear-ended another vehicle. The engine revved during the acceleration while the brake pedal was depressed. The vehicle continued to accelerate for 20 feet. No warning lights illumin…
Owner report The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Rav4 Hybrid. The contact stated that while receiving an oil change by a certified mechanic, the contact was informed that there was no coolant in the coolant reservoir. The mechanic confirmed that the radiator, hoses, and thermostat had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was re…

Brakes

33 complaints · 11% of complaints that name a component · median 13,800 mi (n = 21)

Owner report I tried breaking and was on a hill with a small incline stopping behind a car as a pedestrian was crossing. When I pushed on the breaks lightly the car didn't break. So I pushed harder as the car in front of me was a few feet. When I pressed harder on the breaks the car actually accelerated and hit the car in front …
Owner report This is 2 times now my brakes give me trouble since i bought the vehicle, the 1st time the brakes died n i had to keep pumping for it to work, the 2nd time it stuck to the floor n i had to use my hand brakes on the freeway.

16% 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.

17V831000 · EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS

Filed 2017-12-20 · 649 vehicles

Defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Toyota 4Runner and Tundra, 2018 Toyota Highlander, RAV4 and Lexus GX460 and 2017 Toyota Sienna and Tacoma vehicles. These vehicles may have incorrect load carrying capacity modification labels. 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 load information label can result in the operator overloading the vehicle and increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Toyota will notify owners and provide them with corrected labels, free of charge. The recall began on January 23, 2018. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are H0Z for Toyota vehicles, and HLF for Lexus vehicles.

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
2018 Toyota Rav4 SUV FWD★★★★★★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆
2018 Toyota Rav4 SUV AWD★★★★★★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆
2018 Toyota Rav4 Hybrid SUV AWD★★★★★★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆

Service bulletins

Toyota issued 259 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.