Motor Almanac

Toyota / RAV4 / 2023

2023 Toyota Rav4

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

Summary

  • In its first three years the 2023 Rav4 drew 117 complaints — 0.9× the median of its generation (2019–2025). 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 32% of the 145 that name a component.
  • 3 recalls filed for this model year.
  • No federal defect investigations cover this model year.

At a glance

Owner complaints
171
Recalls
3
Investigations
0
NCAP overall
5 of 5 stars
Combined MPG
28–40
Annual fuel cost
$1,550–$2,250
Median mileage at complaint
36,600 mi (n = 20)
Crashes / fires / injuries / deaths
19 / 1 / 15 / 0

What owners report

Electrical System

47 complaints · 32% of complaints that name a component · median 36,000 mi (n = 7)

Owner report The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Rav4. The vehicle was previously taken to the dealer to be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V595000 (Electrical System); however, the dealer repeatedly delayed the repair due to parts availability issues. The dealer kept the vehicle for the duration due to the instrument panel fail…
Owner report The display goes black and then will restart. It foes this over and over. The navigation and other features can’t be used and it will not stay on long enough to try and update.

Engine

28 complaints · 19% of complaints that name a component · median 38,000 mi (n = 2)

Owner report Was moving forward when all of the sudden the tailpipe flew off (metal thing in the muffler). No real cause, moves the vehicle normally oyt of the driveway and it just flew off.
Owner report This problem has occurred twice now. First time: 4/19/2023 The car was brought to the car wash, I pulled into my parking spot the car shut off. When I attempted to turn the car back on the car would not start. The car showed a check engine light along with a steering wheel with an exclamation point. The dash said "Eng…

Steering

28 complaints · 19% of complaints that name a component · median 58,829 mi (n = 2)

Owner report During the day after driving in rain in a 2023 Rav 4 LE AWD with 19000 miles car turned off. I was parked with it idling and with no warning stalled. I turned on multiple times and it kept stalling out. Finally a message appeared on dash "power steering low". After inspecting under hood and seeing all fluids ok I tried…
Owner report My engine shut off (would not turn back on!) and displayed message: “Engine Stopped. Steering Power Low”. I brought it to the dealership the next morning. I was told that the power steering was electric, they could not duplicate the message, and to bring it back if it does it again. I’m concerned because what happens i…

15% of complaints name no specific component and are left out of the shares above.

Across the generation (2019–2025)

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: 137.

Model yearAll complaintsFirst three yearsNote
2019906437most complaints
2020651248most complaints
2021411137
202215475fewest complaints
2023171117
2024177177not compared
2025106106not compared

Recalls

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

25V744000 · BACK OVER PREVENTION:DISPLAY FUNCTION

Filed 2025-10-30 · 1,024,407 vehicles

Defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2022-2026 Toyota, Lexus, and Subaru Solterra vehicles equipped with a Panoramic View Monitor (PVM) system. Please see the recall report for a complete list of models. A software error may cause the rearview camera to freeze or display a blank screen when the vehicle is in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."

Risk: A rearview camera that fails to display an image can reduce the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will update the parking assist software, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed January 2, 2026. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 25TB13 and 25LB06. Subaru's number for this recall is WRE25.

25V595000 · ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL

Filed 2025-09-11 · 591,377 vehicles

Defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Toyota Venza, 2023-2025 RAV4 Prime, RAV4, Highlander, GR Corolla, Crown, 2024-2025 Lexus TX, LS, Toyota Tacoma, Grand Highlander, and 2025 Lexus RX, Toyota Crown Signia, Camry, RAV 4 Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV), and 4 Runner vehicles. Due to an error in the instrument panel software at vehicle startup, the instrument panel may fail to display vehicle speed, brake system, and tire pressure warning lights.

Risk: An instrument panel display that does not show critical information can increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Remedy: Dealers will update the instrument panel software over-the-air (OTA) for non-PHEV vehicles, free of charge. For PHEV vehicles, dealers will inspect the instrument panel assembly, and either replace it, or update the software, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed December 5, 2025. Additional letters will be sent, anticipated in May 2026. This is a phased recall. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 25TB08 and 25TA08. Lexus' numbers for this recall are 25LB05 and 25LA05.

23V485000 · TIRES:VALVE

Filed 2023-07-11 · 195 vehicles

Defect: Gulf States Toyota, Inc. (GST) is recalling certain 2023 Toyota RAV4 vehicles equipped with 17" black alloy accessory wheels. During installation of the alloy wheels, the tire valve stem may have been improperly installed or damaged. In addition, the load carrying capacity label may state the incorrect weight. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."

Risk: A damaged or improperly installed valve stem may allow air to leak and/or the tires to be underinflated, increasing the risk of tire failure and a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the wheel valve stems and replace the load carrying capacity modification labels, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on August 18, 2023. Owners may contact GST customer service at 1-800-444-1074. GST's number for this recall is 23R1.

Federal investigations

None on file.

Engines and fuel economy

VersionEngineTransmissionDriveCityHwyCombinedFuel cost / yr
RAV42.5L 4cylAutomatic (S8)Front-Wheel Drive273530$2100
RAV42.5L 4cylAutomatic (S8)Front-Wheel Drive273430$2100
RAV4 AWD2.5L 4cylAutomatic (S8)All-Wheel Drive253328$2250
RAV4 AWD2.5L 4cylAutomatic (S8)All-Wheel Drive273329$2150
RAV4 AWD LE2.5L 4cylAutomatic (S8)All-Wheel Drive273430$2100
RAV4 AWD TRD OFFROAD2.5L 4cylAutomatic (S8)All-Wheel Drive253228$2250
RAV4 Hybrid AWD2.5L 4cyl HybridAutomatic (AV-S6)All-Wheel Drive413840$1550
RAV4 Hybrid AWD Woodland Edition2.5L 4cyl HybridAutomatic (AV-S6)All-Wheel Drive383537$1700

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

Crash test ratings (NCAP)

VariantOverallFrontalSideRollover
2023 Toyota RAV4 SUV AWD★★★★★★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆
2023 Toyota RAV4 SUV FWD★★★★★★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆
2023 Toyota RAV4 HYBRID SUV AWD★★★★★★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆
2023 Toyota RAV4 PRIME SUV AWD★★★★★★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆

Service bulletins

Toyota issued 228 service bulletins listed against this model year, most often about electrical system.

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
2026-08-20ENGINEThis bulletin includes basic procedures for performing a rescue charge at battery on high voltage (HV) Ni-MH and Li-ion batteries.
2026-08-20ENGINEOBSOLETE NOTICE August 20, 2026: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see T-SB-0051-26.
2026-08-17ENGINEIn wet conditions, water contacting the radiator in the subject vehicles after idling for an extended period can create steam that can cause an incorrect engine sensor reading. This can lead to a warning light, a rough-running engine, or a…
2026-08-17ENGINETECHNICAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR EMISSION NONCOMPLIANCE RECALL 26TC03 Certain 2022 – 2025 Model Year RAV4 Incorrect Mass Air Flow Sensor Reading
2026-07-16ENGINETECHNICAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR EMISSION NONCOMPLIANCE RECALL 26TC03 Certain 2022 – 2025 Model Year RAV4 Incorrect Mass Air Flow Sensor Reading
2026-07-09ENGINEIn wet conditions, water contacting the radiator in the subject vehicles after idling for an extended period can create steam that can cause an incorrect engine sensor reading. This can lead to a warning light, a rough-running engine, or a…
2026-07-09ENGINETECHNICAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR EMISSION NONCOMPLIANCE RECALL 26TC03 Certain 2022 – 2025 Model Year RAV4 Incorrect Mass Air Flow Sensor Reading
2026-05-14ELECTRICAL SYSTEMAlthough the HV Floor Under Wire Harness and Rear Traction Motor Cable is covered by Toyota’s New Vehicle Limited Warranty for 3 years or 36,000 miles (whichever comes first), we at Toyota care about the customers’ ownership experience. Toy…
2026-04-24ELECTRICAL SYSTEMA new head unit software update is available for 2023 – 2024 model year RAV4, RAV4 Hybrid, and RAV4 Prime vehicles equipped with Toyota Multimedia (earlier than version 1861). This software update includes the following improvements: • Usa…
2026-04-24ELECTRICAL SYSTEMA new head unit software update is available for 2023 – 2024 model year RAV4, RAV4 Hybrid, and RAV4 Prime vehicles equipped with Toyota Multimedia (earlier than version 1861). This software update includes the following improvements: • Usa…

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.