2004 Toyota RAV4 Problems, Recalls & Reliability
183 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2004 Toyota RAV4, alongside 2 recall campaigns and 0 defect investigations. It scores 18/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Airbags leads the reports, typically around 102,125 miles.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2004 Toyota RAV4 has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 2004 sits among all RAV4 years
What owners report
“"takata recall" received notice to find out if my vehicle is subject to this recall”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 RAV4
“We were driving on the city streets of boston, ma at approximately 25 mph when the check engine light and vsc light came on. I called our local dealer to see if the car was safe to drive and i was told that as long as the check engine light was not blinking it was ok to drive the car. We then…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 RAV4
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 109 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 80,250 miles. Half of those reports fall between 49,000 and 116,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (2)
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2010-2016 4Runner, 2003-2006 Tundra, 2003-2013 Corolla, 2009-2010 Corolla Matrix, 2004-2005 RAV4, 2002-2007 Sequoia, 2011-2013 Sienna, 2008-2012 Scion xB, 2008-2009 Lexus IS-F, 2007-2012…
Fix: Toyota will notify owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front driver inflator, front passenger airbag inflator, the airbag assembly, or the front passenger airbag…
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2004-2005 Toyota RAV4 vehicles manufactured May 13, 2003, to October 25, 2005. The affected vehicles are equipped with a dual-stage driver frontal air bag that may be…
Fix: Owners of these vehicles are advised not to drive their vehicles until the recall remedy has been completed. Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag, free of…
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2004 Toyota RAV4 reliable?
The 2004 Toyota RAV4 drew 183 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 18/100, scored against the model's worst year (2007).
What are the most common 2004 Toyota RAV4 problems?
The top reported problems for the 2004 Toyota RAV4 are airbags (48 complaints), engine (30), and transmission & drivetrain (23).
At what mileage do 2004 Toyota RAV4 problems show up?
Owners most often report 2004 Toyota RAV4 problems around 80,250 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 49,000 and 116,000 miles.
Does the 2004 Toyota RAV4 have recalls?
2 recall campaigns apply to the 2004 Toyota RAV4. At least one carries a do-not-drive or park-outside warning — check your VIN before driving.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.