2012 Toyota RAV4 Problems, Recalls & Reliability
357 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2012 Toyota RAV4, alongside 5 recall campaigns and 0 defect investigations. It scores 33/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Visibility & wipers leads the reports, typically around 31,626 miles.
Typical
Where 2012 sits among all RAV4 years
What owners report
“Received recall notice in late 2015. Part needed to satisfy recall as of aug. 2016 is still not available at local dealer. Worried about possible failure of wipers during travel.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 RAV4
“I was coming to a stoplight and press the brakes the car came to stop then the engine revved up very fast. My foot was on the brakes but the engine was revving very fast that i had to use the parking brake to stop the vehicle from moving forward. I put the car in park then the engine stop revving.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 RAV4
“In a paved parking lot i attempted to park by applying the brakes but the car surged forward. It only stopped by going over a curb and hitting a tree at the perimeter of the parking space.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 RAV4
“The check engine, trac off and 4wd lights will all come on together and stay on for a day or two and then go off again. This keeps happening”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 RAV4
“My 4wheel drive light traction light and engine light cone on. I was afraid to drive it but i had it checked out and it's a sensor problem . This has been a problem since 2007”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 RAV4
“It has been more then one year and the "remedy" is not available. They state in the safety recall notice that i would receive a second owner notification letter when the remedy is available and so far i didn't get this second letter. Nhtsa recall 16v-096”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 RAV4
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 225 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 30,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 10,500 and 60,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (5)
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2006-2012 RAV4 vehicles manufactured July 28, 2005, to December 19, 2012, and 2012-2014 RAV4 EV vehicles manufactured July 24, 2012, to August 29, 2014. In the event of a…
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will install a protector over both rear seat cushion frames, free of charge. The recall began on June 24, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at…
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2009-2012 RAV4 vehicles manufactured October 27, 2008, to December 19, 2012 and 2012-2014 RAV4 EV vehicles manufactured July 24, 2012, to August 29, 2014. In the affected…
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the water diverter channel. In addition, a new wiper linkage with a wiper motor crank arm will be installed. The wiper linkage will have a…
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2012 and 2013 Toyota Tacoma and Lexus RX350 vehicles and certain model year 2012 Toyota Rav4 vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the brake system contains a brake actuator that adjusts the fluid pressure of each wheel…
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and Toyota and Lexus dealers will update the software for the Skid Control electronic control unit, free of charge. The recall began on March 28, 2014. Owners may contact…
Southeast Toyota is recalling certain model year 2008 and 2010-2013 Toyota Tundra, 2010-2012 Rav4, 2012 Toyota Sequoia, 2010-2011 Toyota Corolla, 2010-2011 Toyota Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2010-2013 Toyota Highlander and Highlander Hybrid, 2010-2013 Toyota FJ…
Fix: Southeast Toyota will notify owners and provide a corrected label with instructions concerning its installation. A small group of the affected vehicles will need additonal remedies which are still…
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain models interspersed through model years 2009 through 2013 as follows: model year 2009-2012 Tacoma, 4Runner, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Prius, and RAV4; model year 2009-2010 Avalon, FJ Cruiser, and…
Fix: Southeast Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will test the sensitivity of the occupant detection sensors, and recalibrate them as necessary. The recall began on March 21, 2013. Owners may…
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 2012 Toyota RAV4 reliable?
The 2012 Toyota RAV4 drew 357 complaints in federal safety records — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Its trouble index is 33/100, scored against the model's worst year (2007).
What are the most common 2012 Toyota RAV4 problems?
The top reported problems for the 2012 Toyota RAV4 are visibility & wipers (59 complaints), speed control (49), and brakes & stability (39).
At what mileage do 2012 Toyota RAV4 problems show up?
Owners most often report 2012 Toyota RAV4 problems around 30,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 10,500 and 60,000 miles.
Does the 2012 Toyota RAV4 have recalls?
5 recall campaigns apply to the 2012 Toyota RAV4. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
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.