2015 Toyota RAV4 Problems, Recalls & Reliability
399 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2015 Toyota RAV4, alongside 4 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 49/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Electrical leads the reports, typically around 54,000 miles.
Below average
Where 2015 sits among all RAV4 years
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2015 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V734000 (Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair.…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2015 RAV4
“We were simply pulling out of our subdivision and the sunroof exploded. It was around 6pm and the temperature was about 28 degrees f.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2015 RAV4
“Steering wheel makes a strange noise when turning and the suspension seems to be off.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2015 RAV4
“Car stalled so i pulled over. There was smoking under the hood. Within minutes it turned into a big fire. Fire department had to be called.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2015 RAV4
“Brakes failed completely had to use emergency brakes to stop car on highway petal went all the way to floor tow car to dealership .checked ok to dealership" they said"”— owner report to NHTSA, 2015 RAV4
“I was entering traffic from a stop sign and collided with a black car at night time that did no have it's headlights on. City of raleigh, nc. Streets.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2015 RAV4
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 219 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 36,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 10,000 and 70,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (4)
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…
Fix: 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…
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2015 Camry, Camry Hybrid, Highlander, and Highlander Hybrid, and 2014-2015 Rav4 vehicles. A component of the electric power steering (EPS) electronic control unit (ECU) may…
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the serial number of the EPS ECU or steering column assembly. If the number is within the affected range, the EPS ECU will be replaced, free of…
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Toyota Rav4 vehicles manufactured June 1, 2013, to December 29, 2014, and equipped with an accessory trailer light module. The software within the module may incorrectly…
Fix: SET will notify owners, and dealers will replace the trailer light module with a new unit with corrected software, free of charge. The recall began on March 17, 2015. Owners may contact SET…
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Toyota 4Runner, Tacoma, FJ Cruiser, Land Cruiser, RAV4, Scion FRS, and XB vehicles. The affected vehicles may have accessories installed by SET, such as running boards or…
Fix: SET will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and tighten the affected bolts, free of charge. The recall began February 23, 2015. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET's…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 23V734.
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 2015 Toyota RAV4 reliable?
The 2015 Toyota RAV4 drew 399 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 49/100, scored against the model's worst year (2007).
What are the most common 2015 Toyota RAV4 problems?
The top reported problems for the 2015 Toyota RAV4 are electrical (91 complaints), other (66), and steering (45).
At what mileage do 2015 Toyota RAV4 problems show up?
Owners most often report 2015 Toyota RAV4 problems around 36,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 10,000 and 70,000 miles.
Does the 2015 Toyota RAV4 have recalls?
4 recall campaigns apply to the 2015 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.