2019 Toyota RAV4 Problems, Recalls & Reliability
1,177 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2019 Toyota RAV4, alongside 7 recall campaigns and 0 defect investigations. It scores 81/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Fuel system leads the reports, typically around 2,500 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 2019 Toyota RAV4 sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings. Quieter picks in the same family: 1996–2000, 2004–2005, 2022.
Avoid
Where 2019 sits among all RAV4 years
What owners report
“Fuel tank will not fill to full (14.5 gal) capacity. Fuel tank will only accept 10.5 gals.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2019 RAV4
“Engine light came on for the engine Coolant bypass valve. Common problem. Toyota wants 800$ to repair.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2019 RAV4
“My roof rails are leaking in the A frame, causing roof to be wet , possible damage to airbags and corrosion of electrical components. Toyota has came out with a replacement part to fix what’s causing the leak in the roof rails ,so they know there is a issue”— owner report to NHTSA, 2019 RAV4
“While driving or stopped at a light, car will switch drivings modes to “mud and sand” turning off the vehicle stability control and pre-collision system warning light will illuminate. After pressing desired mode, car will switch back to “mud and sand” at varying intervals resulting in me pressing…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2019 RAV4
“The roof of my SUV is leaking and it’s leaking into my two airbags. There’s a sunroof and the roof rack”— owner report to NHTSA, 2019 RAV4
“A very significant "lurching" almost"stalling" is very apparent as the complaints indicate. In addition, the transmission starts in 4th gear...not 1st gear from a dead stop. I would consider this a safety issue. Has been an issue from day 1 of car purchase. Vehicle now has 22,000 miles on it”— owner report to NHTSA, 2019 RAV4
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 304 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 6,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 2,300 and 25,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (7)
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018-2019 4Runner, 2019-2020 Avalon, 2019 Corolla Hatchback, 2017-2019 Highlander, 2018-2020 Camry, 2020 Corolla, 2018-2019 Land Cruiser, 2017-2020 Tacoma, 2019-2020 RAV4, 2019-2020…
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump assembly with an improved one, free of charge. Owners of specific models were notified that remedy parts were available starting…
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2019-2020 RAV4 and 2020 RAV4 Hybrid vehicles equipped with electric power steering (EPS). Water may enter through the steering gear box cover and cause a loss of electric power steering…
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the power steering gear box, free of charge. The recall began August 17, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371.…
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2019-2020 RAV4 and RAV4 Hybrid vehicles. The front lower suspension arms may have cracks, which may result in the suspension arm separating from the front wheel assembly.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace both front lower suspension arms, free of charge. This recall began August 10, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at…
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020 Toyota Avalon Hybrid, Camry, Camry Hybrid and Lexus ES300h and 2019-2020 RAV4 and RAV4 Hybrid vehicles equipped with 2.5L 4-Cylinder engines. Porosity in the engine castings may…
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the engine including the engine block, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began April 3, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota…
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2019 RAV4 and RAV4 Hybrid vehicles. Due to a damaged electrical connector, the back-up camera may not activate when the vehicle is in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply to…
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the back-up camera system and replace the audio display unit, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began September 27, 2019. Owners may…
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…
Fix: 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…
Gulf States Toyota (GST) is recalling certain 2019 C-HR, 4Runner, Avalon, Avalon Hybrid, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Highlander, Land Cruiser, Prius, RAV4, Sequoia, Tacoma, Sienna, Tundra and Yaris vehicles. The text on the load capacity label may become illegible.…
Fix: GST will notify owners, and dealers will provide corrected load carrying capacity modification labels, free of charge. The recall began May 24, 2019. Owners may contact GST customer service at…
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 2019 Toyota RAV4 reliable?
The 2019 Toyota RAV4 drew 1,177 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 81/100, scored against the model's worst year (2007).
What are the most common 2019 Toyota RAV4 problems?
The top reported problems for the 2019 Toyota RAV4 are fuel system (268 complaints), engine (211), and other (180).
At what mileage do 2019 Toyota RAV4 problems show up?
Owners most often report 2019 Toyota RAV4 problems around 6,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 2,300 and 25,000 miles.
Does the 2019 Toyota RAV4 have recalls?
7 recall campaigns apply to the 2019 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.