2015 Toyota RAV4 reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2015 Toyota RAV4 has 304 complaints with NHTSA after 12 years, or 29 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most RAV4 years here — under the median of the other years, which is 35. NHTSA has 4 recalls on file, including 12V/24V/48V battery, Electric power steering, and Trailer hitch.

2013 Toyota RAV4 — Photo by Clément Bucco-Lechat, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 3.0

Complaints

304

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (85 of 304), then Steering (46) and Engine (37). Those filings include 37 that report a crash, 41 that report a fire, 21 that report an injury, and 1 that reports a death.

Next to 2014 and 2016

The 2014 RAV4 has 197 complaints, 12 per year, and the 2016 has 238 complaints, 30 per year. The 2015 has more complaints per year than the 2014. The 2015 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2016.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2015 Toyota RAV4. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (4)

Recall electrical system, 12V/24V/48V battery 2023-11-01 · NHTSA campaign 23V734000

Summary 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 short circuit.

Remedy 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 owner notification letters will be mailed in phases, phase 2 will begin on May 14, 2025, and phase 3 in late July 2025. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 23TB13 and 23TA13.

Recall Electric power steering 2015-03-13 · NHTSA campaign 15V144000

Summary 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 have been damaged during the manufacturing process. Over time, this damage may result in failure of the electric power steering system.

Remedy 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 charge. The recall began on May 7, 2015. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.

Recall trailer hitch 2015-01-16 · NHTSA campaign 15V011000

Summary 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 detect an electrical short and preventively turn off the electrical current and the trailer lights.

Remedy 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 customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET's number for this recall is SET-15A.

Recall Equipment 2014-12-30 · NHTSA campaign 14V828000

Summary 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 other items, that were incorrectly installed. The accessory attaching fasteners were not tightened with the proper torque, possibly causing the accessory to detach from the vehicle.

Remedy 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 number for this recall is SET-14B.

Complaints by component (304 total)

Electrical system

Steering

Engine

Structure

Service brakes

Powertrain

Speed control

Air bags

Fuel and propulsion system

Exterior lighting

Seat belts

Suspension

Visibility and wipers

Electronic stability control (ESC)

Visibility

Back-over prevention

Wheels

Adaptive and mobility equipment

Equipment

Fire-related

Fuel system, gasoline

Hydraulic brakes

Show 14 more Show less

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"While driving my 2015 Toyota RAV4 XLE 2WD (2.5L, about 207,000 miles), the electric power steering assist failed instantly with no warning, making the steering wheel feel locked. At the same moment, the infotainment…"
Steering, Electrical system · filed 2026-09-19
"In July 2026, the rear power liftgate on my Toyota RAV4 suddenly stopped operating properly and would not close. I was unable to push the hatch down normally and then noticed that one of the hinges appeared bent and the…"
Structure · filed 2026-08-19
"The contact owns a 2015 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that the radio was inoperable. The contact stated that the gauges failed to properly operate. While driving 65 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality.…"
Steering, Electrical system, Back-over prevention · filed 2026-06-25
"Car’s sunroof exploded while driving, was going about 55 on the highway and I heard a loud pop followed by the sound of breaking glass which I found to be my whole sunroof exploding from the inside out. This is…"
Unknown or other · filed 2026-05-26
"Purchased less than 2 months ago from Performance Mitsubishi in Delray Beach FL. Lift gate was not opening and closing properly. Yesterday the hinges broke and lift gate won't shut. It appears there is a class action…"
Structure · filed 2026-05-19

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2015 Toyota Rav4 SUV AWD Early Release	4 stars	4 stars	5 stars	4 stars
2015 Toyota Rav4 SUV AWD Later Release	5 stars	4 stars	5 stars	4 stars
2015 Toyota Rav4 SUV FWD Early Release	4 stars	4 stars	5 stars	4 stars
2015 Toyota Rav4 SUV FWD Later Release	5 stars	4 stars	5 stars	4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim	Engine	Transmission	Drive	City	Hwy	Combined	Annual fuel cost
RAV4	2.5L, 4-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Front-wheel drive	23	30	26 MPG	$2500
RAV4 all-wheel drive	2.5L, 4-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	All-wheel drive	22	28	25 MPG	$2600
RAV4 LE/XLE	2.5L, 4-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Front-wheel drive	23	30	26 MPG	$2500
RAV4 Limited all-wheel drive	2.5L, 4-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	All-wheel drive	22	28	24 MPG	$2700

Specs and fitment

5th generation, 2013–2018

Body styles SUV

Oil 0W-20 (5W-20 acceptable if 0W-20 is unavailable) , 4.6 qt capacity

Tire size 225/65R17 (LE) to 235/55R18 (Limited/SE)

Towing capacity 1,500 lbs

Known issues for this generation

Toyota recall 23V-734 (23TA13) covers 2013–2018 RAV4 vehicles after some replacement Group 35 batteries with smaller top dimensions can shift when the hold-down clamp is not tightened correctly, allowing the positive terminal to contact the clamp and short-circuit. Toyota states that can increase fire risk; dealers replace the battery hold-down clamp, tray, and positive terminal cover at no charge. Toyota estimates about 1,854,000 U.S. vehicles are involved in the recall.

Compare

Previous year 2014 Toyota RAV4 Next year 2016 Toyota RAV4 See every Toyota RAV4 model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2015 Toyota RAV4 reliable?

What are common problems with a 2015 Toyota RAV4?

Is the 2015 Toyota RAV4 more reliable than the years next to it?

Has the 2015 Toyota RAV4 been recalled?

The 2015 Toyota RAV4 has 4 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2015 Toyota RAV4?

Owners have filed 304 complaints about the 2015 Toyota RAV4 with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2015 Toyota RAV4 get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2015 Toyota RAV4 is 25.3 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What generation is the 2017 Toyota RAV4?

5th generation (2013-2018).

What oil does a 2019 Toyota RAV4 use?

Toyota’s 2019 RAV4 maintenance guide specifies 0W-16; Toyota service bulletins list about 4.8 quarts with filter for the A25 engine family.

Does the Toyota RAV4 have a battery fire recall?

2013-2018 RAV4 models are covered by NHTSA recall 23V-734 for 12-volt battery hold-down and terminal contact issues; 2019+ models are not part of that campaign.