Reliable Auto DB

2016 Toyota RAV4 reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 238 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Toyota RAV4 over 11 years — 30 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 3 recalls on file, including 12V/24V/48V battery, Tires, and Antilock and traction control.

2016 Toyota RAV4 XLE
Photo by MercurySable99, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

238

Per year

30

Recalls

3

Years on the road

11

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (58 of 238), then Service brakes (44) and Exterior lighting (28). Those filings include 33 that report a crash, 12 that report a fire, and 21 that report an injury.

Next to 2015 and 2017

The 2015 RAV4 has 304 complaints, 29 per year, and the 2017 has 307 complaints, 33 per year. The 2016 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2015. The 2016 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2017.

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 2016 Toyota RAV4. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (3)

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 Tires 2016-04-22 · NHTSA campaign 16V236000
Summary Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2016 Toyota Yaris, Rav4, Land Cruiser and 4Runner vehicles, and Scion FR-S, iM, and TC vehicles manufactured January 28, 2016, to March 14, 2016. The Load Carrying Capacity Modification Label may not reflect the correct added weight of the installed accessories. As a result, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims for Passenger Cars."
Remedy SET will notify owners, and provide them a corrected label to be installed over the inaccurate label, free of charge. The recall began on June 3, 2016. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET's number for this recall is SET16A.
Recall hydraulic brakes, antilock and traction control 2016-04-07 · NHTSA campaign 16V198000
Summary Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2016 Toyota RAV4 vehicles manufactured October 30, 2015, to February 3, 2016, 2016 Lexus RX350 vehicles manufactured October 26, 2015, to February 8, 2016, and 2016 Lexus ES350 vehicles manufactured September 1, 2015, to February 29, 2016. These vehicles are equipped with an ABS actuator that may have a damaged O-ring which could result in improper brake fluid pressure control during ABS, Traction Control, or Stability Control activation. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 126, "Electronic Stability Control Systems."
Remedy Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the brake actuator, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on May 4, 2016, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is G0I, GLC.

Complaints by component (238 total)

Electrical system
58
Service brakes
44
Exterior lighting
28
Engine
24
Air bags
19
Structure
15
Speed control
12
Visibility and wipers
12
Powertrain
11
Steering
10
Fuel and propulsion system
4
Visibility
4
Electronic stability control (ESC)
3
Latches, locks, and linkages
3
Forward collision avoidance
2
Hydraulic brakes
2
Lane departure
2
Seat belts
2
Seats
2
Suspension
2
Back-over prevention
1
Fuel system, gasoline
1
Tires
1
Show 15 more Show less
Crash-flagged

33

Fire-flagged

12

Injury reports

21

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

34201632201725201824201918202020202117202215202327202418202582026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "I was driving 9/3 and my left blinker light came on solid. I was not using my blinker. Within a few seconds my check engine light came on and another light. Then within 2 minutes the front left engine/tire caught fire."
    Electrical system, Structure, Lane departure · filed 2026-09-03
  • "​"The red master warning triangle and an 'SRS Airbag System Malfunction' message illuminated unexpectedly on the dashboard of my 2016 Toyota Rav4 XLE under normal driving conditions. I contacted a certified Toyota…"
    Air bags · filed 2026-08-30
  • "The repair shop I was able to pull into as I was experiencing the issue with my vehicle reported: "Battery is unstable and is arcing off of the positive terminal. Battery tray, battery hold down tie, and battery j hook…"
    Electrical system · filed 2026-08-14
  • "Intermittent stalling in various conditions including idling, highway driving and city driving."
    Electrical system, Engine · filed 2026-07-16
  • "I am filing a complaint regarding Toyota sending out letters to RAV4 owners reference factory paint peeling. The letter stated, “Customer Support Program Notification Paint Peeling (Vehicles Painted with factory-applied…"
    Unknown or other · filed 2026-06-15

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2016 Toyota Rav4 SUV AWD 5 stars 4 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2016 Toyota Rav4 SUV FWD 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 29 25 MPG $2600
RAV4 all-wheel drive 2.5L, 4-cyl Automatic (6-speed) All-wheel drive 22 28 25 MPG $2600
RAV4 hybrid all-wheel drive 2.5L, 4-cyl Automatic (AV-S6) All-wheel drive 34 30 32 MPG $2050
RAV4 LE/XLE 2.5L, 4-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Front-wheel drive 23 30 26 MPG $2500
RAV4 Limited all-wheel drive/SE 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 2015 Toyota RAV4 Next year 2017 Toyota RAV4 See every Toyota RAV4 model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2016 Toyota RAV4 reliable?

Owners have filed 238 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Toyota RAV4 over 11 years — 30 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 3 recalls on file, including 12V/24V/48V battery, Tires, and Antilock and traction control.

What are common problems with a 2016 Toyota RAV4?

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (58 of 238), then Service brakes (44) and Exterior lighting (28). Those filings include 33 that report a crash, 12 that report a fire, and 21 that report an injury.

Is the 2016 Toyota RAV4 more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2015 RAV4 has 304 complaints, 29 per year, and the 2017 has 307 complaints, 33 per year. The 2016 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2015. The 2016 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2017.

Has the 2016 Toyota RAV4 been recalled?

The 2016 Toyota RAV4 has 3 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 2016 Toyota RAV4?

Owners have filed 238 complaints about the 2016 Toyota RAV4 with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2016 Toyota RAV4 get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2016 Toyota RAV4 is 26.4 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.