Reliable Auto DB

2020 Toyota RAV4 reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2020 Toyota RAV4 holds 634 complaints after 7 years, a rate of 82 per year. That is more complaints per year than most RAV4 years here — over the median of the other years, which is 33. NHTSA has 6 recalls on file, including Occupant classification, Frontal, and Fuel pump.

2019 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid
Photo by Matti Blume, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

634

Per year

82

Recalls

6

Years on the road

7

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (180 of 634), then Electrical system (119) and Fuel and propulsion system (90). Those filings include 17 that report a crash, 5 that report a fire, and 11 that report an injury.

Next to 2019 and 2021

The 2019 RAV4 has 877 complaints, 140 per year, and the 2021 has 385 complaints, 45 per year. The 2020 has fewer complaints per year than the 2019. The 2020 has more complaints per year than the 2021.

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 2020 Toyota RAV4. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (6)

Recall air bags, sensor, occupant classification 2023-12-20 · NHTSA campaign 23V865000
Summary Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Avalon, Avalon Hybrid, Corolla, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, RAV4, RAV4 Hybrid, Lexus ES350, Lexus RX350, Lexus RX450H, 2021 Sienna Hybrid, Lexus ES250, 2020-2022 Camry, Camry Hybrid, and ES300H vehicles. A short circuit may develop in the Occupant Classification System (OCS) sensor, preventing the front passenger air bag from deploying.
Remedy Dealers will inspect and replace the sensor as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed in February 2024. Some final remedy owner letters were mailed October 31, 2024. Letters will continue to be mailed in phases through January 2026. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 23TB15/23TA15 Lexus 23LB03/23LA03.
Recall air bags, frontal 2020-11-25 · NHTSA campaign 20V734000
Summary Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Toyota Avalon and 2020 Avalon Hybrid, RAV4, and RAV4 Hybrid vehicles. Breakaway pins within the steering column, designed to absorb energy and reduce injury during a crash, could have been damaged during production, possibly affecting the performance of the driver's air bag in the event of a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Remedy Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering column, free of charge. The recall began December 18, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 20TB17/20TA17.
Recall Fuel pump 2020-11-04 · NHTSA campaign 20V682000
Summary 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 Sequoia, 2017-2020 Sienna, 2019-2020 Tundra, 2018-2020 Lexus ES350, 2017 Lexus GS200t, 2017-2019 Lexus GS350, 2019 Lexus GS300, 2018-2020 Lexus LC500h, 2019-2020 Lexus LS500, 2018-2019 Lexus GX460, 2017 Lexus IS200t, 2019 Lexus IS300, 2019 Lexus IS350, 2018-2020 Lexus LC500, 2018 Lexus LS500, 2019 Lexus LS500h, 2018-2019 Lexus LX570, 2017 Lexus RC200t, 2019 Lexus RC300, RC350, 2017 and 2019-2020 Lexus RX350, 2018-2020 RX350L, 2019 Lexus UX200, 2018-2019 Lexus NX300 vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Remedy 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 January 21, 2021. Owners of other models will be notified as remedy parts become available. Remedy parts should be available for all affected vehicles by late March 2021. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 or Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987. Note: This recall is an expansion of recall 20V-012. Toyota's number for this recall is 20TA02. Lexus' number for this recall is 20LA01.
Recall Electric power steering 2020-06-24 · NHTSA campaign 20V373000
Summary 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 assist.
Remedy 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's number for this recall is 20TB11 / 20TA11.
Recall Front lower control arm 2020-05-20 · NHTSA campaign 20V286000
Summary 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.
Remedy 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 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's interim numbers for this recall are 20TB08 / 20TA08.
Recall Engine and engine cooling 2020-02-06 · NHTSA campaign 20V064000
Summary 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 result in cracks than can allow coolant to leak internally and/or externally.
Remedy 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 customer service at 1-888-270-9371 or Lexus at 1-800-255-3987. Toyota's number for this recall is 20TA04. Lexus' number for this recall is 20LA02.

Complaints by component (634 total)

Engine
180
Electrical system
119
Fuel and propulsion system
90
Structure
60
Air bags
55
Powertrain
38
Steering
27
Service brakes
17
Engine and engine cooling
15
Speed control
14
Forward collision avoidance
10
Lane departure
10
Suspension
9
Visibility and wipers
9
Visibility
8
Seats
6
Latches, locks, and linkages
5
Seat belts
4
Electronic stability control (ESC)
2
Exterior lighting
2
Hydraulic brakes
2
Wheels
2
Carry handle, shell, and base
1
Show 15 more Show less
Crash-flagged

17

Fire-flagged

5

Injury reports

11

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

32019146202054202142202210820231762024682025372026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "While driving on the highway, the vehicle suffered a sudden loss of engine power and went into a low-power/vapor lock state due to severe fuel starvation. This created a major safety hazard by stranding the vehicle on…"
    Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2026-09-14
  • "cracking, bending, and failing liftgate hinges and struts."
    Structure · filed 2026-09-07
  • "During summer 2026 i began to notice a noise/whine above 30mph that would only occur when foot is on accelerator. my vehicle has 83k miles on it (me being only owner with routine maintenance). as a responsible owner, i…"
    Powertrain · filed 2026-09-04
  • "The rear liftgate is no longer aligned and does not sit evenly when closed. After noticing the uneven fit, I inspected the liftgate hinges and found that both metal hinge brackets appear to be cracking and splitting at…"
    Structure · filed 2026-09-04
  • "Vehicle was parked in my garage and it was 80° outside. I was standing at the door and heard an explosion. I found out that the rear glass on my RAV4 SUV exploded. Just glad the wife or kids were not standing around the…"
    Unknown or other · filed 2026-08-28

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2020 Toyota RAV4 HYBRID SUV AWD 5 stars 4 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2020 Toyota RAV4 SUV AWD 5 stars 4 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2020 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 (8-speed) Front-wheel drive 27 35 30 MPG $2150
RAV4 2.5L, 4-cyl Automatic (8-speed) Front-wheel drive 28 35 30 MPG $2150
RAV4 all-wheel drive 2.5L, 4-cyl Automatic (8-speed) All-wheel drive 25 33 28 MPG $2300
RAV4 all-wheel drive 2.5L, 4-cyl Automatic (8-speed) All-wheel drive 27 33 29 MPG $2250
RAV4 all-wheel drive LE 2.5L, 4-cyl Automatic (8-speed) All-wheel drive 27 34 30 MPG $2150
RAV4 all-wheel drive TRD OFFROAD 2.5L, 4-cyl Automatic (8-speed) All-wheel drive 25 32 27 MPG $2400
RAV4 hybrid all-wheel drive 2.5L, 4-cyl Automatic (AV-S6) All-wheel drive 41 38 40 MPG $1600

Specs and fitment

6th generation, 2019–present
Body styles SUV
Oil 0W-16 , 4.8 qt capacity
Tire size 225/65R17 (LE) to 235/55R19 (Limited/Adventure)
Towing capacity 1,500 lbs

Known issues for this generation

NHTSA recall 20V-682 (Toyota campaign 20TA02) covers certain 2019–2020 Toyota RAV4 vehicles whose low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail. Toyota states a failed pump can stall the engine while driving, increasing crash risk; dealers replace the pump assembly with an improved unit at no charge. The campaign also lists many other Toyota and Lexus models, and NHTSA’s acknowledgment letter cites about 1,517,721 units across the expanded recall population.

Compare

Previous year 2019 Toyota RAV4 Next year 2021 Toyota RAV4 See every Toyota RAV4 model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2020 Toyota RAV4 reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2020 Toyota RAV4 holds 634 complaints after 7 years, a rate of 82 per year. That is more complaints per year than most RAV4 years here — over the median of the other years, which is 33. NHTSA has 6 recalls on file, including Occupant classification, Frontal, and Fuel pump.

What are common problems with a 2020 Toyota RAV4?

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (180 of 634), then Electrical system (119) and Fuel and propulsion system (90). Those filings include 17 that report a crash, 5 that report a fire, and 11 that report an injury.

Is the 2020 Toyota RAV4 more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2019 RAV4 has 877 complaints, 140 per year, and the 2021 has 385 complaints, 45 per year. The 2020 has fewer complaints per year than the 2019. The 2020 has more complaints per year than the 2021.

Has the 2020 Toyota RAV4 been recalled?

The 2020 Toyota RAV4 has 6 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 2020 Toyota RAV4?

Owners have filed 634 complaints about the 2020 Toyota RAV4 with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2020 Toyota RAV4 get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2020 Toyota RAV4 is 30.6 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.