2013 Toyota RAV4 EV Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2013 Toyota RAV4 EV, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Fuel system337.5%
- Driver assistance112.5%
- Electrical112.5%
- Powertrain (other)112.5%
- Seat belts112.5%
- Visibility112.5%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
FOR THE SECOND TIME IN A MONTH, MY CAR LOST DRIVE WHILE I WAS CRUISING ON THE HIGHWAY. THE CAR JUST POPPED INTO NETURAL WITH WARNING MESSAGES COMING ON THE DASH. IT APPEARS TO BE THE SAME PROBLEM THE RECALL ADDRESSED YET AFTER 3 MONTHS, THERE IS STILL NO KNOWN FIXES FOR IT. COULD YOU PLEASE HELP TOYOTA INTO PUSHING A FIX FOR IT ASAP AS THE CAR ISN'T REALLY SAFE. 3 MONTHS WAIT TO MAKE A SOFTWARE PATCH IS PATHETIC.
SEAT BELT RETRIEVAL SPRING (WEAK). I HAVE BOTH MODELS 2013 AND 2014. NEITHER MODEL HAS A STRONG RETRIEVAL SPRING, LEAVES THE MEDAL BUCKLE LOOSE AND HANGING IN DOOR JAM, IT GETS SLAMMED IN THE DOOR. WILL DEFORM AT SOME FURTHER POINT AND NOT ENGAGE. DOOR LOCKS. NOT SURE IF MANDATORY BY REGULATION, DOOR LOCKS DON'T AUTO LOCK AFTER CAR STARTS TO ROLL FORWARD. BACKUP SCREEN, JUST AS YOU START TO BACK UP AND, ON THE ROLL. THE SCREEN BLOCKS OUT THE TOP 1/3. IT CONNECTS AND TELLS YOU, YOUR BLUE TOOTH ITEMS ARE CONNECTED OR NOT. THAT MESSAGE SHOULD BE DELAYED UNTIL AFTER BEING IN REVERSE. THE TOP 1/3 OF THE SCREEN IS PRETTY IMPORTANT. ENGINE NOISE, A WINDING NOISE, ON ACCELERATION. I'LL BE IN TOUCH WITH TOYOTA ON THIS ISSUE, (TELSA MOTOR). THEY ARE AWARE OF THE ISSUE, FRIEND HAD A DRIVE UNIT REPLACED BY TOYOTA ALREADY IN NORTH NJ
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 TOYOTA RAV4 ELECTRIC VEHICLE. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE ELECTRIC WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE DECELERATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO DECELERATE WHILE THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS ENGAGED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO ANDREW TOYOTA (1620 W SILVER SPRING DRIVE, MILWAUKEE, WI 53209, (877) 308-0883), BUT THE DEALER WAS NOT ABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT A TOYOTA ENGINEER WOULD BE SENT TO THE DEALER TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 28,564.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 TOYOTA RAV4 ELECTRIC VEHICLE. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE ELECTRIC WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE DECELERATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO DECELERATE WHILE THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS ENGAGED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO ANDREW TOYOTA (1620 W SILVER SPRING DRIVE, MILWAUKEE, WI 53209, (877) 308-0883), BUT THE DEALER WAS NOT ABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT A TOYOTA ENGINEER WOULD BE SENT TO THE DEALER TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 28,564.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH IN THE HOV LANE OF THE 405 FWY, AN ERROR MESSAGE APPEARED STATING THAT THE CAR WAS IN "NEUTRAL". I TRIED TO SHIFT IT INTO "DRIVE" BUT IT WOULD NOT RESPOND. SINCE THERE WAS NO ROOM IN THE CENTER DIVIDER TO PULL OVER, I COASTED AS SAFELY AS POSSIBLE TO THE RIGHT THROUGH 5 LANES OF TRAFFIC AND STOPPED ON THE RIGHT SHOULDER. I RESTARTED THE CAR AND IT RAN FINE AFTER THAT. THERE WAS A MESSAGE INDICATING AN EV SYSTEM ERROR AND INDICATED I SHOULD IMMEDIATELY TAKE THE CAR TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, WHICH I DID. THE DEALER REPLACED THE MOTOR AND THE PROBLEM HAS NOT RETURNED. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Seat belts
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.
From owner reports, verbatim
SEAT BELT RETRIEVAL SPRING (WEAK). I HAVE BOTH MODELS 2013 AND 2014. NEITHER MODEL HAS A STRONG RETRIEVAL SPRING, LEAVES THE MEDAL BUCKLE LOOSE AND HANGING IN DOOR JAM, IT GETS SLAMMED IN THE DOOR. WILL DEFORM AT SOME FURTHER POINT AND NOT ENGAGE. DOOR LOCKS. NOT SURE IF MANDATORY BY REGULATION, DOOR LOCKS DON'T AUTO LOCK AFTER CAR STARTS TO ROLL FORWARD. BACKUP SCREEN, JUST AS YOU START TO BACK UP AND, ON THE ROLL. THE SCREEN BLOCKS OUT THE TOP 1/3. IT CONNECTS AND TELLS YOU, YOUR BLUE TOOTH ITEMS ARE CONNECTED OR NOT. THAT MESSAGE SHOULD BE DELAYED UNTIL AFTER BEING IN REVERSE. THE TOP 1/3 OF THE SCREEN IS PRETTY IMPORTANT. ENGINE NOISE, A WINDING NOISE, ON ACCELERATION. I'LL BE IN TOUCH WITH TOYOTA ON THIS ISSUE, (TELSA MOTOR). THEY ARE AWARE OF THE ISSUE, FRIEND HAD A DRIVE UNIT REPLACED BY TOYOTA ALREADY IN NORTH NJ
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
TOYOTA OF LAKE CITY (SEATTLE, WA) REFUSED TO DO, OR EVEN HELP WITH, THE NHTSA RECALL NO. 15V-577 FOR MY TOYOTA VEHICLE. BOTH THE SERVICE ADVISER AND THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME THAT THEY CAN'T AND WON'T DO THE WORK FOR THIS NATIONAL SAFETY RECALL THEY DID NOT CALL TOYOTA CORPORATE, THEY DID NOT LIFT A FINGER TO HELP GET THIS RECALL DONE FOR MY VEHICLE.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .