RoadVitals

2014 Toyota RAV4 Exterior lighting Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the exterior lighting system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Exterior lighting reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
8
Latest Nov 3, 2025
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
4%
of 196 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
1
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2014 Toyota RAV4 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 8 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming exterior lighting

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Exterior lighting
Filed Nov 3, 2025

Headlight Brightness - it's been degrading for the last 10 yrs to the point that I don't feel safe driving in the dark anymore. I've already had the lenses buffed out, but that only helped about 20%. The brightness looks like I have a dead battery (it's brand new). Not sure if this is a bulb or lens issue but it's not safe.

NHTSA ID
11697142
Incident
Jan 1, 2018
ElectricalExterior lightingVisibility
Filed Dec 28, 2023

2014 Toyota RAV4 perfectly good headlight bulb stops working on low beam selection, severely limiting visibility for night-time driving. Looks like everyone on the internet is having the same problem.

NHTSA ID
11562386
Incident
Dec 9, 2023
ElectricalExterior lighting
Filed Mar 31, 2022

Audio System, Navigation. Cannot enter and use set up Menu for Radio, CD. The Panel continuously displays the screen of the software, hardware, Entune starting and restarting.

NHTSA ID
11459056
Incident
Mar 31, 2022
ElectricalExterior lighting
Filed Jul 16, 2020

FUEL GAUGE LIGHT IS ON EMPTY BUT THE CAR HAS A FULL TANK

NHTSA ID
11339686
Incident
Jan 11, 2019
Exterior lighting
Filed Dec 11, 2019

VEHICLE WAS PARKED, JUST TURNED THE CAR FROM ENGINE ON TO OFF WITH JUST THE BATTERY ON RUNNING THE RADIO WHILE I WAS PREPARING TO EXIT THE VEHICLE. SUDDENLY THE ENTIRE RADIO SYSTEM COMPLETELY STOPPED WORKING. I LOOKED AT MY INFOTAINMENT SCREEN AND IT WAS CERTAINLY HAVING A ISSUE BECAUSE EVER SINCE THAT DAY OVER ONE YEAR AGO I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO LISTEN TO RADIO, USE GPS, USE BLUETOOTH, ETC. I BELIEVE THIS TO BE UNDER A SAFETY ISSUE DUE TO 1) LOSS OF PHONE/BLUETOOTH (USE OF MOBILE PHONES WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE IS REQUIRED IN MANY STATES TO GO THROUGH BLUETOOTH) AND I CANNOT COMPLY WITH THESE LAWS IF MY SYSTEM HAS MALFUNCTIONED, 2) I PAID FOR A VEHICLE WITH A GPS NAVIGATION FOR A REASON AND NOW I LOST THAT EXPENSIVE CAPABILITY AS WELL, 3) RADIO'S ARE USED TO KEEP THE DRIVER ALERT AND FOCUSED AND THIS WAS LOST 4) THE LOOPING SCREEN IS EXTREMELY BRIGHT, CANNOT BE DARKENED AND IMPOSSIBLE TO DRIVE AT NIGHT WITH IT. I HAVE HAD TO COMPLETELY COVER OVER MY SCREEN SO NOW IT'S LIKE I'M DRIVING A FLINTSTONES VEHICLE WITH NOTHING TECHNOLOGY WISE IN THIS $25,000 VEHICLE I PAID FOR. "TOYOTA CUSTOMER CARE CONTACT US - I CONTACTED TOYOTA VIA PHONE CALL EARLIER TODAY WITH LIMITED RESULTS, BUT LATER EMAILED TOYOTA AND PROVIDED A LINK TO THIS PAGE. THE CUSTOMER CARE REPRESENTATIVE SUGGESTED THAT ANYONE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THEIR RADIO/NAVIGATION SYSTEM SHOULD CALL AND EMAIL THEIR COMPLAINTS. TOYOTA IS NOT CURRENTLY OFFERING ANY REMEDY OR ASSISTANCE TO PREMATURELY FAILING RADIO SYSTEMS THAT ARE OUT OF WARRANTY, BUT ALL CALLS AND EMAILS ARE MONITORED AND WHEN THERE ARE MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS, TOYOTA WILL RECOGNIZE A PROBLEM AND MAY OFFER ASSISTANCE OR REIMBURSEMENT." HTTPS://WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM/TOYOTA/RAV4/2014/ACCESSORIES-INTERIOR/

NHTSA ID
11288506
Incident
Nov 1, 2018
Mileage
45,000 mi
Exterior lighting
Filed Sep 9, 2019

NAVIGATION/BLUETOOTH/MEDIA FUNCTION SCREEN NO LONGER WORKS, IT HAPPENED WHEN I STARTED IT ABOUT A MONTH AGO AT 65,750 MILES ON MY CAR. I'VE READ THAT THIS USUALLY HAPPENS AROUND 65,000 MILES TO 70,000 MILES FOR THIS MODEL AND CAN COST UP TO $2,000 TO $3,000 TO GET IT FIXED. IT STARTS OFF AS A BLACK SCREEN THEN LIGHTS UP LIKE ITS DOWNLOADING SOMETHING THEN GOES BLACK AGAIN. ITS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE DRIVING AT NIGHT OR EARLY MORNING WHEN ITS DARK NO MATTER HOW LOW OF A SETTING YOU HAVE FOR YOUR DASH LIGHTING SETTING WHEN IT LIGHTS UP ITS EXTREMEY BRIGHT. AND EVEN THOUGH I KNOW IT WILL HAPPEN IT STILL MAKE ME TAKE MY EYES OF THE ROAD TO LOOK AT IT. AND LIVING IN THE COUNTRY THAT IS A COUPLE OF SECONDS I CAN'T AFFORD, LUCKILY I HAVE YET TO HIT A DEER OR OTHER LIVING THING.

NHTSA ID
11254248
Incident
Jul 24, 2019
BrakesExterior lighting
Filed Mar 4, 2019

LEFT REAR TAIL LIGHT - WATER IS ACCUMULATING INSIDE THE TAIL LIGHT LENSE - POTENTIAL FOR ELECTRICAL SHORTAGE AND INABILITY TO WARN VEHICLES BEHIND RAV4 THAT CAR IS TURNING OR BRAKING

NHTSA ID
11183882
Incident
Mar 4, 2019
Mileage
30,000 mi
Driver assistanceElectricalExterior lighting
Filed Jan 31, 2018
Fire reported

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN THE CAR SHUT OFF COMPLETELY AND TURNED ON AND OFF REPEATEDLY, AND INSTANTANEOUS FOR A FEW SECONDS (LIKE IT WAS BLINKING) SUPER FAST. EVERYTHING WAS GOING ON AND OFF. AS I WAS PULLING ONTO THE SHOULDER FROM THE MIDDLE LANE ON THE HIGHWAY, IT SHUT OFF COMPLETELY!!! I COULDN'T EVEN PUT MY HAZARDS ON. I WAS WAITING IN THE CAR FOR A TOW TRUCK AND MY HUSBAND, I WAS WITH MY DAUGHTER. THE CAR STARTED TO SMOKE AND FLAME AND WAS ON FIRE. WE JUMPED OUT AND YET WAS UP IN FLAMES!!!!!!!

NHTSA ID
11066101
Incident
Jan 30, 2018
Mileage
57,000 mi

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.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .