NHTSA has received 37 owner complaints about the 2026 Toyota RAV4, or 37.0 per year on the road — a typical number of complaints (complaint index 0.92, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 73 model-year 2026 vehicles we track, it ranks #58 of 73 by complaints per year (#1 = fewest). Against other Toyota models its rate is 8% higher; against other Compact SUVs it is 39% lower.
Counts are normalized by time on the road, not by sales volume: a popular model generates more reports than a rare one, and complaints are not verified individually. How we count
Complaints filed between 2026-03-09 and 2026-10-12. Median delay from incident to filing: 5 days.
37Complaints
37.0Complaints per year on the road
0.92Complaint index vs. all tracked vehicles
2Recalls
8.1%Share involving a crash or fire
37Last 12 months
Analysis
The previous model year (2025) drew 58.2 complaints per year, more than this one.
The most common problem area is Unspecified or other (29.7% of complaints), followed by Driver-assist systems (13.5%) and Body & structure (13.5%). Unspecified or other complaints are 3.3 times as common here as across all tracked vehicles. 3 reports (8.1%) describe a crash or fire; owners mention 5 injuries and 0 deaths.
Half of the reported incidents happened within 6 months of the model year's start; the busiest period was the first year (100% of incidents). In the last 12 months 37 complaints were filed, versus none in the 12 months before.
On September 10th my wife and I were driving on IN-66 and a Corvette ran us off of the road. We went into a culvert, up and embankment and crashed into a tree and fence. Our speed was approximately 50 mph.
While driving my 2026 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid (VIN [XXX], approximately 354 miles on the odometer), I was involved in a frontal collision.
Electrical · 2026-08-24 · ODI 11759205 · Crash
Unexpected Automatic Emergency Braking – 2026 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid Limited While driving straight, I approached a vehicle near the exit of a residential complex.
Brakes · 2026-10-12 · ODI 11770603
Sunroof shattered without warning while driving on the highway. Loud explosion. Checked all lights. Nothing showing. Thought it might be a tire. Tires were fine. Noticed the sunroof had exploded out. Found glass on us and seats. No signs of impact or objects.
Unspecified or other · 2026-10-05 · ODI 11769041
While driving in heavy traffic, the engine shuddered then dashboard warnings: "Hybrid System Malfunction Output Power Reduced, Drive-Start Control Malfunction, AWD System Malfunction." I pulled over, parked, then the transmission wouldn't shift to drive or…
Engine · 2026-09-29 · ODI 11767909
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECU/ECM):SOFTWARE Campaign 26V659000 · 2026-10-07
Summary: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2026 RAV4 Plug-In Hybrid vehicles. The motor generator ECU may encounter an error, causing the plug-in-hybrid system to reduce power or shutdown when driven at higher speeds.
Risk: An unexpected powertrain shutdown can cause a loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will update the ECU software, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed starting November 22, 2026. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 26TA22.
Summary: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2024 Toyota Tacoma Hybrid, 2025 Tundra Hybrid, Tundra, 2026 RAV4 Hybrid, 4Runner i-Force Max Hybrid, and 4Runner vehicles. The load carrying capacity modification label may display inaccurate added weight values. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Risk: A vehicle with an incorrect maximum capacity weight value may be overloaded, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the load carrying capacity modification label, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed October 18, 2026. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 26TA18.
