Toyota RAV4 Transmission / powertrain problems
0.45 vs. all vehicles Rising
166 of the 3,158 complaints about the Toyota RAV4 (5.3%) concern Transmission / powertrain, making it the model's #7 problem area. That share is 0.5× the Transmission / powertrain share across all tracked vehicles.
166Complaints · Transmission / powertrain
5.3%Share of complaints
0.45×vs. all vehicles
34Last 12 months
9.0%Share involving a crash or fire
0Related recalls
Analysis
34 Transmission / powertrain complaints were filed in the last 12 months versus 22 in the 12 months before — up 55%.
15 of these reports (9.0%) describe a crash or fire, with 6 injuries and 0 deaths mentioned.
No recall campaign addresses Transmission / powertrain for the tracked model years.
By model year
When complaints were filed
Last 12 months: 34 · Previous 12 months: 22
What owners report
The contact owns a 2024 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while driving approximately 2–4 MPH, the vehicle independently accelerated. The brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to stop as intended. The vehicle was uncontrollable.
Observed arcing noises and strong electrical fire smell upon plugging in L2 EVSE charging cable. MIL lit, Hybrid Vehicle Charging System codes active; vehicle refused to charge afterwards. Self-diagnosed and repaired defective 6.6 kW onboard charger.
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 had my dealer do an inspection.
A whining noise from a 2022 Toyota RAV4 LE transmission during acceleration often points
The contact owns a 2026 Toyota RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, where it was diagnosed with an EV inverter and transmission failure.
**VEHICLE:** 2020 Toyota RAV4 LE **VIN:** [XXX] **CURRENT MILEAGE:** 126,776 miles **PURCHASE DATE:** October 2020 **COMPONENT:** Automatic Transmission (Power Train) **PROBLEM DESCRIPTION:** On XXX, I took my 2020 Toyota RAV4 LE to a transmission specialty…
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
Related recalls
No recall campaign addresses Transmission / powertrain for the tracked model years.
Problem areas · Toyota RAV4
Related reading
- Transmission problems explained: shudder, harsh shifts, CVTs and what to test on a driveHow the main automatic transmission types fail, the symptoms owner complaints describe for each, and a practical test-drive checklist.