Will not start because of the 12 V battery on the Toyota RAV4 and C-HR

Engine / equipment

Toyota RAV4 from 2017 to 2022 and C-HR from 2020 to 2022, all versions

Period mentioned

RAV4: 2017–2022; C-HR: 2020–2022

Symptoms

The car will not start or does not go to “Ready”; when you unlock it, the dashboard and lights come on weakly or not at all, and several warnings may appear at once. It happens mostly after a few days parked.

Possible cause described

The ADAC, the German automobile club, analyses its members’ roadside assistance call-outs every year. In its 2025 statistics it places the 2017–2022 RAV4 and the 2020–2022 C-HR among the worst in their class and, for all the Toyotas on its list, gives a faulty 12 V starter battery as the cause of the breakdowns.

Check for the garage

Measure the 12 V battery voltage and load-test it; check that the system recharges it while driving. If it is weak, replace it and ask Toyota whether there is any action for that model. If the car stays parked for days, a battery maintainer helps.

Cost cited in the source

No verified estimate; ask the garage for a quote.A rough figure from the original database, not an up-to-date quote.

Sources from the original database