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Emergency

Before you buy a used Toyota RAV4 (IV).

2013–2018 · Petrol / Hybrid / Diesel · 3 engines

Taken only from Testigo's sourced sheets. Use it to question the seller and on the test drive: it does not confirm that any particular car is affected.

Toyota RAV4 (IV), real photo of this generation
Throwawayacc222 · CC0 1.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Photo source

The essentials.

Typical faults by engine

The period and mileage are those mentioned by each sheet's sources. They are not a maintenance interval and do not predict that any particular car will fail.

All versions

Sheets the catalogue links to all 3 of its engines.

2.0 VVT-i · 2.0 / 2.2 D-4D

2.0 VVT-i (Petrol) · 2.0 / 2.2 D-4D (Diesel)

We have no faults specific to this engine, only those common to every version.

2.5 Hybrid

Hybrid

Which engine has the fewest documented faults?

Documented faults and recalls by engine for the Toyota RAV4 (IV)
EngineDocumented faultsRecalls
2.0 VVT-iPetrolFewest documented33 with conditions3
2.5 HybridHybrid43 with conditions3
2.0 / 2.2 D-4DDieselFewest documented33 with conditions3

According to the data we have, the engines with the fewest documented faults are: 2.0 VVT-i (Petrol), 2.0 / 2.2 D-4D (Diesel).

By fuel type, the ones with the fewest documented faults are: Petrol, Diesel.

We only count the sourced sheets we have. An engine with fewer is not guaranteed to be more reliable: it may have been studied less or sold in smaller numbers.

Official recalls: ask before you pay

A recall existing does not mean this car is affected or that it is still outstanding: it depends on the chassis number, the market and the production date.

  1. Ask the seller for the chassis number (VIN): it has 17 characters, appears in the car's documents and can usually also be seen at the base of the windscreen.
  2. Ask an official Toyota dealer, or the brand's official website if it lets you check by chassis number, whether each recall has been done or is still outstanding for that VIN.
  3. Manufacturer recalls are normally carried out free of charge by the official service network. If one is outstanding, ask for it to be done before you close the sale.
Toyota fuel-system recalls (2002–2026)Fuel system

How to check it: Check by VIN whether any of the recalls is outstanding (at the dealer or on the DVSA website) and carry out the inspection or replacement it requires.

View full entry
Toyota engine, transmission and software recalls (2002–2026)Powertrain and engine management

How to check it: Check by VIN whether any of the recalls is outstanding (at the dealer or on the DVSA website) and carry out the inspection or replacement it requires.

View full entry
Toyota other recalls (2019–2022)Bodywork

How to check it: Check by VIN whether any of the recalls is outstanding (at the dealer or on the DVSA website) and carry out the inspection or replacement it requires.

View full entry

On the test drive: what to look and listen for

Taken from each sheet's symptoms and checks. You can tick off what you have already looked at: it is saved only in this browser.

0 of 4 checked

High-voltage battery

  • Look out for: Hybrid battery cooling maintenance message, warning light with codes P0A80 or P0A7F, a noisy fan and less electric assistance; if ignored, the battery ages faster.

    Ask them to check: Clean or replace the filter and clean the fan before condemning the battery; keep the intake grille clear. At the garage, read the codes and, if needed, install the software Toyota specifies.

Brakes

  • Look out for: Vibration in the steering wheel and the pedal when braking, even gently and at any speed, often shortly after wheels, pads or discs were changed.

    Ask them to check: Ask the garage to loosen and re-tighten the nuts with a torque wrench, to the manual's torque and in a star pattern, and to measure whether the discs have been left warped; if so, they will need skimming or replacing.

Known weak points

  • Look out for: A water pump that leaks or fails and some oil loss on the 2.0 petrol; an insufficient or one-sided handbrake already at the first roadworthiness test; headlamps; a sluggish torque converter in the automatic; leaking differentials.

    Ask them to check: Check every campaign by VIN; check the handbrake and coolant.

Electrical and electronic systems

  • Look out for: 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.

    Ask them to check: 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.

OBD codes worth looking for

If they let you read the fault memory with an OBD reader, these are the codes mentioned in this model's sheets:

P0A80P0A7F

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from these Testigo sheets and their original sources. Sources are not checked in real time.

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