2013 Toyota RAV4 EV: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
5 NHTSA owner complaints · 3 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Owner complaints: 5 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 0.38
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 toyota rav4 electric vehicle. while driving 55 mph, the electric warning indicator illuminated and the vehicle decelerated. the contact stated that the vehicle continued to decelerate while the accelerator pedal was engaged. the contact was able to drive the vehicle to andrew toyota (1620 w silver spring drive, milwaukee, wi 53209, (877) 308-0883), but the dealer was not able to diagnose t…
Toyota of lake city (seattle, wa) refused to do, or even help with, the nhtsa recall no. 15v-577 for my toyota vehicle. both the service adviser and the service manager told me that they can't and won't do the work for this national safety recall they did not call toyota corporate, they did not lift a finger to help get this recall done for my vehicle.
For the second time in a month, my car lost drive while i was cruising on the highway. the car just popped into netural with warning messages coming on the dash. it appears to be the same problem the recall addressed yet after 3 months, there is still no known fixes for it. could you please help toyota into pushing a fix for it asap as the car isn't really safe. 3 months wait to make a software patch is pathetic…
Recalls: 3 campaigns (1 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 15V143000 | Hybrid Propulsion System | Toyota Motor Engineering & manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2012-2014 Rav4 EV vehicles manufactured July 24, 2012, to August 29, 2014. Due to a software issue within a component of the Electric Vehicle Traction Motor Assembly, the electric propulsion motor may shift to "neutral" resulting in a possible loss of drive power. |
| 15V577000 | Visibility/Wiper | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2009-2012 RAV4 vehicles manufactured October 27, 2008, to December 19, 2012 and 2012-2014 RAV4 EV vehicles manufactured July 24, 2012, to August 29, 2014. In the affected vehicles, water may drip onto the joint that connects the wiper linkage to the wiper motor. |
| 16V096000 | Seat Belts:Rear/Other | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2006-2012 RAV4 vehicles manufactured July 28, 2005, to December 19, 2012, and 2012-2014 RAV4 EV vehicles manufactured July 24, 2012, to August 29, 2014. In the event of a frontal collision, the rear seat belts for the outboard seats may be cut by the seat cushion frame. |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a compact SUV of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 76 MPGe · estimated annual energy cost $1,000 · EPA range 103 mi
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Fuel/Propulsion System3 complaints · typical job: Fuel pump or injector replacement (3.5 h labour + parts)$680–$1,620
- Electrical System1 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Vehicle Speed Control1 complaints · typical job: Throttle body, pedal sensor or cruise module replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$520–$1,150
- Visibility/Wiper1 complaints · typical job: Wiper motor, linkage or windscreen replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$490–$1,200
- Seat Belts1 complaints · typical job: Pretensioner or retractor replacement (1.5 h labour + parts)$360–$800
- Unknown Or Other1 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2013 Toyota RAV4 EV?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Fuel/Propulsion System (3 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2013 Toyota RAV4 EV a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 90/100, computed from 5 NHTSA complaints and 3 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2013 Toyota RAV4 EV's most common problem?
3 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2013 Toyota RAV4 EV sit in the Fuel/Propulsion System group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is fuel pump or injector replacement: about 3.5 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $680–$1,620 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2013 Toyota RAV4 EV cost to run per year?
About $3,357 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $16,785 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2013 Toyota RAV4 EV have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 3 recall campaign(s) for the 2013 Toyota RAV4 EV, 1 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 13/03/2015. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
What will a 2013 Toyota RAV4 EV really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Thin evidence — 5 complaints, 3 recalls on record
- 5 NHTSA complaints on record (0.4/yr of exposure) — better than a typical year of this model (8.0/yr)
- 3 recall campaigns, 1 touching safety-critical systems
- Thin complaint record — this score is held close to the model's own average rather than read as evidence of quality