2012 Toyota RAV4: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
266 NHTSA owner complaints · 5 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Reviewed by the MotorJury data desk · 2 sources · Last updated 2026-08-20
266 NHTSA owner complaints · 5 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Complaints per year on the road: 19.0
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
My vehicle is a 2012 rav 4 sport, color Barcelona Red. Said color and model has been know to have clear coat and paint issues. My vehicles clear coat and paint in the top has been peeling at an alarming rate, a year or so ago it started, but the last 6 months have been excrutiating. This problem poses a risk to me as if the issue continues on, oxidation might occur and possibly lead to holes in the surface. To other …
The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle shuddered abnormally. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local Auto Zone, where it was scanned with an OBD2 scanner and DTC: P0607, P1603, and P1604 were retrieved. The vehicle was taken t…
The small pipe that's part of the Upper Radiator Coolant Hose Connector Adapter broke off and drained coolant from the vehicle. This small pipe had deteriorated and become brittle leading to the failure.
What the community is saying right now.
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 13V123000 | Equipment:Other:Labels | Southeast Toyota is recalling certain model year 2008 and 2010-2013 Toyota Tundra, 2010-2012 Rav4, 2012 Toyota Sequoia, 2010-2011 Toyota Cor… |
| 14V054000 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Tract | Toyota is recalling certain model year 2012 and 2013 Toyota Tacoma and Lexus RX350 vehicles and certain model year 2012 Toyota Rav4 vehicles… |
| 13V014000 | Air Bags:Frontal:Sensor/Control Module-I | Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain models interspersed through model years 2009 through 2013 as follows: model ye… |
| 15V577000 | Visibility/Wiper | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2009-2012 RAV4 vehicles manufactured October 27, 2008, to … |
| 16V096000 | Seat Belts:Rear/Other | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2006-2012 RAV4 vehicles manufactured July 28, 2005, to Dec… |
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Visibility/Wiper (54 complaints in our indexed sample).
Our data verdict is CAUTION with a reliability score of 49/100, computed from 266 NHTSA complaints and 5 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
Yes — NHTSA lists 5 recall campaign(s) for the 2012 Toyota RAV4, 3 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 09/04/2013. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorComplaints & 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: 2026-08-20.