Toyota RAV4: FAQs

Toyota has a reputation for building reliable vehicles, and while the Toyota RAV4 rates highly for customer satisfaction, the sheer complexity of modern cars means problems will always occur.

Over 100,000 Toyota RAV4 vehicles sold between 2005 and 2012 were recalled in Australia due to potentially faulty rear seatbelts, while another 66,000 RAV4s sold between 2005 and 2010 had a rear suspension issue.

More recently, the 2020 RAV4 was recalled due to a front suspension issue.

The Toyota RAV4 is known to be one of the most reliable vehicles in its segment, with more than 10 million sold globally.

That doesn’t mean it’s immune to issues – no vehicle is.

Several Toyota RAV4 recalls have been issued relating to suspension and fuel-injector concerns over the decades, but based on 69 owner reviews for vehicles built between 1995 and 2017 at carsales.com.au, the SUV’s average score was 4.3 out of 5 – a very positive result.

Both the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 vehicles are good, reliable, feature-packed mid-sized SUVs.

The Toyota RAV4 is usually rated slightly higher in reviews, both from critics and owners, and it also has better resale value and is cheaper to service.

In its most recent model generation, the RAV4 has more safety tech across the range and more interior room and boot space, but it all depends on personal preference.

In carsales’ recent comparison test of base-model Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V variants, the Toyota won by a significant margin.

The Toyota RAV4 – which stands for ‘Recreational Active Vehicle’ with 4WD – was first launched in 1994 and has a reputation as a reliable, well-equipped and safe SUV, passing the 10 million mark for global sales in 2020.

The Toyota RAV4’s popularity is partly due to the Toyota badge – which means its well-built and affordable to own – but also because it offers a variety of model grades, powertrains and drivelines (including two-wheel drive), but not so many as to be confusing for buyers.

More recent models come with all the latest safety and multimedia technology, plus more passenger and cargo space than ever before.

The addition of a hybrid powertrain has also added to the popularity of the Toyota RAV4 as hybrid technology is not common in the affordable family SUV marketplace.