YearToAvoid

2006 Toyota RAV4 Structure & Body Problems

NHTSA has 28 owner complaints about body and structure problems in the 2006 Toyota RAV4, 4% of all 704 complaints for this model year. That is #7 highest body and structure complaint count among 21 RAV4 model years. These complaints report 1 crash and 1 fire. Median mileage at failure: 13,000 miles.

Structure & Body complaints
28
4% of 704
Crashes reported
1
Fires reported
1
Injuries reported
0
Median mileage
13,000 mi
Related recalls
1

When 2006 Toyota RAV4 body and structure complaints were filed

First complaint Aug 31, 2006, latest Mar 31, 2025.

2006 Toyota RAV4 structure & body complaints: complaints filed per month3Aug 2006Apr 2007Jan 2008Jan 2009Mar 2010Oct 2011Apr 2014Mar 2019
28 complaints filed with NHTSA from Aug 2006 to Mar 2025; peak Aug 2007 (3).

Structure & Body recalls for the 2006 Toyota RAV4

  1. NHTSA 16V396000Jun 2, 2016Structure & Body7,749 vehicles

    Seats:front assembly:seat heater/cooler

    Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2005-2011 4Runner, Highlander, Sequoia, and Sienna, 2005-2010 Avalon and Tundra, 2006-2008 Camry Solara, 2006-2010 Highlander hybrid, 2006-2011 Rav4 and Tacoma, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2007-2011 Camry hybrid, 2009-2010 Venza, 2010-2012 Prius, 1988-1990 and 2005-2010 Camry, and 1989 and 2009-2010 Corolla vehicles equipped with aftermarket accessory seat heaters with a copper strand heating element. The electrical wiring in the seat heaters may be damaged when the seat cushion is compressed.

    Risk: If damaged, the copper strand heating element may short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.

    Remedy: SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the seat heaters, free of charge, and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory. The recall began on July 14, 2016. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET number for this recall is SET16B.

Structure & Body complaints by RAV4 model year

Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.

  1. 20054 (3%)
  2. 200628 (4%)
  3. 200731 (3%)
  4. 200824 (4%)
  5. 200921 (6%)
  6. 201019 (5%)
  7. 201119 (7%)
  8. 201218 (7%)
  9. 201330 (12%)
  10. 201421 (11%)
  11. 201531 (10%)
  12. 201620 (8%)
  13. 201723 (7%)
  14. 201818 (5%)
  15. 2019103 (12%)
  16. 202069 (11%)
  17. 202146 (12%)
  18. 202221 (14%)
  19. 202311 (7%)
  20. 202419 (11%)
  21. 20258 (9%)

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2006 Toyota RAV4 have body and structure problems?
NHTSA has 28 owner complaints about the body and structure in the 2006 Toyota RAV4, 4% of all complaints for this model year, including 1 that report a crash. Median mileage at failure is 13,000 miles.
Which Toyota RAV4 year has the most body and structure complaints?
The 2019 Toyota RAV4 has the most body and structure complaints (103), compared with 28 for the 2006.
Is there a body and structure recall for the 2006 Toyota RAV4?
Yes — 1 NHTSA recall campaign for the 2006 Toyota RAV4 concerns the body and structure: 16V396000.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.