YearToAvoid

2010 Toyota RAV4 Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Caution

Complaint Index

67/100

#6 most-complained of 16 RAV4 years

The 2010 Toyota RAV4 has a Complaint Index of 67 and ranks 6th worst of 16 model years, earning a Caution verdict. NHTSA lists 398 complaints, 14 recalls, and suspension/wheels/tires as the top problem area at 29% of complaints.

Complaints
398
Recalls
14
Crashes / fires
57 / 3
Injuries / deaths
27 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
23
20 city / 27 hwy

Top 2010 Toyota RAV4 problems

NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Suspension, Wheels & Tires115 (29%)
  2. Engine107 (27%)
  3. Brakes39 (10%)
  4. Other38 (10%)
  5. Transmission & Powertrain38 (10%)
  6. Airbags28 (7%)
  7. Visibility & Wipers24 (6%)
  8. Fuel System20 (5%)
  9. Structure & Body19 (5%)
  10. Seat Belts18 (5%)

What owners report

  • Owners describe sudden unintended acceleration at low speeds, such as in parking lots or while braking to park, leading to low-speed crashes.
  • Some report the brake pedal seizing or feeling stuck, resulting in a complete loss of braking and a rear-end collision.
  • Airbags reportedly failed to deploy during moderate-speed collisions, including a deer strike and a swerve to avoid a head-on crash, leading to injuries.
  • One report describes an airbag catching fire after deployment during a side-impact crash.
  • A structure and body complaint describes the vehicle accelerating uncontrollably while parking, only stopping after hitting a pole and turning off the ignition.
2010 Toyota RAV4 complaints: complaints filed per quarter312010 Q12012 Q12014 Q12016 Q12018 Q12020 Q12022 Q32025 Q3
482 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2010 Q1 to 2026 Q2; peak 2010 Q1 (31).

2010 Toyota RAV4 recalls

14 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 16V596000Aug 12, 2016Suspension, Wheels & Tires337,449 vehicles

    Suspension:rear

    Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2006-2011 Toyota RAV4 vehicles manufactured October 31, 2005, to September 7, 2010, and 2010 Lexus HS250h vehicles manufactured July 6, 2009, to August 26, 2010. The affected vehicles have rear suspension arms (rear tie rods) with adjusting lock nuts that may have been improperly tightened after servicing. As a result of being loose, the arm may have thread damage and may rust, possibly leading to the failure of the arm and an abrupt change in the vehicle's alignment.

    Risk: Failure of the rear tie rod could cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Remedy: Toyota will notify owners and dealers will replace both rear suspension arms and encapsulate the locknuts, free of charge. The recall began on September 30, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are G0V for Toyota vehicles and GLK for Lexus vehicles. Note: This recall supersedes recall 13V-383, in which some vehicles were only inspected, sealed, and did not have both arms replaced. The affected vehicles were previously recalled under 13V-383, but did not have both rear suspension arms replaced at that time. Those vehicles need to have both arms replaced as part of this recall remedy.

  2. 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.

  3. NHTSA 16V096000Feb 19, 2016Seat Belts1,123,752 vehicles

    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.

    Risk: A cut seat belt may not properly restrain the seat occupant, increasing their risk of injury in a crash.

    Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will install a protector over both rear seat cushion frames, free of charge. The recall began on June 24, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is G0F.

See all 14 recalls for the 2010 Toyota RAV4 →

2010 Toyota RAV4 fuel economy and fuel cost

City
20 MPG
Highway
27 MPG
Combined
23 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$2,825
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Regular
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2010 compared with other RAV4 years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2010Caution673981423
2011Good332871122.5
2012Best7260523

All Toyota RAV4 years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2010 Toyota RAV4 reliable?
Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2010 RAV4 has a Complaint Index of 67 and ranks 6th worst out of 16 model years, giving it a Caution verdict relative to other RAV4 years.
What is the biggest problem area for the 2010 Toyota RAV4?
Suspension, wheels, and tires make up 29% of complaints (115 of 398), followed by engine issues at 27% (107 complaints), according to NHTSA data.
Does the 2010 Toyota RAV4 have a suspension recall?
Yes. NHTSA recall 16V596000 covers rear suspension arm replacement, and recall 13V383000 addresses rear wheel alignment nut corrosion on 2006-2011 RAV4 models.
How many recalls does the 2010 Toyota RAV4 have?
NHTSA lists 14 recalls for the 2010 Toyota RAV4, none of which are do-not-drive recalls.
What is the fuel economy of the 2010 Toyota RAV4?
The EPA rates the 2010 RAV4 at 23 mpg combined (20 city / 27 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,825.

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.