YearToAvoid

2017 Toyota RAV4 Engine Problems

NHTSA lists 46 engine-area complaints for the 2017 Toyota RAV4, 15% of all 307 complaints for the year. Fires were reported 14 times and crashes 7 times, with a median failure mileage of 26,095. No related recalls are listed in this data.

Engine complaints
46
15% of 307
Crashes reported
7
Fires reported
14
Injuries reported
5
Median mileage
26,096 mi
Related recalls
0

Typical engine symptoms owners report

  • Owners describe smoke and flames coming from under the hood while driving at low to moderate speeds, sometimes leading to the vehicle being destroyed by fire.
  • Several drivers report the engine stalling or the vehicle losing power unexpectedly, in one case at 10 MPH with no warning light before smoke appeared.
  • Some complaints describe sudden unintended acceleration while stopped or slowing down, including one incident where the vehicle lurched into a lamp pole after being shifted into drive.
  • A few owners report vehicles catching fire while parked and unattended, with fire investigators unable to pinpoint a cause in at least one case.
  • One complaint describes clicking noises from the engine area shortly before other issues developed, despite the vehicle having low mileage and a maintained service history.

When 2017 Toyota RAV4 engine complaints were filed

First complaint Dec 28, 2016, latest Aug 29, 2026.

2017 Toyota RAV4 engine complaints: complaints filed per month3Dec 2016Jul 2018May 2020Mar 2021May 2022Jul 2023Dec 2023Dec 2025
46 complaints filed with NHTSA from Dec 2016 to Aug 2026; peak Dec 2017 (3).

Engine recalls for the 2017 Toyota RAV4

No safety recalls on record for this model year.

Engine complaints by RAV4 model year

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

  1. 2010107 (27%)
  2. 201198 (34%)
  3. 201269 (27%)
  4. 201345 (18%)
  5. 201438 (19%)
  6. 201556 (18%)
  7. 201636 (15%)
  8. 201746 (15%)
  9. 201850 (15%)
  10. 2019239 (27%)
  11. 2020205 (32%)
  12. 202146 (12%)
  13. 202234 (23%)
  14. 202332 (21%)
  15. 202446 (26%)
  16. 202518 (21%)

Frequently asked questions

How many engine complaints does the 2017 Toyota RAV4 have?
NHTSA lists 46 engine-area complaints for the 2017 RAV4, which is 15% of the 307 total complaints filed for that model year.
Is there a recall for the 2017 Toyota RAV4 engine or fire issue?
This data shows no related recalls listed for the 2017 RAV4 engine-area complaints, though multiple fire incidents were reported to NHTSA.
At what mileage do 2017 RAV4 engine problems typically show up?
The median mileage at failure among the reported engine-area complaints is 26,095 miles.
How serious are the reported 2017 RAV4 engine problems?
Among the 46 engine-area complaints, owners reported 14 fires, 7 crashes, and 5 injuries.

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.