2018 Toyota RAV4 Problems, Recalls & Reliability
Verdict
GoodComplaint Index
47/100
#9 most-complained of 16 RAV4 years
The 2018 Toyota RAV4 has a complaint index of 47 and ranks 9th worst out of 16 model years, earning a "Good" verdict relative to other RAV4 years. NHTSA lists 331 complaints and 3 recalls, with Electrical System issues making up 45% of complaints.
- Complaints
- 331
- Recalls
- 3
- Crashes / fires
- 31 / 32
- Injuries / deaths
- 18 / 0
- NHTSA overall rating
- 5 / 5 ★
- EPA combined MPG
- 25
- 22.5 city / 28.5 hwy
Top 2018 Toyota RAV4 problems
NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Electrical System149 (45%)
- Other72 (22%)
- Engine50 (15%)
- Brakes31 (9%)
- Transmission & Powertrain26 (8%)
- Visibility & Wipers21 (6%)
- Structure & Body18 (5%)
- Airbags16 (5%)
- Fuel System12 (4%)
- Steering11 (3%)
What owners report
- Owners report the 12-volt battery moving in its tray and causing electrical shorts, smoke, or fires under the hood, sometimes while parked or idling.
- Some drivers describe the engine shutting down unexpectedly at low speed, followed by a fire starting near the battery area.
- Several complaints describe braking failure or unintended acceleration when trying to stop, including one case where automatic braking engaged but did not stop the vehicle in time.
- A few owners report airbags failing to deploy during collisions, with one complaint noting an airbag system error code after a multi-car crash.
- One owner reported a fire starting in the engine compartment after being cut off in traffic, with the vehicle shutting down and losing steering control.
2018 Toyota RAV4 recalls
3 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 23V734000Nov 1, 2023Electrical System1,853,568 vehicles
Electrical system:12v/24v/48v battery
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2013-2018 RAV4 vehicles. Certain replacement 12-volt batteries may not fit properly in the battery tray, allowing the battery to move and contact the hold-down bracket, possibly causing a short circuit.
Risk: A battery short circuit increases the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the battery clamp sub-assembly, battery tray, and positive terminal cover, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed December 27, 2024, to 2013-2014 RAV4 owners. Additional owner notification letters will be mailed in phases, phase 2 will begin on May 14, 2025, and phase 3 in late July 2025. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 23TB13 and 23TA13.
- NHTSA 19V503000Jun 28, 2019Other1,325 vehicles
Equipment:other:labels
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Toyota Camry, Corolla, Rav4, Sienna, and Yaris iA vehicles equipped with factory-installed floor mats. The load carrying capacity modification label may be incorrect. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Risk: An incorrect label may lead to unintentionally overloading the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: SET will notify owners and provide a corrected label for placement over the inaccurate label, free of charge. The recall began August 23, 2019. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. SET's number for this recall is SET19A.
- NHTSA 17V831000Dec 20, 2017Other649 vehicles
Equipment:other:labels
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Toyota 4Runner and Tundra, 2018 Toyota Highlander, RAV4 and Lexus GX460 and 2017 Toyota Sienna and Tacoma vehicles. These vehicles may have incorrect load carrying capacity modification labels. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Risk: An incorrect load information label can result in the operator overloading the vehicle and increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners and provide them with corrected labels, free of charge. The recall began on January 23, 2018. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are H0Z for Toyota vehicles, and HLF for Lexus vehicles.
2018 Toyota RAV4 fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 22.5 MPG
- Highway
- 28.5 MPG
- Combined
- 25 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $2,600
- 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.
2018 compared with other RAV4 years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2018 Toyota RAV4 reliable?
- Compared to other RAV4 model years, the 2018 RAV4 ranks 9th worst out of 16 years tracked, with a complaint index of 47 and a "Good" verdict. It performs better than the 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2024 model years, which are rated "Avoid."
- What are the most common problems with the 2018 RAV4?
- Electrical System issues account for 45% of complaints (149 complaints), including battery and fire-related reports. Engine problems make up 15% and Brakes make up 9% of complaints.
- Does the 2018 RAV4 have any recalls?
- NHTSA lists 3 recalls for the 2018 RAV4, covering a 12-volt battery tray fitment issue, a load carrying capacity label correction, and a labeling correction shared with several other Toyota models. None are do-not-drive recalls.
- How many complaints and fires are reported for the 2018 RAV4?
- NHTSA has recorded 331 complaints for the 2018 RAV4, including 32 fire reports, 31 crashes, and 18 injuries, with no deaths reported.
- How does the 2018 RAV4 compare to the 2019 RAV4?
- The 2018 RAV4 has a complaint index of 47 and a "Good" verdict, while the 2019 RAV4 has a much higher complaint index of 100 and an "Avoid" verdict, with 878 total complaints.