2017 Toyota RAV4 Problems

2017 Toyota RAV4 problems owners report most

2017 Toyota RAV4 problems are documented in public: owners have filed 307 complaints with NHTSA, the earliest in 2016 and the most recent in 2026. Sorting those by the component the filer named puts the electrical system clearly first, at 108 of the 307 complaints, close to a third of everything filed.

A complaint is not a repair bill and not a defect finding. It is one owner telling the regulator something went wrong. What makes the count useful is the concentration: when one component takes 35 per cent of everything filed on a car, the pattern is doing more than chance.

Against the 2016 car, this model year has drawn 28 per cent more complaints (307 against 239). Both years are led by the electrical system, so this is a fault that carried over rather than one introduced with the 2017 car. A rise is worth more attention than a fall here, because a newer car has had fewer years on the road to accumulate reports.

Of those complaints, 33 describe a crash and 24 describe a fire. Filers reported 28 injuries. 2 complaints report a death.

Recalls on the 2017 Toyota RAV4

A recall means the manufacturer or the regulator found a safety defect, and the repair is free at a franchised dealer however old the car is. There are 3 recalls on this model year. Your own car may be covered by some, all or none of them, so check the VIN rather than the model.

In owners own words

These are complaints filed about the electrical system, quoted as written. They are one persons account rather than a diagnosis, and they are here because a symptom described by a driver is easier to recognise than a component name.

I bought my Rav4 in September of 2017 brand new and within 6 months I had a dead battery needing replacement so I replaced it via AAA. Since then, I have had the battery replaced an additional 3 times! I always serviced my car at the dealer and took very good care of it. Then after 50k miles, I started having odd lighting issues…both headlight bulbs had to be replaced within 3 weeks of each other and one high beam bulb, and then my tail lights went out! Then I would occasionally have trouble starting the car and with a natural gas smell, rotten eggs. Which could be a catalytic converter or fue

ON 01/31/19 I WAS DRIVING MY 2017 RAV4 ON FREEWAY ABOUT 4 MILES THEN LOCAL ABOUT 5 BLOCKS I HEARD NOISE ON MY CAR SO I STOPPED. IT TURNED OUT I HAD A FLAT ON MY FRONT PASSENGER TIRE. I REPLACED IT WITH SPARE AND THE 'LOW TIRE PRESSURE' LIGHT JUST CAME ON. I THEN REALIZED WHY THE LTP LIGHT NEVER CAME ON BEFORE I REPLACED WITH SPARE. I TOOK THE RAV4 TO PASADENA TOYOTA TO RUN THE DIAGNOSTIC CHECK TO FIND OUT WHY LTP LIGHT NEVER CAME ON WHEN I WAS DRIVING ON A FLAT. THE DIAGNOSTIC FOUND 'NOTHING WRONG' AND THE SYSTEM DIDN'T RECORD ANYTHING. THEY ALSO TOLD ME THE TIRE SUFFERED 'RUN FLAT DAMAGE' AN

I purchased my 2017 Rav-4, brand new off the lot the end of 2017. On October 2018 my car battery was dead. NO prior indications of problems, No indicator lights. I had it towed to the dealership, they stated it was a bad cell in the battery and installed a new one. Then on Nov. 2020, once again had a dead battery, again no prior warning. I called and got a jump, took the car back to the dealership, they checked it and said I must have left a light on all night because it was completely drained. They put a 3.5 hour charge on it, check the charging system and said all was fine. Then again on 10-

While driving the vehicle on an uphill stretch of highway with cruise control set at approximately 65 mph, the vehicle suddenly slowed down without warning. A distinct clunk was heard at the same moment. The cruise control system attempted to restore speed, and the engine became noticeably louder, but the vehicle struggled to return to the set speed. The driver tapped the brake to disengage cruise control and manually pressed the accelerator to resume normal speed. The trip was completed without additional events. After parking, the check engine light illuminated and the cruise control system

Every component, by complaint count

The full breakdown of what owners named when they filed. Components below the top ten are grouped out of this table.

What parts cost for the 2017 Toyota RAV4

Prices read from one AutoZone store for this exact year, make and model, covering 8 kinds of part and 258 products. AutoZone year, make and model catalog prices. Engine, trim, transmission and VIN fitment are not confirmed. They are what the shelf said on the day, not a quote.

The cheapest way to keep it serviced

Taking the lowest listed price in each routine maintenance category, the filters, plugs and wipers for this car come to $53.15 in parts. That is parts alone, before labour, tax and the oil itself, and it assumes the cheapest option fits your engine.

Battery. 13 products listed, from the Econocraft Group Size 35 Battery 35-E at $99.99 up to the Odyssey Performance Group Size 35 Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) Battery ODP-AGM35 at $361.99. A refundable core deposit of $22.00 is charged on top and returned with the old part. AutoZone's own labels account for 6 of them, starting at $99.99.

Brake rotors. 48 products listed, from the PowerStop Disc Brake Rotor JBR1370 at $39.49 up to the EBC Brakes Disc Brake Rotor Set BSD7387 at $341.99. AutoZone's own labels account for 6 of them, starting at $91.99.

Brake pads. 54 products listed, from the TotalPro Brake Pads TP1210 at $29.49 up to the EBC Yellowstuff High Friction Organic Performance Brake Pads DP41792R at $196.99. AutoZone's own labels account for 9 of them, starting at $49.99.

Fitment is by year, make and model only. Engine, trim and transmission were not selected, so confirm the part number against your own car before buying. Prices change and vary by store.

How other model years compare

The same nameplate across the years we hold. Complaint counts fall naturally for newer cars because fewer of them have been on the road for long, so read the column as a rough signal rather than a ranking. In this set the 2019 Toyota RAV4 has drawn the most complaints and the 2016 Toyota RAV4 the fewest.

What to check on the electrical system

Electrical reports cover a wide spread: screens that reboot, cameras that go black, charging that stops, and warning lights that arrive in groups. The common thread is that the fault comes and goes, which makes it hard to show a mechanic on demand.

Buying a used 2017 RAV4

Sit in the car with the engine running and work through every switch, screen and camera before you talk about price. An intermittent fault that appears once during a ten minute check is likely to appear often once you own it.

If you already own one

Have the battery and charging system tested before replacing any module. A weak battery produces electrical faults that look like a dozen separate failures, and the test is free at most parts retailers.

• Test every screen, camera and switch before agreeing a price.
• Have the battery and alternator tested before replacing a module.
• Ask for stored fault codes, including the ones already cleared.
• Check whether the fault is covered by a software update.