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Toyota RAV4 EVModel year report

2012 Toyota RAV4 EV Problems

Complaints
6filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
20,296miles, 5 complaints with mileage
Recalls
3campaigns on record
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA crash rating
—no overall rating published
EPA fuel economy
76 MPGecombined, Electric FWD · 78 city / 74 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2012 Toyota RAV4 EV (complaints, recalls, investigations), EPA fuel economy. Report an error

NHTSA recorded 6 consumer complaints for the 2012 Toyota RAV4 EV. The part named most often is transmission and drivetrain, with 3 complaints (50% of the total), followed by electrical system (1) and engine (1). 5 of the complaints include a mileage, and 80% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 20,296 miles. Of all complaints, 3 involved a crash, 1 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns and 308 technical service bulletins for this model year. Transmission and drivetrain complaints overlap with 7 technical service bulletins filed under the same part. Electrical system complaints overlap with 62 technical service bulletins filed under the same part.

This model year has fewer than 25 complaints on record, so the numbers below can change a lot with a few new reports.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Example complaints

Transmission and drivetrain: “I was driving in the parking garage at work and the yellow exclamation light appeared on the dash with a message that says check EV system. Have you vehicle checked by a dealership immediately. I was able to stop and the car started after several attempts. The dealership replaced the ecu.”

NHTSA complaint #10668160, filed 2014-12, 13,000 miles

Electrical system: “On october 17 shortly before 2 pm pst in clear weather, I was pulling into a parking spot on private property at about 2 to 3 MPH. I turned the vehicle into the spot and applied the brakes but the car surged over the curb, hit a tree, went over an embankment and crashed onto a parked car. (the airbag did not deploy, but there were no injuries.) the ignition would not turn off after repeated attempts. Finally I depressed the ignition button for about 10 seconds and it turned off. Just 5 days earlier, the car had undergone a safety recall repair to the electronic circuitry. …”

NHTSA complaint #10811744, filed 2015-12, 20,296 miles

Fuel system: “While driving 35 on a local road, the vehicle lost all power to the propulsion system. Power steering and brakes worked as I was lucky to be able to coast safely to a turnout. The vehicle warning light saying check EV system, have dealer check immediately was illuminated on the information display. This is a common problem for the rav4 EV as the Toyota and tesla parts have trouble maintaining communication with each other within a part called the gateway ECM. My car was serviced by the dealer after this incident, where they updated the firmware loaded on the gateway ECM.”

NHTSA complaint #10667402, filed 2014-12, 8,300 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

80% of the 5 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 13,000 and 33,000 miles.

20%0–1040%10–2520%25–5020%50–750%75–1000%100–1500%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (5 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 20,296 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Fewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

201422015220162017
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2012 Toyota RAV4 EV version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving); for electric versions it is the cost of electricity and the rating is in MPGe.

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
RAV4 EV FWDElectricCVT787476 MPGe$1,000

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 2012 Toyota RAV4 EV → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 308 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 308 bulletins →

Other model years of the Toyota RAV4 EV

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
20141017,0003—76 MPGe—Not enough data
2013521,7823—76 MPGe—Not enough data
2012620,2963—76 MPGe—Not enough data

All Toyota RAV4 EV model years

Frequently asked questions

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2012 Toyota RAV4 EV have?

NHTSA recorded 6 consumer complaints for the 2012 Toyota RAV4 EV as of Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2012 Toyota RAV4 EV is reported most often?

Transmission and drivetrain is named most often, in 3 complaints (50% of the total), followed by electrical system with 1.

Has the 2012 Toyota RAV4 EV been recalled?

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

How efficient is the 2012 Toyota RAV4 EV according to the EPA?

The EPA rates the 2012 Toyota RAV4 EV (RAV4 EV, Electric) at 76 MPGe combined, 78 city and 74 highway, with an estimated annual electricity cost of $1,000 at 15,000 miles a year. Other battery and motor versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2012 Toyota RAV4 EV reported?

Among the 5 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 20,296 miles and the middle half falls between 13,000 and 33,000 miles; 80% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.