2004 Toyota RAV4 Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year report a few recurring patterns: coolant loss and overheating traced to head gasket and head bolt problems, hard or erratic automatic transmission shifting, unintended acceleration-type events, and a driver-side sun visor that will not stay up. Many complaints come in between roughly 80,000 and 140,000 miles, though some appear much earlier. Airbag-related complaints mostly concern the Takata inflator recalls and delays in getting the remedy performed.

1. 1
   Engine cooling

   Coolant loss, overheating and head gasket/head bolt failure

   • 20 complaints (13%)
   • median 90,000 mi at 8.1 yrs old (19 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $5,250 (median of 12 quotes)
   • filed 2009–2017

   Owners describe the temperature gauge rising toward the red, often with the check engine and VSC TRAC lights coming on at the same time, and coolant found low or leaking. Several report that a shop or dealer found the head gasket leaking and that the head bolts were stripped; in a number of cases owners say they were told the engine needed replacement rather than a gasket repair. A few mention a coolant leak near the head gasket between cylinders, or oil leaking from the same area. Mostly reported between about 53,000 and 140,000 miles, often during highway or steady driving.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Check the coolant level and look for crusty residue or leaks around the head and block; ask whether the head gasket or engine has been replaced and keep an eye on the temperature gauge on a test drive.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “On june 1, 2009 I was driving my 2004 Toyota RAV4 with 121k miles when all of a sudden the temperature gauge went hot, the check engine light & vsc trac light came on. Discovered coolant level was low. Took to dealer next morning who quoted me a head gasket repair for $1500 out of pocket because warranty expired. After a month of not driving it (to come up with funds for repair), I returned to dealer on july 1, 2009. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10275633, filed 2009-07, 121,050 miles

   “We were driving on the city streets of boston, ma at approximately 25 MPH when the check engine light and vsc light came on. I called our local dealer to see if the car was safe to drive and I was told that as long as the check engine light was not blinking it was ok to drive the car. We then proceeded to get on the highway to get to our house in new hampshire when the head gasket blew out and we lost all our coolant. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10716194, filed 2015-05, 121,000 miles
2. 2
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Hard or erratic automatic transmission shifting

   • 16 complaints (10%)
   • median 94,023 mi at 8.0 yrs old (12 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2009–2024

   Complaints describe harsh or jerky shifts, the transmission dropping out of gear or failing to go into overdrive, and high rpm at highway speed. Several owners say a shop traced it to a solenoid or to the electronic control module and that replacing the module did not fix it, with the recommendation then being a transmission replacement. One owner reports a broken shift cable that left the shifter unable to hold park. Mostly reported between about 50,000 and 140,000 miles, sometimes starting with a check engine light.

   4 related service bulletins

   What to check: Drive at highway speed and note whether it shifts into overdrive smoothly; ask for service records on transmission fluid changes, solenoid or module replacement, and any transmission work.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I have a 2004 Toyota RAV4. The check engine light and vsc light came on while driving at 30 MPH. Noticed that as I continued to drive home at approximately 65 MPH, the car was not shifting into overdrive and the RPM's were very high. Took it to the dealer, and they said the code showed that the solenoid was bad. The part was replaced at a cost of $750. Then told that did not correct the problem, needed a new transmission and another $4300. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10461684, filed 2012-06, 101,500 miles

   “The vsc/trac light came on while driving. Also transmission started acting funny. From a stop sign it would hesitate and then start with a jerk. While driving at a constant speed the rpms would go up and down. I took it to an auto parts store to have them read the error code. They said it was a solenoid problem within the transmission. I took it to a transmission shop and they checked it out and ordered a remanufactured transmission. Total cost was over $4,600. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10947127, filed 2017-01, 125,000 miles
3. 3
   Vehicle speed control

   Unintended or sudden acceleration and cruise control surging

   • 16 complaints (10%)
   • median 47,404 mi at 8.2 yrs old (12 state mileage)
   • 8 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2004–2026

   Owners describe the vehicle accelerating without their input — while pulling into a parking space, leaving a stop, or reversing — and in some cases the brakes did not stop it. Others report the engine surging when letting off the gas to turn, erratic pedal response, or cruise control accelerating past the set speed when resume is pressed. Some say a dealer read an accelerator pedal position code and that reprogramming the computer did not correct it. Reported across a wide mileage range, from very low miles up to about 150,000, and mostly in low-speed parking or stop-and-go situations.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: On a test drive, check that the pedal returns freely and that idle is steady; ask whether any accelerator pedal or throttle-related repairs or recalibrations have been done.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My car had the check engine and vsc trac lights came on at the same time. If I start the car, put it in drive and press on the gas pedal sometime nothing happens, sometimes the car suddenly accelerate. I took the car back to Toyota dealer next. They said it was a accelerator pedal error (p2121 error) and card was not safe for driving. The car is still at Toyota dealer for further trouble shooting.”

   NHTSA complaint #10494727, filed 2013-01, 39,800 miles

   “I entered my car in the home garage while coasting and the car suddenly accelerated as I approached about 5 feet within my parking spot. After the car suddenly accelerated, it was a matter of seconds before the car crashed into a floor cabinet and refrigerator that rests against our garage wall stopping the car's forward movement and allowing me put the car in the drive gear and turn off the engine. The air bags did not deploy and fortunately I was not injured. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10520467, filed 2013-06, 80,764 miles
4. 4
   Air bags

   Airbag inflator recall remedy and non-deployment reports

   • 45 complaints (29%)
   • median 102,125 mi at 11.8 yrs old (12 state mileage)
   • 8 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2006–2019

   Many complaints concern the Takata inflator recalls for this model year: owners say they got a notice but the dealer had no parts, were put on a waiting list, or were told to keep waiting. Other complaints describe airbags not deploying in front, side or rollover impacts, and one owner reports severe facial and scalp injuries attributed to a violent deployment. Recall-related complaints cluster from about 2015 onward; non-deployment reports appear from about 34,000 to 121,000 miles.

   Recall 15V284000 · DO NOT DRIVERecall 19V7410003 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask for written proof that both the driver and passenger inflator recalls were completed, and confirm with a dealer by VIN whether any airbag recall work is still open.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Toyota sent out safety recall notice on 13 may 2015 about the front driver airbag inflator, until today the 25 june 2015 the remedy is still not available. I am concerned about my own safety driving this car and/or the road safety. Since it is the driver's airbag that has problem, I highly demand to have all the 2004-2005 model year RAV4 collected back to Toyota for a full check up or replacement.”

   NHTSA complaint #10730416, filed 2015-06, 158,000 miles

   “Takata recall, was notified by Toyota. I called local dealership who said they did not have the parts to fix. Told I was put on a list to be called when parts came in. Was called by Toyota to ask if the repair had been made, I told them no and they hung up on me. Still waiting on call.”

   NHTSA complaint #10910117, filed 2016-09, 104,250 miles
5. 5
   Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)

   Driver-side sun visor will not stay up

   • 6 complaints (4%)
   • median 50,000 mi at 7.7 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2011–2019

   Owners report the driver-side sun visor rotates down on its own and will not stay in the upright position, partly blocking the view ahead. According to the complaints, dealers did not treat it as a defect and offered only replacement, and one owner says a replacement visor failed again the same way. Reported from about 30,000 to 67,000 miles, generally after a few years of use.

   What to check: Flip the visor up and down a few times and see whether it stays put; if it droops, price a replacement into the deal.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “2004 Toyota RAV4 drivers side visor will not stay up. This started about 2 months ago for no reason. Dealer states it is not a defect so nothing short of replacing it can be done. I have to push the visor up against the windshield to get it out of my sightline. I have read the same complaint for this yrs. Rav4.”

   NHTSA complaint #10413604, filed 2011-07, 49,000 miles

   “The driver's side sun visor on our 2004 Toyota RAV4 will not stay up. It is a safety hazard because it partially obstructs your vision when it drops down while you are driving. The visor is clipped in at the time, but it rotates into a down position on its own. This has been happening for quite awhile, and I have tried several solutions to keeping the visor secured in an upright position. The Toyota dealer does not consider it a defect and their answer is to buy a new one. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10407215, filed 2011-06, 50,000 miles

Buying note. This model year has a well-documented pattern of coolant loss and head gasket or head bolt trouble, so a pre-purchase inspection that includes a cooling system pressure test is worth the cost. Also confirm that the outstanding airbag inflator recalls have been completed, and check how the automatic transmission shifts at highway speed.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.