2022 Toyota RAV4 Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2022 RAV4 most often describe the engine stalling or shutting off while driving, frequently after driving in heavy rain, with a "Engine Stopped, Power Steering Low" message on the instrument panel. A second recurring theme is water collecting inside the rear doors during rain, reported from very low mileage onward. Electrical complaints, including infotainment reboots and battery drain, also appear in the sample, generally at higher mileage.

1. 1
   Engine

   Engine stalls in wet weather; "Engine Stopped / Power

   Mentioned in 9 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners describe the engine cutting out or refusing to restart, sometimes while driving and sometimes after stopping, with dashboard messages reading "Engine Stopped" and "Steering Power Low" plus check engine and battery lights. Several say it happened after driving in heavy rain, with some noticing steam from the radiator area beforehand. Restarting can take multiple attempts, and owners report that dealers were often unable to reproduce the problem or find a stored cause when it was scanned. Reported across a wide mileage range, from roughly 15,000 to 70,000 miles, and several owners tie it to driving in rain or wet conditions.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether the vehicle has had any stalling or restart trouble and whether a dealer has scanned for stored codes. A service campaign describes a water/steam-related sensor reading issue on these vehicles, so ask if that campaign work has been performed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I drove my car yesterday it was raining, pulled in the parking lot and the engine died out. I then got a warning message stating “Engine stopped, steering power low,” and the car will not start. 2022 Rav4 XLE 15k miles.”

   NHTSA complaint #11663281, filed 2025-05

   “After driving for approximately 30-minutes in a heavy rain i pulled over and the automatic engine shutoff feature activated while i was waiting to go inside for an appointment. When attempting to restart the car, the engine would start but then shut off showing a low power steering warning message on my dash. The problem persisted for approximately 15-20 minutes. Eventually after about 10 attempts to restart the engine, the car started back up and drove fine the rest of the day. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11746188, filed 2026-06
2. 2
   Body and structure

   Water collects inside the rear doors after rain

   • 10 complaints (7%)
   • median 26,000 mi at 3.0 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2024–2026

   Owners report hearing a sloshing sound from the rear doors after rain and finding water pooled inside the door, which drains only when the door seal is pulled back or the door is opened on a slope. Some describe water leaking into the cabin and concerns about mold and odor. According to complaints, dealers drained the doors and in some cases described the condition as a design characteristic, with sealant replacement reported in one case. Reported from as little as about 9,500 miles up to roughly 42,000 miles, typically after rain or car washes.

   What to check: After rain or a wash, open each rear door and listen for sloshing, and feel along the bottom of the door for trapped water. Ask whether the door seals or drain points have been serviced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Every time it rains our Rav 4 gets water in the back doors. It sloshes around and you have to manually pull the seal back to drain. It happens every time. my understanding is this is a known issue.”

   NHTSA complaint #11658516, filed 2025-05

   “The contact owns a 2022 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that after heavy rainfall, there was a swishing sound coming from the passenger’s side rear door. The contact stated that when the vehicle was parked, the contact inspected the vehicle, and became aware of water build-up in the passenger’s side rear door. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 9,512.”

   NHTSA complaint #11659680, filed 2025-05, 9,512 miles
3. 3
   Other or unknown

   Panoramic sunroof or moonroof shatters

   • 10 complaints (7%)
   • typically at 3.4 yrs old
   • filed 2022–2026

   Owners describe a loud bang followed by the panoramic roof glass breaking into pieces, in several cases with the glass appearing to bow outward and no other vehicle or debris nearby. Some report glass fragments entering the cabin area. According to complaints, dealers sometimes attributed the break to an impact point and directed owners to their insurance, while owners said they saw no external cause. Reported on vehicles ranging from a few months old to several years, both while driving at highway speed and while parked.

   What to check: Inspect the glass panel closely for chips, edge damage, or prior replacement, and ask whether the roof glass has ever been replaced or repaired.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The sunroof shattered while I was driving. There were no other vehicles around me or on the street. I heard a loud bang and glass rained down on me. The glass is pitched upward like it exploded from the inside. There is no other damage to my car. I had no warning other than the loud bang. When I am not out, my car is in a garage it never sits outside.”

   NHTSA complaint #11729230, filed 2026-04

   “I bought a NEW rav-4 toyota last year, 2022 model. I have about 10,500 miles on it and suddenly my moon roof (back sun roof) shattered. There was nothing around to throw rocks up on top of my car so its nearly impossible for it to be from an outdoor influence . I decided that I would open up a claim with Toyota, they have not even tried to advocate for my side; in fact no one asked for my side of the story until I said no one had asked me. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11544117, filed 2023-09
4. 4
   Forward collision avoidance

   Warning-light and driver-assist system malfunctions

   • 9 complaints (6%)
   • median 2,800 mi at 1.3 yrs old (1 states mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2022–2026

   Owners describe repeated dashboard warnings for the pre-collision system, lane departure alert, headlight system, and road sign assist, sometimes with an audible alert and no actual hazard present. In one complaint a dealer identified a failure in the front recognition camera that supports those systems. Complaints frequently note that the warning clears on its own and dealers reported no fault found. Reported from the first year of ownership onward, with one owner noting the warnings appeared more often when parked in hot sun.

   What to check: During a test drive, confirm the windshield camera area is clean and undamaged, and check that no pre-collision, lane assist, or headlight warnings appear. Ask whether the front camera or its software has been serviced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I am filing this urgent complaint regarding a life-threatening defect in my 2022 Toyota RAV4 SUV that gravely endangers my family and the public. This is a desperate plea for intervention. For over a year, my vehicle has repeatedly displayed a terrifying, unreadable red alert and piercing buzzer, occurring 3-4 times without warning and not real collision threat. These incidents are terrifying precursors to catastrophic failure. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11682683, filed 2025-08

   “The car is Rav4 2022 fuel: gas. Dashboard showing Headlight System malfunction, Pre-Collision System malfunction and RSA System Malfunction. The alarm beep and sign of malfunction keep popping up on dashboard. I took it to Toyota dealership to be inspected and they notified me that The Front Recognition camera Watchdog/Safety MCU Failure. This front camera is connecting to headlight system, Pre-Collision system and RSA system that causing them to be malfunction while I am driving. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11756791, filed 2026-08

Buying note. Check for water in the rear doors and test the infotainment and driver-assist systems on a test drive, since those are the issues owners raise most often. It is also worth asking whether the car has ever stalled or needed repeated restarts, and whether any related service campaigns have been completed.

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.