2025 Toyota RAV4 Problems

What owners report

Reports on this model year come from a nearly new fleet — many vehicles have only a few thousand miles — and cluster around two themes: unexpected acceleration or braking events that owners describe as happening at low speed while parking or turning, and shattered glass (moonroof, rear window, windshield) that owners say broke with no visible impact. A smaller group describes engine stalling or shutdown while driving or idling, plus infotainment and navigation screens behaving unpredictably.

1. 1
   Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)

   Moonroof, rear glass, or windshield shattering

   • 10 complaints (11%)
   • median 12,838 mi at 1.7 yrs old (1 states mileage, few)
   • filed 2025–2026

   Complaints describe a loud pop or bang followed by glass breaking with no stone, overpass, or other impact involved. In moonroof cases the sliding panel was closed and glass was found fractured outward, with pieces landing on the roof and inside the cabin. Rear window and windshield cases follow the same pattern, including one described as a stress crack starting at the base of the windshield. Owners who took the cars to dealers report mixed outcomes, with some being told the damage was not covered. Reported across the first year of ownership, from a few hundred to roughly 30,000 miles, both while driving at highway speed and while parked.

   What to check: Inspect the moonroof panel, rear glass, and windshield closely for existing cracks or chips, especially around the edges and base, and ask whether any glass has already been replaced under warranty.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “When driving our Rav 4 we heard loud bang type noise. We stopped and pulled over and looked all around the Rav 4 and didn't see anything. When I checked the roof I found our sunroof had shattered. The sunroof was closed at the time. No one was injured at the time.”

   NHTSA complaint #11713460, filed 2026-01

   “My windshield spontaneously cracked from the outside frame down 10 inches and then across the glass through site line of driver. There was no outside influence (Rock chip and etc) I am not the first RAV4 owner to experience this.”

   NHTSA complaint #11761309, filed 2026-09
2. 2
   Vehicle speed control

   Unexpected acceleration or engine surge at low speed

   • 13 complaints (14%)
   • median 21,000 mi at 2.0 yrs old (1 states mileage, few)
   • 7 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2025–2026

   Owners describe the vehicle speeding up on its own while maneuvering at very low speed — pulling into a parking space, turning onto a residential street, or restarting from a stop. Several say the surge overrode braking and ended in contact with a wall, gate, pillar, or parked car. Others report the opposite delay, where the accelerator did nothing for a moment and then the car lurched forward. Complaints note that no warning lights appeared, and owners describe being told by the dealer that nothing could be reproduced or found. Usually reported in the first few thousand miles, most often during low-speed parking or turning maneuvers and after stops.

   What to check: During a test drive, practice slow parking-lot maneuvers and stops and starts from a standstill, paying attention to any hesitation followed by a lurch. Ask the seller whether any acceleration concerns were raised at the dealer and whether any related inspection was documented.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Sudden self-acceleration by new RAV4 hybrid with less than 1000 miles on it. I made a hard left at low speed onto an uphill residential street. Saw a car backing down the street 1/2 block ahead so I took my foot off accelerator to slow down. Instead, car self-accelerated while my foot was not pressing any pedal, and shot uphill and over a speed bump, throwing the car off course toward parked cars. I stepped hard on brake, and assisted braking probably also kicked in. Car slammed to a stop. No damage or injuries. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11748090, filed 2026-07

   “I have owned this new vehicle for only approximately 2 months and have had at least 4 instances where the vehicle does not respond immediately to my foot on the accelerator when attempting to restart from a stop. Three times I was at a stop light and when I attempted to go as the light turned green there was no acceleration response from the gas pedal for a couple of seconds, and in two of the instances because I had my foot pressed far on the gas attempting to get power, there was a sudden acceleration and lurch forward. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11656491, filed 2025-04
3. 3
   Electrical system

   Infotainment, navigation, and camera screen problems

   • 20 complaints (22%)
   • median 1,747 mi at 1.0 yrs old (4 state mileage, few)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2025–2026

   Owners describe navigation and CarPlay showing the wrong location or drifting off route, the display taking over with promotional screens, and the backup camera freezing or going blank in reverse. Some report the instrument panel going dark intermittently and later staying dark, and one owner says the connected services module stopped communicating so the phone app no longer updated. Recalls in the input cover a rearview camera software error and an instrument panel startup software error. Reported from the first months of ownership and at low mileage, often recurring rather than one-time.

   Recall 25V744000Recall 25V5950003 related service bulletins

   What to check: Have the seller confirm by VIN whether the rearview camera and instrument panel recalls have been completed, then check that the backup camera image appears promptly and that navigation holds a correct position during a drive.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The Toyota app has stopped updating vehicle data and there’s information missing entirely. The satellite symbol has a line through it on the media screen as well. When I try to opt out on the app, I get an unexpected error and to try again. It seems as though the DCM in my car has stopped communicating with Toyota’s servers.”

   NHTSA complaint #11735711, filed 2026-05

   “I am aware of a recall for the screens turning off randomly while driving, especially in reverse while using the back up camera. My VIN was not included in the recall, though this has been happening to me. It happened for the first time when I was in reverse yesterday trying to use the back up camera, it typically happens while I’m driving forward on the road. I am including the date of the incident that happened while in reverse, but please know this has been happening since about a month after I purchased the car completely new.”

   NHTSA complaint #11713175, filed 2026-01
4. 4
   Engine

   Engine stalls or shuts off while driving or idling

   • 11 complaints (12%)
   • typically at 1.5 yrs old
   • filed 2025–2026

   Owners report the engine quitting — sometimes with a violent shake — while idling in a driveway or drive-thru, or while driving at highway speed. Messages such as engine stopped, steering power low, and not ready to drive appear, and in some cases the car will not restart immediately. Some complaints describe the vehicle being towed and the dealer finding no stored codes or an unresolved cause; a service campaign in the input addresses steam-related sensor misreads and rough running or stalling in wet conditions after extended idling. Mostly described on vehicles within the first year and under roughly 20,000 miles, both at idle and at speed.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether any engine-related service campaigns or sensor software updates have been applied, and note whether the car starts and idles smoothly when warm after a period of idling.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “On two separate occasions, my car has shaken violently and stopped both times while idling one in my driveway one at a stoplight and then an alert that says engine stopped steering power low came on”

   NHTSA complaint #11727636, filed 2026-03

   “While waiting in a drive-thru with “hold” feature enabled, car vibrated abnormally and shut off by itself. When I attempted to restart the vehicle, I received an error message “Engine Stopped. Steering Power Low” and another screen also appeared that said, “Not Ready to Drive. Press Brake and Push Engine Start Switch.” I followed those instructions several times and the car wouldn’t start. Eventually had to put in neutral to get out of drive-thru. Once out of drive-thru, I once again attempted to restart the car, but this time it worked. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11699590, filed 2025-11
5. 5
   Brakes

   Overly sensitive brakes and reported loss of braking

   • 5 complaints (5%)
   • typically at 1.4 yrs old
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2025–2026

   Complaints describe brakes that feel grabby or overly touchy in normal use, and in a few cases the pedal going to the floor with no braking response at all. Other owners report the vehicle braking hard on its own with no obstacle ahead, or a pre-collision system that did not warn or act during a collision. Owners say dealers could not reproduce the condition and that no warning lamps were stored. Reported at low mileage, from delivery through the first several thousand miles, with the sudden-brake events occurring at both parking-lot and highway speeds.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Test the brake pedal feel at low speed in an empty lot and on a quiet road, and ask whether any brake noise or pedal complaints were inspected or repaired; a bulletin exists covering front brake squeal on this generation.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “On 9/5, a car darted out in front of me while I was traveling straight at 45 miles per hour. I hit the brakes but t-boned him. The car then spins around and hits me again on the passenger quarter panel. No emergency brake, precollision no warning light came on. The airbag didnt deploy. I hit my chest on the steering while and my head on the window. The seat belt didnt lock me down. I purchased the brand new Rav4 a week prior.”

   NHTSA complaint #11685893, filed 2025-09

   “Driving my one owner 2025 Rav 4 Hybrid- pulling into a parking spot while gently pressing on the brake to slow car. Car was slowing then suddenly accelerated while brake pedal still being pressed, lunged forward and hit a wall in front of the parking space. No warning lamps/alarms went off and drivers seat belt did not engage. Called dealership to report incident.”

   NHTSA complaint #11761382, filed 2026-09

Buying note. Because most of these reports involve very low-mileage vehicles, a used example should come with proof that the camera and instrument panel recalls are done and that any acceleration or stalling concerns were documented at a dealer. A thorough test drive covering slow parking maneuvers, idle time, and a check of screen behavior will tell you more than the service history alone.

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.