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Toyota RAV4 Reliability by Year

Every gasoline RAV4 model year from 2004 to 2025, scored on reported failures weighted against how many were sold — and ranked against every other Mid-Size SUV of the same year.

Scored separately as its own vehicle: RAV4 Hybrid (2016–2025).

The short answer

Best model year
2016
#5 of 38 that year
Year to avoid
2007
#22 of 36 that year
Latest scored
2025
#7 of 66

Across 22 scored model years the RAV4 needs fixing less often than its class, and repairs cost about what you would expect. The spread between years is what matters: 2016 is its strongest, 2007 its weakest.

Every model year, scored

Longer bar is better. Rank is against every Mid-Size SUV sold that same model year.

YearRelative standingClass rankPctl
2004#4 /2688th
2005#3 /2792th
2006#16 /2844th
2007#22 /3640thAvoid
2008#19 /3851th
2009#20 /3950th
2010#10 /4077th
2011#14 /3966th
2012#9 /3979th
2013#7 /3783th
2014#7 /3783th
2015#9 /4079th
2016#5 /3889thBest year
2017#6 /3786th
2018#8 /4283th
2019#26 /4543th
2020#28 /4944th
2021#24 /5356th
2022#18 /5971th
2023#25 /6764th
2024#35 /7252th
2025#7 /6691th

The line has moved around across 22 model years, with its weakest stretch in 2006–2009. The recent trend is upward. This 2025 car falls in a strong stretch.

What tends to break

All 12 systems, measured against the class average for each model year.

Every RAV4 model year is scored across 12 separate systems — engine, transmission, brakes, electrical, steering and suspension, structure, interior, and five more. Each system is compared against how often that same system fails on the average Mid-Size SUV of the same year, so a common failure is judged against how common it is everywhere else.

Across the last three model years (2023–2025), no single system stands out. All measured systems draw issue reports less often than the same systems on the average Mid-Size SUV of their year — a cleaner sheet than most of this class manages.

Full Dashboard Preview

Real charts, sample vehicle. Open the lookup to see these for your RAV4.

Reliability Matrix Sample Chart

2018 Mid-Size SUVs

Your RAV4 is plotted against 66 rivals from 2025.

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better than classtypicalworsebubble = units sold

System Breakdown Sample Chart

2018 Mitsubishi Outlander

Your RAV4 is scored the same way, for every model year.

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below class averageabove class average

Common questions

What is the best year for a used Toyota RAV4?

2016 is the strongest RAV4 model year on record, ranking #5 of 38 Mid-Size SUVs that year.

Which Toyota RAV4 years should I avoid?

2007 is the weakest year in the model's history, ranking #22 of 36.

Is the latest RAV4 reliable?

The 2025 RAV4 ranks #7 of 66 Mid-Size SUVs — the upper quarter of its class.

Where does this data come from?

Failure reports filed with NHTSA — submitted by vehicle owners and repair shops alike — weighted against US sales volumes so a high-volume model is not penalised for selling well, then benchmarked within segment and model year.

See the full picture for your RAV4

All 12 systems scored, the whole class plotted, and a downloadable Full Model Report for any year — 6,000+ vehicles in the dashboard.

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How this was built. Scores derive from failure reports filed with NHTSA — submitted by vehicle owners and repair shops alike — weighted against US sales volumes and benchmarked within segment and model year. We measure two separate things: Fix Frequency — how often a vehicle needs fixing — and Fix Severity — how costly those fixes are. These figures describe a model line, not the specific vehicle in front of you; trim, mileage and service history still decide an individual car.