Representative model. Photo: Vauxford, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Recalls & complaints · NHTSA data

2008 Toyota RAV4 recalls

Every recall campaign and owner complaint NHTSA has on file for the 2008 model year. Not every vehicle is affected by every campaign: check a specific car by VIN below.

Recall campaigns: 14
Park-it warnings: 0
Complaints: 575
Latest campaign: Aug 12, 2016

Recall summary by component14

NHTSA Recalls API · cached ≤24 h

Component	Campaigns	Latest	Campaign IDs
Suspension	3	Aug 12, 2016	16V596000 13V383000 12V373000
Equipment	3	Feb 3, 2010	10V036000 10V035000 09V223000
Seats	2	Jun 2, 2016	16V396000 14V743000
Visibility	2	Oct 22, 2015	15V689000 12V491000
Air bags	2	Apr 9, 2014	14V168000 11V245000
Seat belts	1	Feb 19, 2016	16V096000
Vehicle speed control	1	Feb 24, 2011	11V113000

Safety recalls14

NHTSA Recalls API · cached ≤24 h

0Park-it warnings

0Fixable over the air

Aug 12, 2016Latest campaign


Aug 12, 201616V596000	Suspension: rear Failure of the rear tie rod could cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash. DetailsHide details for campaign 16V596000 What's wrong Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2006-2011 Toyota RAV4 vehicles manufactured October 31, 2005, to September 7, 2010, and 2010 Lexus HS250h vehicles manufactured July 6, 2009, to August 26, 2010. The affected vehicles have rear suspension arms (rear tie rods) with adjusting lock nuts that may have been improperly tightened after servicing. As a result of being loose, the arm may have thread damage and may rust, possibly leading to the failure of the arm and an abrupt change in the vehicle's alignment. Risk Failure of the rear tie rod could cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash. Remedy Toyota will notify owners and dealers will replace both rear suspension arms and encapsulate the locknuts, free of charge. The recall began on September 30, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are G0V for Toyota vehicles and GLK for Lexus vehicles. Note: This recall supersedes recall 13V-383, in which some vehicles were only inspected, sealed, and did not have both arms replaced. The affected vehicles were previously recalled under 13V-383, but did not have both rear suspension arms replaced at that time. Those vehicles need to have both arms replaced as part of this recall remedy. Campaign NHTSA 16V596000 · Aug 12, 2016
Jun 2, 201616V396000	Seats: front assembly seat heater/cooler If damaged, the copper strand heating element may short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire. DetailsHide details for campaign 16V396000 What's wrong Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2005-2011 4Runner, Highlander, Sequoia, and Sienna, 2005-2010 Avalon and Tundra, 2006-2008 Camry Solara, 2006-2010 Highlander hybrid, 2006-2011 Rav4 and Tacoma, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2007-2011 Camry hybrid, 2009-2010 Venza, 2010-2012 Prius, 1988-1990 and 2005-2010 Camry, and 1989 and 2009-2010 Corolla vehicles equipped with aftermarket accessory seat heaters with a copper strand heating element. The electrical wiring in the seat heaters may be damaged when the seat cushion is compressed. Risk If damaged, the copper strand heating element may short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire. Remedy SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the seat heaters, free of charge, and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory. The recall began on July 14, 2016. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET number for this recall is SET16B. Campaign NHTSA 16V396000 · Jun 2, 2016
Feb 19, 201616V096000	Seat belts: rear/other A cut seat belt may not properly restrain the seat occupant, increasing their risk of injury in a crash. DetailsHide details for campaign 16V096000 What's wrong Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2006-2012 RAV4 vehicles manufactured July 28, 2005, to December 19, 2012, and 2012-2014 RAV4 EV vehicles manufactured July 24, 2012, to August 29, 2014. In the event of a frontal collision, the rear seat belts for the outboard seats may be cut by the seat cushion frame. Risk A cut seat belt may not properly restrain the seat occupant, increasing their risk of injury in a crash. Remedy Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will install a protector over both rear seat cushion frames, free of charge. The recall began on June 24, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is G0F. Campaign NHTSA 16V096000 · Feb 19, 2016
Oct 22, 201515V689000	Visibility: power window devices and controls If the sliding electrical contacts are not protected by lubricant, debris and moisture that get into the switch may cause a short circuit and the switch assembly may… DetailsHide details for campaign 15V689000 What's wrong Toyota Motor Company (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2009-2011 Tundra, Sequoia, Corolla, Corolla Matrix and Scion xB, 2008-2011 Highlander and Highlander Hybrid, 2007 Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2009 Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2006-2011 RAV4, 2006-2010 Yaris, and 2009-2010 Scion xD and Pontiac Vibe vehicles. During the manufacturing of the Power Window Master Switch (PWMS), grease lubricant may have been inconsistently applied to the sliding electrical contacts. Risk If the sliding electrical contacts are not protected by lubricant, debris and moisture that get into the switch may cause a short circuit and the switch assembly may overheat and melt, increasing the risk of a fire. Remedy Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the switch, applying a lubricant if no abnormality is found. If abnormality is found, the PWMS circuit board will be replaced, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin December 20, 2015. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is C0M. Campaign NHTSA 15V689000 · Oct 22, 2015
Nov 19, 201414V743000	Seats: front assembly seat heater/cooler Damage to the seat heater wiring could cause the wires to short, increasing the risk of the seat burning and causing personal injury to the occupant. DetailsHide details for campaign 14V743000 What's wrong Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 Prius and Corolla, 2009-2011 Venza, 2006-2010 Avalon, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2005-2011 Sienna and Sequoia, 2006-2011 Tacoma 4x2 and 4x4, Camry, Highlander, Tundra 4x2 and 4x4, and 2007-2011 Rav4 and 4Runner. The affected vehicles may experience compression of the seat cushion which may damage the seat heater wiring. Risk Damage to the seat heater wiring could cause the wires to short, increasing the risk of the seat burning and causing personal injury to the occupant. Remedy SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the heaters with copper strand heating elements and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory, free of charge. The recall is expected to began in January 2015. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. Campaign NHTSA 14V743000 · Nov 19, 2014
Apr 9, 201414V168000	Air bags: frontal driver side If the FFC is damaged, connectivity to the driver's air bag module could be lost and the air bag deactivated. DetailsHide details for campaign 14V168000 What's wrong Toyota is recalling certain model year 2006-2008 RAV4, 2006-2010 Yaris, 2008-2010 Highlander, and 2009-2010 Tacoma, Corolla, Corolla Matrix and General Motors Pontiac Vibe vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the steering column assembly contains electrical connections to the driver's airbag module housed in a spiral cable assembly, which includes a Flexible Flat Cable (FFC). Due to the shape and location of the FFC's retainer, the FFC could become damaged when the steering wheel is turned. Risk If the FFC is damaged, connectivity to the driver's air bag module could be lost and the air bag deactivated. The failure of the driver's air bag to deploy in the event of a crash that typically necessitates deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver. Remedy Toyota will notify the Toyota vehicle owners, and General Motors will notify the Pontiac Vibe owners. Toyota sent owners an interim notification letter in May 2014 to advise owners of the recall. Toyota will mail owners a second letter when remedy parts are available. General Motors sent Pontiac Vibe owners an Interim letter on June 20, 2014 notifying them that parts are currently unavailable. General Motors sent notices to the Pontiac Vibe owners on September 15, 2014, that a remedy is available. The recall began on October 27, 2014. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-762-2737. Campaign NHTSA 14V168000 · Apr 9, 2014

To see whether a recall is still open on your car, enter the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or the Toyota recall lookup. Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer (federal law; see limits).

Buying a used 2008 Toyota RAV4? Recalls cover the model; a history report checks one car's title, odometer and accident records. VinAudit history report → Sponsored · disclosure

Owner complaints by component575

NHTSA Complaints API · cached ≤24 h

575Complaints filed

42Involving a crash

16Involving a fire

32Injuries reported · 2 deaths

Component	Complaints	%	Crashes	Fires	Injuries
Engine	137	24	0	4	1
Vehicle speed control	92	16	20	0	9
Suspension	81	14	0	0	2
Steering	73	13	5	1	5
Air bags	58	10	10	1	16
Power train	37	6	2	1	2
Service brakes	34	6	8	1	6
Unknown or other	29	5	1	0	0
Electrical system	27	5	2	6	0
Engine and engine cooling	24	4	2	0	2
Structure	19	3	1	0	0
Seat belts	18	3	1	0	1
Hydraulic	16	3	7	1	5
Visibility	11	2	0	1	0
Fuel/propulsion system	8	1	0	0	0

14 more components with fewer complaints not shown. An owner can tag several components, so percentages add up to more than 100. Complaints are unverified owner reports, de-duplicated by NHTSA ODI number.

Latest reports

Air bags
“My airbag light came on and I received a letter saying there was a recall but unfortunately I threw out the letter and when I called Toyota said there was a recall but it was fixed in 2012 when I didn’t own the vehicle…”
Filed 04/13/2026 · ODI 11730948
Engine
“My daughter and I are leasing our Toyota Rav4 almost paid off. Our last 2 oil changes done by professional the engine has burned off the oil in between the oil changes.”
Filed 12/04/2025 · ODI 11702965
Engine
“My engine recently start to burning oil. Toyota had an extended Warranty for this issue which had to do with piston rings failure. which has expired.”
Filed 08/21/2025 · ODI 11682181

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2008 Toyota RAV4 recall questions

How many recalls does the 2008 Toyota RAV4 have?

NHTSA lists 14 safety recall campaigns for the 2008 Toyota RAV4. The most recent, 16V596000 (reported August 12, 2016), concerns suspension. Not every vehicle is covered by every campaign; check a specific car by VIN.

What are the 2008 Toyota RAV4 recalls for?

The largest group is suspension, with 3 campaigns. Others: equipment (3), seats (2), visibility (2). Each campaign below lists the defect, the risk and the free remedy.

What is the most common complaint about the 2008 Toyota RAV4?

Engine is the most-reported component, named in 137 complaints out of 575 filed with NHTSA (24%). Across all complaints, owners reported 42 crashs and 16 fires. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

How do I check if a recall is open on my 2008 Toyota RAV4?

Enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or the Toyota recall lookup. That shows campaigns still unrepaired on that exact car. Safety recall repairs are free at a franchised Toyota dealer.

Check a specific Toyota by VIN

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