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

Recalls & complaints · NHTSA data

2012 Toyota RAV4 recalls

Every recall campaign and owner complaint NHTSA has on file for the 2012 model year. Not every vehicle is affected by every campaign: check a specific car by VIN below.

Recall campaigns: 6
Park-it warnings: 0
Complaints: 266
Latest campaign: Feb 19, 2016

Recall summary by component6

NHTSA Recalls API · cached ≤24 h

Component	Campaigns	Latest	Campaign IDs
Seat belts	1	Feb 19, 2016	16V096000
Visibility/wiper	1	Sep 18, 2015	15V577000
Hybrid propulsion system	1	Mar 13, 2015	15V143000
Service brakes, hydraulic	1	Feb 12, 2014	14V054000
Equipment	1	Apr 9, 2013	13V123000
Air bags	1	Jan 16, 2013	13V014000

Safety recalls6

NHTSA Recalls API · cached ≤24 h

0Park-it warnings

0Fixable over the air

Feb 19, 2016Latest campaign


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. Filed under Rav4, Rav4 Ev Campaign NHTSA 16V096000 · Feb 19, 2016
Sep 18, 201515V577000	Visibility/wiper Over time, the dripping water may cause corrosion and wear at the joint, potentially resulting in the separation of the wiper linkage. DetailsHide details for campaign 15V577000 What's wrong Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2009-2012 RAV4 vehicles manufactured October 27, 2008, to December 19, 2012 and 2012-2014 RAV4 EV vehicles manufactured July 24, 2012, to August 29, 2014. In the affected vehicles, water may drip onto the joint that connects the wiper linkage to the wiper motor. Risk Over time, the dripping water may cause corrosion and wear at the joint, potentially resulting in the separation of the wiper linkage. Once this occurs, the wipers would not function, reducing driver visibility and increasing the risk of a crash. Remedy Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the water diverter channel. In addition, a new wiper linkage with a wiper motor crank arm will be installed. The wiper linkage will have a protective cover over the wiper linkage joint to minimize water splash and a retainer ring to prevent the wiper arm from separating from the wiper motor. The recall began on November 7, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service number at 1-800-331-4331. Filed under Rav4, Rav4 Ev Campaign NHTSA 15V577000 · Sep 18, 2015
Mar 13, 201515V143000	Hybrid propulsion system A loss of drive power may increase the risk of a crash. DetailsHide details for campaign 15V143000 What's wrong Toyota Motor Engineering & manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2012-2014 Rav4 EV vehicles manufactured July 24, 2012, to August 29, 2014. Due to a software issue within a component of the Electric Vehicle Traction Motor Assembly, the electric propulsion motor may shift to "neutral" resulting in a possible loss of drive power. Risk A loss of drive power may increase the risk of a crash. Remedy Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will update the Electric Vehicle Traction Motor Assembly software, free of charge. The recall began on September 10, 2015. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Filed under Rav4 Ev Campaign NHTSA 15V143000 · Mar 13, 2015
Feb 12, 201414V054000	Service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip control unit/module If this occurs, these systems could become inoperative, reducing the directional control assistance, increasing the risk of a crash. DetailsHide details for campaign 14V054000 What's wrong Toyota is recalling certain model year 2012 and 2013 Toyota Tacoma and Lexus RX350 vehicles and certain model year 2012 Toyota Rav4 vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the brake system contains a brake actuator that adjusts the fluid pressure of each wheel cylinder. An electrical component within the actuator may experience an increased resistance resulting in the illumination of various warning lights, including those for the Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) system, Antilock Brake System (ABS), and Traction Control system. Risk If this occurs, these systems could become inoperative, reducing the directional control assistance, increasing the risk of a crash. Remedy Toyota will notify owners, and Toyota and Lexus dealers will update the software for the Skid Control electronic control unit, free of charge. The recall began on March 28, 2014. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331. Filed under Rav4 Campaign NHTSA 14V054000 · Feb 12, 2014
Apr 9, 201313V123000	Equipment: other labels An inaccurate label could lead to owners overloading their vehicles and tires. DetailsHide details for campaign 13V123000 What's wrong Southeast Toyota is recalling certain model year 2008 and 2010-2013 Toyota Tundra, 2010-2012 Rav4, 2012 Toyota Sequoia, 2010-2011 Toyota Corolla, 2010-2011 Toyota Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2010-2013 Toyota Highlander and Highlander Hybrid, 2010-2013 Toyota FJ Cruiser, 2011 Toyota Land Cruiser, 2010-2013 Toyota Venza, 2010-2011 Toyota 4Runner, 2010-2013 Toyota Tacoma, 2011-2012 Toyota Sienna, 2012 Toyota Prius, 2013 Scion FR-S, 2011 Scion XD, 2011 Scion XB, and 2012 Scion TC vehicles. These vehicles were sold with labels that were outside the allowable one percent of accuracy of actual weight added. Thus, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) Number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims." Risk An inaccurate label could lead to owners overloading their vehicles and tires. An overloaded vehicle can result in a tire failure which may result in a vehicle crash, personal injury, or property damage. Remedy Southeast Toyota will notify owners and provide a corrected label with instructions concerning its installation. A small group of the affected vehicles will need additonal remedies which are still being developed. The recall began on May 28, 2013. Owners may contact Southeast Toyota at 1-800-301-6859. Filed under Rav4 Campaign NHTSA 13V123000 · Apr 9, 2013
Jan 16, 201313V014000	Air bags: frontal sensor/control module-inactive If the front passenger seat occupant sensing system is out of calibration, the front passenger airbags may not deploy or they may deploy inappropriately for the… DetailsHide details for campaign 13V014000 What's wrong Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain models interspersed through model years 2009 through 2013 as follows: model year 2009-2012 Tacoma, 4Runner, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Prius, and RAV4; model year 2009-2010 Avalon, FJ Cruiser, and Highlander Hybrid; model year 2010-2013 model year Corolla, Sienna and Tundra; model year 2009-2013 Highlander and Venza; model year 2012 Prius V; and model year 2010-2012 Sequoia. During modification by SET to include accessories such as leather seat covers, seat heaters or headrest DVD systems, these vehicles may not have had the passenger seat occupant sensing system calibration tested. Without passing the calibration test, the occupant sensing system may not operate as designed. Risk If the front passenger seat occupant sensing system is out of calibration, the front passenger airbags may not deploy or they may deploy inappropriately for the passenger's size and position. This could increase the risk of personal injury during the event of a vehicle crash necessitating airbag deployment. Remedy Southeast Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will test the sensitivity of the occupant detection sensors, and recalibrate them as necessary. The recall began on March 21, 2013. Owners may contact Southeast Toyota at 1-800-301-6859. Filed under Rav4 Campaign NHTSA 13V014000 · Jan 16, 2013

Merged from NHTSA model names: Rav4, Rav4 Ev. Not every vehicle of a model year is affected by every campaign.

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).

Owner complaints by component266

NHTSA Complaints API · cached ≤24 h

266Complaints filed

39Involving a crash

4Involving a fire

23Injuries reported

Component	Complaints	%	Crashes	Fires	Injuries
Visibility/wiper	54	20	0	0	0
Vehicle speed control	50	19	13	0	5
Service brakes	39	15	13	1	2
Electrical system	31	12	3	3	1
Seat belts	31	12	1	0	3
Unknown or other	26	10	0	1	0
Engine	23	9	2	0	0
Power train	22	8	5	0	1
Air bags	22	8	14	0	14
Structure	16	6	5	1	0
Steering	10	4	2	0	0
Fuel/propulsion system	9	3	1	0	0
Electronic stability control (ESC)	7	3	1	1	0
Suspension	6	2	0	0	0
Visibility	6	2	0	0	1

9 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

Structure
“My 2012 Toyota RAV4 (Super White / Blizzard Pearl paint) is experiencing severe and recurring paint peeling caused by a known manufacturing defect in which the factory paint primer failed to properly adhere to the base…”
Filed 06/17/2026 · ODI 11744656
Structure
“My vehicle is a 2012 rav 4 sport, color Barcelona Red. Said color and model has been know to have clear coat and paint issues.”
Filed 05/04/2026 · ODI 11735644
Engine and engine cooling
“The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle shuddered abnormally. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil.”
Filed 02/02/2026 · ODI 11715035

Other Toyota RAV4 model years

All years: 2026 · 2025 · 2024 · 2023 · 2022 · 2021 · 2020 · 2019 · 2018 · 2017 · 2016 · 2015 · 2014 · 2013 · 2012 · 2011 · 2010 · 2009 · 2008 · 2007 · 2006 · 2005 · 2004 · 2003 · 2002 · 2001 · 2000

Other Toyota models

All Toyota models and years →

2012 Toyota RAV4 recall questions

How many recalls does the 2012 Toyota RAV4 have?

NHTSA lists 6 safety recall campaigns for the 2012 Toyota RAV4. The most recent, 16V096000 (reported February 19, 2016), concerns seat belts. Not every vehicle is covered by every campaign; check a specific car by VIN.

What is the most common complaint about the 2012 Toyota RAV4?

Visibility/wiper is the most-reported component, named in 54 complaints out of 266 filed with NHTSA (20%). Across all complaints, owners reported 39 crashs and 4 fires. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

How do I check if a recall is open on my 2012 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

Free · No signup · US-market vehicles, 1981+

Need the factory options too? See the Toyota build sheet & window sticker guide.

Recall summary by component6

Safety recalls6

Seat belts: rear/other

Visibility/wiper

Hybrid propulsion system

Service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip control unit/module

Equipment: other labels

Air bags: frontal sensor/control module-inactive