2022 Toyota RAV4: What to check before buying

Engines buck, shake, and shut off in or after rain or a car wash, showing "Engine Off, Steering Power Low." Some stalls happen in moving traffic, and restarting can take several tries. The 12-volt battery dies again and again, even after the dealer replaces it. On hybrids, a weak battery sets off a string of brake, steering, and safety-system warnings and strands the car. Infotainment screens go black, and one owner was quoted $1600 for the repair. Several Prime owners report waiting for parts to complete recall campaign 23V478000.

Engines shut off with an "Engine Stopped, Steering Power Low" warning, mostly in heavy rain, and the steering goes heavy. The car often shakes or jerks first. It may then refuse to restart for 15 minutes, or until the next day. Dealers usually find no codes. Other reports describe brief power-steering loss at highway speed. In one crash, the wheel veered right at about 20 mph, the vehicle flipped, and 2 people were injured. The steering wheel surface also peels and chips at low mileage, and Toyota has blamed that on the user.

Water fills the doors after rain, usually the rear doors. Owners hear it sloshing when the car stops, the windows stay streaked, and they worry about mold and rust. Reports run from 9,512 to 42,000 miles. Dealers drain the doors, call it a design issue, or do nothing, and the water comes back. The panoramic glass roof shatters on its own while the car is moving. The power liftgate refuses to close, beeping and reopening, and one lowered on its own while the owner was loading groceries.

Cars lurch or surge without warning at low speed. Reports describe pulling away from a brake hold, parking in EV mode, and shifting into reverse. In one brake-hold case the car hit two vehicles ahead, and one person was injured. Transmissions slip into neutral while accelerating, and the car lurches under light throttle. Hybrids lose power at highway speed with "Hybrid System Malfunction" or "Accelerator System Malfunction" warnings, and the power loss can return after a software recall. The pre-collision system is slow to give the throttle back, so the car rolls slowly into cross traffic.

Airbags fail to deploy in serious crashes, including frontal hits, T-bones, and a highway sideswipe. Eight of the ten complaints involve a crash, with 7 people injured. One driver fractured a sternum in a 2,800-mile car that was later totaled. One report describes a seat belt that did not retract on impact. Another describes an airbag malfunction warning appearing during a crash. A separate complaint concerns a recall notice that neither the dealer nor Toyota could match to the vehicle.

Braking fades over bumps, manhole covers, and rough pavement. ABS or traction control engages, the pedal shudders, and the car slides forward as if the brakes were gone. Dealers call it normal. Brake resurfacing did not fix it, and in one report the car slid into an intersection soon after. In one crash, the car would not slow on a highway exit at 8,000 miles, ran off the road, and the driver was injured. Hybrid owners also report front brake squeal at low speed.

Stalling after a drive in rain is the main pattern, with an "Engine stopped, steering power low" warning. The car then won't restart for a stretch before running normally again. In one parking-lot crash, the car accelerated on its own into a storefront, hurting the driver, and the airbag did not deploy. A fuel injector failed just outside the base warranty, causing misfires and rough running. Owners also report a "Maintenance Required Soon" message appearing too early, which they tie to the engine coolant bypass valve and fear could lead to overheating.

A melted fuel hose sprayed gasoline with the engine running and no warning lights on, which is a fire risk. Other cars carry a lasting gas smell from the rear that one dealer called normal exhaust. Fuel gauge complaints are common. The low-fuel light comes on with more than 4 gallons left, and the tank takes less fuel than its listed size. Owners say Toyota will address the tank issue only on 2019 through 2021 hybrids.