1st Generation (1995—2000) RAV4 Problems

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This generations ranks 37th out of 86 Toyota generations in reliability and is one of the safer bets out there. Owners have the most complaints about the engine (33%), transmission (19%), and the exterior (9%). We've listed some of the most recent complaints below, see them all on CarComplaints.com.

  1. Check Engine Light On 3 complaints at an average of 85,059 miles in the 1998 Toyota RAV4.
  2. Engine Has a Huge Hole in the Bottom 1 complaints at an average of 149,575 miles in the 2000 Toyota RAV4.
  3. Sometimes Brakes Don\'t Work 1 complaints at an average of 22,752 miles in the 2000 Toyota RAV4.

What RAV4 Year is Most Reliable?

Generations are a good baseline for prediciting reliability, but there will almost always be year-to-year differences. We've calculated a reliability score for each model year within this generation, but we've based that score on how the model year compares to all Toyota model years.

Watch out for the 2000 model year which has the highest PainRank™ score in this generation.

Year Complaints Recalls TSBs PainRank (?)
2000 8 2 44 4.04
1999 12 4 44 2.66
1998 8 4 52 2.65
1997 7 1 39 1.7
1996 6 1 34 0.91
1995 1 0 8 0.35

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