Most common 2012 Toyota RAV4 EV problems
Share of the 6 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Toyota RAV4 EV complaints by model year
Best RAV4 EV years: 2013, 2012. Compare all years →
2012 Toyota RAV4 EV recalls (3)
Seat belts › Rear/other
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.
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.
Visibility/wiper
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.
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.
Hybrid propulsion system
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…
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.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2012 Toyota RAV4 EV:
Pedestrian alert sounds
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles.
What 2012 Toyota RAV4 EV owners say
Transmission & drivetrain
My 2012 RAV4 EV has an unsafe condition where the electronic transmission does not actually engage from r to d, or d to r when stationary, even though the vehicle instrumentation indicates so. The vehicle instead moves inadvertently in the wrong direction. It has been a chronic issue with the vehicle, and I have reported it to the Toyota dealer on several occasions. Each time I was told that the technician could not duplicate the condition, but that a software update would be installed and might correct the matter. It has not, and my wife and I continue to experience the problem randomly. On March 5, 2016 however, the condition caused an accident as I was leaving a parking spot on the street. I initially had trouble getting the car to engage in reverse or drive. I turned the car off and restarted it (rebooting the software). …
On October 17 shortly before 2 pm pst in clear weather, I was pulling into a parking spot on private property at about 2 to 3 MPH. I turned the vehicle into the spot and applied the brakes but the car surged over the curb, hit a tree, went over an embankment and crashed onto a parked car. (the airbag did not deploy, but there were no injuries.) the ignition would not turn off after repeated attempts. Finally I depressed the ignition button for about 10 seconds and it turned off. Just 5 days earlier, the car had undergone a safety recall repair to the electronic circuitry. Toyota had issued a safety recall due to a software defect which affected "components in the electric vehicle traction motor assembly." we informed Toyota this appeared to be an unintended acceleration incident. …
2012 Toyota RAV4 EV engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electric | CVT | FWD | 78 / 74 / 76 MPGe | 103 mi |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2012 Toyota RAV4 EV a good car?
Based on 6 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2012 RAV4 EV rates average: 16% fewer complaints than a typical year of the RAV4 EV at the same age. It is one of the best RAV4 EV years by this measure. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2012 Toyota RAV4 EV?
The transmission & drivetrain — 3 complaints, 50% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the fuel & propulsion system (1) and engine & cooling (1).
How many recalls does the 2012 Toyota RAV4 EV have?
There are 3 recalls for the 2012 Toyota RAV4 EV, the most recent from February 19, 2016 (rear/other). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Toyota RAV4 EV?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2013 and 2012. See the full Toyota RAV4 EV years comparison.
At what mileage do 2012 Toyota RAV4 EV problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 20,000 miles; 80% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.