Most common 1998 Toyota RAV4 problems
Share of the 77 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Toyota RAV4 complaints by model year
Best RAV4 years: 2014. Years to avoid: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2024, 2025. Compare all years →
1998 Toyota RAV4 recalls (4)
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 1998-2000 RAV4, 1998-1999 RAV4 EV and Celica and 1997-1998 Supra vehicles. These vehicles were equipped with Non-Azide Driver air bag Inflators (NADI) and do not contain phase stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and owners will have the option to self-inspect, or have a dealer inspect the steering wheel on their vehicle to determine if their vehicle may be equipped with an affected inflator.
Power train › Automatic transmission › Park/neutral start interlock switch
Vehicle description: sport utility electric vehicles. If the subject vehicles are repeatedly parked by placing the shift lever into the "p" position without applying the parking brake, the parking lock rod, a component of the transmission parking lock system, could break.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the parking lock rod.
Service brakes, air › Disc › Rotor
Vehicle description: sport utility electric vehicles. The front disc brake rotor, when equipped with steel wheels, can develop stress fractures if the lug nuts are tightened with excessive torque.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the disc brake rotors. If the vehicle is equipped with steel wheels, Toyota will replace the front disc brake rotors and steel wheels with new disc brake rotors and new aluminum wheels.
Electrical system › Ignition › Anti-theft › Control module
Vehicle description: sport utility vehicles, Mini vans and passenger vehicles equipped with a theft deterrent systems (tds) supplied by audiovox corporation and distributed by southeast Toyota distributors, inc. In the states of alabama, florida, georgia, north and south carolina.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the date code label on the security system harness and any displaying the manufacturing/final date code will be replaced with newly produced harnesses.
What 1998 Toyota RAV4 owners say
Brakes
The brakes failed to work twice and the vehicle lurched forward instead into drive. This was at low speed when attempting to come to a complete stop at a red light. When the first braking attempt failed, the brake was pumped a second time and it failed to stop and accelerated instead. Firm pressure was applied to the brake pedal a third time and this did prompt the vehicle to stop but it was close to rear-ending another car already stopped at the light.
Engine light came 0n. Consumer applied brakes, and vehicle went forward and jumped curb. Consumer's vehicle hit another vehicle, and light went off. Next day, dealer checked system's computer and a sensor kicked up the idler. Sensor will have to be replaced. Consumer was unaware of the cause, and if it was an intermittent problem.
Air bags
Tl* the contact owned a 1998 Toyota RAV4. The contact stated while making a left turn at an intersection, another vehicle crashed into the front passenger side of their vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed. The contact stated that two people in the vehicle sustained injuries. The passenger in the passenger seat sustained a black eye, several leg bruises and had to get 7 stitches in her head. The passenger in the back seat sustained two broken ribs. The vehicle was not drivable and was towed to a junk yard. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired as of yet. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had not been informed of failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 Toyota RAV4. The contact was driving 60 MPH and attempted to avoid a tractor trailer. While switching lanes, the rear of the contact's vehicle crashed into another vehicle, causing the contact to spin out of control, crash into the tractor trailer and then into the guard rail. The vehicle was destroyed. The air bags did not deploy. Each of the three passengers were wearing seat belts however none of them locked on impact, causing injury to each of the three passengers. The vehicle was neither repaired nor inspected for the cause of the air bag failure. The failure and the current mileages were 105,000.
Speed control & acceleration
On September 9, 2010 my wife was approaching a parking spot in a walgreens drug store lot in our 1998 Toyota rav 4. She couldn't have been traveling at a speed of more than 5 to 10 MPH. She experienced a sudden unintended acceleration about a few feet before the parking spot which caused her to jump a curb and crash into a column outside of the store. Both air bags deployed and the damage to the car resulted in a total loss. My wife had extensive bruising and great pain in the chest area which necessitated a trip to the emergency room. Luckily the damage was only bruises. There was extensive damage to the store column. It is estimated the car must have been traveling at 30 MPH or more when it hit.
Engine light came 0n. Consumer applied brakes, and vehicle went forward and jumped curb. Consumer's vehicle hit another vehicle, and light went off. Next day, dealer checked system's computer and a sensor kicked up the idler. Sensor will have to be replaced. Consumer was unaware of the cause, and if it was an intermittent problem.
1998 Toyota RAV4 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 21 / 26 / 23 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 21 / 27 / 23 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 20 / 24 / 22 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 20 / 24 / 21 |
EPA ratings. Class: Small SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1998 Toyota RAV4 a good car?
Based on 77 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1998 RAV4 rates better than average: 75% fewer complaints than a typical year of the RAV4 at the same age. 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 1998 Toyota RAV4?
The brakes — 16 complaints, 21% of all complaints for this model year, most often about foundation components. Next are the air bags (13) and speed control & acceleration (12).
How many recalls does the 1998 Toyota RAV4 have?
There are 4 recalls for the 1998 Toyota RAV4, the most recent from January 22, 2020 (inflator module). 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?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2014. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2024 and 2025. See the full Toyota RAV4 years comparison.
At what mileage do 1998 Toyota RAV4 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 118,000 miles; 5% 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.