Most common 1999 Toyota RAV4 problems
Share of the 62 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 →
1999 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 1999 Toyota RAV4 owners say
Speed control & acceleration
Today I was backing out of a parking space and my engine surged. I was able to stop the car by braking as hard as possible, and even then it was difficult to stop. This is the first time it has surged while backing up. On numerous occasions over the years the engine has surged when the car is slowing down at a stoplight or stop sign, and usually when I'm going under 10 miles an hour. Very scary! There is no problem with my floor mat, which is fastened securely well below the brake and gas pedals.also, I've never been disoriented and unable to tell where my foot is. I don't drink or smoke, and have a good safety record with state farm for over 40 years. I've reported this surging problem numerous times to Toyota and they can't see anything wrong when they test drive. That's because the surging problem occurs irregularly, about once in every 50 times I brake. …
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 Toyota RAV4. While entering a parking space, the vehicle accelerated without intention into some bushes. After the minor crash she was able to resume normal vehicle operation. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for inspection. The vehicle was not repaired because the technician was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle has not been repaired for the malfunction. The failure mileage was unknown. The current mileage was 109,000. The VIN was unavailable.
Air bags
I lost control of the vehicle and I overcorrected causing the car to go airborne. I hit head on into an embankment then continued to roll 3or 4 times before stopping. There were no indications or warnings to make me think these parts were going to malfunction. My airbags never deployed and the seatbelt did not lockup.
As vehicle entered intered intersection, front airbag imploded causing driver to lose control and hit a parked truck. Both vehicles were damaged and driver's insurancecompany paid the claim, charging the violation against the driver, and raising driver's rates exorbitantly for three years!! Due to the force of the impact against the driver by the imploding airbag, the driver was very dazed when the police arrived and unable to adequately explain the cause of the accident.
Electrical system
Complaint received via e-mail. While my son was driving the car caught on fire under the hood for no apparent reason. I contacted Toyota corporation regarding this issue, and they had me take the car to a local dealer. So I took it to midtown Toyota, where I purchased the vehicle in August of 1999. I spoke with a jim christensen ,[phone] x 4911. He is in the service department. After a week I was told that because my car was 6 years old and had 64,000 miles on it that it was determined that this was not a manufacturer's defect. But they could not explain to me what caused the fire, and told me that they were not responsible for the repairs. The car was purchased brand new, and does not have any after market installations of any kind. I have photos of the damage that can mailed upon request. Damage was caused to front right side, head lights, wiring burned and washer reservoir. …
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 Toyota rav. When the ignition was turned to the off position in the evening, the radio was activated the next morning. Also, the fan in the engine was running and caused the battery to drain. The ignition was turned to the on position, but the vehicle failed to start. While driving at an unknown speed, the engine stalled and the air bag warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle restarted on some occasions, but the failures recurred numerous times. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the theft deterrent system failed and needed to be removed. The vehicle was repaired, but the failures recurred and rendered the vehicle inoperable. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that the VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 98V278000 (electrical system). The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.
1999 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 | 19 / 23 / 21 |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1999 Toyota RAV4 a good car?
Based on 62 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1999 RAV4 rates better than average: 83% 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 1999 Toyota RAV4?
The speed control & acceleration — 14 complaints, 23% of all complaints for this model year, most often about linkages. Next are the air bags (14) and electrical system (6).
How many recalls does the 1999 Toyota RAV4 have?
There are 4 recalls for the 1999 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 1999 Toyota RAV4 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 110,000 miles; 4% 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.