Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2008 Toyota RAV4 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated while driving 5 MPH, there was smoke coming from the front of the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over to inspect the vehicle and became aware that the alternator was smoking. The vehicle was turned off and towed back to the residence. The contact purchased the alternator and fixed the vehicle. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer had been notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 126,000
The issue relates to the spiral cable assembly in my 2008 Toyota RAV4, which falls under Safety Recall 14V-168. According to the recall documentation, this part may fail, which could affect the vehicle's safety features, including the airbag system. My vehicle is potentially affected by this recall, as it falls within the specified VIN range, but after contacting Toyota Customer Support, I was informed that my vehicle is not eligible for the recall, despite meeting the criteria outlined in the official recall notice. This inconsistency puts my safety at risk, as the failure of the spiral cable could lead to the malfunction of the airbag system. The problem has not been confirmed by a dealer or independent service center, as I have not yet been able to have the issue inspected or repaired. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Toyota RAV4. Shortly after parking, the vehicle caught fire. A police and a fire report were filed and no injuries were sustained. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be inspected by the insurance company. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 69,000. Updated 5/5/15 updated 9/16/2015
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Toyota RAV4. While in park, the power window master switch caught fire. The contact was able to extinguish the fire. There were no injuries and a police report was not filed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 120,000.
2021 I was involved in a collision on the highway and my airbag did not deploy but airbag light remained on dash board even after repairing clockspring and attempting to reset airbag.
At approximately 11:15 am Saturday January 22, I was stopped at a stop light on spit brook road in nashua nh for about 30 seconds, when my leased Toyota rav4l suddenly revved it's engine and started to move forward. As it did, I pressed on the brake as hard as I could, and the car continued to rev the engine and suddenly jumped forward hitting the car that was about 6 feet in front of me. At that time, I put the car in park, stopped the engine and checked to see if the woman in the car ahead of me was hurt. She was not. Her car had no damage to it. She went on her way. There is minor damage to the from end of the RAV4, including the bumper and grill. I got back into the car, and took it to the Toyota dealer in nashua nh, that was a mile or 2 away, and explained to them what happened. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Toyota RAV4. While driving 45 MPH, the engine stalled without warning. The contact could not pull the vehicle over to the side of the road. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle, and it returned to normal. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the alternator, battery, and ignition switch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact also stated that the failure recurred several other times after the repair. The vehicle was not taken to an independent mechanic or to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted at [phone] and asked the contact to take the vehicle to the dealer. A case number was not provided. The approximate failure mileage was 213,000. The VIN was not available.
Vehicle lost power and shut down as I was driving on a busy main road with lots of traffic. As it continued to slow down I was able to pull into a driveway and stop. I tried to start vehicle again without success but it made loud grinding noise. After short time I attempted to restart vehicle made a loud grinding sound but would not start. Called for tow and they determined it was not the battery and towed vehicle to my house. Paint peeling off vehicle in large patches. Windshield wipers will not work but not a result of latest incident. Wiper motor hums but do not work. Cd player stopped working few months ago. Makes clicking noises but will not play cd or eject discs.
Tl contact owns a 2008 Toyota RAV4. The contact stated that while the driver was traveling 25 MPH, he saw smoke being emitting from the drivers side door. When he opened the door, it was on fire. He was able to extinguished the fire with water. The contact thought that it was an electrical fire originating from the wires in the door which caused the failure. The vehicle had not been inspected or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The current and failure mileage was approximately 65,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Toyota RAV4. The contact stated that the vehicle's odometer stopped functioning and the diagnostic box had two burnt wires. The vehicle quickly shut off when the contact attempted to start the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to penske Toyota of downey (9136 east Firestone blvd, downey, ca 90241, [phone]) to be diagnosed, but no failure was found. The manufacturer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 11,000.
NHTSA investigations
Unintended and Uncontrolled Acceleration
On February 16, 2010, NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened RQ10-003 to determine whether the scope of prior Toyota recalls relating to potential unintended acceleration were sufficiently broad, including, among others, Toyota recalls 07E-082, 09V-388, 10V-017, and 10V-023.NHTSA also requested information regarding potential electronic causes of unintended acceleration in Toyota and Lexus vehicles.I.
Power Window Master Switch Fire
ODI has identified certain Toyota vehicles experiencing a higher rate of fire and thermal event incidents among all Toyota vehicles that use the same power window master switch design.They include a total of approximately 1.4 million model year (MY) 2007 through 2009 Camry, Camry Hybrid, RAV4 and Yaris vehicles built from approximately September 2006 through August 2008, as well as all MY 2008 Highlander Hybrid…
Power Window Master Switch Fire
On October 10, 2012, Toyota initiated a safety recall of approximately 2.5 million U.S. vehicles involving the following models and model years:2007-2009 Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2009 Corolla and Corolla Matrix, 2008 Highlander and Highlander Hybrid, 2007-2009 RAV4, 2008-2009 Scion xB and xD, 2008-2009 Sequoia, 2007-2008 Tundra, 2007-2008 Yaris, and 2009 Pontiac Vibe.See NHTSA recall number 12V-491 for more details,…
Electrical complaints in other RAV4 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2008 Toyota RAV4?
NHTSA has 27 complaints about the electrical system of the 2008 Toyota RAV4, 5% of the model year's 575 complaints. The component named most often is alternator/generator/regulator (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2008 Toyota RAV4 electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2008 Toyota RAV4, though it has 14 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2008 Toyota RAV4 electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 69,000 miles, and 18% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 6 fires and 0 injuries to electrical system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.