Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2010 Toyota RAV4 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2010 Toyota RAV4. The contact stated that she gets her vehicle maintenance on a regular basis, however, when she took her vehicle to get serviced by an independent mechanic she was advised that the oil was low. The contact stated that they put oil in the vehicle, however, when it was time for the vehicle to get maintenance again, she was again advised that the oil was low and that the vehicle was leaking oil. The contact stated that after a while she noticed she was inputting 3 quarts of oil per week in the vehicle. The contact stated that there were no warning lights illuminated on the vehicle at the time of failure. The contact stated that she does not know if the vehicle was losing oil until she checks the oil, which occurs on a regular basis. The contact stated she did contact the manufacturer, who was not able to assist. The failure mileage was 200,000.
The contact owns a 2010 Toyota RAV4. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made abnormal sounds. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the dealer could not duplicate the failure. The vehicle was taken to another dealer, Nashville Toyota North (2400 Gallatin Pike N, Madison, TN 37115), and diagnosed that the rear differential coupling was leaking oil, the rear driver's side axle bearing was faulty, and the radiator was leaking. The rear differential coupling, rear driver's side axle bearing, and radiator needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was past the nine-year extended warranty coverage. The failure mileage was 97,900.
While driving my vehicle, it began to smoke under the hood. I exited the highway in order to pull over in a safer location. Some smoke started coming through the vent in the car as I pulled over. I exited the car and moved away and small flames began at the air vents on the outside. After I called 911, The fire kept building until the front half of the car was engulfed. The fire department came and put out the fire. They weren't sure the exact cause, but believe it started in the engine. My car was up to date on inspection and was not yet due for an oil change. No dashboard service lights were on beforehand. I had State Farm insurance and am not sure yet if they were able to find anything from their investigation.
This car was bought for a new driver and we have had 2 separate occasions when she has gotten somewhere and the car wont start. All the warning lights come on, but will not do anything when you push the button. We can jump it and it will start. This is not safe for a young person that could get stranded at random somewhere, and is now afraid to take it somewhere. We have checked the connections and the battery has been checked and is fine. The other complaint is the rear suspension recall. The tires were rotated and now it has a vibration, I was told that because of the recall it cannot be aligned unless things are replaced because of the terrible fix job on the recall. If something is recalled it should be fixed correctly and not be a bandaid job. There should not be a cost associated with a cheap fix that caused more problems. …
Engine oil is burning with out discharging from the engine. Can find no leak anywhere in the engine compartment. Constantly adding oil to the car as the oil indicator isn't working either. The engine compression is spot on to manufacturers specifications. If the engine runs out of oil it could lead to a crash. Suspension: Loud popping in the rear drivers side when first moving. Don't know if it is tie rod or something else. Don't need whatever is causing the pop to break as that could lead to a crash.
Burns oil. No leaks and compression is spot on. Burns oil so bad that around every 2,000 miles, if you hit the brakes to hard it causes the car to stall. Whether it's in a parking lot or intersection. Has happened several times. Since I purchased the car in 2022. Has been inspected by Toyota mechanics on more than one occasion, but can't find any solution, have tried thicker oils, oil stabilizers and nothing helps.
I have a 2010 Toyota rav4 limited and sometimes the car starts and sometimes it doesn't but all the light come on but the car itself doesn't start I replaced the battery, starter, starter safety switch but it still doesn't start sometimes
Intermittently, my 2010 RAV4 engine turns off, while driving, and then turns back on shortly after. This is very dangerous, as you lose power steering and brakes, meaning very difficult to steer and stop. This happens when the car is in motion. Never had it cut out at a stop light. I'm thinking it's the ECM. The car's maintenance is very up to date. My daughter drives this vehicle and it has happened to her numerous times. I have experienced it once, shortly after getting the car from the Toyota dealership. I asked them about it and they weren't able to offer any suggestions, other than I could pay them to diagnose the problem. There are no error codes registered when this happens, which is why I think it's the ECM. Toyota has upgraded the code level for the ECM twice, so I'm thinking there are issues they addressed in upgrading the code. …
I was driving alone into the germonds village condominium development located off eastlyn drive near route 304 in bardonia, ny. I drove slowly into the complex parking lot. I turned right to park in a space in front of a garbage collection structure. While entering this space, I was driving very slowly. I placed my foot on the brake to stop when suddenly the car accelerated, made a 'changing-of-gear type sound' and catapulted into the garbage structure at a very high rate of speed. The structure caused the car to stop. I put the car into park and shut the engine off. Notably, neither the driver side or passenger side airbags deployed. I was shaken and very scared but not injured. The car sustained heavy damage to the front end, front right side and the right front tire. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 Toyota RAV4. While driving approximately 3 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed and the vehicle's rpms increased, causing the vehicle to jerk forward. The contact applied more brake pressure than normal, which caused the vehicle to stop and the rpms to decrease. The vehicle functioned normally. The contact informed the dealer who stated that, due to the age of the vehicle, the fuel injectors May need cleaning or replacing. The vehicle was not officially diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 92,500.
Engine complaints in other RAV4 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2010 Toyota RAV4?
NHTSA has 31 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2010 Toyota RAV4, 8% of the model year's 400 complaints. The component named most often is cooling system › radiator assembly (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2010 Toyota RAV4 engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2010 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 2010 Toyota RAV4 engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 60,000 miles, and 32% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 1 fire and 0 injuries to engine & cooling 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.