Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2012 Toyota RAV4 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Over the last 4 years I have had 2 prior occurrence where I've lost power turning or stopping, causing the engine to stall. Both times the vehicle was taken to our mechanic and he replaced the connectors to the battery. On January 18th, 2024, while turning off of a rural highway onto the street we live on I again lost power and the engine stalled and smelled a faint electrical smell. I called my mechanic and he said he could get it in on January 22nd. We checked all connections to the battery, made sure the battery terminals were clean. The morning of January 22nd, while on my way to the mechanic the vehicle in front of me stopped quickly. I started to stop a little quicker than normal, causing the front of the vehicle to tip down. I immediately lost power and the engine died, causing me to rear end the vehicle in front of me. …
Inaudible turn signal prompt: Older drivers who drive for miles with their turn signal on is the subject of many a cartoon and common source of highway frustration. It is also a safety issue when a vehicle does not perform the turn that it is apparently signaling to make. I find myself being one of those older drivers who leaves their turn signal on. I have moderate hearing loss and do wear hearing aids, but not all the time. Perhaps my RAV4's audible prompt is quieter than others, but with road noise and the radio on I often do not hear it. A simple solution to this problem would be the ability to control the volume of the audible turn signal prompt so it could be "cranked up" to be easily heard. If dashboard lights have a dimmer control, why don't turn signal prompts have a volume control? …
Check EV System - Have your vehicle checked by a dealership immediately Warning has come on several times in the past few days. RAV4 EV forum indicates this is a problem that can make the vehicle stop while driving - very dangerous. There was a recall issued for this problem in 2015, and your site indicates there are no outstanding recalls on this vehicle. Please help resolve this potentially severe problem. Thanks.
Driver side rear quarter panel started on fire. This occurred after an approximately 4 mile drive. I believe the fire started on the drive. I parked the vehicle in a parking lot with only one other vehicle. When I was walking into the store I smelled burning plastic but did not relate it to my car burning. I was in the store about 5 minutes. When I walked out I saw the fire. There was no outside influence to the fire and nothing inside the vehicle vehicle. The only thing in that area of the vehicle is wiring.
My rav4 caught fire by its self not running in the battery compartment and burned completely to the metal
I have just begun having the issue that many others complain about - the check engine light + 4wd + trac lights all came on (2012 Toyota RAV4, 100,000 miles). We tried some simple fixes at home, based on the many online posts about this issue (checked/refastened hoses, battery connections, etc.), and the lights came right back on. Took to our usual mechanic, and they diagnosed o2 sensor problems, both bank 1 & bank 2. Paid $750 for them to replace both sensors. The 3 dashboard lights came back on as I was driving home after picking up my car from the service. The sensors were replaced with genuine Toyota parts. The car is now back at the mechanic - they said the same o2 sensor codes are coming up when they check the diagnostics. This appears to be a chronic problem for Toyota, and really needs to be investigated and dealt with. …
I could not start my vehicle on 7/26/2018. I called road side assistance and got a jump start from a power device. I was driving towards Toyota service. Suddenly my vehicle stopped on the middle of the road. It was completely disabled: no power stirring, not even alarm signal working. If this happened on a highway, more likely, I would not be alive today. Same driver who would hit me from behind, because disabled vehical stoped in a moment. I am sure, nobody must drive Toyota RAV4 2012. If battery is not functioning, there must be indication on the dashboard before the vehicle get disabled, but there was nothing to tell me that vehicle is not drivable. For reference : a) battery. True star battery. Waranty 2 years. Died in 10 months. B) the incident filed in Toyota as #1808151393. No resolution. C) service. Fred haas Toyota. 22435 sh 249, houston, tx 77070. …
The car was parked in the driveway with the doors locked and the windows rolled up. Sometime between 10 pm and 5:30 am there was a fire that created enough heat to melt the coating on the front windshield and blow out the front windshield, melt the center of the dash and the area between the visors where the controls for the sunroof and interior lights were. It also caused a short in the wiring that resulted in turning on the headlights even though the switch was off. We had to disconnect the car battery to turn off the lights. Toyota did an investigation and decided that the aurora be any baby on the dash spontaneously combusted in the middle of the night causing the fire and damage. Since there have been reports of other toyotas having problems with electrical I thought you would want to know about this case.
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 Toyota RAV4. The contact stated that the air conditioning unit failed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was discovered that the parts needed for the repair were not available. The contact was advised by the dealer that the vehicle was included in NHTSA campaign number: 15V577000 (visibility). The dealer stated that the parts were not yet available to any of the dealers. A recall notice was also received for NHTSA campaign number: 16V096000 (seat belts). The contact called the dealer and was advised that the parts for the recall were also not available and could not provide a time frame in which the parts would become available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 24,000. Updated 06/23/16
2012 RAV4 - for no apparent reason my check engine light, trac off light and 4x4 light have been coming on for a few days, then off, then on, etc. We got a code of p0607, but the car is showing no symptoms associated with that code error. The vehicle is driving fine. I have checked the battery connection and the gas cap. Based on a large number of online complaints, I would ask that NHTSA seriously look into this issue and strongly consider a recall that will actually fix the problem for owners. There have been a number who have taken the vehicle in for repair, only to have the lights back on a few days later. Please hold Toyota accountable for this.
Electrical complaints in other RAV4 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2012 Toyota RAV4?
NHTSA has 30 complaints about the electrical system of the 2012 Toyota RAV4, 12% of the model year's 260 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2012 Toyota RAV4 electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2012 Toyota RAV4, though it has 5 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 2012 Toyota RAV4 electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 33,000 miles, and 44% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 3 fires and 1 injury 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.