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).
On june10th. I had a majoir accident in which both my wife & myself suffered fractured sternums & fractured ribs. What happened was that I pulled into a lot in princeton, n.j. & after stopping to set my GPS, I just tapped the accelerator & the car shot forward, as if shot out of a cannon. While stopped I put the car in reverse & the car shot backwards in the same manner, thereby striking a wall. Now I went forward like a rocket, with no time to hit the brake, thereby going headfirst into a parked construction truck.
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
This recall affects the rear passenger safety belts in the vehicle. There is a potential the seat belts May become cut or separated. I have a family to drive around so I asked that Toyota provide a loaner vehicle until the issue could be resolved. I contacted both Toyota customer service and my local Toyota dealership, both denied my request for a safe vehicle to drive to protect my family. I also have an infant and my infant can only ride in the back of the car. The rav 4 is a four passenger vehicle and we were advised by a car seat specialist not to install the car seat in the middle. We would like a loaner vehicle as soon as possible and we May seek legal representation to take action against Toyota in order to protect my family from this unsafe vehicle. NHTSA recall 16v-096
Tl contact owns a 2012 Toyota rav-4. The contact stated that the rear passenger side seatbelt failed to retract and unlatch preventing her from removing the child passenger seatbelt. The contact made numerous attempts to release the child from the belt and was unable too. As a result of the failure, the seatbelt had to be cut causing scratches and burns to the passenger since the seatbelt would not loosen. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for further inspection and diagnosis. The contact was waiting for a response from the manufacturer to further inspect the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 23,409.
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 Toyota RAV4. The contact stated that the rear passenger side seat belt pretensioner tightened independently. The failure occurred without warning. The contact stated that the seat belt had to be cut by another driver. The seat was replaced by the contact's husband. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. A Toyota technician inspected the vehicle and determined that the vehicle had performed according to federal motor safety standards. The contact's suffered bruising from the seat belt, which did not require medical attention. The failure mileage was approximately 49,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 Toyota RAV4. While fastening the seat belt on the driver side, the buckle failed to release the seat belt. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who lubricated the buckle, but the failure was persistent. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage was approximately 6,000.
I have been attempting to take care of the recall for my car rear seatbelts since last fall (2016). It seems that Toyota uk could not work with the VIN I supplied and finally requested a photo in feb 2017; , I sent the photo originally on 14 feb. I have had to resend the photo this morning, approx. (1 hour ago 1018 gmt 21 apr) to steven eagell Toyota, cambridge uk (who were jardin motors group when I started trying to get this sorted out last fall.. The largest snafu seems. To be that Toyota uk must have authorization from Toyota us to get the parts and perform the warrantee work I am hoping that my filing the complaint from this end might expedite Toyota us authorizing the repairs. So that I can get the seatbelt replacement completed. This is becoming urgent on my end as I need to have the recall work completed before I can have the car shipped back to the us. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 Toyota RAV4. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign numbers: 16V096000 (seat belts) and 15V577000 (visibility/wiper). The parts to do the repair were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The vehicle was taken to bohn brothers Toyota (located at 3800 lapalco blvd harvey, la, 70058) on three separate occasions who stated that the recall remedy parts were unavailable. The attempted to call the manufacturer, but the wait time was long and the line disconnected. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
I was notified at the end of April that there was a recall regarding the safety of the backseat seatbelts possibly separating in the event of a frontal crash. I was provided with a courtesy vehicle and have been driving it for over 2 months while still paying for my vehicle that sits in a dealership lot awaiting a fix. I continue to be told that there is not yet a fix for this recall. I find it unacceptable to not have identified a fix or made parts available to rectify this matter. At this time, I would like an alternative to this matter.
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 Toyota RAV4. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign numbers: 15V577000 (visibility/wiper) and 16V096000 (seat belts). The parts needed for the repair were not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The VIN was unknown. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Related recalls
Seat belts › Rear/other
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2006-2012 RAV4 vehicles manufactured July 28, 2005, to December 19, 2012, and 2012-2014 RAV4 EV vehicles manufactured July 24, 2012, to August 29, 2014.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will install a protector over both rear seat cushion frames, free of charge. The recall began on June 24, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.
Seat Belt complaints in other RAV4 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are seat belt problems on the 2012 Toyota RAV4?
NHTSA has 30 complaints about the seat belts of the 2012 Toyota RAV4, 12% of the model year's 260 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2012 Toyota RAV4 seat belt problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 16V-096 (rear/other, Feb 19, 2016). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2012 Toyota RAV4 seat belt problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 25,000 miles, and 50% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 3 injuries to seat belts 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.