Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2016 Toyota RAV4 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owned a 2016 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50 mph when they noticed smoke and flames were coming from underneath the hood of the vehicle. The contact stated that when they attempted to move to the passenger side of the road they realized there was not enough room to do so causing them to roll over several times downhill eventually crashing into two trees. The contact stated that a civilian came and assisted them out of the vehicle once they noticed the crash. The air bags did deploy. The contact received head, neck, rib, sternum, and foot. Medical attention was needed. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed and deemed totaled. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 89,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, unattended in the driveway, it caught fire in the engine. The fire department extinguished the fire. There were no reported injuries, property damage or police report filed. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was towed to an independent lot. The manufacturer was not contacted. The fire department provided report number 2022-05-FV. The approximate failure mileage was 112,000.
On the evening of February 5th, I drove to my friend's house to pick them up for dinner. They live on the same street and are about 1200' away. I made a left turn into their driveway which is concrete with a fairly steep decline. While my foot was on the brake the car suddenly accelerated and I was unable to stop it before it hit the rear bumper of my friend's pickup. There was no damage to the pickup and my car had damage to the passenger side bumper and fender. Erie insurance looked at the car on March 1st and provided an estimate and payment on the same day. ($2,716 minus the $1,000 deductible) After receiving the estimate, I drove the car to Nashville Toyota North where I agreed to pay for a scan of the computer. After returning home I received a call from them requesting me to pick up the car. …
While shopping at the grocery store, I experienced an incident upon leaving the parking lot. After reaching my first red light, I noticed smoke rapidly billowing from under the hood of my vehicle. My husband, who was driving behind me, immediately saw the smoke and instructed me to pull over. Once I stopped, he asked me to pop the hood. Upon opening it, he urgently removed his shirt to try and extinguish the fire. The damage was extensive - a hole burned through the hood, significantly compromising the vehicle's crash safety rating. Additionally, melted plastic covered the battery area, and the radiator hose was damaged, rendering the vehicle unsafe to drive.
I called in a complaint a few weeks ago, the ref# is 1145-8214. ODI. I would like to upload my photos and other information of my RAV4 fire that started without any warning. I would also like to add that this was not a battery related issue. We never replaced the battery in the 2 years we had this RAV4. We bought this car from a reputable Toyota dealership. My husband would have also noticed if the battery was the incorrect size. We believe this fire was caused by rodents eating on the soybean wiring coating. We had issues with our Camry with chewed up wiring we had to replace those wires and saw feces in our all ourToyota cars.
While my wife was driving the car it suddenly shutoff. She was in the middle of a turn and was able to get to the side of the road. I few moments later she saw what she assumed was steam coming from under the hood and she immediately got out of the car. Within a minute of getting out of the car she saw flames dripping down from the engine. She called the fire department who put the flames out, but the car is most likely totaled. The fire department told her it looked like the battery exploded. I want to make sure you are aware of this as I see you have had other complaints.
The contact owns a 2016 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V734000 (Electrical System). The contact stated that while his wife was driving at approximately 35 MPH, the check engine warning light and an additional unknown warning light illuminated. The vehicle was driven home. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the oil and air filter, and an additional unknown part needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 65,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that the vehicle consumed an excessive amount of engine oil. The engine consumed half a quart of oil every 300 to 400 miles. The dealer was made aware of the failure and scheduled an upcoming appointment for an oil consumption test. The vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 47,000.
The car rapidly caught on fire while parked and off. Smoke first appeared from the hood and subsequently flames came out of the hood causing the entire car to catch in fire. There were no warning lights/messages. The car was inspected by our insurance, USAA
- I believe the ECM has failed, and I believe this after replacing battery, starter, spark plugs, and spark plug wires. While accelerating, and while maintaining a consistent speed over 50 mph, the tachometer (and engine, accordingly) yanks itself back and forth between 3500 and 5500 rpm. The vehicle physically jumps back and forth between massive acceleration and decceleration, without any change in throttle/pedal placement. This occurs while in Cruise Control, Eco Mode, Normal Mode, and Sport Mode. There is not yet a discernable pattern or trigger identified in why this occurs. - My safety and the safety of others has been put at risk by the vehicle's jerking, halting, and unplanned acceleration in heavy traffic situations. …
Engine complaints in other RAV4 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2016 Toyota RAV4?
NHTSA has 25 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2016 Toyota RAV4, 10% of the model year's 240 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2016 Toyota RAV4 engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2016 Toyota RAV4, though it has 3 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 2016 Toyota RAV4 engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 15,000 miles, and 60% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 8 fires and 1 injury 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.