Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2019 Toyota RAV4 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Around 2:30 pm on Thursday, December 2, 2021, my wife and I were on our way to the gym for a workout. I was pulling my auto out of my garage. It was in reverse when it stopped half way and did not finish backing out. I put it in drive and then in reverse and I was able to back out. Once out of my driveway, I backed out into the street in reverse. From reverse, I put my car in Drive to start driving on the street. At this point, the car spun out of control and I could not control its movements. The car turned around on the street and drove into my yard. It ran through the yard, spun around through some hedges, onto my driveway and continued back into the yard. At this time it hit a tree in the yard, went back on the road, turned into my driveway before coming to a stop. We got out and inspected the damage. The entire front bumper and the assembly was hanging from the body of the car. …
The vehicle suddenly started to smoke and burn by itself when driving on the super crowded highway. I immediately stopped the vehicle and found that the burning site was the bottom of the front-left head of the vehicle (please see the images attached). The mechanician I visited after judged that the fire may due to failed electrical parts or system. He suggested to visit a Toyota dealer for recall. However, the Toyota dealer (Crown Toyota, 1201 Kettering Dr, Ontario, CA91761) declined my request with the reason that my vehicle has passed warranty time. The vehicle was just inspected in the Toyota dealer a few days ago. The dealer's inspection report shows that the vehicle does not have any problems besides suggesting to replace tires and front brakes.
The contact owns a 2019 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that the rear hatch door failed to remain securely closed. The contact stated that the failure intermittently occurred and became more frequent over time. Additionally, the front driver's side seat belt buckle and rear passenger's side seat belt buckle failed to buckle and lock securely. They also stated that the front driver's side electronic reclining seat made grinding sounds while operating. The contact also stated that water was leaking into the vehicle from the rear passenger's side quarter panel. The cause of the failures was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failures, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 32,000.
The contact owns a 2019 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, there was water leaking into the driver's side of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer; however, the failure could not be duplicated, and the vehicle was not repaired. The contact then stated that the failure persisted, and he noticed the water was leaking from the roof rack and had entered the air bag compartment area. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the water was entering through the headliner; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 28,000.
The contact owns a 2019 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that she initially noticed that the headliner was stained and later realized that rainwater had leaked into the driver's and passenger's side front cabins from the roof rail. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the failure was caused by a previous windshield replacement. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 15,000.
The contact owns a 2019 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while stopping the vehicle, the contact heard an abnormal slushing sound coming from the front passenger's side door. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and it was determined that the door seals had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired and remained with the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 64,000. The VIN was unavailable.
The contact owns a 2019 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that the roof rack clips were fractured and water was leaking into the vehicle, causing the vehicle to shut off intermittently, electrical failures, and air bags malfunction. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the headliners were leaking. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but no assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 66,000.
The contact owns a 2019 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while attempting to refuel the vehicle, it was discovered that the interior latch to open the fuel door had malfunctioned, and the fuel door failed to open. The contact was unable to refuel the vehicle due to the failure. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 27,900.
The contact owns a 2019 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that the liftgate hinge had fractured into two pieces, causing the liftgate to fail to operate as designed. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the repair was not covered under recall or warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
The contact owns a 2019 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that water was leaking into the vehicle through the roof rack. The water entered the compartment where the air bags were located. The contact had not taken the vehicle to the dealer. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 89,000.
Body complaints in other RAV4 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2019 Toyota RAV4?
NHTSA has 89 complaints about the body & structure of the 2019 Toyota RAV4, 10% of the model year's 882 complaints. The component named most often is body (70 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2019 Toyota RAV4 body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2019 Toyota RAV4, though it has 7 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 2019 Toyota RAV4 body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 32,000 miles, and 33% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 1 fire and 1 injury to body & structure 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.