Most common 2020 Toyota RAV4 problems
Share of the 635 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Toyota RAV4 complaints by model year
Best RAV4 years: 2014. Years to avoid: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2024, 2025. Compare all years →
2020 Toyota RAV4 recalls (6)
Air bags › Sensor › Occupant classification
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Avalon, Avalon Hybrid, Corolla, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, RAV4, RAV4 Hybrid, Lexus ES350, Lexus RX350, Lexus RX450H, 2021 Sienna Hybrid, Lexus ES250, 2020-2022 Camry, Camry Hybrid, and ES300H vehicles.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the sensor as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed in February 2024. Some final remedy owner letters were mailed October 31, 2024.
Air bags › Frontal
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Toyota Avalon and 2020 Avalon Hybrid, RAV4, and RAV4 Hybrid vehicles. Breakaway pins within the steering column, designed to absorb energy and reduce injury during a crash, could have been damaged during production, possibly affecting the…
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering column, free of charge. The recall began December 18, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.
Fuel system, gasoline › Delivery › Fuel pump
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018-2019 4Runner, 2019-2020 Avalon, 2019 Corolla Hatchback, 2017-2019 Highlander, 2018-2020 Camry, 2020 Corolla, 2018-2019 Land Cruiser, 2017-2020 Tacoma, 2019-2020 RAV4, 2019-2020 Sequoia, 2017-2020 Sienna, 2019-2020 Tundra, 2018-2020 Lexus ES350, 2017…
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump assembly with an improved one, free of charge. Owners of specific models were notified that remedy parts were available starting January 21, 2021.
Steering › Electric power assist system
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2019-2020 RAV4 and 2020 RAV4 Hybrid vehicles equipped with electric power steering (EPS). Water may enter through the steering gear box cover and cause a loss of electric power steering assist.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the power steering gear box, free of charge. The recall began August 17, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371.
Suspension › Front › Control arm › Lower arm
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2019-2020 RAV4 and RAV4 Hybrid vehicles. The front lower suspension arms may have cracks, which may result in the suspension arm separating from the front wheel assembly.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace both front lower suspension arms, free of charge. This recall began August 10, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371.
Engine and engine cooling
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020 Toyota Avalon Hybrid, Camry, Camry Hybrid and Lexus ES300h and 2019-2020 RAV4 and RAV4 Hybrid vehicles equipped with 2.5L 4-Cylinder engines.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the engine including the engine block, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began April 3, 2020.
What 2020 Toyota RAV4 owners say
Engine & cooling all 193 →
The contact owned a 2020 Toyota RAV4. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked for approximately nine hours and unoccupied, it spontaneously caught fire without warning. The fire department extinguished the fire. The fire department informed him the fire was due to a failure with the electrical system or fuel pump. There were no reported injuries, air bag deployment or police reports filed. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The local dealer was contacted but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The insurance company adjuster deemed the vehicle a total loss. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 35,500.
On May 12, 2022 I was driving our 2022 Rav4 Hybrid. At about 10 am that morning I arrived at the Sherwin Williams store in Chandler, AZ. I applied the brakes and put the car in park. But the car did not stop! It continued to forge ahead, smashing into the building barrier and even then it kept trying to move forward. 1.The whole front end was smashed. 2.The first responders had to pry open the door to extract me from the car. 3.It was later determined that I had broken a rib. (I was lucky it was not more.) 4.The car was later declared "totaled" by the insurance company. By -standers immediately called the police. 1.The police officer confirmed that the car was in park, at the time of the accident. 2.The officer also confirmed with witnesses that the car was in park but was still moving ahead. 3.The officer recorded the witnesses' names and contacts. …
Electrical system all 119 →
The contact owned a 2020 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while driving 45 mph with the cruise control activated and while coming to a red light, the driver depressed the brake pedal and the braking system malfunctioned causing the vehicle to not stop. The vehicle drove through a red light causing a collision with a second vehicle. During the crash the driver sustained rib and torso injuries, the front passenger sustained injured ribs and fractured tailbone and the rear passenger side occupant sustained a fractured tailbone. No further information was available regarding the second vehicle. During the crash, the vehicle was destroyed. A police report was taken at the scene and the vehicle was towed away. The contact indicated that prior to the incident the vehicle had been examined at the dealer for a possible braking problem but no trouble was found. …
The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the "Engine Maintenance Required" warning illuminated. The contact stated that the instrument cluster displayed the warning; however, all information, including the speedometer, mileage, fuel, and temperature gauge went blank. The contact stated that power was not lost and was able to continue driving to the destination. The contact stated that when the vehicle was turned off and restarted, the instrument cluster functioned as needed. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent at first but had become a recurring failure and occurred at various speeds. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer; however, the vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 48,000.
Fuel & propulsion system all 90 →
Before purchasing this car (used, certified) I asked the salesman if the 2020 RAV4 Hybrid had the fuel filling issue I had read about in the 2019. He said he'd never heard of it; I told him it was all over the internet and he said "oh, that's for earlier models." So I bought the car. Immediately had issue where I can't get more than 10.5 gallons of gas in the tank when fuel light is on and DTE is 20 or less. The advertised fuel capacity is 14.5. I have a long daily commute and bought this car for the range. I asked the dealer again and they provided me with Toyota's chart that shows 2.5 gallons of "reserve" at the bottom and another 1-2 for "air" at the top of the tank. Yes, Toyota thinks you can fuel their cars with air. I then called Toyota HQ and they said the fuel tank on this car was already taken care of as part of their customer support bulletin. …
A week prior to this incident, the 2020 RAV4 was taken to Toyota for its maintenance check where everything was checked, replaced and changed. However, the last two days an incessant message keeps popping up on the dash stating "engine maintenance required... Visit your dealer" taking up the entirety of the middle screen inhibiting my ability from seeing my speed, mileage, distance to empty , time, lane assist and other car information that I normally rely on. I have pressed the "arrow back" or "back" button numerous times but three seconds later the message pops again inhibiting me from being able to use necessary car controls to stay safe. The engine on the 2020 RAV4 needs to be recalled as my car only has 55,000 miles on it. …
2020 Toyota RAV4 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5L 4-cyl hybrid | CVT | AWD | 41 / 38 / 40 |
| 2.5L 4-cyl | 8-speed automatic | FWD | 27 / 35 / 30 |
| 2.5L 4-cyl | 8-speed automatic | AWD | 27 / 34 / 30 |
EPA ratings. Class: Small SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2020 Toyota RAV4 a good car?
Based on 635 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2020 RAV4 rates avoid: 4.0× as many complaints as a typical year of the RAV4 at the same age. It is one of the RAV4 years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2020 Toyota RAV4?
The engine & cooling — 193 complaints, 30% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the electrical system (119) and fuel & propulsion system (90).
How many recalls does the 2020 Toyota RAV4 have?
There are 6 recalls for the 2020 Toyota RAV4, the most recent from December 20, 2023 (occupant classification). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Toyota RAV4?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2014. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2024 and 2025. See the full Toyota RAV4 years comparison.
At what mileage do 2020 Toyota RAV4 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 3,000 miles; 91% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.