Seat Belt complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 6 | 3% | 9,000 miles |
| 2023 | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2022 | 5 | 3% | 36,000 miles |
| 2021 | 8 | 2% | 58,000 miles |
| 2020 | 4 | 1% | — |
| 2019 | 10 | 1% | 32,000 miles |
| 2018 | 3 | 1% | 12,000 miles |
| 2017 | 4 | 1% | 23,000 miles |
| 2016 | 2 | 1% | 75,000 miles |
| 2015 | 6 | 2% | 45,000 miles |
| 2014 | 2 | 1% | 20,000 miles |
| 2013 | 4 | 2% | 25,000 miles |
| 2012 | 30 | 12% | 25,000 miles |
| 2011 | 30 | 10% | 72,000 miles |
| 2010 | 18 | 5% | 79,000 miles |
| 2009 | 7 | 2% | — |
| 2008 | 18 | 3% | 73,000 miles |
| 2007 | 17 | 2% | 106,000 miles |
| 2006 | 8 | 1% | 80,000 miles |
| 2005 | 1 | 1% | 60,000 miles |
| 2004 | 2 | 1% | 153,000 miles |
| 2003 | 7 | 2% | 110,000 miles |
| 2002 | 2 | 0% | 33,000 miles |
| 2001 | 5 | 2% | 130,000 miles |
| 2000 | 1 | 3% | 179,000 miles |
| 1999 | 4 | 6% | — |
| 1998 | 4 | 5% | 109,000 miles |
| 1997 | 3 | 6% | — |
| 1996 | 2 | 4% | 367,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (buckles, retractors, anchors and pretensioners).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
The contact owns a 2024 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while driving at 5 MPH into a parking space, the vehicle experienced unintended acceleration three times and crashed into a guard pipe. No warning light was illuminated. The air bags failed to deploy. The front passenger's side seat belt was loose and failed to restrain the contact's husband in his seat. The contact stated that the front passenger's side seat belt failed to retract after the crash. The contact and her husband did not sustain any injuries, and no medical attention was received. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, but had not yet been diagnosed or repaired. The dealer informed the contact that an engineer would inspect the Event Data Recorder (EDR) in three months. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 9,000.
Airbags, seats, and headrest all failed. State Farm insurance currently has the vehicle. I do not know if the people has been inspected by anybody. The vehicle had no warning lamps message or other symptoms of problems or failure before the collision. I was traveling in the far left lane when traffic came to abrupt stop and I was able to stop 10 to 15 ft from the vehicle in front of me. Two vehicles in my line behind me swerved out of the way. Then a semi truck with a trailer rear-ended me. The front end of the semi truck struck the rear end of my vehicle getting lodged inside my vehicle. My car was then pushed into the car in front of me and dragged 100 to 200 yards down The highway by the semi. The seat belts did not lock. The airbags did not deploy. Both front seat frames were bent and ripped apart. The rear seat that's became detached. The headrest for the front seats flew off. …
The contact owns a 2022 Toyota RAV4. The contact stated that a sudden complete stop on a major roadway was necessary due to a turtle crossing, and the vehicle in front was at a complete stop and exited the vehicle in their attempt to remove the turtle from the road. A third vehicle coming from the rear failed to slow down and was driving at 55 MPH, crashed into the rear of the contact. As a result, the contact rear-ended the vehicle in front, which was unoccupied due to the attempt of a turtle removal from the roadway. The contact mentioned that the seat belt did not retract during the impact. No air bags deployed. The vehicle was towed to Copart Collision Center pending the insurance company's inspection of the vehicle. The contact stated that she sustained a head injury that required medical attention. A police report was filed, but the police report number was unknown. …
Truck hits a car that car lose control and drive in front of my wife wile driving she crash and the only messege apear on dash panel was air bag system malfunction my car is a Rav4 2022, before the crash lights like tps control come on and off
The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 35-40 MPH with traffic ahead slowing down, the vehicle registered the traffic information as an immediate stop ahead and the braking system engaged along with the contact depressing the brake pedal to slow the vehicle down. Upon coming to a stop, a pick-up truck rear-ended the vehicle 3 - 4 times. No air bags deployed. The driver's front seat belt failed to retract during the impact to safely secure the driver. The contact sustained injuries to her knees, shoulders, and arms. The front passenger sustained bruises from the seat belt. …
The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the passenger's side seat belt warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the passenger's seat was not occupied by a passenger or object, but the warning light was illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 30,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the driver's side seat belt sensor was replaced. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle had failed to exceed 1,000 RPM while driving. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Rear seat seat belt warning and chimes comes up even when no one sitting in the back and no stuff is put on the back seat. It start chiming randomly and even when all 3 seat belts are buckled the chime comes up. It is security risk as the sudden sound of warnings can distract drive when driving and can cause accident. This model of Rav 4 does not have option to disable this feature, and cause lot of annoyance when random warning chimes start blaring through the vehicle without any reason and resolution. Toyota is refusing to do anything about it in spite of multiple forums reported this issue with various Toyota models. NHTSA need to take action on Toyota for this safety issue.
Related recalls (1)
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.
Frequently asked questions
Which Toyota RAV4 years have seat belt problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2011 (30), 2012 (30), 2008 (18), 2010 (18) and 2007 (17) model years. Seat Belt complaints make up 10% of all complaints for the 2011.
Is there a recall for Toyota RAV4 seat belt problems?
Yes — 1 recall, including 16V-096 (rear/other, Feb 19, 2016). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Toyota RAV4 seat belt problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 74,000 miles; 44% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the front › buckle assembly (6 mentions), followed by the front › retractor (5).
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.