Traction Control complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1 | 0% | 1,000 miles |
| 2020 | 2 | 0% | 3,000 miles |
| 2019 | 6 | 1% | 4,000 miles |
| 2018 | 2 | 1% | 25,000 miles |
| 2017 | 2 | 1% | 27,000 miles |
| 2016 | 3 | 1% | 26,000 miles |
| 2015 | 3 | 1% | 57,000 miles |
| 2014 | 2 | 1% | 80,000 miles |
| 2013 | 3 | 1% | 30,000 miles |
| 2012 | 9 | 3% | 60,000 miles |
| 2011 | 9 | 3% | 73,000 miles |
| 2010 | 5 | 1% | 34,000 miles |
| 2009 | 2 | 1% | 9,000 miles |
| 2008 | 7 | 1% | 102,000 miles |
| 2007 | 18 | 2% | 29,000 miles |
| 2006 | 12 | 2% | 48,000 miles |
| 2005 | 5 | 4% | 185,000 miles |
| 2004 | 8 | 5% | 115,000 miles |
| 2003 | 7 | 2% | 108,000 miles |
| 2002 | 16 | 3% | 95,000 miles |
| 2001 | 8 | 3% | 130,000 miles |
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
Tl* the contact owns a 2019 Toyota RAV4. The contact stated that at start-up several warning lights illuminated. The warning lights illuminated included the ABS, power steering, headlamps, back-up camera, parking support brake, rear cross traffic alert, blind spot monitoring, drive start control system, parking brake assist, SRS, air bags and pre- collision assist. The vehicle was towed to mac haik Toyota (2112 gulf fwy s, league city, tx 77573; [phone]). The contact stated that several attempts were made to tow the vehicle due to the parking brake failure. The dealer repaired or replaced the ABS control, ECU, brake actuator, passenger's side rear wheel speed sensor and wheel bearing however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the same dealer. The dealer installed new terminals 17 and 18, and soldered the wiring harness however, the failure recurred. …
Driving at a speed of 60mph I heard a strange noise arise from the rear passenger side of the vehicle and smelled a burning (electrical) smell. I cut off the heater and seat warmers as a precaution, slowing the car to a speed of 30-40mph. Approx. 2 minutes later, my dashboard lit up with about 4 consecutive warnings 1. Antilock brake system has malfunctioned. 2. Lane tracing assist has malfunctioned. 3. Rear cameras have malfunctioned. 4. Parking assist with automated braking (pa w/ab) has malfunctioned. Brakes continued to engage, but felt stiff as though they May stop working. Was able to safely take back-roads to my local dealer (vancouver mccords Toyota) where it is still undergoing investigation.
It was a cold day in massachusetts. I warmed up the car in the morning for 10 minutes before starting to drive to work. I got onto the massachusetts pike and after a couple exits of cruising at 60 hit stop and go traffic. At one of the entrances and when I slowed down to a stop in the traffic my car flashed the battery critical charging error for a split second before saying everything needed to be restarted by putting the car into park. After that, the car completely shut down. I was not able to put on hazards until about 15 seconds later of trying to get the power back on did the car start up. Within that time a driver behind me decided to hit me in the rear. On restart the car didn't show the fault but upon looking up the battery critical charging failure it states to not drive the car and to immediately take it to a shop. …
14 month old RAV4 xle driving down the interstate and applied the brakes for slow traffic, the ABS / traction control warning lights came on. I am over the 36,000 mile warranty as my work entails driving. The local dealer quoted me $2800 for repairs, he checked with the Toyota mfg. Rep to see if possibly the ABS actuator is covered under the powertrain portion (60000 miles) of Toyota's warranty. Toyota dealer stated no warranty coverage due to mileage. Located numerous complaints and recall for "certain model year" 2016 Toyota RAV4 recall - #16V198000 recall for service brakes, hydraulic : antilock. It appears they are aware of a problem with the 2016 model but will only a few of the ones sold.
The contact owns a 2015 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH and attempting to depress the brake pedal, the brake pedal went to the floor. The contact stated that he had to top off the brake fluid constantly. The contact stated that the ABS warning light was illuminated. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V198000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic, Electronic Stability Control) however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was unavailable.
Numerous times over the last couple of months my cars EPS light will come on after putting my car into reverse the car does not connect and goes into neutral instead causing the car to roll forward creating hazards because it happens on hills and flat areas. I then have to put my car into park, turn it off and restart the car to get the car to go into the correct gear. I have taken the car to Toyota but they won?t do anything because my VIN is not under recall. Starting in 2019 I started noticing flakes of paint in cracks of doorways and creases of the car. Last month a big piece of paint started coming off the top of my car in front of my sunroof.
Possible malfunction with the automatic braking system (ABS). Car fails to brake properly and slides when pressure is applied the brake. My wife was driving about 45mph and when she tried to stop, slid into the back of an 18-wheeler.
Takata recall while driving, the vehicle tends to suddenly give off a "jerking" sound. When this happens, the vehicle tend to jiggle or shake then goes back to normal. This has become frightening, especially when driving on the highway. This usually happens while the vehicle is in motion. This event has happened on the highway, local road, city streets, in fact, anywhere. It just happens without warning. It is happening more often, hence I am very concerned now. The latest occurrence was Sunday, June 10, 2018. Before that, it was infrequent, and I thought it was normal over the years, but now it is happening too often.
Related recalls (2)
Electronic stability control (ESC)
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2016 Toyota RAV4 vehicles manufactured October 30, 2015, to February 3, 2016, 2016 Lexus RX350 vehicles manufactured October 26, 2015, to February 8, 2016, and 2016 Lexus ES350 vehicles manufactured September 1, 2015, to February 29, 2016.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the brake actuator, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on May 4, 2016, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.
Electronic stability control (ESC)
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2012 and 2013 Toyota Tacoma and Lexus RX350 vehicles and certain model year 2012 Toyota Rav4 vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the brake system contains a brake actuator that adjusts the fluid pressure of each wheel cylinder.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and Toyota and Lexus dealers will update the software for the Skid Control electronic control unit, free of charge. The recall began on March 28, 2014.
Frequently asked questions
Which Toyota RAV4 years have traction control problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2007 (18), 2002 (16), 2006 (12), 2011 (9) and 2012 (9) model years. Traction Control complaints make up 2% of all complaints for the 2007.
Is there a recall for Toyota RAV4 traction control problems?
Yes — 2 recalls, including 16V-198 (electronic stability control (esc), Apr 7, 2016); 14V-054 (electronic stability control (esc), Feb 12, 2014). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Toyota RAV4 traction control problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 71,000 miles; 39% happened 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.