Model year 2018 · Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD, Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD
2018 Toyota RAV4: recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings
EPA rates the 2018 Toyota RAV4 at 24–32 mpg combined across 5 versions. NHTSA lists 3 safety recalls and 348 owner complaints for this model year. Its best NHTSA overall crash-test rating is 5 out of 5 stars.
Safety recalls
3
EPA combined mpg
24–32
NHTSA overall rating
5/5
Recall file dated Oct 27, 2026 · EPA file dated Sep 29, 2026 · updated Oct 27, 2026, 7:34 AM EDT
NHTSA lists this vehicle as RAV4 HYBRID.
Check your own car: enter your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls for that exact vehicle, and contact a Toyota dealer to schedule the repair — safety recall repairs are free. The list below covers the whole model year, so not every recall applies to every car.
2018 Toyota RAV4 recalls
NHTSA's recall file lists 3 safety recalls for the 2018 Toyota RAV4, newest first.
Electrical system: 12v/24v/48v battery
NHTSA 23V734000Reported Nov 1, 2023
Filed by
Toyota Motor Corporation (manufacturer recall no. 23TB13 / 23TA13)
Units affected
1,853,568 (estimate)
Problem
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2013-2018 RAV4 vehicles. Certain replacement 12-volt batteries may not fit properly in the battery tray, allowing the battery to move and contact the hold-down bracket, possibly causing a short circuit.
Risk
A battery short circuit increases the risk of a fire.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the battery clamp sub-assembly, battery tray, and positive terminal cover, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed December 27, 2024, to 2013-2014 RAV4 owners. Additional owner notification letters will be mailed in phases, phase 2 will begin on May 14, 2025, and phase 3 in late July 2025. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 23TB13 and 23TA13.
Toyota Motor Corporation (manufacturer recall no. SET19A)
Units affected
1,325 (estimate)
Problem
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Toyota Camry, Corolla, Rav4, Sienna, and Yaris iA vehicles equipped with factory-installed floor mats. The load carrying capacity modification label may be incorrect. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Risk
An incorrect label may lead to unintentionally overloading the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
SET will notify owners and provide a corrected label for placement over the inaccurate label, free of charge. The recall began August 23, 2019. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. SET's number for this recall is SET19A.
Toyota Motor Corporation (manufacturer recall no. Toyota H0Z Lexus HLF)
Units affected
649 (estimate)
Problem
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Toyota 4Runner and Tundra, 2018 Toyota Highlander, RAV4 and Lexus GX460 and 2017 Toyota Sienna and Tacoma vehicles. These vehicles may have incorrect load carrying capacity modification labels. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Risk
An incorrect load information label can result in the operator overloading the vehicle and increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Toyota will notify owners and provide them with corrected labels, free of charge. The recall began on January 23, 2018. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are H0Z for Toyota vehicles, and HLF for Lexus vehicles.
Recall summaries are written by NHTSA from manufacturers' defect reports. Dates are when NHTSA received the report.
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2018 Toyota RAV4 fuel economy by version
EPA city/highway/combined estimates for each engine, transmission and drive combination. Annual fuel cost is EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year (55% city, 45% highway) at EPA's current fuel-price assumptions; your cost will vary.
Source: FuelEconomy.gov (U.S. DOE and EPA), file dated Sep 29, 2026. Each version links to its FuelEconomy.gov record.
EPA estimates come from standardized lab tests so cars can be compared fairly; real-world mileage depends on speed, weather, load, tires and driving style.
2018 Toyota RAV4 crash-test ratings
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings for the tested versions. More stars mean a lower chance of serious injury in that type of crash. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
2018 Toyota RAV4 NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings
Tested vehicle
Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Rollover risk
Forward collision warning
2018 Toyota Rav4 Hybrid SUV AWD
5 stars
4 stars
5 stars
4 stars
16.9%
Standard
2018 Toyota Rav4 SUV AWD
5 stars
4 stars
5 stars
4 stars
16.9%
Standard
2018 Toyota Rav4 SUV FWD
5 stars
4 stars
5 stars
4 stars
17.4%
Standard
Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (New Car Assessment Program), checked Oct 26, 2026.
Star ratings compare vehicles of similar size and weight; a frontal rating for a large pickup is not directly comparable with one for a small car.
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2018 Toyota RAV4 owner complaints
Owners have filed 348 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Toyota RAV4, most recently on Oct 15, 2026. 33 mention a crash, 33 a fire, 19 injured people and 0 deaths. These are unverified reports; a complaint is not proof of a defect.
Most-cited components in 2018 Toyota RAV4 complaints
Component named in complaints
Mentions
Electrical system
129
Unknown or other
74
Engine
33
Service brakes
30
Power train
28
Exterior lighting
22
Vehicle speed control
20
Visibility/wiper
19
Air bags
17
Fuel/propulsion system
14
Source: NHTSA consumer complaint files (complaints received since January 1, 2015). One complaint can name several components.
