2000 Toyota RAV4 Reliability Score: 9.5 out of 10

31 NHTSA Complaints

3 Recalls

0 Fire Reports

5 Crash Reports

Reliability Score

9.5 / 10

Reliability score

Very few owner complaints against similar compact SUVs

The class average is 7.0. Based on complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the engine, transmission or drivetrain.

Owners filed 9 powertrain complaints. A typical compact SUV fleet of this size and age would have drawn about 59.

Scores this high have held: three years on they had moved 0.1 points in the typical case.

Breakdown

Complaints overall9 complaints against about 59 for similar vehicles

9.5

Last three years

n/aNot enough data

Engine, transmission or drive unit failed or replaced

n/aNot enough data

Oil consumption, fuel in the oil or overheating

n/aNot enough data

Each line scores one view of the same complaints the same way, so the lines overlap. The mark on each bar is the class average. A line needs 20 expected complaints to show a number.

Similar vehicles are others in the same class, compared at the same age and in the same years. The score counts complaints owners filed with NHTSA, per vehicle built, which is different from the share of vehicles that fail. How the score is worked out

On the record

No serious powertrain recall covering 5% or more of this generation and no escalated investigation in NHTSA's files. Warranty extensions and settlements have not been researched.

Complaints by Engine Code

Toyota RAV4 Unidentified Engine

30 complaints 30.0 per year

1 fatality

View details

Complaint Breakdown

other

wheels tires

transmission

body

engine

Show 1 additional engine variant with limited data

These engines appear in fewer than 10 owner complaints. A low count can mean a clean record, and it can also be a VIN-decode anomaly in NHTSA's data.

3S-FE

2.0L 4-cyl / 120 hp

1 complaint 1.0 per year Gasoline

View details

Complaint Breakdown

other

Owner Complaints by System

Complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the Toyota RAV4, counted across every engine. A complaint can name more than one system.

Wheels & Tires: 6 owner complaints

Transmission: 5 owner complaints

Recalls (3)

20V033000Jan 22, 2020critical

Air Bags

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 1998-2000 RAV4, 1998-1999 RAV4 EV and Celica and 1997-1998 Supra vehicles. These vehicles were equipped with Non-Azide Driver air bag Inflators (NADI) and do not contain phase stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant. Due to a manufacturing issue, the NADI inflators may absorb moisture, causing the inflators to rupture or the air bag cushion to underinflate.

00V212000Aug 9, 2000serious

Service Brakes, Air

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: SPORT UTILITY ELECTRIC VEHICLES. THE FRONT DISC BRAKE ROTOR, WHEN EQUIPPED WITH STEEL WHEELS, CAN DEVELOP STRESS FRACTURES IF THE LUG NUTS ARE TIGHTENED WITH EXCESSIVE TORQUE.

00V211000Aug 9, 2000serious

Powertrain

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: SPORT UTILITY ELECTRIC VEHICLES. IF THE SUBJECT VEHICLES ARE REPEATEDLY PARKED BY PLACING THE SHIFT LEVER INTO THE "P" POSITION WITHOUT APPLYING THE PARKING BRAKE, THE PARKING LOCK ROD, A COMPONENT OF THE TRANSMISSION PARKING LOCK SYSTEM, COULD BREAK.

All Generations

20002000 XA202001-2005 XA302006-2012 XA402013-2018 XA502019-2025 20262026

Alternatives in Compact SUV

Lexus

2015-2021

9.6/10

3 engines / 217 complaints

3 engines / 153 complaints

3 engines / 148 complaints

3 engines / 1,278 complaints

Lexus

2022-2025

9.5/10

4 engines / 114 complaints

3 engines / 21 complaints

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the most common 2000-2000 Toyota RAV4 complaints?

Owners have filed 31 complaints with NHTSA about the 2000-2000 Toyota RAV4. The systems they name most often are the wheels and tires, the transmission and the body and trim.

Is the 2000-2000 Toyota RAV4 a good used car?

That depends on the model year, the mileage and the maintenance history of the car in front of you. Owners have filed 31 complaints with NHTSA about the 2000-2000 Toyota RAV4. Check which systems they name most often and whether a recall is still open on that car.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2000-2000 Toyota RAV4 have?

NHTSA has 31 owner complaints on file for the 2000-2000 Toyota RAV4 as of the latest data pull. A complaint is an owner's report, not a confirmed defect, and counts rise with sales.

What recalls affect the 2000-2000 Toyota RAV4?

NHTSA lists 3 recalls covering some 2000-2000 Toyota RAV4 vehicles. Which ones apply depends on the VIN: enter it at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see the open campaigns on a specific car.

What should I check before buying a used Toyota RAV4?

Run the VIN through NHTSA's recall lookup and confirm every open recall has been done. Look hardest at the wheels and tires, the transmission and the body and trim, the systems owners complain about most. Ask for maintenance records, have an independent mechanic inspect the car and run a vehicle history report for prior accidents and title issues.

Does the RAV4 have NHTSA crash test ratings?

NHTSA has not published crash test ratings for the 2000 Toyota RAV4. Not all vehicles are tested each year. For the latest NHTSA safety information, visit nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Data from NHTSA federal complaints database. 31 complaints analyzed. Data confidence: moderate. Last updated: 2026-10-12.