2025 Toyota RAV4 PLUG-IN HYBRID problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
10 owner complaints analyzed
2 distinct recall campaigns
37,900 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2025 model year. Data updated: . 2 complaints include usable failure mileage. View data status.
Owner-reported patterns
Most common problems
Unknown Or Other is the most frequently named component, appearing in 4 of 10 complaints (40.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.
Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic
Matching reports
Share of complaints
Braking behavior
3
30.0%
Transmission and shifting
1
10.0%
Electrical and battery issues
1
10.0%
Steering behavior
1
10.0%
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
Unknown Or Other
4
Service Brakes
2
Vehicle Speed Control
2
Electrical System
1
Exterior Lighting
1
Power Train
1
Tires
1
Visibility/Wiper
1
Component breakdown data
Category
Count
Unknown Or Other
4
Service Brakes
2
Vehicle Speed Control
2
Electrical System
1
Exterior Lighting
1
Power Train
1
Tires
1
Visibility/Wiper
1
Unknown Or Other: 4; Service Brakes: 2; Vehicle Speed Control: 2; Electrical System: 1; Exterior Lighting: 1; Power Train: 1; Tires: 1; Visibility/Wiper: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
Under 25,000
1
25,000 to 49,999
0
50,000 to 74,999
0
75,000 to 99,999
1
100,000 to 149,999
0
150,000 and above
0
Reported problems by failure mileage data
Category
Count
Under 25,000
1
25,000 to 49,999
0
50,000 to 74,999
0
75,000 to 99,999
1
100,000 to 149,999
0
150,000 and above
0
Under 25,000: 1; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 1; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (1). 8 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
2025
5
2026
5
Complaints over time data
Category
Count
2025
5
2026
5
2025: 5; 2026: 5
Pattern summary
Unknown Or Other leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 3 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 1 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 1 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
With the car stopped & the transmission in the Drive or Reverse position with foot off the brake pedal: 1. Pushing the Power button once to turn the car off results in the transmission automatically shifting from Drive or Reverse to Neutral without automatically setting the Parking Brake. 2. If the car's front-end is on a slope pointed up-slope the car will freely roll backwards. If the car's front-end is pointed down slope the car will freely roll forward. The above sequence …
On XXX; I drove to [XXX] from [XXX], with a friend for a luncheon. I pulled into the restaurant parking lot to park my car. It was a sunny day and the parking lot was paved. I made a right turn into a parking space, I was applying the brakes and coasting into the space. I was about 1/3 of the way into the space when I felt the loss of brake tension. Then the car revs loudly; suddenly and unexpectedly the car accelerates forward as I was still pressing down on the brakes. I pushed the brakes as hard as I could until the car stopped, but not u…
After purchasing a new vehicle, I have become aware of a persistent and widely reported problem with the Toyota/Lexus battery maintenance/charging logic for the 12V batteries in their HEV and PHEV vehicles. This results in chronic under-charging of the 12v battery due to low charging voltage even during normal use and produces a failed 12v battery within 6-24 months. The problems are so widely known and investigated by owners that there is now a complete white paper on the subject: [XXX] Toyota/Lexus needs to respond to this and provide…
Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.
Data completeness
10 unique complaints in this selection. Analysis snapshot: 2026-10-02.
20.0%Usable mileage2 / 10 records
100.0%Valid incident date10 / 10 records
100.0%Valid filing date10 / 10 records
100.0%Ordered incident and filing dates10 / 10 records
Missing, zero and invalid mileage is excluded. Dates after the snapshot are excluded. Examples are limited selections, not a representative sample.
Problems by model year
Model-wide comparison of the eight most reported components across the model. Cells show counts and shares within each model year. Open a cell for source examples.
Component complaint heatmap
Component
2025
2026
Power Train
110.0%ODI 11694646
With the car stopped & the transmission in the Drive or Reverse position with foot off the brake pedal: 1. Pushing the Power button once to turn the car off results in the transmission automatically shifting from Drive or Reverse to Neutral without automatically setting the Parking Brake. 2. If the car's front-end is on a slope pointed up-slope the car will freely roll backwards. If the car's front-end is pointed down slope the car will freely roll forward. The above sequence …
I purchased this 2026 Toyota RAV4 Plug-In Hybrid about two weeks before this incident. It had approximately 170 miles at the time. While driving at approximately 50 mph, it suddenly decelerated as though braking (without me pressing the brake pedal) and would not accelerate when I pressed the accelerator. At the same time, these warnings appeared: “Hybrid Startup Malfunction,” “Hybrid System Malfunction,” “AWD Malfunction,” “System Malfunction,” and “Check Engine.” I stopped safely and powered the vehicle off and on. After the first restart, …
After purchasing a new vehicle, I have become aware of a persistent and widely reported problem with the Toyota/Lexus battery maintenance/charging logic for the 12V batteries in their HEV and PHEV vehicles. This results in chronic under-charging of the 12v battery due to low charging voltage even during normal use and produces a failed 12v battery within 6-24 months. The problems are so widely known and investigated by owners that there is now a complete white paper on the subject: [XXX] Toyota/Lexus needs to respond to this and provide…
When my wife left for work the car displayed an SRS/airbag warning on the dash. It was running so she decided to go to work, but turned around after a few miles when she realized all of the driver assist systems were also disabled. When she got home I checked the battery voltage and it read 11.8 volts (I also read the DTCs, and pulled B1AC0). After charging overnight the error was gone. This vehicle is driven almost daily, was delivered to us 3 months ago, and doesn't sit with the ignition on draining the battery (my short way of saying t…
I was driving on the highway and heard a very loud crash/explosion noise. Glass fell all over the inside of the car, the panoramic sunroof exploded. I believe this is the spontaneous explosion issue that has been reported in other rav4s, as there was no known road hazard seen or found, no overpass where anything fell, and there is no clear impact point on the broken glass, no other body damage anywhere else.
The sunglasses holder above and between the driver and passenger suddenly opened while on the interstate, causing the sunglasses to fall out, creating a sudden distraction. The sunglasses could have also fallen by and interfered with the pedal assembly. The sunglasses holder continues to pop open while driving even when there is nothing inside of it.
Purchased brand new vehicle. At the time of incident vehicle had 168 miles. I was driving approximately 20 miles per hour on a parkway entrance ramp with no vehicle in front of me and no vehicles approaching from behind. I accelerated gradually to merge onto the parkway. The engine kicked and the dashboard lit up with several warning indicator lights including the check engine light (see attached images). The dashboard also had the following messages displayed “ system malfunction visit your dealer, drive start control malfunction visit your de…
When my wife left for work the car displayed an SRS/airbag warning on the dash. It was running so she decided to go to work, but turned around after a few miles when she realized all of the driver assist systems were also disabled. When she got home I checked the battery voltage and it read 11.8 volts (I also read the DTCs, and pulled B1AC0). After charging overnight the error was gone. This vehicle is driven almost daily, was delivered to us 3 months ago, and doesn't sit with the ignition on draining the battery (my short way of saying t…
On 7/7/2026, while driving on a local road at under 600 miles from purchase (590 on odometer), the dashboard displayed a warning that something was critically wrong and instructed the driver to pull over immediately. Once pulled over, the vehicle lost the ability to shift and became fully inoperable. Multiple alerts triggered simultaneously: Drive-Start Control System, AWD System, Check Engine, Integrated System Warning (TSS malfunction), and Hybrid System. The vehicle would not power on for 15-20 minutes, after which it powered on with some fu…
With the car stopped & the transmission in the Drive or Reverse position with foot off the brake pedal: 1. Pushing the Power button once to turn the car off results in the transmission automatically shifting from Drive or Reverse to Neutral without automatically setting the Parking Brake. 2. If the car's front-end is on a slope pointed up-slope the car will freely roll backwards. If the car's front-end is pointed down slope the car will freely roll forward. The above sequence …
On XXX; I drove to [XXX] from [XXX], with a friend for a luncheon. I pulled into the restaurant parking lot to park my car. It was a sunny day and the parking lot was paved. I made a right turn into a parking space, I was applying the brakes and coasting into the space. I was about 1/3 of the way into the space when I felt the loss of brake tension. Then the car revs loudly; suddenly and unexpectedly the car accelerates forward as I was still pressing down on the brakes. I pushed the brakes as hard as I could until the car stopped, but not u…
Darker cells indicate a larger share of submitted complaints. Components overlap. This measures complaint composition, not failure probability.
Failure mileage by component
Median and middle 50% of usable owner-reported mileages. Ranges require at least five records.
Component failure mileage distribution
Component
Mileage range (25th–75th percentile)
Median
Usable records
Examples
Vehicle Speed Control
Too few reports for a range
75,000 mi
1 (sparse)
ODI 11754928 · 75,000 mi
The contact owns a 2025 Toyota RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid. The contact stated that while attempting to shift from drive(D) to park(P) in a parking spot with the brake pedal depressed, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated and struck a tree. The contact stated that the passenger simultaneously opened the passenger’s side door but still had the seat belt buckled. While attempting to exit the vehicle, the vehicle crashed into a tree, where it came to a stop. The passenger sustained head and shoulder injuries. Medical attention was required. A Police repor…
The contact owns a 2025 Toyota RAV4 equipped with Dunlop Tires, Tire Line: Grand Trek PT20, Tire Size: 225/60/R18, DOT Number: (N/A). The contact stated that while driving approximately 5 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the contact stated that there was an abnormal clicking sound coming from the rear driver’s side tire. Upon inspecting the vehicle the following morning, the contact became aware that the tire was flat. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the tire was taken to a tire repair shop, and it was determine…
Explore monthly filing activity alongside recall announcements. Up to ten years of monthly history is available.
Solid line: filed complaints. Dashed amber lines: recall announcement dates for this vehicle selection; markers include all recall components. The latest month is partial. Temporal proximity does not establish causation.
Monthly counts, recall campaigns and complaint examples
Monthly complaint and recall timeline
Month
Complaints
Campaigns announced
Examples
2024-11
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2024-12
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-01
0
None
No examples available for this selection.
2025-02
1
None
ODI 11645231
I was driving on the highway and heard a very loud crash/explosion noise. Glass fell all over the inside of the car, the panoramic sunroof exploded. I believe this is the spontaneous explosion issue that has been reported in other rav4s, as there was no known road hazard seen or found, no overpass where anything fell, and there is no clear impact point on the broken glass, no other body damage anywhere else.
The contact owns a 2025 Toyota RAV4 equipped with Dunlop Tires, Tire Line: Grand Trek PT20, Tire Size: 225/60/R18, DOT Number: (N/A). The contact stated that while driving approximately 5 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the contact stated that there was an abnormal clicking sound coming from the rear driver’s side tire. Upon inspecting the vehicle the following morning, the contact became aware that the tire was flat. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the tire was taken to a tire repair shop, and it was determine…
With the car stopped & the transmission in the Drive or Reverse position with foot off the brake pedal: 1. Pushing the Power button once to turn the car off results in the transmission automatically shifting from Drive or Reverse to Neutral without automatically setting the Parking Brake. 2. If the car's front-end is on a slope pointed up-slope the car will freely roll backwards. If the car's front-end is pointed down slope the car will freely roll forward. The above sequence …
The multifunction display does not automatically dim at night as indicated in the manual and in the settings. The display stays at the level manually set. This means that it can be so bright at night that the driver is blinded to the road ahead which could lead to an accident. It is very difficult and unsafe to try to dim it manually while driving.
The headlights on my RAV4 do not shine far enough in front of the vehicle and have a straight line cut off at top of beam. While driving in rural areas of the California foothills this issue is dangerous. As you go up and down and wind around rural roads you cannot see far enough ahead to see what might be lurking in the dark. We've had this car Since August 2nd 2025, 3500 miles to date and don't believe it is safe to drive at night on winding roads. The lack of visibility in front of you gives you the desire to slow way down below safe speed …
After purchasing a new vehicle, I have become aware of a persistent and widely reported problem with the Toyota/Lexus battery maintenance/charging logic for the 12V batteries in their HEV and PHEV vehicles. This results in chronic under-charging of the 12v battery due to low charging voltage even during normal use and produces a failed 12v battery within 6-24 months. The problems are so widely known and investigated by owners that there is now a complete white paper on the subject: [XXX] Toyota/Lexus needs to respond to this and provide…
Glass moonroof /sunroof on top of 2025 Rav4 sudden shattered under normal driving conditions on freeway. The noise sounded like a gunshot and could have caused distraction / an accident. No evidence of impact from outside. No overpass that a rock could have come from. The dealer has not confirmed the issue, but it looks like there may be lawsuits underway for other model years. Car is currently with dealer. No warnings or messages ... it just suddenly happened while driving
After starting the RAV4, the Apple CarPlay quits unexpectedly both while stopped and while driving. Once it quits, the only way to reactivate Apple CarPlay is to stop the car, shut the engine off, then restart. This is extremely dangerous especially while using the map for guidance and it suddenly quits. The issue was reported several times to the local Toyota dealer, but they could not replicate the problem, even after leaving the car at the dealer overnight. The issue is not infrequent, and occurs almost every time the car is driven.
On XXX; I drove to [XXX] from [XXX], with a friend for a luncheon. I pulled into the restaurant parking lot to park my car. It was a sunny day and the parking lot was paved. I made a right turn into a parking space, I was applying the brakes and coasting into the space. I was about 1/3 of the way into the space when I felt the loss of brake tension. Then the car revs loudly; suddenly and unexpectedly the car accelerates forward as I was still pressing down on the brakes. I pushed the brakes as hard as I could until the car stopped, but not u…
The contact owns a 2025 Toyota RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid. The contact stated that while attempting to shift from drive(D) to park(P) in a parking spot with the brake pedal depressed, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated and struck a tree. The contact stated that the passenger simultaneously opened the passenger’s side door but still had the seat belt buckled. While attempting to exit the vehicle, the vehicle crashed into a tree, where it came to a stop. The passenger sustained head and shoulder injuries. Medical attention was required. A Police repor…
Complete months in the latest six months with at least 10 complaints, at least twice the preceding 12-month average, and at least three square-root deviations above that average.
This is a descriptive screening rule, not a statistical defect finding. Publicity and reporting changes can increase submissions.
No complete months meet the spike thresholds for this selection.
Equal-age model-year comparison
Model-wide cumulative reports during the first three or five calendar years, starting with the model year (age 0). Only fully elapsed windows are compared.
No selected model years have a complete observation window. Choose an eligible year or a shorter window.
Incident date is preferred when valid and no later than filing; otherwise filing date is used. Model year approximates age. Equal observation time does not adjust for sales, distance driven or reporting delays. One complaint linked to multiple model years can appear in each cohort.
Components reported together
Each cell counts unique complaints naming both components. Open a nonzero cell for examples.
Component co-occurrence matrix
Component
Unknown Or Other
Service Brakes
Vehicle Speed Control
Electrical System
Exterior Lighting
Power Train
Tires
Visibility/Wiper
Unknown Or Other
—
1ODI 11754205
On XXX; I drove to [XXX] from [XXX], with a friend for a luncheon. I pulled into the restaurant parking lot to park my car. It was a sunny day and the parking lot was paved. I made a right turn into a parking space, I was applying the brakes and coasting into the space. I was about 1/3 of the way into the space when I felt the loss of brake tension. Then the car revs loudly; suddenly and unexpectedly the car accelerates forward as I was still pressing down on the brakes. I pushed the brakes as hard as I could until the car stopped, but not u…
On XXX; I drove to [XXX] from [XXX], with a friend for a luncheon. I pulled into the restaurant parking lot to park my car. It was a sunny day and the parking lot was paved. I made a right turn into a parking space, I was applying the brakes and coasting into the space. I was about 1/3 of the way into the space when I felt the loss of brake tension. Then the car revs loudly; suddenly and unexpectedly the car accelerates forward as I was still pressing down on the brakes. I pushed the brakes as hard as I could until the car stopped, but not u…
On XXX; I drove to [XXX] from [XXX], with a friend for a luncheon. I pulled into the restaurant parking lot to park my car. It was a sunny day and the parking lot was paved. I made a right turn into a parking space, I was applying the brakes and coasting into the space. I was about 1/3 of the way into the space when I felt the loss of brake tension. Then the car revs loudly; suddenly and unexpectedly the car accelerates forward as I was still pressing down on the brakes. I pushed the brakes as hard as I could until the car stopped, but not u…
On XXX; I drove to [XXX] from [XXX], with a friend for a luncheon. I pulled into the restaurant parking lot to park my car. It was a sunny day and the parking lot was paved. I made a right turn into a parking space, I was applying the brakes and coasting into the space. I was about 1/3 of the way into the space when I felt the loss of brake tension. Then the car revs loudly; suddenly and unexpectedly the car accelerates forward as I was still pressing down on the brakes. I pushed the brakes as hard as I could until the car stopped, but not u…
With the car stopped & the transmission in the Drive or Reverse position with foot off the brake pedal: 1. Pushing the Power button once to turn the car off results in the transmission automatically shifting from Drive or Reverse to Neutral without automatically setting the Parking Brake. 2. If the car's front-end is on a slope pointed up-slope the car will freely roll backwards. If the car's front-end is pointed down slope the car will freely roll forward. The above sequence …
On XXX; I drove to [XXX] from [XXX], with a friend for a luncheon. I pulled into the restaurant parking lot to park my car. It was a sunny day and the parking lot was paved. I made a right turn into a parking space, I was applying the brakes and coasting into the space. I was about 1/3 of the way into the space when I felt the loss of brake tension. Then the car revs loudly; suddenly and unexpectedly the car accelerates forward as I was still pressing down on the brakes. I pushed the brakes as hard as I could until the car stopped, but not u…
On XXX; I drove to [XXX] from [XXX], with a friend for a luncheon. I pulled into the restaurant parking lot to park my car. It was a sunny day and the parking lot was paved. I made a right turn into a parking space, I was applying the brakes and coasting into the space. I was about 1/3 of the way into the space when I felt the loss of brake tension. Then the car revs loudly; suddenly and unexpectedly the car accelerates forward as I was still pressing down on the brakes. I pushed the brakes as hard as I could until the car stopped, but not u…
With the car stopped & the transmission in the Drive or Reverse position with foot off the brake pedal: 1. Pushing the Power button once to turn the car off results in the transmission automatically shifting from Drive or Reverse to Neutral without automatically setting the Parking Brake. 2. If the car's front-end is on a slope pointed up-slope the car will freely roll backwards. If the car's front-end is pointed down slope the car will freely roll forward. The above sequence …
Co-reporting does not establish that one component caused another concern.
Recurring narrative patterns
Specific keyword mentions beyond broad component labels. Matching includes negations and comparisons and does not confirm a diagnosis.
1 patterns with matching reports.
Brake response concerns
3 mentions · 30.0% of complaints
Median mileage: 75,000 mi (1 usable records).
ODI 11694646
With the car stopped & the transmission in the Drive or Reverse position with foot off the brake pedal: 1. Pushing the Power button once to turn the car off results in the transmission automatically shifting from Drive or Reverse to Neutral without automatically setting the Parking Brake. 2. If the car's front-end is on a slope pointed up-slope the car will freely roll backwards. If the car's front-end is pointed down slope the car will freely roll forward. The above sequence …
On XXX; I drove to [XXX] from [XXX], with a friend for a luncheon. I pulled into the restaurant parking lot to park my car. It was a sunny day and the parking lot was paved. I made a right turn into a parking space, I was applying the brakes and coasting into the space. I was about 1/3 of the way into the space when I felt the loss of brake tension. Then the car revs loudly; suddenly and unexpectedly the car accelerates forward as I was still pressing down on the brakes. I pushed the brakes as hard as I could until the car stopped, but not u…
The contact owns a 2025 Toyota RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid. The contact stated that while attempting to shift from drive(D) to park(P) in a parking spot with the brake pedal depressed, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated and struck a tree. The contact stated that the passenger simultaneously opened the passenger’s side door but still had the seat belt buckled. While attempting to exit the vehicle, the vehicle crashed into a tree, where it came to a stop. The passenger sustained head and shoulder injuries. Medical attention was required. A Police repor…