The 2016 Toyota RAV4 is associated with 252 official NHTSA owner defect complaints and 3 safety recall campaigns in the federal safety database. The most frequently reported component area is Electrical System, accounting for 35 reports (14% of total complaints). EPA testing covers 5 certified vehicle configurations spanning 2.5L 4-Cyl hybrid and 2.5l 4-cyl configurations. Gasoline and hybrid variants deliver 24 to 32 MPG combined. The 2016 Toyota RAV4 belongs to the 4th generation (XA40) RAV4 platform spanning model years 2015–2018.

Key Data Findings
  • NHTSA Owner Complaints: 252 reports
  • Safety Recall Campaigns: 3 campaigns
  • Top Reported Defect Area: Electrical System (35 / 14%)
  • Safety Incident Signals: 37 crash / 11 fire / 21 injury reports
  • NHTSA Overall Safety Rating: 5 / 5 Stars
  • EPA Efficiency: 24–32 MPG (5 variants)
Data Note: Compiled directly from official NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI), NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, and EPA FuelEconomy.gov databases.
Fuel Economy
24–32MPG
5 EPA certified variants (2.5L 4-Cyl hybrid and 2.5l 4-cyl configurations)
Reported Complaints
252
252 submitted owner reports
Safety Recalls
3
3 official NHTSA recalls
NCAP Safety Rating
5 / 5 Stars Overall

What is the fuel economy and range of the 2016 Toyota RAV4?

Official EPA laboratory test ratings, electric driving range, and annual energy cost estimates by certified vehicle variant

Variant Engine Drivetrain Transmission City Highway Combined EV Range Est. Annual Fuel Cost
RAV4 Hybrid AWD Hybrid 2.5L 4-Cyl All-Wheel Drive Automatic (AV-S6) 34 MPG 30 MPG 32 MPG $1,900 / yr
RAV4 LE/XLE 2.5L 4-Cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (S6) 23 MPG 30 MPG 26 MPG $2,350 / yr
RAV4 2.5L 4-Cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (S6) 23 MPG 29 MPG 25 MPG $2,450 / yr
RAV4 AWD 2.5L 4-Cyl All-Wheel Drive Automatic (S6) 22 MPG 28 MPG 25 MPG $2,450 / yr
RAV4 Limited AWD/SE AWD 2.5L 4-Cyl All-Wheel Drive Automatic (S6) 22 MPG 28 MPG 24 MPG $2,550 / yr
Data Boundary Note: EPA specifications are shown by certified vehicle configuration. NHTSA complaints and recall totals are recorded at the model-year level across all configurations.

What are the crash test safety ratings for the 2016 Toyota RAV4?

Official 5-Star Safety Ratings evaluated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Tested Drivetrain / Cab Variant Overall Rating Frontal Crash Side Crash Rollover Rating Rollover Risk
SUV FWD 17.4%
SUV AWD 16.900000000000002%
Active Driver Assistance Systems (NHTSA Recorded): Forward Collision Warning (FCW) is documented as Optional and Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is documented as No in official NHTSA records for tested 2016 Toyota RAV4 models.
View complete 2016 Toyota RAV4 crash test & safety breakdown →

What defect complaints are reported for the 2016 Toyota RAV4?

Summary of 252 verified consumer defect submissions filed with the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)

Total Complaints
252
Crash Reports
37
Fire Reports
11
Complaints w/ Injury
21
Total Injuries
27

Top Reported Problem Categories

Ranked by total consumer complaint submissions recorded by NHTSA

Electrical System 35 complaints
Service Brakes 32 complaints (11 crashes)
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 24 complaints
Air Bags 14 complaints (12 crashes)
Structure & Body 13 complaints

Data Attribution & Context: Complaints are self-reported by vehicle owners to NHTSA and represent unverified consumer submissions. Complaint volume does not equal a statistically controlled failure rate and is not adjusted for total vehicles sold or cumulative mileage driven.

View all 2016 Toyota RAV4 problems & component breakdown (56 categories) →

Are there open safety recalls on the 2016 Toyota RAV4?

Manufacturer safety recall campaigns monitored and recorded by NHTSA

NHTSA Campaign #23V734000 Active Recall
Affected Component: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY

Defect Summary: 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.

Free Manufacturer 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.
NHTSA Campaign #16V236000 Active Recall
Affected Component: TIRES

Defect Summary: Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2016 Toyota Yaris, Rav4, Land Cruiser and 4Runner vehicles, and Scion FR-S, iM, and TC vehicles manufactured January 28, 2016, to March 14, 2016. The Load Carrying Capacity Modification Label may not reflect the correct added weight of the installed accessories. As a result, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims for Passenger Cars."

Free Manufacturer Remedy: SET will notify owners, and provide them a corrected label to be installed over the inaccurate label, free of charge. The recall began on June 3, 2016. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET's number for this recall is SET16A.
NHTSA Campaign #16V198000 Active Recall
Affected Component: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

Defect Summary: 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. These vehicles are equipped with an ABS actuator that may have a damaged O-ring which could result in improper brake fluid pressure control during ABS, Traction Control, or Stability Control activation. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 126, "Electronic Stability Control Systems."

Free Manufacturer 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. Toyota's number for this recall is G0I, GLC.
View all 2016 Toyota RAV4 recalls & campaign history (3 campaigns) →
Official US Government Data Provenance

The specifications, safety ratings, defect reports, and recall campaigns published on this page are retrieved directly from official United States Government agency databases:

  • NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI): Consumer complaints and defect reports.
  • NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP): Frontal, side, and rollover 5-Star crash safety test ratings.
  • U.S. EPA / FuelEconomy.gov: Standardized multi-cycle dynamometer fuel economy, MPGe, and electric driving range ratings.

Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.