Showing the 2017 RAV4 XLE Hybrid. NHTSA's VIN data shows it with a 2.5 L engine, but that may not be every version of it, so the numbers below cover every version of this model year. Every version
Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 18, 2026.
About every 2017 RAV4
The 2017 Toyota RAV4 is a small sport utility vehicle rated 24 to 32 mpg combined, with a 5-year fuel cost of $10,150 to $13,530 at U.S. average prices. NHTSA's overall rating is 5 stars. It has 3 recall campaigns, covering electrical system, accessories, and tires. Owner complaints total 321, and the electrical system draws the most, with 111 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Written by AI from public EPA and NHTSA data. Not a review.
Fuel economy
24–32 mpgcombined; city 22–34, highway 28–30; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$10,150–$13,530U.S. average; Ohio $9,070–$12,090 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2017 RAV4. A trim's engine and numbers are shown as its own only where EPA names versions after the trim and no other version could be it; "seen with" means a source shows that engine on the trim, not that it was the only one. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.
Owners have filed 321 complaints with NHTSA about the 2017 RAV4. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Electrical system
111
4
15
4
Unknown or other
64
8
6
7
Service brakes
40
9
0
4
Engine
32
1
13
1
Exterior lighting
32
0
1
0
Structure
21
6
3
5
Air bags
20
13
0
12
Power train
16
0
0
0
Vehicle speed control
15
6
0
5
Steering
13
3
0
2
Fuel/propulsion system
12
1
2
2
Visibility/wiper
12
1
0
0
14 more parts
Wheels
9
0
0
1
Forward collision avoidance
8
2
0
2
Suspension
6
1
0
1
Seat belts
5
1
0
1
Seats
4
1
0
5
Tires
3
0
0
1
Visibility
3
0
0
0
Engine and engine cooling
2
0
1
0
Fuel system, gasoline
2
0
0
0
Latches/locks/linkages
2
0
0
0
Traction control system
2
0
0
0
Back over prevention
1
0
0
0
Electronic stability control (ESC)
1
0
0
0
Insert, padding
1
0
0
0
What the columns count
Complaints: complaints that name that part. One complaint can name several parts, so the rows overlap and don't add up to the total.
Crashes and Fires: complaints that report one. Two owners can file about the same event, and NHTSA doesn't link them, so these count reports, not events.
Injuries: the number of people the complaints say were injured.
None of these columns shows that a part caused a crash, fire or injury: they're what owners reported, unverified.
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for the 2017 RAV4 over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
Electrical system: 12v/24v/48v battery
NHTSA campaign 23V734000 · reported Nov 1, 2023 · 1,853,568 vehicles potentially affected across the whole campaign
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 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.
NHTSA campaign 19V503000 · reported Jun 28, 2019 · 1,325 vehicles potentially affected across the whole campaign
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.
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.
NHTSA campaign 17V295000 · reported May 2, 2017 · 409 vehicles potentially affected across the whole campaign
Remedy: Gulf States will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the spare tires, adjusting their pressure as necessary, free of charge. The recall began June 15, 2017. Owners may contact Gulf States customer service at 1-800-444-1074. Toyota's number for this recall is 17R2.
Gulf States Toyota, Inc. (Gulf States) is recalling certain 2017 4Runner , 86, Avalon, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Corolla, Corolla iM, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, Prius, Prius C, RAV4, RAV4 Hybrid, Sienna and Yaris vehicles. The spare tire air pressure was not adjusted to the proper pressure as stated on the Tire Pressure Label.
Risk: A spare tire that is not inflated to the proper value may not perform as intended, increasing the risk of a crash.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 242 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2017 RAV4, the latest on Feb 13, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: equipment (92), electrical system (73), structure (54), equipment adaptive/mobility (15), engine (10).
NHTSA defect investigations
Opening an investigation isn't a finding of a defect. Outcomes are as NHTSA's summary states them. A recall is shown as an investigation's outcome only where NHTSA's summary names it; other recalls NHTSA's file lists with it are marked as listed, not caused.
Investigation
Part
Opened
Status
Defect petition DP22005 Pedestrian alert sounds · covers 43 makes
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2017 RAV4.
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data