Showing the 2018 RAV4 S Grade. 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 17, 2026.
About every 2018 RAV4
The 2018 Toyota RAV4 has 348 owner complaints, and the electrical system draws the most, with 131 complaints filed with NHTSA. Fuel economy is 24 to 32 mpg combined, with a 5-year fuel cost of $10,150 to $13,530 at U.S. average prices. NHTSA rates it 5 stars overall. Its 3 recall campaigns, covering the electrical system and accessories, may apply to this car.
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 2018 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 348 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 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
131
5
23
3
Unknown or other
74
3
8
3
Engine
33
3
11
1
Service brakes
30
11
2
2
Power train
28
3
0
3
Exterior lighting
23
1
1
0
Vehicle speed control
21
8
0
4
Visibility/wiper
19
2
0
0
Air bags
17
13
0
11
Structure
15
2
1
0
Fuel/propulsion system
14
1
1
1
Steering
12
1
2
0
17 more parts
Forward collision avoidance
7
2
0
2
Tires
5
0
0
0
Lane departure
4
1
1
1
Visibility
4
0
0
0
Engine and engine cooling
3
0
0
0
Seat belts
3
0
0
0
Service brakes, hydraulic
3
0
0
0
Suspension
3
1
0
0
Back over prevention
2
0
0
0
Electronic stability control (ESC)
2
0
0
0
Latches/locks/linkages
2
0
0
0
Seats
2
0
0
0
Chest clip, buckle, harness
1
0
0
0
Equipment
1
0
1
0
Firerelated
1
0
1
0
Fuel system, gasoline
1
0
0
0
Wheels
1
0
0
0
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 2018 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.
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.
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 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.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 186 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2018 RAV4, the latest on Feb 13, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: equipment (75), electrical system (49), structure (28), engine (10), engine and engine cooling (8).
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 2018 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