Showing the 2026 RAV4 SE & LE AWD: as EPA lists it. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year. Every version
Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
Fuel economy
42 mpgcombined; city 46, highway 39; the SE & LE AWD
Five years of fuel
$7,730U.S. average; Ohio $6,910 at local prices; the SE & LE AWD; 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 overall safety rating
Not ratedNHTSA has no overall rating for this year
NHTSA's VIN data lists no trims for the 2026 RAV4, so these are the versions EPA tested, by its names. 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 37 complaints with NHTSA about the 2026 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
Unknown or other
13
0
0
0
Forward collision avoidance
8
0
0
0
Electrical system
7
1
0
1
Power train
7
0
0
0
Air bags
5
2
0
4
Structure
5
1
0
1
Engine
3
0
0
0
Lane departure
3
0
0
0
Fuel/propulsion system
2
0
0
0
Service brakes
2
0
0
0
Visibility/wiper
2
0
0
0
Back over prevention
1
0
0
0
2 more parts
Seat belts
1
0
0
0
Suspension
1
1
0
1
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 2 recall campaigns for the 2026 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 2026 RAV4 Plug-In Hybrid vehicles. The motor generator ECU may encounter an error, causing the plug-in-hybrid system to reduce power or shutdown when driven at higher speeds.
Risk: An unexpected powertrain shutdown can cause a loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will update the ECU software, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed starting November 22, 2026. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 26TA22.
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2024 Toyota Tacoma Hybrid, 2025 Tundra Hybrid, Tundra, 2026 RAV4 Hybrid, 4Runner i-Force Max Hybrid, and 4Runner vehicles. The load carrying capacity modification label may display inaccurate added weight values. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Risk: A vehicle with an incorrect maximum capacity weight value may be overloaded, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the load carrying capacity modification label, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed October 18, 2026. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 26TA18.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 37 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2026 RAV4, the latest on Sep 14, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: unknown or other (28), electrical system (4), engine (3), fuel/propulsion system (1), wheels (1).
NHTSA hasn't opened a defect investigation that covers this model year.
Maintenance
Oil
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 2026 RAV4.
These are searches on those sites; we don't copy or check their listings. Your ZIP is used for these links and never kept.
Specs
EPA class: small sport utility vehicle. EPA greenhouse gas score: 7 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
RAV4 Front-Wheel Drive
2.5 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (AV-S6)
Regular Gasoline
47 / 40 / 43
RAV4 Hybrid Woodland Edition All-Wheel Drive
2.5 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (AV-S6)
Regular Gasoline
41 / 35 / 38
RAV4 Limited & XSE All-Wheel Drive
2.5 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (variable gear ratios)
Regular Gasoline
43 / 37 / 41
RAV4 Limited & XSE All-Wheel Drive
2.5 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (AV-S6)
Regular Gasoline
43 / 37 / 41
RAV4 SE & LE All-Wheel Drive
2.5 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (AV-S6)
Regular Gasoline
46 / 39 / 42
RAV4 XLE All-Wheel Drive
2.5 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (AV-S6)
Regular Gasoline
45 / 38 / 41
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
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