Saturday, August 8, 2026
RecallGazette

Vehicle problems, recalls & safety intelligence

2002 Toyota RAV4 vs 2004 Toyota RAV4

Complaints, recalls, TSBs, investigations and safety ratings side by side, from official federal data. Last verified Aug 8, 2026. Raw complaint counts are not adjusted for sales volume.

Metric2002 Toyota RAV42004 Toyota RAV4
NHTSA complaints527154
Recall campaigns02
Service bulletins (TSBs)116135
Investigations00
Crash reports3616
Fire reports154
NCAP overall rating
EPA MPG (combined)22–7821–23
Median reported incident mileage94,000 mi80,000 mi

Reported problems side by side

ComponentToyota RAV4Toyota RAV4
Power Train37623
Electrical System9210
Air Bags2247
Engine and Engine Cooling4118
Vehicle Speed Control3620
Engine2211
Electronic Stability Control (esc)167
Steering82

Symptoms owners describe

Hesitation / surging7511
Stalling720
Shifting problems650
Check engine light6018
Vibration / shaking160
Clunking / rattling120
Loss of power80
Overheating010

Compare all Toyota RAV4 vs Toyota RAV4 years →

Method. Complaints are unique NHTSA reports. A vehicle that sold more units will naturally accumulate more complaints — use shares and read the underlying reports before drawing conclusions.