2004 Toyota RAV4 engine problems
11 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the engine on the 2004 Toyota RAV4 — 7% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“I have experienced hard shifting, gear slippage, and solenoid code warnings on my 2004 rav4 beginning in april 2018. I have had my transmission rebuilt by an ase certified transmission specialist that assures me the problem is a faulty ecm. This is a known problem of a defective ecm (per keith…”
filed Aug 19, 2018
“While driving, the check engine and vsa lights came on at once. The temperature gauge immediately began to rise, indicating that the car was starting to overheat. Took the car to a local mechanic. Apparently, the cylinder head bolt threading has become stripped due to strain from the aluminum…”
filed Dec 8, 2017
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Engine problems in other RAV4 years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 RAV4 | 11 | 15% |
| 2024 RAV4 | 37 | 22% |
| 2023 RAV4 | 22 | 15% |
| 2022 RAV4 | 26 | 19% |
| 2021 RAV4 | 38 | 10% |
| 2020 RAV4 | 179 | 29% |
| 2019 RAV4 | 203 | 23% |
| 2018 RAV4 | 32 | 10% |
| 2017 RAV4 | 31 | 10% |
| 2016 RAV4 | 25 | 11% |
| 2015 RAV4 | 37 | 12% |
| 2014 RAV4 | 31 | 16% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2004 Toyota RAV4
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.