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Selling a junk Toyota RAV4

Any RAV4 sells for scrap or parts, running or not. Below: what owners report most often for each model year, the recalls on file, and which of those change the offer. Enter your ZIP for a buyer near you.

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What owners report about the Toyota RAV4

NHTSA has 11,581 owner complaints on file for the Toyota RAV4, model years 1995 to 2022, the 38th-most of the 423 models in our data. The most-reported components are transmission and drivetrain (1,379, 12%), electrical system (1,293, 11%), engine (1,261, 11%). 1,100 complaints involved a crash, 438 a fire, and 510 say the vehicle had to be towed. The median mileage when the problem was reported is 60,000 miles. The 2007 model year has the most complaints (1,241). Data as of 2026-10-12.

When the top complaint is transmission and drivetrain, the question for a seller is whether a buyer will resell the car, pull the parts or scrap it. Read our guide to selling a car with a bad transmission: it explains which offers assume the part works and how to describe the car so the price holds at pickup.

Toyota RAV4 by model year

YearComplaintsMost reportedCrashFireRecallsMedian miles
19951Other000—
199654Brakes441—
199761Engine and cooling1021—
199892Brakes2205109,000
199975Speed control1845114,000
200034Speed control60396,000
2001418Transmission and drivetrain2820105,431
2002682Transmission and drivetrain4920093,000
2003394Transmission and drivetrain264095,750
2004183Air bags235280,507
2005168Air bags314582,929
2006882Steering37101159,588
20071,241Steering72561466,000
2008708Engine56201467,619
2009397Speed control6951534,000
2010498Suspension8041440,027
2011403Speed control68101148,484
2012357Visibility and wipers568532,212
2013333Electrical system2935230,000
2014279Electrical system3543446,290
2015403Electrical system6162437,000
2016300Electrical system4322326,000
2017419Electrical system5541324,500
2018445Electrical system5349314,500
20191,186Fuel system40578,000
2020808Engine30768,000
2021530Air bags7316130,000
2022230Electrical system260136,049

Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not confirmed defects. Median miles is the odometer reading owners gave when they reported a problem, shown only where 20 or more reports include it.

Toyota RAV4 recalls

NHTSA lists 47 recall campaigns across these model years, most often for air bags (11), equipment (8), suspension (4). Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer. Before you sell, check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a buyer who plans to resell the car will.

  • 2020 model year, air bags (campaign 23V865000, Dec 2023): Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Avalon, Avalon Hybrid, Corolla, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, RAV4, RAV4 Hybrid, Lexus ES350, Lexus RX350, Lexus RX450H, 2021 Sienna Hybri…
  • 2013 model year, electrical system (campaign 23V734000, Nov 2023): 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…
  • 2022 model year, air bags (campaign 22V519000, Jul 2022): Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2022 Rav4, Rav4 Hybrid, and Rav4 Prime vehicles. The front passenger seat may have been assembled with interference between internal parts that may c…
  • 2020 model year, air bags (campaign 20V734000, Nov 2020): Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Toyota Avalon and 2020 Avalon Hybrid, RAV4, and RAV4 Hybrid vehicles. Breakaway pins within the steering column, designed to absorb energy …
  • 2019 model year, fuel system (campaign 20V682000, Nov 2020): Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018-2019 4Runner, 2019-2020 Avalon, 2019 Corolla Hatchback, 2017-2019 Highlander, 2018-2020 Camry, 2020 Corolla, 2018-2019 Land Cruiser, 2017-2020 T…

What a Toyota RAV4 is worth as a junk car

Buyers price a junk RAV4 on four things: its weight at today's scrap steel price (the floor), the parts still on it that can be resold, whether it starts and drives, and how far they have to tow it. None of those come from a complaint database, so use this page to describe the car accurately and our junk car value guide to work out a ceiling for the metal. Then get more than one offer.

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Questions people ask

What is a junk Toyota RAV4 worth?
What a yard can recover: the car's weight at the current scrap steel price, plus parts it can resell (the catalytic converter, engine, transmission and wheels if they're good), minus towing and processing. The same RAV4 gets different offers from different buyers, so compare at least two. Our value guide shows the public benchmark.
Will a junkyard buy a Toyota RAV4 that doesn't run?
Yes. Junkyards and junk car buyers take cars that don't start, and most arrange the tow. Tell them honestly whether it starts, whether the engine and transmission are still in it, and whether the catalytic converter is on; those are what change the price.
Should I fix an open recall before selling a Toyota RAV4?
Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer for as long as the car exists. If the car is going for scrap, the repair won't change the scrap price. If a buyer might resell it or pull parts, a completed recall can help. Check your VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup first.
Where do these Toyota RAV4 numbers come from?
From the complaint and recall data NHTSA publishes for every make and model, counted by model year on 2026-10-12. A complaint is an owner's report, not a confirmed defect, and the count rises with how many of the model were sold.