Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 1998 Toyota RAV4, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Service brakes, hydraulic13
- Air bags13
- Vehicle speed control12
- Power train10
- Engine and engine cooling5
- Seat belts4
- Suspension3
- Electrical system3
- Unknown or other3
- Fuel system, gasoline3
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 12 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 17 1998 RAV4 vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 13 people died inside them, and 5 of the vehicles rolled over. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 1998 Toyota RAV4 failed the safety check 2.04% of the time — 19% more often than the average 1998 passenger car (1.71%). Median odometer at inspection: 164,196 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
In the Netherlands
111 first registered in 1998 are on Dutch roads; 54% arrived later as imports.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde87
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen61
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm30
- Stofhoes aandrijfas beschadigd en dicht niet af29
- Band onvoldoende profiel29
- Ruitenwisserinstallatie geeft onvoldoende zicht22
- Stadslicht werkt niet (goed)21
- Uitlaatsysteem niet gasdicht / onveilige afvoer uitlaatgasse19
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
509 cars built in 1998 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 804 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
MOT test results in Great Britain
In 2023, 866 of these cars first registered in 1998 took their annual MOT test. 60% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 1998 the figure was 64%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 1998 |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 12.8% | 12.4% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 10.9% | 16.0% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 9.9% | 7.2% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 8.9% | 9.3% |
| Brakes | 7.6% | 11.8% |
| Tyres | 3.2% | 3.9% |
DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail
In Finland
5 of these cars first registered in 1998 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 286,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
In New Zealand
1,108 1998 cars are on the New Zealand register; 88% arrived as used imports, 11% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 8 variants: combined 10.1–11.2 L/100 km (about 21–23 mpg US), CO₂ 232–258 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| RAV4 · Sport utility vehicle · Regular gasoline | 11.3 | 8.7 | 10.1 |
| RAV4 · Sport utility vehicle · Regular gasoline | 11.2 | 8.8 | 10.1 |
| RAV4 Soft Top · Sport utility vehicle · Regular gasoline | 11.3 | 8.6 | 10.1 |
| RAV4 Soft Top · Sport utility vehicle · Regular gasoline | 11.2 | 8.8 | 10.1 |
| RAV4 4X4 · Sport utility vehicle · Regular gasoline | 12.2 | 9.9 | 11.2 |
| RAV4 4X4 · Sport utility vehicle · Regular gasoline | 12.1 | 10.1 | 11.2 |
| RAV4 4X4 Soft Top · Sport utility vehicle · Regular gasoline | 12.2 | 9.9 | 11.2 |
| RAV4 4X4 Soft Top · Sport utility vehicle · Regular gasoline | 12.1 | 10.1 | 11.2 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
1 Transport Canada recall for the 1998 Toyota RAV4.
| 2020018 22 Jan 2020 | Airbag Issue: On certain vehicles, exposure to moisture over time could cause the driver-front airbag not to inflate properly in a crash. In some cases, this could c… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 1998-2000 RAV4, 1998-1999 RAV4 EV and Celica and 1997-1998 Supra vehicles. These vehicles were equipped with Non-Azide Driver air bag Inflators (NADI) and do not contain phase stabilized ammonium nitrate (PSAN) propellant. Due to a manufacturing issue, the NADI inflators may absorb moisture, causing the inflators to rupture or the air bag cushion to underinflate.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: SPORT UTILITY ELECTRIC VEHICLES. IF THE SUBJECT VEHICLES ARE REPEATEDLY PARKED BY PLACING THE SHIFT LEVER INTO THE "P" POSITION WITHOUT APPLYING THE PARKING BRAKE, THE PARKING LOCK ROD, A COMPONENT OF THE TRANSMISSION PARKING LOCK SYSTEM, COULD BREAK.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: SPORT UTILITY ELECTRIC VEHICLES. THE FRONT DISC BRAKE ROTOR, WHEN EQUIPPED WITH STEEL WHEELS, CAN DEVELOP STRESS FRACTURES IF THE LUG NUTS ARE TIGHTENED WITH EXCESSIVE TORQUE.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, MINI VANS AND PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A THEFT DETERRENT SYSTEMS (TDS) SUPPLIED BY AUDIOVOX CORPORATION AND DISTRIBUTED BY SOUTHEAST TOYOTA DISTRIBUTORS, INC. IN THE STATES OF ALABAMA, FLORIDA, GEORGIA, NORTH AND SOUTH CAROLINA. THE ALARM WIRING HARNESS PLUGS INTO THE VEHICLE'S IGNITION SWITCH AND THE VEHICLE'S IGNITION SWITCH WIRING HARNESS PLUGS INTO THE ALARM HARNESS TO COMPLETE THE CIRCUIT. A PERCENTAGE OF THE FEMALE TERMINALS USED IN THE ALARM CONNECTOR WERE FOUND TO BE DEFECTIVE, CAUSING AN 'OPEN CIRCUIT' CONDITION WHEN MATED TO THE MALE IGNITION SWITCH TERMINALS.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Toyota told its dealers about the 1998 Toyota RAV4: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 627454 | SUBJECT REGARDING MAIN BATTERY CABLE AND CLAMP REPLACEMENT. *YD |
| 622975 | SUBJECT REGARDING BRANICK SPRING ADAPTER. *ET |
| 622928 | SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT A MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP ON. *YH |
| 622728 | INFORMATION REGARDING SHOULDER BELT ANCHOR TAPE SET. *JB |
| 619094 | INFORMATION ON DELAYED UPSHIFT TO OVERDRIVE CONDITION WITH CRUISE CONTROL ENGAGED. *TT |
| 618314 | SUBJECT REGARDING IMPROVED CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH. *JB |
| 610060 | UNDER CERTAIN DRIVING CONDITIONS, SOME CALIFORNIA EMISSION SPECIFICATION VEHICLES MAY EHIBIT A MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LIGHT ON WITH DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE P1133 PRESENT. *TT |
| 6092655 | SOME VEHICLES MAY EXPERIENCE A MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP ON WITH DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE P1133 SET. *TT |
| 6088621 | TEST |
| 6088620 | TEST |
| 6088617 | TEST |
| 6088616 | CONDITIONS WITH |
| 608125 | INFORMATION ON THE IMPROVED COWL TOP VENTILATOR LOUVER SUB-ASSEMBY. *TT |
| 605108 | ADDITION OF DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE C2833/94 TO REPAIR MANUAL. *TT |
| 604667 | SUBJECT REGARDING TOYOTA DINGHY TOWING GUIDE. *TT |
| 602843 | CORRECTIONS MADE TO THE ELECTRICAL WIRING DIAGRAM. *TT |
| 602179 | INFORMATION REGARDING THE FRONT DOOR LOCK KNOB OPERATION. *YC |
| 601330 | CHARCOAL CANISTER ASSEMBLY SUPPLY PARTS HAVE BEEN CHANGED TO SIMPLIFY PARTS PRODUCTION AND PERMIT INTERCHANGEABILITY WITH SOME MODELS. *YC |
| 600684 | REPLACEMENT OF THE FRONT AXLE HUB NUT. *YC |
| 10251070 | OBSOLETE NOTICE January 22, 2024: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see T-SB-0057-18. |
| 10244113 | TSB: Replacement certification labels (the vinyl label installed on the driver door or door post) and VIN plates (the metal plate riveted to dashboard) (see Figure 1) for most 1979 ? 2023 model year vehicles may be available provided the requests meet the criteria listed in this Service Bulletin. Follow the Procurement Procedure in this bulletin to request a replacement certification label or VIN plate. |
| 10214323 | TT: Some Toyota vehicles installed with Toyota Complete Maintenance Care (TCMC) brake pads may exhibit a groan or squeak noise in various driving conditions |
| 10207946 | POL: This consolidated Tire Warranty Guide contains the complete warranty terms for all brands of ground and spare tires currently in use by Toyota. This information must be kept near the point of vehicle sale and be available to any customer that requests it. Customers can find this information on the Owner?s section of Toyota.com. Dealers can locate a copy of this guide on the Claims Processing & Resource Center in Dealer Daily as well. |
| 10197476 | Replacement vin plates. |
| 10197473 | Product general information. |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)