Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 1999 Toyota RAV4, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Air bags14
- Vehicle speed control14
- Electrical system6
- Structure6
- Service brakes, hydraulic5
- Engine and engine cooling4
- Suspension4
- Seat belts4
- Power train4
- Fuel system, gasoline3
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 14 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 20 1999 RAV4 vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 15 people died inside them, and 9 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 1999 Toyota RAV4 failed the safety check 2.10% of the time — 19% more often than the average 1999 passenger car (1.76%). Median odometer at inspection: 162,683 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
In the Netherlands
161 first registered in 1999 are on Dutch roads; 34% arrived later as imports.
Most common APK defects
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen87
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde86
- Band onvoldoende profiel38
- Stadslicht werkt niet (goed)32
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld31
- Ruitenwisserinstallatie geeft onvoldoende zicht30
- Stofhoes aandrijfas beschadigd en dicht niet af28
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm27
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
439 cars built in 1999 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 564 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, 741 of these cars first registered in 1999 took their annual MOT test. 60% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 1999 the figure was 63%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 1999 |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 11.6% | 13.1% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 11.1% | 16.6% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 7.8% | 7.3% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 7.7% | 9.3% |
| Brakes | 7.3% | 12.2% |
| Visibility | 4.3% | 6.9% |
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 New Zealand
545 1999 cars are on the New Zealand register; 74% arrived as used imports, 24% 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 | 11.2 | 8.8 | 10.1 |
| RAV4 Soft Top · Sport utility vehicle · Regular gasoline | 11.2 | 8.8 | 10.1 |
| RAV4 · Sport utility vehicle · Regular gasoline | 11.3 | 8.8 | 10.2 |
| RAV4 Soft Top · Sport utility vehicle · Regular gasoline | 11.3 | 8.8 | 10.2 |
| RAV4 Soft Top 4X4 · Sport utility vehicle · Regular gasoline | 11.8 | 9.8 | 10.9 |
| RAV4 4X4 · Sport utility vehicle · Regular gasoline | 12.0 | 10.1 | 11.1 |
| RAV4 Soft Top 4X4 · Sport utility vehicle · Regular gasoline | 12.0 | 10.1 | 11.1 |
| RAV4 4X4 · Sport utility vehicle · Regular gasoline | 12.2 | 9.8 | 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 1999 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 1999 Toyota RAV4: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 627452 | SUBJECT REGARDING VEHICLE INTERMITTENTLY DOES NOT COMPLETE FULL CHARGE. *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 |
| 6088616 | CONDITIONS WITH |
| 604747 | SUBJECT REGARDING PRE-DELIVERY SERVICE MANUAL CORRECTION. *TT |
| 604667 | SUBJECT REGARDING TOYOTA DINGHY TOWING GUIDE. *TT |
| 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. |
| 10190460 | Toyota Safety Recall and Service Campaign - Technician Certification Requirements |
| 10190453 | TT: Some Toyota vehicles installed with Toyota Complete Maintenance Care (TCMC) brake pads may exhibit a groan or squeak noise in various driving conditions. |
| 10188913 | 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 ? 2021 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. |
| 10187241 | TT: Some Toyota vehicles installed with Toyota Complete Maintenance Care (TCMC) brake pads may exhibit a groan or squeak noise in various driving conditions. |
| 10186195 | TT: Some Toyota vehicles installed with Toyota Complete Maintenance Care (TCMC) brake pads may exhibit a groan or squeak noise in various driving conditions. |
| 10174891 | TSB: OBSOLETE NOTICE April 07, 2020: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see T-SB-0032-20. Replacement Certification Labels and VIN Plates |
| 10174890 | TSB: SUPERSESSION NOTICE The information contained in this bulletin supersedes Service Bulletin Nos. PG021-88, PG015-89, PG0015-90, PG002-91, PG002-93, PG005-97, PG007-01, PG007-07, PG006-01, PG004-97, T-SB-0144-08, and T-SB-0304-17. The aforementioned bulletins are obsolete, and any printed versions should be discarded. 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 ? 2020 model year vehicles may be available provided the requests meet the criteria listed in thi |
| 10152205 | TSB: SUPERSESSION NOTICE The information contained in this bulletin supersedes SB No. T-SB-0101-11. Applicability has been updated to include 2016 ? 2017 model year vehicles. Service Bulletin No. T-SB-0101-11 is Obsolete and any printed versions should be discarded. Be sure to review the entire content of this bulletin before proceeding. When servicing interior electrical switches and components, please note the precautions in this bulletin to avoid damaging electrical components and switches. Many lubricants, cleaners, and automotive chemicals contain silicone or other compounds that may |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)