2020 Toyota RAV4 engine problems
197 of the 648 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the 2020 Toyota RAV4 name the engine (NHTSA’s “Engine” heading — the engine and its cooling system). Filed under the same heading: 97 manufacturer bulletins, 1 recall. Every figure below is a document in a federal file, linked; none is a failure rate, and none is a verdict on any one car.
What owners filed about the engine
Source: NHTSA complaint database1 of the 197 reports a crash · 1 a fire · 2 injuries. Self-reported, unverified.
Filed per year: 2020: 11 · 2021: 5 · 2022: 4 · 2023: 59 · 2024: 87 · 2025: 26 · 2026: 5
Half of the 25 owners who gave an odometer reading reported the engine problem between 6,000 and 60,000 miles. A median of reports, not the life of a part.
648 complaints in all about the 2020 Toyota RAV4, 5 filed in 2026. The whole picture, every system →
Counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many of these were sold; nothing here is a rate. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so “Engine” means the same area of the vehicle, not one fault.
Across model years: Toyota RAV4 engine problems, every year on file →
In owners’ own words
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseFiled with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the engine. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.
The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Rav4 Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated to maintain automotive power. The messages "PKSB Malfunction - Visit your dealer" and "Pre-Collision System Malfunction - Visit your dealer" were displayed on the instrument panel.
The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Rav4 Hybrid. The contact stated while using the A/C, there was an abnormally foul odor coming from the vents. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where a mechanic discovered mice had entered the vehicle through an opening in the engine and that droppings were found in the air filter housing.
I was driving down the hwy doing 75mph, herd a loud bang and vehical lost all power, was passing an exit right at the moment this happened and immediately pulled out and was able to coast to a stop. The exhaust smoked for a while and it left a huge puddle of what looked like motor oil where it stoped and never started back up again.
On May 12, 2022 I was driving our 2022 Rav4 Hybrid. At about 10 am that morning I arrived at the Sherwin Williams store in Chandler, AZ. I applied the brakes and put the car in park. But the car did not stop! It continued to forge ahead, smashing into the building barrier and even then it kept trying to move forward.
I have had issues with my 2020 rav4. I have had kickbacks during acceleration, antifreeze/coolant loss, abnormal amount of blow-by, engine runs loud at times, car shakes when I start it, weird noise from under the hood, the dash lights and screen lights went dark once.
What is on file about the engine
Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communicationsRecall filed under this heading
- 20V064000 HighFeb 6, 2020 · 44,191 vehicles
- Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020 Toyota Avalon Hybrid, Camry, Camry Hybrid and Lexus ES300h and 2019-2020 RAV4 and RAV4 Hybrid vehicles equipped with 2.5L 4-Cylinder engines. Porosity in the engine castings may result in cracks than can allow coolant to leak internally and/or externally.
97 manufacturer bulletins filed under this heading
- T-SB-0110-20 Rev2 Service bulletinAug 20, 2026
- OBSOLETE NOTICE August 20, 2026: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see T-SB-0051-26.
- T-SB-0051-26 Service bulletinAug 20, 2026
- This bulletin includes basic procedures for performing a rescue charge at battery on high voltage (HV) Ni-MH and Li-ion batteries.
- 24TE04 Warranty extensionAug 11, 2026
- Although the flow shut-off valve is covered by Toyota’s New Vehicle Limited Warranty for 36 months or 36,000 miles (whichever comes first), we at Toyota care about the customers’ ownership experience. Toyota is providing coverage for repairs related to Flow Shut-off Valve Coolant Leak.
- T-SB-0104-21 Rev2 Service bulletinFeb 27, 2026
- OBSOLETE NOTICE February 27, 2026: This bulletin is no longer applicable and is now obsolete.
The 4 newest are listed; every one is on the model year’s page. Quote the document number at a service desk — it is a diagnosis the maker has already written down.
Trouble codes named on this system
Codes a bulletin or an owner’s complaint about the 2020 Toyota RAV4 names on this model year; a code with a record of its own links it.
Other systems with a record on the 2020 Toyota RAV4
Source: the same files- electrical problems 121 complaints
- fuel system problems 91 complaints
- body and structure problems 61 complaints
- airbag problems 59 complaints
Common questions
Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communicationsAre engine problems common on the 2020 Toyota RAV4?
They are documented: NHTSA holds 197 owner complaints naming the engine on this model year (30% of everything owners filed about it), and 97 manufacturer bulletins, 1 recall are filed under the same heading. Whether it is a problem on one particular car is a diagnosis, not a count, and a count says nothing about how many were sold.
Is there a recall for the engine on the 2020 Toyota RAV4?
Yes — one campaign is filed under this heading: 20V064000. A recall is matched by VIN; check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
When do engine problems show up on the 2020 Toyota RAV4?
Owners who gave an odometer reading reported it at a median of 30,000 miles; half of them between 6,000 and 60,000. That is when reports cluster, not the life of a part.
What does NHTSA's "Engine" heading cover?
The engine and its cooling system. Owners choose the heading when they file, so it says which area of the vehicle the complaint is about, not which part failed.