2023 Toyota RAV4
The 2023 Toyota RAV4 is sold in the U.S. as a hybrid and gas compact SUV with 8 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the RAV4 Hybrid AWD, is EPA-rated at 40 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of B. Owners have filed 171 complaints, most often about the electrical system. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall. Manufacturer pricing runs from $28,675 to $40,030 across 17 trims.

| Trim | Powertrain | Drive | MSRP | HP | Torque | MPG comb | Seats | Cargo (2nd row) | Wheels |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LE | Gas | FWD | $28,675 | 203 hp | 184 lb-ft | 30 mpg | 5 | 37.5 cu-ft | 17 in |
| LE | Gas | AWD | $30,075 | 203 hp | 184 lb-ft | 30 mpg | 5 | 37.5 cu-ft | 17 in |
| XLE | Gas | FWD | $30,185 | 203 hp | 184 lb-ft | 30 mpg | 5 | 37.5 cu-ft | 17 in |
| XLE | Gas | AWD | $31,585 | 203 hp | 184 lb-ft | 29 mpg | 5 | 37.5 cu-ft | 17 in |
| XLE Premium | Gas | FWD | $33,075 | 203 hp | 184 lb-ft | 30 mpg | 5 | 37.5 cu-ft | 19 in |
| XLE Premium | Gas | AWD | $34,475 | 203 hp | 184 lb-ft | 29 mpg | 5 | 37.5 cu-ft | 19 in |
| Adventure | Gas | AWD | $34,870 | 203 hp | 184 lb-ft | 28 mpg | 5 | 37.5 cu-ft | 19 in |
| TRD Off-Road | Gas | AWD | $38,295 | 203 hp | 184 lb-ft | 28 mpg | 5 | 37.5 cu-ft | 18 in |
| Limited | Gas | FWD | $36,980 | 203 hp | 184 lb-ft | 30 mpg | 5 | 37.5 cu-ft | 19 in |
| Limited | Gas | AWD | $38,380 | 203 hp | 184 lb-ft | 28 mpg | 5 | 37.5 cu-ft | 19 in |
| LE Hybrid | Hybrid | AWD | $31,725 | 219 hp | 163 lb-ft | 40 mpg | 5 | 37.5 cu-ft | 17 in |
| XLE Hybrid | Hybrid | AWD | $33,235 | 219 hp | 163 lb-ft | 40 mpg | 5 | 37.5 cu-ft | 17 in |
| XLE Premium Hybrid | Hybrid | AWD | $36,125 | 219 hp | 163 lb-ft | 40 mpg | 5 | 37.5 cu-ft | 18 in |
| SE Hybrid | Hybrid | AWD | $34,420 | 219 hp | 163 lb-ft | 40 mpg | 5 | 37.5 cu-ft | 18 in |
| XSE Hybrid | Hybrid | AWD | $37,385 | 219 hp | 163 lb-ft | 40 mpg | 5 | 37.5 cu-ft | 18 in |
| Limited Hybrid | Hybrid | AWD | $40,030 | 219 hp | 163 lb-ft | 40 mpg | 5 | 37.5 cu-ft | 18 in |
| Woodland Edition Hybrid | Hybrid | AWD | $34,945 | 219 hp | 163 lb-ft | 37 mpg | 5 | 37.5 cu-ft | 18 in |
MSRP excludes destination. Open a trim for the complete spec sheet and standard/optional equipment. Have the car in front of you? Decode its VIN to see which of these trims it is and what it was priced at.
Specs & fuel economy
Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov| Configuration | Powertrain | Drive | Engine / motor | City | Hwy | Comb | Annual fuel* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RAV4 Hybrid AWD | Hybrid | AWD | 2.5L 4-cyl + 252V Li-Ion | 41 | 38 | 40 | $1,700 |
| RAV4 Hybrid AWD Woodland Edition | Hybrid | AWD | 2.5L 4-cyl + 252V Li-Ion | 38 | 35 | 37 | $1,800 |
| RAV4 | Gas | FWD | 2.5L 4-cyl | 27 | 35 | 30 | $2,250 |
| RAV4 | Gas | FWD | 2.5L 4-cyl | 27 | 34 | 30 | $2,250 |
| RAV4 AWD LE | Gas | AWD | 2.5L 4-cyl | 27 | 34 | 30 | $2,250 |
| RAV4 AWD | Gas | AWD | 2.5L 4-cyl | 27 | 33 | 29 | $2,300 |
| RAV4 AWD | Gas | AWD | 2.5L 4-cyl | 25 | 33 | 28 | $2,400 |
| RAV4 AWD TRD OFFROAD | Gas | AWD | 2.5L 4-cyl | 25 | 32 | 28 | $2,400 |
*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 46078, 46080, 46067, 46068, 46077, 46075, 46074, 46076.
Emissions & certification
Source: EPA emission certificates| Configuration | Smog rating | Emission standard | Where it can be sold new | SmartWay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RAV4 Hybrid AWD | 7 / 10 | California LEV-III SULEV30 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 30 | All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards | SmartWay |
| RAV4 Hybrid AWD Woodland Edition | 7 / 10 | Federal Tier 3 Bin 30 / California LEV-III SULEV30 | All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards | SmartWay |
| RAV4 | 7 / 10 | California LEV-III SULEV30 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 30 | All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards | — |
| RAV4 AWD, RAV4 AWD LE, RAV4 AWD TRD OFFROAD | 6 / 10 | Federal Tier 3 Bin 50 / California LEV-III ULEV50 | All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards | — |
Certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S.
The smog rating scores tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, 1 (worst) to 10 (best), and is comparable only within a model year. The standard is the federal bin or California tier the configuration was certified to. Both come from the EPA certificate behind the window sticker.
Factory warranty running out?
The 2023 Toyota RAV4 is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. What an extended plan does and does not cover is worth reading before a dealer quotes you one.
What to check before you buy →Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.
Recalls (3)
Source: NHTSA recall databaseElectrical System
See Part 573 ReportTires
23R1These are vehicle campaigns — the ones the automaker filed against this model. NHTSA also records equipment recalls, filed by a parts maker against a component (a tyre, a child seat, an aftermarket part), and those are not listed here or counted above. nhtsa.gov/recalls shows both for a VIN.
Whether any of this applies to one specific RAV4
A campaign covers a build range, not a model year, so two identical-looking cars from 2023 can differ. Both of these check a VIN against the manufacturer’s own list, free, in about ten seconds. Toyota publishes its own lookup because federal rule 49 CFR 573.15 requires it to, and to keep it current to within seven days.
Hear about a recall before the letter does
The manufacturer’s letter is the last step of a recall: it has up to 60 days after filing to mail owners, at the address on the registration. We email you the day NHTSA posts a recall on the 2023 Toyota RAV4, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.
Parts & accessories for the 2023 Toyota RAV4
Search by fitment on eBay Motors — OEM take-offs, aftermarket, and the trim pieces dealers no longer stock. The listing and the price are the seller's.
Find parts for this RAV4 →Owner complaints
Source: NHTSA complaint database19 involved a crash · 1 a fire · 15 injuries · 0 deaths reported
4.7 per 10,000 built · Toyota reported 367,237 RAV4 built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)
Filed per year: 2022: 1 · 2023: 24 · 2024: 39 · 2025: 53 · 2026: 54
Most-cited components
In owners' own words
Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, one per problem area. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed.
The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Rav4 Prime. The contact parked the vehicle and the vehicle remained at the parking lot for one week. The contact returned and started the vehicle and the instrument cluster was black.
The contact owns 2023 Toyota Rav4 Hybrid. The contact stated while driving at various speeds with 3 gallons of fuel remaining in the fuel tank, the message "Low Fuel" was displayed, and the instrument cluster turned blank. The contact stated that the instrument cluster remained blank and inoperable until fuel was added to the vehicle.
The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Rav4 Hybrid. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel failed to turn in the intended direction. The contact stated that the steering wheel was pulling to the left, almost causing the vehicle to crash into a wall.
The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Rav4 Hybrid. The contact stated while driving 15-20 MPH, the vehicle unexpectedly stopped. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle several times. After the failure, the engine and brake warning lights illuminated.
The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Rav4 Hybrid. The contact stated that after remote starting the vehicle, the contact discovered that the driver’s side mirror had shattered without impact. The contact reviewed the Home Security footage and confirmed that there was no impact with the mirror to cause the failure.
I am an owner of new 2023 RAV4 and believe some of the newer 2023 & 2024 Toyota Rav4 models with ICE (non-hybrid) have a potentially dangerous defect with the transmission system, which causes these cars to jerk and stutter when the gas pedal is lightly depressed (light acceleration) when the car speed is between 15 and 40 mph and…
Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.
Reported by Toyota itself: 146 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 172 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 40 per 100,000 built. Every RAV4 model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.
When owners reported it
miles, typically
Half the 19 owner reports with an odometer reading on file fall between 16,000 and 59,000 miles. That is when problems get reported, which is not the same as when they start — and not a failure rate, because nobody knows how many of these cars never had a problem at all.
Odometer readings as filed by owners with NHTSA. Readings under 100 or over 400,000 miles are dropped as data entry rather than history, and a component needs at least 12 readings before a median is shown for it.
Crash ratings
Source: NHTSA NCAP| Configuration | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUV AWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 16% |
| SUV AWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 16% |
| SUV FWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 16% |
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: forward collision warning, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking.
Service bulletins & campaigns
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications- Term not in NHTSA’s summary · Toyota warranty extension 22TE09Although the HV Floor Under Wire Harness and Rear Traction Motor Cable is covered by Toyota’s New Vehicle Limited Warranty for 3 years or 36,000 miles (whichever comes first), we at Toyota care about…
The term and the vehicles it covers are the manufacturer’s, as NHTSA’s summary of each filing states them; a dealer checks one particular car by its VIN. Every Toyota warranty extension (10) → · Every warranty extension on file, all makes →
Most often about: Electrical System, Structure, Engine, Unknown Or Other, Service Brakes.
- T-SB-0110-20 Rev2 Service bulletin2026-08-20 · Engine
- OBSOLETE NOTICE August 20, 2026: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see T-SB-0051-26.
- T-SB-0051-26 Service bulletin2026-08-20 · Engine
- This bulletin includes basic procedures for performing a rescue charge at battery on high voltage (HV) Ni-MH and Li-ion batteries.
- 26TC03 Service campaign2026-08-17 · Engine
- In wet conditions, water contacting the radiator in the subject vehicles after idling for an extended period can create steam that can cause an incorrect engine sensor reading. This can lead to a warning light, a rough-running engine, or a potential engine stall while idling or operating at low speeds.
- 22TE09 Warranty extension2026-05-14 · Electrical System
- Although the HV Floor Under Wire Harness and Rear Traction Motor Cable is covered by Toyota’s New Vehicle Limited Warranty for 3 years or 36,000 miles (whichever comes first), we at Toyota care about the customers’ ownership experience. Toyota is providing extended coverage under this Customer Support Program for repairs related to excessive corrosion to the wire harness connections at the Rear Mo
- T-SB-0029-26 Over-the-air update2026-04-24 · Electrical System
- A new head unit software update is available for 2023 – 2024 model year RAV4, RAV4 Hybrid, and RAV4 Prime vehicles equipped with Toyota Multimedia (earlier than version 1861). This software update includes the following improvements: • Usability of CarPlay® exit. • User Profile. • User interface. • Cloud navigation. • Intelligent assistant voice recognition. • Bug fixes.
- T-SB-0023-26 Service bulletin2026-04-01 · Engine
- Some customers may experience a rough running engine with a MIL ON P140018 DTC. Upon further inspection, a loose C90/C27 connector pin at the EGR valve may be found. To correct this concern, please reference the repair section of this TSB.
- T-SB-0104-21 Rev2 Service bulletin2026-02-27 · Engine
- OBSOLETE NOTICE February 27, 2026: This bulletin is no longer applicable and is now obsolete.
- T-TT-0797-26 Service bulletin2026-01-12 · Electrical System
- Some RAV4 vehicles power seat where the automatic seat adjustment by the memory function does not work.
A service bulletin is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a known condition. It is not a recall, not a finding that the vehicle is defective, and the work is not automatically free — though a bulletin is often what a dealer works from when you describe a symptom, so quoting the document number can save a diagnosis. The count is every communication filed; the list shows the most recent, one entry per campaign, because a single campaign is usually filed as several documents on the same day. The summaries are NHTSA's; the full documents come from the manufacturer.
Diagnostic trouble codes on file
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaintsCodes documented against this model year in the federal record. A code appearing here does not mean this vehicle will set it — it means the code is part of this nameplate-year's documented history.
| Code | What it means | Most often filed under | Where it appears |
|---|---|---|---|
| C1A95 | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Forward Collision Avoidance | 1 owner report |
Generic codes (the second character is 0 or 2) mean the same thing on every vehicle sold in the United States. Manufacturer-specific codes (1 or 3) mean whatever the automaker assigned, and no honest source can define them for you — which is why the ones here carry the evidence instead of a definition. A code is a link when enough separate federal documents name it across the catalogue to be worth a page of its own; the rest are listed here, where the vehicle is the context that makes them mean something.
Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.
At the New York inspection station
Source: New York State DMVIn New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2023 Toyota RAV4 failed the emissions check on 0.54% of first inspections — lower than the 1.6% for every 2023 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 1.2% (every 2023 vehicle: 1.1%).
failed emissions
13,366 initial inspections of 13,083 vehicles.
| Measure | The 2023 RAV4 | Every 2023 vehicle | Behind it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Failed the emissions check | 0.54% | 1.6% | 13,339 |
| Failed the safety inspection | 1.2% | 1.1% | 13,366 |
| Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit | 0.13% | 0.16% | 13,366 |
| Miles driven a year | 10,609 | 10,038 | odometer at inspection |
| Average odometer | 34,725 | 32,673 | odometer at inspection |
New York’s emissions test on these model years is an on-board diagnostics check: it fails a car whose check-engine light is on or whose self-tests have not finished. First inspections only, so a car that failed and came back is counted once; private and special plates, not taxis, livery or commercial plates. A rate appears only where at least 200 inspections stand behind it. “Every 2023 vehicle” is every 2023 model-year car, SUV and pickup inspected in the same window, all makes. This is the state’s record of test results, not a reliability score by itself. Source: New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, Vehicle Inspections (data.ny.gov, Open NY terms).
Compare the 2023 RAV4 with
Any vehicle, your weights →| Head-to-head | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 Honda CR-V · Compact SUV · grade D | CR-V +21.6 | |
| 2023 Mazda CX-9 · Compact SUV · grade A | CX-9 +27.5 |
RAV4 by model year
all years, side by side →Common questions about the 2023 RAV4
Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kitsHow much does the 2023 Toyota RAV4 cost?
Manufacturer pricing runs from $28,675 for the LE FWD to $40,030 for the Limited Hybrid AWD, across 17 trims. Those are MSRPs from the manufacturer's own press material; they exclude destination, options, taxes and whatever the dealer adds. Every trim and price is listed above.
Does the 2023 Toyota RAV4 have any recalls?
NHTSA has posted 3 recall campaigns for the 2023 Toyota RAV4. The most serious on file is 23V485000, covering Tires. 1 campaign is phased, so the repair reached some model years before others. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.
How safe is the 2023 Toyota RAV4?
NHTSA gave the 2023 Toyota RAV4 5 stars overall in its New Car Assessment Program tests — 4-star frontal crash, 5-star side crash, 4-star rollover. WhichTrim also grades it B (83/100) on its recall record, which is a different question from crash protection.
What is the fuel economy of the 2023 Toyota RAV4?
Across the 8 EPA-rated configurations of the 2023 Toyota RAV4, the best EPA combined figure is 40 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.
What do owners complain about on the 2023 Toyota RAV4?
Owners have filed 171 complaints with NHTSA about the 2023 Toyota RAV4, most often about electrical system, unspecified, steering. Of those, 19 involved a crash, 1 a fire, 15 reported injuries. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.
How clean is the 2023 Toyota RAV4?
The EPA smog rating for the 2023 Toyota RAV4 runs 6 to 7 out of 10 across its configurations. That score covers tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, and it only compares vehicles within the same model year. It is certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S. Its configurations were certified to different standards — California LEV-III SULEV30, California LEV-III ULEV50, Federal Tier 3 Bin 30, Federal Tier 3 Bin 50 — which the table above lists per configuration.
Are there service bulletins for the 2023 Toyota RAV4?
The manufacturer has filed 228 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2023 Toyota RAV4, most often covering electrical system, structure, engine. The most recent is dated 2026-08-20. A bulletin is not a recall: it is the repair procedure a manufacturer sends its dealers for a condition it knows about, and the work is not automatically paid for. It is still worth knowing — if the symptom matches, quoting the bulletin number at the service desk can save a diagnosis. The document numbers and summaries are listed above.
How does the 2023 Toyota RAV4 do at state inspection?
In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2023 Toyota RAV4 failed the emissions check on 0.54% of first inspections — lower than the 1.6% for every 2023 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 1.2% (every 2023 vehicle: 1.1%). The figures are New York State DMV’s own inspection records, first inspections only, and the table above sets each one against every vehicle of the same model year.
Which 2023 Toyota RAV4 trim is the best value?
$11,355 separates the cheapest of the 17 trims from the most expensive, so the answer depends on which of the differences you would actually use. Every trim has its own page here with the manufacturer's full specification and equipment list, plus a short summary of exactly what it adds over the base trim — worth reading before a dealer frames the walk-up for you. The trim-by-trim ladder shows what every step up costs and what it makes standard.
Is the 2023 Toyota RAV4 better than the 2023 Honda CR-V?
The Honda CR-V wins clearly, 90.5 to 68.9, on tech & comfort, fuel & range. The Toyota RAV4 is ahead on space & cargo and safety. We publish a full side-by-side of the 2023 Toyota RAV4 against the 2023 Honda CR-V — specifications by family, equipment feature by feature, safety record and ownership costs. You can re-weight what matters to you and the verdict recalculates.
What we hold, and what an empty row means
Paid vehicle-history reports will not tell you the difference between “nothing happened to this car” and “we never received that record” — both of the big two say as much in their own help pages. Most of what is on this page comes from complete federal registers, so we can tell you which is which, row by row.
| Data | Held | Source | What it covers — or what empty means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel economy & configurations | 8 configurations | EPA certification records | Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures. |
| Emission certificates | 8 configurations | EPA emission certificates | Smog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new. |
| Recalls | 3 | NHTSA recall campaigns | A complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags. |
| Owner complaints | 171 | NHTSA complaint database | Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold. |
| Crash ratings | 3 tested | NHTSA NCAP | Only the configurations NHTSA chose to crash-test, which is never all of them. |
| Service bulletins | 228 | NHTSA manufacturer communications | Everything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall. |
| Investigations | none | NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation | No defect investigation has been opened. |
| Driver-assist crash reports | none | NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01 | No report has been filed. Only entities named in the order report, and only crashes they hear of — so this is also what an unequipped car, or a manufacturer without telematics, looks like. |
| Specifications filed with NHTSA | none | NHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patterns | We had no VIN pattern to decode for this model year, or the manufacturer filed nothing usable. |
| Trims, pricing & equipment | 17 trims | Manufacturer press kit | Transcribed from the manufacturer's own press material, every value carrying the document it came from. |
Rebuilt nightly; this page was generated 2026-10-26. Every figure above is traceable to the source named beside it, and the JSON for this page carries the same values with their identifiers.
Sources & method
Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). The most serious recall counts in full and each further one counts 85% of the one before, because a vehicle sold in millions is recalled more often than a rare one without being more dangerous — and because a flat subtraction bottomed the scale out, scoring a vehicle with 22 recalls within a point of one with six. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Read it as what it counts: recall campaigns on the federal record, weighted by severity. The damping reduces the sales bias by roughly 40% but does not remove it: like our complaint counts, this is not normalized by how many were sold, so a best-seller still scores somewhat worse than an obscure model with the same real risk. NHTSA crash ratings, do-not-drive and park-outside advisories, and the crash, fire, injury and death counts in owner complaints are reported separately on every page and never blended into the letter — a vehicle can hold five stars and a poor letter at once, and where that happens we say so rather than leave you to notice. Because the scale subtracts from a clean sheet, a model year too new to have been recalled, complained about or bulletined scores full marks on an empty record; we label those grades provisional rather than present them as earned.
EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed nightly. Trim-level specifications and pricing are transcribed from the manufacturer's official press kit; every value carries its source in the data file.