2013 TOYOTA RAV4 Recalls — Canada & USA

The 2013 Toyota RAV4 has 8 recalls, the most serious being a fire risk from certain replacement 12-volt batteries that can shift in the battery tray, contact the hold-down bracket, and cause a short circuit. Two separate recalls address this same battery short-circuit and fire risk, one of which specifically involves aftermarket batteries. The RAV4 EV faces its own concern: a software issue in the electric traction motor can cause the drivetrain to drop into neutral unexpectedly, cutting drive power while moving. On the chassis safety side, a brake actuator fault can disable electronic stability control and anti-lock braking, reducing directional control in an emergency. The rear outboard seatbelts on certain vehicles can be cut by the seat cushion frame in a frontal crash, leaving rear passengers without proper restraint. There is also a wiper linkage issue where water drips onto the motor joint, corrodes it over time, and can cause the wipers to stop working. On vehicles with an accessory trailer light module, the system can falsely detect a short and shut off the trailer lights while towing at night. A compliance-only filing rounds out the list, covering carpet fasteners that do not meet Canadian flammability testing standards but present no practical safety risk in normal use.