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The 2015 Toyota RAV4 is a small sport utility vehicle 2wd vehicle covered by 4 EPA fuel-economy configurations. In NHTSA's records it has accumulated 305 owner complaints and 4 recall campaign(s). Of those complaints, 37 report a crash and 41 report a fire; 21 complaints report injuries totalling 30 injured people, and 1 deaths are recorded across all complaints for this model-year. The single most-reported component is Electrical System, named in 85 complaints (27.9% of the total). The sections below reproduce the underlying records in full: crash-test ratings, every recall campaign with its NHTSA campaign number, complaint counts by component, and EPA fuel-economy figures for each configuration.
NHTSA Safety Ratings
NHTSA tested the 2015 Toyota Rav4 SUV FWD Early Release under its 5-Star Safety Ratings program. Ratings run from 1 to 5 stars; "Not rated" means NHTSA did not publish a score for that test for this variant.
| Test | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall rating | ★★★★☆ |
| Frontal crash — overall | ★★★★☆ |
| Frontal crash — driver | ★★★★☆ |
| Frontal crash — passenger | ★★★☆☆ |
| Side crash — overall | ★★★★★ |
| Side crash — driver | ★★★★★ |
| Side crash — passenger | ★★★★★ |
| Side pole crash | ★★★★☆ |
| Rollover resistance | ★★★★☆ |
NHTSA also rated other 2015 Toyota RAV4 variants: 2015 Toyota Rav4 SUV AWD Early Release — 4★ overall; 2015 Toyota Rav4 SUV FWD Later Release — 5★ overall; 2015 Toyota Rav4 SUV AWD Later Release — 5★ overall. The table above shows the most completely rated variant.
Electronic stability control was fitted as standard equipment on the tested variant, and NHTSA records no safety recall investigation rating adjustments for it.
Recall Campaigns (4)
NHTSA lists 4 recall campaign(s) that include the 2015 Toyota RAV4. Each campaign below shows the official NHTSA campaign number, the affected component, and the manufacturer's own summary, consequence and remedy statements as published by NHTSA. To check whether a specific vehicle is covered, search its VIN at nhtsa.gov.
Campaign 14V828000 — Equipment 30/12/2014
Summary: Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Toyota 4Runner, Tacoma, FJ Cruiser, Land Cruiser, RAV4, Scion FRS, and XB vehicles. The affected vehicles may have accessories installed by SET, such as running boards or other items, that were incorrectly installed. The accessory attaching fasteners were not tightened with the proper torque, possibly causing the accessory to detach from the vehicle.
Consequence: Accessories that detach from a vehicle may result in a vehicle crash and/or personal injury.
Remedy: SET will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and tighten the affected bolts, free of charge. The recall began February 23, 2015. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET's number for this recall is SET-14B.
Campaign 15V011000 — Trailer Hitches 16/01/2015
Summary: Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Toyota Rav4 vehicles manufactured June 1, 2013, to December 29, 2014, and equipped with an accessory trailer light module. The software within the module may incorrectly detect an electrical short and preventively turn off the electrical current and the trailer lights.
Consequence: If the system incorrectly detects an electrical short and turns off the trailer lights while the trailer is being towed at night, there is an increased risk of a crash.
Remedy: SET will notify owners, and dealers will replace the trailer light module with a new unit with corrected software, free of charge. The recall began on March 17, 2015. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET's number for this recall is SET-15A.
Campaign 15V144000 — Steering:electric Power Assist System 13/03/2015
Summary: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2015 Camry, Camry Hybrid, Highlander, and Highlander Hybrid, and 2014-2015 Rav4 vehicles. A component of the electric power steering (EPS) electronic control unit (ECU) may have been damaged during the manufacturing process. Over time, this damage may result in failure of the electric power steering system.
Consequence: An unexpected loss of power steering increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the serial number of the EPS ECU or steering column assembly. If the number is within the affected range, the EPS ECU will be replaced, free of charge. The recall began on May 7, 2015. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.
Campaign 23V734000 — Electrical System:12v/24v/48v Battery 01/11/2023
Summary: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2013-2018 RAV4 vehicles. Certain replacement 12-volt batteries may not fit properly in the battery tray, allowing the battery to move and contact the hold-down bracket, possibly causing a short circuit.
Consequence: A battery short circuit increases the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the battery clamp sub-assembly, battery tray, and positive terminal cover, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed December 27, 2024, to 2013-2014 RAV4 owners. Additional owner notification letters will be mailed in phases, phase 2 will begin on May 14, 2025, and phase 3 in late July 2025. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 23TB13 and 23TA13.
Owner Complaints (305)
Owners have filed 305 complaints about the 2015 Toyota RAV4 with NHTSA. Complaint counts are not sales-adjusted — higher-selling vehicles naturally attract more complaints — but the breakdown by component shows where owners report problems most often.
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 85 | 27.9% |
| Unknown Or Other | 60 | 19.7% |
| Steering | 47 | 15.4% |
| Engine | 37 | 12.1% |
| Structure | 31 | 10.2% |
| Service Brakes | 31 | 10.2% |
| Power Train | 25 | 8.2% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 21 | 6.9% |
| Air Bags | 15 | 4.9% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 12 | 3.9% |
| Seat Belts | 6 | 2.0% |
| Exterior Lighting | 6 | 2.0% |
Complaints by Component — Visual
Bar length is proportional to the most-reported component for this model-year (Electrical System, 85 complaints).
By filing year, complaints peaked in 2015 with 37 filings. Owners filed 305 complaints in total across 13 calendar years in the database extract. Complaints involving a crash number 37 and those involving a fire number 41; 21 complaints report at least one injury.
EPA Fuel Economy
The EPA classifies the 2015 Toyota RAV4 as a small sport utility vehicle 2wd vehicle and published ratings for 4 configurations (engine, transmission, drive and fuel combinations). Combined fuel economy spans 24–26 MPG; the median configuration returns 22.5 city / 29 highway / 25.5 combined MPG. Fuel types covered: Regular Gasoline.
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | Fuel | Combined MPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5L 4-cyl | Automatic (S6) | Front-Wheel Drive | Regular Gasoline | 26 |
| 2.5L 4-cyl | Automatic (S6) | All-Wheel Drive | Regular Gasoline | 24.5 |
Showing the 2 most common configuration groups of 4 EPA configurations.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls and safety ratings databases and EPA FuelEconomy.gov dataset, accessed October 2026. See our methodology.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2015 Toyota RAV4 have?
NHTSA's complaints database held 305 complaints for the 2015 Toyota RAV4 when accessed in October 2026. The most-reported component was Electrical System with 85 complaints.
How many recalls affect the 2015 Toyota RAV4?
NHTSA lists 4 recall campaign(s) covering the 2015 Toyota RAV4 in the data accessed in October 2026, including campaign 14V828000 for Equipment.
What is the 2015 Toyota RAV4's safety rating?
NHTSA gave the tested 2015 Toyota Rav4 SUV FWD Early Release an overall rating of 4 out of 5 stars, with 4 stars for frontal crash, 5 for side crash and 4 for rollover resistance.
What MPG does the 2015 Toyota RAV4 get?
The EPA rated 4 configurations of the 2015 Toyota RAV4. Combined fuel economy ranges from 24 to 26 MPG, with a median of 25.5 MPG (median city 22.5, median highway 29).