Saturday, August 8, 2026
RecallGazette

Vehicle problems, recalls & safety intelligence

2002 Toyota RAV4 vs 2003 Toyota RAV4

Complaints, recalls, TSBs, investigations and safety ratings side by side, from official federal data. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Raw complaint counts are not adjusted for sales volume.

Metric2002 Toyota RAV42003 Toyota RAV4
NHTSA complaints527314
Recall campaigns00
Service bulletins (TSBs)116102
Investigations01
Crash reports3618
Fire reports154
NCAP overall rating
EPA MPG (combined)22–7822–78
Median reported incident mileage94,000 mi95,500 mi

Reported problems side by side

ComponentToyota RAV4Toyota RAV4
Power Train376209
Electrical System9242
Engine and Engine Cooling4126
Vehicle Speed Control3629
Engine2221
Air Bags2210
Electronic Stability Control (esc)167
Steering83

Symptoms owners describe

Hesitation / surging7544
Stalling7239
Shifting problems6536
Check engine light6034
Vibration / shaking169
Clunking / rattling127
Loss of power89

Compare all Toyota RAV4 vs Toyota RAV4 years →

Method. Complaints are unique NHTSA reports. A vehicle that sold more units will naturally accumulate more complaints — use shares and read the underlying reports before drawing conclusions.