Saturday, August 8, 2026
RecallGazette

Vehicle problems, recalls & safety intelligence

2003 Toyota RAV4 vs 2004 Toyota RAV4

Complaints, recalls, TSBs, investigations and safety ratings side by side, from official federal data. Last verified Aug 8, 2026. Raw complaint counts are not adjusted for sales volume.

Metric2003 Toyota RAV42004 Toyota RAV4
NHTSA complaints314154
Recall campaigns02
Service bulletins (TSBs)102135
Investigations10
Crash reports1816
Fire reports44
NCAP overall rating
EPA MPG (combined)22–7821–23
Median reported incident mileage95,500 mi80,000 mi

Reported problems side by side

ComponentToyota RAV4Toyota RAV4
Power Train20923
Air Bags1047
Electrical System4210
Vehicle Speed Control2920
Engine and Engine Cooling2618
Engine2111
Electronic Stability Control (esc)77
Structure64

Symptoms owners describe

Hesitation / surging4411
Stalling390
Shifting problems360
Check engine light3418
Loss of power90
Vibration / shaking90
Clunking / rattling70
Overheating010

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.