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2014 Toyota RAV4 problems: engine and transmission complaints and recalls

NO ELEVATED SIGNAL
28%
50 of 177 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

No elevated drivetrain complaint concentration in the available NHTSA records for the 2014 Toyota RAV4. Engine, transmission and fuel system account for 28% of relevant complaints.

Better than 74% of the 1,790 model years we track (2010–2023).

Excludes 20 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 25%).

NHTSA data checked October 17, 2026
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The VIN is on the listing, the driver’s door jamb, and the bottom of the windshield on the driver’s side.

Does the 2014 Toyota RAV4 have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 50 of 177 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2014 Toyota RAV4 concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (28%). For comparison, the 2013 scores 27% and the 2015 scores 26%. This describes the model year, not any one car: a well-maintained or already-repaired example can be fine, and a clean model year can still have a bad car in it.

Drivetrain complaints
50
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
197
this model year
Fires reported
25
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
4
20 crashes · 22 injuries

Complaints by component

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM69 · 35%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER45 · 23%
ENGINE31 · 16%
STEERING21 · 11%
POWER TRAIN20 · 10%
STRUCTURE18 · 9%

The years either side

2010
20%
72 of 400
2011
27%
66 of 287
2012
22%
46 of 266
2013
27%
64 of 256
2014
28%
50 of 197
2015
26%
73 of 305
2016
20%
38 of 239
2017
21%
54 of 307
2018
21%
61 of 331
2019
62%
509 of 879
2020
52%
303 of 635
2021
26%
93 of 486
2022
29%
44 of 166
2023
21%
44 of 221

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

In the full report

The rest of the picture on the 2014 Toyota RAV4

What one owner reported

POWER TRAIN,SERVICE BRAKES11/24/20191 INJURED
THE INCIDENT OCCURRED ON 11/13/2019 @ 8:30AM. I HAD STARTED MY 2014 TOYOTA RAV4, PULLED OUT FROM UNDER THE CARPORT APPRX. 25FT AND PUT THE VEHICLE IN PARK AND FULLY ENGAGED THE PARKING BRAKE I ALWAYS DO THIS IF I NEED TO LEAVE THE VEHICLE RUNNING FOR ANY REASON. IN THIS CASE I WAS HEATING THE INTERIOR AS IT WAS CHILLI.…

One of 50 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows them, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2014 Toyota RAV4?

No engine or transmission recalls. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns on the 2014 Toyota RAV4, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system. A recall is the manufacturer admitting a defect and paying to fix it; whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN, which the full report checks. The owner complaints above are a separate record and often point at problems that never became a recall.

4 other recalls on this model year (airbags, lighting, brakes and the rest)
electrical system: 12v/24v/48v battery23V734000 · Nov 2023
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…
steering: electric power assist system15V144000 · Mar 2015
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…
trailer hitches15V011000 · Jan 2015
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…
equipment14V828000 · Dec 2014
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…

Source: NHTSA recall campaigns filed against this year, make and model. Checked October 17, 2026.

Checking one particular 2014 Toyota RAV4? This page is about the model year. Accidents, title brands and odometer records belong to the individual car, and that is what a vehicle history report covers.

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Questions people ask about the 2014 Toyota RAV4

Does the 2014 Toyota RAV4 have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 50 of 177 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2014 Toyota RAV4 concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (28%). It describes the model year, not any one car, so an inspection still matters.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2014 Toyota RAV4?

No. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns on the 2014 Toyota RAV4, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system.

Which Toyota RAV4 years are better?

Among the Toyota RAV4 years we track, the 2010 (20%), the 2016 (20%) and the 2017 (21%) have a lower engine and transmission complaint share than the 2014 (28%). Manufacturers fix things mid-generation, so the year before or after can be a different car.

Should I buy a 2014 Toyota RAV4?

That depends on the car in front of you, not just the model year. The 2014 Toyota RAV4 shows no elevated engine or transmission pattern in owner complaints, which is a good starting point. It is still one car with its own history, so get an independent pre-purchase inspection and a vehicle history report before you commit.

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Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle.