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2010 Toyota RAV4 engine problems

31 complaints (8% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 60,000. 1 crash reported.

owner complaints
31
of this car's complaints
8%
typical mileage
60,000
crashes
1
recalls
0

Which part fails

  • Cooling system: radiator assembly
    1

At what mileage

Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.

0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+

Toyota RAV4 engine problems in other years

1994200020052010201520202025

Specific symptoms reported on the 2010 Toyota RAV4 engine

Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.

Check engine light 8Stalling 6

Related recalls

No recalls on record for this model year.

What 2010 Toyota RAV4 owners say

Most recent owner complaints, unedited.

Filed Apr 5, 2025 · Engine · NC

Burns oil. No leaks and compression is spot on. Burns oil so bad that around every 2,000 miles, if you hit the brakes to hard it causes the car to stall. Whether it's in a parking lot or intersection. Has happened several times. Since I purchased the car in 2022. Has been inspected by Toyota mechanics on more than one occasion, but can't find any solution, have tried thicker oils, oil stabilizers and nothing helps.

Filed Mar 24, 2025 · Engine, Suspension · TX

Engine oil is burning with out discharging from the engine. Can find no leak anywhere in the engine compartment. Constantly adding oil to the car as the oil indicator isn’t working either. The engine compression is spot on to manufacturers specifications. If the engine runs out of oil it could lead to a crash. Suspension: Loud popping in the rear drivers side when first moving. Don’t know if it is tie rod or something else. Don’t need whatever is causing the pop to break as that could lead to a crash.

Filed Apr 3, 2023 · Engine, Transmission · FL

Transmission vavle body issue and not safe to drive

Filed Feb 14, 2023 · Electrical, Engine · NJ

I have a 2010 Toyota rav4 limited and sometimes the car starts and sometimes it doesn’t but all the light come on but the car itself doesn’t start I replaced the battery, starter, starter safety switch but it still doesn’t start sometimes

Filed Mar 4, 2022 · Engine · 200,000 miles · MS

The contact owns a 2010 Toyota RAV4. The contact stated that she gets her vehicle maintenance on a regular basis, however, when she took her vehicle to get serviced by an independent mechanic she was advised that the oil was low. The contact stated that they put oil in the vehicle, however, when it was time for the vehicle to get maintenance again, she was again advised that the oil was low and that the vehicle was leaking oil. The contact stated that after a while she noticed she was inputting 3 quarts of oil per week in the vehicle. The contact stated that there were no warning lights illuminated on the vehicle at the time of failure. The contact stated that she does not know if the vehicle was losing oil until she checks the oil, which occurs on a regular basis. The contact stated she did contact the manufacturer, who was not able to assist. The failure mileage was 200,000.

Filed Dec 29, 2021 · Engine · NY · fire

While driving my vehicle, it began to smoke under the hood. I exited the highway in order to pull over in a safer location. Some smoke started coming through the vent in the car as I pulled over. I exited the car and moved away and small flames began at the air vents on the outside. After I called 911, The fire kept building until the front half of the car was engulfed. The fire department came and put out the fire. They weren’t sure the exact cause, but believe it started in the engine. My car was up to date on inspection and was not yet due for an oil change. No dashboard service lights were on beforehand. I had State Farm insurance and am not sure yet if they were able to find anything from their investigation.

Filed Dec 1, 2021 · Engine, Suspension · 97,900 miles · TN

The contact owns a 2010 Toyota RAV4. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made abnormal sounds. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the dealer could not duplicate the failure. The vehicle was taken to another dealer, Nashville Toyota North (2400 Gallatin Pike N, Madison, TN 37115), and diagnosed that the rear differential coupling was leaking oil, the rear driver's side axle bearing was faulty, and the radiator was leaking. The rear differential coupling, rear driver's side axle bearing, and radiator needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was past the nine-year extended warranty coverage. The failure mileage was 97,900.

Filed Jul 17, 2021 · Engine, Suspension · MI

This car was bought for a new driver and we have had 2 separate occasions when she has gotten somewhere and the car wont start. All the warning lights come on, but will not do anything when you push the button. We can jump it and it will start. This is not safe for a young person that could get stranded at random somewhere, and is now afraid to take it somewhere. We have checked the connections and the battery has been checked and is fine. The other complaint is the rear suspension recall. The tires were rotated and now it has a vibration, I was told that because of the recall it cannot be aligned unless things are replaced because of the terrible fix job on the recall. If something is recalled it should be fixed correctly and not be a bandaid job. There should not be a cost associated with a cheap fix that caused more problems. We purchased this vehicle because of reputation, if they are not supporting their product, then it will go and no other toyota products will be purchased.

Filed May 26, 2020 · Electrical, Engine · 118,540 miles · CA

Odometer meter has been tamperd with.

Filed Apr 25, 2020 · Engine · 80,000 miles · OH

Intermittently, my 2010 rav4 engine turns off, while driving, and then turns back on shortly after. This is very dangerous, as you lose power steering and brakes, meaning very difficult to steer and stop. This happens when the car is in motion. Never had it cut out at a stop light. I'm thinking it's the ECM. The car's maintenance is very up to date. My daughter drives this vehicle and it has happened to her numerous times. I have experienced it once, shortly after getting the car from the toyota dealership. I asked them about it and they weren't able to offer any suggestions, other than I could pay them to diagnose the problem. There are no error codes registered when this happens, which is why I think it's the ECM. Toyota has upgraded the code level for the ECM twice, so I'm thinking there are issues they addressed in upgrading the code. I just can't find what those upgrades fixed anywhere online. My daughter is afraid to drive the car, and if the dealership isn't willing to talk to toyota first about the problem, I'm not going to shovel money into their pockets to tinker around with it...it has to happen in their presence, as they say...

Questions about the 2010 Toyota RAV4 engine

Does the 2010 Toyota RAV4 have engine problems?

Owners have filed 31 complaints about the engine of the 2010 Toyota RAV4, 8% of all its complaints.

At what mileage do 2010 Toyota RAV4 engine problems start?

The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 60,000 miles.

Was there a recall on the 2010 Toyota RAV4 engine?

There is no recall for this problem on this model year.

What year does the Toyota RAV4 have bad engine?

The Toyota RAV4 model years with the most engine complaints are 2007 (236 complaints), 2019 (216 complaints) and 2020 (193 complaints).

Other 2010 Toyota RAV4 problems

Suspension 101Acceleration 83Transmission 38Brakes 34Airbags 28Visibility 24Fuel system 20Seat belts 18Steering 18Electrical 15Wheels 14Body 13Driver assistance 6Seats 4Tires 4Lights 2Locks 1

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