There are 5 owner-reported powertrain & transmission complaints for the 1997 Toyota RAV4in NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
RAV 4 TOYOTA 1997-WAS UNABLE TO DRIVE MORE THAN 30 MILES WITHOUT THE RPR INCREASED WITHOUT CONTROL, TRANSMISSION AND ENGINE BECOME EXTREMELY HOT, FLUIDS WERE DRAINED . CAR SENT TO DARCARS TOYOTA THERMOSTAT WAS REPLACED, AND NOW FACING SEVERE TRANSMISSION ISSUES, BECAUSE LACK OF RECALL RPR 'S ISSUE VERY DETRIMENTAL AND RISKY . *TR
POPS OUT OF 5TH GEAR! HAD FIXED, AND 6 MONTHS LATER IT HAPPENED AGAIN. *NM
FIFTH GEAR FAILED, NEED TO REPLACE ENTIRE MANUAL TRANSMISSION.*AK
THE FIFTH GEAR FAILED. *YD
THE BOOT AROUND THE MANUEL TRANSMISSION CAME OFF JAMMING MOVEMENT OF THE SHIFTER.
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026