NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2020 Toyota RAV4. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026
My 2020 Rav4 Limited AWD alerted me that the engine needed maintenance, and, so I parted it until Tuesday, After talking to the service professional at Passport Toyota, they told me about everything else but did not see that the light was on. They did my regular 55,000 miles maintenance on my car. So before driving away, I noticed that the alert was still blinking on my car. Their findings is that the coolant bypass valve/hose etc., has gone bad and is remaining in the open position. Apparently, this part isn't covered by warranty. After reading, there are a lot of years such as 2019, 2018 to name a few having had the same problem. And to fix the problem it is $857.22. Since this problem is occurring in a lot of Rav4's, and I noticed Camry's as well, should they look into why this is happening in a lot of models of their cars, SUV's etc.
1. I had to have Injector Fuel Service due to my vehicle having a sluggish feeling while driving from Stop to Start. The vehicle also had a throttling motion while driving. 2. A message appeared on dashboard after a recent visit to the dealership after normal maintenance service, “Engine Maintenance Required” “Reach out to Dealer.” This message specifically shows while I start up my vehicle and will not disappear if cancelled. “This is a warning for a coolant bypass valve failure”
Engine maintenance required, contact dealer Alert displaying to replace coolant bypass valve. Vehicle has 38,144 miles. Internet search of this issue has been reported by several consumers with vehicles less then 4 years old. Not covered under warranty and quoted at $700- ridiculous!
Engine Maintenaince Required, Visit Dealer message came on, googled problem and Coolant Bypass Valve keeps popping up.
Toyota RAV 4 vehicles prior to their 2023 versions are subject to CAN bus injection attacks resulting in the theft of the vehicle. I demand that Toyota provide the encryption fix to all previous years of vehicles and/or provide a physical method for protecting vulnerable spots where CAN bus attacks can occur. Methods like air gapping connections to devices accessible to the outside of the vehicle as well as better encryption for their keys.
Coolant bypass valve failure. 2020 model year Vehicle has 38,000 miles with a failed coolant bypass valve.
OVER A PERIOD OF TME WATER HAS BEEN COLLECTING IN THE RIGHT REAR DOOR. UPON DOING SOME RESEARCH I FOUND OUT THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH THE RAV4 OF THIS PARTICLE YEAR. DURING MY SEARCH I FOUND OUT THAT THERE ARE DRAIN HOLES AT BOTTOM OF THE DOOR UNDER A RUBBER GASKET. I LIFTED THE GASKET UP AND THERE WAS A LARGE AMOUNT OF WATER THAT CAME OUT. AFTER A COUPLE MORE RAINS THE EXACT SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED FROM AND TOLD THEM THE PROBLEM AND THEY STATED THAT THE GASKET ON THE BOTTOM OF THE DOOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED , BUT NOT ONLY THE RIGHT REAR DOOR BUT ALL THREE OF THE OTHER DOORS AS WELL, BUT COULD NOT EXPLAIN TO ME HOW THE WATER WAS GETTING IN THE DOORS. I HAD TO PAY OVER $500 IN ORDER TO GET THIS REPAIR WHICH I FEEL THE COST SHOULD BE ABSORBED BY TOYOTA BECAUSE A DESIGN FLAW. ANY HELP WOULD BE APPRECIATED.
Engine Maintenance Required
engine maintenance required light, after much research it shows it is a common defect in 2019-2022 models. Coolant Bypass Valve malfunction or failure. This can lead to overheating/fire. Appeared at 70k, all maintenance done by certified toyota dealership
Engine maintenance light comes on this is not the maintenance light this morning light is not in the owner's manual I had to Google the problem to find out the answer it is a faulty coolant bypass valve my car has 47,000 miles other people have reported the same issue Toyota won't acknowledge and won't fix the problem there are complaints from many other people about this
The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that the "Engine Maintenance Required to Visit Your Dealer" message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where a diagnostic was performed. The contact was informed that the coolant bypass valve was defective and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure; the contact was informed that there were no recalls on the vehicle. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was 26,643.
“Engine Maintenance Required” appeared on the screen and immediately took the vehicle to my local dealership. Dealer claims “Engine coolant bypass valve” Has malfunctioned and needs to be replaced. They are charging $697.54 for the repair. After a little research online including nhtsa.gov this seems to be an extremely common issue and needs to be recalled.
The contact called on behalf of her daughter who owns a 2020 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, her pregnant daughter attempted to move the driver's seat back, and the seat failed to respond as intended. The contact stated the vehicle could not be driven because the seat distance could not be adjusted to drive properly. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 32,000.
Driving at highway speeds with no other vehicles around, sunroof closed but shade open, sunroof exploded. Edges of sunroof that didn't fall in were pushed up as if an over pressure condition had occurred. There was no evidence of anything striking the glass found upon inspection. Quick internet search confirms others with this same make/model have experienced the same issue.
Coolant bypass valve
My 2020 Toyota Rav4 was just diagnosed with an engine coolant bypass valve failure. The leak from this valve could cause engine overheating. This seems to be a well known defective engine component that Toyota appears unwilling to address.
2020 rav4 coolant bypass valve problem. This is an issue that is been happening in the 2019 and 2020 models even with less than 55,000 miles on it. My vehicle milage is 52,000 and now I'm having this problem and the dealer is charging $700.00 to fix the issue. I thought that Toyota vehicles were reliable but this is ridiculous.
Coolant bypass value failure 1000$ to replace on a vehicle that’s only a few years old Toyota refuses to fix it
Coolant bypass valve is faulty, coolant leaks into sensor. Coolant regulation is important for maintaining proper engine temperature and failure with this system can lead to larger engine issues, possibly leading to catastrophic engine failure. Problem verified by independent mechanic and dealer. Issue was inspected by dealer. The message “Engine Maintenance Required // Visit Your Dealer” displays on dash.
I just bought my 2020 RAV4 in November with the lifetime powertrain warranty. By April, I had a “Engine Maintenance Required” light that would not go away. I took it to the dealership and it was my coolant bypass valve. $800 later, it’s fixed. Not covered under any warranty. Very common issue that Toyota charges a lot to fix.
Coolant bypass valve
The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Rav4 The contact stated that while driving at approximately 50 MPH, the front windshield was struck by a small object and the contact noticed a huge crack displayed on the windshield. The contact stated that if a small object could cause a crack to the windshield, the contact was concerned about what might happen if the vehicle was involved in an accident. The contact stated that one of the children could be severely injured if ejected from the vehicle or an object could enter the vehicle through the windshield and strike the contact. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed as a severely damaged windshield. The windshield was replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred after a small objective struck the windshield and caused damages to the front windshield. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. The VIN was not provided.
Coolant bypass valve
Bypass coolant valve failure
Coolant bypass sensor is faulty
Engine maintenance required see dealer
My car is 55000 Miles and coolant by pass valf is broken. it is common issue for this engine . Toyota shoul fix this issue as recall.
“Engine maintenance required visit your dealer” appeared on screen. After searching for similar issues. The coolant bypass valve has malfunctioned or failed. The fact that hundreds if not thousands of others have had this issue and it has not yet been recalled coupled with the fact that this isn’t covered under powertrain warranty is just crazy. Considering when reporting this issue I had to select powertrain that showed coolant / hoses under the menu baffles me even kore that it wouldn’t even be considered covered under warranty. There needs to be a recall. $700+ to replace a sub $100 hose and sensor that has nothing to do with normal wear and tear.
Coolant bypass valve error
My name is [XXX] and I would like to file a complaint against Toyota. I purchased my RAV4 XLE in 2020 after returning home from military training. This was my dream car and I was filled with joy to be able to purchase it. In the four years I have had it, I have had minimal issues, nothing to note other than normal wear and tear, until recently. The "Engine Maintenance Required" light came on roughly 3 weeks ago. I deemed it to be my oil change notification and reset it knowing when my next oil change was due. The notification came back on to which I started investigating further. I typed in "2020 RAV4 Engine Maintenance Required" into Google and was surprised at how many car forums and complaints popped up for this exact problem. It was an astronomical number of complaints made by loyal Toyota owners. I scrolled for an hour reading everyone's story, which was almost identical to mine. I made an appointment at my nearest Toyota in Bountiful, UT to get a diagnostic test done. Not to my surprise, the code that was tripping the system was for the 'coolant bypass valve.' I was quoted $660 for the parts and labor. After getting a price breakdown and verbally stating how frustrated I was with this issue due to how many others online had the same issue and there not being a recall, I felt like my only option was to pay it and suppress my anger. I am not upset with the Toyota dealership I went to. I am upset that this is a very known issue that even the mechanic verbally stated knowing about, and that Toyota as a large corporation is not doing right by the people who swear by owning Toyota's and their reputable reputation. I called two private mechanics about the issue and they both stated that they have worked on several RAV4's with this issue. It is not cosmetic, it is a critical issue that needs to be fixed. I hope this complaint makes it to the right hands and a solution is implemented so people can enjoy their car without these worries. Thank you. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Engine maintenance required. Found that coolant bypass valve has malfunctioned. Warranty will not cover due to being over 30k miles.
This vehicle is equipped with a power back door (PBD) that has begun to malfunction. March 29, 2024 was the first occurrence of the PBD malfunction when the opened back door would not fully close after clicking the appropriate button on the electronic key switch. There were no warnings that preceded the malfunction. The PBD would only close the back door a few inches before stopping. Additional clicks only closed it a few more inches and manual closing (requiring significant pressure) was required to fully close the door. Additional random occurrences of this PBD malfunction have happened over the past six months and have now become so frequent that on September 30, 2024 I turned off (via the multi-information display) the PBD function and must now resort to fully manual opening and closing of the back door. Based on multiple other complaints filed with NHTSA for this particular vehicle (2020 Toyota RAV4; NHTSA ID Numbers 11572353, 11572802, 11573768, 11579590, 11585733), I inspected the edges of the back door, the body's back door cavity, and the two back door spindles for damage, foreign objects, dirt, etc. that might impede PDB operation and found none. I also inspected the two back door hinges and saw no damage, no warping, no corrosion, and no movement of the hinges from their original installation locations. This PBD malfunction affects safety as the force required to manually open and close the back door is significant and operation of the back door might be impossible for people not physically able to effect the force needed. The vehicle is available for inspection and has not yet been inspected by the Toyota dealer where I purchased the vehicle in August 2020 or by others.
Engine maintenance required, visit your dealer. There are a lot of Toyota owners with this issue and they said it is the coolant bypass valve. Toyota needs to fix/recall this issue. They want to charge us 700 dlls but it should be free.
A week prior to this incident, the 2020 RAV4 was taken to Toyota for its maintenance check where everything was checked, replaced and changed. However, the last two days an incessant message keeps popping up on the dash stating “engine maintenance required… Visit your dealer” taking up the entirety of the middle screen inhibiting my ability from seeing my speed, mileage, distance to empty , time, lane assist and other car information that I normally rely on. I have pressed the “arrow back” or “back” button numerous times but three seconds later the message pops again inhibiting me from being able to use necessary car controls to stay safe. The engine on the 2020 RAV4 needs to be recalled as my car only has 55,000 miles on it. I have talked to numerous professionals within the motor industry in which they state these engines have lower stability and life expectancy than PREVIOUS engines used in older RAV4 models. Not only the engine, but the messaging system within the RAV4 needs to be fixed immediately as the communication of maintenance WHILE driving is a hazard. If I cannot look at texts to even just simply read it, why is there is message bright and in the middle of my dashboard popping every 3 seconds with a bright red triangle stating that I need “engine maintenance required,visit a dealer”. This is a safety issue and one in which almost nearly cost me my life.
Electronic power steering failure. Upon starting the car, the steering wheel has no power steering. The steering wheel can still be turned but requires a lot of force. There were no warning lights or messages on the dashboard or infotainment system before or after the issue. Toyota has issued recalls for this issue but informed me that my car is not covered under the recall, despite having the exact same issue on the exact same model described in the recall. (NTSHA ID: 20V373000, Toyota ID: 20TB11 / 20TA11) This is dangerous as it could have failed while driving, leading to an accident.
I kept getting an engine maintenance message. The coolant bypass assembly failed.
I have 48,000 miles on my 2020 Toyota RAV4 XLE Premium, received an Engine warning system light on vehicle, I took the vehicle to my local Toyota dealer in Gastonia, NC, to be told it was a faulty coolant bypass valve. I have noticed online that this has been a reoccurring problem with 2019-2020 RAV4. They quoted me a price of $619.00 to fix. With my car being newer and only having 48,000 miles, I feel this is a fault of Toyota, not mine. Faulty equipment failure on their part.
Code P268115... Every time you start the vehicle a message will display a "Engine Maintenance Required" and it will never go away, I was driving off road and the message would get in the way of seeing how my AWD is performing.
I having the engine maintenance like tons of other people and it seems is a 800$ fix..... to many people having the same issue and it seems is the return valve hose for everyone
A message light is shown stating "Engine Maintenance Required. Visit your dealer." Upon inspection from the dealer, it is a problem with the coolant bypass valve. The service men expressed concern for the heat regulation of the engine and things related to the coolant. This seems to be an extremely common problem with other Toyota RAV4s after looking it up online. Given the extent of the issue, this seems warranted to issue a recall for this part.
The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The engine coolant bypass valve has shorted and needs to be replaced. The dealer has confirmed the issue. First noticed when a message on the dash that said to see the dealer for an engine issue
Coolant Bypass Valve, vehicle is available for inspection. Confirmed by Certified Toyota Dealership. There is a know defect with the Coolant Bypass Valve in 2019-2023 Toyota Rav4. Maintenance Required Light Only Comes on when the Heat is switched to Air Conditioner.
The shell latching mechanism is no longer latching and or latching to the base.
The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH with the cruise control activated, the vehicle briefly lost motive power. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the coolant temperature sensor, requiring that the coolant temperature sensor to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 40,000.
The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
1. The coolant bypass valve failed. I had to pay about $950 to get it fixed because it is a safety issue and was not covered under any warranties. 2. Yes they were. The coolant bypass valve is responsible for maintaining optimal engine temperature. With this part broken it, the engine can overheat as the coolant will not circulate through the radiator. 3. Yes. The toyota dealership informed us they see an unreal amount of people with faulty coolant bypass valves. It is an issue with the part. 4. It was inspected by the Toyota dealership in Round Rock. 5. No there was nothing to indicate an issue. I only discovered the problem because I got a "engine maintenance required" warning on my dash.
Check engine warning came on, dealer immediately knew it was coolant bypass valve since this is a very common incident with Rav4s recently. My valve was defective and leaking coolant so I had to get it replaced.
Coolant bypass valve on all newer 2019 and up Rav4 models are known to cause issues or break at early mileage usually before 50k miles. It’s a known problem with Rav4 owners and is backed by many claims on social media websites and internet forums. The cost for diagnostic of “engine maintenance required” message on cars dash can range up to $150 and up for diagnostic fees only at Toyota Dealerships. Other independent mechanics cannot diagnose the problem message. Repair and replacement of $800 for parts and labor is ridiculous.
There seems to be a lot of folks online wanting a resolution from Toyota regarding a Coolant Bypass Valve that fails around 30k-60k miles on their 2020 Toyota Rav4's and other models. My Rav 4 just recently had the Engine Maintenance Required pop up on mine & I'm between 30k-40k. Some people had their issue a couple years ago and still nothing has been done about it. Toyota is charging close to $1000 for total repairs with labor for most of these instances. The community wants & needs a recall.