2018 Toyota RAV4 · symptom sheet

Vehicle fire

28owner reports
49,000median miles
1involved a crash

Newest report Apr 7, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026

28 of the 331 complaints on this car describe fire.

No recall on this systemas of Oct 2, 2026

1 crashin 28 reports

2 people hurtin these reports

28 firesin 28 reports

Tick what matches of 28 reports

while parked and off

while driving

it started under the hood

a recall existed for the cause

Fire on other RAV4 years

201540 reports 201828 reports

Report counts are for each model year on its own, so a newer car has had less time to collect them. Model years with too few reports of it for a sheet: 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025.

What this problem usually is

Fire reports are the most serious complaints on the site. Owners describe fires while driving, while parked and switched off, and for plug-in cars, while charging. Many say it started under the hood. Some already had a recall notice for the cause, and some got one afterward.

Read the full explainer · Which cars report it most

What got replaced

Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the battery (10 reports).

Recalls and investigations

No recall on this problem covers the 2018 model year as of Oct 2, 2026.

When it happens

The middle half of failures fell between 30,000 and 78,000 miles, from the 13 reports that gave a mileage.

What owners wrote

“I had just gotten off my vehicle, we were at a shopping center specifically Marshallâs, the employee announced a blue Toyota, I went outside and my car was in flames, the Fire Department said it was an electrical fire. I had never received a letter of a recall let alone Toyota calling me to tell my car was defective. Not only until after my vehicle was damaged I received a call from them which made it suspicious.”
Filed Oct 27, 2025

Should you keep driving it?

This page can't tell you that. 1 of 28 reports involved a crash and 2 people were hurt. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.

File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation. How reports land on this sheet.

Guide Taking it to a shop? How to describe this problem so it gets found