2002 Toyota RAV4 Electrical System Problems
NHTSA component category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM · data through 07/12/2026
Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.
How electrical system ranks on this vehicle
Share of the 527 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 2002 Toyota RAV4 overview page.
What owners report
“I BROUGHT MY RAV BRAND NEW IN 200. HAVE HAD NO PROBLEM WITH IT UP UNTIL A FEW DAYS AGO. IT WAS RUNNING JUST FINE…”NHTSA complaint 10251134 — filed 12/08/2008
“SUDDENLY, MY CAR STARTING SHIFTING VERY ROUGHLY INTO REVERSE. IT HAPPENS EVERY TIME I PUT THE CAR INTO REVERSE. I WAS TOLD THE ECM NEEDED…”NHTSA complaint 10245294 — filed 10/13/2008
“CAR BEGAN HAVING SHIFTING PROBLEMS. I WAS TOLD BY A SHOP THAT THE ECM IS A KNOWN PROBLEM. IT IS A SAFETY HAZARD SINCE IT…”NHTSA complaint 10241377 — filed 09/08/2008
Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.
Electrical System complaints by year filed
Frequently asked questions
Does the 2002 Toyota RAV4 have electrical system problems?
Electrical System is the #3 most-reported problem area on the 2002 Toyota RAV4: 88 of 527 complaints on file (16.7%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.
How many complaints does the 2002 Toyota RAV4 have in total?
527 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/12/2026. Across all categories, 36 involved a crash, 15 involved a fire, 48 reported injuries, and none reported deaths.
What does NHTSA's electrical system category include?
NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the ELECTRICAL SYSTEM category exactly as NHTSA defines and records it.