Toyota RAV4 Fault Codes

About the RAV4

The RAV4 first made its debut in 1994, making it the very first compact crossover SUV ever. In the 20-plus years since its release, there have been a total of five generations, with the latest coming to the markets in 2018.

The beloved model got its name from the acronym of ‘Recreational Active Vehicle with 4-Wheel Drive.”

As the original crossover, it has often been imitated by other manufacturers. The most notable rivals include the Honda CR-V and Volkswagen Tiguan. The recently-released hybrid version has also been sold as the Suzuki Aircross PHEV.

One of the most common issues to arise over the model’s time on the market is fault code P0500, which represents a vehicle speed sensor malfunction.

This code will almost always cause erratic shifting from the transmission, noticeably degrading the driveability. This can make it important to fix quickly. Thankfully, owners have reported that the most common causes are electrical issues in the sensor circuit or a faulty sensor itself.

Another common problem is P0171, which indicates that the engine is running too lean. This can be caused by any number of things that can affect the ideal air-fuel ratio running into the combustion chambers.

However, owners have reported that problems with the intake manifold are among the most common causes. Another likely culprit is a faulty mass airflow (MAF) sensor.

Some versions of the RAV4 have also been known to suffer from evaporative emissions control (EVAP) system issues, fault code P0441 being the most common one.

This can be a result of a number of failing components in the system that can cause a leak. Of course, the code itself indicates that there is incorrect purge flow, meaning the purge valve should be checked first. These parts are somewhat notorious for sticking on the RAV4 model.