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Case file · TOYOTA-RAV4-2026-2026 · Field document

Toyota RAV4 2026–2026 · Pre-purchase checklist

Bring this to the inspection. Every check below is specific to this generation's documented failure modes — not generic used-car advice.

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  1. Check 01

    Run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before signing. Zero recalls on the 2026 RAV4 as of August 2026, but that can change fast on a first-year vehicle — and ask the dealer to check for open TSBs and software campaigns by VIN while you're there.

  2. Check 02

    Ask the dealer to apply every outstanding software update before delivery. The early complaint pattern is software, and 'latest calibration installed' is the cheapest insurance available on this car.

  3. Check 03

    Test the overhead sunglass holder: close it, then press on it and hit the headliner near it. Multiple NHTSA complaints describe it popping open over bumps and dropping glasses toward the pedals — one owner had it replaced under warranty and the new part did the same thing.

  4. Check 04

    On the test drive, watch the driver-assist systems. Any 'System Malfunction — Visit Your Dealer' message, frozen gauge display, or warning-light cluster is the known early-car failure mode — on a used or demo unit, ask for the service history on warning-light visits specifically.

  5. Check 05

    Inspect every piece of glass — panoramic sunroof, quarter windows, windshield — for cracks or prior replacement. Early complaints include sunroofs and a quarter window shattering with no impact, and Toyota denied warranty on at least one. Also sight down the windshield for optical distortion (one complaint describes wavy lines across the full glass).

  6. Check 06

    On a PHEV: verify charging behavior yourself — plug it in, confirm it actually charges and holds the charge. One NHTSA complaint describes a traction battery going from 63% to 0% overnight while plugged in.

  7. Check 07

    Check the 12V battery voltage after the car has sat. One PHEV complaint alleges chronic 12V undercharging triggering SRS and driver-assist warnings — unproven as a pattern, but the prior generation had a documented 12V drain issue, so it costs nothing to check.