Honda CR-V vs Toyota RAV4
Which used car has the cleaner record?
We line up what owners actually reported to NHTSA — complaints and recall campaigns — for both cars, so you can compare their paper trail before you buy.
| Side by side | CR-V | RAV4 |
|---|---|---|
| Body type | SUV | SUV |
| Years sampled | 2016, 2020, 2024 | 2016, 2020, 2024 |
| Owner complaints | 1069 | 1010fewer |
| Recall campaigns | 11fewer | 12 |
| NHTSA investigations | 10 | 7fewer |
| Overall safety (NHTSA, US) | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| Combined economy (EPA, US) | 8.1 L/100km | 7.8 L/100km |
The quick read
Over the sampled model years, the Honda CR-V has 1069 complaints and 11 recalls, and the Toyota RAV4 has 1010 complaints and 12 recalls. Lower numbers point to fewer reported issues, but always confirm the exact car with a VIN check.
Deeper analysis
Based on US NHTSA data spanning the 2016, 2020, and 2024 model years, the Honda CR-V logged 1,069 owner complaints across 11 recall campaigns, while the Toyota RAV4 logged 1,010 complaints across 12 recall campaigns. The two models are notably close in both measures, with the RAV4 showing slightly fewer complaints but one more recall than the CR-V. Neither difference is large enough to clearly favour one vehicle over the other. Keep in mind this data comes from the US market and serves only as a rough reliability signal for any specific car you are considering in Europe.
NHTSA (US) owner-complaint and recall counts over recent model years. A reliability signal, not a check of any one car. Always run the VIN.