Toyota RAV4 vs Volvo XC40
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 | RAV4 | XC40 |
|---|---|---|
| Body type | SUV | SUV |
| Years sampled | 2016, 2020, 2024 | 2020, 2024 |
| Owner complaints | 1010 | 9fewer |
| Recall campaigns | 12 | 5fewer |
| NHTSA investigations | 7 | 0fewer |
| Overall safety (NHTSA, US) | 5/5 | n/a |
| Combined economy (EPA, US) | 7.8 L/100km | 9 L/100km |
The quick read
Over the sampled model years, the Toyota RAV4 has 1010 complaints and 12 recalls, and the Volvo XC40 has 9 complaints and 5 recalls. Lower numbers point to fewer reported issues, but always confirm the exact car with a VIN check.
Deeper analysis
Across the NHTSA data shown, the RAV4 accumulated 1,010 owner complaints and 12 recall campaigns spanning three model years (2016, 2020, 2024), while the XC40 recorded just 9 complaints and 5 recalls across two model years (2020, 2024). The RAV4's higher figures partly reflect its much greater US sales volume and longer data window, so direct comparison requires caution. The XC40's lower complaint count looks favourable on paper, though its dataset covers fewer years. Bear in mind this is US-sourced data and serves only as a rough reliability signal for European buyers evaluating a specific vehicle.
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.