The Toyota RAV4
The RAV4 was Canada's best-selling vehicle other than a pickup in 2025, with 75,573 sold, and Équité Association's most-stolen vehicle in Canada for 2024.[1][37]
Toyota Canada ends the second generation with 2005 and dates the third to 2006–2012 and the Canadian-built fourth to 2013–2018. The fifth arrived for 2019, the Prime plug-in for 2021, and the sixth for 2026, offered only as a hybrid or plug-in hybrid.[2][3][4][21][6]
The key setup changed over the years: a separate remote on the 2005, a remote in the key grip on 2006–2008, a smart key first appearing in the 2009 manual, and a smart key on every Canadian 2026 model.[7][8][11][19][6]
Which key does your Toyota RAV4 use?
| Model years | Key | Start | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Master and sub keys; separate remote (CR2016) | Turn key | Transponder chip in the key head if immobilizer-equipped. Back-door keyhole.[7] |
| 2006–2008 | Remote built into the key grip (CR2016) | Turn key | The 2006, 2007 and 2008 manuals mention no smart key and list no back-door key cylinder.[8][9][10] |
| 2009–2012 | Remote key plus valet key (CR2016), or smart key (CR1632) | Turn key, or push-button | Smart key first appears in the 2009 manual.[11][12][13] |
| 2013–2018 | Remote key (CR2016), or smart key with a push-button key release (CR2032) | Turn key, or push-button | Canadian-built. Inside back-door release. First RAV4 Hybrid for 2016.[14][15][3][2] |
| 2019–2025 | Flip key, or smart key with a sliding key release (both CR2032) | Turn key, or push-button | Canada: Toyota Canada lists the Smart Key from the XLE (2019, 2024); its LE descriptions do not list it.[16][17][4][5] |
| 2026 | Smart key on all models (CR2032); NFC Key Card if equipped; phone Digital Key from the XLE | Push-button | Hybrid and plug-in hybrid only. Dead-fob start at the cup holder.[19][6] |
Not sure which generation you have? The model year is on your ownership (vehicle permit).
Dead fob, locked out or trunk stuck: what the owner's manual says
The hidden key in the fob (2009–2026)
The 2009, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2024 and 2026 manuals show a mechanical key inside the smart key: taken out of the fob on 2009–2012, freed by a push button on 2013–2018 and by a sliding lever on 2019–2026. From 2013 the blade has grooves on one side only; if it will not enter the lock, turn it over.[11][12][14][15][16][17][19]
The key at the driver's door (2006–2026)
One key turn at the driver's door unlocks it; a second unlocks the rest, within 3 seconds on 2013–2016 and 5 seconds on 2019–2026. Per the 2019 and 2026 manuals, unlocking this way with the alarm set may trigger it.[8][12][14][15][16][17][19]
Starting with a dead fob (2009–2026)
2009–2025: in P with the brake pressed, touch the fob to the start button (its Toyota-emblem side, per the 2010 manual), then press the button after the buzzer. 2026: hold the fob over the symbol on the bottom of the cup holder, then press the power switch. Toyota calls this temporary; replace the fob battery.[12][14][15][16][17][18][19]
Fob battery by year (2005–2026)
2005–2008: CR2016. 2009–2012: CR2016 remote key, CR1632 smart key. 2013–2018: CR2016 remote key, CR2032 smart key. 2019–2026: CR2032 in every key. The 2019 and 2026 manuals give a life of 1 to 2 years and recommend a dealer change the smart-key battery, as the fob can be damaged.[7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19]
Liftgate stuck or 12-volt battery dead (2005–2026)
The 2005 back door has a keyhole. The 2006–2012 manuals list none, so a dead 12-volt battery can leave it locked. From 2013, if the opener is inoperative, a lever behind a trim cover unlocks it from inside. On a 2026 with a dead 12-volt battery, the manual says the smart key and remote cannot lock or unlock the doors; use the mechanical key.[7][8][12][14][15][16][17][19][25]
Fob locked inside, and no keypad (2005–2026)
The 2013, 2019, 2024 and 2026 manuals warn that a fob on the instrument panel or near a door pocket may be detected as outside, so the doors can lock with it inside. A front door locked with its inside button and then shut may also lock with a smart key inside (2010, 2019). The 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2024, 2025 and 2026 manuals describe no exterior door keypad.[7][8][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19]
Recalls involving locks, latches or keys
| Recall | Model years | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| None found | 2005–2026 | As of September 30, 2026, the Transport Canada and NHTSA recall databases list no lock, key, latch or ignition recall for these years.[20][21][22] |
To check whether your own vehicle has an open recall, enter its VIN on the manufacturer's recall page — Transport Canada lists them here. To browse recalls by make, model and year, use the Transport Canada recalls database.
Known problems and what owners report
Door lock actuators (U.S. data)
Of NHTSA owner complaints for 2005–2026 RAV4s, 45 carry the latches/locks/linkages tag, 27 on 2019–2025 models (a count of records, not an NHTSA statistic). Complaints on 2006, 2007 and 2011 models describe doors locking on their own. A 2024 class action, Mixon v. Toyota, alleges defective door lock actuators on fourth- and fifth-generation RAV4s (2013–2018 and 2019 on); these are allegations only.[23][24][26][27][28][29]
Power back door and hinges (U.S. data)
Bulletin T-SB-0275-17: on 2013–2017 RAV4 and 2016–2017 RAV4 Hybrid, the power back door actuator can separate from its ball mount, leaving the door inoperative. T-SB-0120-18 covers hinge corrosion on 2013–2017 Canadian-built RAV4s. 70 NHTSA complaints mention a hinge on the liftgate, back door, hatch or tailgate, 55 of them on 2019–2020 models. A 2010 owner with a dead 12-volt battery could not open the hatch to reach the jumper cables.[30][31][27][25]
Fob not detected or no start (U.S. data)
Tech Tip T-TT-0751-24 (2023–2024 RAV4, Hybrid, Prime): near a wireless charger the fob can stop responding, but the engine starts with the fob held to the start button; removing and refitting its battery restores it. Tech Tip T-TT-0223-13 (Toyota smart-key models with a start-button LED; its table lists RAV4 through 2013): the vehicle may not start, with the LED flashing green, when there is tension on the steering lock; moving the wheel side to side relaxes it.[32][33]
All keys lost (U.S. data)
Bulletin T-SB-0057-18 (2004–2018 RAV4, 2016–2018 Hybrid) allows new keys to be registered when all master keys are lost, and erases every key registered before. T-SB-0013-24 and its 2025 revision cover the same reset for 2019–2025 RAV4 and Hybrid and 2021–2025 plug-in models; a removed key "can never be reused".[34][35][36]
Theft and key security
Équité Association ranked the RAV4 first in Canada for 2024 with 2,080 thefts and fifth for 2023 with 2,690, and eighth in Ontario in both years (999 in 2023, 904 in 2024). On all four lists the model year stolen most often was 2021. Équité links the 2024 thefts to high demand, global serviceability and high resale value.[37][38][39][40][41]
A U.S. vulnerability record, CVE-2023-29389, says 2021 RAV4s accept forged "Key is validated" messages through the CAN bus at the headlight connector, and that this was exploited in the wild (for example, July 2022). Neither the record nor Ken Tindell's write-up of the attack names a location. From 2019 a new-key-registered alert shows for about 10 days after a key is added; if none was added, Toyota says to have a dealer check. The 2026 manual advises not leaving the fob within 2 m of the parked vehicle for long periods.[42][43][16][17][19]
Toyota RAV4 keys — questions
Where is the hidden key in a RAV4 smart key?
Inside the fob: it is taken out on 2009–2012, released by a push button on 2013–2018 and by a sliding lever on 2019–2026, per the 2009, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2024 and 2026 manuals. From 2013 the blade has grooves on one side only, so turn it over if it will not enter the lock.
How do you start a RAV4 when the fob battery is dead?
On 2009–2025, in P with the brake pressed, touch the fob to the start button (its Toyota-emblem side, per the 2010 manual), then press the button after the buzzer. On the 2026, hold the fob over the cup-holder symbol, then press the power switch. Then replace the battery: CR2032 in every 2019–2026 key.
Is there a keyhole on the RAV4 liftgate?
The 2005 back door has one. The 2006–2012 manuals list none, so a dead 12-volt battery can leave the back door locked. From 2013, if the opener is inoperative, a lever behind a trim cover unlocks it from inside.
Falcon Locksmith is an independent locksmith, not affiliated with or authorised by Toyota. Vehicle and product names belong to their respective owners and are used only to identify the vehicle.
Related help
Other Toyota models
Sources
- Toyota Canada — Record electrified vehicle sales power Toyota Canada to record year (2026)
- Toyota Canada — Toyota celebrates 25 years of the RAV4 in North America (2021)
- Toyota Canada — The 2013 Toyota RAV4 (2013)
- Toyota Canada — All-new 2019 Toyota RAV4 (2018)
- Toyota Canada — What's new: 2024 Toyota RAV4 family (2023)
- Toyota Canada — The Canadian-built RAV4 is all-new for 2026 (2026)
- Toyota — 2005 RAV4 Owner's Manual, OM42570U (2005)
- Toyota — 2006 RAV4 Owner's Manual, OM42620U (2006)
- Toyota — 2007 RAV4 Owner's Manual, OM42662U (2007)
- Toyota — 2008 RAV4 Owner's Manual, OM42726U (2008)
- Toyota — 2009 RAV4 Owner's Manual, OM42759U (2009)
- Toyota — 2010 RAV4 Owner's Manual, OM42783U (2010)
- Toyota — 2012 RAV4 Owner's Manual, OM42862U (2012)
- Toyota — 2013 RAV4 Owner's Manual, OM42809U (2013)
- Toyota — 2016 RAV4 Owner's Manual, OM42A41U (2016)
- Toyota — 2019 RAV4 Owner's Manual, OM0R009U (2019)
- Toyota — 2024 RAV4 Owner's Manual, Canada production, OM0R147U (2024)
- Toyota — 2025 RAV4 Owner's Manual, OM0R063U (2025)
- Toyota — 2026 RAV4 Owner's Manual, OM0R160U (2026)
- Transport Canada — Motor Vehicle Safety Recalls Database (2026)
- Transport Canada — Recall database open-data API, Toyota RAV4 2021 (2026)
- NHTSA — Recalls by vehicle, Toyota RAV4 2021, U.S. (2026)
- NHTSA — Owner complaints, Toyota RAV4 2006, U.S. (2026)
- NHTSA — Owner complaints, Toyota RAV4 2007, U.S. (2026)
- NHTSA — Owner complaints, Toyota RAV4 2010, U.S. (2026)
- NHTSA — Owner complaints, Toyota RAV4 2011, U.S. (2026)
- NHTSA — Owner complaints, Toyota RAV4 2019, U.S. (2026)
- NHTSA — Owner complaints, Toyota RAV4 2021, U.S. (2026)
- Mixon v. Toyota Motor Corporation — Class action complaint, E.D. Texas, U.S. (2024)
- Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. — T-SB-0275-17, power back door actuator (2017)
- Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. — T-SB-0120-18, rear hatch hinge corrosion (2018)
- Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. — T-TT-0751-24 Rev1, smart key near wireless charger (2024)
- Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. — T-TT-0223-13, no start with steering lock tension (2014)
- Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. — T-SB-0057-18 Rev2, immobilizer and smart key reset (2023)
- Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. — T-SB-0013-24, immobilizer and smart key reset (2024)
- Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. — T-SB-0013-24 Rev1, adds 2025 RAV4 (2025)
- Équité Association — Top 10 most stolen vehicles, Canada (2024)
- Équité Association — Top 10 most stolen vehicles, Canada (2023)
- Équité Association — Top 10 most stolen vehicles, Ontario (2024)
- Équité Association — Top 10 most stolen vehicles, Ontario (2023)
- Équité Association — Toyota RAV4 tops annual Top 10 most stolen vehicles list (2025)
- NIST National Vulnerability Database — CVE-2023-29389, U.S. (2023)
- Ken Tindell, Canis Automotive Labs — CAN Injection: keyless car theft (2023)
