The RAV4 Finally Sold More Than Last Year

The Toyota RAV4 posted its first year-over-year sales gain of 2026 in October, as better supplies of the redesigned, hybrid-only crossover helped lift Toyota brand sales 5.7% to 188,392 vehicles.

Every earlier month this year had come in below 2025 for the RAV4. Even with October’s increase, RAV4 sales for the year are still down more than 26%, because Toyota is still ramping up production of the new model at its plants in Canada, Japan and Georgetown, Kentucky.

The figures were reported by Automotive News, which said the improvement came from better RAV4 supplies. In its October sales roundup, the trade paper reported that Toyota Motor Corp.’s total U.S. sales rose 6.5% for the month, with the Toyota division up 5.7% and Lexus up 12%. Toyota Motor North America has not yet posted its own October sales release.

The turnaround shows up against how far the RAV4 had fallen. Toyota’s own September and third-quarter report counted 253,664 RAV4 sales through the end of September, down 29.2% from 358,134 a year earlier, and September alone was still down 6.6% at 34,192. The hybrid versions were already growing fast inside that total, with 200,209 RAV4 Hybrids sold through September, up 43.6%, and 32,228 RAV4 Plug-in Hybrids, up 92.1%. The new generation is sold only as a hybrid or plug-in hybrid, so the gas-only RAV4 that made up the rest of last year’s total is gone from the lineup.

The slump cost the RAV4 its usual place at the top of Toyota’s lineup. Through September, the Camry was outselling the RAV4 for the year, with 260,684 sales against the crossover’s 253,664.

The Toyota Report Take

One good month doesn’t undo a year that has cost the RAV4 roughly a hundred thousand sales, but it’s the first real sign that the supply problem is easing rather than just the excuse for it. The math here is simple: the hybrid RAV4 was already selling at a record pace, and the only thing holding the total back was how many Toyota could build. With three plants now feeding dealers, we’d expect the RAV4 to keep posting gains for the rest of the year, and the more interesting question for 2027 is whether it takes the top spot back from the Camry before December closes the books.