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The short version
- A RAV4 wheel bearing front splits by engine size on most generations, four cylinder against V6. The rear splits by drivetrain, front wheel drive against all wheel drive.
- The catalogs document 1996 through 2020. A 2021 RAV4 sits past the catalogs at the front. The rear sits past the catalogs from 2019 onward.
- The oldest generation carries a genuine disagreement between two catalogs on one seal number. Both readings are printed here, flagged, not averaged.
- The hybrid RAV4 that arrived for 2019 carries its own front number, separate from the gas engine car.
The Toyota RAV4 has run from 1996 through the current lineup. The wheel bearing splits move differently at each end of the car.
The front follows engine size for most of that span. The rear follows drivetrain, front wheel drive against all wheel drive.
Five generations sit inside that window, and each one carries its own numbering habits. Reading the table by generation first, then by engine or drivetrain, avoids most ordering mistakes.
The front splits on engine
From 2006 onward, a four cylinder RAV4 front hub carries a different number than a V6 front hub. That holds regardless of drivetrain.
The 2001 to 2005 generation breaks that pattern. Its front hub does not split by engine or by drivetrain, and takes one number for the whole run.
The 1996 to 2000 generation splits differently again. It splits down at the seal and bearing level rather than as one bolt on number, covered in full in the table below.
Getting the generation right before checking engine size saves a wasted trip to the counter. The cross reference page is the fastest way to confirm a number before buying.
The 2019 redesign adds a third split on top of engine size. A hybrid RAV4 takes its own front number, separate from the gas engine car of the same year.
The rear splits on drivetrain
Every generation of RAV4 rear hub changes with drivetrain. A front wheel drive RAV4 and an all wheel drive RAV4 take different rear numbers in every era the catalogs document.
That holds from 1996 through 2018. That is the newest year any catalog checked still lists a rear number for either drivetrain.
Confirming drivetrain before ordering a rear part matters more on the RAV4 than on many crossovers. Toyota offered both configurations continuously across every generation.
The rear number does not care about engine size at all. Only the front does, which is the opposite of how many other crossovers are built.
RAV4 wheel bearing part numbers
| Years | Detail | Number |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Front, past the catalogs | match old part or VIN |
| 2019 to 2021 | Rear, past the catalogs | match old part or VIN |
| 2019 to 2020 | Front, gas engine | WE61875 check price |
| 2019 to 2020 | Front, hybrid | WE61876 check price |
| 2013 to 2018 | Front | 513258 check price |
| 2013 to 2018 | Rear, all wheel drive | 512374 check price |
| 2006 to 2018 | Rear, front wheel drive | 512372 check price |
| 2009 to 2012 | Front, 2.5 liter | 513257 check price |
| 2006 to 2012 | Front, 3.5 liter V6 | 513258 check price |
| 2006 to 2012 | Rear, four wheel drive | 512374 check price |
| 2006 to 2009 | Front, L4, parallel listing | HA590165 check price |
| 2006 to 2009 | Front, V6, parallel listing | HA590168 check price |
| 2006 to 2008 | Front, 2.4 liter | 513257 check price |
| 2001 to 2005 | Front, both FWD and AWD | 510006 check price |
| 2001 to 2005 | Rear, front wheel drive | 512212 check price |
| 2001 to 2005 | Rear, front wheel drive, parallel listing | 512213 check price |
| 2001 to 2005 | Rear, all wheel drive | 512338 check price |
| 1996 to 2000 | Front, seal inner | 4899 check price |
| 1996 to 2000 | Front, seal outer | 225220 check price |
| 1996 to 2000 | Front, ball bearing | 514002B check price |
| 1996 to 2000 | Front, seal intermediate, ABS | 5686 check price |
| 1996 to 2000 | Front, seal intermediate, Non-ABS | 5694 check price |
| 1996 to 2000 | Front, all wheel drive ABS, seal intermediate | 5694 check price |
| 1996 to 2000 | Front, all wheel drive ABS, ball bearing | 514002 check price |
| 1996 to 2000 | Front, all wheel drive Non-ABS, seal intermediate | 5686 check price |
| 1996 to 2000 | Front, all wheel drive Non-ABS, ball bearing | 514002 check price |
| 1996 to 2000 | Rear, front wheel drive | 512212 check price |
| 1996 to 2000 | Rear, front wheel drive, parallel listing | 512213 check price |
| 1996 to 2000 | Rear, all wheel drive | 512038 check price |
Every model year this chart resolves: 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020. A 2019 or 2020 RAV4 resolves at the front only, since the rear sits past the catalogs from 2019 onward. A 2021 RAV4 sits past the catalogs at both ends, so match the old part or the VIN.
One catalog lists intermediate seal 5686 for the ABS front and 5694 for the Non-ABS front. A second catalog reads it the opposite way for the same front hub.
Both readings are printed in the table above, not averaged into a guess. Confirm which one applies by the number already stamped on the kit, or by the VIN.
The mileage these reach
A RAV4 front bearing on an all wheel drive car can fail years before the same part on a front wheel drive car. The driven front hub carries more load through the joint.
A rear bearing on a front wheel drive RAV4 often outlasts the front by a wide margin. It carries no drive load at all.
That asymmetry is why the front gets replaced more often than the rear on this model. It has nothing to do with a defect.
It comes down to which corner does the work. The general mechanics behind that wear pattern are on the failure page.
Pothole impact is a separate cause, and it is covered on the pothole page.
Tires and all wheel drive
An all wheel drive RAV4 with uneven front to rear tire wear can hum like a failing bearing. That is especially true at highway speed.
Rotating the tires and rechecking before condemning a bearing saves a needless parts order.
The tire noise page covers how to isolate the two causes.
The front versus rear page covers why the two ends wear so differently.
Diagnosing a RAV4 wheel bearing
- Raise the wheel and rock it at twelve and six to feel for play in the hub.
- Note whether the car is front wheel drive or all wheel drive before calling a shop, since the rear number depends on it.
- Listen for the noise to change with speed rather than with engine load, which points at a bearing over a drivetrain part.
- Rotate the tires first if the hum is faint, since cupped tread sounds close to a bearing.
- Confirm the generation by year before ordering a front hub, since the split moves between engine size and one shared number.
The full walkthrough is on the checking page.
A written quote is easier to judge after reading the quote page.
Price links lead to Amazon searches for that number. As an Amazon Associate this site earns from qualifying purchases.
Common questions
Does the RAV4 front wheel bearing split by engine on every generation?
No. The 2006 to 2020 cars split by engine size. The 2001 to 2005 generation uses one front number for both.
Why do two catalogs disagree on the 1996 to 2000 seal number?
They read the ABS and Non-ABS kits in opposite order for the intermediate seal. Match the number already on the car, or confirm by VIN.
Does the hybrid RAV4 use the same front hub as the gas model?
No. The hybrid carries its own front number starting with the 2019 redesign. It is separate from the gas engine listing.
Is a 2021 RAV4 wheel bearing documented anywhere?
Not in the catalogs checked. Match the old part or the VIN until a catalog picks up that year. The same goes for the rear from 2019 forward.
Does the rear split by drivetrain on every RAV4?
Yes, in every generation the catalogs document, from 1996 through 2018. Front wheel drive and all wheel drive always take different rear numbers. Engine size never enters the rear equation.