Far more FallingNHTSA has received 508 owner complaints about the 2021 Toyota RAV4, or 87.8 per year on the road — far more complaints than typical (complaint index 2.18, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 85 model-year 2021 vehicles we track, it ranks #77 of 85 by complaints per year (#1 = fewest). Against other Toyota models its rate is 156% higher; against other Compact SUVs it is 46% higher.
Counts are normalized by time on the road, not by sales volume: a popular model generates more reports than a rare one, and complaints are not verified individually. How we count
Complaints filed between 2020-09-08 and 2026-09-25. Median delay from incident to filing: 6 days.
508Complaints
87.8Complaints per year on the road
2.18Complaint index vs. all tracked vehicles
5Recalls
13.2%Share involving a crash or fire
82Last 12 months
Analysis
The previous model year (2020) drew 95.4 complaints per year, more than this one. The following model year (2022) drew 36.8 per year, fewer than this one. In its first two years on the road the 2021 model collected 133 complaints, 117% higher than the average vehicle of the same model year.
The most common problem area is Airbags & seat belts (27.2% of complaints), followed by Unspecified or other (13.4%) and Electrical (12.8%). Airbags & seat belts complaints are 7.2 times as common here as across all tracked vehicles. 67 reports (13.2%) describe a crash or fire; owners mention 54 injuries and 0 deaths.
Half of the reported incidents happened within 36 months of the model year's start; the busiest period was years three to five (40% of incidents). In the last 12 months 82 new complaints were filed, versus 139 in the 12 months before — down 41%.
NHTSA lists 5 safety recalls for this model year. 1 NHTSA investigation covers this model year; the most recent is “Pedestrian alert sounds” (defect petition, opened 2023-01-27, closed 2023-08-07).
Safety recalls (5)
AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION Campaign 23V865000 · 2023-12-20
Summary: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Avalon, Avalon Hybrid, Corolla, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, RAV4, RAV4 Hybrid, Lexus ES350, Lexus RX350, Lexus RX450H, 2021 Sienna Hybrid, Lexus ES250, 2020-2022 Camry, Camry Hybrid, and ES300H vehicles. A short circuit may develop in the Occupant Classification System (OCS) sensor, preventing the front passenger air bag from deploying.
Risk: An air bag that does not deploy during a crash increases the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the sensor as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed in February 2024. Some final remedy owner letters were mailed October 31, 2024. Letters will continue to be mailed in phases through January 2026. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 23TB15/23TA15 Lexus 23LB03/23LA03.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:DC/DC CONVERTER Campaign 23V478000 · 2023-07-12
Summary: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2021-2022 RAV4 Prime and 2022 Lexus NX450h+ plug-in hybrid electric (PHEV) vehicles. The electric current rectifying module contained within the DC-DC converter may have been damaged during production, which can result in an electrical short-circuit.
Risk: A short circuit can cause the DC-DC converter to overheat, increasing the risk of a vehicle fire.
Remedy: Owners are advised not to charge their vehicles when the ambient air temperature is below or expected to drop below 41 degrees Fahrenheit (5 degrees Celsius). Dealers will replace the DC-DC converter, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 29, 2023. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 23TB07/23LB01.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:HYBRID MANAGEMENT:POWER CONTROL UNIT/MODULE (HPCU) Campaign 23V041000 · 2023-02-02
Summary: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2021 RAV4 Prime Plug-In Hybrid vehicles. During certain cold weather driving conditions, while driving in EV Mode, the hybrid vehicle control engine control unit (HEV ECU) software may cause the hybrid system to shut down if the accelerator is rapidly pressed to further accelerate the vehicle, resulting in a stall.
Risk: An engine stall increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will update the HEV ECU software, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed February 27, 2023. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 23TA01.
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC):CONTROL MODULE:SOFTWARE Campaign 22V239000 · 2022-04-13
Summary: Toyota Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2022 Lexus LX 600, Lexus NX 350h, Lexus NX 450h+, Toytoa RAV4 Hybrid, 2021-2022 Lexus LS 500h, Toyota Mirai, RAV4 PRIME, Sienna, Venza, and 2020-2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid vehicles. The Skid Control ECU software may not turn on the Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) system when the vehicle is restarted after the driver has disabled the VSC system. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 126, "Electronic Stability Control Systems."
Risk: Driving with a deactivated stability control system increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will update the Skid Control ECU software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 27, 2022. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 22TA03. Lexus' number for this recall is 22LA01.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS Campaign 20V698000 · 2020-11-12
Summary: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2021 RAV4 Prime vehicles. The headlight aiming caps may have been improperly closed, allowing for horizontal adjustment of the headlight beam. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Risk: Adjusting the horizontal headlight beam can increase glare, reducing the visibility of an oncoming driver or the vehicle operator, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will close the aiming caps on the headlights, free of charge. The recall began January 6, 2021. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 20TA15.
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