2021 Toyota RAV4
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Air bags is the leading concern among 387 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 8th highest complaint count among 26 RAV4 model years with reports.
Of the 2021 reports, 47 involved a crash and 7 involved a fire. 49 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Air bags, sensor, occupant classificationDec 20, 2023
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.
An air bag that does not deploy during a crash increases the risk of injury.
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.
Campaign 23V865000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints
387 reports, newest first.
Air bags, Jan 9, 2024
I found out my RAV4 had a recall on passenger side airbag that could not be fixed, and it would be in the third quarter of this year before it could be fixed if then. I asked if I could get a good deal on a new RAV4, for a discount since I had just quit my job and sold my house and planned to leave this area. My grandson lives with me and travels with me so now I don’t trust my car. I only found out about the recall when I took my car in for service. I called Toyota and spoke to Tina Stubbs, who said she would see what she could do on getting me a discount on a new RAV4 like mine. My car is in perfect condition except for this, so I never considered trading it in until this happened. Tina was supposed to contact me by this evening, which has not happened. I am staying in a motel until I can get something settled. I have owned Toyotas since 1996, and never had a complaint until now. I don’t trust driving my car with a passenger now. My case number is [XXX] . This happened [XXX]. I just want a newer car at a discount since I bought this SUV in good faith. Hopefully I can get this situation settled quickly. My name is [XXX] , [XXX] . Tina Stubbs is my case manager. Thank you for any help you can give me. Thanks, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Air bags, Jan 3, 2024, crash
The contact's wife owns a 2021 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH in an intersection, a Ford F-150 was crashed into head-on. The vehicle's front end collided with the Ford vehicle but the air bags did not deploy. The Ford vehicle did a 180 during the impact and its air bags deployed. The contact sustained 2 herniated discs in the 212 and L1 that required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a collision center where it was diagnosed that the front air bag sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but a callback was not completed The failure mileage was approximately 12,000.
Engine, Jan 3, 2024
The engine block cracked and started leaking coolant. It is clearly a defective manufacturing of the block casting. The same engine was recalled several months before mine, but my manufacturing date fell just outside of the range they recalled in the same year. The problem was confirmed by Price Leblanc Toyota in Baton Rouge, LA, a new short block was installed and I was left footing the bill because Toyota Corp denies responsibility for it even though it is only 3 years old and has had ALL maintenance done through the dealerships. The initial coolant leak was first noticed on 10/17/2023. The vehicle repairs were completed by Price Leblanc Toyota and picked up on 12/13/2023.
Visibility/wiper, Dec 21, 2023
I was driving on the highway there was no cars in front or next to me, it was warm outside about noon the sun was out and I heard a loud bang and a minute later another loud bang, I thought it was a balloon that popped that was in my car and I pulled over and when I saw none of the balloons had popped I thought it was a soda can that exploded in the trunk but I saw they were all intact. When I got home, that is when I noticed the sunroof shattered and it was tented up. Toyota wouldn't honor the warranty, it took 4 days for the dealership to try to find blame on me.
Visibility, Nov 30, 2023
The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while her husband was driving approximately 75 MPH, there was an abnormally loud booming sound heard. After stopping to inspect the vehicle it was discovered that the glass sunroof had exploded. The contact stated that during the failure, there was no other vehicles or objects were nearby. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 50,000. Repairs were made but the contact paid out of pocket for them. Their claim for reimbursement from the manufacturer was denied due to there being no evidence of a factory defect or an outstanding recall.
Air bags, Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Nov 29, 2023, crash
On Nov 05, at approximately 11:10pm, I was driving my RAV4 on Alafaya Trail, Orange County, Orlando. While approaching the traffic signal which had turned red, despite multiple attempts to engage the brakes, the vehicle continued moving, ultimately leading to the collision with the traffic turning left at the signal (coming from her right). The impact of the collision resulted in significant damage to the RAV4, and unfortunately, the airbags did not deploy as they should have. As a result, I hit my face on the steering wheel, and then hit the head on the left window when a second vehicle hit my RAV4 on the passenger side. The complete failure of airbag deployment has raised serious safety concerns for me. As of 28th November, I have been informed by our insurance company that the vehicle cannot be repaired and has been totaled. Our insurance company GEICO has been requested to hold on to the vehicle for necessary investigations.
Visibility/wiper, Nov 22, 2023
As I was driving, I heard a loud pop. I looked up and my sunroof was completely shattered.
Other or unspecified, Oct 27, 2023
The sunroof on my 2021 RAV4 hybrid exploded as I was driving to work today, October 26, 2023. I've already reported the incident to my insurance provider and started to file a claim. Hopefully it will get fixed soon. The explosion startled me because I was driving on the freeway at 65 mph. I stopped onto the emergency lane to check around my vehicle and to my surprised, I didn't see anything amissed. I thought it was my tire. I continued driving because I didn't want to be late for work. As I continue to drive, I heard noises above my head. When I arrived at work and parked, I check my roof to discover my sunroof was shattered. Is there a recall for the sunroof exploding?
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Engine, Oct 24, 2023
When driving the car and stopping at a stop sign or stop light, the engine will shut off. The automatic restart occurs and with the headlights on the climate temp control display flickers While all the other dashlights remain bright. Many people are disabling the system. Since there is a switch you can press, defeating the system. Toyota sent a technical specialist who inspected the system. And since he couldn't find how to fix it, declared it normal. Apparently toyota designed the car to do this for some unknown reason. He stated That lights will dim when the car restarts. It is not dimming as if a current draw, it flickers every time. This of course, affects the fuel economy of the car, defeating the system, which many people do and creates a concern of why that one component flickers. Toyota installs a heavy 605A battery to operate this system Since there are so many restarts. Will this create a car fire at some point? I would imagine That it makes a difference in The cafe reporting since so many people Disable the system.
Air bags, Oct 22, 2023, crash
I was traveling on a nearby road at approximately 40mph when another vehicle ran a stop sign causing me to t-bone his vehicle and spin around. There was no time for evasive measures so the vehicles collided at full speed. I hit my head on the left side as a result of the collision. The point of impact on my car was the entire front end. Neither my front nor side airbags deployed during the collision. They should have.
Electrical system, Oct 22, 2023
The vehicle was left parked for 7 days and battery was found to have discharged and would not start or provide any displays on the dash board. No map lights were were found to have been left on and no accessories were connected.
Steering, Sep 7, 2023
The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to make a right turn, the vehicle briefly lost electric power steering (EPS). Due to the failure, the vehicle collided with a street sign. The rear cross-traffic and blind spot monitor warning lights were illuminated. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but informed the contact that a certified Toyota technician found no fault with the vehicle. The failure mileage was 7,500.
Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Sep 4, 2023
I was on highway 41 going around 40mph when my car out of nowhere slammed on the breaks ( the pre collision censor ) I believe is what caused it. About 10 mins prior to the incident when I was backing out of the gas station it braked (abruptly with noise) even though nothing was in the way or approaching my vehicle. I would say that I was stuck in the car for about 5 mins before I could get it to start driving again. The electrical flashed and shut off right when the car braked. I did have my two dogs in the backseat and thankfully no one was harmed.
Engine, Sep 1, 2023
Coolant Engine Bypass Valve Faulty. Dealership says it’s a known problem and they replaced 12 this week on RAV4 all different mileages
Other or unspecified, Aug 31, 2023
I had three incidents since I purchased the car in January 2022. The first incident was in October 2022. I tried to park in the parking lot of McGovern Stella Link Library 7405 Stella Link Rd Houston Texas but the brake did not work and kept going and jumped over the parking block and in the pedestrian way and still kept going and about to hit the building. I was in a complete shock and disbelief but I had to get off the pedestrian way as fast as I could to avoid a major disaster. Fortunately there were no people in the pedestrian way, so I was able to do what I had to do. But my car was seriously damaged from hitting the parking blocks and poles. At that moment I thought I did something wrong but now I believe that the incident was caused by brake problem as I had two more incidents related to brake issues after. The second incident was in January 2023. I was driving in Highway 249 feeder road and tried to stop at the traffic light. I was going about 10-12 miles. Car would not stop even after the brake was pushed all the way down to the floor and kept rolling and hit the other car in front . I took to Don McGill Toyota Service Dept and requested to fix the problem. They kept it for over a week and told me that my car is safe to drive. Evidently they did not correct the brake problem. The same brake problem occurred again for the 3th time on August 26, 2023. It happened on Highway 6 near Memorial Drive traffic light. To stop the car at the traffic light I pushed the brake but the car failed to stop and came very close to hitting the other car in front. I used emergency parking to stop. Thankfully the other car made a right turn to a street (I was in right lane) so this time I escaped from hitting the car. 2021RAV4 has serious brake issues. The scary thing is I do not know when and where the brake might fail again. What if it happens on freeway !? Driving with good brakes is utmost safety issue. TOYOTA SHOULD FIX OR REPLACE THE BRAKES.
Lane departure, Back over prevention, Forward collision avoidance, Aug 13, 2023, crash
While waiting at a red light with my car stationary, the lane I occupied divided into two. I gently adjusted my steering wheel to the left, and in an unexpected turn of events, a dashboard indicator illuminated before my steering wheel rapidly veered to the right. This abrupt motion resulted in a collision with another vehicle, causing damage to both cars. Despite my attempts to avert the situation, my right thumb became trapped in the wheel, leading to a fracture. Shortly after the accident, the dashboard and multimedia system displayed multiple malfunctions: a VSC, TRAC, or Hill Start Assist Control system malfunction, a rear cross traffic alert malfunction, LTA malfunction, and a PKSB malfunction, all prompting a visit to the dealer. Upon contacting Toyota, they offered no assistance, asserting that the incident occurred at an approximate speed of 22 miles per hour due to data from the EDR. However, this contradicted the facts as my vehicle was stationary at a red light. The explanations provided by Toyota's representative, Alexis Turner, appeared inconsistent with the circumstances.
Other or unspecified, Aug 9, 2023
My vehicle leaks water after it’s gone through the car wash or when there’s heavy rains.
Electrical system, Air bags, Forward collision avoidance, Aug 1, 2023, crash
I was in a bad car accident last Wednesday July 26, 2023 It was very scary and Bizarre; My car accelerated (started racing)and when I stepped on brake, it accelerated more. I saw a message flash up on my GPS screen but obviously couldn't read it as I was trying to stop my car. The Auto brakes didn’t work, I crashed into a tree; air bags didn’t deploy and I got this message ("CHECK ENGINE! A MALFUNCTION IN THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL OF THE ENGINE,THROTTLE, OR AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN DETECTED.CONTACT YOUR TOYOTA DEALER IN ORDER TO HAVE YOUR VEHICLE INSPECTED." (See attached). Luckily I was in an almost empty parking lot when this happened, if not i could have been killed or killed someone else. All the safety back ups failed. I took a picture of the message-will attach it to this report. I was taken to Huntington Hospital ER and had a cat scan to make Sure my sternum and ribs aren’t broken-showed Soft tissue abdominal swelling and bruised sternum and ribs from my seat belt. Pain to chest, ribs an right side. I believe my car is totaled Just had it inspected and serviced a few weeks ago at the Toyota dealership where I purchased it and it only has 10,000 miles on it! I am Fighting with insurance company to make sure the car's computer is interrogated before they do anything else.-The insurance company was pressuring me to release the car to Copart without this being done and I refused. My car was towed to and remains at Combined Auto Collision 4035 Jericho Tpk, East Northport, NY. This incident could have resulted in a catastrophic outcome and loss of life. Aa investigation needs to be taken to insure this does not happen to anyone else. Thank you for your kind assistance The consumer stated that the dealer identified the problem being that the water drainage pillars short out the electrical system.
Other or unspecified, Jul 30, 2023
Roof leak causing water damage to headliner. Dealership won’t fix because they ran water on it and it didn’t leak but didn’t apply pressure.
Electrical system, Visibility, Engine, Jul 27, 2023
The contact rented a 2021 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, he heard a vibrating sound coming from the front driver’s side windshield. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic; however, the contact was informed that the vehicle was a rental and could not be diagnosed. The contact was informed to return the vehicle to Avis Car Rental. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The contact stated that he was able to restart the vehicle after several minutes. The contact stated that due to the loss of motive power, the front driver’s and passenger’s side headlights failed to operate as needed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, the contact was informed that the vehicle could not be diagnosed since the vehicle was a rental. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacture was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 53,000.
Air bags, Jul 24, 2023, crash
The contact owned a 2021 Toyota Rav 4. The contact stated that while sitting in traffic, the contact's vehicle was rear-ended at 45 MPH, and due to the impact, the contact rear-ended the vehicle in front. The "malfunction" warning message was displayed after the crash. The driver's side air bag did not deploy. The vehicle was declared a total loss by the insurance company. The contact stated that she suffered a concussion and memory loss due to the accident that required medical attention. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance and did not confirm the status of the black box inspection. The failure mileage was approximately 10,100.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Visibility/wiper, Jul 12, 2023
We have water becoming stuck in our back passenger door due to a weather strip design flaw in Toyota Rav4 Hybrids. This will begin to happen to all weather strips and eventually destroy the interior and electrical if not repaired. This is a common design flaw in newer Toyota Rav4 Hybrids and we are lucky it's just our one door so far. I've been informed (by our Toyota Tech) that eventually all of the doors and the roof will leak due to this Toyota design flaw. When we took the car to get fixed at the dealership, they let us know it was an expensive repair, advised it was a design flaw, other customers are affected, and allowed us time to research before paying for the repair. We may attempt it ourselves since Toyota corporate has refused a reimbursement for the repair. This is a Toyota design flaw and requires a recall. They are charging hundreds to fix this. This will literally destroy the cars electrical.
Air bags, Jul 10, 2023
Airbags deployed without collision. Car went slightly off road, after attempted correction to get back onto the road the curtain airbags deployed.
Wheels, Jul 5, 2023
there is no access to tpms data unless purchasing subscription from toyota to read the onboard computer where the data is readily available. this leaves a major safety feature is behind a paywall and should not be counted as installed as it does not work independantly.
Forward collision avoidance, Jun 27, 2023
Driving with cruise control on, on a 2 lane road with a left turn lane. Approx 40MPH. Vehicle ahead of me by 4-5 car lengths got into left lane. When I has about 10 feet from him my brakes automatically slammed on, he was in his lane, I was in my lane. This has happened 4-5 times since I've had the veh. I now stay aware that this might happen and stay ready to cancel the cruise. This could be very dangerous if someone was right behind me. Dealer test drove and ran scan no problem found. Which as expected, if it doesn't happen when they test drive there's not a lot they can do. I understand this.