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.
Power train, May 6, 2026
Transmission failed at 105,000 miles Quotes to replace $8000
Seats, May 2, 2026
The plastic gears that make the seat move back and forth have failed so I can’t adjust the drivers seat to a proper position. We have 2 drivers of almost a foot different in height. There is a plastic gears that runs against a metal gear. Seat is unusable.
Engine, Apr 29, 2026
The coolant bypass valve failed and the car is a 2021 Rav 4 LE. I called Toyota and according to the VIN it is not covered for this type of repair. I see quite a few cars have had this same issue, all Toyota's. It was inspected and repaired at a local Toyota Dealership but I had to pay out of pocket for the repair. There was a brief warning light that said "Engine Maintenance Required" See dealership or some such thing. Of course it's a safety issue if the coolant valve bypass failure causes the car to overheat.
Seats, Apr 29, 2026
Front seat can not be moved back and forth without grinding noise.
Seats, Apr 29, 2026
- The seat has cheap plastic parts that move the power seat forward and backward, and once malfunction you have to change either the whole seat or the drivers seat track adjuster assembly and both of them expensive. - The seat was built poorly which cause lower and upper back pain.
Seats, Apr 22, 2026
I have a 2021 TYTA RAV4 HYBRID XLE PREMIUM AWD, the driver seat is very slow moving forward and backwards twisting and preventing to fully go forward and backwards. I need to get out and in of my vehicle. So I have to move in back and forth to get out and move it forward to see over the dash board. I am concerned it makes a load noise. What if it fails to move. This is a critical danger to me the driver. I have passengers to consider. This is absolutely unsafe. This is allowed? Where is the recall? This is unlike Toyota to do nothing. I have platinum coverage purchased at time of purchase of this brand new vehicle on 12/31/2021. Apparently, it causes it other damage to other components and parts. There is alot of other components and parts under the front driver seat. I went it to have it looked at on March 30, 2026. Service advisor states: They ordered the parts its a seat frame sub assembly with motor. $1785.92 Covered by platinum Coverage, not all the parts are covered that are damaged. it will cost me: $448.87 for components and parts damaged but are not covered plus labor for Shield (71812-0R140-C0) and Holder (7181B-0R010) After further investigation it is a symptom of a failed internal component within this assembly—most commonly a stripped plastic gear or a bent drive shaft. So looking it up many Toyota Brand owners are experiencing the same thing and are having to replace other parts caused by this. This is a dangerous situation for me and others. What if it fails to move forward or reverse or motor stops? A partial repair is unacceptable. Leaving damaged trim and holders creates a risk of wire-chaffing and further mechanical stress on the new assembly. For the safety of the driver and the longevity of the vehicle, the repair must be 100% complete. This would be out of pocket monies families don't have. $2,234.79 total repair cost acts as a "safety tax" that prevents families from fixing this critical defect. I can not afford: $448.
Air bags, Apr 20, 2026
Srs error appeared on the dash. Now the dealership is opening steering column to fix the electrical issue. The car has less than 29,000miles on it.
Latches/locks/linkages, Apr 16, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that the front driver’s side door failed to lock securely. The contact stated that the door could not be locked while using the key fob, the keypad, or locked manually. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 108,000.
Air bags, Apr 15, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Steering, Apr 8, 2026
The steering light comes on , and "engine stopped, steering power low" comes on. The car just stops, usually when I've braked and come to a compete stop, and just completely shuts down. It's done it in the middle of traffic, I don't know why it's an issue.
Air bags, Apr 6, 2026, crash
I was in a car accident that ended up being a total loss for my vehicle. I was hit head on to the front drivers side and none of my airbags went off. I am aware there was a recall for the passenger airbags, and was actually scheduled to get the repair the following week, but the drivers side airbags are not included in the recall. After the collision I received an error message on my display that advised there was an airbag malfunction and to contact my toyota dealer. Thankfully I did not sustain any known injuries, however I am pregnant and none of my airbags went off appropriately.
Visibility, Apr 2, 2026
My 2021 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid exhibits significant vibration in both exterior rear-view mirrors beginning at approximately 30 MPH, worsening at highway speeds of 50–70 MPH. Toyota has acknowledged this as a known manufacturing defect via TSB T-SB-0079-20, which identifies the original mirror mounting studs and reinforcement brackets as inadequate from the factory. The condition was confirmed by my local Toyota dealership, who verified TSB applicability but declined to cover the repair due to my vehicle being outside the 36-month/36,000-mile warranty window. I am currently at 127,000 miles. The safety risk is active and ongoing. Constant mirror vibration creates two compounding hazards: it directly distorts rear visibility, and it conditions the driver to mentally filter out mirror movement as background noise. This habituation means a motorcyclist or small vehicle appearing in the mirror may not register as a distinct threat. The component is available for inspection upon request. No warning lamps accompany this condition. The vibration has been present since early ownership and has not improved over time.
Structure, Apr 2, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a swishing sound coming from the front passenger’s side door. There was water inside the door's body cavity. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
Air bags, Mar 26, 2026, crash
The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while driving on the freeway at approximately 35 MPH, another vehicle approaching from the opposite direction attempted to make a left turn and collided with the contact's vehicle. The point of impact was the front driver's side wheel well and side bumper area, with additional damage noted on the front passenger side bumper. No warning lights illuminated. The other vehicle was driving at an undisclosed speed and sustained damage to its front-end frame. There was no property damage reported. Both vehicles came to a stop in the roadway at the intersection of [XXX] and [XXX] in San Jose, California. The contact's vehicle remained drivable and was driven to the residence; towing was not required. The airbags did not deploy. The driver sustained injuries, including a fractured vertebra and a fractured sternum, and received medical treatment. The driver believes that the injuries may have been prevented if the airbags had deployed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number 23V865000 (Air Bags). The failure mileage was unavailable. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Power train, Electrical system, Forward collision avoidance, Mar 12, 2026
My Toyota hybrid AWD vehicle experienced corrosion of the rear traction motor cable, which Toyota has acknowledged in Service Campaign 25TD01. This corrosion affects the electrical connection to the rear drive motor and can result in loss of AWD propulsion capability. Loss of rear-wheel propulsion significantly reduces traction and stability, particularly in snow, ice, and wet conditions. Drivers may believe the vehicle still has AWD capability when in fact the rear drive system is compromised. In addition, the vehicle’s adaptive cruise control system repeatedly turned off unexpectedly while driving and displayed “unavailable” warnings. These malfunctions occurred alongside the electrical issues related to the rear traction motor cable corrosion, suggesting the defect may affect multiple vehicle systems. Toyota has acknowledged this defect through Service Campaign 25TD01 but has not issued a safety recall. Given the potential for loss of propulsion and malfunction of driver-assistance systems, this issue should be investigated as a safety defect.
Power train, Mar 8, 2026
The entire transmission failed according to the Toyota Service Center in Hyannis, MA. My vehicle is only 5 years old, only has 42,245 miles, no history of any accidents, I am the only owner, and had regular and consistent service. My vehicle is available for inspection. I am now part of the class action lawsuit against Toyota for knowingly selling cars with the defect in the UA80 8-speed automatic transmissions and torque converters. The transmission failed while I was on the road driving, which could have been a potentially very dangerous situation. The vehicle was inspected by the independant Ira Toyota Service Center of Hyannis. There were 5 different warning lights that suddenly came on while I was driving, and I immediately went straight to the nearest Toyota center as soon as the lights came on. Apparently, according to the class action lawsuit, engineers warned Toyota about the flaws in the UA80 8-speed automatic transmissions and torque converters, but they sold vehicles with them anyway. I am not the only victim. I informed toyota of the issue, but they will not repair it. Here is information about the class action lawsuit that many others are part of now too: [XXX] Here is another lawsuit in NJ for the same issue: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Other or unspecified, Mar 5, 2026
The sunroof shattered without any thing hitting the glass
Other or unspecified, Mar 4, 2026
On 2/24/2026, while driving down I-5 Freeway, the panoramic sun roof spontaneously shattered while I was driving. It sounded like a gunshot. Nobody was injured. There was no accident. I pulled off the freeway and the WASDOT incident response truck pulled off with me to inspect. He taped the shattered and cracking glass until I could get to Safelite in Federal Way and get a crash wrap so glass didn't continue to fly off while I was driving. I contacted my glass repair team and he reported to me that this has happened with thousands of my toyota cars. I will be calling the dealership today.
Fuel system, Gasoline, Mar 2, 2026
The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while fueling the vehicle, the fuel tank failed to register the correct fuel level. The contact stated that the fuel warning light illuminated intermittently while driving and while the vehicle was parked. Additionally, the fuel gauge displayed inaccurate readings and eventually became inoperable, leaving the contact unaware of when the vehicle needed to be refueled. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection. The dealer informed the contact that the fuel tank readings had failed, and the vehicle was supposed retain approximately 14.5 gallons of fuel; it would only accept approximately 11.5 gallons during testing. The contact was further informed that the fuel tank and fuel reader had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for further assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 46,252.
Steering, Feb 23, 2026, crash
The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving approximately 23 MPH and attempting to make a turn, the steering wheel seized, and the vehicle sideswiped another parked vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The steering wheel remained seized. The air bags had not deployed. No injuries were sustained, and no medical attention was required. A Police Report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 97,000.
Seats, Feb 17, 2026
Power seat adjuster failed making it impossible for drivers to adjust the seat for safe driving.
Electrical system, Structure, Feb 11, 2026
This complaint is being filed as a follow-up to a previously submitted NHTSA complaint regarding door lock failures on my 2021 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid. Since the original complaint, a second door has now failed. In addition to the front passenger door, the rear passenger-side door will no longer lock or unlock electronically using the key fob or interior power lock button and must be locked manually. When attempting to lock the vehicle, the vehicle emits a warning beep indicating a door is unsecured, even though some doors appear locked. Upon inspection, the rear passenger door was found unlocked. This issue appears to be progressive, affecting multiple doors. Doors may appear locked when they are not, creating a security concern.
Electrical system, Feb 10, 2026
Driver door lock actuator. When using the vehicles remote key, the driver door does not lock and unlock with the rest of the vehicles locks. This failure can cause theft of personal property in the vehicle or theft of the vehicle itself. The problem has been confirmed by other toyota owners with similar models. No warning lights of the problem appeared.
Electrical system, Structure, Feb 7, 2026
I am reporting a safety defect involving the front passenger door lock actuator on my 2021 Toyota RAV4 XLE Hybrid. The front passenger door will not lock or unlock using the key fob or the interior power door lock button. The door must now be locked manually. This defeats the vehicle’s automatic locking system and creates a safety and security concern. This condition prevents all doors from being secured properly when driving or when parked. A passenger may believe the door is locked when it is not, increasing the risk of unauthorized entry, theft, or passenger safety issues. The failure occurred during normal use and without warning. The vehicle has been properly maintained. I have learned that multiple Toyota RAV4 owners have reported similar door lock actuator failures, indicating a potential widespread defect. This issue occurred shortly after the factory warranty expired. Due to the safety implications, I believe this issue warrants investigation and possible recall or manufacturer repair program. “This failure occurred without warning and with no dashboard alerts.”
Steering, Power train, Electrical system, Jan 21, 2026
‘Voltage abnormality, power steering low’ error message has appeared three separate times. All while vehicle is idle at stop light or parked, last incident car was unable to restart immediately. All dashboard lights came on, including message saying parking hold unavailable. Mechanic confirmed no issues with 12v battery health and unable to recreate issue. Loss of power is risk to safety, possible draining of battery due to unknown issue