2021 Toyota Rav4 Safety Report

Air Bags

101 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.

Unknown Or Other

43 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.

Structure

12 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.

Engine

11 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.

Fuel/Propulsion System

11 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.

Visibility/Wiper

10 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.

Transmission failures have been reported, with one vehicle experiencing a complete transmission failure at 42,245 miles.

Corrosion of the rear traction motor cable has been reported, leading to vehicle reliability issues.

Air bag sensor issues have been reported, with Toyota issuing a recall for certain 2020-2021 Avalon models.

Sunroof shattering incidents have been reported, with one incident occurring spontaneously while driving at 65 MPH.

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.

Consequence: 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 Le...

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 ...

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...

The sunroof shattered without any thing hitting the glass

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 did...

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 ...

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 Po...

Power seat adjuster failed making it impossible for drivers to adjust the seat for safe driving.

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. ...

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.

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 bein...

‘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, poss...

The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the contact heard a loud bang and then heard wind entering the cabin of the vehicle. The contact stated that the sunroof had shattered without impact. Neither an independent mechanic nor a dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic to be inspected or repaired. The manufacture...

The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (Air Bags); however, parts were not yet available for the recall repair. The local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The dealer confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated t...

My wife was pulling her car into a parking area consisting of a few small storefronts. When pulling in, the brakes completely failed as did the forward collision warning system and the automatic emergency braking system. As she continued to press the brake pedal it just went to the floor of the car. The end result was that the car struck one of the storefronts causing damage to the building as wel...

Very upset that the passenger air bag is defective and Toyota refuses to fix this issue, the recall was issued December 20, 2023! I can’t let anyone ride in the front passenger seat, if there was a car accident they might be killed or injured badly… Fix this issue Toyota… This is bad bad business… My mother is [XXX] and I can’t transport her anywhere because of the defective air bag. INFORMATION ...

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 local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue, but no case number was provided. ...

The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (Air Bags); however, parts were not yet available for the recall repair. The vehicle was taken to two dealers but was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealers confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer ...

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 local dealer was contacted and confirmed that the part was not available. The dealer referred the contact to the manufacturer for additional information. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a rea...

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 local dealer was contacted several times. 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 sta...

While driving at highway speeds (approx. 65 MPH), the vehicle suffered a sudden and catastrophic loss of motive power. The "Hybrid System Malfunction" warning illuminated, followed immediately by a "Check Engine" light. The vehicle entered a fail-safe mode, then completely shut down. The steering wheel locked, making it extremely difficult to maneuver the vehicle to the shoulder in a dark, remote ...