2021 Toyota RAV4: Common Problems, Recalls and Vehicle Data

What the public data shows

NHTSA has logged 502 complaints against the 2021 Toyota RAV4. The largest single category is "other" at 155, with airbag-related complaints close behind at 144. Electrical complaints follow at 72. This record does not show a wide spread of unrelated concerns nor a single dominant cluster below "other" and airbag categories — those two account for a sizable share of the total, while the remaining categories trail off in smaller numbers. The one recall on file, campaign 23V865000, concerns air bags and states that an air bag failing to deploy in a crash increases the risk of injury. With only a single campaign recorded, there is no basis in the recall data for identifying a cluster or a pattern across systems — this stands alone. There are no repeat-repair campaigns in this record, meaning no earlier air bag or other fix has been reopened for an incomplete repair. No open investigations are listed for this model year in the public data. Service bulletins, which communicate repair guidance to dealers rather than signal a safety defect, are led by the equipment system with 22 bulletins, followed by structure:body at 18 and the electrical system at 16. These figures show where dealers received repair guidance, not where confirmed defects exist. It's worth noting that complaint counts reflect how many reports were filed, not how many vehicles experienced a given issue, so these figures should not be read as a defect rate across the RAV4 fleet.

503 complaints on file with NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation, grouped into CarTold's broad component categories.

Most frequently reported, by the specific component NHTSA logged each complaint under (not CarTold's category groupings above):

• AIR BAGS — 124 complaints (25%)
• UNKNOWN OR OTHER — 65 complaints (13%)
• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — 35 complaints (7%)
• FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — 21 complaints (4%)
• SERVICE BRAKES — 17 complaints (3%)
• STRUCTURE — 14 complaints (3%)

AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION

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 Lexus 23LB03/23LA03.

NHTSA crash-tests each body-style/drivetrain configuration separately, so ratings can differ by variant — shown as tested, not averaged. See how the 5-star ratings work, including why an overall score isn't the average of the three category scores.