2021 Toyota RAV4 Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other RAV4 years
- More complaints than other years 8th of 31 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 5 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 387 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Toyota RAV4. That ranks 8th out of 31 RAV4 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (125 complaints, 32%), typically at around 30,000 miles. Complaints mention 47 crashes, 7 fires, 49 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year.
- 387owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 47complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2021 Toyota RAV4 problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags problems | 125 | 32% | 30,000 | “air bags contacted” (21%) | — |
| Unknown or Other | 75 | 19% | 502 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 47 | 12% | 30,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 41 | 11% | 53,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 22 | 6% | 2,468 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 21 | 5% | 502 | — | — |
| Steering | 21 | 5% | 4,250 | — | — |
| Structure | 21 | 5% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 20 | 5% | 24,474 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 19 | 5% | 2,241 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 18 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Seats | 18 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Visibility | 12 | 3% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Lane Departure | 10 | 3% | 1,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 8 | 2% | 46,389 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 7 | 2% | 56,028 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 6 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Suspension | 6 | 2% | 1 | — | — |
| Tires | 6 | 2% | 27,400 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 6 | 2% | 36,661 | — | — |
| Wheels | 5 | 1% | 1,500 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 3 | 1% | 26,876 | — | — |
| Back Over Prevention | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Tether, Lower Anchor (on Car Seat or Vehicle) | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Traction Control System | 1 | 0% | 810 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2021 Toyota RAV4 recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Air bags:sensor:occupant classification
Problem: 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.
Fix: 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.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
While changing lanes in my 2021 Toyota RAV4 with my turn signal activated, the Lane Departure Alert / Lane Tracing Assist system applied an unexpected steering input that pulled my vehicle directly into a Jersey barrier, resulting in physical contact with the barrier. I was intentionally and safely…
Coolant bypass valve but toyota of richardson said the csp does not cover it. My engine maintenance required pop up on my dashboard
I am reporting a serious safety concern involving the sunroof glass on my 2021 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid Limited AWD. On July 3, 2026, at approximately 37,350 miles, I was driving the vehicle when the entire sunroof glass suddenly and catastrophically shattered. There was no traffic around me, there was…
2021 Toyota RAV4 gas XXX Vehicle suddenly stopped while driving Busy roadway in [XXX] Wife and young children were passengers Dashboard displayed âENGINE STOPPEDâ Dashboard displayed âSTEERING POWER LOWâ Police responded Police determined waiting for the insurance tow was unsafe Police…
I have a faulty coolant bypass valve on my 2021 Toyota RAV4. Every time I turn on the air conditioning the service engine required comes up on my notifications a known recall problem for Toyota RAV4âs of this year
Other Toyota RAV4 years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 RAV4 | 90 | 3 |
| 2024 RAV4 | 176 | 3 |
| 2023 RAV4 | 159 | 3 |
| 2022 RAV4 | 149 | 1 |
| 2021 | 387 | 1 |
| 2020 RAV4 | 635 | 6 |
| 2019 RAV4 | 879 | 7 |
| 2018 RAV4 | 333 | 3 |
| 2017 RAV4 | 307 | 3 |
| 2016 RAV4 | 240 | 3 |
| 2015 RAV4 | 305 | 4 |
| 2014 RAV4 | 197 | 4 |
| 2013 RAV4 | 257 | 2 |
| 2012 RAV4 | 260 | 5 |
| 2011 RAV4 | 287 | 11 |
| 2010 RAV4 | 400 | 14 |
| 2009 RAV4 | 327 | 15 |
| 2008 RAV4 | 575 | 14 |
| 2007 RAV4 | 1,004 | 14 |
| 2006 RAV4 | 705 | 11 |
| 2005 RAV4 | 141 | 5 |
| 2004 RAV4 | 154 | 2 |
| 2003 RAV4 | 315 | 0 |
| 2002 RAV4 | 527 | 0 |
| 2001 RAV4 | 309 | 0 |
| 2000 RAV4 | 30 | 3 |
| 1999 RAV4 | 62 | 4 |
| 1998 RAV4 | 77 | 4 |
| 1997 RAV4 | 54 | 0 |
| 1996 RAV4 | 47 | 0 |
| 1995 RAV4 | 1 | 0 |
See all Toyota RAV4 problems by year, every Toyota model, or the Toyota VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2021 Toyota RAV4?
Owners most often report air bags, unknown or other, electrical system problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 125 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2021 Toyota RAV4?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2021 Toyota RAV4 a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other RAV4 model years, the 2021 has more complaints than most years, and NHTSA rates it 5 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.