2021 TOYOTA RAV4 — Owner-Reported Problems

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-08-22 493 complaints · 5 recalls
Most-reported system: AIR BAGS (126 complaints · 25.6%)
Safety signals:
  • Crashes 59
  • Fires 8
  • Injuries 54
  • Deaths 0
Compare with 2020 →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Component Problem Distribution

Share of owner complaints filed for each vehicle system (unaffected by sales volume)

Component Problem Distribution AIR BAGS appears in 126 of 493 owner complaints (25.6%) in this vehicle snapshot. AIR BAGS: 126 complaints, 25.6% of reports AIR BAGS 126 · 25.6% · 21 crash reports 1 fire reports ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: 48 complaints, 9.7% of reports ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 48 · 9.7% · 3 crash reports 1 fire reports FUEL SYSTEM: 30 complaints, 6.1% of reports FUEL SYSTEM 30 · 6.1% VISIBILITY: 27 complaints, 5.5% of reports VISIBILITY 27 · 5.5% · 1 crash reports ENGINE: 21 complaints, 4.3% of reports ENGINE 21 · 4.3% · 1 fire reports SERVICE BRAKES: 21 complaints, 4.3% of reports SERVICE BRAKES 21 · 4.3% · 4 crash reports FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: 19 complaints, 3.9% of reports FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 19 · 3.9% · 11 crash reports STRUCTURE: 16 complaints, 3.3% of reports STRUCTURE 16 · 3.3% · 2 crash reports LANE DEPARTURE: 12 complaints, 2.4% of reports LANE DEPARTURE 12 · 2.4% · 4 crash reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER: 188 complaints, 38.1% of reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER 188 · 38.1% · 24 crash reports 2 fire reports 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

UNKNOWN OR OTHER is an NHTSA classification artifact and is always listed last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
AIR BAGS 126 25.6% 21 crashes · 1 fires
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 48 9.7% 3 crashes · 1 fires
FUEL SYSTEM 30 6.1% 0 crashes · 0 fires
VISIBILITY 27 5.5% 1 crashes · 0 fires
ENGINE 21 4.3% 0 crashes · 1 fires
SERVICE BRAKES 21 4.3% 4 crashes · 0 fires
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 19 3.9% 11 crashes · 0 fires
STRUCTURE 16 3.3% 2 crashes · 0 fires
LANE DEPARTURE 12 2.4% 4 crashes · 0 fires
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 188 38.1% 24 crashes · 2 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Problem & Recall Timeline

Observed complaint volume and manufacturer recall actions over time

Problem & Recall Timeline Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Jul 2020; the first recall shown was reported in Nov 2020. 2020-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2020-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2021-Q1: 17 owner reports 17 2021-Q2: 11 owner reports 11 2021-Q3: 9 owner reports 9 2021-Q4: 13 owner reports 13 2022-Q1: 26 owner reports 26 2022-Q2: 20 owner reports 20 2022-Q3: 16 owner reports 16 2022-Q4: 12 owner reports 12 2023-Q1: 13 owner reports 13 2023-Q2: 12 owner reports 12 2023-Q3: 15 owner reports 15 2023-Q4: 24 owner reports 24 2024-Q1: 35 owner reports 35 2024-Q2: 29 owner reports 29 2024-Q3: 20 owner reports 20 2024-Q4: 34 owner reports 34 2025-Q1: 39 owner reports 39 2025-Q2: 32 owner reports 32 2025-Q3: 30 owner reports 30 2025-Q4: 22 owner reports 22 2026-Q1: 19 owner reports 19 2026-Q2: 32 owner reports 32 2026-Q3: 8 owner reports 8 Owner reports Jul 2020 Jul 2026 Recall campaign 20V698000 ◆ Recall campaign 20V698000 Recall campaign 22V239000 ◆ Recall campaign 22V239000 Recall campaign 23V041000 ◆ Recall campaign 23V041000 Recall campaign 23V478000 ◆ Recall campaign 23V478000 Recall campaign 23V865000 ◆ Recall campaign 23V865000 Investigation DP22005 ● Investigation DP22005 Investigation DP22005 ● Investigation DP22005
  • Campaign 22V239000 was reported 582 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 23V041000 was reported 412 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 23V478000 was reported 572 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 23V865000 was reported 964 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2020-Q3 Owner reports 1
2020-Q4 Owner reports 4
2021-Q1 Owner reports 17
2021-Q2 Owner reports 11
2021-Q3 Owner reports 9
2021-Q4 Owner reports 13
2022-Q1 Owner reports 26
2022-Q2 Owner reports 20
2022-Q3 Owner reports 16
2022-Q4 Owner reports 12
2023-Q1 Owner reports 13
2023-Q2 Owner reports 12
2023-Q3 Owner reports 15
2023-Q4 Owner reports 24
2024-Q1 Owner reports 35
2024-Q2 Owner reports 29
2024-Q3 Owner reports 20
2024-Q4 Owner reports 34
2025-Q1 Owner reports 39
2025-Q2 Owner reports 32
2025-Q3 Owner reports 30
2025-Q4 Owner reports 22
2026-Q1 Owner reports 19
2026-Q2 Owner reports 32
2026-Q3 Owner reports 8
Recall campaign 1 20V698000
Recall campaign 1 22V239000
Recall campaign 1 23V041000
Recall campaign 1 23V478000
Recall campaign 1 23V865000
Defect investigation 1 DP22005
Defect investigation 1 DP22005
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Safety Recalls (5)

Official safety recall campaigns filed with NHTSA

  1. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 20V698000

    Report date
    Component:
    EXTERIOR LIGHTING
    Consequence:
    Adjusting the horizontal headlight beam can increase glare, reducing the visibility of an oncoming driver or the vehicle operator, increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will close the aiming caps on the headlights, free of charge. The recall began January 6, 2021. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 20TA15.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 22V239000

    Report date
    Component:
    ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
    Consequence:
    Driving with a deactivated stability control system increases the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Dealers will update the Skid Control ECU software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 27, 2022. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 22TA03. Lexus' number for this recall is 22LA01.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 23V041000

    Report date
    Component:
    ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
    Consequence:
    An engine stall increases the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Dealers will update the HEV ECU software, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed February 27, 2023. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 23TA01.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  4. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 23V478000

    Report date
    Component:
    ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
    Consequence:
    A short circuit can cause the DC-DC converter to overheat, increasing the risk of a vehicle fire.
    Remedy:
    Owners are advised not to charge their vehicles when the ambient air temperature is below or expected to drop below 41 degrees Fahrenheit (5 degrees Celsius). Dealers will replace the DC-DC converter, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 29, 2023. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 23TB07/23LB01.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  5. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 23V865000

    Report date
    Component:
    AIR BAGS
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Complaint Narrative Explorer

Verbatim owner-reported defect narratives from NHTSA public records

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-08-21
Safety incident filters
Showing 0 of 493 complaints · page 1 of 20

No complaints match the current filters.
EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Data sourced from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Snapshot date: 2026-08-21.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources