2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime problems, complaints & recalls

2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime recalls (4)

• Recall 23V478000Jul 12, 202343,442 vehicles
  ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:DC/DC CONVERTER

  Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2021-2022 RAV4 Prime and 2022 Lexus NX450h+ plug-in hybrid electric (PHEV) vehicles. The electric current rectifying module contained within the DC-DC converter may have been damaged during production, which can result in an electrical short-circuit.

  Risk: 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.

• Recall 23V041000Feb 2, 202316,679 vehicles
  ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:HYBRID MANAGEMENT:POWER CONTROL UNIT/MODULE (HPCU)

  Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2021 RAV4 Prime Plug-In Hybrid vehicles. During certain cold weather driving conditions, while driving in EV Mode, the hybrid vehicle control engine control unit (HEV ECU) software may cause the hybrid system to shut down if the accelerator is rapidly pressed to further accelerate the vehicle, resulting in a stall.

  Risk: 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.

• Recall 22V239000Apr 13, 2022458,110 vehicles
  ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC):CONTROL MODULE:SOFTWARE

  Toyota Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2022 Lexus LX 600, Lexus NX 350h, Lexus NX 450h+, Toytoa RAV4 Hybrid, 2021-2022 Lexus LS 500h, Toyota Mirai, RAV4 PRIME, Sienna, Venza, and 2020-2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid vehicles. The Skid Control ECU software may not turn on the Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) system when the vehicle is restarted after the driver has disabled the VSC system. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 126, "Electronic Stability Control Systems."

  Risk: 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.

• Recall 20V698000Nov 12, 2020413 vehicles
  EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

  Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2021 RAV4 Prime vehicles. The headlight aiming caps may have been improperly closed, allowing for horizontal adjustment of the headlight beam. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."

  Risk: 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.

NHTSA defect investigations

• DP22005Opened Jan 27, 2023Closed Aug 7, 2023led to recall 22V063000

  Pedestrian alert sounds

  NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after Marc…

Recent 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime complaints

Excerpts of the newest owner complaints, lightly cleaned of personal details. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

1. Filed Jun 7, 2026TXFireElectrical SystemFuel, Hybrid & EV PropulsionTransmission & Drivetrain

   Observed arcing noises and strong electrical fire smell upon plugging in L2 EVSE charging cable. MIL lit, Hybrid Vehicle Charging System codes active; vehicle refused to charge afterwards. Self-diagnosed and repaired defective 6.6 kW onboard charger. See pics of clear arcing damage withing charging unit - possible fire risk.

   NHTSA complaint #11742590 · source
2. Filed May 22, 2026NCOther / Unknown

   Something needs to be done because Toyota is stalling on sending out a critical safety component that has been recalled in thousands of vehicles. It is the HV floor wire connector, when the corrosion is beyond repair, the parts have been back ordered for months. Toyota and dealerships are not approving loaner vehicles. This is a serious safety issue because: If the wire corrodes or shorts out, the vehicle can experience unexpected power loss, stalling, or complete hybrid…

   NHTSA complaint #11739499 · source
3. Filed May 5, 2026NCVisibility & Wipers

   Random windshield crack that appeared out of no where when leaving work. 4 hour time span of video shows no foul play, nobody was mowing the yard. No way anything hit it - I confirmed. Crack started to expand up and out both ways. Can run my finger along the entire crack without any surface impacts or bumps felt. First noted crack 4/29 and has expanded since.

   NHTSA complaint #11735889 · source
4. Filed May 4, 2026CABody & Structure

   Front Driver side and front passenger side door actuator has failed. Locks are non responsive to key fob or interior master switch. The door locks have to be manually unlocked with the key or by the individual in the vehicle. It is a complete safety hazard. My local Toyota dealer has quoted me $1,767 to fix the two faulty actuators. The car is 5 years old with 89,000 miles.

   NHTSA complaint #11735667 · source
5. Filed Apr 30, 2026CA1 injuredVisibility & Wipers

   Sunroof exploded while driving down the freeway. Covering the occupants in glass, including the driver, this caused cuts from glass shards. This is a known issue to Toyota. They decided not to do a recall. They are lucky that the sunroof exploding did not cause a fatal accident.

   NHTSA complaint #11734835 · source
6. Filed Apr 29, 2026WAElectrical SystemTransmission & Drivetrain

   The vehicle generated an error message "Plug In Charging System Malfunction" warning on the dash. The remedy is a Toyota T-SB-0021-21 which requires a software upgrade to fix the air fan sensor reading to the charging unit. This is only considered part of the 60 month/60,000 mile power train warranty despite it being part of the battery charging system which has a 150,000 mile warranty. It is also presumably caused by a software error Toyota has made. They should fix this at…

   NHTSA complaint #11734723 · source
7. Filed Dec 4, 2025NJCrashTowedAirbagsBrakesDriver Assistance & Safety Tech

   During snowy but manageable conditions, the brake system on my 2021 RAV4 Prime SE failed to respond, and the vehicle did not decelerate when I pressed the brake pedal. A “Pre-Collision System Malfunction” warning appeared shortly before impact. I was unable to steer away despite attempting an evasive turn. The vehicle collided with the car in front of me, and the airbags did not deploy. I was driving at a reduced speed due to snow. The vehicle ahead (a BMW SUV) began…

   NHTSA complaint #11703035 · source
8. Filed Sep 9, 2025CABrakes

   The car has a grinding sound and a brake slipping feeling that occurs while traveling and braking over rough pavement. It does not happen consistently, but it does happen fairly regularly (every 2-4 weeks). Note, the grinding sound can range from subtle to quite loud, depending on bump/timing of braking. This has been happening since I purchased the car and continues to happen, which is why I put today's date as the incident date, and I have been bringing it up with the…

   NHTSA complaint #11685840 · source

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Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation public data, as of Oct 11, 2026. Complaints are submitted by owners and are not verified by NHTSA or by us; a complaint does not prove a defect exists. View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov Methodology