2021 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2021 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Airbags1768.0%
- Brakes28.0%
- Electrical28.0%
- Driver assistance14.0%
- Interior & seats14.0%
- Other / unspecified14.0%
- Visibility14.0%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Rav4 Hybrid. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (AIR BAGS); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. 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. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available .
The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Rav4 Hybrid. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Rav4 Hybrid. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed and traveled to the floorboard with “BRAKE Failure” message displayed. The contact engaged the parking brake to stop the vehicle. The vehicle was restarted and taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the traction control electronic control unit had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 60,000.
The contact owns a 2021Toyota RAV4 Hybrid. The contact stated while driving approximately 10 mph, the vehicle failed to stop while the brake pedal was depressed which resulted in the contact crashing into two parked vehicles where it eventually came to a stop after crashing into a curb. The contact was also concerned that the air bags failed to deploy. The contact stated no warning lights were illuminated. A police report was filed and the vehicle was towed to a local mechanic and then towed again to a local dealer where it was awaiting diagnosis. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 8,000.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Rav4 Hybrid. The contact stated that on two separate occasions, while driving at high rates of speed, the vehicle stalled after slamming on the brake pedal. The contact waited approximately 20-30 seconds after the initial failure before being able to restart the vehicle and resume normal driving operation. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a claim was filed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 62,000.
1. CAR WOULDN'T START. LEFT STRANDED WITHOUT VEHICLE. 2. CRUISE CONTROL TURNED OFF AND WOULD NEVER TURN BACK ON FOR THE DURATION OF MY 30 MINUTE DRIVE. 3. THE CRUISE CONTROL ACCELERATED PAST THE SET LIMIT. IT WAS CHALLENGING TO GET IT TO STOP ACCELERATING. IT DIDN'T STOP RIGHT AWAY EITHER. SCARED ME TO DEATH. 4. INSTRUMENT PANEL WAS FLICKERING BRIGHT TO DIM CONSTANT AND THEN SETTLE AT DIM DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS IN THE BROAD DAYLIGHT. 5. PHONE CHARGER NOT WORKING PROPERLY. MY PHONE IS NOT MOVING AROUND EITHER. 6. THE ENTIRE RADIO SYSTEM WOULDN'T WORK. NO SOUND OR ANYTHING DURING MY ENTIRE DURATION OF DRIVE. 7. THE REMOTE START BARELY WORKS EVER BUT I CAN START ERICKS TRUCK. IT DOESN'T RECOGNIZE THE DOOR LOCK/UNLOCK MOST OF TIME EITHER. 8. LANE ASSIST SEEMS LIKE IT'S FIGHTING ITSELF. IT BASICALLY MAKES THE STEERING WHEEL SHAKEY FEELING WHEN IT'S ON AND BOUNCES BACK AND FORTH. 9. WHEN ANY IPHONE IS PLUGGED IN FLASHES BETWEEN CARPLAY TO REGULAR MODE EVERY 3-5 SECONDS. 10. RECEIVING MESSAGE THAT HYBRID BATTERY LOW.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
1. CAR WOULDN'T START. LEFT STRANDED WITHOUT VEHICLE. 2. CRUISE CONTROL TURNED OFF AND WOULD NEVER TURN BACK ON FOR THE DURATION OF MY 30 MINUTE DRIVE. 3. THE CRUISE CONTROL ACCELERATED PAST THE SET LIMIT. IT WAS CHALLENGING TO GET IT TO STOP ACCELERATING. IT DIDN'T STOP RIGHT AWAY EITHER. SCARED ME TO DEATH. 4. INSTRUMENT PANEL WAS FLICKERING BRIGHT TO DIM CONSTANT AND THEN SETTLE AT DIM DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS IN THE BROAD DAYLIGHT. 5. PHONE CHARGER NOT WORKING PROPERLY. MY PHONE IS NOT MOVING AROUND EITHER. 6. THE ENTIRE RADIO SYSTEM WOULDN'T WORK. NO SOUND OR ANYTHING DURING MY ENTIRE DURATION OF DRIVE. 7. THE REMOTE START BARELY WORKS EVER BUT I CAN START ERICKS TRUCK. IT DOESN'T RECOGNIZE THE DOOR LOCK/UNLOCK MOST OF TIME EITHER. 8. LANE ASSIST SEEMS LIKE IT'S FIGHTING ITSELF. IT BASICALLY MAKES THE STEERING WHEEL SHAKEY FEELING WHEN IT'S ON AND BOUNCES BACK AND FORTH. 9. WHEN ANY IPHONE IS PLUGGED IN FLASHES BETWEEN CARPLAY TO REGULAR MODE EVERY 3-5 SECONDS. 10. RECEIVING MESSAGE THAT HYBRID BATTERY LOW.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Interior & seats
Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings.
From owner reports, verbatim
I bought the car new in July 2021. All four door locks stopped working around May 2023. In June 2023, I only got one of the four door lock assembly’s replaced. And it’s very expensive to get all four fixed. Now, in May of 2026, I am experiencing the same issue with the lock assembly that was replaced in June 2023. There are so many complaints online about the door locks stopping work. I feel like this should be an urgent recall that needs to be addressed. Huge safety issue.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Other / unspecified
Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Rav4 Hybrid. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed and traveled to the floorboard with “BRAKE Failure” message displayed. The contact engaged the parking brake to stop the vehicle. The vehicle was restarted and taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the traction control electronic control unit had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 60,000.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Rav4 Hybrid. The contact stated while driving approximately 50 MPH, the sunroof exploded, and fragments of glass fell inside the cabin of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer and was diagnosed with needing the sunroof replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .