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Toyota · NHTSA safety record

2021 Toyota RAV4

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

Owners have filed 387 safety complaints about the 2021 Toyota RAV4 with the US government. Of those, 47 describe a crash, 7 mention a fire, 49 people were injured and no death is recorded. One recall campaign is open against it, covering the air bags.

The most complained-about system is the air bags, named in 125 complaints, 32% of the total. The typical failure was reported at 15,950 miles, the median across the 72 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files · Covers September 2020 to September 2026 · How this is counted

What is on file

387 complaints on file

387

Complaints

47

Describe a crash

7

Mention fire

49

People injured

0

Deaths

A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.

A recall is the manufacturer conceding a defect, and the repair is free. Whether one covers your particular car is a question only its VIN can answer, because a campaign covers a production range rather than a model year.

Which system owners named

Complaints naming each system
AIR BAGS 125 · 32%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 75 · 19%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 47 · 12%
ENGINE 41 · 11%
POWER TRAIN 22 · 6%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 21 · 5%
STEERING 21 · 5%
STRUCTURE 21 · 5%
SERVICE BRAKES 20 · 5%
VISIBILITY/WIPER 19 · 5%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 18 · 5%
SEATS 18 · 5%
0 50 100

Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it. One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 387.

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2025 at 114.

120 90 60 30
20 21 22 23 24 25 26

This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure happened. The range runs from 2020 to 2026, the last of them a part year, which is why its column is drawn faint.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program

NHTSA crashes a car into a barrier and a pole and measures what happens to the dummies inside. This is what it awarded the 2021 Toyota RAV4, and it is a separate question from what owners report going wrong later.

Test SUV AWD SUV FWD
Overall
Frontal crash
Frontal, driver
Frontal, passenger
Side crash
Side barrier
Side pole
Rollover
Chance of rollover 15.5% 15.9%
Stability control standard Forward collision warning standard Lane departure warning standard

A rating belongs to a tested body style and drivetrain, not to the model as a whole, which is why more than one is listed. A dash means NHTSA did not rate that test for this vehicle.

Recall campaigns

1 on file

AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION

23V865000 · December 20, 2023

The defect
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.
The risk
An air bag that does not deploy during a crash increases the risk of injury.
The 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.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing · up to 999,901 vehicles across all model years covered

In owners’ own words

Quoted from the complaint file

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

7 injured · crash · towed · 13,322 miles

The contact owned a 2021 Toyota RAV4. The contact stated while driving 65 mph and attempting to merge into the next lane, he was depressing on the brake pedal but it began to accelerate independently, and lost control of the vehicle. The contact stated he crashed into a concrete shoulder off the road, bounced off the concert shoulder, and crashed into another vehicle. The air bags did deploy. The contact stated the brake malfunction warning light was illuminated. The contact sustained injuries on his left shoulder left neck and right hip area. The contact sought medical attention for his injuries. The contact stated that 6 additional people from the other vehicle also sustained injuries but

NHTSA complaint 11470874, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

4 injured · crash · towed

The knee airbag deployed during a collision and caused devastating shin injuries. The muscle and skin was ripped off the driver's legs revealing bone.

NHTSA complaint 11435967. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

3 injured · crash · towed · 300 miles

IN A 4 CAR PILE UP. HIT IN REAR X2 BY A LARGE VAN WHILE SITTING IN TRAFFIC ON NJ PARKWAY FOOT ON BREAK AND PUSHED INTO CAR IN FRONT OF ME X2. AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY.

NHTSA complaint 11414593. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

3 injured · crash · towed

I was at a complete stop and was rear ended. The person who hit me was going over 45mph, and the impact caused me to hit the car in front of me, which crushed my car at both ends. My (driver) airbag did not deploy, and my head struck the steering wheel. It is available for inspection, and has not been confirmed by a dealer - it is at the insurance company’s tow lot. The police officer at the scene was surprised that my airbag did not deploy. There were no warning lights, messages, or any other indication that anything was malfunctioning/in need of service.

NHTSA complaint 11594693. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING

crash · towed

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 moving into the adjacent lane when the system intervened abruptly and steered my vehicle toward the barrier. My speed was approximately 55 - 60 mph. The weather was rainy off and on but not raining at the time. The road surface was damp. The lane markings were clear and no dashboard warnings appeared prior to the steering event. I had my blinker on and was actively changing lanes. The lane‑assist

NHTSA complaint 11766944, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Coolant bypass valve but toyota of richardson said the csp does not cover it. My engine maintenance required pop up on my dashboard

NHTSA complaint 11766274. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER
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 no debris in the roadway, I was not traveling under an overpass, and I am not aware of any impact or other event that could have caused the glass to break. The failure was completely unexpected. I heard a very, very loud sound, similar to a gunshot. Immediately afterward, the entire sunroof glass had shattered into small granules. A very small piece of shattered glass also flew off the vehicle. I

NHTSA complaint 11763943, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN
2021 Toyota RAV4 gas XXX Vehicle suddenly stopped while driving Busy roadway in [XXX] Wife and young children were passengers Dashboard displayed “ENGINE STOPPED” Dashboard displayed “STEERING POWER LOW” Police responded Police determined waiting for the insurance tow was unsafe Police arranged emergency towing Vehicle subsequently inspected by Beaver Toyota Dealer drove approximately 26 miles attempting to reproduce the issue No fault code/history found Problem could not be reproduced You remain concerned about a potentially recurring safety defect INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint 11763945. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
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 RAV4’s of this year

NHTSA complaint 11762309. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN
2021 Toyota RAV4 (gas model) has experienced a sudden, unexpected engine stall/shutdown on a public road. The incident occurred while shifting into Drive after backing up in reverse. The engine immediately died without any prior dashboard warning lights or mechanical symptoms. The information screen displayed a message stating "Put Car in Park" or "Shift into Park." The vehicle safely restarted immediately after shifting back into Park and pressing the ignition button. This intermittent stall has happened three times under the exact same directional shifting conditions over the last 1.5 years, creating a high-risk scenario for a rear-end collision in active traffic. After previous incident

NHTSA complaint 11757462, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Toyota RAV4

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2025 88 3 —
2024 174 3 —
2023 157 3 —
2022 145 1 2
2020 635 6 —
2019 879 7 —
2018 331 3 —
2017 307 3 2
2016 240 3 —
2015 304 4 1
2014 197 4 —
2013 257 2 1
2012 260 5 —
2011 287 11 —
2010 400 14 —

Other 2021 Toyota models

Highlander 522 Venza Hybrid 188 Corolla 185 Camry 157 RAV4 Prime 99 Tacoma 80 Sienna Hybrid 43 4Runner 36

Complaints on file, same model year.

Every Toyota on this site — 281 vehicles.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. How many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst