Toyota RAV4 Complaints (2021)

510 consumer complaints on file.

#11742590June 7, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN
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.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11741647June 2, 2026
VISIBILITY/WIPER
was driving on 4 lane hwy and it was raining and my wipers stopped working mid-way on windshield, I had to find a safe place to pull off road and inspect the problem i tried turning car off and back on and wipers would still not work. I drove another 3 miles or so to the Toyota dealership luckily with no accident which made me feel very unsafe without my wipers. They told me i would have to leave car for them to take panel off to find the cause of failure and provided a loaner after i refused an Uber.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11741263June 1, 2026
AIR BAGS
The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number 23V865000 (Airbags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was/was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was/was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. The VIN was invalid./The VIN was not available.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11740401May 27, 2026
POWER TRAIN, LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LOCK
Gear shift makes noise when moving it, as in you can actually hear the gears/electrical equipment moving and making noise when going from park to drive. The keyless entry when the fob is near, just doesn't work well from the drivers side... I can stand there trying to allow it to unlock and it just locks again or wont unlock the passenger door even if allowing it extra time to.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11740398May 27, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Water sloshing around inside the passenger door after rain or car wash. If you pull at the seal a little bit, water pours out. This has happened a few times now in the last year of owning the car. The rear seatbelt sensor also goes off randomly, when no one is sitting in the back seat.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11739499May 22, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
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 system failure. this could happen in the middle of driving in fast, traffic, leading to serious injury or loss of life. I have been waiting since February for this part and it is still on backorder. Toyota is not taking this seriously because it’s a $10,000 part and they don’t want to pay for the thousands of people who are affected by this. My life is more important than that, as is the life of my child. I exhort you to put pressure on Toyota. Thank you.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11738189May 15, 2026
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LOCK
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.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11737611May 13, 2026
STRUCTURE:BODY
The car had to be resealed and had water damage. The car smelled like mildew when I purchased it. Water was getting in the car and they resealed it but it does not rectify that the car had water damage due to the leak in the seals
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11737608May 13, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN, WHEELS
Car makes a whining noise Toyota Pinellas park said it was normal but the transmission is jolting/slipping not accelerating vs the first test drive. Both cv axles were bad tires were bald when sold to me tps sensors were bad. Had to get a new set of tires and paid the Toyota for work on the vehicle
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11736428May 7, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Upon taking my 2021 Rav4 Hybrid in for the rear traction motor cable corrosion recall (25TD01) on 5/7/2026, I was told there are no parts, no estimated arrival time, and therefore not even a rough estimate for a timeframe of repair. I was told that no one would inspect or evaluate the part in question to indicate if the car was safe to drive. I expressed my extreme concern given the recall includes risk of power failure, even while driving. I received inconsistent, avoidant answers and an absolute denial to remedy the situation in any way. I was told the dealership is "Dolan" and not "Toyota". I again expressed my concerns about safety and the dealerships' denial to, at minimum inspect the recalled part and/or housing of the part. Emily, the Service manager stated that Toyota does not "allow" loaner vehicles for this particular recall. She could not provide any sources for this information. To summarize; the dealer with not provide an inspection of the recalled part and/or housing, or give an estimated timeline for repair given I am #125 on a waitlist. There is a complete lack of regard for mine or my children's safety as the dealer will not provide any assessment of how bad the damage could be. They suggested that I continue to drive the vehicle, acknowledging all of the safety hazards that could occur. I am terrified of the possibility of having an accident with my kids in the car due to this recalled part failing, not having a vehicle to get to and from work, and the potential additional costs that this unaddressed recall issue could cause. Please advise!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11736285May 7, 2026
ENGINE
“Required Engine Maintenance- Visit Your Dealer” message came on the dash. After doing some research and troubleshooting; it appeared to be the coolant bypass valve that everyone has had issues with. The problem was then confirmed with a local provider who instructed us to contact the dealer to see if they’d cover the repair. Otherwise the repair by them would be $700. Toyota customer service told us that there is no TSB or Recall for this issue. We would need to have the issue diagnosed and then pay out of pocket for the repair. This is an issue that spreads throughout so many vehicles that it needs to be a recall.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11735971May 6, 2026
POWER TRAIN
Transmission failed at 105,000 miles Quotes to replace $8000
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11735889May 5, 2026
VISIBILITY/WIPER
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.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11735667May 4, 2026
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LOCK
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.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11735282May 2, 2026
SEATS
The plastic gears that make the seat move back and forth have failed so I can’t adjust the drivers seat to a proper position. We have 2 drivers of almost a foot different in height. There is a plastic gears that runs against a metal gear. Seat is unusable.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11734835April 30, 2026
VISIBILITY/WIPER
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.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11734723April 29, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN
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 no cost to the customer, instead I was charged $215 plus tax.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11734654April 29, 2026
ENGINE
The coolant bypass valve failed and the car is a 2021 Rav 4 LE. I called Toyota and according to the VIN it is not covered for this type of repair. I see quite a few cars have had this same issue, all Toyota's. It was inspected and repaired at a local Toyota Dealership but I had to pay out of pocket for the repair. There was a brief warning light that said "Engine Maintenance Required" See dealership or some such thing. Of course it's a safety issue if the coolant valve bypass failure causes the car to overheat.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11734632April 29, 2026
SEATS
Front seat can not be moved back and forth without grinding noise.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11734483April 29, 2026
SEATS
- The seat has cheap plastic parts that move the power seat forward and backward, and once malfunction you have to change either the whole seat or the drivers seat track adjuster assembly and both of them expensive. - The seat was built poorly which cause lower and upper back pain.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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