Toyota RAV4 Complaints (2021)

510 consumer complaints on file.

#11683182August 26, 2025
SEATS
Driver's side electronic seat malfunctioning and stopped working not allowing the seat to go forward or backward for the driver. The car only has 24,337 miles on it as of 08/26/2025. I purchased the car from Green Toyota in Springfield, Illinois in 2021. The dealership tells me the seat and tracks all have to be replaced at a cost of over $2,100.00.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11682491August 22, 2025
VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES
Vehicle has both rear view mirror distortion (assembly mirror face on both sides) vibrate causing distortion deeming outside rear view mirrors useless and hazardous. Toyota issued a technical service bulletin for 2019-2021 Toyota RAV4 models but refuses to pay for this safety defect.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11682341August 22, 2025
AIR BAGS
According to the recall which was first stated on 12/20/23, as of today, 8/22/25 Toyota has not provided a remedy and my car is not safe to carry a passenger!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11682231August 21, 2025
STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS
The component that failed/malfunctioned is the rear hatch. The hinges seem to have misaligned and result in the rear hatch not closing properly. Safety is put at risk because the vehicle notifies the driver through a beep system that the rear door is not fully closed properly and does not shut off until forcefully closed manually. The problem has been produced both by the dealership at an AutoNation and an independent autobody repair shop. The vehicle/component has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance, representatives, or others besides the ones mentioned in the previous sentence. There were no apparent symptoms or problems prior to the failure. The misalignment appeared approximately two years after the original purchased from the dealership and is an ongoing issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11682029August 20, 2025
AIR BAGS
Airbags did not deploy after head on collision.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
2
Deaths:
0
#11681566August 19, 2025
AIR BAGS
My 2021 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid (VIN: [your VIN]) has an open safety recall 23V865 for the passenger airbag. Toyota has not provided a remedy yet, and the vehicle is unsafe to transport a front passenger. Toyota estimated a fix by Q3 2024, but as of now no remedy is available. I am concerned about the ongoing safety risk and delay.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11681147August 17, 2025
ENGINE
The vehicle has never been in an accident and has been garage kept. There were 5 pinholes in the radiator that were slowly dripping over time. My radiator fluid went so low my car overheated and had to be taken in for repair. No warning until there was no radiator fluid left and overheated and had to pull over on the highway. Radiator was cracked in 5 places. 4 year old car, less than 55,000 miles. Confirmed and repaired by an independent service center.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11680638August 14, 2025
VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES:EXTERIOR
The outer rear-view mirrors on my 2021 Toyota RAV4 vibrate all times, and excessively at highway speeds (approximately 50–70 mph), creating a shaky and distorted image of surrounding vehicles. This failure of the mirror mounting system makes it difficult to accurately judge the position and speed of other cars when changing lanes, merging, or reacting to traffic. The mirrors remain installed on my vehicle and are available for inspection. This issue poses a serious safety hazard. Because the mirrors do not provide a stable, undistorted view, my ability to monitor blind spots and adjacent lanes is compromised, putting myself, my passengers, and others on the road at increased risk of collision. The problem has been reproduced and confirmed by Toyota through Technical Service Bulletin T-SB-0079-20, which instructs dealers to install longer mounting studs, reinforcement brackets, and bonding adhesive to correct the defect. Toyota currently limits the repair to vehicles under the 3-year/36,000-mile warranty, leaving many unsafe vehicles unrepaired. I recently purchased the vehicle outside the warranty coverage. There were no dashboard warning lights or system messages to indicate the defect. The only symptom is the visible vibration of the mirrors, which first appeared shortly after purchase and persists across normal driving conditions. Because the defect directly impacts driver visibility and compliance with FMVSS 111, I believe this should be escalated from a Technical Service Bulletin to a mandatory safety recall.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11680407August 13, 2025
SEATS
The seat stops moving forward and back on one side. This issue is caused by a gear that is prone to breaking in models 2019-2024 on the RAV4. As a result, you can't move your seat forward or backward, and it could get stuck. This is a risk because people need to be able to adjust the car seat to fit inside the car properly. If the seat becomes stuck or wedged in the wrong position, it could cause the airbags to deploy incorrectly for the person sitting in the seat. This issue can affect drivers. There is an entire Reddit thread dedicated to it, and even a third-party seller of replacement gears, because Toyota's repair cost exceeds $2000, as you have to buy an entire new rail system instead of a single gear. I took it to the dealership and got a quote for the repair. There was no error message, and it just stopped one day after my wife moved the seat up; it would no longer go back. I'm not sure what caused this, but it seems like a significant issue that the driver's side seat can't be adjusted.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11677891August 1, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
On July 24th, I experienced sudden unexpected acceleration with my 2021 Toyota Rav4 Prime XSE (41,600 miles) while driving in the electric mode. I was lining myself up to reverse into my garage and as I paused to switch gears to reverse, the car suddenly accelerated full-speed towards my neighbor's house. I slammed the brakes but that had little effect. The car slammed into the house, through the garage door and my car was only stopped when hitting an SUV parked in the garage, pushing it forward about 2 feet. No air bags were deployed, the collision detection system on the vehicle did not seem to work and tire marks from my braking were visible from the middle of the road. I have found a number of very similar incidents with Toyota cars described online. Cars were often turning into parking spaces at slow speeds and ended up accelerating into lamp posts or buildings. If there hadn't been a car parked in the garage, I can't imagine what might have happened as the car was probably going 35 mph+ upon impact. There were no warning lights and the collision shop informed me that there were no diagnostic codes when they downloaded the computer.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11676733July 28, 2025
AIR BAGS
The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Rav4. 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 manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11675440July 22, 2025
AIR BAGS
The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (AIR BAGS); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. 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.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11674249July 17, 2025
VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES:EXTERIOR
The side mirrors shake heavily especially on highways. It puts my safety at risk and others as I am unable to properly focus on the road ahead of me when I am trying to clearly see if there are cars behind me while I am changing lanes. It causes me to take extra time looking at the mirror that I shouldn't have to in order to change lanes safely. This is a known issue and a Technical Service Bulletin has been created for it, but it requires a payment of over $1,000 to fix when this is an issue caused by the maker of the vehicle. It has been inspected by the maker at a dealership and was agreed that the issue I am facing aligns with the TSB. There were no warnings, as it has been noticed to have gotten worse in the last couple of months.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11672523July 10, 2025
AIR BAGS
The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Rav4. 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. An unknown dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that the recall parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11672368July 9, 2025
ENGINE, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Coolant bypass valve problem with several rav4s. My car is unusable and I need it to work.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11671679July 7, 2025
SEATS
DRIVER SEAT LOCKED IN FULL FORWARD POSITION AND COULD NOT BE ADJUSTED FOR LARGER DRIVER. SEAT TRACK FAILED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $2400. THIS OCCURRED AFTER ONLY 76,000 MILES OF USE.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11671292July 4, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The air conditioning condenser was damaged due to impact from a rock, resulting in a loss of cooling function. The damaged condenser is still installed in the vehicle and is available for inspection upon request. • How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The damage to the air condenser caused the air conditioning system to stop functioning, which posed a potential safety risk by reducing visibility due to fogging of windows and contributing to driver fatigue or discomfort during hot weather conditions. • Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes, the issue was confirmed by a certified service center. Upon inspection, they verified that a rock had punctured the air condenser, causing refrigerant loss and disabling the air conditioning system. • Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives, or others? The damage has been inspected by an independent service center. It has not yet been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives, but it is available for review if needed. • Were there any warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No warning lamps or messages appeared. The first symptom was a noticeable loss of cool air from the vents, which occurred immediately following the incident with the rock. Every mechanic I talk to says they see this all the time. Clearly this is a design flaw and should be a recall. This vehicle is supposed to be an off roading vehicle. How do rocks even get there and damage it? I have to use my insurance to cover this claim as my warranty won’t cover this damage.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11670787July 2, 2025
AIR BAGS
The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11670609July 1, 2025
AIR BAGS
The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Rav4. 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.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11670308June 30, 2025
VISIBILITY/WIPER
UKNOWN. The panoramic sunroof of my vehicle exploded unexpectedly while driving on the freeway and the glass shattered everywhere. There were no debris in sight that would cause the incident and the glass of the sunroof was facing outward when inspected seems to indicate that the breakage occurred from inside the vehicle. The shattered glass and shards caused minor injuries on myself and one other passenger. The 'explosion' caused the debris glass to have potentially hit surrounding cars on the freeway. The problem has been reported to the dealer but they denying any reoccurrences of this issue . The vehicle has not yet been inspected but has been reported to insurance. There were no other symptoms prior to the failure.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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