Car · Toyota problems

2021 Toyota RAV4 problems

389 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2021 Toyota RAV4. The most reported area is air bags (32% of them). NHTSA also lists 104 service bulletins and 5 recall campaigns.

Counts are what owners told NHTSA, as filed. NHTSA does not confirm each report, and a complaint is not proof of a cause. Injuries: 49. Deaths: 0.

Complaints by area

Each bar is the share of this model year's 389 complaints that name that area. A complaint can name more than one area, so the shares add up to more than 100%.

• Air bags125 · 32%
• Other or unknown75 · 19%
• Electrical system47 · 12%
• Engine and engine cooling41 · 11%
• Visibility and wipers31 · 8%
• Fuel system24 · 6%
• Power train (transmission and drive)23 · 6%
• Body and structure21 · 5%

15 smaller areas not shown (136 complaints in total).

Do not compare models by these numbers. NHTSA has no sales count for each model, so a model with more complaints may just have sold more cars. Use them to see which areas owners write about, not to rank cars.

Service bulletins

NHTSA's database lists 104 repair bulletins from Toyota for the 2021 Toyota RAV4. A bulletin is a repair instruction sent to dealers. It is not a recall and does not mean your car is covered. The 8 newest:

1. 24TE04Received September 9, 2026

   Engine and engine cooling

   Although the flow shut-off valve is covered by Toyota's New Vehicle Limited Warranty for 36 months or 36,000 miles (whichever comes first), we at Toyota care about the customers' ownership experience.

2. T-SB-0023-26Received May 8, 2026

   Engine and engine cooling

   Some customers may experience a rough running engine with a MIL ON P140018 DTC.

3. T-SB-0104-21 Rev2Received March 7, 2026

   Engine and engine cooling

   OBSOLETE NOTICE February 27, 2026: This bulletin is no longer applicable and is now obsolete.

4. T-SB-0001-26Received February 11, 2026

   Electrical system

   Some 2018 - 2024 model year Toyota vehicles equipped with a Premium Audio with Dynamic Navigation System require a Special Service Tool (SST) USB flash drive to update the map, points of interest...

5. T-SB-0055-24 Rev2Received February 11, 2026

   Some 2005 - 2026 Toyota vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present.

6. T-SB-0106-22 Rev2Received February 11, 2026

   Electrical system

   OBSOLETE NOTICE January 30, 2026: This bulletin is now obsolete.

7. T-TT-0797-26Received February 11, 2026

   Electrical system

   Some RAV4 vehicles power seat where the automatic seat adjustment by the memory function does not work.

8. 22TE09Received October 8, 2025

   Electrical system

   Although the HV Floor Under Wire Harness and Rear Traction Motor Cable is covered by Toyota's New Vehicle Limited Warranty for 3 years or 36,000 miles (whichever comes first), we at Toyota care...

Recalls

NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns for the 2021 Toyota RAV4. Recall repairs are free at a Toyota dealer. The 3 to look at first:

1. 23V865000December 20, 2023

   Air bags

   A short circuit may develop in the Occupant Classification System (OCS) sensor, preventing the front passenger air bag from deploying.

2. 23V478000July 12, 2023

   Electrical system

   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.

3. 23V041000February 2, 2023

   Electrical system

   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...

See all 5 recalls for the 2021 Toyota RAV4, or check your VIN below to see which are open on your car.

Common repairs in this area (not a diagnosis)

These are repair jobs that sit in the areas owners report most. A complaint may need a diagnosis first: the same symptom can come from many causes, and a serious one such as engine failure is not fixed by a cheap part. They are not a forecast of what your RAV4 will need. Ranges are US estimates for all makes.

Start with a diagnosis

• Diagnostic scan (check engine light)$55 to $250

Air bags 125 complaints · 32%

• Airbag clockspring replacement$230 to $670
• Airbag / occupant sensor replacement$220 to $750

Electrical system 47 complaints · 12%

• Battery replacement$150 to $470
• Alternator replacement$360 to $930
• Starter replacement$280 to $740
• Battery cable replacement$100 to $340

Engine and engine cooling 41 complaints · 11%

No repair price here: this area usually needs a diagnosis first. A diagnostic scan (check engine light) runs $55 to $250.

Fuel system 24 complaints · 6%

• Fuel pump replacement$370 to $1,075
• Fuel injector replacement (one injector)$170 to $820
• EVAP purge valve replacement$80 to $240
• Gas cap replacement$5 to $95

Check a quote you got

Check your VIN

Complaints and bulletins cover a whole model year. Only the VIN shows what is open on your car.

By VIN By year, make and model

VIN (17 characters, on the dashboard by the windshield or the driver door jamb)

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Recall and complaint data comes from NHTSA, the US government's vehicle safety agency, and is cached for up to a day. Recall repairs at a dealer are free. A recall that is not listed may not apply to your car or may not be filed yet. Check nhtsa.gov/recalls too.

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2021 Toyota RAV4: questions

What are the most common problems on the 2021 Toyota RAV4?

Of the 389 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2021 Toyota RAV4, 125 (32%) name air bags, and 47 (12%) name electrical system. A complaint can list more than one area, so the shares add up to more than 100%. These are owner reports, not proven causes.

Is the 2021 Toyota RAV4 reliable?

These numbers cannot say. NHTSA complaints have no sales count to compare against, so a high number on one model does not mean it fails more than another. Use them to see which areas owners write about, then check your own VIN for open recalls.

Do these complaints include crashes or fires?

Owners marked 47 of the 389 complaints as involving a crash and 7 as involving a fire. They also reported 49 injuries and 0 deaths. NHTSA records these as the owner reports them and does not confirm each one.

How many recalls does the 2021 Toyota RAV4 have?

NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns for the 2021 Toyota RAV4. Recall repairs are free at a Toyota dealer. Enter your VIN to see which ones are open on your car.

What is a service bulletin?

A service bulletin is a repair instruction a maker sends to its dealers. It is not a recall, and it does not mean your car is covered. NHTSA lists 104 repair bulletins for the 2021 Toyota RAV4.

More

• 2020 RAV4 problems
• 2019 RAV4 problems
• 2018 RAV4 problems
• 2017 RAV4 problems
• 2016 RAV4 problems
• 2015 RAV4 problems
• 2013 RAV4 problems
• 2012 RAV4 problems
• 2011 RAV4 problems
• 2010 RAV4 problems
• 2021 recalls
• All Toyota recalls
• Toyota problems by model
• Check-engine codes

Sources

• NHTSA complaint and technical service bulletin files, checked October 29, 2026
• NHTSA recalls

Complaint, bulletin and recall counts come from NHTSA as filed. Repair prices are estimates from our own ranges. Not a repair shop, estimates only.