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2021 Toyota RAV4

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2021 Toyota RAV4 do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 258.5.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 72 of 385 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Air Bags. Review the 125 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 47 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 41 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

46 crash reports7 fire reports29 injury reports

Power Train complaints

22 reports
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Mileage unknown · Sep 13, 2026
EnginePower TrainSteering

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 subsequen…

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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 ODI #11763945

Mileage unknown · Aug 17, 2026
Electrical SystemEnginePower 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 …

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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 (one year ago) when the engine stopped when shifting from reverse to drive, I took it to Toyota service. Dealership diagnostics could not previously replicate the issue due to its intermittent nature and the absence of a permanent check engine code. checked battery and performed health check.

NHTSA ODI #11757462

Mileage unknown · Jul 23, 2026
EnginePower TrainUnknown Or Other

My 2021 Toyota RAV4 began experiencing intermittent shuddering and vibration at low speeds around May 2026. The condition occurred while accelerating from a stop or at slow speeds and became more frequent over time. Because the problem was intermittent, the dealership was initially unable to duplicate it. Independent inspection …

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My 2021 Toyota RAV4 began experiencing intermittent shuddering and vibration at low speeds around May 2026. The condition occurred while accelerating from a stop or at slow speeds and became more frequent over time. Because the problem was intermittent, the dealership was initially unable to duplicate it. Independent inspection later found dark transmission fluid containing metal debris, indicating internal transmission failure. I was informed the transmission requires replacement or rebuild. My vehicle has approximately 94,000 miles, which is well below the expected service life of a modern transmission. The symptoms are consistent with numerous reported complaints involving Toyota’s UA80 automatic transmission and torque converter. An unexpected loss of smooth power delivery or hesitation during acceleration creates a potential safety risk, particularly when entering traffic or crossing intersections. I am submitting this complaint so NHTSA can investigate as this is a very dangerous and concearning issue.

NHTSA ODI #11752345

Mileage unknown · May 27, 2026
Latches/locks/linkagesPower Train

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 th…

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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.

NHTSA ODI #11740401

Mileage unknown · May 13, 2026
Electrical SystemPower TrainWheels

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

NHTSA ODI #11737608

Mileage unknown · May 6, 2026
Power Train

Transmission failed at 105,000 miles Quotes to replace $8000

NHTSA ODI #11735971

Mileage unknown · Mar 12, 2026
Electrical SystemForward Collision AvoidancePower Train

My Toyota hybrid AWD vehicle experienced corrosion of the rear traction motor cable, which Toyota has acknowledged in Service Campaign 25TD01. This corrosion affects the electrical connection to the rear drive motor and can result in loss of AWD propulsion capability. Loss of rear-wheel propulsion significantly reduces traction …

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My Toyota hybrid AWD vehicle experienced corrosion of the rear traction motor cable, which Toyota has acknowledged in Service Campaign 25TD01. This corrosion affects the electrical connection to the rear drive motor and can result in loss of AWD propulsion capability. Loss of rear-wheel propulsion significantly reduces traction and stability, particularly in snow, ice, and wet conditions. Drivers may believe the vehicle still has AWD capability when in fact the rear drive system is compromised. In addition, the vehicle’s adaptive cruise control system repeatedly turned off unexpectedly while driving and displayed “unavailable” warnings. These malfunctions occurred alongside the electrical issues related to the rear traction motor cable corrosion, suggesting the defect may affect multiple vehicle systems. Toyota has acknowledged this defect through Service Campaign 25TD01 but has not issued a safety recall. Given the potential for loss of propulsion and malfunction of driver-assistance systems, this issue should be investigated as a safety defect.

NHTSA ODI #11723795

Mileage unknown · Mar 8, 2026
Power Train

The entire transmission failed according to the Toyota Service Center in Hyannis, MA. My vehicle is only 5 years old, only has 42,245 miles, no history of any accidents, I am the only owner, and had regular and consistent service. My vehicle is available for inspection. I am now part of the class action lawsuit against Toyota fo…

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The entire transmission failed according to the Toyota Service Center in Hyannis, MA. My vehicle is only 5 years old, only has 42,245 miles, no history of any accidents, I am the only owner, and had regular and consistent service. My vehicle is available for inspection. I am now part of the class action lawsuit against Toyota for knowingly selling cars with the defect in the UA80 8-speed automatic transmissions and torque converters. The transmission failed while I was on the road driving, which could have been a potentially very dangerous situation. The vehicle was inspected by the independant Ira Toyota Service Center of Hyannis. There were 5 different warning lights that suddenly came on while I was driving, and I immediately went straight to the nearest Toyota center as soon as the lights came on. Apparently, according to the class action lawsuit, engineers warned Toyota about the flaws in the UA80 8-speed automatic transmissions and torque converters, but they sold vehicles with them anyway. I am not the only victim. I informed toyota of the issue, but they will not repair it. Here is information about the class action lawsuit that many others are part of now too: [XXX] Here is another lawsuit in NJ for the same issue: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI #11722853

Mileage unknown · Jan 21, 2026
Electrical SystemPower TrainSteering

‘Voltage abnormality, power steering low’ error message has appeared three separate times. All while vehicle is idle at stop light or parked, last incident car was unable to restart immediately. All dashboard lights came on, including message saying parking hold unavailable. Mechanic confirmed no issues with 12v battery health…

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‘Voltage abnormality, power steering low’ error message has appeared three separate times. All while vehicle is idle at stop light or parked, last incident car was unable to restart immediately. All dashboard lights came on, including message saying parking hold unavailable. Mechanic confirmed no issues with 12v battery health and unable to recreate issue. Loss of power is risk to safety, possible draining of battery due to unknown issue

NHTSA ODI #11712564

67,314 miles · Nov 12, 2025
EnginePower Train

The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while her daughter was dropping her off, the daughter shifted to park(P), and the vehicle made an abnormal static sound. The contact stated that the failure recurred upon shifting to drive(D). There was no warning light illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated tha…

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The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while her daughter was dropping her off, the daughter shifted to park(P), and the vehicle made an abnormal static sound. The contact stated that the failure recurred upon shifting to drive(D). There was no warning light illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine. An independent auto electrician was contacted and informed the contact that the abnormal sounds could be related to an engine failure; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the contact was informed that no failure was found. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 67,314.

NHTSA ODI #11699009

Official recalls

1

23V865000 · Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification

Dec 20, 2023

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.

Consequence & remedy

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

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.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.

Go deeper into Toyota RAV4 problems