IllustrationCar 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
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.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all RAV4 years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
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
Wheels complaints
5 reportsManufacture r sold us a car with faulty Falcon tires. At 2.5 years 50K miles, tire blew out completely on highway, with no previous service warning duriing regular maintenance check-ups. Tires were problematic at less than 36K miles, but dealer did not mention anything other than a need to rotate and balance the tires.
there is no access to tpms data unless purchasing subscription from toyota to read the onboard computer where the data is readily available. this leaves a major safety feature is behind a paywall and should not be counted as installed as it does not work independantly.
I have been having continuous problems with the transmission jerking and slipping passengers can also feel this. I am also experiencing vibration in the steering when you get up to high speeds around 60-80 mph. The car also has a habit of lunging forward suddenly when the gas saver light goes off which can cause it to hit other …
Read full complaint
I have been having continuous problems with the transmission jerking and slipping passengers can also feel this. I am also experiencing vibration in the steering when you get up to high speeds around 60-80 mph. The car also has a habit of lunging forward suddenly when the gas saver light goes off which can cause it to hit other vehicles.
I RECENTLY PURCHASED A 2021 TOYOTA RAV4. THE FIRST WEEK I OWNED IT I EXPERIENCED A FLAT TIRE. WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO AIR IT UP THE VALVE STEM BROKE AND THE TIRE WENT COMPLETELY FLAT. THE VALVE STEM IS ONE UNIT AND CONNECTED TO THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM. I LEARNED THAT THE STEMS ARE MADE OF ALUMINUM AND SUBJECT TO BREA…
Read full complaint
I RECENTLY PURCHASED A 2021 TOYOTA RAV4. THE FIRST WEEK I OWNED IT I EXPERIENCED A FLAT TIRE. WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO AIR IT UP THE VALVE STEM BROKE AND THE TIRE WENT COMPLETELY FLAT. THE VALVE STEM IS ONE UNIT AND CONNECTED TO THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM. I LEARNED THAT THE STEMS ARE MADE OF ALUMINUM AND SUBJECT TO BREAKING DUE TO THE SOFT METAL. TOYOTA REFUSED TO COVER THE EXPENSE SAYING IT WAS DRIVER ERROR. THE TECHNICIAN AT THE SHOP WHERE THE TIRE WAS PLUGGED TOLD ME THIS HAPPENS QUITE A BIT. I WAS SHOCKED THAT TOYOTA WOULD INSTALL SUCH CHEAP METAL ON THEIR CARS. THIS IS A ROAD HAZARD AND CAN EASILY LEAVE ONE STRANDED. MY COST WAS NEARLY $300. THE BREAKAGE WAS NOT MY FAULT. IT WAS A PROBLEM OF SOFT ALUMINUM. I BELIEVE THESE STEMS SHOULD BE RECALLED AND REPLACED WITH HIGH QUALITY STEEL. THANK YOU.
Official recalls
123V865000 · 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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.