2021 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid problems & reliability
22 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2021 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Air Bags → | 17 | 77% |
| Electrical System | 2 | 9% |
| Lane Departure | 1 | 5% |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 5% |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 5% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 1 | 5% |
| Traction Control System | 1 | 5% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 5% |
| Visibility | 1 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“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…”
Latches/locks/linkages · filed May 15, 2026
“The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Rav4 Hybrid. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (AIR BAGS); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made…”
Air Bags · filed Apr 29, 2025
“The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Rav4 Hybrid. 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…”
Air Bags · filed Apr 24, 2025
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Pedestrian alert sounds
Defect Petition DP22005 · opened Jan 27, 2023 · closed Aug 7, 2023 · led to recall 22V063000
Technical service bulletins
159 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2021 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid. The 10 most recent:
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 about the customers’…
22TE09 · Warranty Program/Extension · issued May 14, 2026
OBSOLETE NOTICE February 27, 2026: This bulletin is no longer applicable and is now obsolete.
T-SB-0104-21 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 27, 2026
OBSOLETE NOTICE January 30, 2026: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see T-SB-0001-26.
T-SB-0106-22 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 30, 2026
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, and system software.
T-SB-0001-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 28, 2026
Some RAV4 vehicles power seat where the automatic seat adjustment by the memory function does not work.
T-TT-0797-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 12, 2026
Some 2005 – 2026 Toyota vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. The…
T-SB-0055-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 7, 2026
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 about the customers’…
22TE09 · Warranty Program/Extension · issued Jan 6, 2026
The subject vehicles are equipped with a rear motor unit and an HV Floor Under Wire that provide high voltage to operate the motor. Mud, water, or road salt could potentially enter the HV Floor Underwire connector…
25TD01 · Service Campaign · issued Sep 25, 2025
Technical instructions for 25td01 rear traction motor cable corrosion certain 2019 - 2024 rav4 hv (awd), 2021- 2024 rav4 prime, 2020-2024 highlander hv (awd), 2021-2024 venza hv, 2023-2024 crown hv vehicles
25TD01 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 24, 2025
The subject vehicles are equipped with a rear motor unit and an HV Floor Under Wire that provide high voltage to operate the motor. Mud, water, or road salt could potentially enter the HV Floor Underwire connector…
25TD01 · Service Campaign · issued Sep 24, 2025
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2021 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2021 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.