2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime problems & reliability
98 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime, alongside 4 safety recall campaigns. 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.
3 complaints report injuries (5 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime vehicles were involved in 9 fatal crashes with 2 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 37 | 38% |
| Unknown OR Other | 23 | 23% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 18 | 18% |
| Service Brakes | 16 | 16% |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 10 | 10% |
| Air Bags | 5 | 5% |
| Power Train | 5 | 5% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 4 | 4% |
| Engine | 3 | 3% |
| Visibility/wiper | 3 | 3% |
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
“Observed arcing noises and strong electrical fire smell upon plugging in L2 EVSE charging cable. MIL lit, Hybrid Vehicle Charging System codes active; vehicle refused to charge afterwards. Self-diagnosed and repaired defective 6.6 kW onboard charger. See pics of clear arcing damage withing charging unit - possible…”
Electrical System · filed Jun 7, 2026
“Something needs to be done because Toyota is stalling on sending out a critical safety component that has been recalled in thousands of vehicles. It is the HV floor wire connector, when the corrosion is beyond repair, the parts have been back ordered for months. Toyota and dealerships are not approving loaner…”
Unknown OR Other · filed May 22, 2026
“Random windshield crack that appeared out of no where when leaving work. 4 hour time span of video shows no foul play, nobody was mowing the yard. No way anything hit it - I confirmed. Crack started to expand up and out both ways. Can run my finger along the entire crack without any surface impacts or bumps felt…”
Visibility/wiper · filed May 5, 2026
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
191 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime. 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 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
Some 2021 – 2025 model year RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid and RAV4 Prime vehicles may exhibit a MIL ON condition with Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) P019064 (Fuel Rail Pressure Sensor “A” Signal Plausibility Failure) present. The…
T-SB-0089-25 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 2, 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 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 Prime has 4 NHTSA recall campaigns — 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 Prime?
- · 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.