IllustrationObserved 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 fire risk.
2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all RAV4 Prime 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: 4 of 99 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.
- Electrical System. Review the 37 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Fuel/propulsion System. Review the 18 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes. Review the 16 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
12 crash reports1 fire reports3 injury reports
Fuel/propulsion System complaints
18 reportsA recall on this vehicle has not been addressed since it came out in July 2023
I was pulling into a parking space at a slow speed and breaking when my car accelerated violently and caused me to go across a median and strike another parked vehicle. Police came and did a report. I took my car right away to dealer and they had me take it to their collision shop to be repaired. They said they would try to find…
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I was pulling into a parking space at a slow speed and breaking when my car accelerated violently and caused me to go across a median and strike another parked vehicle. Police came and did a report. I took my car right away to dealer and they had me take it to their collision shop to be repaired. They said they would try to find the unintended acceleration problem after it was repaired. No warning lights or airbags.
Open recall for potential fire issue(DC to DC converter) is not being followed up on by Toyota.
Toyota issued a recall in July 2023 stating the the DC-DC conversion system may have been damaged in manufacture, potentially causing a short, and possibly leading to a fire if charged at less than 41 degrees. Toyota indicated that a fix would be available in the 4th quarter of 2023. We are nearing the end of the 4th quarter a…
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Toyota issued a recall in July 2023 stating the the DC-DC conversion system may have been damaged in manufacture, potentially causing a short, and possibly leading to a fire if charged at less than 41 degrees. Toyota indicated that a fix would be available in the 4th quarter of 2023. We are nearing the end of the 4th quarter and fix is still not available. Living in upstate New York, nighttime temperatures frequently are less than 41 degrees. As a result I am reluctant to charge overnight. This defeats the purpose of a plug-in hybrid, resulting in higher fuel costs and excess vehicle pollution, not to mention additional anxiety due to potential fire! This is an unreasonable period of time to wait for such a potentially serious defect.
There is a long-outstanding recall on the external charging system of this vehicle. Toyota delayed the original date of parts availability to 4th quarter 2023. There are no updates to the status of this recall or availability of the repair. I contacted Toyota corporate and they do not have the parts or an expected date and co…
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There is a long-outstanding recall on the external charging system of this vehicle. Toyota delayed the original date of parts availability to 4th quarter 2023. There are no updates to the status of this recall or availability of the repair. I contacted Toyota corporate and they do not have the parts or an expected date and could not offer a loaner vehicle of the same model. Worse yet, if they provided a loaner vehicle, they wanted me to leave my vehicle at a dealership for the entire time of the loaner - with no announced date for the recall repair. I also emailed the Chairman of Toyota directly, but have received no response. Since the risk of this defect is reported to occur at temperatures of 41 or less, it is imperative that Toyota make the parts/repair available immediately, as cold weather has arrived in the US. I request that you immediately contact the manufacturer and issue an update to this recall - hopefully including Toyota actually repairing the affected vehicles, rather than continuing to delay and exposing people and property to risk. It is becoming apparent that this issue may be without a remedy and absent an immediate repair announcement from Toyota, I suggest that you require Toyota to repurchase all of the affected vehicles at full new vehicle replacement cost.
When driving over small bumps while slowing down will cause the rear brakes to lock
When engaged, this system cannot tell the difference between traffic lanes/markings and groves on the road/lines separating different coasts of asphalt and will try to steer the vehicle following those lines. It constantly tries to drive the car into the medians
Car won't accelerate for about 1 to 2 seconds from stopped. Didn't have the issue before the 23TA01 recall performed at the Dealership.
Fuel tank does not appear to fill completely. After 10-11 gallons, the liquid may spill. In addition, fuel range on dashboard only registers 410-440 miles after filling. Because tank volume is 14.5 gallons and hybrid mileage is 38 mpg, this indicates only about 11 gallons in tank. Complete fuel fill should register over 500 mile…
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Fuel tank does not appear to fill completely. After 10-11 gallons, the liquid may spill. In addition, fuel range on dashboard only registers 410-440 miles after filling. Because tank volume is 14.5 gallons and hybrid mileage is 38 mpg, this indicates only about 11 gallons in tank. Complete fuel fill should register over 500 miles, even allowing for a reserve.
Official recalls
423V478000 · Electrical System:propulsion System:dc/dc Converter
Jul 12, 2023
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2021-2022 RAV4 Prime and 2022 Lexus NX450h+ plug-in hybrid electric (PHEV) vehicles. 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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A short circuit can cause the DC-DC converter to overheat, increasing the risk of a vehicle fire.
Remedy: Owners are advised not to charge their vehicles when the ambient air temperature is below or expected to drop below 41 degrees Fahrenheit (5 degrees Celsius). Dealers will replace the DC-DC converter, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 29, 2023. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 23TB07/23LB01.
23V041000 · Electrical System:propulsion System:hybrid Management:power Control Unit/module (hpcu)
Feb 2, 2023
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2021 RAV4 Prime Plug-In Hybrid vehicles. 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 is rapidly pressed to further accelerate the vehicle, resulting in a stall.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: An engine stall increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will update the HEV ECU software, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed February 27, 2023. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 23TA01.
22V239000 · Electronic Stability Control (esc):control Module:software
Apr 13, 2022
Toyota Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2022 Lexus LX 600, Lexus NX 350h, Lexus NX 450h+, Toytoa RAV4 Hybrid, 2021-2022 Lexus LS 500h, Toyota Mirai, RAV4 PRIME, Sienna, Venza, and 2020-2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid vehicles. The Skid Control ECU software may not turn on the Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) system when the vehicle is restarted after the driver has disabled the VSC system. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 126, "Electronic Stability Control Systems."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Driving with a deactivated stability control system increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will update the Skid Control ECU software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 27, 2022. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 22TA03. Lexus' number for this recall is 22LA01.
20V698000 · Exterior Lighting:headlights
Nov 12, 2020
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2021 RAV4 Prime vehicles. The headlight aiming caps may have been improperly closed, allowing for horizontal adjustment of the headlight beam. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Adjusting the horizontal headlight beam can increase glare, reducing the visibility of an oncoming driver or the vehicle operator, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will close the aiming caps on the headlights, free of charge. The recall began January 6, 2021. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 20TA15.
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
1DP22005 · Pedestrian Alert Sounds
Opened Jan 27, 2023 · Closed Aug 7, 2023
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Electrical System:propulsion System
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified NHTSA he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review of data, there is no justification for asserting potential benefits that could be derived from actions sought by my petition. Based on the petitioner's withdrawal, DP22-005 is closed. Closure of this DP does not represent a determination by NHTSA regarding the subject matter of the petition.