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
What owners actually said
99 reports
Mileage unknown · Aug 1, 2025
Unknown Or OtherCrash
On July 24th, I experienced sudden unexpected acceleration with my 2021 Toyota Rav4 Prime XSE (41,600 miles) while driving in the electric mode. I was lining myself up to reverse into my garage and as I paused to switch gears to reverse, the car suddenly accelerated full-speed towards my neighbor's house. I slammed the brakes …
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On July 24th, I experienced sudden unexpected acceleration with my 2021 Toyota Rav4 Prime XSE (41,600 miles) while driving in the electric mode. I was lining myself up to reverse into my garage and as I paused to switch gears to reverse, the car suddenly accelerated full-speed towards my neighbor's house. I slammed the brakes but that had little effect. The car slammed into the house, through the garage door and my car was only stopped when hitting an SUV parked in the garage, pushing it forward about 2 feet. No air bags were deployed, the collision detection system on the vehicle did not seem to work and tire marks from my braking were visible from the middle of the road. I have found a number of very similar incidents with Toyota cars described online. Cars were often turning into parking spaces at slow speeds and ended up accelerating into lamp posts or buildings. If there hadn't been a car parked in the garage, I can't imagine what might have happened as the car was probably going 35 mph+ upon impact. There were no warning lights and the collision shop informed me that there were no diagnostic codes when they downloaded the computer.
NHTSA ODI #11677891
Mileage unknown · Jan 8, 2025
Air BagsForward Collision AvoidanceService BrakesCrash
Upon entering a light controlled intersection at a relatively slow speed (probably less than 20 mph} on wet pavement, an oncoming car suddenly made a left turn directly in front of me. I applied the applied the breaks hard and slid into the passenger side of the turning vehicle. The ABS system did not function. The air bag did…
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Upon entering a light controlled intersection at a relatively slow speed (probably less than 20 mph} on wet pavement, an oncoming car suddenly made a left turn directly in front of me. I applied the applied the breaks hard and slid into the passenger side of the turning vehicle. The ABS system did not function. The air bag did not deploy. At the moment of the collision my speed was reduced and I do not know the threshold for airbags to deploy, but this was a direct front end collision. I was able to brace myself and was not injured. I am not claiming the airbag malfunctioned as the speed at the moment of impact was not high. However, I have complained to the Toyota dealer service department almost since the car was new, that the ABS does not function. They have repeatedly told me that it is fully operational based only on the fact that the system registers as "on." Being "on" does not mean it is functioning. Questions: What component failed? ABS and possibly airbag How was my safety at risk? Non functioning ABS resulting in a potentially preventable accident Has the problem been confirmed? Yes, byt the dealer though they claim the sliding of the car is due to old tires. However, the tires are withing the legal limist for tread depth and I have complained about the problem since the car and the tires were nearly new. Has the vehicle been inspected? yes, byt the Toyota dealer and an independent Toyota crash inspector Were there any warning lights etc? No
NHTSA ODI #11634802
Mileage unknown · Dec 26, 2024
Unknown Or Other
2021 Toyota Rav4 Prime, 69K miles ***** On [XXX] while driving at highway speeds, many warning messages began to scroll across the display. The gas pedal immediately became unresponsive. The power steering stopped working. The car was unable to be stopped with the brake pedal, and it had to be allowed to coast stop. ***** …
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2021 Toyota Rav4 Prime, 69K miles ***** On [XXX] while driving at highway speeds, many warning messages began to scroll across the display. The gas pedal immediately became unresponsive. The power steering stopped working. The car was unable to be stopped with the brake pedal, and it had to be allowed to coast stop. ***** The car was then towed to Fred Anderson Toyota in Asheville, NC. The service advisor refused to scan the codes and said that all I needed to do was change the battery. I purchased a battery from Fred Anderson and changed it myself. The car turned on without any warning lights. ***** I started driving the car home. After approximately 45 minutes of driving, while at highway speed, the same dangerous situation occurred: Many warning messages began to scroll across the display. The gas pedal immediately became unresponsive. The power steering stopped working. I was unable to stop the car with the brake pedal, and it had to be allowed to coast stop. ***** Twice that same day, this vehicle lost all power and turned off power steering and braking without any prior warning. [XXX] that nobody was injured during either occurrence that day.
NHTSA ODI #11632431
Mileage unknown · Oct 24, 2024
Air BagsForward Collision AvoidanceService BrakesCrash
MY [XXX] ’S) SUDDEN ACCELERATION INCIDENT [XXX] - TOYOTA RAV4 2021: I was gliding into a parking space with my foot on the brake and as I went to straighten out the wheel to come to a full stop the car lurched forward full speed and smashed into the car parked in the row that was facing me. Good thing there was no one in that…
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MY [XXX] ’S) SUDDEN ACCELERATION INCIDENT [XXX] - TOYOTA RAV4 2021: I was gliding into a parking space with my foot on the brake and as I went to straighten out the wheel to come to a full stop the car lurched forward full speed and smashed into the car parked in the row that was facing me. Good thing there was no one in that car, it had been backed in so I hit the rear end of it. The damage is so extensive it is beyond comprehension. My airbags did not deploy, which they should have. I saw that the ‘malfunction brake’ orange light was illuminated as I went crashing into the parked car and could not believe that the automatic anti-collision brake system failed - it was as if the car was possessed and the scariest thing ever. Towed to the dealer I bought it from. I have now read all of these other incidents that are the same as mine and this is no joke. We all could have been killed and there are people that most likely have been that have never been reported. I have been driving for over 40 years and have never experienced anything like it. Computers and software have glitches all the time, and if Toyota does not do something about this that means they do not care if their customers die. That makes them murderers. I loved my RAV4 more than anything, it is an eplugin hybrid and the best! I would/will never drive that car again, ever, and I am going to see to it that Toyota Corp, who is liable, reimburses me every penny I spent on that car, plus any legal fees and hourly wages for how much time I now have to spend on dealing with this whole thing, one of which is having to prove to my insurance company that this was NOT my fault so my rates do not go up! The dealer paid off my lease and never made me come pick up the car as I never had it fixed. Of course my insurance went up as they had to pay the damage to the other car! I now have filed a small claim with my local court to recoup the money for increase in insurance, deposit for Rav4 INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT
NHTSA ODI #11621836
Mileage unknown · Oct 7, 2024
Electrical System
I was driving along an expressway on a rainy night. The plug-in hybrid car was operating on battery power. Suddenly the motor went dead and it slowed to a stop. This was very dangerous because the expressway traffic had to swerve around me. I may have seen a hybrid system malfunction warning on the display, but I was so dist…
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I was driving along an expressway on a rainy night. The plug-in hybrid car was operating on battery power. Suddenly the motor went dead and it slowed to a stop. This was very dangerous because the expressway traffic had to swerve around me. I may have seen a hybrid system malfunction warning on the display, but I was so distraught that I didn't think to take a photo. After about 5 minutes, I was able to start the car and drive away. The Toyota dealer examined the car later and could find nothing wrong.
NHTSA ODI #11618481
Mileage unknown · Jul 31, 2024
Unknown Or Other
Spontaneous Shattering of Sunroof Glass while driving While driving westbound on [XXX] near Cambridge, Ohio at approximately 6:05 PM my wife and I heard what sounded like an explosion or shotgun blast on the roof of the car. We had a Thule cargo box on top, so my immediate reaction was it has blown open. I pulled off the road…
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Spontaneous Shattering of Sunroof Glass while driving While driving westbound on [XXX] near Cambridge, Ohio at approximately 6:05 PM my wife and I heard what sounded like an explosion or shotgun blast on the roof of the car. We had a Thule cargo box on top, so my immediate reaction was it has blown open. I pulled off the road and opened the shade to the sunroof to see if the Thule box was damaged. It wasn't the box, it was the glass of the sunroof, which had spontaneously shattered. Pieces of glass rained down on us. Thankfully, the shade was closed, or, as the driver I would have been showered with glass while driving at 65 mph. Had we been in traffic when the explosive shattering of the glass occurred, this would have made it a dangerous event. Further, had we not had the shade closed, we would have been showered with glass fragments. There was no obvious cause. No cars were in front of us to have thrown up a rock. The Thule cargo box protected the glass from something falling from the sky. The only cause could be the glass spontaneously shattered. I had cleaned the car prior to our departure. I cleaned all of the glass surfaces, including the sunroof. There were no marks, visible damage, or scratches visible. I tried to take the car to a Toyota dealer in Oshkosh, WI, but they were unable to see me. When we returned to Maryland, I took it to Jim Coleman Toyota. I explained what had occurred and gave them photos. The information was sent to Toyota and they declined to cover the sunroof. I did a quick search after the incident and learned that this is not the first case of the sunroof glass of a 2021 RAV4 has spontaneously shattered. Toyota refuses to accept that the glass may have a manufacturing defect. The Toyota dealer estimates the cost of repair to be about $1900 and I have filed a claim against my USAA auto insurance. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA ODI #11605684
Mileage unknown · May 21, 2024
Air BagsForward Collision AvoidanceService BrakesCrash
My 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime had traction control, braking issues and failure to warn in the event of a possible forward collision. On a few occasions the brakes seem to just slide and the car would keep moving. Last week I was in an accident and the emergency braking system, the forward collision warning system and all the air bag…
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My 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime had traction control, braking issues and failure to warn in the event of a possible forward collision. On a few occasions the brakes seem to just slide and the car would keep moving. Last week I was in an accident and the emergency braking system, the forward collision warning system and all the air bags failed. The California Highway Patrol was surprised that even though the estimation collision speed was 60 mph the air bags did not deploy. I would have not had a chance to test out the air bags, emergency braking system or the forward collision warning prior to the accident.
NHTSA ODI #11590033
Mileage unknown · May 15, 2024
Back Over PreventionForward Collision AvoidanceVehicle Speed ControlCrash
I was driving very slowly in my driveway. I turned to enter my garage. As I put my foot on the break, the car accelerated crashing into my house. There was sudden unexplained and unintended acceleration on my RAV4 prime.
NHTSA ODI #11588930
Mileage unknown · May 10, 2024
Electrical System
The manufacturer issued a recall 10 months ago warning of an electrical charging system issue. They still do not have replacement part available for dealers to repair/replace this. We paid $50,000 for a plug in vehicle that could potentially overheat and catch fire inside our garage. The manufacturer has not provided a repair in…
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The manufacturer issued a recall 10 months ago warning of an electrical charging system issue. They still do not have replacement part available for dealers to repair/replace this. We paid $50,000 for a plug in vehicle that could potentially overheat and catch fire inside our garage. The manufacturer has not provided a repair in a reasonable amount of time.
NHTSA ODI #11588041
Mileage unknown · Apr 24, 2024
Electrical SystemPower Train
The manufacturer has not corrected the recall in 10 months
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.
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.
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.
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
1
DP22005 · 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.
2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime Problems, Complaints & Recalls | Skip That Year