Motor Almanac

Toyota / RAV4 Prime / 2021

2021 Toyota Rav4 Prime

Family: RAV4 Prime · filed with NHTSA as RAV4 PRIME

Summary

  • Of the 79 complaints that name a component, 47% concern Electrical System (37).
  • These are complaint counts, not failure rates: they are not divided by how many cars were sold, because no public source reports U.S. sales by model year.
  • Not enough history to compare this year with the rest of its generation.
  • 4 recalls filed for this model year.
  • 1 federal defect investigation covers this model year.

At a glance

Owner complaints
99
Recalls
4
Investigations
1
NCAP overall
Not rated
Combined MPG
38
Annual fuel cost
$1,650
Median mileage at complaint
9,300 mi (n = 4)
Crashes / fires / injuries / deaths
12 / 1 / 5 / 0

What owners report

Electrical System

37 complaints · 47% of complaints that name a component

Owner report 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 w…
Owner report 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…

Fuel & Propulsion

18 complaints · 23% of complaints that name a component · median 909 mi (n = 2)

Owner report Open recall for potential fire issue(DC to DC converter) is not being followed up on by Toyota.
Owner report 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 d…

Brakes

16 complaints · 20% of complaints that name a component · median 9,300 mi (n = 1)

Owner report The car has a grinding sound and a brake slipping feeling that occurs while traveling and braking over rough pavement. It does not happen consistently, but it does happen fairly regularly (every 2-4 weeks). Note, the grinding sound can range from subtle to quite loud, depending on bump/timing of braking. This has been …
Owner report When braking and hitting a slight bump in the road or on a wet road it actually like my car is accelerating, seems to be a possible issue with the regenerative brake system and the antilock brake system software working together. Luckily i have not hit anyone, but this is a major safety flaw. Has happened multiple time…

20% of complaints name no specific component and are left out of the shares above.

Across the generation (2021–2024)

To compare years fairly, each year is counted over the same span: complaints received up to two calendar years after its model year. A year is compared only when that span is over and it holds at least 50 complaints.

Model yearAll complaintsFirst three yearsNote
20219961
20222215not compared
20236521not compared
20242929not compared

Recalls

Whether a recall has been fixed on a specific car depends on its VIN; check it at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

23V478000 · ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:DC/DC CONVERTER

Filed 2023-07-12 · 43,442 vehicles

Defect: 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.

Risk: 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)

Filed 2023-02-02 · 16,679 vehicles

Defect: 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.

Risk: 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

Filed 2022-04-13 · 458,110 vehicles

Defect: 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."

Risk: 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

Filed 2020-11-12 · 413 vehicles

Defect: 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."

Risk: 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.

Federal investigations

ActionComponentOpenedClosedRecall
DP22005ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM2023-01-272023-08-0722V063000

DP22005: Pedestrian alert sounds

Engines and fuel economy

VersionEngineTransmissionDriveCityHwyCombinedFuel cost / yr
RAV4 Prime 4WD2.5L 4cyl Plug-in HybridAutomatic (AV-S6)All-Wheel Drive403638$1650

Fuel cost is EPA's estimate at the fuel prices of its last update, not today's.

Crash test ratings (NCAP)

VariantOverallFrontalSideRollover
2021 Toyota RAV4 PRIME SUV AWDNot RatedNot RatedNot RatedNot Rated

Service bulletins

Toyota issued 192 service bulletins listed against this model year, most often about electrical system.

A bulletin tells dealers how to fix a known condition. It is not a recall and not a defect finding. Most bulletins cover several model years at once, so one listed here may not be specific to this year. The number of bulletins tracks how long and how widely a model was sold, so it is not a measure of reliability.

DateComponentSummary
2026-08-11ENGINEAlthough the flow shut-off valve is covered by Toyota’s New Vehicle Limited Warranty for 36 months or 36,000 miles (whichever comes first), we at Toyota care about the customers’ ownership experience. Toyota is providing coverage for repair…
2026-05-14ELECTRICAL SYSTEMAlthough 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’ ownership experience. Toy…
2026-02-27ENGINEOBSOLETE NOTICE February 27, 2026: This bulletin is no longer applicable and is now obsolete.
2026-01-30ELECTRICAL SYSTEMOBSOLETE NOTICE January 30, 2026: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see T-SB-0001-26.
2026-01-28ELECTRICAL SYSTEMSome 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.
2026-01-07UNKNOWN OR OTHERSome 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 purpose of this Serv…
2026-01-06ELECTRICAL SYSTEMAlthough 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’ ownership experience. Toy…
2025-12-02ENGINESome 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 Engine Control Module…
2025-09-25ELECTRICAL SYSTEMThe 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 housing and could cause co…
2025-09-24ELECTRICAL SYSTEMThe 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 housing and could cause co…

How to read this page

Complaint counts are not failure rates. A model that sells more cars draws more complaints, and owners file more often after news coverage or a recall. That is why this page compares a model year only with other years of the same generation, never with other models.

Each complaint is counted once, even when it names several components; a complaint that names several systems appears under each of them. Owner reports are quoted as filed and have not been verified by NHTSA or by us.

Every model year of this RAV4 Prime, including the ones without a page of their own, is listed on the Toyota RAV4 Prime model page.

Sources

  • NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation: complaints, recalls and investigations (bulk files, data as of 2026-10-28).
  • NHTSA New Car Assessment Program: crash test ratings.
  • U.S. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov: engines, transmissions and fuel economy.

MotorAlmanac is independent and not affiliated with NHTSA, EPA or any manufacturer. This page summarises public records; it is not a mechanical inspection. Before buying a used car, check its VIN for open recalls and have it inspected.