2021 Toyota RAV4 Recalls, Ratings & Complaints

Incident: October 22, 2026 · Filed: October 22, 2026

I have had several intermittent occasions over the past 3-4 years where the brakes do not stop the vehicle when depressed. I can feel something through the brakes pedal, but cannot explain what it is. So far, I have been able to avoid any accidents, but the infrequency makes it impossible to determine if it is going to happen.

Incident: August 1, 2026 · Filed: October 21, 2026

The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50 MPH, the transmission failed to function properly. The contact stated that there was an abnormal sound coming from the transmission while shifting from fourth to fifth gear. The transmission was whining while accelerating and decelerating. The contact was concerned about metal flakes inside the engine. The contact called a service center to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 89,000.

Incident: September 12, 2026 · Filed: September 25, 2026

While changing lanes in my 2021 Toyota RAV4 with my turn signal activated, the Lane Departure Alert / Lane Tracing Assist system applied an unexpected steering input that pulled my vehicle directly into a Jersey barrier, resulting in physical contact with the barrier. I was intentionally and safely moving into the adjacent lane when the system intervened abruptly and steered my vehicle toward the barrier. My speed was approximately 55 - 60 mph. The weather was rainy off and on but not raining at the time. The road surface was damp. The lane markings were clear and no dashboard warnings appeared prior to the steering event. I had my blinker on and was actively changing lanes. The lane‑assist system should not have intervened during a deliberate lane change, yet it applied a strong steering correction that overpowered my input. I attempted to counter‑steer, but the system’s force caused my vehicle to strike the barrier. My vehicle made contact with the Jersey barrier, causing damage to the driver’s side of my vehicle. The unexpected steering input created a sudden loss of control and a dangerous situation that could have resulted in a more severe crash. I am aware of other 2021 RAV4 owners reporting similar unintended steering behavior with lane‑assist systems, including steering toward barriers or roadside objects. This appears to be a recurring safety defect involving the vehicle’s lane‑keeping functionality. A lane‑assist system overriding a driver‑initiated lane change, especially with the turn signal activated, and steering the vehicle into a fixed object presents a serious risk of injury or death.

Incident: September 18, 2026 · Filed: September 23, 2026

Coolant bypass valve but toyota of richardson said the csp does not cover it. My engine maintenance required pop up on my dashboard

Incident: September 3, 2026 · Filed: September 13, 2026

2021 Toyota RAV4 gas XXX Vehicle suddenly stopped while driving Busy roadway in [XXX] Wife and young children were passengers Dashboard displayed “ENGINE STOPPED” Dashboard displayed “STEERING POWER LOW” Police responded Police determined waiting for the insurance tow was unsafe Police arranged emergency towing Vehicle subsequently inspected by Beaver Toyota Dealer drove approximately 26 miles attempting to reproduce the issue No fault code/history found Problem could not be reproduced You remain concerned about a potentially recurring safety defect INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Incident: July 3, 2026 · Filed: September 13, 2026

I am reporting a serious safety concern involving the sunroof glass on my 2021 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid Limited AWD. On July 3, 2026, at approximately 37,350 miles, I was driving the vehicle when the entire sunroof glass suddenly and catastrophically shattered. There was no traffic around me, there was no debris in the roadway, I was not traveling under an overpass, and I am not aware of any impact or other event that could have caused the glass to break. The failure was completely unexpected. I heard a very, very loud sound, similar to a gunshot. Immediately afterward, the entire sunroof glass had shattered into small granules. A very small piece of shattered glass also flew off the vehicle. I was able to quickly close the interior sunroof visor, which fortunately prevented the majority of the shattered glass from falling into the passenger compartment and prevented injury. There was nevertheless some glass that fell into the roof liner. I immediately contacted my insurance company and the car was towed to my Toyota dealership. The sunroof was replaced with a Toyota original part and the replacement was paid by my insurance company. This incident created a significant safety hazard because the sunroof glass failed suddenly and violently while the vehicle was being driven. The extremely loud explosion-like sound and the sudden loss of the sunroof glass could cause a driver to lose control of the vehicle or could result in glass striking occupants. In this instance, I was fortunate that the visor was closed quickly and that there was no surrounding traffic. I believe NHTSA should investigate whether there is a defect or other safety-related problem with the sunroof glass or its installation in this vehicle, particularly if similar spontaneous breakage incidents have occurred in other Toyota RAV4 vehicles. I am reporting this incident because the glass appeared to fail spontaneously, without an apparent collision, road debris, overpass, or other external impact.

Incident: September 5, 2026 · Filed: September 5, 2026

I have a faulty coolant bypass valve on my 2021 Toyota RAV4. Every time I turn on the air conditioning the service engine required comes up on my notifications a known recall problem for Toyota RAV4’s of this year

Incident: August 16, 2026 · Filed: August 17, 2026

2021 Toyota RAV4 (gas model) has experienced a sudden, unexpected engine stall/shutdown on a public road. The incident occurred while shifting into Drive after backing up in reverse. The engine immediately died without any prior dashboard warning lights or mechanical symptoms. The information screen displayed a message stating "Put Car in Park" or "Shift into Park." The vehicle safely restarted immediately after shifting back into Park and pressing the ignition button. This intermittent stall has happened three times under the exact same directional shifting conditions over the last 1.5 years, creating a high-risk scenario for a rear-end collision in active traffic. After previous incident (one year ago) when the engine stopped when shifting from reverse to drive, I took it to Toyota service. Dealership diagnostics could not previously replicate the issue due to its intermittent nature and the absence of a permanent check engine code. checked battery and performed health check.

Incident: August 10, 2026 · Filed: August 10, 2026

The driver’s seat adjustment mechanism failed and the seat became stuck, unable to move forward or backward. We initially went to a Toyota dealership and told them we believed the issue was a broken gear in the seat rail assembly. The dealership stated they needed to complete their own diagnostic assessment before proceeding, which would cost approximately $275 and add delay, despite already being told the likely cause. We instead took the vehicle to an independent mechanic, who confirmed the cause was a broken gear/synchronizing mechanism in the seat rail assembly. The mechanic confirmed that Toyota is the only source for this replacement part — it is not available from third-party or aftermarket suppliers — and has ordered the part directly from Toyota, at a cost of approximately $1,500, to install himself. This creates a safety risk because the driver is unable to adjust the seat position to reach the pedals and steering wheel properly, and cannot reposition the seat in the event of an emergency requiring rapid exit from the vehicle. Seating position also affects airbag deployment safety, since proper occupant positioning relative to the airbag is a factor in crash protection. There were no dashboard warning lights or error messages prior to the failure. The seat simply stopped moving on one side during normal, everyday adjustment. This appears to be a widespread and recurring issue rather than an isolated incident. Numerous other owners of 2019–2024 Toyota RAV4 vehicles have reported the identical failure — a broken gear in the seat rail mechanism — on Toyota owner forums and online community discussions, many describing the same high repair cost tied to the fact that only Toyota sells the necessary part. The vehicle is a 2021 Toyota RAV4 with approximately 56,000 miles at the time of failure. The component is available for inspection upon request.

Incident: July 31, 2026 · Filed: July 31, 2026

The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front driver’s seat became stuck. No warning lights were illuminated. The failure reoccurred on several occasions. The contact stated that water was leaking into the vehicle from the front driver’s and passenger sides, causing puddles of water in the front driver’s and passenger’s seats with an abnormal odor. The contact stated that the leak was near the bolts and screws. The failure reoccurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who advised that the water leak could not be repaired and that the condition was unsafe. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the A/C system and several other unknown components needed to be replaced. The dealer stated that the vehicle was out of warranty. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.