2021 Toyota RAV4 problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
383 owner complaints analyzed
1 distinct recall campaigns
15,950 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2021 model year. Data snapshot: . 72 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Air Bags is the most frequently named component, appearing in 125 of 383 complaints (32.6%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Steering behavior | 38 | 9.9% |
| Braking behavior | 35 | 9.1% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 29 | 7.6% |
| Fuel system concerns | 13 | 3.4% |
| Transmission and shifting | 12 | 3.1% |
| Engine operation | 6 | 1.6% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Air Bags | 125 |
| Unknown Or Other | 73 |
| Electrical System | 46 |
| Engine | 40 |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 21 |
| Power Train | 20 |
| Service Brakes | 20 |
| Visibility/Wiper | 19 |
Air Bags: 125; Unknown Or Other: 73; Electrical System: 46; Engine: 40; Fuel/Propulsion System: 21; Power Train: 20; Service Brakes: 20; Visibility/Wiper: 19
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 41 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 16 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 12 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 2 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 1 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 41; 25,000 to 49,999: 16; 50,000 to 74,999: 12; 75,000 to 99,999: 2; 100,000 to 149,999: 1; 150,000 and above: 0
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (41). 311 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 5 |
| 2021 | 38 |
| 2022 | 48 |
| 2023 | 43 |
| 2024 | 83 |
| 2025 | 114 |
| 2026 | 52 |
2020: 5; 2021: 38; 2022: 48; 2023: 43; 2024: 83; 2025: 114; 2026: 52
Recurring complaint themes
The selected narratives describe lane-assistance behavior, brake warnings and electrical concerns. One owner reports steering inputs that moved the vehicle out of its lane; another describes an intermittent parking-brake warning. Electrical examples include a battery that would not start the vehicle after several days parked and inconsistent phone connections. These examples describe different systems and do not establish a single shared cause. Some topic matches refer to a component mentioned during diagnosis rather than a confirmed failure of that component.
AI interpretation of three selected source narratives, checked against their recorded text. This is not a summary of every complaint. Generated 2026-09-13 (September 13, 2026). Evidence: 11398108, 11399292, 11415942. This interpretation does not establish a defect or predict reliability.
Owner report 11398108 · 2021-02-26 (February 26, 2021)
THIS VEHICLE HAS INTERMITTENT OPERATION OF ITS LANE KEEP ASSISTANCE. ONE ACTIVATED, IT REGULARLY WILL DO THE OPPOSITE OF KEEPING YOUR LANE. IT HAS RUN ME OFF THE ROAD AND ALSO INTO THE LANE OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC. I HAVE REPORTED TO THE DEALER BUT THEY COULDN'T REPLICATE IT. I HAVE ESCALATED TO THE DEALER AS THIS HAPPENS VERY FREQUENTLY AND IS IN SAFE. UPON ACTIVATION OF THE LTA, IT TURNS THE STEERING WHEEL APPROX 15- 20 DEGREES AND IMMEDIATELY TAKES YOU OUT OF THE LANE. THE LANE DEPARTURE SYSTEM KICKS IN AND THEN TRIES TO BRING YOU BACK AND…
Owner-reported narrative. 1,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11398108 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11399292 · 2021-03-05 (March 5, 2021)
VEHICLE BATTERY COMPLETELY DEAD AFTER ONLY 3 DAYS OF NOT BEING DRIVEN. VEHICLE WOULD NOT START AND COULD NOT BE JUMP STARTED. VEHICLE IS ONLY 2 MONTHS OLD. WIRELESS CHARGING DOES NOT CHARGE CONSISTENTLY. INTERMITTENT CONNECTION ONLY AND GETS VERY HOT. USB PHONE CONNECTION RANDOMLY DISCONNECTS AND RECONNECTS. OCCASIONALLY THE VOICE COMMAND PROMPT ON CENTER CONTROL IS ACTIVATED AND STAYS CONNECTED WHEN CONNECTING A PHONE THROUGH USB AND CANNOT EXIT TO SEE INFORMATION DISPLAY. REMOTE START FROM FOB WILL NOT WORK. LANE DEPARTURE SYSTEM …
Owner-reported narrative. 2,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11399292 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11415942 · 2021-05-10 (May 10, 2021)
JUST BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE ON JANUARY AND WITH JUST OVER 4K MILES THIS WARNING CAME UP.. PARKING BRAKE MALFUNCTION.. TURNED OFF THEN ON THE CAR AND SAME WARNING...CALLED THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION ASAP..
Owner-reported narrative. 4,364 miles reported. Look up ODI 11415942 at NHTSA ↗
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 11398108 · 2021-02-26 (February 26, 2021)
THIS VEHICLE HAS INTERMITTENT OPERATION OF ITS LANE KEEP ASSISTANCE. ONE ACTIVATED, IT REGULARLY WILL DO THE OPPOSITE OF KEEPING YOUR LANE. IT HAS RUN ME OFF THE ROAD AND ALSO INTO THE LANE OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC. I HAVE REPORTED TO THE DEALER BUT THEY COULDN'T REPLICATE IT. I HAVE ESCALATED TO THE DEALER AS THIS HAPPENS VERY FREQUENTLY AND IS IN SAFE. UPON ACTIVATION OF THE LTA, IT TURNS THE STEERING WHEEL APPROX 15- 20 DEGREES AND IMMEDIATELY TAKES YOU OUT OF THE LANE. THE LANE DEPARTURE SYSTEM KICKS IN AND THEN TRIES TO BRING YOU BACK AND…
Owner-reported narrative. 1,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11398108 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11399292 · 2021-03-05 (March 5, 2021)
VEHICLE BATTERY COMPLETELY DEAD AFTER ONLY 3 DAYS OF NOT BEING DRIVEN. VEHICLE WOULD NOT START AND COULD NOT BE JUMP STARTED. VEHICLE IS ONLY 2 MONTHS OLD. WIRELESS CHARGING DOES NOT CHARGE CONSISTENTLY. INTERMITTENT CONNECTION ONLY AND GETS VERY HOT. USB PHONE CONNECTION RANDOMLY DISCONNECTS AND RECONNECTS. OCCASIONALLY THE VOICE COMMAND PROMPT ON CENTER CONTROL IS ACTIVATED AND STAYS CONNECTED WHEN CONNECTING A PHONE THROUGH USB AND CANNOT EXIT TO SEE INFORMATION DISPLAY. REMOTE START FROM FOB WILL NOT WORK. LANE DEPARTURE SYSTEM …
Owner-reported narrative. 2,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11399292 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11415942 · 2021-05-10 (May 10, 2021)
JUST BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE ON JANUARY AND WITH JUST OVER 4K MILES THIS WARNING CAME UP.. PARKING BRAKE MALFUNCTION.. TURNED OFF THEN ON THE CAR AND SAME WARNING...CALLED THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION ASAP..
Owner-reported narrative. 4,364 miles reported. Look up ODI 11415942 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11428721 · 2021-08-11 (August 11, 2021)
While using Cruse control. It did not slow the vehicle. I could not turn it off. The brakes would not work. I ran thru an intersection against the light. Bounced over the median. I turned off the ignition, still coasted about 1/2 mile. Finally I jammed the gear shift lever into Park. Toyota has the vehicle for inspection and reading of the black box. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE DID NOT HAVE ANY WARNING SIGNS OF THE FAILURE. WARNING MESSAGES DID DISPLAY DURING THE FAILURE, WHICH WERE "CRUISE CONTROL INOPERATIVE", "BRAKE FAILURE", AND "LAN…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11428721 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11416598 · 2021-05-14 (May 14, 2021)
THE CONTACT OWNS A 2021 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY, THERE WAS AN ABNORMALLY LOUD GRINDING SOUND COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THE CONTACT STATED THERE WAS NO WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO CABE TOYOTA (2849 LONG BEACH BLVD, LONG BEACH, CA 90806, [phone removed]) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH NOTHING NEEDING TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DEALER REPLACED THE BATTERY HOWEVER, THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE CONTACT RELATED THE FAILURE TO AN UNKNOWN RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED OF…
Owner-reported narrative. 1,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11416598 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11353782 · 2020-09-08 (September 8, 2020)
WITH 4 MILES LEFT ON HV RANGE/DTE, I FILLED MY FIRST FULL TANK AT COSTCO. PUMP READ 10.82 GALLONS. NOW HV RANGE IS SHOWING 544 MILES. I GOT ABOUT 39.9 MPG ON FIRST TANK (WITHOUT EV) WHICH IS IN LINE WITH EPA. BUT MY REAL HV RANGE FROM FULL TO EMPTY WAS ONLY 10.9 X 39.5 = 430 MILES. IF YOU ADD EV MILES OF 42, THEN YOU GET AROUND 472 MILES. NOT 600. THEIR MPG CLAIMS ARE VALID. BUT THEIR GAS TANK/ RANGE CLAIMS ARE CLEARLY OVERSTATED. REAL RANGE IS ONLY 472. NOT 600. WHICH IS DISAPPOINTING, YOU MIGHT GO ON A ROAD TRIP WITH YOUR FAMILY, AND BE STUCK…
Owner-reported narrative. 502 miles reported. Look up ODI 11353782 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11394555 · 2021-02-03 (February 3, 2021)
CANNOT FILL FUEL TANK COMPLETELY FULL. HAD SOME TESTS RUN BY TOYOTA AND THEY FOUND THAT THERE WERE ONLY 12.5 GALLONS IN THE 14.5 GALLON TANK WHEN THE PUMP SHUTS OFF. I WAS TOLD THIS WAS "WITHIN THE SPEC" AND OFFERED NO FURTHER HELP.
Owner-reported narrative. 8,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11394555 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11404841 · 2021-03-25 (March 25, 2021)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2021 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE GEAR SHIFTER DISENGAGED, PREVENTING THE CONTACT FROM SHIFTING GEARS. THE CONTACT STATED NO WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO TOYOTA OF DEERFIELD BEACH (1441 S FEDERAL HWY, DEERFIELD BEACH, FL 33441) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED HOWEVER, NOTHING WAS REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 2,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
Owner-reported narrative. 2,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11404841 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11474455 · 2022-07-18 (July 18, 2022)
I have been having continuous problems with the transmission jerking and slipping passengers can also feel this. I am also experiencing vibration in the steering when you get up to high speeds around 60-80 mph. The car also has a habit of lunging forward suddenly when the gas saver light goes off which can cause it to hit other vehicles.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11474455 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11534866 · 2023-07-27 (July 27, 2023)
The contact rented a 2021 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, he heard a vibrating sound coming from the front driver’s side windshield. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic; however, the contact was informed that the vehicle was a rental and could not be diagnosed. The contact was informed to return the vehicle to Avis Car Rental. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The contact stated that he was abl…
Owner-reported narrative. 53,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11534866 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11573991 · 2024-02-26 (February 26, 2024)
There was a stalled vehicle in a traffic lane. The vehicle ahead of me was a large that hit the stalled vehicle. I couldn’t see what he hit but he came to a dead stop and I couldn’t avoid him. My problem is that the airbag under the dashboard on the driver side hit my shin with such force that it caused an abrasion that didn’t seem bad at first but developed into a wound requiring a large hematoma and surgery to remove it and to have skin graft.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11573991 at NHTSA ↗