Reliable Auto DB

2021 Toyota RAV4 reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2021 Toyota RAV4 has 385 complaints with NHTSA after 6 years, or 45 per year. That is more complaints per year than most RAV4 years here — over the median of the other years, which is 33. NHTSA has 1 recall on file, including Occupant classification.

2019 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid
Photo by Matti Blume, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

385

Per year

45

Recalls

1

Years on the road

6

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Air bags (125 of 385), then Electrical system (47) and Engine (41). Those filings include 46 that report a crash, 7 that report a fire, and 29 that report an injury.

Next to 2020 and 2022

The 2020 RAV4 has 634 complaints, 82 per year, and the 2022 has 144 complaints, 24 per year. The 2021 has fewer complaints per year than the 2020. The 2021 has more complaints per year than the 2022.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2021 Toyota RAV4. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (1)

Recall air bags, sensor, occupant classification 2023-12-20 · NHTSA campaign 23V865000
Summary Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Avalon, Avalon Hybrid, Corolla, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, RAV4, RAV4 Hybrid, Lexus ES350, Lexus RX350, Lexus RX450H, 2021 Sienna Hybrid, Lexus ES250, 2020-2022 Camry, Camry Hybrid, and ES300H vehicles. A short circuit may develop in the Occupant Classification System (OCS) sensor, preventing the front passenger air bag from deploying.
Remedy Dealers will inspect and replace the sensor as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed in February 2024. Some final remedy owner letters were mailed October 31, 2024. Letters will continue to be mailed in phases through January 2026. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 23TB15/23TA15 Lexus 23LB03/23LA03.

Complaints by component (385 total)

Air bags
125
Electrical system
47
Engine
41
Powertrain
22
Fuel and propulsion system
21
Steering
21
Structure
21
Service brakes
20
Visibility and wipers
19
Seats
18
Forward collision avoidance
17
Visibility
12
Lane departure
9
Seat belts
8
Latches, locks, and linkages
7
Tires
7
Exterior lighting
6
Speed control
6
Suspension
6
Wheels
5
Fuel system, gasoline
3
Back-over prevention
2
Tether and lower anchor
1
Traction control
1
Show 16 more Show less
Crash-flagged

46

Fire-flagged

7

Injury reports

29

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

520203820214820224320238320241142025542026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "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…"
    Steering, Powertrain, Engine · filed 2026-09-13
  • "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…"
    Unknown or other · filed 2026-09-13
  • "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"
    Electrical system, Unknown or other, Engine · filed 2026-09-05
  • "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…"
    Powertrain, Electrical system, Engine · filed 2026-08-17
  • "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…"
    Seats · filed 2026-08-10

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2021 Toyota RAV4 HYBRID SUV AWD 5 stars 4 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2021 Toyota RAV4 SUV AWD 5 stars 4 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2021 Toyota RAV4 SUV FWD 5 stars 4 stars 5 stars 4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
RAV4 2.5L, 4-cyl Automatic (8-speed) Front-wheel drive 27 35 30 MPG $2150
RAV4 2.5L, 4-cyl Automatic (8-speed) Front-wheel drive 28 35 30 MPG $2150
RAV4 all-wheel drive 2.5L, 4-cyl Automatic (8-speed) All-wheel drive 27 33 29 MPG $2250
RAV4 all-wheel drive 2.5L, 4-cyl Automatic (8-speed) All-wheel drive 25 33 28 MPG $2300
RAV4 all-wheel drive LE 2.5L, 4-cyl Automatic (8-speed) All-wheel drive 27 34 30 MPG $2150
RAV4 all-wheel drive TRD OFFROAD 2.5L, 4-cyl Automatic (8-speed) All-wheel drive 25 32 28 MPG $2300
RAV4 hybrid all-wheel drive 2.5L, 4-cyl Automatic (AV-S6) All-wheel drive 41 38 40 MPG $1600

Specs and fitment

6th generation, 2019–present
Body styles SUV
Oil 0W-16 , 4.8 qt capacity
Tire size 225/65R17 (LE) to 235/55R19 (Limited/Adventure)
Towing capacity 1,500 lbs

Known issues for this generation

NHTSA recall 20V-682 (Toyota campaign 20TA02) covers certain 2019–2020 Toyota RAV4 vehicles whose low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail. Toyota states a failed pump can stall the engine while driving, increasing crash risk; dealers replace the pump assembly with an improved unit at no charge. The campaign also lists many other Toyota and Lexus models, and NHTSA’s acknowledgment letter cites about 1,517,721 units across the expanded recall population.

Compare

Previous year 2020 Toyota RAV4 Next year 2022 Toyota RAV4 See every Toyota RAV4 model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2021 Toyota RAV4 reliable?

The 2021 Toyota RAV4 has 385 complaints with NHTSA after 6 years, or 45 per year. That is more complaints per year than most RAV4 years here — over the median of the other years, which is 33. NHTSA has 1 recall on file, including Occupant classification.

What are common problems with a 2021 Toyota RAV4?

The complaints owners file most often name Air bags (125 of 385), then Electrical system (47) and Engine (41). Those filings include 46 that report a crash, 7 that report a fire, and 29 that report an injury.

Is the 2021 Toyota RAV4 more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2020 RAV4 has 634 complaints, 82 per year, and the 2022 has 144 complaints, 24 per year. The 2021 has fewer complaints per year than the 2020. The 2021 has more complaints per year than the 2022.

Has the 2021 Toyota RAV4 been recalled?

The 2021 Toyota RAV4 has 1 recall on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2021 Toyota RAV4?

Owners have filed 385 complaints about the 2021 Toyota RAV4 with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2021 Toyota RAV4 get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2021 Toyota RAV4 is 30.7 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What generation is the 2017 Toyota RAV4?

5th generation (2013-2018).

What oil does a 2019 Toyota RAV4 use?

Toyota’s 2019 RAV4 maintenance guide specifies 0W-16; Toyota service bulletins list about 4.8 quarts with filter for the A25 engine family.

Does the Toyota RAV4 have a battery fire recall?

2013-2018 RAV4 models are covered by NHTSA recall 23V-734 for 12-volt battery hold-down and terminal contact issues; 2019+ models are not part of that campaign.