Toyota / RAV4 Prime / 2021
2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime problems
Owners have filed 138 complaints about the 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime with NHTSA. Electrical system accounts for 26.8% of them — the clear leader, ahead of fuel/propulsion system at 13%. A further 16.7% were filed without a specific system named.
Complaints138
Crashes29
Fires3
Injuries12
Deaths0
What owners report breaking
Electrical system 26.8% · 37
Unknown or other 16.7% · 23
Fuel/propulsion system 13.0% · 18
Service brakes 11.6% · 16
Forward collision avoidance 8.0% · 11
Vehicle speed control 3.6% · 5
Power train 3.6% · 5
Air bags 3.6% · 5
Severity
Of those complaints, 29 describe a crash, 3 describe a fire and 12 report an injury.
Reading the numbers
Filings have fallen off, 56 in the last three years against 82 in the three before. The issues here may already have been addressed.
The median odometer reading at the time of complaint was 5,104 miles.
In owners' own words
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. Electrical system
Observed arcing noises and strong electrical fire smell upon plugging in L2 EVSE charging cable. MIL lit, Hybrid Vehicle Charging System codes active; vehicle refused to charge afterwards. Self-diagnosed and repaired defective 6.6 kW onboard charger. See pics of clear arcing damage withing charging unit - possible fire risk. Electrical system
I received the recall letter (23TB07) 7/12/2023 stating that my RAV4 had potential to start on fire. I have called several times and been told that on this date (11/2/2023), almost 5 months later, there is still no remedy and that there is no projected date for remedy. Electrical system
Verbatim from NHTSA filings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.
Safety recalls
Checking NHTSA for open recalls…