2021 Toyota RAV4 Reliability & Problems

1. 1.Sunroof glass shattersSeriousAbout 1 in 12 complaints2,100–40,500 mi9%

   Owners describe a loud bang like a gunshot, then a shattered or exploded sunroof with glass shards on the console and in the cabin. Most reports happen while driving, often on the highway, and some say the sunroof was closed. This model year has no recall for it.

   What owners describe

   • Sunroof explodes outward52%
   • Loud bang like a gunshot24%
   • Sunroof glass shatters24%
   • Glass shards in cabin18%

   Fix

   Most common repair owners describe: moonroof replaced (1 report).

   Mileage

   14,800 mi

   Middle half 2,100–40,500 mi · 8 reports

   Repair cost

   —

   Fewer than 10 owners report a repair cost

   How common

   9%

   33 of 387 complaints

   By engine

   • 2.5L 4-cyl hybrid60%
   • 2.5L 4-cyl40%

   In owners' words

   “The sunroof exploded spontaneously while I was driving. It sounded like a gunshot.”

2. 2.Airbags did not deploy in a crashCriticalAbout 1 in 16 complaints11,500–25,000 mi6%

   Owners describe front-end, rear-end, red-light, deer and pile-up collisions where the airbags did not deploy. Half of the reports with mileage fall between about 11,500 and 25,000 miles, with a median of about 14,500 miles. Recall 23V865000 is mentioned in some of these reports.

   What owners describe

   • Airbags did not deploy79%
   • Malfunction message after crash8%

   Fix

   Most common repair owners describe: front air bag sensor replaced (1 report). Recall 23V865000.

   Mileage

   14,500 mi

   Middle half 11,500–25,000 mi · 12 reports

   Repair cost

   —

   Fewer than 10 owners report a repair cost

   How common

   6%

   24 of 387 complaints

   By engine

   • 2.5L 4-cyl74%
   • 2.5L 4-cyl hybrid26%

   In owners' words

   “The air bags failed to deploy, causing the contact's wife to hit her forehead against the steering wheel.”

   “Airbags didn’t deploy and we got a message on dashboard indicating faulty airbag.”

3. 3.Airbag warning light stays onSeriousAbout 1 in 23 complaints24,900–42,000 mi4%

   Owners describe an airbag warning light, SRS malfunction messages and occupant sensor warnings, some of which started while driving or whenever the vehicle is started. A few say they were told not to seat passengers in front. Recall 23V865000 is mentioned in many of these reports.

   What owners describe

   • Airbag warning light stays on41%
   • SRS malfunction message29%
   • False seat belt alert18%
   • Occupant sensor warning light12%

   Fix

   Most common repair owners describe: clock spring assembly needed (1 report). Recall 23V865000.

   Mileage

   40,000 mi

   Middle half 24,900–42,000 mi · 7 reports

   Repair cost

   —

   Fewer than 10 owners report a repair cost

   How common

   4%

   17 of 387 complaints

   By engine

   • 2.5L 4-cyl82%
   • 2.5L 4-cyl hybrid18%

If the airbag or seat belt warning light stays on, have it checked soon, because owners say the front passenger airbag can switch off. Confirm with a dealer that recall 23V865000 has been done, since it covers a sensor fault that can stop the front passenger air bag from deploying. A sunroof that bangs, pops or whistles should be looked at before you keep driving at highway speed. Keep loose glass away from the cabin and get it repaired promptly.

110 problems found in all 387 complaints. One complaint can describe more than one problem, so counts add up to more than the total. Not counted as a defect: 79 about recall paperwork or parts delays, 7 describing no vehicle defect. Typical miles, repair cost and fix rate show only when enough owners report them.

• Complaints. NHTSA's owner complaint file, counted as unique complaint numbers for make TOYOTA, model RAV4, model year 2021. Data through Oct 4, 2026.
• Verdict. Judged from this model year's own complaints, not against other models, using shares rather than counts. Serious known problems: one serious problem (transmission, engine or stalling, steering, brakes, airbags, fire, fuel leaks) is in a quarter or more of complaints; or a smaller but clear cluster comes with an unusual share of crash, fire, injury or loss-of-power reports or early failures; or an urgent recall or NHTSA investigation matches a top complaint. Some known problems: one of those signals on its own. No pattern of serious problems: none of them; this doesn't mean the vehicle is trouble-free. Too few complaints to judge: under 50 complaints. Why this verdict: Checked: the largest serious problem class is airbag problems (airbags that did not deploy in a crash, an airbag warning light that stays on, the passenger airbag switching off), 11% of complaints; safety-related complaints are 17% (typical: 17%), and there's no do-not-drive or park-outside recall or open serious NHTSA investigation..
• No grade or class ranking. Raw complaint counts favor models that sell fewer cars, so we don't score or rank this vehicle against other models until we can adjust for sales.
• Trouble spots and history. Complaints grouped by the part owners chose when filing. The history grid counts complaints filed in each model year's first 3 years so older and newer years compare fairly; years with fewer than 3 complete years are marked too new.
• Named problems. Every one of the 387 complaints was researched and classified by its problems, severity, symptoms, repairs and any cost the owner mentions; the counts, costs and fix rates on this page are tallies of those classifications. Quotes are verbatim excerpts, checked against the original text. Engines are decoded from partial VINs with NHTSA's vPIC service.
• Repair costs and fix rates. Shown only when at least 10 owners report a repair cost, or at least 10 complaints describe whether a repair worked.
• Not adjusted for sales. Not affiliated with NHTSA. Page updated Nov 14, 2026.