Electrical System › Propulsion System › Dc/Dc Converter23V478000
Filed Jul 12, 202343,442 vehiclesToyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing
Defect. Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2021-2022 RAV4 Prime and 2022 Lexus NX450h+ plug-in hybrid electric (PHEV) vehicles. The electric current rectifying module contained within the DC-DC converter may have been damaged during production, which can result in an electrical short-circuit.
Risk. A short circuit can cause the DC-DC converter to overheat, increasing the risk of a vehicle fire.
Remedy. Owners are advised not to charge their vehicles when the ambient air temperature is below or expected to drop below 41 degrees Fahrenheit (5 degrees Celsius). Dealers will replace the DC-DC converter, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 29, 2023. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 23TB07/23LB01.
Electrical System › Propulsion System › Hybrid Management › Power Control Unit/Module (hpcu)23V041000
Filed Feb 2, 202316,679 vehiclesToyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing
Defect. Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2021 RAV4 Prime Plug-In Hybrid vehicles. During certain cold weather driving conditions, while driving in EV Mode, the hybrid vehicle control engine control unit (HEV ECU) software may cause the hybrid system to shut down if the accelerator is rapidly pressed to further accelerate the vehicle, resulting in a stall.
Risk. An engine stall increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy. Dealers will update the HEV ECU software, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed February 27, 2023. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 23TA01.
Electronic Stability Control (esc) › Control Module › Software22V239000
Filed Apr 13, 2022458,110 vehiclesToyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing
Defect. Toyota Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2022 Lexus LX 600, Lexus NX 350h, Lexus NX 450h+, Toytoa RAV4 Hybrid, 2021-2022 Lexus LS 500h, Toyota Mirai, RAV4 PRIME, Sienna, Venza, and 2020-2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid vehicles. The Skid Control ECU software may not turn on the Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) system when the vehicle is restarted after the driver has disabled the VSC system. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 126, "Electronic Stability Control Systems."
Risk. Driving with a deactivated stability control system increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy. Dealers will update the Skid Control ECU software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 27, 2022. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 22TA03. Lexus' number for this recall is 22LA01.
Exterior Lighting › Headlights20V698000
Filed Nov 12, 2020413 vehiclesToyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing
Defect. Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2021 RAV4 Prime vehicles. The headlight aiming caps may have been improperly closed, allowing for horizontal adjustment of the headlight beam. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Risk. Adjusting the horizontal headlight beam can increase glare, reducing the visibility of an oncoming driver or the vehicle operator, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy. Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will close the aiming caps on the headlights, free of charge. The recall began January 6, 2021. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 20TA15.
What owners reported
Newest filings
Unknown or Other
Filed Sep 10, 2026NY
Rear glass broken all of sudden when the vehicle is parked outside
Electrical SystemFire
Filed Jun 7, 2026TX
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.
Unknown or Other
Filed May 22, 2026NC
Something needs to be done because Toyota is stalling on sending out a critical safety component that has been recalled in thousands of vehicles. It is the HV floor wire connector, when the corrosion is beyond repair, the parts have been back ordered for months. Toyota and dealerships are not approving loaner vehicles. This is a serious safety issue because: If the wire corrodes or shorts out, the vehicle can experience unexpected power loss, stalling, or complete hybrid system failure. this could happen in the middle of driving in fast, traffic, leading to serious injury or loss of life. I have been waiting since February for this part and it is still on backorder. Toyota is not taking this seriously because it’s a $10,000 part and they don’t want to pay for the thousands of people who are affected by this. My life is more important than that, as is the life of my child. I exhort you to put pressure on Toyota. Thank you.
Visibility/Wiper
Filed May 5, 2026NC
Random windshield crack that appeared out of no where when leaving work. 4 hour time span of video shows no foul play, nobody was mowing the yard. No way anything hit it - I confirmed. Crack started to expand up and out both ways. Can run my finger along the entire crack without any surface impacts or bumps felt. First noted crack 4/29 and has expanded since.
Latches/Locks/Linkages › Doors › Lock
Filed May 4, 2026CA
Front Driver side and front passenger side door actuator has failed. Locks are non responsive to key fob or interior master switch. The door locks have to be manually unlocked with the key or by the individual in the vehicle. It is a complete safety hazard. My local Toyota dealer has quoted me $1,767 to fix the two faulty actuators. The car is 5 years old with 89,000 miles.
Visibility/Wiper1 injured
Filed Apr 30, 2026CA
Sunroof exploded while driving down the freeway. Covering the occupants in glass, including the driver, this caused cuts from glass shards. This is a known issue to Toyota. They decided not to do a recall. They are lucky that the sunroof exploding did not cause a fatal accident.
Electrical System
Filed Apr 29, 2026WA
The vehicle generated an error message "Plug In Charging System Malfunction" warning on the dash. The remedy is a Toyota T-SB-0021-21 which requires a software upgrade to fix the air fan sensor reading to the charging unit. This is only considered part of the 60 month/60,000 mile power train warranty despite it being part of the battery charging system which has a 150,000 mile warranty. It is also presumably caused by a software error Toyota has made. They should fix this at no cost to the customer, instead I was charged $215 plus tax.
Visibility/Wiper
Filed Feb 23, 2026NJ
Close the door and the rear view window shattered.
Service BrakesCrash
Filed Dec 4, 2025NJ
During snowy but manageable conditions, the brake system on my 2021 RAV4 Prime SE failed to respond, and the vehicle did not decelerate when I pressed the brake pedal. A “Pre-Collision System Malfunction” warning appeared shortly before impact. I was unable to steer away despite attempting an evasive turn. The vehicle collided with the car in front of me, and the airbags did not deploy. I was driving at a reduced speed due to snow. The vehicle ahead (a BMW SUV) began slowing. When I applied the brakes, my RAV4 Prime did not slow down at all—there was no deceleration, no ABS pulsing, and no traction control intervention. The vehicle continued moving forward as if the brakes were not engaging. At the same time, I saw a dashboard warning indicating a Pre-Collision System (PCS) malfunction. I attempted to turn the wheel to avoid the collision, but the vehicle did not respond to steering input quickly enough to prevent impact. Despite the collision, no airbags deployed. The vehicle has been regularly maintained (oil changes every 5,000 miles, new tires last year, all service intervals followed), and there were no warning lights or issues beforehand. Safety Concerns: •Complete or partial brake failure •Electronic braking or stability control malfunction •Pre-Collision System malfunction •Airbag non-deployment in a front impact •Potential systemic issue affecting Toyota hybrid/Prime models This incident caused significant fear and distress for both me and my child who was in the veh
Service Brakes
Filed Sep 9, 2025CA
The car has a grinding sound and a brake slipping feeling that occurs while traveling and braking over rough pavement. It does not happen consistently, but it does happen fairly regularly (every 2-4 weeks). Note, the grinding sound can range from subtle to quite loud, depending on bump/timing of braking. This has been happening since I purchased the car and continues to happen, which is why I put today's date as the incident date, and I have been bringing it up with the Toyota maintenance department at most maintenance appointments. Their shop manager has driven it and thought I was mistaking it for the ABS activating. I have driven it with him, ABS has activated, and when he pointed it out to me, I have let him know that what is happening is definitely something different than the ABS activating. I have tried to find a location to show them to replicate it with the service center, but it happens randomly on rough patches. For example, it happened on a spot near the dealership that I thought I could use to show them, but when I drove over the same area again and braked, nothing happened. So, I have not been able to replicate this with the service center, but it is most certainly happening. I have notified Toyota through their consumer contact system that this issue is going on and they said Toyota tracks issues like this. However, no resolution has been offered. Other Toyota Rav4 Prime owners of the same year have experienced this (see [XXX] and [XXX] ). Although the maintena
Unknown or OtherCrash
Filed Aug 1, 2025CA
On July 24th, I experienced sudden unexpected acceleration with my 2021 Toyota Rav4 Prime XSE (41,600 miles) while driving in the electric mode. I was lining myself up to reverse into my garage and as I paused to switch gears to reverse, the car suddenly accelerated full-speed towards my neighbor's house. I slammed the brakes but that had little effect. The car slammed into the house, through the garage door and my car was only stopped when hitting an SUV parked in the garage, pushing it forward about 2 feet. No air bags were deployed, the collision detection system on the vehicle did not seem to work and tire marks from my braking were visible from the middle of the road. I have found a number of very similar incidents with Toyota cars described online. Cars were often turning into parking spaces at slow speeds and ended up accelerating into lamp posts or buildings. If there hadn't been a car parked in the garage, I can't imagine what might have happened as the car was probably going 35 mph+ upon impact. There were no warning lights and the collision shop informed me that there were no diagnostic codes when they downloaded the computer.
Air BagsCrash
Filed Jan 8, 2025DC
Upon entering a light controlled intersection at a relatively slow speed (probably less than 20 mph} on wet pavement, an oncoming car suddenly made a left turn directly in front of me. I applied the applied the breaks hard and slid into the passenger side of the turning vehicle. The ABS system did not function. The air bag did not deploy. At the moment of the collision my speed was reduced and I do not know the threshold for airbags to deploy, but this was a direct front end collision. I was able to brace myself and was not injured. I am not claiming the airbag malfunctioned as the speed at the moment of impact was not high. However, I have complained to the Toyota dealer service department almost since the car was new, that the ABS does not function. They have repeatedly told me that it is fully operational based only on the fact that the system registers as "on." Being "on" does not mean it is functioning. Questions: What component failed? ABS and possibly airbag How was my safety at risk? Non functioning ABS resulting in a potentially preventable accident Has the problem been confirmed? Yes, byt the dealer though they claim the sliding of the car is due to old tires. However, the tires are withing the legal limist for tread depth and I have complained about the problem since the car and the tires were nearly new. Has the vehicle been inspected? yes, byt the Toyota dealer and an independent Toyota crash inspector Were there any warning lights etc? No
Unknown or Other
Filed Dec 26, 2024NC
2021 Toyota Rav4 Prime, 69K miles ***** On [XXX] while driving at highway speeds, many warning messages began to scroll across the display. The gas pedal immediately became unresponsive. The power steering stopped working. The car was unable to be stopped with the brake pedal, and it had to be allowed to coast stop. ***** The car was then towed to Fred Anderson Toyota in Asheville, NC. The service advisor refused to scan the codes and said that all I needed to do was change the battery. I purchased a battery from Fred Anderson and changed it myself. The car turned on without any warning lights. ***** I started driving the car home. After approximately 45 minutes of driving, while at highway speed, the same dangerous situation occurred: Many warning messages began to scroll across the display. The gas pedal immediately became unresponsive. The power steering stopped working. I was unable to stop the car with the brake pedal, and it had to be allowed to coast stop. ***** Twice that same day, this vehicle lost all power and turned off power steering and braking without any prior warning. [XXX] that nobody was injured during either occurrence that day.
Service BrakesCrash
Filed Oct 24, 2024CA
MY [XXX] ’S) SUDDEN ACCELERATION INCIDENT [XXX] - TOYOTA RAV4 2021: I was gliding into a parking space with my foot on the brake and as I went to straighten out the wheel to come to a full stop the car lurched forward full speed and smashed into the car parked in the row that was facing me. Good thing there was no one in that car, it had been backed in so I hit the rear end of it. The damage is so extensive it is beyond comprehension. My airbags did not deploy, which they should have. I saw that the ‘malfunction brake’ orange light was illuminated as I went crashing into the parked car and could not believe that the automatic anti-collision brake system failed - it was as if the car was possessed and the scariest thing ever. Towed to the dealer I bought it from. I have now read all of these other incidents that are the same as mine and this is no joke. We all could have been killed and there are people that most likely have been that have never been reported. I have been driving for over 40 years and have never experienced anything like it. Computers and software have glitches all the time, and if Toyota does not do something about this that means they do not care if their customers die. That makes them murderers. I loved my RAV4 more than anything, it is an eplugin hybrid and the best! I would/will never drive that car again, ever, and I am going to see to it that Toyota Corp, who is liable, reimburses me every penny I spent on that car, plus any legal fees and hourly wages
Electrical System
Filed Oct 7, 2024NY
I was driving along an expressway on a rainy night. The plug-in hybrid car was operating on battery power. Suddenly the motor went dead and it slowed to a stop. This was very dangerous because the expressway traffic had to swerve around me. I may have seen a hybrid system malfunction warning on the display, but I was so distraught that I didn't think to take a photo. After about 5 minutes, I was able to start the car and drive away. The Toyota dealer examined the car later and could find nothing wrong.
Unknown or Other
Filed Jul 31, 2024MD
Spontaneous Shattering of Sunroof Glass while driving While driving westbound on [XXX] near Cambridge, Ohio at approximately 6:05 PM my wife and I heard what sounded like an explosion or shotgun blast on the roof of the car. We had a Thule cargo box on top, so my immediate reaction was it has blown open. I pulled off the road and opened the shade to the sunroof to see if the Thule box was damaged. It wasn't the box, it was the glass of the sunroof, which had spontaneously shattered. Pieces of glass rained down on us. Thankfully, the shade was closed, or, as the driver I would have been showered with glass while driving at 65 mph. Had we been in traffic when the explosive shattering of the glass occurred, this would have made it a dangerous event. Further, had we not had the shade closed, we would have been showered with glass fragments. There was no obvious cause. No cars were in front of us to have thrown up a rock. The Thule cargo box protected the glass from something falling from the sky. The only cause could be the glass spontaneously shattered. I had cleaned the car prior to our departure. I cleaned all of the glass surfaces, including the sunroof. There were no marks, visible damage, or scratches visible. I tried to take the car to a Toyota dealer in Oshkosh, WI, but they were unable to see me. When we returned to Maryland, I took it to Jim Coleman Toyota. I explained what had occurred and gave them photos. The information was sent to Toyota and they declined to cover
Air BagsCrash
Filed May 21, 2024CA
My 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime had traction control, braking issues and failure to warn in the event of a possible forward collision. On a few occasions the brakes seem to just slide and the car would keep moving. Last week I was in an accident and the emergency braking system, the forward collision warning system and all the air bags failed. The California Highway Patrol was surprised that even though the estimation collision speed was 60 mph the air bags did not deploy. I would have not had a chance to test out the air bags, emergency braking system or the forward collision warning prior to the accident.
Vehicle Speed ControlCrash
Filed May 15, 2024MA
I was driving very slowly in my driveway. I turned to enter my garage. As I put my foot on the break, the car accelerated crashing into my house. There was sudden unexplained and unintended acceleration on my RAV4 prime.
Electrical System
Filed May 10, 2024CA
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
Filed Apr 24, 2024LA
RE: RECALL # 23TA07 for 201 Toyota Rav Prime. An interim recall notice was issued a year ago stating "We are currently preparing a remedy. We will notify you again when remedy is available." Toyota Corporate has no information when this recall will be addressed. I paid over $5000 to get a plug- in hybrid and now cannot use the plug- in feature when temperature is below 40 degrees in the winter. The car is useless as designed.
No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.
Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.
Most recent recall on file: Jul 12, 2023. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.