2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime
The 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime is sold in the U.S. as a plug-in hybrid compact SUV. The most efficient version, the RAV4 Prime 4WD, is EPA-rated at 38 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for this model year, 1 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of C. Owners have filed 99 complaints, most often about the electrical system.

Specs & fuel economy
Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov| Configuration | Powertrain | Drive | Engine / motor | City | Hwy | Comb | Range | kWh/100mi | Charge (240V) | Annual fuel* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RAV4 Prime 4WD | Plug-in hybrid | AWD | 2.5L 4-cyl + 40 and 134 kW AC Induction | 40 | 36 | 38 (65 MPGe blended) | 42 mi electric | 36 | 4.5 h | $1,750 |
*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 42793.
Emissions & certification
Source: EPA emission certificates| Configuration | Smog rating | Emission standard | Where it can be sold new | SmartWay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RAV4 Prime 4WD | 7 / 10 | California LEV-III SULEV30 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 30 | All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards | SmartWay |
Certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S.
The smog rating scores tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, 1 (worst) to 10 (best), and is comparable only within a model year. The standard is the federal bin or California tier the configuration was certified to. Both come from the EPA certificate behind the window sticker.
Specifications filed with NHTSA
Source: NHTSA vPICDimensions Exterior
| Body style | Sport Utility Vehicle [SUV]/Multipurpose Vehicle [MPV] |
| Doors | 5 |
| GVWR class | Class 1D: 5,001 - 6,000 lb (2,268 - 2,722 kg) |
Engine Basics
| Cylinders | 4 |
| Displacement | 2.5 L |
| Engine configuration | In-Line |
Engine Output
| Horsepower | 177 hp |
Fuel Economy
| Fuel | Electric |
Seating
| Seat rows | 2 |
| Seating capacity | 5 seats |
Transmission
| Drivetrain | 4WD/4-Wheel Drive/4x4 |
| Transmission | Automatic |
| Transmission speeds | 8 |
Driver assistance
Standard: Adaptive cruise control, Anti-lock brakes, Automatic emergency braking, Backup camera, Electronic stability control, Forward collision warning, Lane departure warning, Lane keeping assist, Pedestrian automatic emergency braking
Optional: Blind-spot monitoring, Rear cross-traffic alert
Filed by the manufacturer with NHTSA under the federal vehicle-identification rule and decoded from the VIN pattern — not a manufacturer press kit, so it describes the configurations we could identify rather than every trim (seen: LE, XLE Premium, XSE HV). Figures for the trim you are looking at may differ.
Factory warranty running out?
The 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime is in the years where high-voltage electronics and module repairs land on the owner. What an extended plan does and does not cover is worth reading before a dealer quotes you one.
What to check before you buy →Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.
Recalls (4)
Source: NHTSA recall databaseElectrical System
23TA01Electronic Stability Control (Esc)
22TA03, 22LA01Exterior Lighting
20TA15These are vehicle campaigns — the ones the automaker filed against this model. NHTSA also records equipment recalls, filed by a parts maker against a component (a tyre, a child seat, an aftermarket part), and those are not listed here or counted above. nhtsa.gov/recalls shows both for a VIN.
NHTSA defect investigations
Electrical System:Propulsion System — Pedestrian alert sounds closed
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021. On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject mat
Opened Jan 27, 2023 · closed Aug 7, 2023 · action DP22005 · the investigation’s page →
Whether any of this applies to one specific RAV4 Prime
A campaign covers a build range, not a model year, so two identical-looking cars from 2021 can differ. Both of these check a VIN against the manufacturer’s own list, free, in about ten seconds. Toyota publishes its own lookup because federal rule 49 CFR 573.15 requires it to, and to keep it current to within seven days.
Hear about a recall before the letter does
The manufacturer’s letter is the last step of a recall: it has up to 60 days after filing to mail owners, at the address on the registration. We email you the day NHTSA posts a recall on the 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.
Parts & accessories for the 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime
Search by fitment on eBay Motors — OEM take-offs, aftermarket, and the trim pieces dealers no longer stock. The listing and the price are the seller's.
Find parts for this RAV4 Prime →Owner complaints
Source: NHTSA complaint database12 involved a crash · 1 a fire · 5 injuries · 0 deaths reported
31 per 10,000 built · Toyota reported 31,964 RAV4 Prime built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)
Filed per year: 2021: 11 · 2022: 28 · 2023: 22 · 2024: 26 · 2025: 4 · 2026: 8
Most-cited components
In owners' own words
Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, one per problem area. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed.
After proceeding from a red light, the vehicle rear ended a semi. The Automatic Emergency Braking system did not engage. Although the Forward Collision Warning worked by giving me visual/sound alerts, it has a tendency to be delayed. Richland County City of Mansfield Police Inspected the vehicle Report number: 22-017305
May 29 2022 I parked my new RAV4 PRIME EV on an incline and left the vehicle running to keep the a/c cold & radio playing. The car was securely parked atop an incline facing up the incline while still running. While the vehicle sat idle I walked my dog waiting to clean up after him.
Harness strap frayed below car seat base pad where strap is not visible or accessible during routine use. Discovered during cleaning of the seat. This weakens the harness and puts the child at risk. Car seat has not been inspected. Manufacturer has not responded to warranty claim
We have COMPLETELY lost brakes on MULTIPLE occasions for a few seconds per occasion. Brake loss has occurred upon slow, even braking and on flat, dry, even pavement with no pot poles or loose gravel around.
Today, May 28, 2022, between 11:40am and 11:45am, I was making a left at an intersection when the vehicle did not respond to my pressing of the gas pedal input. It was highly dangerous and the oncoming traffic had to slow down not to hit me.
My RAV4 PRIME was in stop and go traffic. Brakes did not switch from regen braking to physical brakes. Slammed on the brakes several times, they did not slow the car enough. Eventually the brakes locked up as the RAV4 rear ended the car in front.
Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.
Reported by Toyota itself: 33 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 1 killed, 40 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 103 per 100,000 built. Every RAV4 Prime model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.
Crash ratings
Source: NHTSA NCAPNHTSA has not published 5-Star crash ratings for this model year.
Service bulletins & campaigns
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications- Term not in NHTSA’s summary · Toyota warranty extension 24TE04This Customer Support Program provides coverage as it applies to Flow Shut-off Valve Coolant Leak on Certain 2019-2021 Avalon & Avalon HV, 2018-2021 Camry & Camry HV, Certain 2020-2021 Corolla…
- Term not in NHTSA’s summary · Toyota warranty extension 22TE09Although the HV Floor Under Wire Harness and Rear Traction Motor Cable is covered by Toyota’s New Vehicle Limited Warranty for 3 years or 36,000 miles (whichever comes first), we at Toyota care about…
The term and the vehicles it covers are the manufacturer’s, as NHTSA’s summary of each filing states them; a dealer checks one particular car by its VIN. Every Toyota warranty extension (10) → · Every warranty extension on file, all makes →
Most often about: Electrical System, Equipment, Engine, Structure, Unknown Or Other.
- 24TE04 Warranty extension2026-08-11 · Engine
- Although the flow shut-off valve is covered by Toyota’s New Vehicle Limited Warranty for 36 months or 36,000 miles (whichever comes first), we at Toyota care about the customers’ ownership experience. Toyota is providing coverage for repairs related to Flow Shut-off Valve Coolant Leak.
- 22TE09 Warranty extension2026-05-14 · Electrical System
- Although the HV Floor Under Wire Harness and Rear Traction Motor Cable is covered by Toyota’s New Vehicle Limited Warranty for 3 years or 36,000 miles (whichever comes first), we at Toyota care about the customers’ ownership experience. Toyota is providing extended coverage under this Customer Support Program for repairs related to excessive corrosion to the wire harness connections at the Rear Mo
- T-SB-0104-21 Rev2 Service bulletin2026-02-27 · Engine
- OBSOLETE NOTICE February 27, 2026: This bulletin is no longer applicable and is now obsolete.
- T-SB-0106-22 Rev2 Service bulletin2026-01-30 · Electrical System
- OBSOLETE NOTICE January 30, 2026: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see T-SB-0001-26.
- T-SB-0001-26 Service bulletin2026-01-28 · Electrical System
- Some 2018 – 2024 model year Toyota vehicles equipped with a Premium Audio with Dynamic Navigation System require a Special Service Tool (SST) USB flash drive to update the map, points of interest, and system software.
- T-SB-0055-24 Rev2 Service bulletin2026-01-07 · Unknown Or Other
- Some 2005 – 2026 Toyota vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. The purpose of this Service Bulletin is to provide general guidelines and procedures for odor remediation. This Service Bulletin provides a guide on how to prepare and treat the interi
- T-SB-0089-25 Service bulletin2025-12-02 · Engine
- Some 2021 – 2025 model year RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid and RAV4 Prime vehicles may exhibit a MIL ON condition with Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) P019064 (Fuel Rail Pressure Sensor “A” Signal Plausibility Failure) present. The Engine Control Module (ECM) (SAE term: Powertrain Control Module/PCM) logic has been modified to address this condition.
- 25TD01 Service campaign2025-09-25 · Electrical System
- The subject vehicles are equipped with a rear motor unit and an HV Floor Under Wire that provide high voltage to operate the motor. Mud, water, or road salt could potentially enter the HV Floor Underwire connector housing and could cause corrosion over time. Excessive corrosion could cause AM Radio Static during certain driving cycles, or the vehicle may not start.
A service bulletin is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a known condition. It is not a recall, not a finding that the vehicle is defective, and the work is not automatically free — though a bulletin is often what a dealer works from when you describe a symptom, so quoting the document number can save a diagnosis. The count is every communication filed; the list shows the most recent, one entry per campaign, because a single campaign is usually filed as several documents on the same day. The summaries are NHTSA's; the full documents come from the manufacturer.
Diagnostic trouble codes on file
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaintsCodes documented against this model year in the federal record. A code appearing here does not mean this vehicle will set it — it means the code is part of this nameplate-year's documented history.
| Code | What it means | Most often filed under | Where it appears |
|---|---|---|---|
| B15DB B15DB on Toyota → | Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard. | Equipment | 2 bulletins |
| P0606 | An internal processor fault in the engine control module. | Electrical System · Battery → | 2 bulletins |
Generic codes (the second character is 0 or 2) mean the same thing on every vehicle sold in the United States. Manufacturer-specific codes (1 or 3) mean whatever the automaker assigned, and no honest source can define them for you — which is why the ones here carry the evidence instead of a definition. A code is a link when enough separate federal documents name it across the catalogue to be worth a page of its own; the rest are listed here, where the vehicle is the context that makes them mean something.
Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.
At the New York inspection station
Source: New York State DMVIn New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime failed the emissions check on 1.3% of first inspections — lower than the 1.9% for every 2021 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 1.7% (every 2021 vehicle: 1.5%).
failed emissions
3,072 initial inspections of 3,000 vehicles.
| Measure | The 2021 RAV4 Prime | Every 2021 vehicle | Behind it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Failed the emissions check | 1.3% | 1.9% | 3,063 |
| Failed the safety inspection | 1.7% | 1.5% | 3,072 |
| Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit | 0.10% | 0.19% | 3,072 |
| Miles driven a year | 11,464 | 10,343 | odometer at inspection |
| Average odometer | 60,123 | 54,681 | odometer at inspection |
New York’s emissions test on these model years is an on-board diagnostics check: it fails a car whose check-engine light is on or whose self-tests have not finished. First inspections only, so a car that failed and came back is counted once; private and special plates, not taxis, livery or commercial plates. A rate appears only where at least 200 inspections stand behind it. “Every 2021 vehicle” is every 2021 model-year car, SUV and pickup inspected in the same window, all makes. This is the state’s record of test results, not a reliability score by itself. Source: New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, Vehicle Inspections (data.ny.gov, Open NY terms).
RAV4 Prime by model year
all years, side by side →Common questions about the 2021 RAV4 Prime
Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kitsDoes the 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime have any recalls?
NHTSA has posted 4 recall campaigns for the 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime, 1 of them rated critical. The most serious on file is 23V478000, covering Electrical System. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.
How safe is the 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime?
NHTSA has not published a crash-test rating for the 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime yet. On the recall record WhichTrim grades it C (70/100), which measures open and severe recalls rather than crash protection.
What is the fuel economy of the 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime?
For the 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime, the best EPA combined figure is 38 mpg (MPGe on the electrified versions). Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.
What do owners complain about on the 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime?
Owners have filed 99 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime, most often about electrical system, unspecified, fuel/propulsion system. Of those, 12 involved a crash, 1 a fire, 5 reported injuries. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.
How clean is the 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime?
The EPA smog rating for the 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime is 7 out of 10. That score covers tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, and it only compares vehicles within the same model year. It is certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S. Its configurations were certified to different standards — California LEV-III SULEV30, Federal Tier 3 Bin 30 — which the table above lists per configuration.
Are there service bulletins for the 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime?
The manufacturer has filed 192 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime, most often covering electrical system, equipment, engine. The most recent is dated 2026-08-11. A bulletin is not a recall: it is the repair procedure a manufacturer sends its dealers for a condition it knows about, and the work is not automatically paid for. It is still worth knowing — if the symptom matches, quoting the bulletin number at the service desk can save a diagnosis. The document numbers and summaries are listed above.
How does the 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime do at state inspection?
In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime failed the emissions check on 1.3% of first inspections — lower than the 1.9% for every 2021 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 1.7% (every 2021 vehicle: 1.5%). The figures are New York State DMV’s own inspection records, first inspections only, and the table above sets each one against every vehicle of the same model year.
What we hold, and what an empty row means
Paid vehicle-history reports will not tell you the difference between “nothing happened to this car” and “we never received that record” — both of the big two say as much in their own help pages. Most of what is on this page comes from complete federal registers, so we can tell you which is which, row by row.
| Data | Held | Source | What it covers — or what empty means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel economy & configurations | 1 configurations | EPA certification records | Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures. |
| Emission certificates | 1 configurations | EPA emission certificates | Smog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new. |
| Recalls | 4 | NHTSA recall campaigns | A complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags. |
| Owner complaints | 99 | NHTSA complaint database | Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold. |
| Crash ratings | none | NHTSA NCAP | NHTSA has not tested this model year. Cars are selected for testing, so untested is not unsafe. |
| Service bulletins | 192 | NHTSA manufacturer communications | Everything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall. |
| Investigations | 1 | NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation | Open and closed defect investigations, with the agency's own narrative. |
| Driver-assist crash reports | none | NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01 | No report has been filed. Only entities named in the order report, and only crashes they hear of — so this is also what an unequipped car, or a manufacturer without telematics, looks like. |
| Specifications filed with NHTSA | 13 fields | NHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patterns | What the manufacturer filed under the federal VIN rule — a configuration, not the full trim ladder. |
| Trims, pricing & equipment | none | Manufacturer press kit | We have not transcribed a press kit for this model year yet. This is our gap, not the manufacturer's — the one row here where an empty cell means we are behind. |
Rebuilt nightly; this page was generated 2026-10-26. Every figure above is traceable to the source named beside it, and the JSON for this page carries the same values with their identifiers.
Sources & method
Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). The most serious recall counts in full and each further one counts 85% of the one before, because a vehicle sold in millions is recalled more often than a rare one without being more dangerous — and because a flat subtraction bottomed the scale out, scoring a vehicle with 22 recalls within a point of one with six. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Read it as what it counts: recall campaigns on the federal record, weighted by severity. The damping reduces the sales bias by roughly 40% but does not remove it: like our complaint counts, this is not normalized by how many were sold, so a best-seller still scores somewhat worse than an obscure model with the same real risk. NHTSA crash ratings, do-not-drive and park-outside advisories, and the crash, fire, injury and death counts in owner complaints are reported separately on every page and never blended into the letter — a vehicle can hold five stars and a poor letter at once, and where that happens we say so rather than leave you to notice. Because the scale subtracts from a clean sheet, a model year too new to have been recalled, complained about or bulletined scores full marks on an empty record; we label those grades provisional rather than present them as earned.
EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed nightly.