2020 Toyota RAV4 airbag problems
59 of the 648 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the 2020 Toyota RAV4 name the airbags (NHTSA’s “Air Bags” heading — airbags, their sensors and warning lights). Filed under the same heading: 2 recalls. Every figure below is a document in a federal file, linked; none is a failure rate, and none is a verdict on any one car.
What owners filed about the airbags
Source: NHTSA complaint database8 of the 59 reports a crash · 0 a fire · 4 injuries. Self-reported, unverified.
Filed per year: 2020: 2 · 2021: 2 · 2022: 5 · 2023: 4 · 2024: 25 · 2025: 20 · 2026: 1
Too few of these complaints carry an odometer reading to say when the problem shows up.
648 complaints in all about the 2020 Toyota RAV4, 1 filed in 2026. The whole picture, every system →
Counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many of these were sold; nothing here is a rate. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so “Air Bags” means the same area of the vehicle, not one fault.
Across model years: Toyota RAV4 airbag problems, every year on file →
In owners’ own words
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseFiled with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the airbags. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.
The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Rav4 Hybrid. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (AIR BAGS); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair.
The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Rav4 Hybrid. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair.
The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Rav4 Hybrid. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number 23V86500 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer and Northridge Toyota (9550 Nordhoff St., Northridge, CA 91324) were contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired.
The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Rav4 Hybrid. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair.
There is a recall for the roof rails leaking water which can damage the air bags and electrical components. They will not fix the roof with new gaskets unless you actually see the water coming in. My concern is that it is leaking and I'm just not seeing it because the 110 degree weather.
What is on file about the airbags
Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communicationsRecalls filed under this heading
- 23V865000 HighDec 20, 2023 · 999,901 vehicles
- 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.
- 20V734000 HighNov 25, 2020 · 161 vehicles
- Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Toyota Avalon and 2020 Avalon Hybrid, RAV4, and RAV4 Hybrid vehicles. Breakaway pins within the steering column, designed to absorb energy and reduce injury during a crash, could have been damaged during production, possibly affecting the performance of the driver's air bag in the event of a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Other systems with a record on the 2020 Toyota RAV4
Source: the same files- engine problems 197 complaints
- electrical problems 121 complaints
- fuel system problems 91 complaints
- body and structure problems 61 complaints
Common questions
Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communicationsAre airbag problems common on the 2020 Toyota RAV4?
They are documented: NHTSA holds 59 owner complaints naming the airbags on this model year (9% of everything owners filed about it), and 2 recalls are filed under the same heading. Whether it is a problem on one particular car is a diagnosis, not a count, and a count says nothing about how many were sold.
Is there a recall for the airbags on the 2020 Toyota RAV4?
Yes — 2 campaigns are filed under this heading: 23V865000, 20V734000. A recall is matched by VIN; check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
When do airbag problems show up on the 2020 Toyota RAV4?
Too few of the complaints carry an odometer reading to say. The model year's page shows the mileage curve across every system where it can.
What does NHTSA's "Air Bags" heading cover?
Airbags, their sensors and warning lights. Owners choose the heading when they file, so it says which area of the vehicle the complaint is about, not which part failed.