Toyota RAV4 Prime (Phev)
Registered from 2021 to 2027.
About this model
The Toyota RAV4 is a compact crossover SUV produced by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota. Having sold over 15 million units worldwide as of 2025, the RAV4 is the best-selling SUV of all time. The car is credited with popularizing compact crossover automobiles, often credited as the first modern compact crossover SUV. In February 2025, the RAV4 replaced the Ford F-150 as the best-selling car in the United States, after nearly four decades of the latter's reign.
From the Wikipedia article Toyota RAV4, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where it stands out against its peers
- Air bags: more complaints than 93% of 2021 cars — 25% of its 600 complaints, where an ordinary 2021 car has 7%.
Same model year only, at least 30 peer cars, zeros included. Every car has a worst part; this shows which, and how far from ordinary it is. A high share means more to check, not a verdict.
Before you buy one
Built from what this car fails on, not from general knowledge of the model.
- AIR BAGS — 124 owners reported this, 19 involving a crash
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — 61 owners reported this, 1 involving a crash, 1 involving a fire
- FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — 31 owners reported this
- SERVICE BRAKES — 25 owners reported this, 4 involving a crash
- VISIBILITY/WIPER — 17 owners reported this
- ENGINE — 15 owners reported this
- SEATS — 14 owners reported this
- STRUCTURE — 14 owners reported this, 1 involving a crash
- AIR BAGS,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE — 11 owners reported this, 11 involving a crash
- VISIBILITY — 11 owners reported this
- LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES — 8 owners reported this
- STEERING — 8 owners reported this, 2 involving a crash
- TIRES — 8 owners reported this
- AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS — 7 owners reported this, 3 involving a crash
- POWER TRAIN — 7 owners reported this, 2 involving a crash
Crash test
| Overall | ★★★★★ |
| Frontal crash | ★★★★☆ |
| Side crash | ★★★★★ |
| Rollover | ★★★★☆ |
| Stability control | Standard |
| Forward collision warning | Standard |
| Lane departure warning | Standard |
Crash-tested by NHTSA, the American road safety agency.
Specification
| Year | Measured |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 177 hp · 1920 kg · 2690 mm wheelbase · Suv, 4-door |
| 2024 | 177 hp · 1920 kg · 2690 mm wheelbase · 6.2 L/100km (EPA) · 5.9 L/100km city · 6.5 motorway · 224 Wh/km · Suv, 4-door |
| 2023 | 177 hp · 6.2 L/100km (EPA) · 5.9 L/100km city · 6.5 motorway · 224 Wh/km |
| 2022 | 177 hp · 6.2 L/100km (EPA) · 5.9 L/100km city · 6.5 motorway · 224 Wh/km |
| 2021 | 177 hp · 6.2 L/100km (EPA) · 5.9 L/100km city · 6.5 motorway · 224 Wh/km |
Recalls
Filed by the manufacturer with a regulator. A recall is repaired free of charge, whoever owns the car now.
49% of 2022 cars have more recall campaigns than this one, and an ordinary one has 3. More of them means more to check the service record for, not a worse car.
20V698000
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.
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.
22V239000
Driving with a deactivated stability control system increases the risk of a crash.
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.
22V519000
Incorrect detection of an occupant may result in improper air bag deployment during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Dealers will inspect and repair the front passenger seat, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 2, 2022. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 22TA08.
23V041000
An engine stall increases the risk of a crash.
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.
23V478000
A short circuit can cause the DC-DC converter to overheat, increasing the risk of a vehicle fire.
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.
23V865000
An air bag that does not deploy during a crash increases the risk of injury.
Dealers will inspect and replace the sensor as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed in February 2024. Some final remedy owner letters were mailed October 31, 2024. Letters will continue to be mailed in phases through January 2026. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 23TB15/23TA15 Lexus 23LB03/23LA03.
Regulator investigations
Opened by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. An investigation is a question the regulator asked about a possible defect, not a fault it found — most end without a recall.
Pedestrian alert sounds
Defect petition, opened January 2023, closed August 2023.
What the maker told its dealers
Service bulletins are the manufacturer's own repair guidance to dealers, filed with NHTSA. A bulletin is not a defect finding; the count rises with how many things a maker writes down, not only with how many go wrong.
Toyota filed 35 bulletins about the 2026 RAV4 Prime (Phev).
- Electrical system: 3
- Engine: 3
- Fuel/propulsion system: 1
- Wheels: 1
- Other: 27
- State of Health (SOH): An estimate of battery health that is updated as the vehicle learns from operating and charging conditions over time. Distance Since Last Update: Indicates the distance… · August 2026
- 2026 model year Toyota vehicles are equipped with driver side floor mat retainers to secure the floor mat in the correct position. In addition, some models may also utilize retainers for passenger… · July 2026
- During the manufacturing process, tires are mounted on the vehicle as matched sets to help reduce conditions such as pulling or drifting. If the wheels are replaced or refinished before vehicle… · July 2026
- A battery in a stored vehicle is subject to conditions that can reduce its performance and service life. These conditions include storage period, temperature, parasitic drain, and battery load.… · July 2026
- Long-term or off-site storage requires special care to maintain vehicle condition. The following guidelines should be performed to minimize vehicle component/part degradation due to extendedvehicle… · July 2026
- Some 26MY RAV4 HV/PHV vehicles with HU (head unit) versions 1136 or older may exhibit one or more of theintermittent conditions below: • No sound from JBL audio at start up. • CarPlay audio and… · June 2026
- Some 2026 RAV4 HV vehicles may display a Distance to Empty (DTE) that is higher than expected at initial fill-up. The DTE is computed using the amount of fuel remaining and a learned value that is… · June 2026
- Pre-Delivery Service (PDS) is a critical step in satisfying our new car customers. Customer feedback indicates the following areas deserve special attention when performing PDS: • Careful inspection… · June 2026
27 more.
Grouped by NHTSA's top-level system; a bulletin filed under a sub-heading counts toward its system.