What 375 owners told NHTSA about the 2021 Toyota RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid

was driving on 4 lane hwy and it was raining and my wipers stopped working mid-way on windshield, I had to find a safe place to pull off road and inspect the problem i tried turning car off and back on and wipers would still not work. I drove another 3 miles or so to the Toyota dealership luckily with no accident which made me feel very unsafe without my wipers. They told me i would have to leave car for them to take panel off to find the cause of failure and provided a loaner after i refused an Uber.

NHTSA ODI 11741647

My 2021 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid exhibits significant vibration in both exterior rear-view mirrors beginning at approximately 30 MPH, worsening at highway speeds of 50–70 MPH. Toyota has acknowledged this as a known manufacturing defect via TSB T-SB-0079-20, which identifies the original mirror mounting studs and reinforcement brackets as inadequate from the factory. The condition was confirmed by my local Toyota dealership, who verified TSB applicability but declined to cover the repair due to my vehicle being outside the 36-month/36,000-mile warranty window. I am currently at 127,000 miles. The safety risk is active and ongoing. Constant mirror vibration creates two compounding hazards: it directly distorts rear visibility, and it conditions the driver to mentally filter out mirror movement as background noise. This habituation means a motorcyclist or small vehicle appearing in the mirror may not register as a distinct threat. The component is available for inspection upon request. No warning lamps accompany this condition. The vibration has been present since early ownership and has not improved over time.

NHTSA ODI 11728927

The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the contact heard a loud bang and then heard wind entering the cabin of the vehicle. The contact stated that the sunroof had shattered without impact. Neither an independent mechanic nor a dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic to be inspected or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 56,413.

NHTSA ODI 11711279

Vehicle has both rear view mirror distortion (assembly mirror face on both sides) vibrate causing distortion deeming outside rear view mirrors useless and hazardous. Toyota issued a technical service bulletin for 2019-2021 Toyota RAV4 models but refuses to pay for this safety defect.

NHTSA ODI 11682491

The outer rear-view mirrors on my 2021 Toyota RAV4 vibrate all times, and excessively at highway speeds (approximately 50–70 mph), creating a shaky and distorted image of surrounding vehicles. This failure of the mirror mounting system makes it difficult to accurately judge the position and speed of other cars when changing lanes, merging, or reacting to traffic. The mirrors remain installed on my vehicle and are available for inspection. This issue poses a serious safety hazard. Because the mirrors do not provide a stable, undistorted view, my ability to monitor blind spots and adjacent lanes is compromised, putting myself, my passengers, and others on the road at increased risk of collision. The problem has been reproduced and confirmed by Toyota through Technical Service Bulletin T-SB-0079-20, which instructs dealers to install longer mounting studs, reinforcement brackets, and bonding adhesive to correct the defect. Toyota currently limits the repair to vehicles under the 3-year/36,000-mile warranty, leaving many unsafe vehicles unrepaired. I recently purchased the vehicle outside the warranty coverage. There were no dashboard warning lights or system messages to indicate the defect. The only symptom is the visible vibration of the mirrors, which first appeared shortly after purchase and persists across normal driving conditions. Because the defect directly impacts driver visibility and compliance with FMVSS 111, I believe this should be escalated from a Technical Service Bulletin to a mandatory safety recall.

NHTSA ODI 11680638

The side mirrors shake heavily especially on highways. It puts my safety at risk and others as I am unable to properly focus on the road ahead of me when I am trying to clearly see if there are cars behind me while I am changing lanes. It causes me to take extra time looking at the mirror that I shouldn't have to in order to change lanes safely. This is a known issue and a Technical Service Bulletin has been created for it, but it requires a payment of over $1,000 to fix when this is an issue caused by the maker of the vehicle. It has been inspected by the maker at a dealership and was agreed that the issue I am facing aligns with the TSB. There were no warnings, as it has been noticed to have gotten worse in the last couple of months.

NHTSA ODI 11674249

UKNOWN. The panoramic sunroof of my vehicle exploded unexpectedly while driving on the freeway and the glass shattered everywhere. There were no debris in sight that would cause the incident and the glass of the sunroof was facing outward when inspected seems to indicate that the breakage occurred from inside the vehicle. The shattered glass and shards caused minor injuries on myself and one other passenger. The 'explosion' caused the debris glass to have potentially hit surrounding cars on the freeway. The problem has been reported to the dealer but they denying any reoccurrences of this issue . The vehicle has not yet been inspected but has been reported to insurance. There were no other symptoms prior to the failure.

NHTSA ODI 11670308

The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact stated that the front driver’s side window became inoperable. The contact stated that the power button would not function properly, and the contact could not get the front window off track. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the window regulator had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 32,804.

NHTSA ODI 11659818

Without any warning and without anyone touching the car my back windshield exploded out. This flung pieces of glass inches from my toddler as we were about to get in the car. I have a remote car starter (for 4 years on this car) and had started it a few minutes before walking to my car to put my stuff down, I opened the passenger door, put my bags on the seat and closed the door. I then turned around to help my toddler into the car and it suddenly exploded inches from us

NHTSA ODI 11632244

The sideview mirrors vibrate - the part that vibrates is the actual glass inside. I have read that many other 2021 RAV4 owners have complained about the same issue. The car was taken to a Toyota dealership and they reported not being able to locate a repair kit for this issue. The vibration makes it difficult to use the mirrors when driving at higher speeds on the interstate. It puts myself and others at risk because it makes it more challenging to safely change lanes.

NHTSA ODI 11605330

Purchased a 2021 Toyota Rav4 Limited and the side mirrors vibrate while driving to the point it is unsafe to use them as their intended purpose. Nationally, Toyota seems to have acknowledged the problem via T-SB-0079-20 and only covers them on vehicles with 36k miles or 36,000 miles. Our vehicle was on the dealer lot for a year and the coverage for this TSB expired in February 2024 and has over 36k miles so my local dealer has told me it does not qualify to be repaired but recognized that the issues meets the issues described in the above TSB. My complaint is that it should be made a recall and should not be something only quietly covered. No engine or warning lights to indicate this issue and no public notice from Toyota. I only discovered this TSB via online forums, Facebook groups, and reddit groups dedicated to this 2019+ model years of the Rav4 and this seems to be a rampant issue that Toyota does not want to tell people about!

NHTSA ODI 11604478

While driving on the freeway with outside temperatures of about 89/90F, at about 67-68 mph, our passenger window randomly exploded and shattered. There was no prior damage to the window or any indication that a rock, projectile or other debris had hit the window. Prior to this incident, we had observed that the passenger window would rattle inside the door pocket/window frame when the car was in motion. When the window shattered, it did so instantly without any warning, as if it had exploded, startling us. As we continued driving, the outside air started pulling apart the shattered window, causing the broken window glass to fall apart into thousands of little pieces that ended up all over the passenger, driver, and back seats, which were also occupied with children [XXX] and [XXX] old). This was a very scary and traumatic experience for us, as things could have taken a turn for the worse and we could have been seriously injured. Luckily, we had nothing more serious than minor cuts in the aftermath. However, our family and especially our children were very affected by this incident and our car suffered damage to the outside body and some more minor damage on the inside from the glass flying off from the shattered window. We believe the rattling of the window caused it to eventually explode and shatter. We believe the rattling is due to some kind of manufacturing error: either improper installation or possibly low quality glass material or incorrect size to match the door frame or a missing part that should hold the window securely. We would like our car inspected for any further damage not visible to the eye (such as glass inside the door pocket and the safety of the door window retainer of the passenger door as well as a check of the integrity of the rest of the car’s windows to check that they are property installed and secured in place to prevent rattling. The driver side window in the car continues to rattle and we fear that this incident may occur again. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11599844

Hello, I recently purchased a RAV4 2021 Limited and immidiateky noticed the side mirrors are shaking while the car is on the move to an extent where it is hard to keep track of the other vehicles from the mirrors. When I looked up this is a toyota design defect for which they have a service bulletin. I believe this should be a safety concern as the mirrors are integral part of driving and excessive shaking limits the usuability as well as strains the driver’s eyes.

NHTSA ODI 11592096

1. most recent. 03/01/2024 sunroof spontaneously exploded during my drive to work. broken glass fell on me as I drove. No bad weather. nothing hit it. just spontaneous explosion. 2. older claim. about a year of having purchased the car the front windshield cracked while parked at work. like the other incident no accident. I had that fixed. but the wipers do not work properly. Toyota charged me to have them check but did not fix it. to this day they only work at medium or maximum speed. wipers do not work on low or intermittent. after doing some research on the internet and YouTube it seems that this is becoming common with this model car.

NHTSA ODI 11575343

I was driving on the highway there was no cars in front or next to me, it was warm outside about noon the sun was out and I heard a loud bang and a minute later another loud bang, I thought it was a balloon that popped that was in my car and I pulled over and when I saw none of the balloons had popped I thought it was a soda can that exploded in the trunk but I saw they were all intact. When I got home, that is when I noticed the sunroof shattered and it was tented up. Toyota wouldn't honor the warranty, it took 4 days for the dealership to try to find blame on me.

NHTSA ODI 11561358

The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while her husband was driving approximately 75 MPH, there was an abnormally loud booming sound heard. After stopping to inspect the vehicle it was discovered that the glass sunroof had exploded. The contact stated that during the failure, there was no other vehicles or objects were nearby. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 50,000. Repairs were made but the contact paid out of pocket for them. Their claim for reimbursement from the manufacturer was denied due to there being no evidence of a factory defect or an outstanding recall.

NHTSA ODI 11557587

As I was driving, I heard a loud pop. I looked up and my sunroof was completely shattered.

NHTSA ODI 11556467

The contact rented a 2021 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, he heard a vibrating sound coming from the front driver’s side windshield. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic; however, the contact was informed that the vehicle was a rental and could not be diagnosed. The contact was informed to return the vehicle to Avis Car Rental. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The contact stated that he was able to restart the vehicle after several minutes. The contact stated that due to the loss of motive power, the front driver’s and passenger’s side headlights failed to operate as needed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, the contact was informed that the vehicle could not be diagnosed since the vehicle was a rental. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacture was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 53,000.

NHTSA ODI 11534866

We have water becoming stuck in our back passenger door due to a weather strip design flaw in Toyota Rav4 Hybrids. This will begin to happen to all weather strips and eventually destroy the interior and electrical if not repaired. This is a common design flaw in newer Toyota Rav4 Hybrids and we are lucky it's just our one door so far.  I've been informed (by our Toyota Tech) that eventually all of the doors and the roof will leak due to this Toyota design flaw.   When we took the car to get fixed at the dealership, they let us know it was an expensive repair, advised it was a design flaw, other customers are affected, and allowed us time to research before paying for the repair. We may attempt it ourselves since Toyota corporate has refused a reimbursement for the repair. This is a Toyota design flaw and requires a recall. They are charging hundreds to fix this. This will literally destroy the cars electrical.

NHTSA ODI 11531866

* The sunroof spontaneously exploded while driving on the highway. There were no cars nearby. There was nothing that hit the vehicle, further supported by the glass clearly having exploded outwards. * Glass shrapnel could have hit nearby vehicles. If the interior panel was opened to the sunroof there would have been a significant amount of glass shrapnel inside the vehicle, hitting the driver and passengers. * Unknown. From other vehicle owners, yes. * No, this just happened an hour ago. * None whatsoever.

NHTSA ODI 11472192

The 2021 Toyota RAV4 has extremely poor right forward visibility and obstruction by the hood and the A pillar. These cars are unsafe. The front hood does not slope down, so visibility is obstructed, and the A pillar and mirrors (rear view and front right side mirror) further obstruct views. I took a photograph of the right front view and 50% or more of the view when looking right is obstructed. These cars should be taken off the road.

NHTSA ODI 11462004

The windshield started cracking from the bottom (hidden by the hood line) upwards for no apparent reason. Started at 8500 miles 5 months after purchase. No chips or rocks at the point of the crack.

NHTSA ODI 11460403

FRONT WINDSHIELD CRACKED SITTING IN DRIVEWAY, NO CRACKS OR CHIPS TEMPETURE WAS 64 DEGREES

NHTSA ODI 11456314

1. 5th generation Rav4 LE Hybrid does not allow adjustment of intermittent wiper intervals that constitutes safety hazard. Every single vehicle on the road has had this feature for decades, its absence constitutes negligence on Toyota's part. 2. Traditional and intuitive industry standard cruise control lever with push-button switch has been replaced with counter-intuitive button controls that distract attention and can hardly be operated without having looked at them.

NHTSA ODI 11455420

I found the moonroof of my 15-day old 2021 Toyota RAV4 spontaneously exploded while sitting parked in my driveway. As the shade that covers the moonroof was open, I incurred minor abrasions from not realizing that the "s**t on my console" was not dust or fuzz, but tiny shards of broken glass that I had already swiped with my hand. There is a large, jagged hole near center on the rear section of glass and the entire moonroof is shattered. Strangely, the glass around the hole is bowed outward as if something was shot through from the inside of the vehicle. Thankfully I was not driving & did not have my kids in the car with me when it happened because there would have been definite safety issues for me, my passengers, and any others out on the road with me. The car was last used about 6:30pm on Saturday, 12/11/21 and not used again until about 11:15am on Monday, 12/13/21. It spent the time not being used parked towards the rear of my driveway, shaded by my house. There are no trees or other possible falling hazards near my driveway and nothing found in or around my car to suggest a projectile/object was involved.

NHTSA ODI 11443668