Problems · by component

2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime electrical system problems

37 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime cite electrical system, 37% of all 99 complaints for this model year. NHTSA also lists 2 recalls on this component.

Complaints
37
37% of all complaints
Crashes
1
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
1
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the electrical system

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“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.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 7, 2026Power train, Electrical system, Fuel/propulsion systemFire reportedODI 11742590
“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.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 29, 2026Power train, Electrical systemODI 11734723
“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.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 7, 2024Electrical systemODI 11618481
“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.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 10, 2024Electrical systemODI 11588041
“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.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 24, 2024Electrical systemODI 11584903
“The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Rav4 Prime. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V478000 (Electrical System) 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 dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 24, 2024Electrical systemODI 11584904

Showing 6 of 37 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 9, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Related recalls

2 recalls on this component

Electrical system: dc

Free remedy

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.

Electrical systemReported Jul 12, 2023NHTSA 23V478000

Electrical system: power control unit

Free remedy

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.

Electrical systemReported Feb 2, 2023NHTSA 23V041000
Data from NHTSA Recalls API · synced Nov 9, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.