101 complaints reported

2021 Toyota RAV4 Air Bags

Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.

Reports
101
Crashes
16
Fires
0
Injuries
15

Complaint Timeline

Chronological view of owner reports

Nov 2026

Very upset that the passenger air bag is defective and Toyota refuses to fix this issue, the recall was issued December 20, 2023! I can’t let anyone ride in the front passenger seat, if there was a car accident they might be killed or injured badly… Fix this issue Toyota… This is bad bad business… My mother is [XXX] and I can’t transport her anywhere because of the defective air bag. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2021 TOYOTA RAV4, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Dec 2023
May 2026

The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Rav4. 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 manufacturer was made aware of the issue, but no case number was provided. The contact had not experienced a failure.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2021 TOYOTA RAV4, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Dec 2025
Feb 2026

The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (Air Bags); however, parts were not yet available for the recall repair. The vehicle was taken to two dealers but was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealers confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2021 TOYOTA RAV4, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Feb 2026
Jan 2026

The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (Air Bags); however, parts were not yet available for the recall repair. The local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The dealer confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2021 TOYOTA RAV4, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Jan 2024
Dec 2025

The contact owns a 2021 Toyota RAV4. 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 and confirmed that the part was not available. The dealer referred the contact to the manufacturer for additional information. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2021 TOYOTA RAV4, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Dec 2025
Dec 2025

The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Rav4. 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 made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact decided to leave the vehicle with the dealer until parts became available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2021 TOYOTA RAV4, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Jan 2024
Dec 2025

POSSIBLE DEFECTIVE FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAGS, Toyota has taken way too long to fix a possible major safety problem with the airbag system!

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2021 TOYOTA RAV4, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Feb 2024
Oct 2025

The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (AIR BAGS); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2021 TOYOTA RAV4, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Dec 2023
Oct 2025

The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Rav4 The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (AIR BAGS); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2021 TOYOTA RAV4, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Jan 2024
Oct 2025

The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (AIR BAGS); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure related to the recall. The manufacturer was not contacted.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2021 TOYOTA RAV4, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Oct 2025
Oct 2025

The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Rav4. 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. An unknown dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that the recall parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2021 TOYOTA RAV4, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Oct 2025
Sep 2025

My 2021 Toyota RAV4 has been under airbag recall for over a year (starting around August 2023), and I have been unable to safely use my vehicle since then. Toyota has no estimated timeline for parts availability or repair, and the recall remains unresolved, they originally estimated October 2024, but that was nearly 1 year ago. Their provided timelines are now unreliable. I was provided a rental car, but it is not comparable to my RAV4 (smaller, less safe, lacks features like AWD and collision protection). Toyota has told me that if I accept the inferior rental, I will not be allowed to drive my own vehicle until the airbag is replaced — an indefinite period. I have contacted the dealer and Toyota Corporate repeatedly, but have been told there is no fix in the foreseeable future. Toyota has effectively deprived me of my own vehicle for more than 12 months, with no compensation, no buyback, and no acceptable substitute. This indefinite delay in addressing a critical safety defect (airbags) puts me and other owners at risk. I am submitting this complaint in hopes that NHTSA can hold Toyota accountable and accelerate a fix or require them to offer alternatives such as a buyback, permanent replacement, or compensation. The prolonged unavailability and loss of use of a vehicle due to a safety defect, especially with no viable end in sight, is unacceptable. Vehicle Info: - Year: 2021 - Make: Toyota - Model: RAV4 - VIN: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2021 TOYOTA RAV4, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Aug 2023
Sep 2025

I received notice of the recall for front passenger seat airbag sensors in Dec 2023, with assurances that it would be fixed by a certain quarter, which kept getting pushed out for almost 2 years now. I haven't received any further updates in the mail or email and had to call the dealer and Toyota directly to get any updates or info. They finally had an update that the remedy fix would happen in phases. I'm in CA and the last phase 8 which is estimated for Jan 2026. I do not have confidence that the fix will happen by then as these dates have continuously been delayed for 2 years. We've been driving our cars with a potentially unsafe situation for a long time. How will we as consumers really know when our car can be fixed?

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2021 TOYOTA RAV4, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Dec 2023
Sep 2025

On 9/20, I started receiving a dashboard notification alerting me of an airbag system failure (see photo) - that was unable to be dismissed for longer than 15-20 seconds obstructing my odometer, speedometer and gas meter. On 9/23, I had an appointment and was informed my car needed a “clock spring assy”. My car is not driven frequently and not even four years old yet.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2021 TOYOTA RAV4, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Sep 2025
Sep 2025

The manufacturer has failed to provide a remedy in a timely manner. Toyota said a remedy would be ready October 2024. A year later, and there's no fix and no update to the remedy status.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2021 TOYOTA RAV4, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Sep 2025
Sep 2025

The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Rav4. 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 several times. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the front passenger's side seat had not been used since the recall notification was received. The contact had not experienced a failure.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2021 TOYOTA RAV4, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Sep 2025
Sep 2025

Toyota has failed to provide a solution to a small sensor recall for my vehicle for nearly two years. That is an unacceptable delay for something so simple as a sensor.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2021 TOYOTA RAV4, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Dec 2023
Aug 2025

According to the recall which was first stated on 12/20/23, as of today, 8/22/25 Toyota has not provided a remedy and my car is not safe to carry a passenger!

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2021 TOYOTA RAV4, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Dec 2023
Aug 2025 Crash Injury

Airbags did not deploy after head on collision.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2021 TOYOTA RAV4, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Aug 2025
Aug 2025

My 2021 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid (VIN: [your VIN]) has an open safety recall 23V865 for the passenger airbag. Toyota has not provided a remedy yet, and the vehicle is unsafe to transport a front passenger. Toyota estimated a fix by Q3 2024, but as of now no remedy is available. I am concerned about the ongoing safety risk and delay.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2021 TOYOTA RAV4, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Aug 2025
Aug 2025

1. The passenger side airbag has had a recall notification since 12/3/23. It is now 11/8/25. 2. The life and safety of my passengers are at risk. 3. The problem has been confirmed by NHTSA recall notification on 12/3/23, and personal experience. 4. The passenger side airbag warning came on the day I bought the vehicle on [XXX] at CarMax in Oxnard, CA, and was about to drive my Toyota Rav4 XLE off the lot. I was told by the CarMax salesperson that it was because my personal bag on the passenger seat was not heavy enough to indicate an actual person and, therefore, not to worry about this warning signal, this was normal. This obviously was not normal as there has now been a recall of the passenger side air bag system by Toyota/NHTSA as of December 2023. It is now November 2025 and there is no remedy available yet by Toyota per the NHTSA website. Your website stated if no timely remedy is completed, to file a complaint. I am now filing this complaint due to the 2-year delay by Toyota in providing this life-saving remedy. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2021 TOYOTA RAV4, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Aug 2023
Aug 2025

Recall notice issued Dec 2023 and indicated remedy would be available Quarter 3, 2024. Still no remedy available.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2021 TOYOTA RAV4, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Dec 2023
Aug 2025

Toyota informed us of defective OCS sensors on NHTSA recall No. 23V-865 in 2023. There has since been no remedy nor further notice from Toyota for even an inspection. Dealer claims to be waiting on manufacturer still today 1/8/25, 1343.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2021 TOYOTA RAV4, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Aug 2023
Jul 2025

The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Rav4. 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 manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2021 TOYOTA RAV4, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Dec 2023
Jul 2025

The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Rav4. 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 manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2021 TOYOTA RAV4, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Dec 2023

Trend Over Time

Complaints by year

Quick Summary

The 2021 Toyota RAV4 has 101 Air Bags complaints on file. 16 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.