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.
2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime electrical problems
37 complaints (37% of all complaints for this car). 1 crash reported.
- owner complaints
- 37
- of this car's complaints
- 37%
- crashes
- 1
- recalls
- 2
Which part fails
Owners did not name a specific part.
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+
Toyota RAV4 Prime electrical problems in other years
Related recalls
Electrical system: propulsion system: dc/dc converter
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- A short circuit can cause the DC-DC converter to overheat, increasing the risk of a vehicle fire.
- Remedy
- 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.
Recall number 23V478000 · Recall details
Electrical system: propulsion system: hybrid management: power control unit/module (HPCU)
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- An engine stall increases the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- 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.
Recall number 23V041000 · Recall details
Related investigations
Pedestrian alert sounds
the federal safety agency received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, the federal safety agency opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified the federal safety agency he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review of data, there is no justification for asserting potential benefits that could be derived from actions sought by my petition. Based on the petitioner's withdrawal, DP22-005 is closed. Closure of this DP does not represent a determination by the federal safety agency regarding the subject matter of the petition.
DP22005
What 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
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.
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.
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.
The manufacturer has not corrected the recall in 10 months
RE: RECALL # 23TA07 for 2021 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." Initially Toyota claimed it would be remedied by 4th quarter 2023. Now Toyota Corporate has no information when this recall will be addressed. I paid an additional cost of $5000 over the cost of a regular hybrid 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.
The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Rav4 Prime. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency 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.
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.
The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Rav4 Prime. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency 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 manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Toyota dealerships stated that there is no fix for recalled issue and not to charge the vehicle with the charger and to park it outside my home due to a Potential fire concern We are going on almost a year on this recall and there is still no fix. Recall Code: 23TB07.
Questions about the 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime electrical
Does the 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime have electrical problems?
Owners have filed 37 complaints about the electrical of the 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime, 37% of all its complaints, more than any other problem.
At what mileage do 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime electrical problems start?
Not enough complaints include the mileage to tell.
Was there a recall on the 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime electrical?
Yes, 2 recalls: 23V478000, 23V041000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Toyota RAV4 Prime have the most electrical problems?
The Toyota RAV4 Prime model years with the most electrical complaints are 2023 (43 complaints), 2021 (37 complaints) and 2024 (10 complaints).
Other 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime problems
Fuel system 18Brakes 16Driver assistance 11Airbags 5Transmission 5Acceleration 4Engine 3Visibility 3Body 1Locks 1Seat belts 1Steering 1Tires 1
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