Selling a damaged or broken Toyota RAV4 Prime

Toyota sold the plug-in RAV4 under the Prime name for the 2021-2024 model years. Electrical faults lead its NHTSA file, with 88 of 213 complaints, and many owners write that they are still waiting on a recall part.

The plug-in RAV4, briefly

Toyota introduced the RAV4 Prime in Los Angeles on November 20, 2019, as the first plug-in RAV4, in SE and XSE grades. A 2.5-liter four works with a 180 hp front motor and a 54 hp rear motor for 302 hp combined, fed by an 18.1 kWh lithium-ion battery under the floor. The EPA rates the 2021 at 42 miles of electric range, 94 MPGe, and 38 mpg combined on gas, and the 2024 record matches. The regular RAV4 and RAV4 Hybrid come from Canada and Kentucky, but every Prime was built at Toyota Industries' Nagakusa plant in Japan.

For 2025 the car was renamed the RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid. NHTSA files those under the new name, so they aren't counted on this page.

The recall to check first: 23V478

On 2021-2022 cars, a rectifying module inside the DC-DC converter may have been damaged during production. It can short-circuit and overheat, raising the risk of a fire. The campaign covers 43,442 vehicles, and that total includes the 2022 Lexus NX 450h+. Toyota's dealer notice puts the RAV4 Prime share at about 41,500, built from late November 2019 to late May 2022.

Until the converter is replaced, Toyota tells owners not to charge when it is colder than 41°F (5°C), or will be. Dealers replace the converter free, and owner letters went out December 29, 2023.

Twenty complaints cite the campaign by number. Nineteen of them say the replacement part wasn't available yet, and 18 say the car had not actually failed.

Other recalls on the Prime

• 23V041 (2021): in cold weather, in EV mode, pressing the accelerator rapidly can make the hybrid software shut the system down and stall the car. It covers 16,679 vehicles, and dealers update the software free.
• 22V239 (2021-2022): stability control may not come back on by itself after the driver switched it off and restarted the car. The 458,110 vehicles span many Toyota and Lexus models.
• 22V519 (2022): parts inside the front passenger seat can interfere with the occupant sensor. Its 3,533 vehicles include the RAV4 and RAV4 Hybrid.
• 20V698 (2021): headlight aiming caps closed improperly can let the beam be moved sideways. It covers 413 cars.
• 25V595 (2023-2024 Primes): a software error can leave the instrument panel without critical information at startup. It reaches 591,377 vehicles across many models, and on plug-ins the fix is an inspection followed by a new panel or updated software.

NHTSA's recall file also lists the 2023-2024 Prime under 25V744, a camera display recall for vehicles with the Panoramic View Monitor. On the 2023, 33 of 64 complaints describe the instrument display or screen going blank, black or dark, and 22 cite 25V595 by number.

The 12-volt drain bulletin

Toyota's bulletin T-SB-0056-22, dated June 23, 2022, covers some 2021 Primes found with a flat 12-volt battery after sitting. The hybrid control computer stays awake when the car is off. Dealers reprogram that computer, and the bulletin puts the job under Toyota's hybrid warranty: 96 months/100,000 miles, counted from when the car went into service. On time alone, every 2021 is still inside that window.

RAV4 Prime complaints and recalls by year

Our count from NHTSA data pulled October 10, 2026. "Electrical system" counts complaints that name that component. Recalls are tallied once for each model year they cover, so that column runs past seven.

Before you decide

1. Run the VIN at NHTSA's recall search. If 23V478 is open on a 2021-2022, keep to the 41°F charging limit until it's done.
2. Flat 12-volt on a 2021? Ask a dealer about T-SB-0056-22 before paying for a battery.
3. Crash or flood damage? Our wrecked car guide covers the fix-or-sell call, and car loan owed covers selling with a balance left.

Selling the Prime as it sits

1. Have the VIN, the mileage and what happened to the car ready, plus any open recall numbers.
2. Get an offer online, or call (877) 421-6008.
3. Tell us where it's parked, for example a driveway, a street or a body shop, and whether it will roll.
4. Leave it whole: battery, wheels and all. Put the charging cable inside if you have it, and mention anything that's been removed.
5. For pickup, keep the title and your driver's license handy; if a lender holds the title, have the payoff details. State plate rules are in after you sell.

Comparing Toyotas? See the RAV4, the Prius Prime and every Toyota model we cover.