2020 Toyota RAV4 Airbags Problems
NHTSA lists 55 airbag complaints for the 2020 Toyota RAV4, 9% of all complaints filed for the year. Eight crashes and four injuries were reported alongside these complaints, with a median failure mileage of 40,500. A related recall, 23V865000, covers a passenger occupant classification sensor issue.
- Airbags complaints
- 55
- 9% of 634
- Crashes reported
- 8
- Fires reported
- 0
- Injuries reported
- 4
- Median mileage
- 40,500 mi
- Related recalls
- 1
Typical airbag symptoms owners report
- Airbags failed to deploy in frontal and offset collisions, including a head-on impact at 55 mph and a T-bone crash at 40 mph.
- Drivers involved in rear-end and side-impact crashes reported no airbag deployment despite significant vehicle damage and injuries such as broken bones and dislocated shoulders.
- Some owners tied non-deployment directly to recall 23V865000, noting the passenger airbag sensor may fail to register an occupant and prevent deployment.
- Several owners reported waiting for recall repair parts under campaign 23V865000, with the wait extending well beyond what they considered a reasonable timeframe.
- One owner reported airbags did not deploy in an unintended-acceleration crash into a residence, with no diagnosed fault found before the incident.
When 2020 Toyota RAV4 airbag complaints were filed
First complaint Jun 2, 2020, latest Apr 9, 2026.
Airbags recalls for the 2020 Toyota RAV4
- NHTSA 23V865000Dec 20, 2023Airbags999,901 vehicles
Air bags:sensor:occupant classification
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Avalon, Avalon Hybrid, Corolla, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, RAV4, RAV4 Hybrid, Lexus ES350, Lexus RX350, Lexus RX450H, 2021 Sienna Hybrid, Lexus ES250, 2020-2022 Camry, Camry Hybrid, and ES300H vehicles. A short circuit may develop in the Occupant Classification System (OCS) sensor, preventing the front passenger air bag from deploying.
Risk: An air bag that does not deploy during a crash increases the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the sensor as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed in February 2024. Some final remedy owner letters were mailed October 31, 2024. Letters will continue to be mailed in phases through January 2026. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 23TB15/23TA15 Lexus 23LB03/23LA03.
Airbags complaints by RAV4 model year
Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.
Frequently asked questions
- Are there known airbag problems on the 2020 Toyota RAV4?
- Yes. NHTSA lists 55 airbag complaints for the 2020 RAV4, making up 9% of all complaints filed for that model year, with 8 crashes and 4 injuries reported.
- Is there a recall for the 2020 RAV4 airbags?
- Yes, recall 23V865000 covers the 2020-2021 RAV4 among other Toyota and Lexus models. Dealers are to inspect and replace the sensor as necessary, free of charge.
- What mileage do airbag failures typically show up at on the 2020 RAV4?
- The median mileage at failure reported to NHTSA for this component is 40,500 miles.
- What exactly goes wrong with the airbags?
- Owners most often report that airbags failed to deploy during crashes, including frontal, rear-end, and side-impact collisions, some tied to a passenger occupant sensor issue covered by the recall.