Toyota dealers are still working through a supply shortage of the redesigned RAV4, as production changes and strong demand leave the popular SUV with far less inventory than the broader new-vehicle market.
The RAV4 had just 24 days' supply in the U.S. at the end of September, compared with 82 days for the overall market, according to Cox Automotive's analysis of vAuto Live Market View data. Toyota had 35 days' supply across its entire lineup, the lowest among major automakers.
The shortage follows a production transition for the 2026 RAV4, which moved to an all-electrified lineup of conventional hybrids and plug-in hybrids. Toyota retooled factories to build the redesigned model, temporarily limiting output as production ramped up.
North American RAV4 production fell 30% through September, according to AutoForecast Solutions data cited by The Wall Street Journal. U.S. RAV4 sales declined 29.2% year over year through the first nine months of 2026, totaling 253,664 vehicles, according to published sales data.
Toyota's North American sales chief Damon Rose acknowledged that the automaker underestimated the challenge of the transition. The company is increasing production to recover lost volume, but some buyers have faced waits of months for the new SUV.
For dealers, the supply crunch creates a split between strong demand and limited availability. It also raises questions about how shoppers will respond when their preferred RAV4 configuration is unavailable, including whether they will consider competing compact SUVs or turn to the used market.
The RAV4's tight supply stands out against a new-vehicle market where inventory is uneven. Cox Automotive reported that some brands, including Jeep and Ram, ended September with more than 140 days' supply.
Toyota's ability to ramp up production will help determine how quickly dealers can replenish stock of one of the market's most popular SUVs.
