Toyota RAV4 hybrid severe supply shortage in US, dealers report empty lots and six-month waits

USA Toyota's hybrid SUV model is in serious scarcity, many dealers are out of supply and many customers have to wait half a year.

Months after first reporting dealers measuring RAV4 inventory in hours instead of days, the situation is still not back to normal. Some customers are having to wait months to receive Toyota's new generation hybrid SUV, while dealers can only look at empty spaces where brand new RAV4s should be displayed.

CNBC reporter visited Colonial Toyota dealership in Milford, Connecticut. Mr. Bobby Crabtree, owner of the dealership, said the parking lot has about 250 vacant positions and is currently only about 33% full. Although not all spaces were available for the RAV4, the number of vehicles arriving at dealerships was still less than expected and Mr. Crabtree really wanted to have more cars to sell.

The couple Nancy and Ira Berman clearly understand this situation from the buyer's perspective. They placed a deposit on the RAV4 in March and it took 6 months to prepare to receive the car.

"The waiting time is a bit inconvenient," Ms. Nancy Berman shared, adding that they still have other Toyotas to move while waiting.

Toyota has admitted that initial supply will be limited when launching the new RAV4. This improved crossover model completely switched to hybrid engines in the US market, with the initial source of vehicles imported from Japan and Canada because the factory in Kentucky had to be temporarily suspended to restructure the line. In addition, trains carrying cars from Japan are also affected by the conflict in the Middle East.

The factory in Kentucky has begun shipping the RAV4, but increasing production in stages means dealers cannot receive the usual quantity. Toyota is still trying to chase demand that far exceeds market supply.

This shortage has lasted for many months. Earlier this summer, some dealers noted RAV4 inventory times were measured in hours, while a Toyota dealer in California reportedly had more than 800 customers on a waiting list. The supply shortage has caused Toyota to lose tens of thousands of potential RAV4 sales this year.

However, American consumers are still willing to wait because of the appeal of this car line. Nearly 480,000 RAV4s were delivered to US customers in 2025, making Toyota's crossover model the third best-selling vehicle in the country, behind only the Ford F-150 and Chevrolet Silverado. The decision to switch to all-hybrid engines comes at a time when gasoline prices are skyrocketing.

In 2026, more than 18% of vehicles sold in the US will be hybrids, according to J.D. Power - although still significantly lower than the 75% level of internal combustion engine cars, has surpassed the 7% figure of pure electric cars.