No New Inventory The launch of the 2026 RAV4 has had a weird effect on Toyota dealerships. The Japanese brand unveiled the new 2026 version of the RAV4 for the United States, but the announcement resulted in an odd effect: people are still lining up to buy the remaining 2025 model-year units. As the best-selling vehicle in the United States, demand for the RAV4 doesn't stop. Toyota dealerships are now faced with a good problem: they're all sold out. However, there will be no new shipments of the 2026 RAV4 in the near future. Dealers will have to go through a sales drought until Toyota can deliver the 2026 models. According to CarsDirect, the gas-only 2025 RAV4s are sold out in dealers across the U.S., and the Plug-In Hybrid versions are almost nonexistent. You might think that Toyota dealerships are discounting the 2025 RAV4s en masse to make room for the new 2026 models, but that's not the case. Toyota did not discount the 2025 RAV4s, and they still sold out. Now dealers will have to wait for the new models, which will be hybrid-only, but where are they? The 2026 RAV4 is Still on the Way Toyota's stock of 2025 RAV4s is pretty much gone at this point, leaving many car buyers with no option but to wait for the new model, which has been a wait-and-a-half in itself. The 2026 Toyota RAV4 has pledged to be all-hybrid for the U.S. market, marking the 2025 model year as the last to be solely powered by gasoline. Buyers who want a gas-only version of the RAV4 are pretty much out of luck, while shoppers looking for the PHEV versions will have to wait until the 2026 model year arrives at dealerships.The factories historically responsible for producing the Toyota RAV4 for the U.S. market include Toyota Woodstock and Toyota Cambridge North, both in Ontario, Canada; the Takaoka Assembly plant in Toyota City, Japan; and Georgetown Assembly in Kentucky. Up to 80 percent of Toyota RAV4 production is handled by the Toyota assembly lines in Canada, while the remaining 20 percent is split between Japan and the United States.Toyota even delayed the 2026 RAV4's official launch to give the plants some time to retool and reform their molds to accommodate the new model. Retooling an assembly line for a new model requires the plant to pause and make changes. It's also not uncommon for old models to continue being assembled alongside retooling, but due to the RAV4's demand, Toyota wasn't fast enough, and now demand has outpaced supply. Why Did the 2025 Model RAV4s Still Sell? Typically, when a new model is announced, sales of the old one will grind to a near halt. Getting the newest model for around the same price is pretty much a no-brainer, but for a nameplate like the RAV4's, sales never seem to sleep. Currently, we're seeing the RAV4's supply outpace its demand, and it might remain that way until factories can get up to speed on the new models.Aside from the strong brand and nameplate retention in the United States, another possible reason why the 2025 RAV4 sold out is its current price point. Because Toyota will no longer offer a gasoline-only variant in the U.S., the crossover's base price is set to go up. Being hybrid only comes with several pros, but it also means a higher sticker price up front: gasoline-only 2025 RAV4s start at $31,250, while the new 2026 RAV4 starts at $33,350.What this all means is that, because there are no more RAV4s to sell brand-new at dealerships, sales of the nameplate will completely stop for now. Undoubtedly, Toyota's cash cow, the RAV4, should see its sales return to normal once production is back at full capacity.
