2008 TOYOTA RAV4 Complaints

MY VEHICLE WAS CHECKED FOR EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION IN NOVEMBER 2015. THE DEALERSHIP STSTED MY VEHICLE DID NOT HAVE AN OIL PROBLEM. I AM STILL ADDING OIL TO MY VEHICLE LESS THAN 1,000 MILES.

MY VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY CONSUMING 4 QUARTS APPROXIMATELY EVERY 1,000 MILES. THE TOYOTA DISTRICT PARTS AND SERVICE MANAGER DECLINED MY REQUEST FOR A LOANER VEHICLE, HOWEVER, TOYOTA HAS APPROVED TO REIMBURSE ME FOR ANY EXTRA OIL PURCHASED. THEY DO NOT HAVE AN ESTIMATED TIME OF DELIVERY FOR YOUR PART AT THIS TIME AS IT IS ON NATIONAL BACKORDER WITH TOYOTA.

THIS WAS MY PROBLEM ONE YEAR AGO AND LISTED ON THIS PAGE UNDER THE DATE 3/6/2015 ABS LIGHT, VSC LIGHT, BRAKE LIGHT AND TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT ILLUMINATED CAUSING ALL SYSTEMS TO BE INOPERATIVE. AFTER TAKING CAR TO LOCAL DEALER PROBLEM WAS FOUND TO BE BAD LEFT WHEEL SPEED SENSOR, HARNESS FOR SENSOR AND WHEEL HUB THAT HAD CORROSION ON IT POSSIBLY FROM LIVING IN AN AREA THAT DEICES ROADS WITH SALT. IN MY RESEARCH IT HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION THROUGH SEVERAL TOYOTA BLOGS THIS IS A RECURRING PROBLEM AROUND THE COUNTRY. SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE SAME COMPLAINT AND THE ASSOCIATED COST TO FIX THIS PROBLEM IS EXPENSIVE. IF AN OWNER FAILS TO FIX THE PROBLEM THE OUTCOME COULD BECOME CATASTROPHIC IN INCLIMATE WEATHER. EXACTLY ONE YEAR LATER THE RIGHT SIDE WHEEL HUB ASSY. AND WIRING HARNESS WENT OUT. THIS TIME I CHANGED IT ALL MYSELF SAVING ALMOST $600 FROM HAVING IT DONE AT TOYOTA DEALER. THIS PROBLEM IS GOING TO KILL SOMEONE. WHILE WAITING FOR THE PARTS TO COME IN THE CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN BY MY WIFE DURING A RAINSTORM. ANOTHER DRIVER PULLED OUT IN FRONT OF HER AND SHE HAD TO BRAKE HARD. DUE TO THE ABS BEING INOP. IT CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO SLIDE. I HAVEN'T FOUND ANY OTHER COMPLAINTS ON HERE BUT I'M ALMOST POSITIVE IT HAS HAPPENED TO SOMEONE ELSE. IT'S A TERRIBLE DESIGN AND LIKE I SAID SOMEONE WILL BE KILLED DUE TO THE LACK OF CONCERN.

SUDDEN ACCELERATION. CAR WAS STOPPED IN PARK AND SHIFTED TO DRIVE. TRANSMISSION MADE A LARGE CLUNK SOUND AS IT WENT INTO DRIVE AND THEN ACCELERATED TO WHAT SOUND LIKE FULL THROTTLE. MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE AND THE CAR DIDN'T MOVE MUCH BUT WAS BUCKING AGAINST THE BRAKE. I SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL AND TURNED OFF THE CAR. I THEN PUT IT INTO PARK. I GOT OUT OF THE VEHICLE, LOOKED UNDER THE DASH AND THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL LOOKED LIKE IT WAS IN A NORMAL POSITION AND THE FLOOR MATS WERE SEVERAL INCHES FROM THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THIS TOOK PLACE AT THE BEMIDJI HIGH SCHOOL PARKING LOT. I THEN RE-STARTED THE CAR AND DROVE IT HOME WITH NO INCIDENT. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE CAR AND NO INJURIES.

THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN TO REPLACE A DEFECTIVE EMERGENCY BREAK CABLE ON 1/13/16. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AT A LOCAL SHOP AND WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS GETTING REMOVED FROM THE REPAIR STALL THE SIDE CURTAIN AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED AND SHIFTED INTO REVERSE, AS THE VEHICLE WAS SHIFTED INTO REVERSE THE SIDE CURTAIN AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY ON A FLAT FLOOR AT THE TIME OF THE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT. I CONTACTED TOYOTA AND THEY INSPECTED THE VEHICLE ON1/27/16, THEY CONCLUDED THAT THE AIR BAG SYSTEM WAS OPERATING PROPERLY AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. A SAFETY RECALL BOE-CURTAIN SHIELD AIR BAG SENSOR WAS COMPLETED ON THE VEHICLE ON 1/19/12 ACCORDING TO THE LETTER I RECEIVED FROM TOYOTA AFTER THERE INSPECTION. I REALIZE THAT TOYOTA ONLY READ THE EVENT RECORDER. THERE HAVE BEEN A FEW TIMES THE STABILITY CONTROL LIGHTS WOULD INADVERTENTLY BLINK AT INAPPROPRIATE TIMES BUT NEVER WHEN THERE WAS A CHANCE TO GET A DIAGNOSIS FROM A COMPUTER READING AT A SERVICE FACILITY.

CAR STARTED MAKING LOUD NOISE, COMING FROM THE ENGINE, WHEN DRIVING. THE NOISE OCCURS AT ANY SPEED ONCE THE CAR IS RUNNING. I BROUGHT IT INTO AN AUTO MECHANIC AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS A DEFECTIVE WATER PUMP AND BEARING. THE CAR ONLY HAS 47,093 MILES.

PRIOR TO 2015, 2 DIFFERENT SERVICE COMPANIES ON 2 SEPARATE SCHEDULED OIL CHANGE INFORMED ME THAT THE CAR HAD NO OIL. IN 2015,RECEIVED A WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM RELATED TO EXCESSIVE ENGINE OIL CONSUMPTION FROM TOYOTA. SINCE BEING TOLD ON 2 SEPARATE OCCASIONS THAT THE CAR HAD NO OIL DURING OIL CHANGE SERVICE, I CONTACTED TOYOTA TO SCHEDULE FOR THE CONSUMPTION TEST. BROUGHT THE CAR ON 7/7/15 THEN RETURNED ON 9/2/15 BETWEEN 1100-1300 MILES AS INSTRUCTED AND WAS TOLD IT PASSED. HOWEVER, ON 1/20/16 BROUGHT CAR TO ANOTHER SERVICE COMPANY FOR SCHEDULED OIL CHANGE (FIRST OIL CHANGE AFTER IT SUPPOSEDLY PASSED TEST) AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS NO OIL MARKING ON DIP STICK. THEREFORE,WAS ADVISED TO BRING IT BACK TO TOYOTA. NO OIL CHANGE WAS PERFORMED BUT SERVICE COMPANY ADDED OIL (APPROX 3.5 QUARTS)PER MY REQUEST. SPOKE WITH A LADY MANAGER AT TOYOTA VIA PHONE TO REPORT THE FINDINGS AND WAS ADVISED TO SCHEDULE APPOINTMENT FOR RE-TEST. I BROUGHT CAR TO TOYOTA ON 1/29/16 AS SCHEDULED AND WAS TOLD BY SERVICE ADVISOR THAT A RE-TEST WILL NOT BE PERFORMED BECAUSE IT ALREADY PASSED THE TEST IN SEPT. 2015 DESPITE THE LATEST FINDING OF A DRY DIP STICK IN JAN. 2016. TOYOTA SUGGESTED TO CHANGE THE OIL AT MY EXPENSE AND TO CHECK IF THERE WAS A LEAK. I DECLINED IT BECAUSE I EXPECTED THE APPOINTMENT TO BE A RE-TEST FOR OIL CONSUMPTION AS INDICATED BY A TOYOTA MANAGER. I EVENTUALLY HAD AN OIL CHANGE ON 2/17/16 PERFORMED BY A NON-TOYOTA SERVICE COMPANY AND WAS TOLD THE OIL DRAINED WAS 2.5 QUARTS WHICH IS 2 QUARTS BELOW FACTORY STANDARDS.

I LOOKED AT ALL THE COMPLAINTS ALREADY FILED AND I HAVE THE SAME THING. MY MECHANIC AT A PRIVATE CAR SERVICE PLACE COULD NOT ALIGN MY TIRES BECAUSE THERE WAS A PERMANENT FIX PUT IN PLACE DURING A RECALL NOTICE THAT I RECEIVED BACK IN 2014. MY MECHANIC CALLED TOYOTA DEALER AND ASKED WHAT COULD BE DONE AND WAS TOLD THAT TOYOTA COULD REPLACE THE ARMS FOR $1,500. MY MECHANIC SAID HE COULD DO A RETRO FIT FOR $100 WHICH IS WHAT I TOLD HIM TO DO. MY MECHANIC WAS REALLY DISGUSTED ABOUT THE WAY THIS WAS HANDLED. HE SAID I WAS REALLY LUCKY THAT THE WEAR ON MY TIRES HAD NOT CAUSED ME AN ACCIDENT. I WAS LUCKY THAT I HAPPENED TO NOTICE THAT THE INSIDE RIM OF MY TIRES WAS WORN ON ALL 4 TIRES AND WENT TO THE SERVICE DEALER.

I HEAR A " THUD NOISE " WHENEVER I TURN THE STEERING WHEEL LEFT OR RIGHT, ESPECIALLY WHEN GETTING IN AND OUT OF A PARKING SPACE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE DRIVING OVER A POTHOLE AT 35 MPH, A LOUD ABNORMAL NOISE WAS HEARD FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER AND DISCOVERED THAT THE HEAT SHIELD FROM THE MUFFLER WAS DETACHED AND WEDGED NEAR THE REAR PASSENGER TIRE. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE DETACHED HEAT SHIELD WAS REMOVED. THE CONTACT WAS AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE SPOT WELD ON THE MUFFLER WAS WEAK AND THE MUFFLER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 63,536.