2008 TOYOTA RAV4 Complaints

THIS VEHICLE HAS REQUIRED ABOUT 3-4 QUARTS OF OIL TO BE ADDED IN BETWEEN OIL CHANGES. THE OIL CONSUMPTION TEST HAS BEEN PERFORMED AT 2 SEPARATE TOYOTA DEALERSHIPS, AND BOTH HAVE STATED THAT THE VEHICLE IS NOT USING AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF OIL AND THEREFORE DOES NOT REQUIRE REPAIRS. HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE CONTINUES TO NEED 3-4 QUARTS OF OIL BETWEEN OIL CHANGES.

MY CAR BURNS MORE OIL THAN IT SHOULD.WHEN I TOOK IT IN FOR THE RECALL, THEY RECOMENDED ,I LET THEM PUT NEW OIL STEM VALVE GASKETS IN FOR $530.00. NOW MAYBE I NEED THEM BUT,EVERYTIME, I TAKE MY CAR IN FOR A RECALL THE DEALERS WANT ME TO PAY TO GET SOME THING FIXED.ENOUGH IS ENOUHG

VEHICLE IN FOR SERVICE AT MY REGULAR SERVICE LOCATION. MECHANIC NOTED LEAKING REAR DIFFERENTIAL AND I WAS HEARING A "WHIRING" NOISE WHILE DRIVING, TOLD TO CONTACT TOYOTA. CONTACTED LOCAL DEALERSHIP, VEHICLE WAS LOOKED AT BY THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY NOTED IT WAS THE DIFFERENTIAL COUPLER. WOULD NOT COVER THE $1400 REPAIR EVEN THOUGH TSB-0080-13 AND SPECIAL POLICY ADJUSTMENT NO 960 WAS IN PLACE AT THAT DATE/TIME. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, PURCHASED PART THROUGH TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND HAD INSTALLED BY REGULAR REPAIR SHOP DUE TO SAFETY CONCERNS. CONTACTING TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE VIA LETTER TO REQUEST REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE DIFFERENTIAL COUPLER THAT I HAD TO HAVE INSTALLED SINCE SO MANY RAV4 OWNERS HAVE HAD THIS SAME ISSUE AND OTHERS HAVE HAD THEIRS REPAIRED AT NO COST TO THEM. I HAVE ATTACHED A FELLOW RAV4 OWNERS INVOICE THAT SHOWS COUPLER REPLACED UNDER THE SPECIAL POLICY ADJUSTMENT THAT IS ALSO ATTACHED.

ON OCTOBER 5 AND 6, 2015 MY 2008 TOYOTA RAV4 WAS IN FOR SERVICE AT PIERCEY TOYOTA IN MILPITAS TO REPLACE ALL FOUR TIRES, FRONT/BACK BRAKES AND FRONT SHOCK ABSORBERS, A TOTAL OF $2,000. ON OCTOBER 8, 2015, WHILE I WAS DRIVING MY CAR BACK FROM STANFORD LUCILE PACKARD OVER DUMBARTON BRIDGE, I HAVE NOTICED THAT MY BRAKES WOULD NOT ENGAGE AND I COULD NOT SLOW DOWN MY CAR. JUST BEFORE THIS EVENT, THE ABS, VSC, AND SLIP WARNING LIGHTS ALL CAME ON. THE BRAKE PEDAL FELT VERY STIFF AND I WAS NOT ABLE TO DO ANY REPETITIVE PUMPING OF THE BRAKE. I CALLED 911 AND REQUESTED ASSISTANCE. WHEN THE FRONT TRAFFIC CAME TO A HOLD I HAD TO USE MY EMERGENCY BRAKE AND MY ENTIRE CAR SLIPPED TO THE LEFT. WE ALMOST GOT HIT BY THE BUS BEHIND US. SOME GOOD SAMARITANS SAW WHAT HAPPENED AND HELPED ME TO GET MY CAR OFF THE ROAD. THAT DAY, MY 9 YRS. OLD SON AND I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. I REQUEST THAT TOYOTA INVESTIGATES/RECALLS THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH CIRCUIT THAT HAS MALFUNCTIONED. PIERCEY TOYOTA IN MILPITAS INVESTIGATED THE INCIDENT ON 10/09/15. THEY FOUND C1249 OPEN STOP LIGHT SWITCH CIRCUIT, C1223 ABS SYSTEM MALFUNCTION, MY VEHICLE HAD INTERMITTENT BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH CIRCUIT MALFUNCTION. PIERCEY TOYOTA REPLACED BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH ASSEMBLY.

THE RIGHT REAR SWAY BAR LINK BROKE AND HAD TO BE REPLACED AT 136842 MILES. IT WAS FOUND BY THE TOYOTA DEALER.

ON OCTOBER 5 AND 6, 2015 MY 2008 TOYOTA RAV4 WAS IN FOR SERVICE AT PIERCEY TOYOTA IN MILPITAS TO REPLACE ALL FOUR TIRES, FRONT/BACK BRAKES AND FRONT SHOCK ABSORBERS, A TOTAL OF $2,000. ON OCTOBER 8, 2015, WHILE I WAS DRIVING MY CAR BACK FROM STANFORD LUCILE PACKARD OVER DUMBARTON BRIDGE, I HAVE NOTICED THAT MY BRAKES WOULD NOT ENGAGE AND I COULD NOT SLOW DOWN MY CAR. JUST BEFORE THIS EVENT, THE ABS, VSC, AND SLIP WARNING LIGHTS ALL CAME ON. THE BRAKE PEDAL FELT VERY STIFF AND I WAS NOT ABLE TO DO ANY REPETITIVE PUMPING OF THE BRAKE. I CALLED 911 AND REQUESTED ASSISTANCE. WHEN THE FRONT TRAFFIC CAME TO A HOLD I HAD TO USE MY EMERGENCY BRAKE AND MY ENTIRE CAR SLIPPED TO THE LEFT. WE ALMOST GOT HIT BY THE BUS BEHIND US. SOME GOOD SAMARITANS SAW WHAT HAPPENED AND HELPED ME TO GET MY CAR OFF THE ROAD. THAT DAY, MY 9 YRS. OLD SON AND I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. I REQUEST THAT TOYOTA INVESTIGATES/RECALLS THE BRAKE ACTUATOR ASSEMBLIES FOR TOYOTA RAV4 2008. IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES, THE BRAKE SYSTEM CONTAINS A BRAKE ACTUATOR THAT ADJUSTS THE FLUID PRESSURE OF EACH WHEEL CYLINDER. WITHIN THE ACTUATOR IS AN ELECTRICAL TERMINAL THAT CONNECTS THE BRAKE ACTUATOR MOTOR AND THE CIRCUIT BOARD OF THE SKID CONTROL ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT (ECU). DUE TO MANUFACTURING VARIATION, THERE COULD BE A REDUCTION IN CONTACT FORCE BETWEEN THE TWO COMPONENTS OF THE TERMINAL, CAUSING OXIDE FILM TO INCREASE RESISTANCE. A LARGER THAN NORMAL INCREASE IN RESISTANCE CAN CAUSE THE ILLUMINATION OF VARIOUS WARNING LIGHTS, INCLUDING THOSE FOR THE SKID CONTROL (VEHICLE STABILITY CONTROL OR VSC) SYSTEM, ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEM (ABS), AND TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM. LFTHIS OCCURS, THESE SYSTEMS COULD BECOME INOPERATIVE, WHICH COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.

I HAVE A 2008 RAV4. IN 2010, I EXPERIENCED A "CLUNKING" OR "THUNKING" SENSATION IN THE STEERING COLUMN ON LOW SPEED TURNS. THE DEALER DETERMINED THAT A FAULTY INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT WAS THE CAUSE AND REPLACED IT. THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED AGAIN IN 2012 AND THE DEALER REPLACED THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT AGAIN. IN 2015, I HAD STEERING PROBLEMS WHICH HAD A SIMILAR FEEL (A "THUNK" OR "CLUNK" FEELING WHEN TURNING). THIS TIME THE DEALER DETERMINED THAT THE STEERING RACK AND RELATED PARTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND CHARGED ME $2,400 FOR THE REPAIR.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH, THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE SWAYED LEFT TO RIGHT. UPON INSPECTION, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE BOLT THAT ATTACHED THE REAR PASSENGER'S SIDE TIE ROD TO THE VEHICLE HAD DETACHED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE BOLT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V383000 (SUSPENSION). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 64,000. UPDATED 01/20/16*LJ *JS

UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE AND ATTEMPTING TO GO IN REVERSE, THE POWER STEERING BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN. HAD IT TOWED TO MY MECHANIC AND WAS TOLD THE ELECTRIC STEERING CONTROL MODULE AND STEERING COLUMN MOTOR ASSEMBLY HAD TO BE REPLACED. TOTAL COST WAS $3,300. THIS IS BECOMING A COMMON COMPLAINT AND, CONSIDERING THE COST INVOLVED, SHOULD BE THOROUGHLY REVIEWED BY THE NHTSA.

I AM HAVING OIL BURNING ISSUES WITH MY RAV4 ALSO. IT IS A 2008, 4 CYLINDER. I HAVE HAD MY OIL CHANGED RELIGIOUSLY IN THIS CAR AS IT WAS MY FIRST NEW CAR. EVERY 3000 MILES AND I HAVE THE ALL THE PAPERWORK. ABOUT 4-5 MONTHS AGO, EVERY TIME I PRESS BREAK AND NOTICED THE OIL FLICKER ON AND OFF. STOPPED AT A STATION AND IT WAS COMPLETELY EMPTY OF OIL. I HAD HAD AN OIL CHANGE ABOUT 2500 BEFORE THIS HAPPENED. I THOUGHT MAY BE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP DID NOT PUT ENOUGH ENGINE OIL AS RECOMMENDED. NEXT TIME I TOOK MY CAR TO FIRESTONE SERVICE AND AGAIN TODAY I FOUND OUT THAT THERE IS NO ENGINE OIL LEFT, THE ENGINE OIL STICK IS COMPLETELY DRY. I WAS READING ON ONLINE FORUMS THAT A LOT OF CONSUMER HAD SAME PROBLEM WITH THEIR RAV4. THERE IS NO RECALL FROM TOYOTA AND LOCAL DEALER DON'T WANT TO FIX IT.