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Toyota RAV4 pre-2006

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Comments

  • rblelandrbleland Member Posts: 312
    I have an '04 RAV4 and enjoy it very much. I believe that the 2.4L engine in the new RAV does not have a timing belt; it has a timing chain which are less maintenance intense. It does have to be looked at and probably replaced down the road but the wear on the chain should be less than on the belt. No engine is totally free of this issue so you just have to live with it. As to comfort, the RAV is comfortable for me, but I am 5'8" and about 155 lbs so everyone is different and only you can decide this question. Other reasons I took the RAV over the the CRV is styling, RAV more fun to drive and Toyota resale/reliability. The CRV is bigger in rear seats and cargo area. Up to you.
  • collins14collins14 Member Posts: 39
    Does anyone know if the 2.4L engine in the RAV4 and the 4 cylinder Highlander are the same engine? We are trying to decide between the two vehicles? Any comments?
  • wsommarivawsommariva Member Posts: 157
    I've heard that the RAV4 engine was a Camry engine. And I heard that it was a Highlander engine. I don't know the correct answer. I recommend that you take each for a good test drive. If you plan to carry heavy cargo or a few people often, I would personally get the 6 cylinder Highlander. We have two RAV4s. We don't need anything larger or more powerful.
  • rblelandrbleland Member Posts: 312
    I'm told the 2.4L is the Camry engine. I would also suggest the V6 HL if your loads are larger or 4 adults most of the time.
  • smsuvundecidedsmsuvundecided Member Posts: 49
    The 2.4L engine in the 2004 Rav4 is the same engine as in the Camry. The Toyota salesmen told me that and now I can confirm it. I looked at a Camry engine while I was in the show room just to personally confirm it. BTW I love my new Rav4, just bought it 3 days ago.
  • rblelandrbleland Member Posts: 312
    Way to go, sm. Know you took a long, hard look at several choices and bought the RAV. Congrats, I'm sure you'll enjoy it. What color did you get in the end?
  • smsuvundecidedsmsuvundecided Member Posts: 49
    I bought the Titanium, L package, moon roof, aluminum wheels, rear spoiler and a few other things.

    I could not sell my 99 contour to save my life. I advertised it for 5 weeks got 2 calls and 1 offer. The offer was $3500.

    However, the Toyota dealership here was looking for a sale and they didn't know that I wasn't having success at selling my Contour. Anyway, they called me and asked if I would come in. The salesman said they would take another look at my car. One month ago they offered me $2500, I said no deal. When I went to the dealership I had a rock bottom price in mind ($4000) and I was not budging. At first they said $3000, then $3200. then $3500, then $3700. After that they sales manager came over to talk to me and explain how worthless my Contour was. I looked in straight in the eyes and said "If you offered me $3999.99 I would say no deal" He stared at me for about 5 seconds and extended his hand and said "Ok, we have a deal" You could call it haggling, but I knew what they were trying to do, they wanted an extra $300 out of me and I wasn't giving in. It was fun, especially when you're an informed buyer. I was never this informed before. I probably got ripped off when I bought that Contour back in 2000.

    After having my Rav4 for a few days, the one thing I notice is the quieter ride. It is much quieter then my Contour. The auto Transmission is very smooth.

    BTW The price of the Rav4 was already agreed upon before they had my trade-in. So they didn't try to add more to the price of my Rav to make up for what the were giving me for my trade.
  • rblelandrbleland Member Posts: 312
    ..went for the Spectra Blue Mica color. Silver is very nice in the RAV and I'm sure you're pleased. It was my second choice but I see too many of them around here. Good work on standing firm and don't worry about the dealer, they wouldn't have done the deal if it was bad for them.
    I also noticed the quiet ride immediately, very good for a smaller SUV.
  • moridinmoridin Member Posts: 3
    hello all,
    first off, i would like to thank everyone who posts here for all the invaluable help given me (indirectly). i read up so much information from the internet (and mostly this site) before my purchase i thought my eyes would bleed from staring at the screen.

    a few weeks back i was rear-ended while stopped at a light and my van (a 2000 Chev Venture) was declared a write-off. i was a little bitter that i would have to go out and find a new vehicle while injured (though not bed-striken thank God). however i decided that i could use this as an opportunity to find a safe, fun, vehicle that meets my needs. here it gets interesting though. my height is 6'8, so my options are severely limited when it comes to vehicle (and home) purchases. after sitting and pricing many vehicles i narrowed it down to a Saturn Vue or a Toyota Matrix (as i a side note: the edmunds article on vehicles for tall people should be taken with a grain of salt. most of the vehicles they recommend seem to be people AT LEAST under 6'8. i realize there are not many of us, but just in case). after reading this site and others about the horrible problems plaguing owners of Vue's i decided against it, despite the plentiful headroom. so i went and test drove a matrix, and thought it was the "Bee's Knee's" aka, i loved it. however i will soon have a family and wanted something that is a little more flexible, so i asked the sales person if there were any used RAV4's available. lo and behold he said that they had just gotten one in the day before and it was just being cleaned up. i sat in it in the service bay and again, lo and behold it had tons of headroom! what shocked me even more was the price, especially for a toyota dealership. to confirm i went home and checked out used RAV4's with the same year, km's, and features and found that it was under what many were going for privately (but not too much to make me suspicious). i also came to this site and read tons of info from this town hall discussion. i then grabbed the wife, we test drove it, and loved it. we went inside the dealership, haggled on price, and got approved for financing.

    now this all may seem fast, but unfortunately i had limited time anyways since the rental was back a couple of days before and needed a vehicle for physiotherapy and the doctor (let alone when i go back to work). in essence you all saved me a lot of time and hassle. i am fully informed on many of the "nuances" like the the cowl creak. speaking of which ive found a nice site for fixing it.

    http://members.tripod.com/ri_rav4/rattle.htm

    ill be doing this in the near future, since it is slightly annoying, but not a big deal.

    again, thanks for all the help. we love our 'new' RAV4. hopefully i will be able to contribute to the forum in the near future.
  • smsuvundecidedsmsuvundecided Member Posts: 49
    I was trying to selling my 99 Contour for $5300. That was a few hundred more then the Edmunds private sale value, but I thought I'd try to sell it. Like I said before, I got 2 calls and 1 offer. Enough is enough... so I traded in my Contour and got a Rav4.

    Now I'm looking for a better stereo, but not something that will blow your ears off. I just want better sound and a little bass. The factory audio system isn't up to my standards.

    Anyone have a recommendation? I'm looking for a sub-woofer and a head unit.
  • moridinmoridin Member Posts: 3
    just to add to my previous post...

    another selling point for tall people about the RAV4 is the rear door. i know many people may not like it, but its great if your 6'0 and over. no more hitting your head on that liftgate!

    cheers
  • spottydspottyd Member Posts: 1
    I've read a few posts about people experiencing a rattling in the windshield of their RAV4's, but it doesn't appear anyone has had the problem permanently fixed by their dealer. Mine is driving me CRAZY. Literally have to crank the radio so I don't have to hear it. Has anybody had any luck getting rid of it?? I love my car, but the noise has to go .... Thanks!
  • aberaber Member Posts: 3
    I recommend doing it yourself. I wanted some more bass, and looked into amplifiers for subwoofers, and found that the whole idea was more expensive than I thought. So after surfing around a bit, I bought an MTX amplifier with a 12-inch MTX subwoofer and enclosure box for $230 from sounddomain.com, and spent $20 for wiring, then installed it myself in an afternoon. I'll bet you can pay a good $500 for the same thing at a car audio place.

    Best of luck to ya.

    Dave
  • aberaber Member Posts: 3
    I've always heard that dealers never pay "dealer invoice", that they get kick-backs if the car doesn't sit on the lot as long, and that there are lots of incentives that the manufacturer gives. For this reason I'm inclined to try to negotiate at or below invoice. I see from other posts that some expect to pay 3-4% over invoice.

    What have others paid?
  • lbmcclbmcc Member Posts: 15
    My wife just picked up her RAV today. MSRP $26948 for a loaded L (leather, heated seats, moonroof, side impact airbags... etc.) Invoice was $24010 + $440 TDA {Buffalo, NY}. We paid #24500 and they gave us what we wanted for our trade. We are super-happy with the vehicle. We walked out of a second dealership who said said they couldn't even MATCH that price.

         Other vehicles we considered:
      Escape--we have an Explorer, wife refused to be a Ford family
      CRV--uncomfortable seats, slow pick-up, firm pricing
      Used RX 300--refused to go used
      Equinox--interior CHEAP looking, V6 refinement issues

    Everything we looked at we compared to the RAV.
    Why we bought Toyota?....
    --We love the look, interior and out.
    --Excellent pick-up, good MPG.
    --SAFETY.
    --My wife looks HOT (I mean MORE HOT) in her new car.

    Anyone know what "RAV" stands for?
    (see my post in RAV4 prices paid discussion for other details)
  • rblelandrbleland Member Posts: 312
    Recreational Activity Vehicle 4 cylinder - I think.
  • alineraliner Member Posts: 2
    I am looking for a RAV4 in the Buffalo area. What dealer did you get your vehicle from? What other dealers did you visit.
  • lbmcclbmcc Member Posts: 15
    We bought from Culligan, visited N'town, Basil, and WestHerr.
    See my post in the RAV4 Prices Paid/Edmunds Town Hall section for details.
  • smsuvundecidedsmsuvundecided Member Posts: 49
    So you bought an amp and a subwoofer? How did you connect it?
  • dowendowen Member Posts: 14
    We are looking at getting a 2004 Rav4 and have never owned a car with leather seats. We currently have a 1990 Celica (171,000)we bought new with cloth seats and they still look great. How does Toyota leather stand the test of time ?? and what about heated seats??
    I will be taking my dogs with me some times. They are well behaved but do move around sometimes.

    Thanks, I would appreciate any information.
  • gogiboygogiboy Member Posts: 732
    My wife and I ordered ordered a Rav4 back in early March. At the time we were also ready to purchase an available Rav4 that was equipped with leather seats, but it was sold before we could get it. I asked the dealer about the longevity of the leather seats (having also owned only cloth and vinyl seats). I also pointed out that 1991-94 MR2s similar to mine, but equipped with leather seats that the driver's seat always looked terrible --especially compared to my cloth seats. Naturally the dealer said that the leather seats are much improved in the last 10-12 years (which may be true).

    Like dowen, we have two dogs and I just don't believe that the leather will hold up as well and I would expect that leather will require more upkeep to preserve the appearance. Bottom line is that it's $600 more for leather and it isn't likely to be anymore comfortable than cloth, but for many it is worth the extra expense and labor. Unlike most luxury vehicles most buyers won't expect the Rav4 to be equipped with leather should you decide to resell it at some point.

    Heated seats might be worthwhile, particularly up north, but we live in the south so refrigerated seats would be preferable for a larger part of the year.
  • ravnbikeravnbike Member Posts: 4
    Pass on the leather.

    Have had leather seats and cannot understand why anyone would want them. In my opinion leather seats are a worthless down-grade. Why pay extra to get seats that are hot/sweaty in the summer, cold in the winter, slippery and will crack in a few years if not cared for properly. Also the dogs will have a hard time staying in place and slide around on the seats.
  • purduealum91purduealum91 Member Posts: 285
    Subarua Forester XT? It is THE sleeper off the year to say the least. 0-60 in less than 6 seconds with a 5 speed.
  • rblelandrbleland Member Posts: 312
    I'm not trying to answer for lbmcc, but in Jan 04 I got the RAV4 over the Forester XT. Not everyone cares about 0-60 in 5.3 secs w a 4000 rpm clutch-drop. The XT was admittedly very nice but was a lot more money than the RAV, requires premium gas, my spouse dislikes the bland Forester looks and, bottom line, I didn't need as much vehicle for a second car as the Forester offered. I have had 2 Subies previously and would say they are not quite as reliable as Toyotas generally.
  • lbmcclbmcc Member Posts: 15
    My wife did not like the Forester "look". We briefly considered the Outback. O-60 in ~6 seconds was not a variable in our car search equation. Toyota reliability and safety (espicially with the side impact airbags) were huge for us.
       She loves the vehicle. We have no regrets.
  • suvshopper4suvshopper4 Member Posts: 1,110
    You should be able to find a fix at an inactive posting site (which is why I can tell you about it here without breaking the rules), www.rav4world.com

    The guy who runs the site is burnt out after about 7 years, so it is on hiatus, maybe never to return.
    But you should still be able to use the search feature there for previous posts, for a little while longer.

    Some guy posted a pretty thorough do-it-yourself fix for the infamous dash rattle. I didn't have the rattle (except one time!), so I never needed a fix, and can't personally vouch for its effectiveness. However, feedback was that the DIY fix really worked.

    Good luck. Hope it saves your sanity.
  • mngtconmngtcon Member Posts: 7
    I've been told by a Southern California dealer, that RAV4's are not available with the side airbag option here in Southern California. Can anyone else confirm this?

    If true, are they available in Northern California with side impact airbags?

    He also went on to say factory leather was not an option in this area as well. Is this also true?

    My one reservation with the Rav (as well as any other smaller car) is the safety aspect. I have a toddler so I'm concerned about the thought of a side impact.

    Thanks
  • paulcudlippaulcudlip Member Posts: 33
    I have purchased Toyotas for the past 30 years in the Buffalo area. Here is how I would rate dealerships for best deal price, service, and courtesy:

    1. Northtown Toyota
    2. Culligan Toyota
    3. West-Herr Toyota
    4. Zigrossi Toyota
    5. Gambino Toyota

    I purchased my 2004 Toyota RAV4 L loaded for $225.00 over dealership cost.
  • gogiboygogiboy Member Posts: 732
    I can't comment on getting a Rav4 with side airbags in California, but I have some experience here in the southern midwest (OK). We ended up special ordering a a Rav4 through Gulf States Toyota, which covers (OK, TX, AR, MS and LA).

    My dealer did a check to see what was available in the 5 state region and found exactly 0 (zero) Ravs listed on any lot that were equipped with the side airbag, except for one which was special ordered for a customer last fall.

    This begs the question: why doesn't Toyota feel this is a necessary option--or more accurately why the distributors that order the vehicles equipped with "desirable" options don't seem to package the side airbags with other options more regularly.

    It would seem logical that Toyota would want to be competitive with the Honda CRV on this safety issue although only the CRV EX comes equipped with side airbags. It would be interesting to know how many contributors to this site have any info about availability of side airbags in their own regions.
  • mngtconmngtcon Member Posts: 7
    I am answering my question here . . . no RAV4s in Northern or Southern California with side curtain airbags. Northern Ca does have factory leather, however.

    I was also told, even if the option was available, these side airbags are more like small pillows, as opposed to a side curtain, so I'm not confident they would be effective in a more serious accident.

    Despite this, I may still get it.

    Best deal so far without really haggling has been $1100 under invoice regardless of options and trim (which includes the $1000 customer rebate promotion going on through 5/3/04). Seems like a good starting point. These dealers must have more room to come down (even at $100 under invoice without factoring in the $1000 rebate).

    Anyone else have a recent purchase experience to share.
  • nerpnerp Member Posts: 2
    Is the 2004 model year for RAV's over soon? We bought a new model last week, and there was a $750 rebate. We also got a more than expected on the trade. In retrospect, it felt like they wanted to move a lot of cars to make room for newer models. BTW, we started the negotiation at invoice + $500, and it then dropped to invoice - 250 after the rebate was factored in. Love the car, although it rained here this morning, so now it's had its first drive in the wet :o(
  • mott_da_hooplemott_da_hoople Member Posts: 15
    My 2003 RAV4 L has been back four times for the infamous "rattle". The last visit finally corrected the problem. Toyota has issued three different TSB's (technical service bulletins) that cover three different areas under the cowl.
    The creaking sound in the winter (if you live in a climate that gets below 32 degrees F) is the first one you will notice. This is the easiest to correct since it involves the glass. The other two TSB's are for the center of the dash and to the right of the dash.

    Let me tell everyone, that at least 98% of the 2001 thru 2004 will encounter one of the three rattles if not all of them. Toyota service techs, service writers and managers know of this problem. It just takes time to get all the rattles fixed.
  • blackandblueblackandblue Member Posts: 66
    Paulcudlip . Was your $225 over dealer cost based on invoice, invoice plus TDA, or some other source like Consumer Reports (the report that costs $12.00 that they say tells you everything) I have been to Northtown and Basil (in Lockport) so far but have not purchased yet. Can you recommend any one at Northtown. They seem very professional and I like the layout.
  • moridinmoridin Member Posts: 3
    http://members.tripod.com/ri_rav4/rattle.htm

    good site. went to pep boys on the weekend to buy the parts needed and it wasnt more then $10. ill post again later when i try it for myself.

    :)
  • mr_botsmr_bots Member Posts: 236
    Just comparing maintenance schedules on the net, it says every 30,000 to change coolant and spark plugs on rav4s. Isn't that a little soon? On the Chevrolet Equinox the spark plugs are good for 100K and the coolant is good for 150K.
  • suvshopper4suvshopper4 Member Posts: 1,110
    My '01 Scheduled Maintenance Guide shows coolant at 30k miles, but the plugs aren't due until 120k.
    (It also shows Echo due for a plug change every 30k, and 60k for the Camry and Sienna).

    Dunno if they changed the recommended intervals since '01.
  • aberaber Member Posts: 3
    Here's a follow up on my question...
    It sounded like it's possible to get a vehicle at or just above invoice (including destination charge). After finding that all dealerships have the same RAV4s with nearly the same options, I did some calling around and talked to the fleet managers getting price quotes (actually, I found an article in my AAA periodical that listed fleet manager working with AAA providing a "no hassle zone", and it happens to list special numbers to call which the fleet managers answer).
    Anyway, in the San Fransisco bay area, seems all the fleet manager quoted me between $300-$600 over invoice, and claimed that there was a $300 charge for advertising that had to be added on. I finally talked to a dealership that I had to drive over an hour to get to, and he quoted me $100 UNDER invoice (no advertising fee), and eventually said he'd give it to me for $200 under invoice since I was driving so far.
    I've had it a week now, and am real happy I spent the hour+ drive each way to save $500!
  • silversyrensilversyren Member Posts: 4
    Has anyone noticed a lot of wind noise with the rav4 interior? I only 'recently' (2-3 months ago) began to drive on the highway and I noticed it was somewhat noisy.. and I felt like I was being pushed around when the wind picked up outside.
  • wsommarivawsommariva Member Posts: 157
    I have noticed no wind noise in my 2004.
  • rblelandrbleland Member Posts: 312
    Ditto the above - I notice no wind and little road noise in my '04 RAV; in fact, I am a lillle surprised at how quiet it is for its smaller size and short w/base.
  • smsuvundecidedsmsuvundecided Member Posts: 49
    Same here... I've had my Rav4 for 5 weeks now and I love how much quieter it is compared to my old Ford.
  • rblelandrbleland Member Posts: 312
    ....change your handle as you are no longer "undecided". LOL..;>)
  • wsommarivawsommariva Member Posts: 157
    My low tire pressure warning light came on. However, all my tires are properly inflated. Any ideas? I did reset the light and it went out and has stayed out - so far.

    Thanks in advance
  • rblelandrbleland Member Posts: 312
    I would do what you just did and see if it happens again. Probably won't but if it did, since the car is new, I might then ask the dealer's service shop about it.
  • wsommarivawsommariva Member Posts: 157
    I'm not too concerned. Next time in I'll have them fix it (if it happens again). How does it work, any ideas?
  • ravnbikeravnbike Member Posts: 4
    The tire pressure warning system is unreliable at best. It works by using the ABS speed sensors and looks for a wheel turning slower than the others.
  • wsommarivawsommariva Member Posts: 157
    If I spun my front wheels would that cause a false light?
  • silversyrensilversyren Member Posts: 4
    No noise? I wonder if something is wrong with my RAV then.. it's hit the 6 month mark, I should probably take it in to check it out.

    I mostly notice the noise because it muffles my music and I have to turn it up.
  • suvshopper4suvshopper4 Member Posts: 1,110
    When the '01 RAVs first came out, there were a lot of people complaining of wind noise who found the crossbars on their roof racks were installed backwards by the dealers. Reversing the crossbars, with the arrows properly pointing forward, did the trick.

    Good luck.
  • dowendowen Member Posts: 14
    Did you check your spare ?? I was told by a salesman that this sometime happens. All your tires on the ground check out OK but the spare may be low.
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