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Toyota RAV4 pre-2006

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  • moesmoes Member Posts: 1
    I have a Toyota Rav D4.
    When I start the car the engine is stationary on 1500 and it drops and drops after a few minutes until the engine turns off.Can anyone help me or give me some information.
    Thanks
  • david11david11 Member Posts: 6
    We have the same problem with my wifes '97 RAV4. Have not found a fix for it yet. Had a mechanic take apart the door and grease it up but it still froze latter that year. No solution found yet.
  • flyboy03flyboy03 Member Posts: 1
    i believe that the 2002 rav 4 all wheel drive we have is experiencing the same symptoms ....have you resolved this issue?
  • jordijordi Member Posts: 1
    I need help and how.
    I have a Rav4,2004 auto. for more than a year this February. I loved the car and had no problem until last week. I was in a down town street parked waiting for my wife to buy something when I dicided to go to park someplace else near where she was shopping. I depressed the gas pedal to go slow, instead the car went forward accelereted like if I had step on the gas hard.
    Good thing no car was comming, otherwise it would have been an accident.
    I took my wife and went home very nervous. I did not tell her anything.
    Two days latter I went to do the groceries and when I was parking in the parking lot head in I tried to park right in the middle of the lines I was crooked I put the reverse and slightly deppress the gas pedal, my god the car accelerated even more than the first time hiting the left rear end against the firehydrant that was in back of me. This is only a second but I do not wish anybody to go through that. I applied the brakes and it was like if they did not exist, finnaly in terror I applied the hand brakes, almost to late.
    Since then the car is parked and I only go there every day to warm it up. I live in NJ and we are having snowfall almost every day.
    I made an appointment with the dealer for nex saturday, but I feel bad having to tell him that the car accelerated by itself, he might think I am nuts.
    Please advice me, I am even afraid to move the car now.
    I only have 3000 miles, mostly is city drive, my wife and I. We are both retired.
    I had a Matrix for a year before I traded it in for the Rav4, reason, two inches more front leg room. I am 6'4". I should have stayed with the Matrix.
    Please help me with this mess.
    Sincerely,
    Jordi Sama

    P.S Excuse my English, it is not my mother language.
  • solidaudiosolidaudio Member Posts: 1
    cindyc,

    im from the philippines, and i have the same problems with my RAV4, really same as your case(engine sludge?). We have made some talks with our dealer here but they do not seem to care. Our RAV4 has only ran about 65,000 miles, just three year old. And now the engine is dead and we cannot use our RAV4 for 2 months already. What seems to be quite interesting with our case is that, the engine died out only around 15 days after its last periodic maintenance, the cause was engine sludge. We really dont know for sure yet if its accumulated engine sludge or it was just really because the engine of our RAV4 was really prone to engine sludge. To think that the one doing our periodic maintenance is the dealer, they should have spotted the problem or sludge before it got worse if they were really doing their job. By the way, they were using Amalie Oil. when the sludging happened. Is this a good quality oil? We are quite in limbo here because the dealer does not have any options but for us to pay for the repair or to change the engine. They were very cold and heartless the letter that they sent us.
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    The NHTSA recently closed an investigation of unintended acceleration in several Toyota models. Aside from any possible mechanical malfunctions in your RAV4, is it possible your floor mats or footwear somehow interfered with proper operation of your gas pedal?

    tidester, host
  • rav4urav4u Member Posts: 21
    I read on one Toyota tech website that the sludge problem was a result of a redesign of the breathing system in the crankcase. The engines can't breathe well enough so sludge starts clinging to the parts. It has happened to vehicles that were well maintained according to the tech that runs the site. I thought Toyota had solved the problem, but hearing it resurfacing now is pretty disturbing. How long will it be before the resale value drops on Rav's? I hope I don't see it happening to the 2004's with the 2.4 liter engine.
  • scoti1scoti1 Member Posts: 676
    While you are still under warranty, your best protection is to get all of your oil changes at the most frequent recommended interval at a Toyota dealership. Their argument in the earlier sludge fiasco was that owners weren't changing their oil. If an owner had proof, they ignored it. They can't ignore it if they are the ones changing the oil and maintaining the vehicle.
  • toyotaguy2toyotaguy2 Member Posts: 1
    Redo of Rav4 Coming for 2006 Model Year, All I have heard is that it will have a 285hp engine.
  • escapenutescapenut Member Posts: 117
    Toyotaguy2 : Do you mean a 185HP engine, as 285HP would be more powerful than most of the Toyota truck line ? Also, it would make the most powerful compact SUV bar-none and would even out-class some mid-large SUV's in power.
  • rblelandrbleland Member Posts: 312
    Yes, it will be new in '06 with a V6 optional engine. Have not heard hp but 185hp is a reasonable guess (285 cannot be correct). I've seen pix and it looks more aggressive. I thought it looked good IMO.
  • ronstoyronstoy Member Posts: 55
    Howdy rbleland, where are some pics we can look at?
  • rblelandrbleland Member Posts: 312
    Can't recall exactly but know it was in Autoweek.com.
  • 307web307web Member Posts: 1,033
    Aren't the "pics" only overstyled artist's renderings, not true photos of what they will actually look like?
  • scape2scape2 Member Posts: 4,123
    on new 05 RAV4. Read in Motor Trend mag that the new 05 RAV4 will be larger to compete with CRV/Escape/VUE/Liberty sized vehicles. Also will offer a 3.3 V6.
  • escapenutescapenut Member Posts: 117
    Hmmmm... a hair-larger and a 3.3 V6 would be nice.
    I've got a 2001 Escape V6. Still runs great at 66K miles. However, if I'm in the market again
    in a couple of years then I may would consider one w/the 3.3 V6 or a pumped-up four-banger at 180+HP. It sounds to me, if the above info. is correct then the 3.3 could easily output 200 HP+.

    This would probably be a higher-end option on the new RAV4, which could easily put the RAV4 in 30K
    territory w/AWD. If they offered the 4-banger at the entry /lower end then it would obviously be at lesser cost.

    My wife curently has an '03 RAV4, low-low mileage as she drives 3/4 mile to/from work everyday. Hardly enough to get the engine heated-up. When she first got the car we went on a short vacation.
    We got 29mpg on a particularly good stretch, but generally on the highway it's about 25mpg. In town it's about 22mpg. The main complaint I had was the visit(s) back to the dealer three (3) times to the get the well-documented dash-noise(s) taken care of. To their credit I finally believe that they got right the 3rd time. I had a minor door-ratle in my Escape which I took car of, but otherwise my Escape is pretty solid. The RAV4 seems more solid, now that the dash-noise has been taken of.
  • andybeardandybeard Member Posts: 2
    My RAV has 111,000 miles...yes a lot. I drive 60+ miles per day. In Oct 2004 the car was having trouble accelerating...it would get up to 15 MPH and almost stall. Once it got up to 50 MPH+ it was ok. I took it in to the shop and they said it was low on oil and they could find nothing else wrong with it. They changed a couple of belts and that was it. Now in March 2005 it is doing it again. My regular mechanic was closed on Sunday so I took it into Precision Tune. The did a diagnostic too and could find nothing wrong except some carbon build up and they said it could possibly be a faulty catalytic converter.

    Today it sits at my regular mechanic's shop and they will be looking for this mysterious problem. Any suggestions? I have owned it for 3 years and I have had no problems with it until last Fall when I began commuting these long distances. Please help!
  • escapenutescapenut Member Posts: 117
    I'm not a mechanic but it does sound like a classic case of either/or; the carbon or the cat-converter. My guess would be the converter, but it probably wouldn't hurt to have the upper-engine
    de-carboned using a shop's BG/Wynn's/Justice Bros.
    machine and chemicals. The service really does help if the intake is carboned-up bad.
    Not sure what a cat-converter runs for the RAV4,
    but your mechanic will inevitably be cheaper than Toyota.
  • toycashtoycash Member Posts: 139
    The re-designed '06 will be out in Nov., but the V6 won't be out until late Jan.
  • vcarrerasvcarreras Member Posts: 247
    Is this the new RAV4??

    http://forums.autoweek.com/servlet/JiveServlet/download/31-11435-239487-3791/rav4200514.jp- g

    http://forums.autoweek.com/servlet/JiveServlet/download/31-11435-239487-3792/rav4200513.jp- g
  • toycashtoycash Member Posts: 139
    No, that is a photoshopped picture of the current RAV4.
  • 307web307web Member Posts: 1,033
    No, that is PhotoShop. Look at how fake the headlights look.
  • andybeardandybeard Member Posts: 2
    Thanks for the advice...found out all I needed was a new fuel filter...now it runs perfect. Thank goodness it wasn't anything more!
  • coastalcajuncoastalcajun Member Posts: 1
    I have the same problem. My dealer says I just didn't change the oil often enough. The car is only 3 years old with low mileage. I spoke with one mechanic I trust and he told me the Camry had a problem with sludge build up. Possibly we are seeing that the Rav4 does also. I was also given only one option - to pay for the repairs to the tune of $4,500 to rebuild the motor. I too had no idea there was a problem until the oil and check engine light came on at the same time. I brought the vehicle into the dealer the same afternoon.
  • petlpetl Member Posts: 610
    What is the mileage? and How often have you changed the oil? If the vehicle is only 3 years old, should it not be covered under warranty? More information is required before you can relate this a sludge problem.
  • rblelandrbleland Member Posts: 312
    There are no known problems w sludge on RAV engines to my knowledge. The alleged problems were on V6s in the older Camrys (and others). Clearly, negligence in oil/filter changes would contribute to possible sludge problems. AFAIK Toyota has fixed this "problem". What is your mileage on it, what year is it, and how often DID you change the oil (and can you prove it?). These are important questions. My guess is it is not a sludge issue at all.
  • kwivokwivo Member Posts: 1
    Hello,

    I have a 2001 RAV4. I am about to hit the 5 year 100k miles point. I have 2 noise problems.

    1 is a chirping noise coming from under the dash when I am on even a slightly bumpy road. Toyota dealership said it is a busted spot weld under the dash and it will cost hundreds to get at it and try to fix (only covered in first 3 years). Can anyone offer any advice on this problem?

    The other noise is an intermittent static-like crackling noise. Toyota dealership fixed this problem for a while in the first 3 years by moving a cable that was too close to my battery terminals. The noise is back and they were unable to stop it this time. Any suggestions?

    Thanks for your help,

    Kwivo
  • deadindallasdeadindallas Member Posts: 1
    2002 Rav4 here with ~45k miles ... I've got the sludge :( ... Change the oil ever 3-6k but I can't find all the receipts. Still looking.

    No more Toyota's for me. I have a brand new Prius also but am trading that in next week just because of the Rav4 issue. All cars have issues, but Toyota not fixing this one is enough for me.

    quote of aprox. $9k to fix it by the way.

    :sick:
  • heyunclejheyunclej Member Posts: 2
    hey there. i'm looking for a 2005 awd Rav4, with L package, mud flaps, roof rack, automatic, not sure what color yet. I live in Louisville, KY but have some strong ties down in Orlando FL. A couple of days ago, I got a quote from 'a friend' that works at a dealership in Orlando FL. Her pricing was as follows...MSRP $23,980...will sell to me for $22,000---which is $108 over their invoice of $21,891, then minus the $500 rebate.....out the door pricing, tax tags etc.....$22,400. I'm new to this, so i need help. I would like to pay at invoice or under if possible...i want to pay no more than $21,000 out the door. Am i just dreaming, or is this possible for me to achieve. I was looking at the Hyundai Tucson's, but i've seen a lot of negative feedback on them, and now i definitely want to go with the Toyota Rav4---I just need to find that deal.

    thanks!
  • yanno35yanno35 Member Posts: 1
    hi, th etrue invoice is roughly 19,883, dealers will give it to you at about 200.00 over that...22,000 is way to high...go to edmunds or blue book.com, and they will tell you the truth.. my suggestion is to purchase a 4 cyl due to th eskyrocket gas prices...Gas prices according to the news is expected to rise to 3.00 a gallon by 2006...rediculious!!!

    hoped that helped..john
  • scoti1scoti1 Member Posts: 676
    $9k to fixed a sludged engine? That's absurd! It is also absurd that you are having to deal with this in 3-yr. old vehicle with only 45k miles. If you had one of the models covered under the sludge policy (Camry, Sienna, Highlander, Avalon, Celica, and a couple of Lexus models), supposedly you would only need to show proof of one oil change per year to get the engine fixed for free.
  • kraftkraft Member Posts: 29
    Scotti, you were way off being so quick to take the opportunity to flaunt sludge. Consider what you responded to. A $9K price to repair something that costs $5K tops for a factory new short block out the door installed, not just a fixer upper? Then trade in a brand new Prius, taking a big depreciation hit, to prove a point? The story is absurd, and I think your reaction could qualify too. :sick:
  • scoti1scoti1 Member Posts: 676
    ???????

    That is what I said-- it is absurd to try to charge someone $9k to fix a sludged engine.

    Couldn't you get a brand new engine for less than that?
  • scoti1scoti1 Member Posts: 676
    deadindallas - one more thing, you may want to read cindyc's post (starting around #1738 here in the Rav4 discussion). She was able to get the dealership to cover her repair after initially being denied.
  • goyoneuffgoyoneuff Member Posts: 7
    Hello all,
    My wife and I got a new RAV4 2005 FWD, only 1 month old, with 1250 miles on it. Right now we're getting ONLY 20.3 mpg at city. I've check it four times and this is an average. Is this OK for this car? Should we go and visit the "doctor" to check if something is wrong with our RAV4?
    Thanks a lot to all,
    K.
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    If I'm not mistaken the RAV4 is rated at 24 mpg in the city by EPA. I think their figures generally are a little on the high side. Also, it does take a vehicle some time to "break in." You should see your mileage gradually improve. Of course, it also depends on your own specific driving circumstances.

    tidester, host
  • goyoneuffgoyoneuff Member Posts: 7
    Thank you tidester. How long do you think would it take to "break in" (by the way, what do you mean with this?)?
    And, what are the specific driving circumstances? I can tell you, we're located in Houston area, not much of hills around here. I don't know if this is kind of the circumstances you're talking about. Would you please explain us this?
    Thank you,
    K.
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    I don't have have direct experience with the RAV-4 but generally break in can range from about 5,000 to 10,000 miles for various vehicles.

    Factors affecting your mileage include the amount of stop and go driving you do and how rapidly you accelerate. Being in Houston the terrain is not an issue affecting your mileage.

    tidester, host
  • typesixtypesix Member Posts: 321
    Sounds about right. I have 2004 4 cyl Highlander(same engine/tranny) and average 19 mpg all city. I believe that mine is about 500 lb heavier and is rated 22 mpg city.
  • daryll44daryll44 Member Posts: 307
    I was close to buying a RAV when I stumbled into the Honda showroom. While the CR-V doesn't look quite as "cool" as the RAV, I must admit the salesman did a good job of convincing me to reconsider. One thing that he said was that CR-V outsold RAV four to one. Is that REALLY true? I need to buy what's right for ME, regardless if four times as many buy something else. Nevertheless, the huge difference DOES make me wonder (if CR-V is the better vehicle).
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Sounds like a good message to recharge the Honda CR-V vs.Toyota RAV4 discussion with. Anyone cross shopping these two models, please check it out.

    Steve, Host
  • dannykadannyka Member Posts: 115
    Well, the stats I found are as follows:

    RAV4 March sales: 6,233, YTD: 15,660
    CR-V March sales: 13,639 YTD: 34,991

    These are from Toyota's North American Sales and American Honda Sales reports for March 2005.

    Not quite 4x, more like 2x, but definitely more.

    --Dan
  • petlpetl Member Posts: 610
    The CRV is a good choice, not a better choice. The main reason why the CRV sells more is that it is larger than the RAV. The RAV on the other hand is better handling and has a slightly more functionnal interior. The CRV is also more mainstreem in design. The RAV is on the radical side. One more thing, the CRV's 4WD system is on demand (front wheel drive until slippage is detected). The RAV's 4 wheels are always engaged. You hit right on... buy what's right for you.
  • mcdawggmcdawgg Member Posts: 1,722
    IF you need the room, Honda might be better. Or Toyota Highlander (my choice). Got me laughing about the Honda salesman - you should go back just to prove him wrong about the sales figures and make him look like a jackass. Ford sells more Escapes/Tributes/Mariners than CRV or Rav, but that does not mean it is all around better. Depends on your needs or wants. New larger Rav should be out later this year.
  • nikworthnikworth Member Posts: 1
    I am purchasing a used 2003 RAV4. It doesn't have a roof rack at the moment, but I plan on getting one soon. Are there pros/cons to the traditional black or silver (JAC) roof racks sold by Toyota. Is the load capacity on these the same. Do both of these racks use Yakima and/or Thule accessories? Or would I be better off going with a Yakima or Thule rack system? Thanks.
  • daryll44daryll44 Member Posts: 307
    I'd love to know any available details on the 2006 RAV. What changes will it have? Will a hybrid be available?
  • bolawsbolaws Member Posts: 1
    $500.00???????? what a ripe off.
    i just installed a timing belt on a 1998 rav4 2.0 for $100 bucks. It took about 4 hours and everything is ez to get to.
  • chas0215chas0215 Member Posts: 40
    If everything was so easy to get to, then why did it take 4 hours?
  • toycashtoycash Member Posts: 139
    The 2006 will be a totally new design and will offer a V6 option.
  • daniel6daniel6 Member Posts: 1
    To get RAV4 was very smart from you. Toyota cars are today so far the best car on the road all over, even some (like MercedesBenz and Jaguar) are more expencive. What is the best: materials used to make, design, they have the best engineering, reliability, and durability.
    I am design manager in the company that design, manufacture, test and supplies with many parts (like pumps, transmissions,....) GM, Ford, and Chrisler, and overviewing MercedesBenz, VW, and BMW design, and sometimes get Toyota and Honda on the desk. So it is how i know about cars quality. NEVER TURN ENGINE ON AND THE SAME MOMENT PRESS GAS PEDAL, for it can damage journal bearings in the engine. You have better then you can imagine and now care for that baby.
    I have RAV4 also 2004 L, and it is my first Toyota. I had pt cruiser before i got a job in automotive industry here in Toronto.
    I also got new radio Alpine CDA-9835 and two speakers Alpine CDR-136. I have them for a while but still not instaled. My RAV4 was on starage for winter time. I would like to install that sound makers myself but would not like to damage anithing. If you have some picts how to remove Toyota radio and how to remove front door cover i will appriciate.
    Tires are important at high speed (140 km/h) and over. I got 235R16 tires with the car (and aluminum rims) and right away replaced tires with Michelin 236R16 Hydroedge. When i drive i more care that someone do not hit my car then how tires perform. 235 i think just looks nicer and that is all. We all like to have nice car so if you can get 235R16.
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