Toyota RAV4 pre-2006

stever · September 2003

I believe that means the NAV covers all the continental U.S. and parts of Canada, Ontheroadagain. I assume the DVD holds enough info so that you don't have to swap disks if you go cross-country.

Steve, Host

ontheroadagain · September 2003

Thanks Steve!

jcliffro · September 2003

I wonder if Toyota had planned to offer the side airbags/curtains in the RAV-4 before the Insurance Institute rated the RAV-4 as UNACCEPTABLE in its crash testing of small SUVs. Perhaps if that was any influence on them at all, they will also heed the Institute's advice that the exterior rear tire is a lousy idea. I recall that when the RAV-4 was bumped into an obsticle at only 5 MPH, the tire broke the back window and caused thousands of dollars of damage. It would be great if a redesign of this rear tire flaw were forthcoming as well. After all, the Subaru doesn't carry its rear tire there.....

suvshopper4 · September 2003

I think the best thing to do is not bump into things while going backward at 5 mph. Honda CR-V owners might agree.

Subaru makes fine station wagons, if that's your style.

wheelz4 · September 2003

(or something like that!)
How many SUV's in the US market have a tire hanging on the rear door......CR-V, RAV-4, Jeep Liberty & Wrangler, the Suzukis's, a couple of Land Rovers (though not the Range Rover) and that's about it. How many SUV's DON'T have a tire hanging on their rear door. WAY MORE.
I don't think you could call an X-Terra, Grand Cherokee, FourRunner, Explorer, Expedition etc etc. a station wagon.

nippononly · September 2003

a very dramatic video that showed the whole rear end of the RAV crumpling when the rear tire was impacted. Why is it that they can't stow this tire underneath?

ontheroadagain · September 2003

OK, now you've all practically convinced me that the RAV4 is not the best car to buy. The lack of bumper and the cost of repairs is pretty darn high...not that I plan on getting hit, etc., still...it's something to consider.

cbmorton · September 2003

Well, I ended up going with a Subaru. The crazy insurance cost of the RAV4 coupled with Toyota's high lease financing and low residual value made it pretty unattractive by the numbers. The Impreza Outback Sport is $1800 cheaper list price, $700 less per year for me to insure, and better equipped than the comparable RAV4. Even has the same ground clearance. The Sube is smaller inside, but that's not going to be an issue for me.

starctk · September 2003

anyone tested drive it yet? How is the ride comparing to the older models? I have heard a lot of people complaining about the loud noise from the road and engine, does the problem still exist?

jcliffro · September 2003

Your answer made absolutely zero sense. It is the equivalent of saying that as long as you opt not to get hit on the side, you don't need side air bags. There is such a thing as other drivers who might hit you from behind at a very slow speed, perhaps when they are backing out in a parking lot when you are not around. Toyota needs to redesign this rear tire/rear bumper thing ASAP.

rodkent · September 2003

With only limited (test) driving of earlier (2001-03) RAV-4s, I can say, with several thousand miles on it. that my new 2004 (2WD-auto) RAV is a great improvement over the 2.0 liter version. At interstate speeds, engine and wind noise levels are muted and handling is great. At 78 mph it loafs along at 2.7 kilorevs and has lots left for passing. On acceleration, power really picks up at about 4000 rpm and I can't imagine normal people complaining about lack of power with this version, but then, I did not think that its 2.0 liter predecessor had inadequate power either. A great, sporty little SUV that has now gotten even better with more cc.

ontheroadagain · September 2003

spleck, thanks for that website with the VIN #s...very handy since my local Toyota dealer only has one 2004 RAV4 at present and it's a dealer's demo. (By the way I asked him about the "lack of rear bumper" issue and he disagreed. Hmmm.)

rodkent, thanks for posting your impressions. Sounds like a nice, small, well constructed car...except maybe that rear bumper.

When do they retest these cars for crash tests?

suvshopper4 · September 2003

You think my answer made "absolutely zero" sense?
I'll try to explain: The test backs the vehicle into a post at 5 mph. To avoid such a result, I suggested not backing into well-anchored vertical cylindrical objects at 5 mph.
Capice?

tidester · September 2003

Capice?

Actually, it's spelled capisce! :-)

tidester, host

rogelia · September 2003

does anyone have rattling noises under dashboard, and clicking noises on driver side seat and rear right
passenger seat like it's not locked in place.

starctk · September 2003

i just got my 2004 RAV4 last saturday. I did not notice any noise problem inside the car. However, what you mentioned about the clicking noise from the driver seat, I did hear that a couple times already, maybe I should take it back to dealer and check it out. Overall, I enjoyed the first 2 days of driving my new car.

suvshopper4 · September 2003

So it is a Chevrolet Capisce? Huh.

tidester · September 2003

A "Caprisce" perhaps? ;-)

tidester, host

mikegold_1966 · September 2003

The rattle is a problem in the re designed RAV 4 beginning in 2001. The problem is really apparent in cold weather climates. Here is a link with a brief synopsis of the problem:

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

orangelebaron · October 2003

Can owners tell me what gas mileage they get with 2WD auto and 4WD auto? Remember to state 2WD or 4WD please! Thanks.

suvshopper4 · October 2003

2001 AWD auto trans now at 46k miles: 24.8 mpg overall since new (mostly suburbs/hwy, with a light foot).
All-day highway driving: 28 mpg several times.
Winter gas with MTBE, the penalty is 2+ mpg.

orangelebaron · October 2003

Not bad. I went to the dealer today and looked at a bunch of 2004's. The everglades green looks nice...but I'd like to see the Flint green in person. It seems you can't get side curtain airbags unless you get a somewhat loaded one with AWD.
Oh and they had a several Scions that had just come in for the new showroom about to open in Amityville, NY. The saleman gave me a ride in the shoe box one to the service center to look at a loaded up black cherry one with neon lights! He was SO enthusiastic about it. Nice cars..the Scions...I was impressed...but I'll stick with the RAV4.
So does anyone have a 2WD auto so they can tell me about the mileage they get?

starctk · October 2003

my RAV4 is almost one month old with about 1000 miles on it already. I can drive about 340 miles from full tank till the oil light goes on.( I thought the gas mileage can be even better than this) anyone knows how far can it still go after the oil light goes on?

starctk · October 2003

my local/freeway ratio is about 20/80. so I am expecting about 400 miles for full tank. Hopefully..gas mileage will improve after the engine is totally break in.

spleck · October 2003

You've got a 14.8 gallon tank. Next time the light comes on, go fill up the tank and see how close you were.

I'm sure everyone's familiar with how to calculate your gas mileage:
1 Fill up your tank and reset the tripmeter (odometer).
2 Drive around.
3 Fill up the tank and divide the tripmeter reading by the number of gallons it takes to fill up.

If you fill up every time you get gas, you can check your mileage each time. Some people may need a calculator, but you can usually get a good idea without one. I can't believe the pump doesn't offer to calculate your gas mileage for you...

orangelebaron · October 2003

you didn't mention if you had AWD or 2WD or if it was manual or automatic. Either way, you are averaging at least 25 mpg if you are filling up with about 13 gallons.

concept11 · October 2003

We bought a new AWD Rav4 Auto and have been getting only 18-20 mpg granted with mostly city driving but some highway. However, it seems that we should be getting better than this given what I have seen on the board.

Note: I do calculate the miles with every fill up.

suvshopper4 · October 2003

You didn't say how many miles are on your RAV.

I found the mpgs increased up to around 10k miles.

hawkinstoney · November 2003

I'm thinking of buying a 2004 RAV4 instead of a van but I need to get dog crates in the back. Does anyone know what the width of the cargo area is at it's narrowest?

I will build a platform to get the crates off of the floor a few inches, so I'm mainly interested in the interior distance from wheel to wheel.
thx

ccco1 · November 2003

I have a 2003, and the width (on the floor) between the wheel wells is 34.5 inches. The wheel wells do taper up in a couple of inches. So, the width at 4 inches off the floor is 38.5 inches.

Hope that helps.

hawkinstoney · November 2003

Thanks ccco1, that's just the info I needed!

trojanguy · November 2003

I'm contemplating buying a 2004 RAV4 to replace a '91 Camry wagon (GREAT car!!!). Since toyota doesn't sell the Camry wagon anymore I need something functional. I prefer to change the oil myself. Does anyone out there have any experience in changing the oil on the '04 model? Where exactly are the oil filter and drain plug located and how accessible are they? I test drove one today, and with the hood up I couldn't see an oil filter and even the salesman had trouble locating it. I don't mind working under the car as long as I don't have to start removing a bunch of cover plates or panels, etc. This may affect whether I decide to buy this car or not....any advice is appreciated...thanx!

mcdawgg · November 2003

Try looking up from under the car. Most new Toyotas have the oil filter mounted vertically, right next to the oil pan. Toyotas are generally VERY easy to work on. I haven't looked at a 2004, but what I said applies to 2001 through 2003. It is nice because the oil doesn't drain all over other parts and one drain pan can catch the oil from the filter and the drain plug.

mckee4 · November 2003

I haven't tried to change the oil myself yet
on my wife's '03 RAV4, but as previously mentioned I tried looking 'in' the engine
compartment for the oil filter. Didn't work.
Mcdawgg's right, it's under the vehicle and
should be pretty easy to get to. One of the
filter wrenches for small diameter oil filters
may not be such a bad idea either as the oil
filter is a small pup.

At about 15K miles I intend to change out oil
to synthetic. Costs more but I've run it all
my cars for the last 7 years. RAV4 has about
6.5K miles, but has developed a disturbing
buzz/rattle, sounds like emanating from the
middle-dash area behind the radio. I've read
the TSB fix(es) mentioned above. I'm not
sure if this one fits that bill. I'll take it
back to the dealer's and have them check it
out 'cause it's still under warranty, but it
bugs my wife that it buzzes/rattles on moderately
smooth road.

Otherwise we've had the RAV4 on highway, once
to Oklahoma and an upcoming holiday trip
further north. We defnitely get better mileage
in the RAV4 than in my Escape. with a V6.
The RAV4 is FrontWD not AllWD, so the mileage
may be better by a couple of miles per gallon.
We get ~21-22 City and have gotten up to 27
on the Hwy. Maybe this trip it'll be even
better

trojanguy · November 2003

Thanks mcdawwg and mcKee4;

Sounds like the filter and drain plug are easy to access on the '04 RAV4 from underneath. I like the idea that oil doesn't wind up dripping down over engine mounts and other parts. By the way, I've got an oil filter adapter that is spring loaded and can be used with a standard socket wrench. It'll adjust to any size oil filter, so it's very versatile. I'm planning to buy a RAV4 in the next month (I'm sure right around Christmas is a great time to buy and get a deal, since the dealerships are quiet then), I just hope the RAV4 is as great a car as my '91 Camry wagon has been!

mcdawgg · November 2003

The rattles, buzzes, etc. that you complain about can be fixed by a good dealer. There is a TSB out to fix them. It is most likely the cowl in front of the windshield under the windshield wipers. Other than that, with 40k miles on it, we have no problems, brakes are still great, etc.
27.2 mpg flat highway, 73mph, 4wd auto, and really easy oil changes!

mckee4 · November 2003

I was originally going to buy a RAV4 for my use
in '01 when the new model arrived, but the Escape
seemed to fit the bill better for me. I do miss
not getting at least in the 20's for gas mileage, 'cause the only time I get it in my Escapew/V6 is on the highway and then only about 21-22mpg at 70mph. If only we'd waited another
7 months to get the RAV4 we could've gotten
13HP more, plus traction control, and stability
control standard, for about the same price as
what we paid for an '03 FWD. My wife is the
predominent driver anyway of the RAV4 and she
doesn't really care about those things, as long
as it'll start and get her to/from work
dependably. She loves the easy ingress/egress
of this first compact SUV. She had her Nissan
Sentra for almost 9-years and it was an o.k.,
but not outstanding car (for a compact), and it
was runnning good when we traded it for the
RAV4. But my wife would have a rough time
going back to a sedan-type vehicle at all.

There are a lot of old(er) RAV's still on
the road. Based on their popularity and
dependability people, at least in this area,
don't get rid them too often. The RAV's seem
to be in short supply all the time even though
their are about 15 Toyota dealerships in the
greater area.

wsommariva · November 2003

Just bought a 2004 RAV4. Also have a 2002 RAV4. I bought Toyota all weather mats and they DO NOT FIT my 2004. Seems Toyota increased the size of the foot rest for the driver. So I must have received mats for a 2002/2003 RAV4. Dealer says they MUST fit as long as they say RAV4. The part number I received was PT2064203603.

Anyone know the RIGHT part number?

Thanks

hjtw888 · November 2003

My 2001 RAV4 2WD front 215/70/16 factory original Toyo Tranpath A14 tires start to wear out evenly after 40K miles due to infrequent tire rotation.
The tires are now rotated to the rear and still running fine. I plan to replace with wider tires.
Toyota offered wider tires on RAV4 4x4 but can’t remember tire size.
Price Costco indicated optional tire size 235/60/16.
Toyota site indicated factory alloy wheel size 16 x 6.5.
Can someone advise if wider tire will fit on the factory alloy wheels without rubbing the wheel wells?
What brand tires have the widest tire tread width for the same size tire?

canoe2 · November 2003

I checked at dealer the 2004 RAV4 and I was very disappointed because of rear drums. I guess they want to use all the old parts (drums) before switching to disc(s) for the Canadian model.

wsommariva · November 2003

Intersting. I have a 2004 and have rear disc brakes. Also have a 2002 RAV4 that has drum brakes.

Did you ask the dealer or did you check the car itself? The sticker will tell you or just look at the brakes. Many times we know more than the dealers. One dealer I went to was wrong on two items. He said the engine increased from a 1.8 to a 2.4 and that the 2004s have rear bumpers.

wsommariva · November 2003

I know this is a problem on RAV4s. Apparently still a problem as I have a significant dashboard rattle situation. I'll ask the dealer to fix it. I believe thay have a TSB on it.

Anyone else have this with a 2004?

canoe2 · November 2003

I checked the car by myself then I asked the dealer to confirm drum brakes on 2004 model.
Also, I checked on Canada Toyota website
http://www.toyota.ca/cgi-bin/WebObjects/WWW.woa/15/wo/Home.Vehicles.Rav4-tGEWtMxtfb2F7suH3pLT60/5.11?v121040e%2ehtml.

cbmorton · November 2003

The Canadian model doesn't get all of the upgrades that the US model got for 2004, including disc brakes and the traction control system. Most likely reason is that Toyota Canada passed on these items to keep the cost of the RAV4 down. It already is a relatively expensive vehicle for what you get and they wouldn't want to push their luck by making it more so.

canoe2 · November 2003

There was not much price increase for RAV4 in US (I think $50 higher), I still do not understand why removed these features for Candian models. How the RAV4 can compete with CRV without these options ?
The whole idea of put 2.4L engine, add rear dics brakes... to get customers back.

anitacasey · November 2003

I also have a dashboard rattle in my new 2004 RAV4. It becomes worse when it's cold outside. Does anyone know if there's a TSB on it? There are TSB's on the older RAV4's but I don't think there are any on the 2004's.

shelby16 · December 2003

Purchased a new 2003 Toyota RAV 4 three mos. ago(Color Vintage Gold, 2 wheel drive, all power, 100,000 miles transferrable extended warranty, automatic, outstanding condition). Have 4,000 miles thereon. It is a beautiful vehicle but it is simply too large for me (had a compact 2 door Honda Civic previously). Can anyone recommend the best way to sell, newspaper ads can be pricey. Live in Tinley Park, Illinois. Thanks in advance.

tidester · December 2003

Here is a good place to start: How to sell your car.

tidester, host

wsommariva · December 2003

Toyota says there's no TSBs on the 2004. I made an appointment for my rattle and the delaer didn't say anything about it being a problem. BTW, my wife has a 2002 RAV4, no rattle in the dashboard. I hope they fix it because it drives me crazy.

nancy13 · December 2003

I have a '02 RAV-L that is driving me nuts when I try to fill it with gas. The pump nozzle shuts itself off after just a few drops of gas come out. I tried inserting the nozzle all the way in and backing it up a bit but it still would not pump gas. Has anyone else run into this problem and have a solution? This happens to me all the time.

I was so angry last evening...I tried two different pumps at the convenience store (neither one worked)...and it was freezing cold outside. I was not a happy camper.
:-(

Toyota RAV4 pre-2006

Comments

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles