2004 Toyota RAV4

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA RAV 4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE SHIFTED FROM FOURTH GEAR TO NEUTRAL INDEPENDENTLY. THE FAILURE RECURRED THE FOLLOWING DAY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT THERE WERE COMPLAINTS ON THE VEHICLE AND PROVIDED NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 94,000. UPDATED 8/29/12 *CN

I WAS DRIVING AT 60 MPH WHEN I NOTICED THAT THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE FOR MY CAR WAS SHOT UP NEAR THE RED. IN ADDITION TO THIS, TWO WARNING LIGHTS (VSC TRAC AND CHECK ENGINE) ALSO CAME ON. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OFF THE HIGHWAY, AND CALLED AAA, WHICH TOWED ME TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP. THE MANAGER THERE TOOK A LOOK AT MY CAR, AND SAID THAT I WAS OUT OF COOLANT. HE THEN ADDED HALF A GALLON OF COOLANT TO MY CAR AND TOLD ME I SHOULD BE ALL SET. APPROXIMATELY 80 MILES LATER, THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE SHOT UP TO THE RED AGAIN. I THEN PULLED OVER, AND SAW THAT ALL OF THE COOLANT THE REPAIR SHOP ADDED EARLIER WAS GONE. I TOOK MY CAR TO A LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER, WHO TOLD ME THAT THERE ARE TWO MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH MY CAR. ONE, THE HEAD GASKET WAS BROKEN. AND TWO, SOME OF THE STEEL BOLTS IN THE ENGINE WERE STRIPPED OUT. ALL IN ALL, I WAS TOLD THAT IT WOULD COST $7000 TO REPAIR THE ENGINE. I'VE LOOKED AROUND ON THE WEB AND SAW THAT MANY OTHER 2004 TOYOTA RAV4 OWNERS HAVE COMPLAINED OF THE SAME PROBLEM. I BELIEVE THIS IS MANUFACTURING PROBLEM, AND TOYOTA SHOULD MAKE A RECALL OF THIS UNSAFE, AND POORLY DESIGNED MODEL. *TR

MY 2004 TOYOTA RAV 4 STARTED OVERHEATING/SMOKING WHILE DRIVING AT 20 MPH IN A PARKING LOT. I PULLED INTO A PARKING SPACE AND SAW LEAKING ANTIFREEZE AND I HOPED IT WAS JUST A HOSE OR THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE. I RAN TO THE STORE, BOUGHT ANTIFREEZE, FILLED THE RADIATOR AND WAS ABLE TO GET IT HOME. THE NEXT DAY, I DROVE IT TO A FRIENDS MECHANIC. THE ENGINE IS LEAKING ANTIFREEZE DUE TO THE ENGINE BOLTS STRIPPING. APPARENTLY TOYOTA INSTALLED STEEL BOLTS INTO AN ALUMINUM BLOCK AND IF THE ENGINE HEATS TOO MUCH, THE BOLTS STRIP OUT, CAUSING THE LEAKAGE. THE SHOP SAID THE REPAIR WILL COST ME 5K AT A DEALERSHIP AND 3.5K AT A PRIVATE GARAGE. I CONTACTED TOYOTA IN CALIFORNIA AND THEIR RESPONSE WAS: DISCUSSION THREAD RESPONSE ([XXX]) 10/11/2011 06:11 AM DEAR MS. _______________; THANK YOU FOR CONTACTING TOYOTA MOTOR SALES, U.S.A., INC. WE ARE SORRY TO HEAR OF YOUR CONCERNS WITH THE ENGINE OF YOUR RAV4, AND APOLOGIZE THIS ASPECT OF THE VEHICLE DID NOT MEET YOUR EXPECTATIONS. WE DO NOT SHOW A SPECIAL SERVICE CAMPAIGN OR RECALL FOR THE CONDITION YOU DESCRIBED, AND THUS DO NOT HAVE SPECIFIC INSIGHT TO PROVIDE. IF YOU FEEL YOU HAVE A FAILED OR BROKEN COMPONENT, WE RECOMMEND CONTACTING THE CUSTOMER RELATIONS MANAGER AT YOUR LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. WE HAVE DOCUMENTED YOUR COMMENTS AT OUR NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS, WHERE THEY REMAIN AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW FROM THE APPROPRIATE DEPARTMENTS. IT IS THROUGH FEEDBACK SUCH AS YOURS WE ARE ABLE TO MONITOR AND IMPROVE UPON THE QUALITY OF OUR PRODUCT. IF WE MAY BE OF FURTHER ASSISTANCE, PLEASE CONTACT US VIA EMAIL OR BY CALLING 800-331-4331. WE ARE AVAILABLE FROM 5 AM TO 6 PM, PACIFIC TIME, MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, AND FROM 7 AM TO 4 PM SATURDAY. WE HAVE DOCUMENTED YOUR COMMENTS AT OUR NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS UNDER FILE #. IF TOYOTA HAS NO KNOWLEDGE OF THIS THEN WHY HAVE THEY CREATED A REPAIR KIT TO FIX THE THREADS IN THE HEAD? INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

EVEN THOUGH THE VEHICLE HAS A PERFECT MAINTENANCE RECORD AND HAS NO HISTORY OF OVER HEATING, THE HEAD BOLTS PULLED LOOSE FROM THE ENGINE BLOCK AND THE ENGINE LEAKED OIL FROM THE HEAD GASKET AREA. THIS WAS VERIFIED BY DESERT TOYOTA OF TUCSON. THE ENGINE GOT COVERED WITH MOTOR OIL AND WHILE IT WAS HOT IT SMOKED EXTENSIVELY TO THE POINT I FEARED IT WOULD CATCH FIRE. IT DID NOT IGNITE BECAUSE THE RAV4 WAS PULLED OFF THE ROAD AND TURNED OFF BEFORE IT COULD HAPPEN. TOYOTA CORP. WAS CONTACTED AND THEY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM, BUT ISSUED A CASE NUMBER. THE VEHICLE IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. DESERT TOYOTA PRESCRIBED A $6130 REPAIR. *KB

TIRES HAD TO BE REPLACED AT 37K BECAUSE THEY WERE DRY ROTTED. I REPLACED THE TIRES PER THE TIRE WARRANTY WITH THE SAME TIRES AND AT 95K MILES THEY ARE AGAIN DRY ROTTED. I RECOMMEND THAT TOYOTA STOP PUTTING TOYO TIRES ON ITS RAV4S. I HAVE ALSO HAD TO REPLACE THE TOYOTA ISSUED BATTERY TWO TIMES IN THE VEHICLE AND IT IS ONLY 7 YEARS OLD. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH THE CONTACT HEARD A CLANKING SOUND AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO DECELERATE AND LOOSE POWER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED THAT THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY THE ECM. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 91,000.

WENT TO GET A TIRE REPAIRED, THE MANAGER TOLD ME THAT I HAD A FLUID LEAK. HE INDICATED IT WAS PRETTY BAD AND I NEEDED TO GET IT LOOKED AT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. I DROVE IT TO THE SHOP WHERE THEY CONFIRMED I HAD A LEAK AND IT WAS COOLANT. I LEFT THE CAR FOR REPAIRS AND WAS CALLED THE NEXT DAY AND TOLD THAT THE HEAD GASKET WAS LEAKING. I WENT ONLINE TO RESEARCH THIS ISSUE AND FOUND HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS INDICATING THE EXACT SAME ISSUE. THEY ALSO INDICATED THAT TOYOTA HAS NOT AND WOULD NOT ACKNOWLEDGE ANY DEFECTS REGARDING THE HEAD GASKET.

THE DRIVER'S SIDE SUN VISOR ON OUR 2004 TOYOTA RAV4 WILL NOT STAY UP. IT IS A SAFETY HAZARD BECAUSE IT PARTIALLY OBSTRUCTS YOUR VISION WHEN IT DROPS DOWN WHILE YOU ARE DRIVING. THE VISOR IS CLIPPED IN AT THE TIME, BUT IT ROTATES INTO A DOWN POSITION ON ITS OWN. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR QUITE AWHILE, AND I HAVE TRIED SEVERAL SOLUTIONS TO KEEPING THE VISOR SECURED IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION. THE TOYOTA DEALER DOES NOT CONSIDER IT A DEFECT AND THEIR ANSWER IS TO BUY A NEW ONE. HOWEVER, SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVE POSTED ONLINE THAT THE NEW ONE FAILS AFTER AWHILE, TOO. THIS IS APPARENTLY A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH TOYOTAS, BECAUSE 2001-2003 TOYOTA HIGHLANDERS AND TUNDRAS HAVE ALSO HAD THIS PROBLEM. IT IS ALL OVER THE INTERNET ON ONLINE DISCUSSION BOARDS. I HAVE NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM WITH ANY OTHER CAR IN 30+ YEARS OF DRIVING. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 50 MPH WHEN ALL OF THE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AND THE ENGINE BEGAN TO SMOKE. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY ADVISED HER THAT THE BOLTS WERE DETERIORATED CAUSING THE GASKET TO OVERHEAT AND THE ENTIRE ENGINE WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY OFFERED TO COVER FIFTY PERCENT OF THE REPAIR COSTS. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 90,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.