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The RAV4 is Toyota’s ideal-offering SUV. You virtually are not able to go mistaken simply plucking one fresh off the large amount. The RAV4 is functional, reliable, and cost-effective. It’s the kind of auto you get when you want one thing realistic and fuel-productive that will very last you a life time. It ranks extremely on the record of the most trusted and low-priced employed Toyota styles.

But, not all RAV4s will give you a sleek working experience. There are some a long time you should really steer clear of because they are extra susceptible to hassle than other folks. It’s well worth noting that the RAV4 many years we put on this listing are by no implies terrible cars and trucks. Some of the problems listed here can be resolved with a small creative mechanical get the job done, and many others can even be managed with diligent automobile treatment and servicing. Even the worst RAV4s are extra dependable than many automobile manufacturers out there.

The RAV4 decades we rank below need to only be avoided because there are just greater RAV4 alternatives out there. If you might be heading to commit funds obtaining a utilized RAV4, you might as nicely squeeze each individual bit of benefit you can get out of it.

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When Toyota launched the next technology RAV4, it addressed worries in the older design. It was greater and came with a good deal extra punch than the pre-2000 RAV4, with a 148-horsepower VVT-i engine. On the other hand, around 2001, a new difficulty crept into the blossoming C-SUV: transmission failures.

The 2002 RAV4 is the RAV4 with the most complaints of all time on CarComplaints.com. Most of these problems occur from the jerky, rigid transmission that jumps in between gears. Also, the car is susceptible to motor handle module (ECM) failure, and this untrustworthy ECM is the perpetrator driving the transmission troubles.

Class motion lawsuit threats and numerous grievances compelled Toyota to prolong the warranty on RAV4 versions from 5 decades and 60,000 miles to ten decades and 150,000 miles. Toyota also said they would reimburse shoppers who experienced already spent funds correcting the concern as extensive as they could clearly show realistic evidence.

Finally, these automobiles are two many years previous. They’ve viewed tens to hundreds of thousands of miles, and while you could get one particular truly low-priced, the engines are more most likely to fail prior to you get the possibility to offer it. They are also lacking a good deal of new engineering and energy that now constitutes essential sections of driving easily and safely and securely. It is really far better to avoid these versions fully and decide on a thing more recent in which you can.

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The 2006, 2007, and 2008 RAV4s are one more famously problematic trilogy. These autos arrived all over the several years Toyota created engines that were being regretably oil-guzzling. In the situation of these RAV4s, they were fitted with the 2AZ-FE engine, 1 of the the very least reliable engines Toyota has at any time made. It wasn’t just the RAV4 that was influenced, though all the other autos with this engine had been impacted, which includes the 2007 Camry.

What leads to this extreme oil usage is basically how the motor was developed. The piston rings don’t scrape off more than enough oil from the combustion chamber, and the excessive leftover oil will get burned up in combustion. This indicates it is not a difficulty you can conveniently correct you can only take care of it by replenishing the oil as typically as achievable. It’s just one of the frequent difficulties for the RAV4.

Toyota RAV4 models from all around this yr are also recognised to develop clunking sounds when you transform the steering wheel. A lot of owners say that a substitute steering shaft assembly preset the problem. It truly is a repair service that may possibly expense you someplace all-around $1,000. With most of these utilised RAV4s now owning many miles on the odometer — some of these miles possibly on reduced engine oil, mind you — it is much better to stay clear of them, or you may conclude up with a problematic SUV.

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The 2014 RAV4 would have been a excellent car if it hadn’t been for the risk of catching fire. In November 2023, the NHTSA issued a remember for Toyota RAV4s spanning from 2013 to 2018, influencing almost two million vehicles.

It truly is not like the car’s engine would spontaneously combust or just about anything like that. Rather, this improperly created twelve-volt alternative battery has a smaller top than the unique. So, when driving a tiny tough, it could cost-free alone from the hold-down clamp and appear in make contact with with it, producing a limited circuit and eventual hearth.

Of class, the battery fireplace isn’t really special to the 2014 RAV4, but this, put together with some other challenges it has, tends to make considerably less fascinating. The 2014 RAV4 is plagued with lousy interior high quality difficulties, like navigation monitor glare, common infotainment program failure, and (though rarer) electrical process failure. Which is not all, nevertheless. RAV4s from this 12 months with manufacturing facility white paint could experience bubbling and peeling. Toyota begun a customer support software to tackle 2008 to 2017 RAV4s, as they will likely have this problem.

We would suggest you skip the 2014 product and either go back to a 2013 or forward to 2015 they are considerably less very likely to give you a headache.

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CarComplaints.com ranks the 2019 RAV4 as the worst RAV4 model. It truly is not for the reason that it has the most complaints, but since it has numerous considering its younger age and the severity of these difficulties presenting at minimal mileage. Also, several of these repairs for this design are more costly than older versions.

The 2019 RAV4 has observed 7 NHTSA recollects. The difficulties include fuel pump failure, loss of electric powered ability steering, suspension challenges, coolant leakage, and a several other minor difficulties. Even so, customers also voice problems about a jerky transmission that hesitates to change gears. Even though that issue could continue to be traced back to a faulty gas pump.

Entrepreneurs on Automobile Background have complained vehemently about several quality-of-daily life issues, and the auto has gained a 1-star score for gratification. A well known difficulty between 2019 RAV4 drivers is that there are leaks coming by means of the roof rack seals. The water can seep into your car and destruction the pillars’ airbags, posing safety threats.

Toyota has tried using to tackle numerous of these issues by means of TSBs and remembers, and you could in fact get a decent 2019 RAV4 now. But considering that you might be looking for a long time to prevent, 2019 is 1 of all those you best overlook if you do not want troubles.