Toyota RAV4 Problems

The company admits there is a potential problem with the rear suspension of the popular SUV but says it has no plans for a safety-related recall. Instead, it intends to notify owners of more than 65,000 cars by letter, advising an inspection at a Toyota dealership.In the USA, the RAV is the subject of a major recall involving more than 778,000 vehicles -- the others are the Lexus HS250h sedan not sold here -- that continues a long string of safety scares for the world's best selling carmaker.Toyota recalled more than 3 million vehicles last year in the USA, including a group of RAVs built in 2007 and 2008, because there was potential for their airbags to fire without warning. The RAV is also being investigated by the Federal government over door fires potentially linked to electric-window switches.In Australia, there was a recall in November involving 21,792 locally-made Camrys over a steering issue. In the latest case involving the RAV4, the problem has been traced to insufficient tightening of rear-suspension nuts after a wheel alignment. This can lead to wear and potential failure of a rear-suspension arm.Six case of failure have been reported in Australia but company spokesman Beck Angel says there have been no crashes attributable to the problem. Even so, owners of 66,377 RAVs built between October 2005 and November 2010 will be contacted by Toyota Australia.“The rest of the regions -- Japan, Oceania, Europe, Asia and others -- will conduct a customer review,'' she says. ``North American dealers conduct a rear wheel alignment before the cars go to the customers. Other regions don't do that. So the problem is more likely in North America.“In Australia, the customer review is more precautionary.'' Toyota says the problem is attributed to insufficient tightening of the rear suspension bolts. No accidents attributable to the problem have been reported to Toyota. Ms Angel says in Australia, 66,377 RAV4s, built from October 2005 to November 2010, are affected.Toyota will notify owners by letter and request a vehicle inspection at a Toyota service centre. There is concern that some vehicles have changed owners and may not be able to be contacted by Toyota. ``We will notify all automotive groups and associations to capture those cars that are no longer on our records,'' Ms Angel says.

The voluntary recall has been issued for the Santa Fe diesels over the risk of a fuel leak and possible fire. Hyundai Australia issued the voluntary recall on 9000 Santa Fe 2.2-litre R diesels built between September 1, 2009 and December 13, 2011.The defect involves a lack of clearance between the engine cover assembly and fuel return hose which could cause wear in the hose, leading to a fuel leak and the risk of fire. However, company spokesman Ben Hershman says not every vehicle will be affected. "There have been no incidences of any problems caused by this issue in Australia to date," he says. "Owners should present the car to their dealer who will inspect all hoses and replace any if there are signs of wear," he says."They may also install a small clip to the return fuel hose to act as an additional protection barrier removing the possibility of interference." Owners of affected vehicles will be contacted by letter. Meanwhile, Toyota has issued a voluntary safety recall of 22 RAV4 vehicles over a possible steering problem. The recall involves a defect in a prototype instrument panel reinforcement or steering column support bracket which may have been installed in some RAV4 vehicles.A welded section in the bracket could separate, causing noise. In the worst case, steering operation may be affected. There have been no reported incidents in Australia. Owners of the affected vehicles will be notified by telephone and mail. Any authorised Toyota dealer will replace the unit with a new one at no charge to the owner.

Sales of little soft-roaders have grown faster than any new vehicle segment in our overcrowded new-car market.Last year there were just over 60,000 small SUVs sold, up 53 per cent on 2011. The category parameters have changed and now some models previously considered compact are classified as medium. But sales of the smallest SUVs have increased for the past three consecutive years.The appeal lies in several attributes, not the least of which is in looking more adventurous than domesticated. There's the draw of fuel economy, though the reality is that certain of these models do not perform much better than the big cars they've supplanted.Then there is the versatility of the interior, the elevated driving position and the visibility it affords, and the perception of being unassailable by other road users.The three brands on this page argue about who started the soft-roader craze. Each has a worthy case.Toyota is synonymous with off-road passenger machinery that has a reputation for reliability and capability. The RAV4 introduced a suburban level of versatility to the Japanese brand when it lobbed here in 1996 (there was the Tercel and AWD Tarago before it, but let's not go there).The RAV had the look and lineage to carry off the compact SUV concept. With a new model not far from the showrooms there are bargains to be had in the outgoing vintage.Subaru's all-terrain wagon heritage harks back to the 1970s, when 1600cc (and, later, 1800cc) wagons with transfer cases and raised bellies showed you didn't need a big burly 4WD to get seriously off the beaten track. The Forester might not have retained the forebears' dual-range lever within the transmission console but the spirit remains.Another company with four decades of history in the realm of small, lightweight off-roaders is Suzuki. The original Jimny and Sierra lightweight 4WD wagons were tiny, nimble and bulletproof machines and the modern descendant the Grand Vitara has retained much of the off-road ability without succumbing to the soft-roader sookery.(Search for hundreds more choices) 2011 Toyota RAV4Engine: 2.4-litre 4-cyl petrolTransmission: 4-speed automaticThirst: 9.6L/100 CARSGUIDE SAYSThe dependable Toyota reputation offsets any styling shortfall. While not a rock-hopper like its LandCruiser big brother, it doesn't mind getting its wheels dirty. Dual airbags, descent and stability control, Bluetooth and USB connection are among the features.2009 Subaru Forester XS PremiumEngine: 2.5-litre 4-cyl boxer petrolTransmission: 4-speed automaticThirst: 9.6L/100km CARSGUIDE SAYSThe Forester has been a segment leader on sales volume and is one of the more versatile of the all-terrain brigade -- some models still have low range. The XS Premium has leather trim, sunroof, stability control, climate control, six airbags and rally-bred heritage.2009 Suzuki Grand Vitara WagonEngine: 2.4-litre 4-cyl petrolTransmission: 5-speed manualThirst: 8.9L/100km  CARSGUIDE SAYSThe brand builds bikes as well as being responsible for the original small off-roader. The Suzuki Grand Vitara has old-school 4WD and genuine off-road ability. Anything but a soft-roader, it's light and nimble off the beaten track and useful around town too.

When launched in October 1994, the Toyota RAV4 was a cute and cheeky 4WD. Over the years it expanded in size and from the latest model in February 2006 has become positively staid – sounds like the typical human life cycle doesn’t it!In the ‘teenage’ years of its life cycle, the funkiest of all RAV4s arrived in January 1998, but barely lasted two years on the market. Though called Cabriolet by Toyota, it is in fact an old-style soft-top. The roof is reasonably easy to pull down and erect, but we still recommend a bit of practice at home before you set out on a topless trip on a cloudy dayThe great majority of Toyota RAV4s have a two or four-door station wagon body. The former is on a shorter wheelbase than the latter, so misses out on both rear-seat space and luggage carrying capacity.The RAV4 isn't designed to conquer the great Aussie outback, Toyota has plenty of other 4WDs and SUVs capable of dong just that, but it is a lot more competent than you might expect. Good ground clearance, big wheels and handy approach, departure and ramp angles mean it can take on rocks, ruts and rough stuff with plenty of verve. The short-wheelbase is, naturally, better than the LWB if you want to get serious off-road.These little Toyota SUVs use what are virtually car tyres and don’t have a low-range transfer case. Better tyres can make it just perfect on the beach.The RAV4’s first engine was a modern 2.0-litre four-cylinder unit that gives better than average performance for its class. The engine was extensively modified at the beginning of 1998 to give it a broader spread of torque. The four-cylinder engine was increased in size to 2.4 litres in 2003.From October 2007 a V6 engine option with the capacity of 3.5 litres joined the fray. It goes without saying the V6 has plenty of grunt, but it can be on the thirsty side at times.You have a choice between a five-speed manual and a four-speed automatic transmission in most models. The V6 comes only with a five-speed auto. The four-speed automatic is a modern unit that works well and doesn’t take too much edge off the performance, but many computers now provide five or six forward ratios.Toyota has been number one in the Australian automotive market for a number of years. So it has dealers in almost all areas of Australia, even those which are ignored by other big players in our market. So getting spares and repairs isn't likely to be a hassle.Dealers in the most remote zones are more likely to carry spare parts for LandCruisers than for the RAV4s. Nonetheless, you aren’t likely to have to wait for more than a few days for parts to be shipped to the bush from one of the major cities.Insurance is generally in the low to moderate range and there doesn't seem to be a huge variance in premium prices between them.WHAT TO LOOK FORThe Toyota RAV4 is built to a high standard but it’s still wise to have a full inspection after doing your own check up. Most RAV4s never go off road, but look closely for panel and underbody damage, just in case.Scratches in the paint and and/or the door sills and lower body corners are tell-tale signs a RAV4 has come into contact with solid objects, perhaps only bushes and similar shrubbery. But it all costs money to have rectified.If you come across sand in the underbody, try it for a salty taste. RAV4s appear to be well rust proofed but salt water really rips into steel if it gets half a chance. Check the condition of the trim, especially in a soft-top as the latter may have been caught out in the rain or even driven in the surf - again check for that salty smell or taste.Listen and feel for loose components in the transmission system that have been abused in off-road driving. The engine should start first time every time, and idle smoothly even when completely cold. If there is smoke from the exhaust under hard acceleration the engine may be in a bad way.If a manual gearbox is reluctant to go down from third to second when the change is hurried, trouble could be brewing. Automatic transmissions which have had a hard life may be reluctant to change and could be slow at engaging a drive gear from Neutral or Park.CAR BUYING TIPSilly as it may sound, beware the 4WD that has been off-road. So few do any real work these days that it’s easy to find one that’s never been off sealed surfaces.