Toyota RAV4 Problems

Toyota Australia is on record as saying that the business case for the plug-in hybrid version of the RAV4 doesn’t stack up in Australia. And while we never say never, it doesn’t look like that model will arrive here any time soon. Instead, Toyota has expressed plans to sell the all-electric bZ4X cross-over which is RAV 4-sized here, following its Japanese launch which is slated for mid next year. That means the bZ4X could be in local showrooms by the end of next year, but it will only be as a purely electric vehicle and not a plug-in hybrid (or a hybrid of any sort).

But it would be worth taking a RAV 4 Hybrid for a test drive as this car is selling up a storm and for good reason. It’s a terrific vehicle and seems right on point as far as its target market goes. The fact that it’s only moderately more expensive than a conventionally powered RAV 4 is just icing on the cake.

The stop-start function on modern cars works according to a variety of protocols. Fundamentally, if the car’s battery can cope with not having the engine running, then it will trigger the fuel-saving measure when the car is stationary. But, if the battery is low (you’ve recently been running in electric-only mode, for instance) or you have the car’s lights or air-conditioning switched on and the stereo blaring, then the car may decide that it needs to keep the engine running to keep those systems running. If that’s the case, the stop-start function will be over-ruled.

Of all the technology you’re considering right now, the only one that sounds any real alarm bells is that of the double-clutch transmission. It’s not that Kia’s version of the DCT is worse than many others – nor is it the worst of the lot – but there have been complaints over the operation and lifespan of these units generally. Sometimes the fault is a software glitch, but in other DCTs – particularly the dry-clutch variety – the problems are mechanical and can lead to catastrophic failures.

With that said, it’s also true that Kia in Australia offers a fantastic factory warranty, so you should have no worries for at least the first seven years. It’s also the case that Kia Australia takes its reputation very seriously and is one of the better companies when it comes to sorting out faults and problems with its products. We’re pretty big fans here at Carsguide of the current Toyota hybrid technology, and it’s looking like the new Kluger Hybrid will be just as popular as Toyota’s other hybrid offerings. Perhaps more so as the non-hybrid Kluger can be thirsty.

As for the requirement for premium ULP, when you consider that the Kluger Hybrid will, around the city and suburbs where most of them will spend the vast majority of their lives, use about two thirds of the fuel of the V6 Kluger (maybe even a bit less than that) then the extra cost per litre is more than compensated for by the reduced cost per kilometre. And in case you were worried about Toyota’s hybrid tech, the new Kluger Hybrid comes with up to 10 years of warranty on the battery-pack provided the vehicle is serviced correctly and inspected once a year.

The other thing you might consider is the next-size-down Toyota hybrid, the RAV4. This is quite a spacious vehicle these days and offers excellent fuel efficiency and driveability. It’s cheaper than the Kluger, too. Definitely worth a look. Overall, the broader view is that a petrol hybrid vehicle is more future-proof than a conventional turbo-diesel.

Not really sure what you consider a normal sedan's length to be, but I'll presume you have a relatively short parking space to deal with. Also, your minimum height requirement suggests you're sick of climbing up out of cars and want something with a higher seat to make entering and leaving the car easier. With that in mind, something like the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid springs to mind. It's high enough at 1685mm (with decent seat height) and at 4600mm long, it's quite a bit shorter than the Toyota Camry sedan (4885mm long).

But, really, there are plenty of choices out there with just about every mainstream manufacturer offering an SUV of similar size, and many of them in a hybrid format. Which is great, because the big catch with the RAV4 is that it's so popular, there are long waiting lists. What you really need to do is invest a little shoe leather and visit some dealerships where you can try the candidates on for size. Or check out this website for the latest mid-sized SUV comparison tests.

This could be a fault with the engine and/or transmission but it could just as easily be a fault with a sensor or even a poor earth or other electrical connection somewhere in the vehicle. Scanning the vehicle should show up any faults the on-board computer has logged.

The fix? That’s easy: Your car is still covered by the factory warranty, so Toyota is obliged to make things right. Take it back to the dealer as it’s Toyota’s problem, not yours.

These add-ons have traditionally been a huge cash-cow for new-car dealers who will urge you into buying paint protection, interior treatments, window tint and more at huge mark-ups in their favour. It's your choice, obviously, but here's the reality: If a car maker can't sell you a car, in 2022, that has a painted exterior finish that will survive in the world, it doesn't deserve to sell you, or anybody else, that car. Fundamentally, any brand-new car should be as durable as possible, fresh from the factory. And if these add-on treatments are so good, why don't car-makers use them at the factory?

Again, it's your money, so your choice, but not buying them won't affect your warranty if something does go wrong with the paint and you need to make a claim.

While it’s much less common to see a leaking rear main seal these days, it’s certainly not unheard of and definitely not an impossibility. While ever cars have seals and gaskets, they can fail, even if it’s not a common occurrence.

The rear main oil seal is the one located at the rear of the engine and is designed to allow the crankshaft to spin inside the engine without leaking oil through the rear main bearing to the outside world. When this seal wears or becomes hard with age and heat cycles, oil can get past it and that’s when you’ll start to find oily patches on the driveway under the car.

This seal is sandwiched between the engine and gearbox, so it’s quite a bit of work to separate those two components to gain access to the seal and replace it. It can easily be one of those $5 parts that costs $1500 to replace.

But before you commit to this, you need to make absolutely sure the rear main seal is the culprit. The best way to do that is to thoroughly clean the engine to remove any oil and then take it for a drive where it gets fully up to temperature. From there, you should be able to see where the oil is coming from and whether that place is the rear main seal. It might take a couple of journeys before the oil leak starts to show up again.

Don’t be surprised if the leak actually turns out to be from some external plumbing or even a seal or gasket at the back of the engine near the top, where the oil is escaping, running down the back of the engine and appearing to come from the rear main seal. Oil leaks can be tricky little devils, so take the time to diagnose the source carefully or you may find you’re replacing a seal that is perfectly fine. At which point you’ll have spent your money and still have an oil leak.

The default purchase for somebody looking for a mid-sized hybrid SUV is the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid. But if that’s too big, there’s the Toyota Yaris Cross Hybrid, C-HR Hybrid and even the Corolla Cross Hybrid which sounds like the marketplace is getting crowded but is really just a reflection of the appetite right now for cars like these. And that’s the catch; the waiting times for a brand-new example of some of these cars is out to many months and even years. So your plan to shop second-hand makes plenty of sense, but don’t expect any bargains in a market currently being dominated by lots of demand and less supply.

Beyond the Toyota brand (which has been doing hybrids longer than just about anybody else) there’s also the Mazda CX-30, Subaru XV Hybrid, Haval Jolion Hybrid, Kia Niro, Subaru Forester Hybrid, Nissan Qashqai e-Power, MG HS, Honda HR-V e and more. For something a bit bigger, try the Kia Sorento or Hyundai Santa Fe hybrids. There are others out there, too, that are probably bigger or more expensive than you need, but it's very much a growing scene in the Australian marketplace.

If you liked the RAV4, then a newer, more modern RAV 4 should be on your shopping list. Your budget gets you into a RAV 4 from, say 2012 or 2013, and these were, in fact, available in two-wheel-drive (since you no longer need all-wheel-drive).

The march of technology means that the RAV 4 used less fuel with every generation, so it’s worth comparing your car’s fuel economy with the later version. While early versions of the RAV 4 (like the own you once owned) would have trouble beating 10 litres per 100km, the more modern RAV 4 from 2013 will easily consume less than eight litres per 100km over the same distance. If you drive carefully, that difference could be even greater. Don’t confuse the continuation of a badge with the stagnation of technology.

These are quite different vehicles in terms of their physical size. While older generations of the RAV4 were known as compact SUVs, the current model is resolutely mid-sized. None of which is to say that the Yaris is cramped but it is a size-division smaller, so if you often carry people in the back seat or your family is growing, the RAV4 might be a bit more future-proof.

However, in driveline terms, the Yaris is the one that is truly future-proof thanks to its hybrid driveline. If most of your driving is around the city and suburbs, you might be surprised at just how efficient a modern hybrid can be. On the highway, there's less to be gained form the hybrid layout, so take that into account, too.

The other thing to consider is what happens a few years down the track at trade-in time. The RAV4 is question is already one generation older than the Yaris, and the hybrid Yaris is almost certain to be worth more as a second-hand proposition five years from now. Which means the latter will probably be the cheapest to own over that time in a wholistic sense.