2004 Toyota RAV4

ON JUNE 1, 2009 I WAS DRIVING MY 2004 TOYOTA RAV4 WITH 121K MILES WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE WENT HOT, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT & VSC TRAC LIGHT CAME ON. DISCOVERED COOLANT LEVEL WAS LOW. TOOK TO DEALER NEXT MORNING WHO QUOTED ME A "HEAD GASKET" REPAIR FOR $1500 OUT OF POCKET BECAUSE WARRANTY EXPIRED. AFTER A MONTH OF NOT DRIVING IT (TO COME UP WITH FUNDS FOR REPAIR), I RETURNED TO DEALER ON JULY 1, 2009. DEALER ADVISED AFTER TAKING IT APART THAT THE HEAD GASKET WAS LEAKING AND THE BOLTS WERE "STRIPPED" AND I ALSO NEEDED A NEW ENGINE BLOCK WHICH WOULD RUN ABOUT $6,000+. I HAD NEVER HAD ANY OTHER PROBLEMS WITH MY VEHICLE UNTIL THIS INCIDENT & COMPLETED GENERAL MAINTENANCE REGULARLY. DEALER CALLED TOYOTA WARRANTY WHO AGREED TO PAY FOR ENGINE BLOCK (PARTS & LABOR FOR EVERYTHING BELOW THE HEAD) BUT THAT I STILL HAD TO PAY THE ORIGINAL QUOTE OF $1500 FOR THE HEAD GASKET, WATER PUMP & S BELT. I HAVE FOUND SEVERAL COMPLAINTS WITH SAME EXACT PROBLEM, OBVIOUSLY SINCE TOYOTA AGREED TO PAY FOR PART OF THIS THEY KNOW SOMETHING IS DEFECTIVE BUT WILL NOT MAKE A RECALL. I FEEL THEY OWE ME THE HEAD GASKET REPAIR AS WELL SINCE IT IS ALL PART OF THE SAME PROBLEM AND WILL FILE A PRODUCT COMPLAINT WITH TOYOTA. *TR

CAR WAS SERVICED MAY 28, 2009, THEN DRIVEN ACROSS COUNTRY, FROM NEW YORK STATE. ABOUT TWO HOURS OUTSIDE OF AUSTIN, TEXAS, THE CAR BEGAN TO OVERHEAT, WAS FOUND TO BE COMPLETELY EMPTY OF COOLANT. CAR BROUGHT TO TOYOTA DEALERSHIP WHERE NO RADIATOR OR OTHER COOLING SYSTEM LEAKS WERE DETECTED, BUT THE HEAD GASKET WAS BLOWN. WHEN THEY TORE DOWN THE ENGINE TO REPLACE THE HEAD GASKET, THEY STATED THAT "THE BOLTS ARE STRIPPED" AND NOW THE ENGINE HAD TO BE REPLACED -- AT A COST OF $7000 +. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT HE HAD SEEN OTHER TOYOTAS WITH THIS PROBLEM AND THERE MIGHT BE A TSB OUT ON IT -- BUT IT WAS PAST WARRANTY AND SO WERE "STUCK". NO ONE CAN EXPLAIN WHY THE BOLTS WOULD HAVE SPONTANEOUSLY "STRIPPED". THE CAR HAS BEEN SITTING AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR THREE WEEKS WHILE WE TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO WITH IT. THE HEAD MECHANIC SAYS IT ISN'T WORTH ANYTHING BUT HE'LL TAKE IT OFF OUR HANDS FOR THE COST OF THE PARTIAL REPAIR BILL ($600). WE'RE NOT GETTING THE STRAIGHT STORY, TOYOTA REFUSES TO COVER THE REPAIR, BUT THERE ARE POSTINGS ALL OVER THE INTERNET WITH VERY SIMILAR STORIES, INCLUDING THAT TOYOTA HAS SELECTIVELY "PARTICIPATED" IN THE REPAIRS. THERE IS NO TSB FOR THIS CAR APPARENTLY -- BUT THERE ARE FOR CARS WITH THE SAME ENGINE. *TR

HEAD GASKET ON THE 2004 TOYOTA RAV4. I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE INCLUDING CHANGING FRONT BRAKE PADS, AN ALIGNMENT AND OIL CHANGE. WITHIN A WEEK OF THIS VISIT MY HEAT WOULDN'T WORK, TOOK IT BACK, WAS RECHECKED AND ADVISED THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG. WITHIN A WEEK AFTER THIS VISIT IT STARTED TO SMOKE, TOOK IT BACK AND WAS ADVISED THAT I HAD A LEAK, NEEDED A NEW WATERPUMP. TOOK IT FOR A SECOND OPINION AND DECIDED TO TAKE IT BACK TO MY DEALERSHIP. THEY BROKE DOWN THE ENGINE AND ESSENTIALLY ADVISED ME THAT THE THREADS ON MY HEAD GASKET FELL AND APART IN THE ENGINE BLOCK AND WAS ADVISED TO CALL TOYOTA TO SEE THEY WOULD HELP WITH THE COST. I'VE HEARD THIS IS A RECURRING PROBLEM WITH THE HEAD GASKETS USED IN SOME TOYOTA MODELS. I BOUGHT MY CAR BRAND NEW AND ONLY HAD 86,000 MILES ON IT BEFORE IT WAS DECLARED A TOTAL LOSS UNLESS I WANTED TO PAY $6,000 TO HAVE IT REPAIRED. THERE WAS A RECALL I FOUND ONLINE DESCRIBING THE SAME PROBLEM BUT IT WAS FOR AN OLDER VERSION OF THIS CAR. I BELIEVE THAT THEY ARE PRODUCING THE SAME DEFECTIVE HEAD GASKETS AND LEAVING THEIR CUSTOMERS TO ABSORB THE COST. THIS IS TRULY UNFAIR AND IN OUR CURRENT ECONOMY, I AM FORCED TO BUY A CAR FOR SOMETHING THAT COULD BEEN PREVENTED IF THEY WERE MAKING QUALITY AND RELIABLE HEAD GASKETS FOR ALL THEIR CARS. *TR

HAVE APPROXIMATELY 15900 MILES ON MY 2004 RAV4. ENGINE RUNNING QUIETLY UNTIL ONE DAY I WAKE UP AND THERE IS A RATTLING SOUND COMING FROM THE ENGINE. IT IS ESPECIALLY LOUD COMING FROM THE DASH ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. THE SOUND IS ALSO BAD WHEN I ACCELERATE BUT ALSO LOUD IDLING. TOYOTA SAYS IT IS NORMAL EVEN THOUGH EVERY OTHER NEW CAR I HAVE OWNED NEVER SOUNDED LIKE THAT EVEN AFTER 100K ON THE ENGINE . *JB

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND VEHICLE STABILITY CONTROL LIGHT CAME ON. STRONG SMELL OF SULPHUR FUMES FILLED THE CABIN SINCE FAILURE OF THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND CHARCOAL CANISTER. IT WAS DETERMINED AT THE DEALERSHIP THAT THE CHARCOAL CANISTER FAILED AND THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. SO FAR HAS NOT BEEN REPLACED DUE TO PARTS OUT OF STOCK AND IS SCHEDULED TO BE REPAIRED ON SEPT. 24, 2004 UNDER WARRANTY. THIS HAPPENED TO A BRAND NEW TOYOTA RAV 4 AT 2300 MILES.*AK

WHEN I ACCELERATE, THERE IS A WHISTLING/RATTLING NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE OR FRONT OF THE CAR. THE DEALERSHIP CLAIMS THAT THIS IS A NORMAL NOISE ASSOCIATED WITH THE INTAKE, BUT NO NEW CAR SHOULD RATTLE/WHISTLE THIS LOUDLY!THE NOISE BECOMES MORE AUDILBLE AS THE ENGINE GETS WARMER OR THE TEMPERATURE (WEATHER) IS HOTTER. I WILL FILE THIS COMPLAINT UNDER "UNKNOWN" BECAUSE THIS IS MY VERY FIRST CAR AND I AM NOT FAMILIAR WITH CARS AND HOW THEY WORK. I AM SMART ENOUGH TO KNOW THAT THIS NOISE ISN'T NORMAL. *JB