If you are wanting a Toyota Rav4 3rd Gen 2006-2012 watch this first

The 3rd Gen Toyota Rav4 is reliable, do not get me wrong. But just like ALL CARS, the Rav4 from 2006-2012 has issues that are particular to the model and know these issues will help you out when you are searching for your new to you car or if you have an issue, perhaps this guide will lead you to the right direction.

Parts ( double check if they fit)

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[TheMrNORCAL]

245, 000 miles and multiple times across the country thru crazy terrain and storms with regular maintenance my 2006 RAV is still kickin' with absolutely no issues whatsoever. I can thank the 'road gods' and the engineers at Toyota for this great rig.

[terracestevenkennedy]

These are some of the best suv ever built they are running stronger then all the newers ones along with the old school highlanders and old Honda CR-V s

[yanglue]

Basically, no issues at all unless buying very high mileage that has never been taken care of and aggressive driving.

[dpdicki]

My girlfriend has a 2008 Rav4 with the 4 cylinder 2AZ-FE motor. There was a factory recall at the time for burning oil but the repair replaced the defective parts with the same defective parts. The machined holes in the piston in the oil control ring grove were drilled too small. Clogging up when oil change intervals were not at every 5, 000 miles and if standard oil was used or a different viscosity was used. The holes would clog allowing oil into the combustion chamber and starve oil to the wrist pin. I replaced the piston, rings, connecting rods and wrist pins with aftermarket performance parts and I soaked the catalytic converters in drain industrial cleaner to remove the harsh deposits without harming the catalytic substrate. Rear adjustable tie rods also have the same awful repair. Toyota dealership replaced the failed part with the same faulty part but epoxied a sleeve so the rear toe can't be adjusted. Moog or any other credible suspension part manufacturer have better parts with properly machined rods, sleeves, jamb nuts and grease fittings for long life adjustability. Hope this helps anyone who's Rav is still burning oil. For the 2AZ-FE engine only!

[BARBELLS-AND-BUDS]

I've seen so many videos talking about third generation Toyota issues and when they talk about specific issues they don't mention whether it's in the four or the six-cylinder variant.
I was very concerned about the oil burning issue mentioned and you were the only video out of about 10 that I watched that mentioned that it was in the 4-cylinder.
Thank you very much for being specific and not just giving a regurgitation of everyone else's video!

[tmo]

Wow. Lots of the issues you pointed out are issues in many other vehicles. Timing belt looked brand new on 99 Miata, but front timing gear seal had sludge when we took a look. Also, the suspension links were needed because they were rusted and bolts were stripped while trying to remove old coilovers to put in some new ones.

[stevenlimbach]

Have a 2009 with the v6. Very few repair issues ! I have 258, 000 and it runs great ! Most bullet proof car I've owned !

[riazhassan]

Well, nice of him to tell us. I have a tireless 2004 RAV4. So far, none of these issues have emerged

[lukevlaar]

2012 V6 rav here- the ONLY repairs that I have had to do in miles are the O2 sensor, front sway bar link, front speed sensor, and ignition coils. Other than that it has only been maintenance.

[xuewei]

By how short this video is, I decide to purchase.

[bounce]

I just picked up a 2012 with 180, 000 kms on her 6cylinder engine for $800. She won’t come out of 4x4 lock and front wipers won’t engage but the back one do. Love the rav4 and I hope to get 2 or 3 years out of her!!

[KyledcflipCa]

I have the 2011 rav4 3.5 v6 going strong 185k only had an O2 sensor go so far

[deddle]

This kind of 2nd hand car buyers guide is excellent material! I know quite a bit the Rav4 and you are straight to the point with the main issues.

I'll check out your channel to see if I can find myself the most reliable 4x4 with 3-5 years

[_DeathBySpeed_]

My grandma bought a 2011 4 cyl, 4wd, under my recommendation. She has put roughly 150k miles on it and we've only done basic maintenance. Car currently has 297k miles. Shifts amazing, runs great. We're just now at a point where we need to look into the timing components (something in there is noisy) We do have oil consumption issues and cat issues. But at this mileage, it's expected. Would highly recommend one of these if you can get one with sub 200k.

[RellyGM]

Have a 2011 rav4 202k miles and definitely burns oil. I just make a habit to check my oil every few days and top it off low. Has been this way since 100k or as long as I can remember. Other than that it’s amazing. Would take another one of these today.

[ovalhead]

206, 000 2009 V6, the only non regular maintenance has been an axle, coil pack, and wheel bearing

[JRust]

I've got two significant issues that weren't mentioned. My RAV4 is a 2012 4WD V6 model and issues that have come about include a water pump failure and E-Brake cable issues.

Luckily for me it was apparent when the water pump was going out. You can hear a sound of rattling marbles or kind of like a gurgling sound. It sounded different from normal idle. Apparently it's a common issue and it's not an easy job to replace. Cost me about a grand at a shop.

The E-Brake issue I have yet to get fixed. Apparently the parts are back ordered from Toyota. This issue came about after driving home in a blizzard with a lot of snow fall. I had applied the E-Brake upon getting home and I left it out in the driveway overnight. Next morning, the E-Brake was stuck on and it wound up breaking free after a quarter mile of driving. Unfortunately this caused issues where the vehicle has bad vibration at high speeds. The E-Brake is also non-functioning.

I've been neglecting to investigate it myself due to the fact that the rear brakes are a hybrid style- disc main brakes and drum emergency brakes. My dad's JK is the same way and they're just a real pain in the ass to work on.

If anyone has any insight on this issue and knows a good solution, please let me know. I'm not a huge fan of driving around without a working E-Brake.

[markbtw]

I had a 2011 Rav4, bought it at 120k miles, started burning oil like 10k after that. Drove it to 240k miles, by the end it was burning like 9 quarts every 5, 000 miles. I would just have a 5qt jug, and when I had to hit the brakes hard for whatever reason, the low oil like would flicker on on my dashboard. There were times I would test if I needed to put some in by slamming the brakes a little bit lol. And by the time the light comes on when braking, definitely way too low. I probably made it worse by not keeping it up all the time. But... 80k miles burning oil, engine was PERFECT. Never had a single issue with it. The transmission failed, otherwise who knows how long I could've gotten out of the motor before it fully went.

[matthewhall]

You didn't mention the Viscous coupling bearing problems or the VVTI gear problems that are also common to this generation Rav4.

[NunamedDragon]

Alignment for a swaybar link replacement, what are you smoking?