I own a TOYOTA RAV4 2.2 D4D 136HP purchased in December 2006. Why did I buy this car? Because all the information I read about it was positive and good. No need to take it to the maintenance shop, with good care it could be eternal (400-500 thousand km), and adapted to my personal economy and budget (30,000 Euros). Nowadays cars are still sold by word of mouth rather than believing what manufacturers say in their propaganda.

• Two years approx. after I bought the car, I had to go to change the address bar because of clearance and because it was making a weird noise. That change was done under the guarantee and they told me it was a very common one. • One or two years later I was notified to go to change the mats because I could have a problem sliding and cause an accident. There was no need of it, since I noticed it myself before and changed them already. • Another year or two later they call me to review the windows for a possible serious breakdown in performance, security review. It was covered by the guarantee. • 15 days ago and 127,000 km the car starts losing antifreeze in the expansion tank due to defective gaskets. I have to change the complete engine for a rebuilt or exchange one (3,118 Euros). Changing the entire engine is the official Toyota recommendation so I did some research about it and seems like I can’t change only the defective gaskets because it’s not guaranteed. I tried to consult Toyota Spain, and they just answer it’s “an old car” and that’s why they don’t want to know anything about it. • Now, as you can read in the press, they are calling to see airbags, electronics, and other imperfections, not for my model. Therefore, my main concern is: For how long?, how long a brand with a name and prestige like Toyota will continue to sell poor models without properly testing them before? Are they just going to destroy and sink their Brand that easy?

You might wonder how I treat the car. I've been chief maintenance engineer in public work companies with machinery using engines up to 1,500 kW. I also change the engine oil every 7,500 miles instead of every 15,000 as the manufacturer says and using the oil specified by Toyota in the first review (the oil is the engine’s life and using a good oil should ensure an eternal engine duration if this one has been well produced). My previous car, an Opel Omega gasoline, I sold it with 280,000 km and no oil consumed, taking care of it and checking it is how I detected the problem before the engine burst as it might have happened to many other vehicles.

If after reading this you still want to go and buy a Toyota, you’re free to do with your money what you want. Me and the advice of a good friend is that I've made up my mind that my car has cost me 3,118 Euros more than it was supposed to (10%), and of course, I won’t recommend buying this car to anyone, now copying Sinatra: "I did what I had to do"

All I'm saying is totally true and I can document it properly. I don’t think I am offending anyone by describing politely what has happened to me. Given that I am not the only one with these problems (just need to take a look at the forums on the RAV4) I hope this email / message / post, that I am posting in networks all around the globe and in different languages, will not be removed.