I had a 2008 Rav4 base model with 137k miles and only had minor problems up until this point. In April of 2021 my engine seized on the highway. I think it was due to no oil in the engine. I didn't have any warning lights come on (i.e. engine, low oil, etc.), and the engine temp was fine. The engine knocked briefly and then seized before I could safely get to a place to stop. About a year ago the maintenance guy told me my engine was burning through oil, even though I had always has the oil replaced as instructed. It didn't make sense to me at the time but looking back this was was my first and only warning sign.

I wasn't told I needed to fix/replace anything- only to keep an eye on it. I noticed the oil seemed to turn dark quicker than I'd expect after getting an oil change. I thought my Toyota would have lasted 2x as many miles so this was extremely disappointing. I was only at 137,000 miles and had no major repairs besides some exhaust issues, due to it rusting out. I had to replace the exhaust system twice because the replacement/welded exhaust systems have a limited life. I would have had to replace the exhaust about every 5 years, which is ridiculous because this never should have happened in the first place. As a strong supporter of Toyota for years, I was not happy at all and Toyota lost a loyal customer. I'm now buying a 2022 Kia Telluride!

My Rav 4 engine shut down/locked up/died because there was NO oil in the engine. The oil had been change less that 4 weeks before and no warning light indicated a problem. I have contacted toyota and they told me about a service campaign "excessive oil consumption" but the campaign expired at 150,000 miles. I was NEVER notified of this problem. I was told by the dealership where I got my oil changed each time that I may have an oil leak. I was never told that there was a campaign out for my car on using oil excessively. So basically I have a car that doesn't work and Toyota says its not their problem. I have read so much regarding this issue and I feel like it is a Toyota problem.

I bought this vehicle at the local Toyota Dealership as a certified used at about 63,000 km. Kept up with the maintenance. It was shocking. All the lights went on and there was steam in a matter of seconds. No warnings that the head gasket was going during last service. The response from local Toyota dealership was to tell me how surprised they were that this happened. I phoned Head Office and Toyota Canada representative said: "We don't know how it was driven prior to your purchase so there is nothing we can do as it is past the power train warranty." I replaced the engine because I needed a vehicle to drive and I wasn't prepared to buy another Toyota when they offered to give me $4000 for the engine -less vehicle if I purchased another Toyota. Shame on Toyota. I think they got too big to care.