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7.6

pretty bad
Typical Repair Cost:
$35,650
Average Mileage:
105,750 miles
Total Complaints:
114 complaints

Most Common Solutions:

  1. not sure (71 reports)
  2. replace pistons and seals (21 reports)
  3. see t-sb -0094-11 google it (13 reports)
  4. new pistons, rings, and bearings (6 reports)
  5. replace engine (3 reports)
2008 Toyota RAV4 engine problems

engine problem

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2008 Toyota RAV4 Owner Comments (Page 3 of 6)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #74

Jun 012013

RAV4 Limited 2.4L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 95,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I have been following up with a local dealer and Toyota for a few years now. We had an oil consumption test done and ever since they have been telling me that they will fix it once spares arrive. Now their story has changed, both at the dealer end as well as Toyota, they say they have no record of oil consumption test failing! What was 1 quart every 500 miles is now a whole gallon every 500-600 miles at 183K miles.. We were always a Toyota family. Would never buy a Toyota if this problem not suitably addressed.

- Ash R., Bridgewater, NJ, US

problem #73

Jan 012016

RAV4 Limited 2.4L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 120,000 miles

I own Toyota Rav 4 2008 Limited for 9 years. I am tired of changing oils for the car for last 2 years. I got a letter from Toyota stating that they will fix the excessive oil consumption issues under extended warranty maintenance. But when I contacted the dealership, they are saying there is rust on the car and they will fix it only if I pay the cost that might be ranging from500 dollars to more than 1000 dollars. I have contacted Toyota executive office to discuss the matter but sorry to inform you all that I got a very harsh treatment from the executive rep. She was not even ready to reply my emails and informed me that she will only talk to me through phone, not thru email. After a serious discussion over the phone, she finally replied to my emails but said they won't do anything to fix my issues. I feel terrible now. I am changing my car oil every 1000 miles and Toyota is not ready to do anything to fix my issues. I am scared that my car will stop running soon. I even copied my mail to the president and never got a reply from him also regarding the harsh treatment from the rep.

- M J., Missouri City, US

problem #72

Mar 242017

RAV4

  • Automatic transmission
  • 123,500 miles

We had to add 3 quarts of oil at 3500 miles after the 120,000 mile service. (This brought the total to 5 Quarts of oil added since the last service)

- John P., Raleigh, US

problem #71

Feb 222017

RAV4

  • Automatic transmission
  • 122,500 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The RAV4 has been had excessive oil usage since we first bought it new in in 2008. It was tested by the Toyota dealer for excessive oil usage and they said that it was normal consumption. We have the car serviced every 5000 miles. It is now in an extreme usage situation and we started recording actual usage. On February 22nd we added 2 quarts of oil at 2500 miles after the 120,000 miles service. I plan to enter 2 more reports.

- John P., Raleigh, US

problem #70

May 122017

RAV4

  • Automatic transmission
  • 125,000 miles

The car is ready to go in for service but we can't get and immediate appointment. While we wait we needed to add 2 quarts of oil in order to prevent any damage. This brings the total usage to 7 quarts of oil added since the last engine service. We reported oil usage problems to Toyota from the beginning and when it was only 2 to 3 quarts between service appointments Toyota claimed that it was normal usage. We also have a 2010 Toyota Tacoma and it never needs additional oil between service appointments. We will not buy another Toyota due to this experience.

- John P., Raleigh, US

problem #69

Feb 012016

RAV4 2.4L V4

  • Automatic transmission
  • 153,000 miles

I have a 2008 Toyota RAV4 sport that is burning 2 quarts of oil every thousand miles. I took it in for the oil consumption test in February 2016. It past but barely passed. I was told by the dealer that I could only do one test every year. That is all Toyota will cover. So now today at the end of April 2017 I took it back in again since using a lot of oil and now having performance issues (slow acceleration almost causing accidents). Told it definitely fails and they've never seen an engine use this much oil. It is now over 150,000 miles in and October 2016 Toyota change their policy of unlimited miles and unlimited age to either 10 years from first date of service or hundred thousand miles. They said notices were sent out but they did admit that our notice probably went to the previous owner. We bought this is a certified used in 2011. So after admitting that they did not notify us of the change and having them wait to do another test until after the free repairs were authorized they definitely took advantage of this disabled veteran. Totally unwilling to help correct their own engine issue.

- Daniel H., Ontario, NY, US

problem #68

May 052008

RAV4 Sport 2.0L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 90,099 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

IT'S BEEN ANNOYING. AFTER SIX MONTHS OF BUYING IT, AT FIRST THE WARNING THAT IT NEEDS OIL SIGN CAME ON. THEN STAYS ON.

WHILE IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY, THEY FIXED IT BY REPLACING THE ENGINE GASKET BUT STILL THE OIL CONSUMPTION DOESN'T CHANGE, IT IS STILL BURNING OIL AND I KEEP ON ADDING MORE, AND KEEP ON COMPLAINING.

I WAS HAPPY IT WAS RECALLED AND FIXED IT, YES, FIXED IT AT LAST, AFTER SO MANY YEARS. THEY SAID THEY WILL CHANGE THE PISTON RING BUT SAD TO SAY STILL THE PROBLEM PERSISTS. TWO WEEKS AFTER THEY FIXED IT, AGAIN I'M BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND COMPLAINING THE OIL IS HALF WAY THRU THE STICK, THEY ADDED OIL SAYING IT WAS JUST NEWLY OVERHAULED SO THE OIL SUNK IN, SO I KEEP ON CHECKING. ONE MONTH BEFORE THE SUPPOSED OIL CHANGE, THE OIL LEVEL IS TOO LOW AGAIN. THEY ADDED ANOTHER LITER AND SCHEDULED ME FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND AT THE SAME TIME, THEY SAY THEY WILL CHECK ON IT. WHAT IS THE PROBLEM. TODAY IS SUNDAY, TOMORROW MAY 8, 2017 WILL BE THE SCHEDULED DATE AND I WILL SEE WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT.

- edmarcorrea, Winnipeg, MB, Canada

problem #67

May 032015

RAV4

  • Automatic transmission
  • 85,000 miles

rav4 loses oil every 1200 miles. have ran the oil very low before the car stopped.

- callinan, Middle River, US

problem #66

Feb 012017

RAV4

  • Automatic transmission
  • 136,000 miles

Toyota 2008 RAV4 burning 1 quart of oil every 1,200 miles. Toyota issued an extended warranty to cover it but they must have a dealer fill the oil and put seals on everything including the dip stick and have me return in around 1,200 miles. The dealer examined it and said it did not qualify but would not tell me how much oil it used and they filled it before I saw it myself. I didn't see how much they filled it up to and couldn't check it due to the tamper tags and didn't see it when they checked it. In my test I found it used a quart in 1,219 miles. I would call that excessive and should be covered. It is a known defect.

- Gary C., Horn Lake, US

problem #65

Jun 112016

RAV4 4WD 4 cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 102,510 miles

Toyota told we might have this problem. This was a few years back. I never acted on extending our warranty as Toyota offered because we did not experience the problem until last summer. Being an optimist, I thought our RAV4 had dodged the problem. Had I known it might be piston and ring design as suggested by the website that sent me to file a complaint here, I would have opted for the warranty extension. Although I entered a date and mileage estimating when it began.

Since then I've seen the oil light a twice when doing harder right (?) turns presumably when the oil pump starts pumping air. Both times it took 2 quarts to bring it up to full. The oil light came on the first sometime last summer. At the next oil change I had them use a 50/50 blend of synthetic and, instead of the recommended 5W20, 10W30 oil. I figured higher viscosity might help it burn less. A month or two after the oil change I checked the oil. It only needed 1 quart. Then last night I got the oil light a second time.

I will start watching distance traveled per quart of oil. At this point I do not have specific data.

- Dave G., Fort Wayne, IN, US

problem #64

Jan 012016

RAV4 4 cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 200,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Took to dealer at 149,000 would not fix. oil usage

- Tom C., Pueblo, CO, US

problem #63

Mar 212017

RAV4 Sport 2.4L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 155,000 miles

"Check the gas and fill it up with oil." This is ridiculous... On top of excess expense for oil ($25/ 5 quarts) every month, I now have to rent a car ($150) to go any long distance.

Consuming at least a quart every 1,000 miles. My oil light flickered and I've had to add three+ quarts in under 3,000 miles.

I've owned multiple Toyotas in my years of driving: Corona, Corolla, Celica, Matrix, and now RAV4 since 2008.

Next time I go to the dealer, I'll ask how much it is to replace rings, etc., to fix the "manufacturer's defect." Unless they use this information to blackball this vehicle.

Unless Toyota acknowledges or class action is created, I guess the only solution is to trade it in on a different car brand and avoid Toyota's blind eye now and in the future.

- Mark W., Temecula, US

problem #62

Jan 012014

RAV4 Limited 4 cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 60,000 miles

Our 2008 RAV-4 has some engine problem. It not only burns Oil - i have to check it daily if on a long trip, often adding 1/3 quart per day. Or, if just putting around town, i need to check it every week, to make sure it is not low. It has been making a rattling sound for a number of years now, but most recently it has become extremely noisy. It sounds like it has a valve problem. I think this issue is not very good for Toyota's reputation.

- Dave C., White Rock, BC, Canada

problem #61

Sep 142012

RAV4 Limited 2.4L 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 50,819 miles

I purchased this RAV4 new in 2007. I've always had it serviced at the Toyota dealer whenever it was due. At about 50,000 miles the engine started using oil at the rate of a quart of oil every 800 miles or so. I mentioned this to the Toyota service personnel several times and was always told that it was normal oil consumption for this engine. I recently discovered that this is a widespread problem, and apparently Toyota does not seem to want to take responsibility for the engine defect. Obviously, the service techs are instructed to tell the customer that this oil consumption is normal. Toyota should do the right thing and make good on this problem.

Update from Jun 29, 2017: I took my RAV4 to the Toyota dealer for an oil change and again mentioned the excessive oil consumption. They said they would do an oil consumption test. After changing the oil and filter, they sealed the dipstick, oil fill cap, and drain plug, and told me to drive the vehicle 1100 to 1300 miles and bring it back to have it checked. After driving 1300 miles, I returned to the dealer for the oil consumption check. I was told my RAV4 failed the test. They provided me with a free rental (2017 Camry), and are rebuilding the engine at no cost to me. My faith in Toyota has been restored as they are standing behind this vehicle issue and making it right.

- Joseph P., Yardley, US

problem #60

Aug 302014

RAV4 Sport 2.4L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 108,740 miles

Noticed the oil light on, before my 5000km mark was up. Shortly after, Toyota released a recall identifying higher than normal oil consumption on 2008 Rav4. Took the "Oil Consumption Test" numerous times, finally resulting in an affirmative high oil consumption. Was told that I will be contacted by Toyota to remedy the issue... they have never called or contacted me—that was a year ago. I called last January, and they told me that they have not determined the proper fix for this problem. Meanwhile, my vehicle eats over 2L of oil every 2000km. I will never by another Toyota again. Recall after recall. This thing is a piece of junk.

- Sean G., Sudbury, ON, Canada

problem #59

Jul 062015

RAV4 4 cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 120,725 miles

Toyota diagnosed the problem previous to July of 2015.They said in writing that the necessary parts were on

order. Not being satisfied with broken promises and outright lies I contacted the corporate offices and got more helpings of the same old, same old. The internet provided names of attorneys pursuing class action suits that were no longer participating or just did not respond. I would like to join a class action suit. the dealerships involved were/are Ashland Toyota in Ashland WI and Cumberland Toyota in Cookville TN. We moved to TN in October of

2015 which is why the dealership change. The situation has deteriorated to the point where I must add oil every 500

miles.

I can't, in good conscience, sell the vehicle and am at a loss as to how to proceed. I have written info from the original dealer attesting to the diagnosis.

- Frank S., Jamestown, US

problem #58

Sep 052016

RAV4 3.2L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 90,095 miles

Toyota needs to address this excessive oil consumption problem. Unfortunately, my vehicle was out of the warranty period when this problem started. If they do not fix this problem, I WILL NEVER buy another Toyota. We need a class action suit here!

- Marlene M., New Richmond, OH, US

problem #57

Feb 032017

RAV4 Limited 4 cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 106,400 miles

2008 RAV 4 106,000 miles and have excessive oil consumption. I would not trust this vehicle on a long trip of 500 miles.

- Julie T., St. Charles, MO, US

problem #56

Sep 012014

RAV4 Limited 2.4L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 119,417 miles

Oil consumption now at 1 qt. plus per 1000 miles. Toyota dealer tested and said it only used one qt. in 1180 miles so it passed. Hell the vehicle now has 119000 miles and it uses about one qt.every 800 miles.

- rquinn, Front Royal, VA, US

problem #55

Jan 022015

RAV4 4

  • Automatic transmission
  • 185,000 miles

I WAS ALWAYS TOLD THAT TOYOTA IS THE BEST, BUT HONESTLY I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY SEE THAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT IT. I DON'T HAVE THE KIND OF MONEY TO JUST THROW AWAY TO BUYING OIL AND BECAUSE THERE APPARENTLY ISN'T A RECALL TOYOTA ISN'T RESPONSIBLE. I HAVE READ ONLINE THAT IS HAS TO DO WITH THE PISTONS AND IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM. WISH I STILL HAD MY CHEVY EQUINOX. I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND A TOYOTA.

- Beverly S., Stafford Springs, CT, US

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