The RAV4 Can’t Keep Up With Toyota’s High-Rolling 250K+ Mile Models

I doubt that comes from inherent reliability issue. There was a medical courier on the RAV4 Club subreddit that went over 500k miles before he hit a deer and ended up trading it in after it was repaired.

Hi, I own a 2004 Toyota RAV4 I bought new with FWD and manual transmission. It has gone nearly 200k miles and has been incredibly reliable, with very few minor repairs needed. My main complaints are that (1) it has been burning oil since about 80K miles (my mechanic thought it may have been caused by a stuck PCV, although Ravs have been known for unreasonable oil consumption); and (2) it has a pretty noisy cabin. But reliability, fuel economy (thanks to the FWD and manual tranny), very few maintenance and repair needs, the very compact size that makes it easy to zip around the city in, and the back-saving seat height and forward seat tilt option are my accolades for this car. I am reluctant to give it up and plan to hang onto it until car manufacturers get back on the rails! I cannot believe how all the compact SUV bodies have been monsterized! I wouldn't buy one of those new huge, Rav4s if you paid for it, and why on earth are all of them AWD when most drivers never need it!! By the same token, why have they stripped the full spare tire from a vehicle theoretically designed to go where no tow trucks go!!! It's insane. (And I'm not sure Toyota shrank the 12-V battery in the new Rav hybrids the way they've done in the Corolla Cross hybrids, but the Cross hybrid is a completely unreliable vehicle! (I know! I drove 100 miles to/from a dealership appointment--TWICE--last winter to test drive a new Corolla Cross hybrid, and in both cases the battery was dead!). Anyhow, in my opinion, Toyota has ruined the RAV4. Why grow small cars when big ones already exist and then make a shitty small car replacement?!

I find this odd, or maybe I'm the odd one here.

My primary vehicle is a 19 RAV4 hybrid with 286k and counting miles. Im the second owner, purchasing it in August of 21 with 57k miles on it.

In three years I've put nearly 230k on the clock and I've not had a single hiccup with the power train. I change the oil every 10-15k miles, and I put in a new 12V (still had the factory after 4.5years) back in July of this year.
One set of spark plugs at 90k (so almost 200k miles there), and coolant changes at 225k. I put aftermarket brakes on at 90k, which on inspection at 225k had 10mm of pad on the rear and 9mm on the front.

Overall it's been an absolute wonder vehicle for me. Oh, and in the time I've had it, I've averaged over 37MPG (calculated from odometer readings at each fill, not the vehicle computer)

Vehicle model longevity comparisons are slightly deceptive or at the very least "nuanced". This is because longevity is almost as much a function of an owner's willingness to discard a vehicle as it is the vehicle's actual reliability. Notice that this top 10 list is composed of these mfr's most expensive models. Vehicles like Camry, Corolla, Accord, Prius that almost always appear atop most reliable lists are notably absent. Ppl don't hang on to their suburban or sequoia bc it's more reliable than RAV4. They hang on bc they are more likely to repair rather than replace that sequoia. It's much easier to replace a $30k RAV4 than a $70k sequoia. RAV4 has had some past model years with barely above average reliability, which also contributes. But recent RAVs have lived up to Toyota's sterling rep for reliability. Thus 4 Runner, sequoia, suburban, etc top RAV4 on this list due to replacement cost, not reliability.

2008 RAV4, V6, bought new. 340,000+ miles. Brake job. Poor weatherstripping so now somewhat noisy on the highway. Great little SUV. Trailer package. Used to pull a sailplane many miles.

I purchased a 2016 new RAV4 Limited in 2016. It now has 320,000 miles and still drives like the day I purchased it! I hope to get 1,000,000 miles on it! I love my RAV4!

I always wonder where this information comes from. I just saw a similar list where the figure was 200k miles and the Toyota Sequoia wasn't on that list. Do these list factor in model and engine changes? It's not likely that many of the current generation of RAV4 have made it that far. If the average driver is only driving 10 to 20k miles per year, it would take 13 to 25 years to get to 250k . Now you're using info on 20 year old cars and applying it to a car sold today.

And where is the Toyota Land Cruiser? Have you ever tried to buy a used one? Good luck finding one with under 200k miles.

This report provides a comprehensive overview of the 2024 Toyota RAV4, offering valuable insights into its performance, reliability, and sales trends. However, there are a few areas where the report could be improved for clarity and coherence. Here are some points to consider:

Strengths:

1. Comprehensive Data: The report presents a broad range of data, including longevity, sales figures, and reliability ratings, which is useful for making an informed decision about the RAV4.

2. Clear Comparisons: The comparison of the RAV4 to other Toyota models and compact SUVs is effective in highlighting both its strengths and weaknesses.

3. Sales Success: The report does a great job emphasizing the RAV4’s strong sales performance despite its lower rankings in longevity and reliability.

Areas for Improvement:

1. Contradictory Messaging: The report seems conflicted in its tone. It begins by emphasizing the RAV4's shortcomings in longevity and reliability but then shifts to praising its strong sales and continued popularity. Clarifying the central message would improve coherence. Is the report more focused on longevity issues, or is it emphasizing sales success despite those drawbacks?

2. Lack of Detail on Why RAV4 Falls Short: While the report mentions that the RAV4 has lower reliability and longevity, it does not go into detail about why. Including more specifics on why the RAV4 underperforms compared to other Toyotas (e.g., engine issues, transmission problems) would give the reader a better understanding of its shortcomings.

3. Repetitive Information: Some parts of the report are redundant. For example, the section on Toyota's reliability is mentioned multiple times with little variation. The report could be tightened by removing or rephrasing these repeated sections to avoid redundancy.

4. Reliability vs. Longevity Confusion: There is some ambiguity between the concepts of reliability and longevity. These two aspects are closely related but not the same. While the report mentions both, it could benefit from clearer distinctions between the two and why the RAV4 struggles in both areas.

5. RAV4 Hybrid Commentary: The report briefly mentions the RAV4 Hybrid's low reliability score but doesn't provide enough explanation. A deeper dive into what specifically makes the RAV4 Hybrid less reliable (e.g., battery life, hybrid system issues) would be helpful for readers interested in hybrid vehicles.

Recommendations for Improvement:

Clarify the central message: Decide if the focus is more on longevity/reliability concerns or if the report is meant to balance these against the RAV4’s sales success.

Expand on weaknesses: Explain more thoroughly why the RAV4 underperforms in longevity and reliability compared to other Toyota models.

Reduce repetition: Consolidate repetitive sections about Toyota’s reliability and sales performance.

Provide more insight into hybrid-specific issues: Address the specific challenges with the RAV4 Hybrid more comprehensively.

Overall, the report offers useful data but could benefit from clearer structure, less repetition, and more specific explanations of the RAV4’s lower performance in key areas.

Is there some obvious reason the RAV 4 is low? Where does it's sibling the Lexus NX fall on reliability?

I like RAV4 and have not had any problems. Previously owned Nissan and multitude of problems. Nissan dealers fail to honor warranty.

I have a 2003 Rav4 and it has almost 280000 miles on it. Runs excellent still but had to take it off the road 2 weeks ago as the frame rotted. The only way I found it was the rear left brake line broke.

Have a 2020 RAV4 with 43,000 miles on it. Have only had to change oil and replace brakes so fat. Love it and the great gas milage. Great vehicle and a pleasure to drive. My old car was a Cadillac CTS 2007 that ended up with 209000 miles on it and was still running well when I got rid of it. Found the CTS very expensive to maintain as it got older. RAV4 is a more affordable vehicle for sure.

We have owned our 2020 RAV4 Hybrid limited since July of 2020. We have had only one issue since owning and it is a potential issue corrosion of the high voltage cable - CABLE GATE!!! We drive about 10k a year and I'm sure we will have a problem with it but the big issue is we take great care of our car, always garaged washed regularly and all maintenance done on time. We live in Minnesota and they salt the streets and gives us great concern that we will have to pay out of pocket to replace the high voltage cable after the warranty period runs out! We love our car and would keep it if we thought we would be taken care of by Toyota. The car is too noisy on the freeway also - don't like that. Otherwise we are happy with the car.

2010 Rav4 sport sitting at 246k miles and still running strong.

We own 2 rav4s my wife has a 2013 rav4 awd le model with 244,000 km the only repair it has ever needed other thsn regular maintenance is the torque converter replaced and that didn't happen until 230,000km.
I have a 2023 rav4 prime se and so far no problems with 9,000km. Although it would be nice if it had about double the EV range while it is enough for my daily commute and errands 90 percent of the time the extra range would push it to all driving except road trips and would mean fewer charging cycles

I have RAV4 2020 model and I am very happy with its performance.Thank you.

We have Rav4 2017 hybrid model. With 110,000 miles. Payed for nothing but services and tires. Very good car.
Doug

Got rid of my base model 2012 Rav4 a few months ago because it was burning through a quart of oil every three weeks and a dealership mechanic advised that the gritty consistency of the transmission fluid indicated potential problems that could be manifested if I went through with flushing the fluid. Had about 130k miles on the odometer.

2008 RAV4 V6 Limited 233,000 with no significant problems.

2006 RAV4 Limited V6 with 3rd row seats, 238k miles and still going strong. Religiously dealer-maintained. Aside from tires and batteries, have also replaced the alternator (twice); no other repairs needed!
2021 RAV4 Prime XSE, 35k miles.
Previously sold 1999 RAV4 Limited in 2011 with 220k+ miles.

I have a 2012 Rav4 Limited V6 4WD, which I purchased with 0.7 miles on it. It now has over 241,500 miles on it. It has been a great and very dependable car. Aside from regular maintenance, I've really only had to rebuild the transmission at 160,000 miles. I will be replacing it soon though, just as a good practice, but I will definitely miss this car!

2003 Highlander Limited 245,000 miles and still running great.

Toyota Sienna XLE didn’t rank high on the list. However I am still driving my 1998 Sienna (only owner) and now have over 317k miles on it. Guess I was lucky.

I have a 2013 Rav4 and I really like it. I have about, $152,714 miles on it.

It's quick when it needs to be yet I feel safe in it with It's roomy interior/cargo areas. I had a 2000 CRV. Although a comparable vehicle in the same Vehicle Class, I consider this an upgrade for me.

My 2004 Camry XLE just turned over 325,000 miles. I see this model, or 2003, on the road most every time I drive. What a horse!!

I own a 2022 RAV4 Hybrid. I’ve been a lifelong Toyota customer and don’t think I’ll ever buy another brand. I had a ‘13 Highlighter. I miss the size but the savings on fuel is worth it. I plan on keeping it until 150,000 miles, and am sure it will hold resale value.

I have a 2007 RAV4. It has 250,000 miles and runs great. I have had to have very little work done on it other than maintenance. This is my second RAV4. I also had a 1998 and it too was a reliable vehicle.
I have heard that newer RAV4s may not be as good as they used to. If so that’s too bad because I had planned to purchase a third one.

In 2023 we got rid of our 2006 Toyota RAV4 Sport with 171,562 miles. After replacing the evap system charcoal cannister twice for $1800 x 2 = $3600 (three years apart) at the local Toyota Dealer accompanied with numerous instrument panel fault displays that we had to constantly clear, we finally had our fill and sold the RAV4. We completed all the required maintenance on the RAV4 as recommended by the owners manual.

I have a 2008 rav4 sport and it is currently at 288,294 miles & still going.