7.9
pretty bad- Typical Repair Cost:
- $1,920
- Average Mileage:
- 104,350 miles
- Total Complaints:
- 165 complaints
Most common solutions:
- not sure (72 reports)
- added oil (44 reports)
- rebuild engine (20 reports)
- Toyota is doing an oil usage test (17 reports)
- toyota is waiting for part (7 reports)
- have to replace vvti line (4 reports)
This problem may be covered under warranty. Ask your Toyota dealer.
« Read the previous 20 complaints
2007 RAV4 total engine failure due to oil consumption. Was due for an oil change, but until I could get in to get the oil changed, I had a quart of oil added to bring it to full. 2 weeks later, the engine failed. Diagnosis is total engine failure due to no oil. Frustraing part is that while speaking with Toyota, this has been a problem for a quite a while. it rears its ugly head at around 100,000 miles or so. Toyota has issued several enhanced warranties and fixes, but no recalls. The enhanced warranties are not easy to find and are not communicated the same as Safety Recalls. Toyota Customer Service rep clainms to get many calls on this issue. They stopped the enhanced warranty fixes in March 2017. The notifications went out in 2014 and 2015. We bought the vehicle used in July of 2015 and never received any literature or notificatioin of the excessive oil consumption issue nor any possible fix for it. Now we are without a vehicle. New engine is $4000. Blue book for car is about the same. So disheartening! And so pathetic of Toyota to know of this issue and not stand behind their product. Never owned a Toyota before. Never plan to again.
- Angie O., Chesterfield, MO, US
When I discovered I was losing oil in early 2016, I brought my car to my mechanic. He did the oil consumption test, tied off the dipstick, and I brought it back at 1200 miles. The oil was down almost 2 quarts. I then took it to the Toyota Dealership in Apex, NC. When I pulled into the service line and mentioned what I was there for, the man immediately said, "that's $800 right off the top for me". In other words, there was no way they were going to repair my car whether it needed it or not. After having my car for 3 hours that day, they came back saying I needed $650 of work before they would consider doing the oil consumption test. I had them do the work, tie off the dipstick for the testing and brought the car back to them at 1200 miles as instructed. Again down almost 2 quarts and they said the was within the range that Toyota accepts for oil loss. They said I could bring it back in 6 months (I think) and they could retest it. I did take it back, but to the Raleigh dealership. Again, they had my car for 3 1/2 hours and came back to say I needed $1,200 worth of work before they can do the testing. I took my keys and left. I lived with the fact that I needed to add oil to my car every 4 - 6 weeks. Expensive and a pain in the ass. Well, my car's engine blew up on 8/28/2017 and I am at a loss of what to do.
- Cathleen R., Apex, US
Often have to cancel trips because I am concerned about my oil consumption. This is getting out of hand and affecting my daily routine. The engine often needs to be tended to during long trips.
- Glenne F., Philadelphia, US
My car is going to die before it's fixed! You know the problem, it needs to be done.
- Bernadette D., Merced, CA, US
I have never seen an oil spill on my driveway but ALWAYS get oil light on about 1,500 miles into my 3K oil change cycle
Last year the dealer said they would check, gave me an oil change I didn't ask for (I just had one so all that good new oil when to waste - that's what the car does anyway I suppose), charged me for unwanted oil change and quoted me another $1,300 to replace gaskets, hoses etc., not sure but basically they said they could not isolate the problem without fixing these things first.
I planned to have the work done elsewhere and comeback.
Recently when I was at the deal for ANOTHER recall remediation (there are so many it is tough to keep track), I mentioned the oil thing. The dealer acted like it was the first he'd heard and unapologetically said that it was out of warranty so there was nothing they could do (didn't even consider overcharging me to fix it). I'm done with that dealer but assume most are the same. I generally mistrust these guys, they are shady and lie. In this case could be manufacturer instruction, hard to tell.
- Rachel C., Randolph, US
The vehicle is needing oil weekly, the only fix is rebuilding the engine or trashing it at an $8000 loss. It's not sellable and the dealerships won't repair it because it's past warranty. So, we've got a current RAV4 loan for $8000 and as a student can't get another vehicle loan to purchase a replacement one, at this rate the engine is going to seize. This should be a recall.
- Susan S., Rutland, US
I am extremely disappointed in Toyota. I have complained to three different dealerships about the oil consumption in my 2007 Rav4. A test was done last year and I was told: "it was normal".
It is not normal to put a quart of oil in your vehicle every 1000 miles.
- Rebecca W., ElizabethtownE, KY, US
This POS 2007 RAV 4 Limited was rated #1 & I'll NEVER TRUST their ratings again. Bought it new. Traded it in on a new 2012 Ford Escape Limited 6 cyl & still have it with no complaints at all with 48k still like new. Toyota = Recalls !!! I don't know how they could be rated so good.
- jps1251, Fuquay-Varina, NC, US
Received letter from Toyota regarding possible excessive oil consumption. Took it in and followed through with the consumption test. When they checked oil usage, they said my vehicle did not use an excessive amount of oil. I'm not sure what they consider excessive, but I have to add a quart of oil every 30 days!!!! That is NOT normal! Like others, I cannot in good faith sell the car without disclosure of the problem, and with the issue the trade-in value is decreased. Will not buy Toyota again!
- Jennifer D., Evansville, IN, US
My excessive oil consumption test failed on 4/7/16, making me eligible for the engine replacement. It took 3 1/2 months and a call to Toyota Consumer service to get the repair done. While a large portion of the repair is covered under warranty, I paid $680 for the "optional" machining of the upper part of the engine. So much for Toyota reliability - I'll be going back to Ford.
- laimee, San Anselmo, CA, US
I'm very mad with Toyota for not taking care of this problem. They know they made a mistake with this type engine, and they refuse to accommodate costumers and to fix the problem. Very mad indeed.
- Louie P., Whittier, CA, US
Two months in a row was down to 1 quart of oil when the 5000 mile maintenance light comes on meaning, get an oil change. Toyota did the Excessive oil consumption test TWICE and said it passed. Otherwise they would replace the pistons at no cost. They tested by plugging all holes that the oil could come out of. Since then I have driven 1200 miles and I am down a Full Quart! I not only own this RAV 4 that is on your list of Toyotas with excessive oil consumption reports, bought the Camry 2010 that I gave to my mother is also on this list!!!!! I have two problem cars.
- lhiggins, San Diego, CA, US
Excessive oil consumption is a well known problem to Toyota. Having your engine burn through as much as 1 quart of oil in 600 miles. The dealer confirmed the engine’s oil level, that it is going very low just after 1500km by taking a test at their service center almost a year ago. They said that they are waiting for head office instructions to fix the issue but still nothing happens, and now the situation is so bad that I have fill the oil every day.
Toyota knows it very well that Rav4 2007, 2008 has this issue. People have reported problems with the oil consumption in their engines, me too as a RAV4 owner.
I submitted all copies to my local service center related to timely oil change just after they took the test, but still waiting.
Hoping fix is made soon.
Thanks
Imtiaz
- imtiazmohammad, Milton, ON, Canada
Rav 4 engine developed cylinder head gas leak so that it pressurized the cooling system which blows fluid out and eventually overheats. Toyota refused to cover this under the extended warranty despite knowing that this was a manufacturing fault. The cylinder head wears at the top and toyota replaced the engine (old engine is remanufactured by skimming head and using new pistons and rods). This is then used to replace other failed engines.
Our car was low mileage so took longer than usual to develop the fault by which time it was just out of warranty, Toyota main dealer refused to contribute to repairs and no joy out of Toyota UK either.
Toyota main dealer wanted at least £5,000 to carry out the warranty style replacement. Essentially the early engines blow up at around 60,0000 miles. Many engines in Rav4's have been replaced under warranty but are in fact remanufactured units.
- Gavin F., york, UK
I had the oil consumption done when it was completed they said it only used a quart and this wasn't enough to repair the vehicle.
- Ken A., Southington, US
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We have a 2007 Toyota RAV 4 that has been experiencing excessive oil consumption problem for at least the past two years. We have brought it in to our mechanic on multiple occasions and also to the dealership. There was a recall notice last year and we had the required testing done twice in February and March of 2016 by the dealership and they claimed the car passed the test and was not defective. However the problem continues to happen. We had an extended warranty on the car at the time of the testing which has only just expired in October 2016. This problem was identified prior to the expiration of our warranty but Toyota claimed there was no problem with the vehicle. We have always followed the manufacturers suggested maintenance schedule and have the service records in our possession. In the last year to 18 months to two years we would have to bring the car in more frequently than the MFG recommended service schedule, as it was not making more than 2000 miles before the check oil light would come on. Most recently as little as 1200 miles.
- Rose M., Wantagh, NY, US
Toyota won't honor a recall since I was 21 day past the expiration on their oil consumption recall. If they would have built it right from the factory there would not be an issue
- Brenda E., folsom, PA, US
The car passed the oil consumption test which reads that it uses less than .25 gallon of oil every 1000 miles and that was it. So if my car uses 1 gallon of oil every change, and now, after driving 4,000 it has no oil left - it is normal - I don't think so.
- Olga K., Burlington, MA, US
This Rav4 has been serviced every 5,000 miles since purchased in 2008 with 12,000 miles showing, it now has 190,000. There have been no issues until Oct. 2016. The oil light came on and I had to add 3 quarts of oil to bring it up to the full mark. On Jan.20, 2017 the same thing happened again. The mileage was within 300 miles of time for scheduled service. When I carried the vehicle in for service and described the issue I was told that this was an issue with certain models of Toyota when this vehicle was produced and that it was a problem with the rings. Although all the service for this vehicle has been performed at a Toyota Dealership on a regular basis every 5,000 miles I was told that due to the mileage on the vehicle Toyota would not make any repairs to any vehicle after 150,000 miles. If the vehicle had not been serviced on a scheduled basis at a Toyota Dealership and had not been abused in any way (90 % highway miles) I could understand Toyota not standing behind their product. When you try to do everything right and this happens it is really disappointing. We have owned 5 Toyotas including the Rav4 and this is the first major issue we have ever had
- mickeyyates, Lugoff, SC, US
It is a pain in the ass especially since I use synthetic oil,very costly over the years. I hope they Toyota come up with a fair fix or compensation, my friend has a Volkswagon diesel and they compensated him for faulty emission testing,how can excessive oil burning or dripping into the enviroment be a good thing, I'm suprised that the envirormentalists arent all over this horrible problem !
- kooar303, Orillia, ON, Canada