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Engine & cooling

1997 Toyota RAV4 Engine problems

Owners have filed 13 complaints about the 1997 Toyota RAV4's engine & cooling with NHTSA - 23% of all its complaints, most recently on April 24, 2015. They describe 1 crash, 1 fire and 0 injuries. Stalling, loss of power, oil consumption, overheating, head gaskets, timing chains and engine failure.

Complaints
13
Recalls
0
Crashes
1
Fires
1
Injuries
0
Deaths
0

Engine complaints

Engine & cooling

Received warranty enhancement notice-ze7, as instructed, dealer test was performed. Oil loss totals under 1qt. For ea. 1200 Miles driven. Was told this did not qualify for repair. My concern is this: toyota service required for oil change is every 5,000 miles. My car has excessive oil consumption of just under 1qt per 1,200 miles, so driving 5,000 miles would effectively burn 4qts., Or more, thereby starving engine for oil and resulting in engine failure. Service department advised me to keep checking oil level,...

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and add oil as required. I am disappointed in toyota's solution to this problem and advised them of my opinion. I am able to add oil as required, but questioned customer service about other senior citizen's ability to self maintain the oil level, or for that matter, any consumer that has this problem. Toyota has assigned me a case number from regional ca. Office. I was told that perhaps toyota will change qualification requirements so that at 5,000 miles, oil consumption would not result in engine starvation and failure. Also, in my case continue to monitor oil loss, and if it increases in volume, come back to dealer and test again. I think that design failure due to manufacturing defect should be fully covered under this warranty enhancement notification that was mailed to me. *Tr

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 10712635
Transmission & drivetrainAcceleration & cruise controlEngine & cooling

Rav 4 toyota 1997-was unable to drive more than 30 miles without the rpr increased without control, transmission and engine become extremely hot, fluids were drained . Car sent to darcars toyota thermostat was replaced, and now facing severe transmission issues, because lack of recall rpr 's issue very detrimental and risky . *Tr

Filed Incident Power train · Vehicle speed control · EngineNHTSA 10692661
Engine & coolingSeats & seat belts

Dt: the contact stated the driver's side seat shifted forward and backwards. Also, engine check light appeared. Took vehicle to dealer, who replaced gas recirculation valve (egr valve). *Ak

Filed Incident Engine and engine cooling · SeatsNHTSA 10146145
Engine & coolingCrashFire

My rav 4 - 57348 miles. It started making a tapping sound in the engine and it has makes a metal on metal vibration upon acceleration and especially when I make a gradual left turn and decelerate. I brought it into the dealer. They say it may be that the lifters are a bit worn and that this will not harm anything. This is odd because a new engine was placed in the car at 49,000 + miles. They could not identify what the vibration noise was and said that it is possibly a rock in the brake system. I know what that sounds like and strongly disagree with their analysis. The noise is definitely coming from the engine. *Nlm

Filed Incident Engine and engine coolingNHTSA 10010158
Engine & cooling

My rav has had 2 engine replacements the first at 16,000 miles and the second at 49,000 miles. The first one happened when it stalled out going through an extremely large puddle of water on the access road and the second for no apparent reason. *Nlm

Filed Incident Engine and engine coolingNHTSA 10010157
Engine & cooling

While vehicle was at idle and with no warning the vehicle will stall, causing consumer to pull over. Dealer will be notified. *Ak

Filed Incident Engine and engine coolingNHTSA 8017189
Engine & cooling

Problem of stalling and vehicle acceleration ongoing since june..Now august and back to dealer again as this is very dangerous in traffic especially with children in vehicle..

Filed Incident Engine and engine coolingNHTSA 728359
Engine & cooling

THE AIR FUEL SENSOR HAS POSSIBLY FAILED. *SLC

Filed Engine and engine coolingNHTSA 783679
Engine & cooling

The car has a stalling problem. I have taken back to the dealership twice for this problem. The car initially just had a starting problem where it will start and stalls immediately. The last time I took it to the dealership they told me it the starter and I had it replaced, but it is still doing the same thing. It does not matter if the car is cold or warm. I could just pull into a gas station and it won't start. If I wait about ten minutes, it will start again. But, I have no idea when this will happen. ...

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Yesterday, driving on the highway going about 60mph the car just stalled. I was lucky enough to be able to drift to the shoulder. I waited about ten minutes and it started again. There is no rhyme of reason to this, there is no warning of any kind.

Filed Incident Engine and engine coolingNHTSA 711787
Engine & cooling

Possible engine failure caused the vehicle to crank but not start.

Filed Incident Engine and engine coolingNHTSA 607837
Engine & cooling

ENGINE FAILED CAUSING VEHICLE NOT TO START.

Filed Incident Engine and engine coolingNHTSA 544518
Engine & cooling

CAR STALLED TWICE.

Filed Incident Engine and engine coolingNHTSA 515641
Engine & cooling

While driving vehicle on freeway about 80 mph had attempted to change lanes when vehicle suddenly stalled or died out for no reason in heavy traffic; everything went out. *Ak

Filed Incident Engine and engine coolingNHTSA 813659

Toyota RAV4 engine complaints by year

RAV4 engine problems, every year

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Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data

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