Used 2009 Rav4

[pbm]

A relative of mine asked me to look at a 2009 Rav4 that he was considering. It has 165K and looks clean and is owned by the original owner.
It has an issue with the brakes (soft pedal and poor stopping) which the owner said he had someone unsuccessfully 'fix'. I'm thinking it might need a
master cylinder and possibly calipers. The asking price is very good.

Does anybody have experience with this generation Rav4? There does seem to be a lot of issues when 'googled'.. Unfortunately I can no longer get into the 'Carcomplaint's.com' website (it says there is an IP address issue.) Thanks.

 

[zzyzzx]

What's the asking price?

 

[supton]

2.4L or 2.5L? The 2.4 is known for problems, the 2.5 is the one to get (more power & mpg). The 4AT should be good.

I have heard of issues with the rear diff (the 4WD clutch) but I don't think it's a big problem. The real problem would be ho-hum power and an all-around boring drive.

 

[RTexasF]

If it is a 2009 the only four cylinder was the 2.5l. Is it the 2.5l or the 3.5l V-6? What is the asking price? Any maintenance records.? Front wheel drive or all wheel drive? Short on information here.

The 06-08 models were the most problematic. '09 had a few problems but wasn't horrific. 2012 was the best of the 3rd generation RAVs. Pay to find out what's wrong with the brakes and other possible problems. Coughing up $100 for a check out could save thousands. When it comes to brakes don't guess.......find out exactly what's wrong and the repair costs.

 

[AZjeff]

The 2.4 is known for problems, the 2.5 is the one to get (more power & mpg).

The real problem would be ho-hum power and an all-around boring drive.

The difference between the 2.4 & 2.5 is slow and not quite as slow. Curious if anything in your stable doesn't qualify as all-around boring drive? Pretty much describes my stable.

If the RAV in question is the 3.5 that changes the boring part.

 

[Ws6]

I looked at the V6 model years ago of that gen. Lots of transmission, suspension, diff, waterpump, all sorts of issues. I steered clear. Dunno if that applies to the i4 though.

 

[AutoMechanic]

Don’t usually see too many problems out of either engine if they are taken care of. They are very good and reliable. That was one of the most liked generations of them.

 

[The Critic]

Oil consumption if it is a 2.4.

 

[pbm]

It's a 2.5 with 4WD...The oil seems to have been changed regularly and it was used to commute approx. 60 miles each way 5 days a week until the guy retired...The A/T shifts good but the fluid looks blackish as if it's the original. I just took it for a test drive and it feels tight but I noticed an occasional buzzing that I can't pinpoint (it could be in the drivetrain or just the catalytic converter shield)...The guy is asking $3700 but we're sure he'll do better...

PS: I read online that some had problems with leaky calipers.....I'd guess that a new master cylinder, calipers, rotors and pads would fix the brake issue but it would cost some coin...

 

[JMJNet]

The brake issue in that Rav4 is the master cylinder.
Scotty Kilmer did a video specifically on Rav4 with this issue.

You can probably check the Toyota Forums on problems and if there is any solutions.
Make sure it has the 6 cylinder or if 4 cylinder 2.5L instead of the 2.4L.
Although, the 2.4L is fine if Toyota have already fixed the oil consumption issue.

 

[AutoMechanic]

It's a 2.5 with 4WD...The oil seems to have been changed regularly and it was used to commute approx. 60 miles each way 5 days a week until the guy retired...The A/T shifts good but the fluid looks blackish as if it's the original. I just took it for a test drive and it feels tight but I noticed an occasional buzzing that I can't pinpoint (it could be in the drivetrain or just the catalytic converter shield)...The guy is asking $3700 but we're sure he'll do better...

PS: I read online that some had problems with leaky calipers.....I'd guess that a new master cylinder, calipers, rotors and pads would fix the issue but it would cost some coin...

Most likely it is original because Toyota claims their transmission fluid is lifetime fluid so a lot of people never change it. But it should be changed if you decide to buy it. And the 2.4 and 2.5 are great engines. Yes the brakes might have an issue but honestly it won’t be too expensive to fix and these cars hold their value so I would get it as long as it’s a reasonable price and he is willing to negotiate.

 

[RTexasF]

And the 2.4 and 2.5 are great engines.

I agree with the 2.5l engine but the 2.4l was a well known disaster. They didn't spend millions on top end rebuilds because it was "a great engine".

 

[Andrew1972]

My sister dumped hers due to rear differential coupling front bearing failure at 132k miles. It was 1 month/2k over the service campaign extended warranty and Toyota oddly would not budge on covering any part of their failed design.

She traded it in to a Honda dealer who gave her top dollar as it was not present during their evaluation or they ignored it. A $1500 repair. She also had some sort of steering repair she paid for out of pocket I think about $800. Latter Toyota reimbursed her for that one.

That all being said her first and last Toyota. Not saying they all are bad but her 2008 was nothing to write home about.

 

[JustinH]

I had a four cylinder AWD RAV4 of this vintage.

It was a great car, traded it in for a premium price at 120k miles.

A friend had the same car, only with the v6 and she had issues with an engine oil cooler leaking.

 

[Huie83]

IMO pass on the 4 cylinder Rav. I inherited a 2015 Rav4 with the 2.5. While it's been very reliable, it's dangerously underpowered for it's size. I have to be very careful pulling out into the traffic flow and passing on the highway etc due to it's lack of power, especially if there is any weight in the car.

 

[TmanP]

IMO pass on the 4 cylinder Rav. I inherited a 2015 Rav4 with the 2.5. While it's been very reliable, it's dangerously underpowered for it's size. I have to be very careful pulling out into the traffic flow and passing on the highway etc due to it's lack of power, especially if there is any weight in the car.

Hmm... As someone who dailys a 4-cyl Camry with essentially the same specs (in fact, that same 2.5 4-cyl) I don't think that a ~ 8-second 0-60 time is "dangerously underpowered" at all. I've never needed to use full throttle on the Camry in over two years, not even for passing with a loaded-down car or driving at altitude. Many, many cars on the road are in the 7-9 second 0-60 range, and that should be perfectly acceptable for most people. Fast? No, but not "dangerously underpowered" to be sure. If you can't safely pull out with an 8-second 0-60 time, that was probably a questionable driving move anyway, regardless of the car you're driving.

 

[supton]

The difference between the 2.4 & 2.5 is slow and not quite as slow. Curious if anything in your stable doesn't qualify as all-around boring drive? Pretty much describes my stable.

If the RAV in question is the 3.5 that changes the boring part.

Everything in my stable is boring. Cheaper that way. But around here, boring = bad, so it has to be pointed out.

 

[pbm]

Here's an update....he bought the Rav for $3300....that gives him room for any needed brake repairs.
I picked up some Idemitsu TL-S ATF at AZ for $2 a quart and will do about 3 D&R's over the next month to try to get it red again...

 

[eljefino]

Nice, and good find on the ATF.

Start by taking the calipers apart and seeing if the pins are sticky or if the pad ears swelled from rust. See if the pads are wearing straight. Especially the rears, economy cars with four wheel discs often don't put enough umph on the rear pads to keep them moving freely.

 

[Dinoburner]

A soft pedal and poor braking sounds like air in the braking system. The ABS should be tested also. All the RAV 4s I`m familiar with are fine mechanically but uncomfortable and noisy IMHO.