1997 Toyota RAV4 review from North America
"I'd buy another if needed"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
The check engine light came on about 3 months ago. It turned out to be a faulty ERG valve switch which was replaced at a cost of over $600 because one of the motor mounts broke off in the repair process.
Concomitant with the check engine light problem was a fast idling problem which was not corrected by replacing the ERG valve switch. Toyota will look at the problem, but I'm reluctant to have them perform repairs for fear they might break something else for which I'll have to pay big bucks.
Since everything is computerized, it's probably not possible to fix the fast idling problem by making mechanical adjustments. Or is it? Can you help out?
General comments?
The car has been reliable with few major repairs needed.
Handling is good, accelerating not so. I was aware of its lack of power, so this is not a complaint.
It's surprisingly spacious, but not very comfortable. It lacks armrests, which makes long-range driving tiring.
It's a nice model, with extra exterior trim (running boards, bumpers, roof rack.) Hereabouts it's often referred to as "Chick-mobile."
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| My RAV4 lemon; is this common or am I just unlucky? |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Year of manufacture | 1997 |
| First year of ownership | 2000 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2007 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.0L Manual |
| Performance marks | 7 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 8 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 6 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 8 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 83000 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 230000 kilometres |
| Previous car | Chrysler Neon |
| Date of Entry | 10th December, 2007 |