2001 Toyota RAV4 AWD L from North America - Comments

Another 2001 toyota rav4 customer here in check engine light hell. I replaced a O2 sensor to the tune of $300 for the first hit, then got the ECM reprogramming. Check engine light is still on. Toyota dealer wants to charge me $$ to hook it up to a computer. Does anyone know if straight up replacing the CPU will fix these issues? It's been a great car, but now I can't pass the emissions test.

Failing this I may try the reset suggested earlier, get it to pass, then trade it in for something else.

I own 2001 Rav 4 - love it. However my engine light continues to come on. First time at 30,000 miles, then again while traveling cross country- was told when I got to the dealer it was the catalytic converter shot. Fortunately I was under warranty for that, then again around 35,000 miles the engine light came on- went to the dealer, was told O2 sensors were shot. Needed those replaced ($400 or so), now at 45,000 miles engine light on again. Engine running smooth, no noises. Was told by dealer if engine runs normally with engine light on, "shouldn't be a problem, just needs to be reset or your gas cap is loose"??? Let's hope it isn't some other kind of pollution control sensor that will cost oodles to get it fixed.

I have a 1997 Toyota Rav4, and my 'check engine' light has been on for close to a year. There are moments it goes off but eventually comes back on. I have taken it twice to the mechanic and had a diagnostic test run.. but nothing came up. Car runs fine with the exception of this problem. Unfortunately, my inspection is up in July and will have to reset it by disconnecting battery for a few minutes and then reconnecting again. I guess just another way for Toyota and other mechanics to make $$$$$.

Yet another dissatisfied Toyota owner, I have 2001 Rav4 with the engine light ON, and code = P0141 which points to an O2 Sensor, Bank1 Sensor2. Toyota would happily replace it for $430 + Taxes. What I do not like is that they want to charge me another fee to diagnose the problem using their computer, although I am providing them with the code, but they claim their computer is different than the 3 others that I used to check the check engine light, and that if they just replace the sensor they won't be responsible if the light comes back ON the next day. I thought I'd put them to the test and inquired which one is Bank1 Sensor2 and I asked no less than 3 people in each of 3 or 4 dealerships, but each time I got a different answer, and even their schematics didn't show which is which, rather showed part numbers.

I am least impressed with Toyota, especially having had a history of their dealers telling me that parts have been replaced (during warranty) and it turns out the parts were not even in stock, and 2 weeks later when the parts arrived they called me saying the parts are ready for me to take the vehicle in. This amongst many other instances, but generally I am not very happy with the check engine light because it tends to go off on its own after a few hundred kilometers, and I don't know if just the light goes off, or even the code clears and then light goes off, and then again after like 100 kilometers the light would come back on. inconsistency can be very frustrating as I don't want to go and replace parts worth $$$ just to realize I have more parts to replace all this nor sure if I am hitting on the root cause in the first place, and believe me Toyota always has a way of putting a spin on things to make it all sound normal and logical. Yes how is it that Toyota didn't choose to just replace the CPU on these earlier models. They did the re-programming for me, but that apparently doesn't help enough, and I can't pass the emissions test with the light on. I am going to replace my O2 sensor tomorrow. Hope this will resolve the problem until I pass the emissions test at least, could buy me 2 yrs insurance once I pass the test.

Same thing happened to my 2001 RAV4L at 20,000 miles.

I see no problem with oil level or circulation? I let it on and rode it for until 35,000 miles with no problem but that annoying light that's on? Since I got extended warranty for 70.000 mile which cost me $800. I decided one day to take it to a dealer. They told me it just need to re-program the CPU (computer), they tried, the light went out only to come back again next day? I guess they just disconnected my battery? Then they told me they need to get from Toyota approval to replace catalytic converter and all those sensors? They tried to jack me with the diagnostic things fee? But I said NO to their face! I have an extended warranty, only then did they proceeded with the repair.

I marked all the parts and took picture of them before sending my car back to repair. I told them what I did, and warned them that if they don't do as they say they would? I will sue them? At last they did change those parts and even showed me the old ones, the light went out, now I have my RAV4 at 65,000 no problem. Now while I reading my ownerw manual, I found out that any emission control parts are covered by 7 years 70,000 miles warranty by Toyota. So beware of those scam dealership repairs? My only remaining problem is... the gas mileage is poor!

Power is intermittent, there (seldom happens) are days the torque is very good as if the day I took it from the show room? Most of the days, it lacks that power?

It has the same engine as my daughter's Corolla, but her car has better torque and it has same engine? I believed Toyota programmed this car's CPU to get more money for their dealers and more parts sales? In Japan and Philippines... there were no similar problem with those CPU?

I wish some independent company make an upgrade CPU that can replace what Toyota installed in their RAV4?

90% OF THE TIME THOSE ENGINE LIGHTS DO NOT PROTECT OWNERS. AS LONG AS THE OIL IN YOUR CAR CIRCULATES AND IS ON ITS RIGHT LEVEL, FEAR NOT, YOUR CAR IS ALRIGHT.

I have 2002 Rav4 and the check engine light goes on and off with no rhyme or reason. It has done this enough that I just ignore this but then where I live, you don't have to pass an inspection.

I do like an earlier comment on this thread about finding the correct fuse under the hood, removing it and turning the engine over for 3 seconds. This works (turns light off) but it may or may not come back on right away.

I would like to remove this light but it seems hard to get to. Currently it is in "off mode."---oh well!

I have 2002 Rav4 (56,000 miles) and the check engine light went on a few months ago. I replaced the plug and reset the computer, the light went off for a few months. The light went on again now. I also have 2000 Camry (67,000 miles) and the check engine light went on about 6 months ago. I replaced two sensors and reset the computer, the light went off and it did not come back so far. I am thinking to replace the sensors for Rav4.

Another unhappy 2001 Rav4 owner. My check engine light came on, my car started surging and died. I took the Rav to a mechanic and it was showing nothing stored on the computer so he was going to look up some information. Two months later I received the reprogramming notice from Toyota so I had the rav towed to Toyota. They told me that the control module would not accept the program and they could not save anything to it. They told me it was going to be expensive to replace and could not have been caused by the recall. What do you think. I work with programs on real computers on a daily basis and I know that if the wrong code is being sent it can damage the whole system. Attorney general here I come.

I have a 2001 RAV4, and my check engine light came on. It stated that 01 and 02 banks (regarding the oxygen sensors) needed to be replaced. $400+ later the engine light came on after 60-70 miles. I had the reading checked and it was the same stated problem.

Apart from getting a new car, does anyone have any advice out there?

In Canada everyones repairs should be covered under the 96month 130,000 emissions warranty. Your warranty starts from the "in service" date of the Rav4.

If your light comes on they will first re-program your computer up to 2 times. If your light stays on then they will replace the catalytic convertor. After that they may continue to re-program until the warranty runs out.

If you experience harsh shifting at the same time, and they also confirm this, they will then replace your computer under the same emissions warranty - now the problem is solved. This all "must" happen within the warranty period.

Refer them to thier TSB's for 01-05 Rav4 if they play dumb. Search Rav4 TSB on the web and you will get the specific numbers for each problem. Good luck!!

I am the owner of a 2001 Toyota Rav4 in the UK. My vehicle has just done 156,000 miles. Started seeing the fault light lit on my car about 2 years ago. The Toyota dealer said it was an O2 sensor and replaced it. About 2 weeks later the fault light came on again, and after analysis the Toyota dealer said that it was the O2 sensor or catalytic convertor. The O2 sensors are approx £170 to replace, and had a quote of £700 for the catalytic convertor.

I was not impressed and decided to think about the cost, and whether to get the work carried out. shortly after this the car passed its MOT and emission tests, so I assumed that the catalytic convertor was OK. After poor service with my local Toyota garage, I went to another Toyota certified garage 12 miles from my home. They carried out a service and highlighted an O2 sensor problem; when I queried it they said that there are actually 4 02 sensors in the catalytic convertor. They replaced another 02 sensor, and whilst testing it said that another had failed, so that was replaced as well.

4 weeks later the fault light came back on again.

Having had the fault light on for months; anyway, I decided to drive the car as it was, rather than throwing money at it. The car passed another MOT test.

Recently my brother bought a device that we used to look at the faults on my Rav4.

They were:

P0420 catalytic convertor system efficiency below threshold bank1.

P0430 catalytic convertor system efficiency below threshold bank2.

Cleared these codes down and within a day the fault light was back with the same codes. Decided 2 years after initial diagnosis of possible catalytic convertor problems to get it replaced. To save £300-£400 in costs I purchased the catalytic convertor from a motorparts company and replaced it myself. It is a fairly simple job that involves replacing the unit that attaches to the engine block and exhaust pipe. Took around 4 hours from start to finish.

Cleared down the codes and drove the car for a day before the fault light came back again. The next day it went out and the next day it came back on again. Today there was no fault light, attached the fault code analyser and saw the following code.

P1349 undefined code.

BUT no references to catalytic convertor system efficiency.

Deleted the fault code and will see if it comes back.

Googling the P1349 code led me to this page.

Overall I am very happy with my Toyota Rav4, and didn't realise that there was an issue with the O2 sensors, catalytics convertors and P1349 codes until I found this page.

Paulart - Chelmsford, near London England.

I own a 2001 Toyota Rav4 that has 137,000 miles on it. Since the day I bought it 8 years ago the check engine light has come on only about 7 times. The cause every single time it came on??? CHEAP GAS!!! This cheap gas is the reason your engine revs and stalls, clogs the Cat. Converter, sensors, fuel lines and needs the gas tank to be refilled so often. These "running hot", little 4 cylinder engines just can't take gas from questionable sources like "Neighhood Gas" and "Stop, Shop, Fill and Go".

The other day I happen to drive by my Toyota dealership when the engine light came on after years of being off and the first question out of the dealer's mouth was: "Did I just recently fill the gas tank?" Why yes I did - with cheap gas!!! (I was late for a job interview.) Use Gulf Oil gas or some other big name gas station (avoid Mobile and Citgo). And by "cheap gas" I don't mean you have to buy high octane. I buy the lowest octane always, just make sure the gas is from a large, well known gas refinery.

Hey, you have to get gas anyway. See if this helps (make sure the gas cap is on tight too, just another cheap fix). Give the bad gas a few fillups to work out of your fuel lines. If this works for you please plaster it all over the internet for other Toyota Rav 4 "engine light on" sufferers.

I own a 2001 RAV4 which I purchased in 2004 from a dealer with an extended warranty. I drove across the country 3 days after purchase and the check engine light went on. The mileage was under 50k at the time of purchase. The code that the light was emitting was an emissions code. Did you know that the "recall" for this was to wipe the EMC (computer) and the real issues is the catalytic converter and sensors.

If your light went off before 80k mileage and Toyota wiped your EMC, that's emissions tampering, when it doesn't pass emissions. Trying to find people for a class action lawsuit. I can't pass emissions in my state, and this should have been fixed by Toyota and the dealer. The dealerships (all part of a chain) told me it was no big deal, there wasn't emissions in my state, but moved back to Colorado and it won't pass. Now neither corporate Toyota and / the dealership (a GIANT chain, not sure I should name there here) refuse to fix although I have mountains of paperwork to make my case. Also having trouble with the transmissions, which is an issue for many 2001 Rav 4 automatic and standard drivers.

You can contact me @corebodypilates on twitter, send me a direct message.