Toyota - Rav 4 Oil Consumption needs to be a recall item
Please every one with this problem even if it was fixed needs to file a complaint with www. nhtsa.dot.gov to try and get it a recall item. I just filed this today.
Tell us what happened:
This model Toyota has a record of stuck oil rings causing excessive oil consumption which leads to failure of engine and catalytic converter. See New York Times Oct 14,2011 and the hundreds of on line complaints about using one quart of oil every 1 k miles. In April of this year my dealer did a complete check with oil change, in June the Oil was down one quart and in September I did another oil change with only two quarts of oil left in the pan when it takes 4-1/2 quarts. I took my Rav 4 to the dealer(11-23-2013) I bought it from and without looking at it I was told the oil rings get stuck and I need an engine repair for $2,660 plus tax and most likely a new catalytic converter for $2,500. I had them check it out and I got a written document with the repair that is needed documented. This "NEEDS" to be a recall item. If a car doing 70mph has an engine failure due to loss of oil then the person will loose steering and brake control leading to a serious accident and most likely death. Toyota did two recalls on my car in April, Door switch needed a drop of oil and rear suspension needed to be re-torqued. Made a big deal out of what cost pennies to fix. Now a $2,660 engine repair and we need to go to small claims court or class action suit or plead to you to help us get this a recall item.
Monetary Loss: $5000.
Location: Medford, Oregon
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I have a 2007 RAV4 with the oil consumption problem no luck from the dealer. Does anyone know of any class action law suits
im felipe i have the same problem with my rav 4 ....consums so much oil ...i hope toyota do a recall,, they shol , have also a 2012 bu i dont have any problem with this one ........
Jesse, is the item you received in the mail an offer from the dealership to take care of the matter? OR is it a "Voluntary Program" worked out between NHTSA and Toyota?
Can you let us know exactly what the letter says? I know there is a class action lawsuit in the works on this matter. The engine oil consumption issue seems to be an extension of the ENGINE OIL SLUDGE issue from the late 1990s and early 2000s when Toyota BLAMED THE OWNER for poor maintenance!
They knew full well that the oil was degrading due to high heat in the engine but the Toyota folks like Mike Michels and John Hanson chastised Toyota owners about maintenance instead! OH...what a feeling of being kicked in the teeth, most Toyota owners exclaimed at the time!
I am having the same issue with my 2007 rav oil light came on only 1000 miles into last oil change checked oil needed to add4 arts to bring it up to full. Oil light came on again day before Christmas needed 3 gqrts took car to Toyota oil consumption test performed told to return in 500 miles came back at 596 miles oil down 1.5 arts failed test told I have to drive 600 more miles and then they will officially tell me my car failed test.called Toyota consumer number told if my car fails the remedy will have to be paid for by me then possibly a refund given back.
it is normal for any vehicle to use up to a quart every 1,000 to 1,300 miles. Every motor in every vehicle is different.
My 2007 rav4 motor isn't the same as your 2007 rav4 motor. Just because yours uses oil and mine doesn't does not mean there is a huge problem with toyota. Take responsibility for your vehicles. Toyota is not going to rebuild your engine if its with in those specs or you are out of your power train warranty.
Toyota is a good company and they back there vehicles there customers. I didn't hear people complain when Toyota was buying old Tacomas back from people for 1.5 times the value of the truck because those owners didn't ever clean the salt off of the frame and now they're rusty. Toyota spent millions of dollars buying trucks back and replacing frames for people that don't even take care of there vehicle at a Toyota dealer. My favorite are you people that bought your vehicle second hand for a private owner or a none toyota dealer and are complaining about it.
Or you service your vehicle at jiffy lube and expect toyota to pay for your repairs when you're out of warranty when there is a problem. YOU own your car not toyota...
My toyota 2007 rav 4 uses at least a quart and a half of oil every 500 miles. we bought the Toyota because I had had good luck with them before but this particular model has had a lot of recalls and this is a real headache with all this engine oil being consumed I reported it to the dealer several times and they haven't done anything about it now I get a thing in the mail that they're going to do something about it. all I can say is it's about time
Wow. 1 quart of oil every 1000 miles was normal for my late 70's Dodge Aspen.
Don't recall my ragged out V-8 camaro using that much oil either (but, it was close).
My 2007 Camry burns 1 Qt every 1,200 miles while my 1999 Toyota burns 1/3 qt every 5000 miles. Same service plan (except I change oil in the 1999 Camry every 5k miles, insted of 3k for the 2007). Now my 2007 Camry has a damaged catalytic converter (while the 1999 has no such issues).
Will need to figure out why the converter failed -- from heat caused by bad valve or engine runnign rich? Or particulate accumulation due to what any sane person would call excessive oil consumption. Have already spent more on maintaining the 2007 Camry than I've spent on the 1999.
In the market to replace one car now. Surprisingly, it will probably be the 2007 Camry that is replaced first.
My 2007 rav4 burn to match oil.This problem is around $ 3500.
File a complaint with the NHTSA on-line and the Center for Auto Safety on-line. Start a petition on-line so that others impacted by this major problem can join in to be counted.
Contact Toyota's new "independent Monitor," David Kelley and ask him to intervene on behalf of all affected Toyota owners.
Network with other similarly-affected a Toyota owners and blog together. The problem needs high public visibility.
Charlene McCarthy Blake
charlenemccarthyblake@***.com
My 2007 rav4 oil light came on and I checked the oil level to discover there was no oil in my rav4. I immediately calles the Toyota dealership where I get maintenance and took it there.
They added oil and told me to bring it back in 1,000 miles so they could check the oil level. The oil level dropped and they added more oil and told me to bring it back in 1,000 miles. I did what they asked three times and it had lost a quart of oil each time. The end result was they said it was normal abs to add a quart of oil every 1,000 miles.
I am diligent in maintaining my rav4. I have never missed an oil change and have the documentation to prove it. I will never buy another Toyota again. This is very disconcerting.
I hope they go out of business for their disrespect of their customers. I bought the Toyota because I thought it would be a good vehicle that would last longer than 100,000 miles. I was very wrong.
They have lost my business and anyone I talk to I'll discourage them from buying a Toyota. At least they will save money.
I have the same problem with my Toyota Rav4 2007. I called the dealer today.
Iam going to take my car to the dealer on Friday July 11, 2014. My car is burning a lot of oil, I have to check my oil every month, and add oil.
Be sure to report back on what Toyota says. Thanks!
There is class action lawsuit brewing on this matter as well. The number one symptom of the Toyota engine oil sludge condition was rapid disappearance of the engine oil.
Many engines seize while at highway speeds. Toyota has continued to name its own customers for this inherent vehicle problem.
Do not let the, convince you that this is an owner maintenance issue. That TOYOTA TRICK has been played already...and for a decade+.
Research Toyota engine oil sludge. Go to YouTube and look up the topic there.
It sounds like a Toyota has not done anything about the problem that began in the late 1990s or sooner. It resulted on a consumer uprising on the internet, a bogus voluntary program on Toyota's part, and numerous class action lawsuits.
Report your problem to the NHTSA, the Center for Auto for Auto Safety, and all applicable online complaint sites. If Toyota is unresponsive, file a report at RipOffReport because the complaints there are not removed.
Find other similarly-affected Toyota owners and network to compare notes.
Consider creating an online petition where others like you can tell their story. Submit is petition to Toyota and the NHTSA.
Charlene Blake
Research Toyota engine oil sludge. Go to YouTube and look up the topic there.
It sounds like a Toyota has not done anything about the problem that began in the late 1990s or sooner. It resulted on a consumer uprising on the internet, a bogus voluntary program on Toyota's part, and numerous class action lawsuits.
Report your problem to the NHTSA, the Center for Auto for Auto Safety, and all applicable online complaint sites. If Toyota is unresponsive, file a report at RipOffReport because the complaints there are not removed.
Find other similarly-affected Toyota owners and network to compare notes.
Consider creating an online petition where others like you can tell their story. Submit is petition to Toyota and the NHTSA.
Charlene Blake
"Recalls" are for safety concerns; warranty extensions are for mechanical concerns. Warranty extensions are generally limited to a time frame from date of original delivery, i.e.
7 years, etc. or by mileage, i.e. 100,000, etc. If you are outside of these ranges you would likely not be eligible for any warranty assistance (to be determined).
Newer cars (2006 on) use very thin oils, generally something like 0-20W oil and MUST be changed religiously every 5,000 miles OR SOONER or soft-carbon deposits form in the crankcase which eventually work their way up the cylinders and onto/around pistons and rings which is what creates this concern.
Having worked with cars for 22 years in service I find many clients are going 6000-**** miles between oil changes which is far too long for newer cars despite what any owner's manual or maintenance minder on the dash says. Do you oil 4000-**** always from new on any car. Oil is cheap.
Having worked with and driven European cars for the past 15 years, we are fully use to putting in a quart every 600-800 miles between what they use and leak. These engines are intentionally loose internally so when the cars are being driven 100-120MPH on the Autobahn the engine will heat up, swell and not blow up, but when they come to the US highways and are driven 65-85MPH they never fully swell and seal internally thus this causes some blow by and is completely normal.
As stated above oil is cheap and spending $5-$8 every 800 miles is no big deal.
Knowing how Toyota operates, I would be surprised if they offer any assistance. This is an old vehicle in the eyes of manufacturers and their goal is to sell new cars not keep 7-8 year old cars on the road forever. Modern cars are disposable and it is a uniquely Americanized concept to keep cars for as long as we do. The majority of the planet in civilized countries almost exclusively drive current year to 3 years back only tops.
My advice would be to put oil in and drive it.
$2500.00 will by you 500 quarts of oil or roughly 500,000 miles based on your consumption concern.
-Service Manager (not for Toyota)
What sort of progress has been made on filing a class action? I have a 2006 Rav4 which has been consuming too much oil as well.
After two years of back and forth with Toyota, now I'm being told I need a new engine. Toyota isn't stepping up to pay for the engine for a problem which started under warranty and is well documented to have started within warranty.
Someone needs to start a class action suit... Had my rav4 2008 with the same problem since I got it...
Hi... I have a 2008 rav 4 & am having the same problem with oil consumption ...I have been back n forth w/ service...
Bringing the car in for oil checks, changes... Etc. ... Now They told me I need to authorize 10 hrs.
To allow them to take my engine apart?!... Not sure what I should do?...
I wonder if you could sue Toyota for inhaling burned oil because I am planing to do the same.