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SUVs Toyota RAV4 Toyota RAV4 pre-2006
2123 messages, Last post on Aug 20, 2009 at 7:57 PM
You are in the Toyota RAV4 Forum. Your Hosts are steve_ & tidester
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Replying to: ronstoy (Jan 24, 2005 8:30 pm) But it is nothing definitive, just spy photos and speculation, so you're not missing much. -ss4 |
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having a problem with our 2002 toyota rav4, oil changed last in oct 2004. driving home on jan 23rd, the oil light came on then pulling off the road, every indicator light went on then the car stalled out. had the car towed to a mechanic that said the oil was like mud, then had the car towed to a dealer where it sits today, and they can't tell us what is wrong with it. looking online we see this is a common problem with certain toyotas from 1997-2002 that toyota recognized, we are wondering if anyone out there knows anything about it???
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Replying to: cindyc (Jan 29, 2005 6:01 pm) I am not saying that this is your fault, but just clarifying what you saw about the 1997-2002. How many miles on the car, how many miles between oil changes, how long (months) between oil changes, has filter always been changed, who did the oil changes??? |
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Replying to: cindyc (Jan 29, 2005 6:01 pm) |
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Truth be told, there are a number of reasons why your Rav4 engine oil could have become "like mud".(BTW,That engine wasn't one of the ones which was alledged to have problems.) As Mcdawgg says, lack of, or extended oil changes are by far the most common reasons for sludge development. And yes, there has been considerable discussion about sludge in the past. In spite of what some insisted, it eventually turned out there was far more hype than substance to the controversy. When the dust finally settled, it also became clear that Mcdawgg's assessment and experience is as close to the truth as it gets. In your case it's difficult to provide any kind of helpful information without more information from you AND your dealer. When an assessment by your dealer is made on what the cause (or causes) might be, it would be interesting to hear what was determined. |
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Replying to: cindyc (Jan 29, 2005 6:01 pm) The others are right in that the Toyota engine sludge campaign was limited to certain models and years and does not include the Rav-4. If you maintained your engine according to Toyota specifications and developed sludge, then you could have recourse through the new car drive train warranty, if still in effect. Toyota has placed inserts in some vehicles stating specifically that the warranty will not cover sludge. If that is the case, and again, if you maintained your car according to Toyota's specifications, then the next step would be lawsuit or arbitration. |
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We did get the oil changed on a regular basis, and this family has been going to the same mechanic for over 20 years. the car had about 45,000 miles on it. Most of the miles were put on it in the first year, but the last year and a half, we didn't drive it as much. we have 4 oil change receipts for 2004, the last one was in october, and I had a baby on october 20, so we really haven't driven a lot at all since then. By what little the dealership is saying, we are guessing the car needs a new engine. we don't know what we are going to do, it seems unacceptable that a car we bought new and had oil changes regularly in would die like this.
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For what it's worth Scoti1, I think it's a bit premature to speculate at any length about what little is known so far. As I understand it, the first mechanic said oil was like "mud", which can mean many things. The car "stalled out", which can also mean a bunch of possibilities. Now the vehicle is at the dealer being diagnosed, and the owner apparently hasn't yet received any info as to cause, effect, or repair cost. Speculating about the color of the "mud", or dispensing advice about sludge at this juncture, might raise unwarranted concerns. I would like more info, especially what the dealer has to say, before raising any flags. I have some ideas about what might be involved with this problem, but without more details it might unduly confuse things. These people are (justifiably) worried, and I think it's unwise to create additional concerns at this point. |
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Replying to: cindyc (Jan 31, 2005 1:14 pm)
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Replying to: mcdawgg (Feb 01, 2005 5:12 am) Also, cindyc, I am still interested in the appearance and consistency of the mud if you have that information.
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