Problems Before Buying A Rav4

[Lisa17]

I've been looking at a 2001 Rav4 2lt NRG I've come across a problem or should I say two. First the Rav has 130000 miles on the clock with no service history and secondly only has one key. Now the vehicle looks well looked after and I've heard the engines are very reliable, so lack of history may be ok? but how easy is it to get a key cut? are they chipped, coded or does it have to be the master key (if it has one). Please help as i'm beginning to panic.

[CharlieFarlie]

Lisa. Dont buy it !! Simply walk on and look for something a little more pucker !! There are loads of Ravs for sale and if You find a car within range of any Members on here I'm sure they will give any car the once over for You if it helps !

Buying used cars is a risky game and You have to feel right about any possible purchase or its just a very bad start ....

Wee Charlie.

[mnl]

There should be at least 2 keys, possibly 3, 2 black master keys and one grey sub key (valet key)

The grey key doesn't open the glove box.

If you are missing a key, and the car gets stolen, your insurance company won't pay out unless you can send them all the keys, as they will suggest that you left a key in whilst it was warming up on the drive or something.

If you buy a car with only one key, Toyota will supply a new one, programme the new one, and most importantly, cancel the missing keys so they won't start the car. However, this costs a great deal of money.

Some naughty people have been known to keep a key and then use it to recover the car after they sold it on....

[Joylove]

A new key can be bought from http://www.carkeyhelp.co.uk/ with a good digital photo for about £20. There are no guts in there so you need to buy a used key on eBay for about £10 for the guts. There are at least 4 keys that all look mostly the same, but aren't. Make sure your replacement is identical to your key by checking the part number on the back or it won't work with your car. I have found this out the hard way, use the part number only.

On the same website is a load of free instructions on how to program the remote control to unlock the doors, and unusually, how to code the chip on the remote PCB to the immobiliser.

This should unlearn all the previous keys so the alarm cannot be disarmed and the vehicle cannot be started (I think).

As for engine problems 130k is about average mileage, mine is at 126k, they can be quite hungry on 02 sensors, look for a fast idle when ice cold (2k RPM) (although they tend to start at 1500RPM and settle down quite fast to about 1k RPM). Look for it wanting to stall when hot and idle. Expect it to idle smoothly at about 600RPM if everything is OK when engine is hot. Worst case 4*02 sensors £350+fitting (1 hour). The Idle Control Valve can get a bit gummed up.

They can be a bit hungry for front ARB droplinks, but they are about £45+fitting. Listen for clunks in the suspension and use it as a bargaining tool.

As usual when buying any car check everything works, windows, AC, radio, heater, lights. Check for accident damage by inspecting carefully the paint under the bonnet and any carpets you can lift and broken and missing trim such as wheel trims, the roof spoiler on the back door or from the side step thingys. The car is quite high, so don't be afraid to lie on the floor and look for signs of serious rust or accident damage under the car.

Check if it needs new tyres, including the spare. Not everything is an unassailable problem but they are useful bargaining tools. Check if the rear door has been caught by the wind and clouted the rear lights and damaged the door. Expect some minor rust along the top of the windscreen and under the rear windscreen. My rear windscreen was dangerously loose.

There weren't many optional extras on the NRG, only a sat nav under the driver's seat and a CDC under the passenger seat.

Remember to budget a few hunderd extra to fix any niggles you find, the previous owner may have ignored a niggle for years, or a problem may have arisen that was the thing that triggered them to move on. This is to be expected with second hand cars.

What sort of money are they asking, any chance of a link, perhaps the eagle eyed can spot any potential issues. When are you going to see it?

[Lisa17]

Thanks for all your help. Been onto Toyota and have been quoted £156 inc vat. for the coded key and cancelling the lost one.

Re.Joylove, they're looking for £2500 for the it. It has had a bump to the offside rear bumper and needs painted and the offside rear plastic wheel arch is loose. Its being sold through a friend and not advertised. I've only viewed the Rav at night so would need to see it again daytime anyway. My friend was offered it originally for £2850 but got them down to £2500.

[Joylove]

Bump in the NSR is classic, OSR too I guess, they have a really high waistline and fat C pillar - I'm 6'2" and nearly reversed into a standard size wheelie bin on the NSR on my testdrive simply because it was entirely invisible from the driver's seat without using the mirrors. That could easily be a child

There is a 5 door RAV4.2 at work with a NSR dent too in the same place - right on the corner of the plastic bumper - so it's a popular place to touch down.

I would say that for no history and with higher miles (most are 60k-80k 2nd and 3rd car miles); with a couple of hundred-plus needed in bodywork (if you can be ubikd to do it on a budget car) that £2500 after discount is not a very good price, maybe not wildy overpriced, but not an unmissable bargain for sure.

Have a look on eBay at the completed listings to see what people are willing to pay for a car with the same miles age and condition. Add a few hundred to the eBay price for the Autotrader price.

[CharlieFarlie]

I too think 2500 for such a high mile car needing quite a lot of money spending is far to expensive.. The figure of 2850 is irrelevant. Say the original price was 3500 and You got it for 2500 its still way to expensive.. Hypothetical figures mean nothing its what someone will pay for it and at 2500 I don't see a queue forming...

Wee Charlie.

[Lisa17]

Thanks everyone, I may have to give this one a miss. Its a shame as i did like it, I just cant afford the repairs that it needs at the moment.

[Joylove]

Lisa you have a PM from me.