Rav4 3 Door Automatic/Manual High Mileage Questions 4.2/4.2.

[mitalm]

Hi all,

I've fallen into the rabbit hole of looking into 3 door Rav4s (and dangerously close to buying one) and have ended up on this forum reading up on various issues etc. Through searches I'm aware of the following:

• Early auto gearbox ECU issues (£200-ish fix via post if not driven with fault for too long)
• Clutch slip on older manuals
• Heater blower motors failing/clogged
• Rusty exhaust/cat
• Rusty chassis depending on care/usage
• Leaky/failing water pumps (replace if unsure of last change)

I'd just like to ask those that previously owned similar cars on the issues they experienced and potentially what to look out for when buying one now.

Some background on the type of car I'll be looking for:

• 2000-2006 either original release or facelift
• Petrol (I'm going to use it as a ULEZ runabout in London)
• Automatic is the preference but I'm open to a manual if they don't experience any major issues
• New as possible but again open to an older car if condition/service history is present
• Auto climate control would be lovely but I imagine this is just another thing that could go wrong with an older car
• Similarly, sunroof, cruise control etc are all toys it would be nice to have but can't have it all!
• Budget is on the low side as it'll be a second car for local stuff: £1000-£2500 max

I guess on the back of the above, does anyone have or know of a car they're looking to sell now or in the near future?

This seems like a brilliant forum for all things Toyota and hopefully if all things go well I should have a car soon that I will start to discuss here if/when I have questions or topics I can contribute with.

Looking forward to getting involved!

[philip42h]

That's a very interesting rabbit hole. Three door RAVs seem to be in high demand and good ones are (very) overpriced (IMHO). JRS Cars down in Honiton seem to do a nice line in good older RAVs but you probably won't like the prices! If you can find a good one within your price bracket you'll be doing very well ... best of luck! 🙂

[Hybrid21]

Hi Mital, with your budget and at 20 years old I would be looking at overall condition, especially bodywork and underneath, MOT history, etc

Good luck with your search 👍

[APS]

1 hour ago, mitalm said:

I've fallen into the rabbit hole of looking into 3 door Rav4s (and dangerously close to buying one) and have ended up on this forum reading up on various issues etc. 

Been there 🙂 Even went as far as buying one. A 3 door from 2002, 2.0l (1AZ-FE) manual with 130k on the clock. Drove really well, looked good, full service history etc. Unfortunately, as we started driving home after having bought it, a main rod bearing went on it, making a terrible knocking sound. We had driven less than a mile, and fortunately the chap we bought it from (who had several of these) was a mechanic and real gent and bought it back off us. He had never experienced anything like this before.

The bottom end failure took us all by surprise. The engine sounded and looked absolutely fine. Of course, this could have been an isolated case and not at all representative of this engine. I'd say rust is what you need to look out for on these cars.

[mitalm]

1 hour ago, APS said:

Been there 🙂 Even went as far as buying one. A 3 door from 2002, 2.0l (1AZ-FE) manual with 130k on the clock. Drove really well, looked good, full service history etc. Unfortunately, as we started driving home after having bought it, a main rod bearing went on it, making a terrible knocking sound. We had driven less than a mile, and fortunately the chap we bought it from (who had several of these) was a mechanic and real gent and bought it back off us. He had never experienced anything like this before.

The bottom end failure took us all by surprise. The engine sounded and looked absolutely fine. Of course, this could have been an isolated case and not at all representative of this engine. I'd say rust is what you need to look out for on these cars.

Eesh that is odd, I've not read about that fault with many cars. I guess we just have to hope it was a total one off and by the sounds of the mechanic chap you bought from he hadn't see this before either.

Thank you to everyone for the well wishes, my search continues! There does seem to be the odd beauty that has been owned by 1 person for quite a while and had due care taken of it. But I'm sure there's others looking for this prize too!

[APS]

13 minutes ago, mitalm said:

Eesh that is odd, I've not read about that fault with many cars. I guess we just have to hope it was a total one off and by the sounds of the mechanic chap you bought from he hadn't see this before either.

Yes, it was odd. I did some research at the time and found a few that had had similar issues - apparently due to oil pump failure. But it doesn't seem to be a widespread, or a 'known' issue at all. 

14 minutes ago, mitalm said:

There does seem to be the odd beauty that has been owned by 1 person for quite a while and had due care taken of it. But I'm sure there's others looking for this prize too!

Prices have certainly gone up. Some are more than £6k - for a 20 year old car. Ya-ouch! With patience I'm sure you will find a good one though. Best of luck! 

[Ant-Rav]

I had an 04 three door diesel, chassis rotted in and around the rear wheels area. so be watchful for that, try facebook marketplace or gumtree, or even N.Ireland for cheaper ones, they are simply not worth 5 or 6 thousand in my opinion, don't know about the petrol engined versions. But they're old motors now so buyer beware. Good luck.

[Uncle Bob]

On 3/29/2023 at 11:46 AM, mitalm said:

Hi all,

I've fallen into the rabbit hole of looking into 3 door Rav4s (and dangerously close to buying one) and have ended up on this forum reading up on various issues etc. Through searches I'm aware of the following:

• Early auto gearbox ECU issues (£200-ish fix via post if not driven with fault for too long)
• Clutch slip on older manuals
• Heater blower motors failing/clogged
• Rusty exhaust/cat
• Rusty chassis depending on care/usage
• Leaky/failing water pumps (replace if unsure of last change)

I'd just like to ask those that previously owned similar cars on the issues they experienced and potentially what to look out for when buying one now.

Some background on the type of car I'll be looking for:

• 2000-2006 either original release or facelift
• Petrol (I'm going to use it as a ULEZ runabout in London)
• Automatic is the preference but I'm open to a manual if they don't experience any major issues
• New as possible but again open to an older car if condition/service history is present
• Auto climate control would be lovely but I imagine this is just another thing that could go wrong with an older car
• Similarly, sunroof, cruise control etc are all toys it would be nice to have but can't have it all!
• Budget is on the low side as it'll be a second car for local stuff: £1000-£2500 max

I guess on the back of the above, does anyone have or know of a car they're looking to sell now or in the near future?

This seems like a brilliant forum for all things Toyota and hopefully if all things go well I should have a car soon that I will start to discuss here if/when I have questions or topics I can contribute with.

Looking forward to getting involved!

Welcome to the club 👍🏻 I’m on my 3rd 3 door auto and have not come across many of the problems you mention above .

    Yes the Gearbox ECU 2001-2003 needs to be sent off for inspection .

   Rear exhaust box can corrode at the back flange joint (a repair sleeve is available).

   Corrosion to rear suspension mounting point can be a problem, if a car as lived up north or around the coast, these cars are best kept away from .

  If you are after sunroof, cruise control and climate control, you’ll need to go for the XT-R model (that’s the one I have) 👍🏻

     Your only hiccup is your available funds, they won’t buy a XT-R, 4.5k or more is the going rate for a sound vehicle.

   Mine has done 107k and drives like new, so don’t be afraid of mileage if the vehicle has full service history .

     If you do find one it’s sure to be a keeper 😉