Rav4 - Catalytic Converter Problem - Help Please!

[David Grant]

Hope you can help. We have a March 2001 registered RAV4 with 42,000 miles on the clock and have just been told by our dealer that the catalytic converter will need repolacing within the next 6 months. I don't know how long cats should last but I would have thought it would be a lot more than 42,000 miles. Has anyone else had this problem or know someone who has? Tyhe cost will be approaching £1,000 to have ther work done and I'm considering asking Toyota to pay for all or some of the cost as I don't think this part should be failing at such an early age.

I've done some research on the web and theire was a lawsuit against Toyota in the States a few years ago which awarded compensation to soem Toyota owners but this was for diesel engined cars - ours is a petrol.

I'd be grateful for any help.

Thanks,

David Grant

Maidstone, Kent, UK

[RAV4 in Family]

Hope you can help.  We have a March 2001 registered RAV4 with 42,000 miles on the clock and have just been told by our dealer that the catalytic converter will need repolacing within the next 6 months.  I don't know how long cats should last but I would have thought it would be a lot more than 42,000 miles.  Has anyone else had this problem or know someone who has?  Tyhe cost will be approaching £1,000 to have ther work done and I'm considering asking Toyota to pay for all or some of the cost as I don't think this part should be failing at such an early age.

I've done some research on the web and theire was a lawsuit against Toyota in the States a few years ago which awarded compensation to soem Toyota owners but this was for diesel engined cars - ours is a petrol.

I'd be grateful for any help.

Thanks,

David Grant

Maidstone, Kent, UK

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Take the car to another garrage(non Toyota) and ask if this is the case. If so I wouldent use a Toyota garrage as they charge stupid amounts for work done compared to normal garrages. We used to take our 1996 rav4 gx to a toyota garrage and usually had to pay £400-£500 for a service on a car which had done only 80000 miles. All you are paying for is the stamp in the service book. We are now taking it to our local garrage which does a better job and it only costs £80 for a major service. Our local Toyota garrage charges £95 per hour for labour compared to £35 for our local garrage. We also get a stamp in the service book but it isnt toyota. I dont think it matters as it still shows that it has been serviced at the correct milliages.