2004 rav4 4cylinder problems ?

Niece of mine is turning 18 and she’s thinking of an 04 rav4 any problems or concerns we should look into with these vehicles any of u with experience ?

 

As long she doesn't get rear-ended an '04 RAV4 is a great vehicle. They are not unsafe, but that rear swing-open door is designed in such a way that it crumbles in collisions where damage would be minimal. I think it has something to do with how and where the spare tire is mounted...

I saw a video of low-speed collision test done by IIHS and the 2nd Gen RAV was criticized for getting pretty significant damage for such a low-speed impact.

Back in '08, I vaguely remember a fellow Aspie from a group I was in complaining about how badly her '02-'05 RAV was damaged when she got hit from behind...

 

If it has the 2.4L 2AZ engine, there's greater likelihood of head gasket leaks and excessive oil burn (which poisons the catalytic converters more quickly than usual): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_AZ_engine#2AZ-FE

That engine is used in a few other Toyota models (like the Camry). Do a search for "2AZ" on TacomaWorld and you'll find a few users reporting this problem.

 

Dang this is the engine most of the rav4s we’ve been looking at have

 

^Yep. Toyota didn't "fix" the problem until 2009, when the 2AZ was replaced by the 2.5L 2AR. So 2009+ RAV4s would be reliable, and comes with VSC, which could be helpful for a new driver. Imagine a 2009 would be a bit more expensive than a 2004 though.

 

The Rav4 is easy to drive, cheap to maintain, and good on gas. They have timing chains, so no belt to worry about. But as mentioned above, that rear collision damage is really bad. My ex-mother in law had 2 get totaled, not at fault for either. One was a young kid texting and rearended her at freeway speeds (she was stopped because of an accident ahead) the rear door collapsed and split the rear floor open so you could see the road below. Still a good choice for a young driver though.

 

^If my vehicle is rear-ended at freeway speeds, I would want the insurance co. to total it. The collision shop could attempt to straighten the chassis/frame on a rack, but it will never be the same.

 

It was definitely totaled. Kid didn't even get a ticket.