5 Things I DON’T LOVE about my 2020 Toyota RAV4!

[@AaronMacadangdang-d7d]

2023 same model. As a vehicle mechanic chose this vehicle for the wife a compromise for a 4 Runner a better interest rate buying a lease with 12k miles (Toyota Care) weird as it is better warranties slightly used compared to new. Overall it is a solid vehicle. No issues with the remote start off the App. With subscriptions after the trial figure out what you want, I would say Navi no need for the music package. For future buyers do the research and compare. Overall 37.1 on the highway with mix of inner city. But was able to get 58 MPG taking my time. EV mode is basically Golf Cart mode limits it to 25 mph. But 0-40 it puts you in the seat in Sport mode, traction off. But also own a Miata which I take to the track. Overall the Rav 4 is very solid. Lexus has been using the hybrid tech for a bit as well.

[@AustinPetDetective]

The reason it only unlocks the drivers only is for Safety. You don’t an unwanted person able to get in the passenger side when you unlock the car.

[@Nicole.Sisson]

Ya, that makes sense. 👍 I still find it annoying. 😆

[@Kakashi-iw3xh]

There is a fix for it in the the infotainment system. Go to vehicle settings and you can set it so it unlocked all doors at the same time. Hope it helps

[@Kakashi-iw3xh]

As for the remote start the 3 click method. Press one time wait a second, click second time wait a second, and then press and hold. It works everytime.

[@Kakashi-iw3xh]

Also as for the trailing distance in cruise control...you can change the distance you want to keep between you and the car infront of you...there is a button on the steering wheel on the right side its on top of lane departure assist... try it. Hope it helps

[@Nicole.Sisson]

@@Kakashi-iw3xh Thanks, I'll have to look into it! 👍

[@AmericanRoads]

You can unlock the passenger door too. When your hand first makes contact, the driver door will unlock, right? Now, do NOT open your door yet, and keep your hand in the handle for about 2 seconds longer, and all the other doors will unlock too. I own a 2023 RAV4 Hybrid XSE, btw.

[@Nicole.Sisson]

Thanks! 😊🙏

[@MarC-ot5gl]

Hi Nicole, always love your videos as always. As others have said, most of the issues you mentioned can be adjusted either in the infotainment screen or through your setting on you display behind the steering wheel. The height adjuster on the passenger side is a legit one although most vehicles, people find the seat is too low so you must have tall passengers :) Finally, with the remote start, don't press the remote button too fast - do the first two push a bit slower so that you can hear the chirp each time and then the 3rd one, hold it and then you will hear the double chirp and then it will start :) As always, great video and keep the content up :)

[@Nicole.Sisson]

I've tried pressing the remote at different speeds and intervals but it seems to still have issues. Thanks for watching! 😊

[@MarC-ot5gl]

I am sorry to hear you are still having issues with the remote start. So just to confirm, so after each pressing of the lock button, you hear a "beep" and then on the 3rd press, you hold it for a couple of sec then release? I am just curious if maybe the battery in your remote getting weak? I should try and do a video showing how I do mine and share it with you and see how mine works. BTW - I do love your content, I just find you always create unique content and refreshing from everyone always doing the same thing. Also, you come across about being genuine and sharing things to help people which I really appreciate and respect @@Nicole.Sisson

[@Nicole.Sisson]

@@MarC-ot5gl I'll have to try replacing the battery. Thanks so much for your kind words! ❤️

[@billybobbob3003]

@@Nicole.Sisson like on my crv if i press the unlock button on my key fob only once it only unlocks the drivers door but if u keep pressing unlock button it unlocks all the door might be similar thing on your rav4.

[@PrepperDawg]

Tacoma here, have same issue with adaptive cruise control. A bit annoying on interstates.

[@camtaylor2822]

1. i believe you change the distance of the cruise control 2. door unlock- you can change this in the infotainment system

[@Nicole.Sisson]

I'll have to look into it, thanks! 👍

[@jlp8648]

I must be an anomaly but my biggest complaint was lack of leg room! I bought seat extender brackets that saved my knees. Keep up the good work! You really helped me seal the deal on an Adventure a few months ago.

[@Nicole.Sisson]

Interesting! I have never heard of anyone doing this. Just curious how tall are you? 😊

[@jlp8648]

⁠@@Nicole.Sisson6’3” with a lot of leg I guess lol.

[@jennysuriel5702]

I have the 2020 toyota rav4 hybrid xse and I really think is a great car and what you are saying are no big issues nothing wrong with it unless you are someone that look to much to details I love my RAV4 ❤

[@Nicole.Sisson]

Agreed! These are just a couple minor things. I do really enjoy this vehicle!! ❤️

[@henryhonda8408]

I totally agree with you. I have the same 2020 Rav4 XSE hybrid blizzard pearl and have no issues at all. My only small beef is with the "lane assist"...... I just don't put that on (that feature is the same on all vehicles with lane assist - it's not for me). I love my Rav4 XSE ❤❤❤❤

[@midnight_snacks]

I saw your first RAV4 video when I was looking up reviews on the vehicle. I ended up ordering a XSE. Took about 15 months to get, but was worth the wait. Mine is a bit different than yours. They changed it from blizzard pearl to windchill pearl, changed the wheels, changed it from fog lights to accent lights, and the MID and infotainment are different.

[@Nicole.Sisson]

Wow, that is a long wait! Glad to hear you are enjoying the vehicle. 🤗

[@kevinkemble3718]

We ordered both from a referred sales person. First one 6 weeks, second one 40 days. Both were just so happened scheduled to be built. We had called one these outfits who know where car available is located. The stealerships had no idea we knew, kept saying none were available if not call back. Ended up a couple we know that travel alot found this guy who works in the Toyota place Florence, KY. His name is Elvis. Genuinely a great person of integrity… (won’t go into why) we were kinda taken back, but I’m not surprised, is new care manager and he moved his office right in the middle of the show room floor. Ordered both over a phone call. Best experience we’ve ever had, the service department is phenomenal. It’s weird, I was in the industry way back when there was at least the customer was some what respected. I was with American Motors/Jeep at the time, service writer at 19 in university. Was a “car jockey” at 16yy pickup delivering Gremlins with 401/5 speeds, Matador X had same motor. Striped red/white/blue. I remember the owner telling me not to jerk the drive shaft out of one I was delivering… well, I did jerk the driveshaft out 5 minutes later!

[@HarperPolo]

​@kevinkemble3718 o wo glad you were able to get the vehicle you wanted. Question, when you ordered with Elvis ere you able to use financing from a bank or did it have to be through Toyota or cash?

[@bird718]

i really hate and refuse to pay for subscription stuff for cars

[@Nicole.Sisson]

Agreed! 👍

[@henryhonda8408]

Bingo!!!! Neither do I

[@FatHD1]

2022 here non hybrid. Nothing that bothers me except that it shuts down at a stop. Could do with out that feature. Ive driven alot of crap boxes over the years being a used car dealer. 30k miles now. Im still happy with mine.

[@Nicole.Sisson]

I've heard about that with the non-hybrids. I don't think I would like that either! 🤔 It's definitely a great vehicle in the compact SUV world.

[@yeahhoo86]

I just bought a 2021 RAV4 hybrid XLE, there is a button on the steering wheel that looks like the side silhouette of the front of a car, if you press that two times it reduces the distance from I believe three or four car length down to one for the dynamic cruise control-toyota sets the default and I believe three or four car lengths. I don't have the issue with the infotainment system, it almost looks like it switches to a dark mode of sorts, I check to see if there is a menu setting to prevent that from happening.

[@Nicole.Sisson]

I need to look to see if there is a way to adjust the dark/day mode switching. Even at the closest setting on the cruise control I still find people want to cut you off.

[@lng6171]

Great video and information! Question for you regarding the front door cup holders: are they large enough to fit a typical 32oz. Nalgene bottle? Seems like a small thing but for some reason it’s a big deal for me in a car, and so many cars/SUVs seem to have tiny cup holders in the door bins.

[@Nicole.Sisson]

Unfortunately, they can't fit a Nalgene bottle. I have a 2020. I'm not sure if this is the case with newer models. 🤔

[@christophereastwood3271]

You can also Use regular Cruise Control, by long pressing the button when you first turn it on, but then it’s up to you to not hit the cars in front of you. Following too closely is extremely dangerous, and a points license Violation in my State.

[@EverydayJ1786]

There's a button on your steering wheel that will adjust the radar cruise control. It's got three levels of distance settings. Secondly, within the infotainment settings, you can adjust the sensitivity of how the system adjusts the brightness on the screen. You would have thought that you would have read the owner's manual or looked into this before making a video about it 🤦

[@henryhonda8408]

I was just about to post exactly what you just said....... I love the radar cruise control on my 2020 Rav4 XSE hybrid. I have it on all the time, even in the city.

[@kevinkemble3718]

We purchased two Magnetic Gray Metallic 2020 & Blizzard Pearl 2021 XSE Hybrids fully equipped as well. The remote button has always worked. I know we press 3 times at a 3 second interval. Might try that. Think that’s what manual says not sure. We’re blacking out the trim around the roof same as yours.

[@Nicole.Sisson]

I'll have to give it a try. The black out trim is definitely the way to go! 👌

[@theneone111]

I also think the lack of passenger seat height adjustment is a major flaw. But I agree with you, the car overall is great. 👍

[@stephensepan291]

driver seat needs to adjust. don't see why passanger seat would adjust.

[@alleneng]

for lexus the smart key has settings, hold down the lock and unluck buttons together for 3 secs and u will hear some beeps now when u grab the handle all doors will unlock. again this is a lexus feature, not sure if it will work for toyota

[@ivanwen8335]

Great videos on the RAV4. I am considering between the xse and xlep trims

[@Nicole.Sisson]

Thanks! I chose XSE because I liked the two tone colors. 😊

[@ivanwen8335]

@@Nicole.Sisson I went with xlep white. I liked the two tone too, only the xse was over budget.

[@connorlewis8547]

I have a 2021 rav4 hybrid LE. The cruise control distance is adjustable. We run it on the closest following distance which is perfect. Bummer 2020 didn't have this! Also don't seem to have the lighting issue you mentioned

[@Nicole.Sisson]

You are able to adjust the distance, but even at the closest setting people still want to cut you off. I know you can adjust the overall brightness of the screen but it still switches back and forth if the light conditions change (trees, bridges etc) which is a bit annoying. Happy Friday! 😊

[@henryhonda8408]

I put my adaptive cruise control on the longest distance all them time & wish it was even longer. My life is worth more than a few shorter feet. When someone fills that distance I just smile & say "go ahead and fill that distance, you're welcome!). Getting to my destination a couple minutes later is more important than risking the safety of my family.

[@erickchang2709]

You can unlock Passenger doors by holding the driver door for 3 seconds after unlocking the driver door

[@Nicole.Sisson]

I became aware of this recently but it seems a bit sluggish. 🤔

[@dginta7932]

Don’t ya just love Nicole? I need more!

[@Adventure_Always]

I love the white with the black accents- looks great:) I was in the market to purchase a rav4 I think it was the adventure edition or something… I loved the look but I felt like I had little to no head room and I didn’t like the placement of the interior door handles- just wasn’t comfortable for me. Fast forward- it came down to the Subaru outback wilderness (white) or 4door jeep wrangler JL. I went with the wrangler and soo glad I did!

[@Nicole.Sisson]

Thanks!! Glad to hear you found something you love! 😊

[@NicoleHikesalot]

Thank you for pointing these things out very interesting particularly about the remote. Yes having to have cell service for the app is inconvenient. Still a great vehicle. We have not owned one.

[@Nicole.Sisson]

It's been such a great vehicle! Just curious, what are you currently driving?

[@NicoleHikesalot]

@@Nicole.Sisson we have a Subaru outback and a Subaru Crosstrek. Sleeping in the outback is relatively roomy and more spacious than the Crosstrek but I slept in both

[@lareverie8285]

If u hit unlock twice it doesn’t open both doors? Nissans will unlock driver side with 1 click, all doors with 2 consecutive clicks

[@Nicole.Sisson]

Yes it will, I was referring to keyless entry when the key is in your pocket. 👌

[@bobprice6274]

What do you think of the 360 top view camera for parking?

[@Nicole.Sisson]

I have not tried it. I don't have that feature in my XSE but it sounds like it would be nice to have. 🙂👍

[@Mauricio-15]

At 2:19 this is a problem with most cars that are older than 2020 especially with my Chevy sonic which the remote start does not even work

[@angelsalazar482]

How many miles do you have on the Rav now after 4 years?

[@VeryCoolAlan]

The cruise control does suck I don't use it as I don't trust it . I'm thinking of just going to the Limited trim as it seems to get as close as far having all the important features....

[@Nicole.Sisson]

The cruise control definitely could be better. Let me know how you like the limited trim if you decide to go that route! 👍

[@silversurfer9398]

Hi Nicole i was thinking about buying this rav4 Hybrid model and i was wondering from 1 of your videos about the Rattle Noise did you findout what it was or did toyota fixed it?

[@Nicole.Sisson]

It remains an unsolved mystery but I’ve learned to live with it don’t notice it much anymore. 😊

[@ryanfitzsimons7388]

I love my Rav4 also but I dont like how the volume is at different levels when you change from FM to Bluetooth to Sirius XM. I'm constantly having to turn down the volume when i switch between sources.

[@Nicole.Sisson]

That's interesting. I haven't noticed that since I'm always on Bluetooth. I wouldn't like either.

[@WilliamCamacho-kg2tz]

Has the cable in the rear that corrodes given you broblems? Has toyota have to replace it already?

[@Nicole.Sisson]

No I haven't had any issues. 🤞

[@bobsapp807]

how well does the toyota app work for starting the car

[@Nicole.Sisson]

It does what it's supposed to do but I just couldn't justify another monthly expense.

[@flexpg14]

you can actually have all the doors unlock when you unlock the car. You have to go in the settings of the car.

[@Nicole.Sisson]

I heard, I need to look into it! 👍

[@emad.codes.]

How about the outside wind noise? I drive a 2022 rav4 xle premium and I feel its very noisy inside

[@Nicole.Sisson]

Coming from an RSX, I don't have any complaints.

[@scottk2774]

I’ve got a 2020 Rav 4, too. Mines just an XE. I love it, except for one thing. The wipers! The intermittent has no options. They come on appx every 3 seconds. Then you can select low or high. My wife’s Sienna has multiple options in intermittent mode. Oh yeah, sorry about those damn noisy birds ! Buy Matt a pellet gun😂

[@Nicole.Sisson]

You know I have noticed it can be hard to find a happy medium. I wonder if this is still an issue in newer models. I couldn't believe how many birds there were lol I was worried about the audio quality but it turned out okay. 😅👌

[@scottk2774]

@@Nicole.Sisson to be honest, I didn’t hear them until you “went the hell off on them!!”😂😂😂. You had me laughing out loud 😂

[@jasminerudolph81]

You can lookup a way to stop the screen from adjusting the brightness on KZbin.

[@Nicole.Sisson]

I'll have to look into it! Thanks! 👍

[@GC2TEJJ]

Get mine next month🎉

[@Nicole.Sisson]

So exciting!! Hope you love it. 😍

[@TRAVEL.WITH.JAFARI]

Hello my friend 🙋🤝🙋🇨🇭 Very beautiful video 👍👍 Tank you for charging

[@Nicole.Sisson]

Hi there, glad you enjoyed the video! 😊

[@ciscoheras]

How many miles did you put on it

[@Nicole.Sisson]

60k

[@AverageGuy-kl1xj]

I have the 2020 Rav 4. Its too LOUD!!!! Especially with the backup speaker.

[@Nicole.Sisson]

Sorry you feel that way. It's not for everyone.

[@henryhonda8408]

I just laugh at that complaint when I hear it 😂😂😂

[@lordt78]

I don't use cruise control.

[@scottk2774]

Same here. I don’t feel like I’m 100% in control if I’m using cruise.

[@JoeT-re5ro]

Me either I’ve never used it in any car

[@omtamanyadel1940]

You hate that but l don't have that.,l hope if I can get Rav 4❤😊

[@bugatti314159]

Doesn't the infotainment system have Android Auto or was it deleted from this model? That makes all the subscription apps a stupid waste of money. As poorly designed as Toyota systems are I would NEVER pay a subscription for any of it. I always have my phone connected when driving because those apps actually WORK. The nav on my '20 4Runner is absolute garbage so I have a Garmin GPS sitting on the dash. Ten times better functionality and it doesn't need cell service.

[@davidgapp1457]

Toyota is ridiculous when it comes to power seats. Not only have they failed to offer, in any trim, a power passenger seat, they also seem to think that seat memory is a feature that should NOT be packaged with the power seat itself. This is insane. I would guess upwards of 75% of Rav4's are sold to people with 2 or more drivers. To get the power seat memory I would need to not only buy the next trim up (the XSE) I would also have to opt for a package with a bunch of features I don't want! The cruise control on our vehicle has 3 distance settings. People in Arizona will cut-in if you leave them one and a half car lengths, especially in rush hour traffic. So to be honest even the closest setting is insufficient, but would I really want to auto cruise behind another car with less than 2 car lengths separation? Probably not! I have never understood what is the value of remote start. I would love to know some scenarios where it is actually useful. I understand it might be appropriate if you want the a/c on, but are there other uses? To be fair, I have the Rav4 Prime SE which has hvac remote. Works like a charm. The most useless feature on the car is the lane following button. Half the time it doesn't work, the rest of the time it is easily confused. Doesn't work well at night, doesn't handle junctions particularly well, and above all you have to keep a death grip on the steering wheel (I have a wheel cover) or it thinks you are being inattentive. The back door doesn't open far enough. This is a problem for getting a child seat in-and-out of the back row. The lighting in the trunk area is a sad joke. The first thing I did when I bought mine was install the LED light panels in the lift door and replace the internal lighting with LED. Add to that, the Rav4 Prime has had a ton of rather nasty recalls. My wife's Rav4 Prime stopped dead, without even enough warning to pull over from the central lane of the freeway! With 18 wheelers swerving around her, she had to calmly put the car in park and hit the start button again. Fortunately the car came back to life and she was able to accelerate away without getting rammed from behind! The local dealer insultingly tried to imply the problem related to the wiring for a dash cam I had installed two years prior and demanded $850 to 'tidy up the wiring' before they would investigate the problem (apparently the bug does not generate codes). However, two months later we get an urgent recall from Toyota for the software bug that cause the problem. Which gets me to my next pet peeve - the dealers. Toyota used to be considered an affordable vehicle because servicing and repairs were priced reasonably (compared to BMW for instance). Well, no more. Every, single, time I take the car in for a service they try to get me to pay for a bunch of non essential 'recommended' service items. These always add up to thousands on each visit. Of course they are optional, but when I look at their billing it is clear they are trying to financially scalp their customers. So much for brand loyalty! The Rav4 rides like a drunk whale - at least compared to equivalent vehicles from Mazda (CX-5), Hyundai (Tucson) and Honda CRV. I haven't driven the Subaru's but I wouldn't be surprised if they perform better. I don't mind the noise from the Atkinson cycle engine (because I'm an engineer and understand what it is doing) but the sound insulation between cabin and engine bay could stand some improvement. Other recalls we've had over the past two years include a fuel leak from the high pressure pump and a DC to DC convertor issue that can lead to a catastrophic fire. Several features stopped working as a direct result of software updates. For instance, the combined gas and electric mileage is permanently pegged at 99.9 empg despite several attempts to reset it. In addition we experienced (and still experience) a problem with the fuel gauge. Over time the fuel gauge goes inaccurate. The dealer seems able to reset the gauge, but the improvement is only temporary. I've given up trying to get a fix for this problem - if there isn't a 'code' for it, our dealer isn't interested! So do I like my car? Yes. But Toyota needs to review dealer performance, customer relations and take the rough edges off its vehicles.

[@Nicole.Sisson]

Sorry to hear about your experience. I've heard power passenger seats are available in newer models! Memory seats would also be a great feature. I completely agree with your thoughts on the cruise control. When it is dark & cold in the morning instead of going out to the vehicle to start it or get right in, it's nice to just press the button and give it a chance to heat up so it's not freezing when you get in. 🥶 I did replace the interior lights which made a big difference. I definitely recommend doing so!

[@rinbine2713]

Tucson or Sportage are much better.

[@marybender5653]

try reading your owners manual.

[@eggnogs]

Your video was used in an internal discussion at Toyota for features to improve on in 2025 version of the car!

[@Nicole.Sisson]

How do you know this? 🤔