Codes say major catastrophe! Why is the CAR WIZARD's 2005 Toyota RAV4 lying to him? What's the fix?

[@tony_25or6to4]

There was no such thing as "I don't like this car" when I was growing up. It was whatever I could afford.

[@rjnation5042]

Yeah buddy, if one of my kids said that to me my response would be, then enjoy the bus, Rj in Oz

[@Rhaspun]

I remember an article I had read in Forbes magazine from years ago. The article was about the well-known old money rich families and how they handle things with their children. I remember the number one thing on the list of what not to was to buy a car for them. Offer to help with the car payment but don't buy the car for them. The families in the article included the Rockerfeller and DePont family among others.

[@randomname4522]

i bought my first car about 3 years ago. I know a few of my friends that destroyed their first car just because they didn't car. I drove mine hard occasionally but overall I took care of it. I recently bought a newer and more reliable car but I kept my first car. Now I'm rebuilding my svt because Michigan rust really got to it

[@tony_25or6to4]

@@randomname4522 every kid in my high school that the parents bought them a new car on their 16th birthday, totalled it in a year. One died.

[@Tipman2OOO]

Thank you! Don't look a gift horse in the mouth!

[@g-mang-man7924]

As a very long time Toyota MDT, I absolutely know about Toyotas conservative engine controls, at Toyota school, we were told that those earlier vehicles with traction control, were all tied into the engine ECU. So many little faults (especially evap issues) would turn off other things (ABS and TRAC) and flood the dash with warning lights. Many folks would be worried about huge bills, and many were just loose gas caps! Secondly, the evap system in them are difficult to diagnose, but we all learned the shortcuts to get them done. Since the daughter hates the RAV4, Have you found her a G Wagen yet? She has to keep up with Mrs Wizards Maserati!

[@VNCTHE1]

A galenda vaagan? If she likes that shipping box 📦 the world is doomed!

[@iandermott6558]

Tirtle here i worked for Chrysler for 34 long years I mostly in stamping but had some time in the garage yes the evap canister was in the back behind splash guard and removing of it was bad drop fuel tanks to get at the lines I now have a toyata used with only 55000 miles I want reliable transportation

[@ZGryphon]

Wait, so, it isn't just throwing the light, it's actually turning the ABS off? It's making the vehicle less safe to operate because of a minor emissions fault? That seems... kinda class-action-y.

[@DirtE30]

@@ZGryphon no… it isn’t.

[@jayb7026]

Any time the ABS warning indicator is lit you do not have antilock braking.

[@RollieFingers59]

It’s amazing how small those early Rav 4’s look compared to the new ones.

[@houseofno]

Not just in size. The current RAV4 shows almost no styling relation to the first or second gen vehicles. Ditto for Camry, Corolla, Supra, Tacoma, 4Runner and Highlander.

[@gary6576]

The older rav4s and crvs look way better imo. Smaller and more practical as little suvs.

[@keithlivingstone2525]

The new ones just look generic. Our District nurse has one. Not a fan.....of the car that is.

[@aaryeshg.6526]

And the Corolla Cross now is nearly the same size of this gen RAV4. Ohh how things move upmarket.....

[@Lousasshol]

I use to take my gfs crv everywhere , just high enough and all wheel drive to get into many backwoods places

[@Ryan_DeWitt]

Your daughter is lucky to have a dad who is a mechanic with access to different cars. If I would have told my dad I didn't like my car, which was a POS old Mazda, well you probably know what I would have been told lol.

[@MTE-72]

Especially if this is the same daughter that wrecked the 5th gen Prelude.

[@JSonder143]

The woman in his life are spoiled 😂

[@samholdsworth420]

Sounds like your dad is a jerk. My dad gave me a 1984 Toyota pickup as my first vehicle, i miss you Dad 😭

[@Raven-uu7lb]

@@samholdsworth420 that's quite a great pickup though. I can say this because my uncle own one (Toyota Hilux) and he still drive it to this day. I drive a 2010 Corolla Altis as my first car that my dad gave it to me because he bought a 2014 Accord. He still love the Corolla Altis so much to this day that he doesn't wanna sell it even though his friends gave him quite a good offer for the car. I understand why - that Corolla Altis is the first car that people get to know him by just looking at the number plate. Other than that he told me he loved the car because it's kinda one of the reasons why his business is boomin' (What I'm trying to say is that because of that Corolla, he can go anywhere easily, catch up with clients instantly and never had major issues with it - which is why he really love the Corolla Altis so much)

[@G-Mastah-Fash]

My dad would have told me the story about his opel kadett that was so fucked up you had to do a specific sequence of pumping the gas and feathering the clutch before turning the ignition or the car would not even start. He didn't even lock it because none of his friends managed to start it even with his advice so he figured thieves wouldn't be able to either.

[@dingdang3845]

It is neat to see a brief repair now and then. I know from being a long time subscriber of your channel, the idea isn’t a “repair channel” and you’ve mentioned that before. It’s kinda cool though to watch an occasional video like this. I think it inspires creativity and or excitement to do repairs 😊❤️ your channel Car Wizard!

[@rjonzun5828]

I agree. Really enjoyed this.

[@daviddefortier5970]

Yes, weekends must be used to make wrenching videos please!

[@alienxfox]

Even though I might not plan on doing the repair myself (probably) I enjoy seeing how the problem is fixed and finding out that it's not that big of a problem as the repair estimates always claim. 🤨🤑

[@romankalyniuk2596]

Hallelujah! The Wizard is back to working on car problems! No walkaround checking for chips, dents or rust. No interior review. Just show cars with problems and how to fix them.

[@bikeman1x11]

its his car so any dents are on him ior his wife!!! on customers' cars he wants to document

[@romankalyniuk2596]

@@bikeman1x11 who cares about documentation! I want learn car diagnostics and repair. So do most folks.

[@bikeman1x11]

@@romankalyniuk2596 he should document to protect the shop but we dont really need to see it unless its a rare or cool car- I brought my xterra to the dealer to do warranty work onm the roof rails and storage bin- When they were done there was a large scratch on the door that wasnt there whern I dropped off car- they of course tried to say it was there but coul;dnt prove it and paid to fix it. Now they haver a checklist when cars are dropped off . I do prefer to see car repair as well

[@porcelainthunder2213]

Sometimes topping up your tank will ruin your canister. From what I have heard, Toyotas are prone to that. Fill your tank until it automatically stops, then pull the nozzle out and put it back on the pump. Dont squeeze a few more pennies into your tank.

[@thomasmiddlebrooke1012]

This is true for GM trucks as well. Mainly the 00-08 trucks are the ones I have personally fixed. The last one (an 03 Tahoe if memory serves) was topped off so badly that it washed the charcoal out of the canister and into the vent pipe to the tank. I had to remove and clear it all out in order for it to vent correctly when fueling.

[@itsnotjustyounz2813]

Australian gm (holden commodore) are shocking for this also.

[@MrMikey1273]

I have heard this too and very guilty of doing this to petrol vehicles I had in the past. Funny I heard that it can damage them just before I went from a diesel to a Toyota tacoma. I see people doing this at every gas station. I don't get why they do it honestly when most people use a debit card to pay now instead of cash its not like getting to the next whole dollar amount makes a difference any more.

[@YungEagle3k]

More like dollars

[@johnshuler1396]

@@MrMikey1273 I am quilty of this as are so many people! I do this because it increases the mileage range of my car, especially on a trip!

[@wiicodman]

My girlfriend drives a 2002 RAV4, I love that little thing. A little underpowered at times but it's under 3000lbs and around town it's great.

[@markiangooley]

They’re great. Honda CR-V means a bit more pep though in my experience slightly worse fuel economy, but both are good cars of that type.

[@joemaxwell7185]

It's just a heavy Camry lol

[@carholic-sz3qv]

@@joemaxwell7185 and the crv is just a heavy accord lol….

[@joemaxwell7185]

@@carholic-sz3qv same motor and frame?

[@carholic-sz3qv]

@@joemaxwell7185 yep it is! It’s called platform sharing it’s not a new thing lol….. 😂 😂

[@tylerhough9124]

It’s amazing to watch you work with some pliers and a drill. If you watch closely, you can see the experience in the way he uses each tool and knows how to disconnect each fitting by the way it’s biting. So cool. Thanks Weeeeeeezard

[@Muddymikey]

Wife's 07 RAV 4 had a bunch of lights come on. Took it to a local mechanic here and he told me the truth! I was so impressed. Thought I would be replacing the center diff but it was just the knock sensor. I was able to fix it myself, but I will go back if I have a bigger issue. He didn't even charge me for the diagnosis, I offered but he said no.

[@davidlp3019]

@Mike Rossum keep that mechanic. Seems like a decent guy. so many rip off merchants around these days

[@fubartotale3389]

I remember when the check engine light came on in my '05 Subaru Legacy, the dash lit up like a Christmas tree. After thinking about it for a while, I realized that the lights represented unrelated systems, so it had to be some kind of "dummy proofing," you're more likely to get the car checked out if your cruise control, ABS, etc. aren't availible or you think you have a major system failure.

[@556johny556]

The Christmas tree is one thing. Getting a "SS" where your trip meter should be sure made me question the moral ideology of Subaru for a moment. Turns out it was a Speed Sensor warning, because I confused it by slipping the wheels for a little too long in the snow. Went away by itself after about five minutes.

[@hbhamilton3410]

I think you know most people won’t heed your advice about buying a Toyota. They look at the immediate cost of a Toyota and then they think to themselves, “I can get a Chevy Equinox or Buick Enclave for thousands less.” They don’t realize all that money saved upfront will be lost (and then some) in repair bills, not to mention the depreciation.

[@JohnnyAFG81]

Those RAV4’s are hard to beat. As long as rust dosent eat them up.

[@timothyharrison8953]

Well fortunately, we live in Kansass where they don't have a lot of snow anymore and live with salt on the roads for over half the year. just a few days, or a week or two at most. We have become a progressive, well developed state, that's invested vast amounts of money into our infrastructure, and the roads are the best in the country...if you like them dirt! So much fun in the rain!

[@MinecraftPro97k]

That's why I've been wanting one for a while.

[@loveydovey4u]

I like the 4runners better. Essentially a suv on a truck frame

[@scottimusgarrett15]

It seems a bit unscrupulous for a company to throw a bunch of random error codes at you for a simple problem. A garage without your ethics behind it could have a field day with this! Thanks for the education, and thanks for the rare and elusive fix-it episode, Mr. and Mrs. Wizard! ✌️❤️🙂🇨🇦

[@HiroNguy]

So much for Toyota, GM, and the government being any kind of solution.

[@kevinbarry71]

Manufacturers do this because they have learned that unless you do something drastic; the average person is going to ignore the problem.

[@kevinbarry71]

@@graemejohnson9025 another victim of electric Jesus.

[@llaughridge]

Not unscrupulous. People are lazy and will not usually do the right thing unless they are made to.

[@YungEagle3k]

@@graemejohnson9025 k

[@itsnotme07]

Toyota...those engineers are wicked funny! My sister has a 2011 Toyota RAV4...and I know you can tell where this is going, but it wasn't the charcoal canister...as her "Christmas tree of lights" as she called it, came on in the middle of a vacation trip. A little research online, and a call to her dealer (was still under warranty) and the dealer service manager said "It's ok to drive, you'll have no issues, just get it in here as soon as you're back" We were 200+ miles from home. He was right, the RAV4 was perfect on that ride home. Next day in the shop, they replaced 2 oxygen sensors, which the Toyota 2.5L 4 cyl is known to need a lot of. Now when the "Christmas tree lights" come on, she laughs, checks the codes to confirm, and then gets the car fixed when she can. I've told her if the check engine light ever starts flashing...then she needs to pull over safely and call AAA for a tow home. Other than that, just keep driving until you're home. She's got 135k miles now on that 2011 RAV4....easily on her way to over 200k for sure. Being in New England, the car might rust away before it stops running. Oh yeah, me....my daily driver is a 2015 Lexus RX350. I'm no dummy...I like my car to be reliable. haha.

[@MattExzy]

I've only ever had a check engine light come up once on my 2005 Camry in about the 5 years I've owned it with 200k + miles. Had an ignition coil go out - it was VERY dramatic about it. The engine light was indeed flashing (which I later learned means a misfire), everything juddered (running on 3 cylinders) and then the car shifted itself down and gradually started ignoring throttle input, then just stopped, but I was pulled over by that point. I'd never experienced that in a car before - the sense that it was 'taking over' and entering self-preservation. Popped the hood.. didn't see anything obvious. I waited 5 minutes, started up, the light never even came on again and it drove back into town like nothing happened. Quite thankful, because it was in an isolated area without phone signal. Managed to drive back into town to get its codes read and fixed - a new coil and some new spark plugs for good measure.

[@johnthreefifteen]

We bought our oldest daughter a used basic Stanza. It had A/C and auto, but no power windows or power locks. Five or six later we bought second daughter a used Camry with PW and PL. First daughter pouted and fussed until we bought her a used Maxima that was fully loaded. The Camry lasted many many more years after the Maxima was long gone.

[@sunbeam8866]

Did first daughter cry "You love her more than me!"?

[@davidkaminski615]

I have a 2002 Sequoia with 340,000 miles on it. The only things I've done on it are things that have worn out and change fluids. Over 4 years of ownership, the only things that have broken are the rear hatch stuff and a fuse went out disabling the traction control.

[@boogitybear2283]

I own a 2011 Toyota Avalon which is pretty much a large Camry. Hands down, it’s the greatest car I’ve ever owned.

[@Tipman2OOO]

Nice choice. Good investment.

[@boogitybear2283]

@@Tipman2OOO I want a Lexus LS model also. That’s what I’m pursuing as a backup ride.

[@Tipman2OOO]

@@boogitybear2283 nice I just have a camry myself and a 5.0 mustang is my toy. I mean hey if it's not my daily why does it have to be dependable lol!

[@Tipman2OOO]

@@boogitybear2283 02 cam and 95 Stang bt dub

[@brendanleonard1375]

I had a 2001 Rav4 that looked similar to this and LOVED IT! But the transmission started going bad and ultimately failed. It would sometimes shift and sometimes would not. I heard it is a somewhat common problem with the 2001-2003 model years. I heard the ECM is to blame. But I looked at repair records and it was replaced in 2006. I ended up selling it but I loved that car!

[@Mr-pn2eh]

@@graemejohnson9025 as a 23 year old as of this comment. I agree with your statement. And when said daughter is old she will be glad you said what you said.

[@Mr-pn2eh]

@@graemejohnson9025 sadly majority of today's youth is like that. I see it first hand.

[@Mr-pn2eh]

@@graemejohnson9025 too bad America doesn't get to have diesel land cruisers. And now America won't be getting land cruisers at all anymore. We are stuck with stupid jeeps and broncos and land rovers. The closest thing we get to land cruiser is a hilux surf (4runner)

[@FARAJ.ZAID.NASSER]

I have a 2005 RAV4, I love it, it's perfect

[@FARAJ.ZAID.NASSER]

I have a 2005 RAV4, I love it, it's perfect

[@greekcs]

I own a 2005 RAV with 245K miles. It extremely reliable. Just make sure you check the oil every other week. The 2AZ-FE is known to consume oil due to a faulty piston design.

[@MetaView7]

Don't overfill your gas tank. Don't add that extra click after the nozzle has stopped. The tank would send the excessive gas into the canister, causing premature failure of the canister.

[@MetaView7]

ps. most of the time you don't need to replace the canister. It is the stuck valves that caused the CEL. You can replace the valves with Corolla valves. They are similar, and cost a bit cheaper.

[@derek17005]

What the Wizard forgot to mention, is that this charcoal canister for a 05 Rav 4 is about $500 for a Dorman and even more for OEM, plus an hour of diagnostic labor plus another hour of labor for install so that "easy" fix is still costing well over $700-$800. So while nothing "catastrophic" took place with the traction control or ABS, it still cost a pretty penny to fix.

[@Digital-Dan]

They stopped making them in 2003, but the first-gen RAV4-EV's don't exhibit any of these problems. I went 7 years between services, due to neglect, but the car got a clean bill of health after all that. The BEV future will not look like this.

[@Chris-1974]

If you torque bolts to spec without a torque wrench you need to say "click" yourself as you reach the correct torque!

[@Muddymikey]

Or "BEEP!" if your fancy.

[@oneeyedjack4727]

Rainman Ray! "Click.... gravity".

[@datsunruss]

@@oneeyedjack4727 hahaha Rainman is great Jack - love his content, especially when the shop phone rings.

[@deanstevenson6527]

That happens because other car makers have in the past gotten fines from the EPA for suppressing an OBD fault code light when technicians do a service check. Toyota decided not to let the Federal Regulations slide, hence all the codes. Evaporative emission controls were first required on cars sold in California in 1970. It's a great system, IMHO. With no Evap in place, 80% of all hydrocarbon emissions happens on gas tank filling. The rest has been taken care of by what is now "relatively simple other smog" gear.

[@lutomson3496]

yes and here in california with all the evap garbage i went out of state to buy a new motorcycle without all of it on, all of it fails at some point and is expensive

[@MinecraftPro97k]

Ah, an old friend of mine. The bright orange check engine light... I knew what was coming by now. The emissions stuff that has not been a big deal for me. Unless you live in California or some other state that requires emissions testing, you will be fine when your check engine light is on, as long as it's not red or flashing. In fact, there are plenty of engine issues that could happen and the check engine light wouldn't even come on.

[@fourtrax4ever]

On my '05 4Runner one of the o2 sensors was going bad and throwing a code, and much like this Rav4, the traction control, vehicle stability control, and ABS warning lights all came on. Got the sensors replaced and it's been happy ever since. I love my 4runner and wouldn't trade it for anything other than a newer one, but it's crazy how something seemingly so minor they go and disable a bunch of safety stuff (especially living in Canada and it happens in the winter with snow everywhere) Love the videos Mr. and Mrs. Car Wizard!

[@psiturbo]

Mine had the same issue, it was the gasoline at one specific gas station. Replaced spark plugs, only use Shell V-Power and once a month or so pump 93 fuel to fill the tank. O2 codes went away.

[@johng.4959]

Great video. Currently having a similar long-standing issue with one of the Wiz's favorite cars - (2001 LeSabre 3800) "Traction, Brake , ABS lights are all on". Apparently when a the ABS sensor goes bad, one must replace the entire bearing and hub... Working on it. GM made a great engine with thee models, but dang...these little dash lights all coming on are a real pain to eliminate.

[@johng.4959]

@@wm9346 Thank you for this suggestion! I will certainly look for this. Appreciate it!

[@midwestfarm757]

I'd add in a package of 4 window motors, or if very cheap a big wooden block to shut window.

[@CuteLittleNeko]

I remember a long time ago I asked one of the RI's about the fuel canister and he told me that it was a feature intended to make repairs easier. Reason is that if you have all the purge valves and sensors in one place you just have to replace one thing instead of looking for the actual faulty part. GM is a good example of this because you often have to throw parts at it till you actually fix it.

[@carmudgeon7478]

Mechanics know how to fix what is wrong. Technicians are parts cannoneers. Yeah, I said that.😉

[@Mis73rRand0m]

Systems like evaporative emissions are assumed to have failed in total when only one component has failed, because all the plastics and little solenoids are engineered with the same life-span. Most of the time individual components can be replaced, but I have found more modern systems to be unitized - eliminating guesswork in most cases. On cars like BMW's I tend to recommend replacing every line in addition to the canister and valves. Some manufacturers just have terrible plastics... fortunately Toyota isn't the worst offender.

[@Mach141]

If you know what you are doing, you never have to throw parts at anything, regardless of make or model. Its called fault isolation.

[@loveubobby]

Yes! Thank you... I have all Toyota's 2003 Sequoia, 2011 Camry, 2004 Rav4...Your really good with cars and straight to the point. Thats what I like to see.. God Bless You..

[@philcurtis314]

I have an 05 rav 4 as well. Another common problem regarding false codes is from water Dripping inside the firewall and onto the electrical relays. The water that runs off the windshield is directed down the frame and out a hole in the bottom, but after they get clogged with leaves, dirt, etc, the water backs up and leaks into the cab right above the electrical relays on the driver and passenger side. Common symptoms are the check engine light, loss of speedometer, and in bad conditions irratic shifting from the automatic transmission. Code reader will often say bad speed sensors. The sensors are still good. The drains are hard to get to but need to get cleaned out. Or simply throw a tea towel over the electrical relays for a quick and temporary fix. Stay away from hitting puddles with this model Rav4.

[@davidhoover2446]

I don't care for SUV's, but a friend in college had one and I drove it quite a few times. It has great torque which surprised me a lot. Any time I've driven a used Toyota to buy I don't care for them overall. The only one I've been impressed with is the previous Gen tundra. It is a very nice truck! Who knows, maybe there are Toyota models I would like that I haven't driven, but I drive every model I possibly can before buying to keep an open mind. A lot of people I know think 100k miles is too much and they have to get rid of their vehicle just to make payments on a new one. I enjoy keeping a vehicle a long time so I have no debt and I enjoy taking care of them for lots of miles.

[@OrjonZ]

I got CX-7 for my parents, was good for 3-4 years and they loved but started having issues and everything was started to break. Now got them a RAV4 and is way more basic but its will never break.

[@malsell]

I was a Ford guy growing up, still a Mustang guy, but I was out shopping for a Full Size SUV a few years back and just kept running into Expeditions with the 5.4L and Suburbans with all kinds of issues. I found an '01 Toyota Sequoia, The only thing I have done to it outside of routine maintainance was to replace the Exhaust and the Throttle body. This thing has the 4.7L V8 with the TRD supercharger and 248k miles and runs like a champ.

[@boxerdog5979]

Sorry Wizard I have had the exact opposite experience with Toyota. My wife and I bought a new Toyota Highlander, what a nightmare that car was, everything broke lucky it was all covered under warranty but just a pain to keep brining it in. I had a 1989 Toyota Supra Turbo, always in the shop for different things, had a Toyota MR2 would eat distributer caps every 6 months. I bought my wife a Chevy 2007 Tahoe with a 5.3 new. Oil changes and fuel, regular maintenence is all that Tahoe needs it has 120k miles runs perfect. Maybe I have just been unlucky but I will never own another Toyota.

[@divineoracle4809]

When my coil pack failed on my 2008 ES350, the check engine light, traction control light, VSC monitor, and the brake light all came on. You're right, I definitely assumed it was a MUCH LARGER PROBLEM. Once I got it scanned, misfire on cylinder 4. One coil pack later, all was ok. 🤣

[@royhenning5791]

I had a similar event happened to my RAV4 a few years ago. My idiot lights lit up like Christmas tree after a wet winter night. Never found the cause, but the problem went away after parking it in a dry garage. Best car I ever owned

[@チェリーブラッサム-z9q]

I have exact same car 2004. Craziest thing: Fusible Link BLock Assembly failure. Failed intermittently. Lost power off and on to controls including icm. Took me a while to diagnose. Gas tank is leaking. Intake manifold noise-baffle crack. 170k miles. Still love it.

[@DelmaterCD]

My wife bought the same car, same color, new, in 2005. Named it Bob! Ok almost same. Ours is 2WD. We still drive it just about every single day. Always reliable, and cheap to fix most anything on it.

[@mikebrzoska9741]

A good preventative for this one is to not top off the fuel at the gas station. Overtime that excess gasoline will destroy the charcoal canister. When the gas pump clicks, just stop and no more fueling.

[@gwfowler]

I was driving my 2015 Prius to work and it quit running and all manner of lights came on. I thought the traction battery had gone out. I shut it off and restarted it, drove home and drove my truck to work. When I got home, I hooked up my scan tool. It was the engine water pump. I replaced it in my driveway for about $200. The only non scheduled maintenance on that car for 222,000 miles. Traded it in for another Toyota.

[@christopherkraft1327]

Hey Wizard & Mrs Wizard, the Toyota RAV 4 is a great little car. My sister has a RAV 4 Limited & loves it, she's had it for several years & all she's done to it is oil changes & tires!!! Thanks for sharing another fun video!!! 👍👍🙂

[@mbacko1]

I have a 2010 Rav4, great car. I had a similar problem with the traction control and ABS lights coming on, as well as the check engine. The car would start driving strangely, with low power. I did some research and replaced the upper and lower oxygen sensors with OEM Denso and the problem was corrected. Apparently the Rav4 computer is very reliant on readings from the oxygen sensors for determining fuel mix in the engine. Still going strong now at 170K miles.

[@Wolfhound.]

big thing that trashes evap systems is trying to squeeze more gas in the tank after the first click any time you make gas come up the filler neck and down the vent you flood your evap system with gas and it will kill it eventually

[@chrisdyt3336]

Hi Wizard, I need to thank you for a previous video that saved me a lot of money/stress. We were away for a couple of weeks and came back and our little 2019 i30 N-Line was throwing warning codes everywhere. Because of your videos I knew it was probably just a low battery and oversensitive monitoring systems. A short trickle charge and all was good. So a huge thankyou

[@keithlivingstone2525]

Met a guy just on Friday here in Northern Ireland who had an original green MK1 3dr RAV4 from 1995. He owned it from new and it was still immaculate. He bought it on his 50th birthday and it had nearly 100k miles on it. My wife has had two of the Mk2 models (as above) and absolutely loved them.

[@kareemofwheat602]

Subaru does the same thing. My daughter had a 2011 Legacy. Every time I heard "Dad, the check engine light is on AGAIN", I cringed. Not only does the check engine light come on, but the traction light, brake light, ABS light, and the cruise light flashes. This happened 3 times in a row for different things. First, bad valve body, then catalytic converter , then O2 sensor. She finally got rid of it----I bought it. Thankfully, no more codes.

[@leechburglights]

Thanks for the video! Have to say, I love my Toyota 4Runner. It's amazing... but yes, much more expensive than the Equinox, Enclave, and GMC Acadia. So glad I didn't fall for getting one of those. Great advice from the Wizard and Scotty ;) For S&G's I looked the part (used in this video) up on Rock Auto. Price is around $250-$300 depending on the 3 available (at this time in 2022). Having the scanner is an absolute must in today's vehicle market. I love the fact that I can scan my vehicle. It's issues like this that the average person can fix/replace on their own. I used a scanner on both used vehicles (2011 F150 and 2008 Ford 500) after driving both vehicles for 30 minutes on the test, no lights/codes came up. 2 years later, both of these vehicles have been good runners. The Ford 500 does have lights come on every once-in-a-while, and mostly the electronics are super easy and cheap for me to replace on my own.

[@garymcphee8284]

It's good to see an impartial comment in regards to Toyotas. They are also known here in Australia as a very reliable car, though I still love my 5.4 litre quad overhead cam Ford falcon XR8 V8.

[@Tripp426]

It's good to know that more lights come on than just the check engine light when evap problems arise, because I doubt very many people take that light seriously. My stepdad told me he knows people that have had their check engine light on for ten years and they continue to drive the car regardless.

[@topherd1011]

You can typically get away with just changing the purge valve on these. Sometimes not.. but I’d say 7/10 times it just needs the purge. Will save you a lot of money, too- in comparison to the entire canister. Spiders really love the older Toyota purge valves. They build webs in them and screws them up.

[@DoorDashDuo]

I own 2 rav4's just got the 01 recently .2001 5 speed awd it was a 1 owner car before I purchased it.had engine light on paid $4200 then changed both af sensors and both O2 sensors changed catalytic converter (exhaust manifold)4 new tires. runs perfect $5400 in it total. My other rav4 is 2002 automatic 2wd paid $4000 six years ago changed spark plugs and serpentine belt brakes and tires in six years. It never lets us down...

[@leandrolaporta2196]

I never understood why they dont put a small lcd alphanumeric display and just say wtf is going on in PLAIN ENGLISH instead of scare the driver with a bunch of lights that makes no sense when there is no major problem, that problem won't destroy the engine , so wtf? Why they do this, I designed telemetry systems in the past , its not expensive to do at scale, they don't do it because they want you to run over to a dealer so they can rip you off

[@houseofno]

The check engine light is actually required by FEDERAL LAW for cars to be driven on public roads in USA. The manufacturer can publish messages in an alphanumeric display (late 80's and 90's BMW's do this) but the CEL has to be present as the primary warning.

[@jmorris023]

Plus, you gotta pay for the scan in most cases.

[@edwoll]

My Mazda CX-5 threw up a traction control warning light with a coil misfire.

[@Vekurus]

It's impossible to find this vintage of RAV4, that thing is a gem!

[@trentryan27]

Lol, they're everywhere in my area

[@TerribleFire]

The car companies should be banned from doing this.

[@flight2k5]

Such a conspiracy isn’t it?

[@TerribleFire]

What is? they're just being twats

[@plektosgaming]

My Mustang had a similar electrical issue. The dealer was claiming with a straight face that yes, all 4 O2 sensors were bad and had failed at the exact same second. (statistically this is higher odds than winning the lottery). Obviously something went sideways briefly with the electricals or a module. Cleaning the grounds and re-seating fuses fixed it. The cause was one module briefly not communicating back to the mothership causing a slight misfire. With a slew of codes as expected. Needless to say, I am NOT going back to that dealership. I pay to have the electrical fault found, they simply pull codes and try to charge me a fortune. When I already showed them the code and explained how it was clearly a connection error somewhere in the mess or wires and modules. Which is WHY I paid to get it looked at - it took me an entire weekend to find it myself.

[@thatguyjai]

Hondas seems like good cars as well. I have a 2008 Acura RL and I've made about 11 round trip drives from D.C. to Alabama from November 2020 to now. It has 195,000 miles on it and still runs smooth and quiet.

[@maxwood192]

Yes I have a 2010 Rav4 with the 2.4 petrol motor, purchased it from a car rental company, 2 years old with 100,000km on the clock. Now I have 210,000km on the speedo, its 12 years old, absolutely nothing has been done to this car except annual service, front brakes, and a new battery. I just turn the key and drive it. The best car I have owed,

[@anthonylombardo9949]

I own a 2005 Toyota rav 4 L model with 142,109 miles in black mint condition bought it off a friend did lots of maintenance work on it and did upgrades to audio and replaced speakers and it’s a very good reliable suv I love my rav 4

[@ccoder4953]

I've got a 2011 Rav4 (V6 variant, the best one). Great little vehicle. Unbelievable amount of space, lots of power. That little thing can tow 3500 pounds. That's small travel trailer territory (lookup the R-Pod). Hasn't given me a bit of trouble. I expect 300k miles out of it at least.

[@alanrussell6678]

Got a 2010 V6. Still looks brand new. Such a sleeper with the 6.

[@iversonjcameron]

they are everywhere in south america....they last forever...like the suzuki jimney

[@neilmurphy845]

Those old Toyota's are just magic they just don't break anything major like transmission or engine problems and they fixed all the oil burning issues in 2005 for the 1.6 1.8 engine here in Europe it's amazing

[@adamharris2674]

I love the "Wizard Foot Pounds!" I use those specs quite often myself!!

[@MetaView7]

While you are there, you should check the fuel filler tube. It is located in the left rear wheel well. There is a plastic that covers the tubes. The plastic tends to collect dirt and road grime, causing the tubes to rot.

[@petermarshall6577]

These older RAV's with the 6 cylinde are sweet...

[@farmcat3198]

I have a 2004 Rav4 AWD; original owner, 180k. It's an awesome vehicle. Other vehicles just aren't as fun to drive. Except for a new transmission, few repairs were required. Unfortunately, a pesky P0420 code that keeps popping up, and now some interior leak and flooding. Time to replace some seals and I'll keep on driving it.

[@23ofSeptember]

My mom had a Rav4, 2002ish I think it was. It was a great vehicle. Little noisy (tires) but overall a nice ride.

[@Robsbrd99]

I agree with ya Wizard. I have an 08 4runner 4.0. It's been in the family since new. It has 55k on it. Only two things other than wear items have been done. The bulb went bad in the center display and the rubber cover over the rear hatch switch rotted. Will probably outlive me.

[@grad0n]

I’ve seen this scare tactic first hand on a 201_ rav4. At the time, I told the lady the canister was $370 from RA. She waited too long and now it is double.

[@badopinionsrighthere]

March 19, 2020. I had a spider on my hand, got distracted, and crashed one of these into a stone gate. Same year even, but it was black. I had bought it for my mom a month prior. Car was absolutely destroyed, but I was fine. Just a gnarly bruise from the seat belt. Convinced me of how vital airbags really are, as well as modern safety standards. I love my Grand Marquis, but whenever I buy another car, it's going to be a Toyota. In fact, once you are ready to let this go, I will probably be in touch.

[@rusty-tv8qt]

I worked hard and saved my money and bought a 65 chev impala $500 back in 1977 nobody bought me anything! But I learned to take good care of it because if it broke I paid for it.

[@dentmastersofnymichael3316]

I had a 2002 Highlander and the Knock sensors went bad and it made the transmission shift funny and it went into limp mode. I know a lot of people who were told the transmission was bad but it was just a little sensor a knock sensor

[@victorchanmar4047]

i wish you had made this video 5 years ago. i had the same car same year with 180k miles. i had the same codes and no dealer or third party could figure it out. I ended up selling the car when there was nothing wrong except the EVAP codes. Great video for any RAV4 owners that might face the same issue

[@andypullin4702]

Renault Scenic similar...dash lights up "Traction control inoperative. Cruise control inoperative" and check engine light, engine misfires. Actual fault - one failed ignition coil.

[@stevenmaresca9637]

Here in the rust belt...Its always the solenoid not the whole canister.. The rest never fails. Unless its full of fuel or water.

[@johngaither3830]

I checked and the retail price for the Vapor Canister assembly from Toyota is $421.67. The discount online OEM place has it for $296.17 plus freight. You're right about the durability and reliability of Toyotas but their replacement parts are as expensive as any other manufacturers parts. It's a good thing you need to buy them so seldom.

[@nofgood4live]

i "upgraded" from a 96 to a 03 rav4 2.0 4x4 manual. 2 years ago. i like the room and how it drives.

[@jeffer9499]

Our Subaru throws an emission code and throws all those lights and the worst thing is that it kills your cruise control. And normally its only on long road trips on vacation. I keep a scanner with me now to clear it out so I can have cruise back

[@PetrolHeadBrasil]

Can't agreed more! Toyota cars are made to last! I have a 2017 Toyota Etios here in Brazil, with 107.000 km and the brakes are the same since new! And it's ceramic pads! All the coils look new!!!

[@zorilla0]

My 2007 Scion tC is on its third or fourth fuel cap after 125,000 miles. Toyotas of this era are really picky about emissions. Each time I've replaced it, there is nothing visually wrong except the plastic has turned from white to brown, but apparently that's enough for it to throw two or more of the same codes seen in this video.

[@jsun3117]

Check for bugs and cobwebs inside the hoses of the canister before buying a new one? And don't forget to check for a deteorated gas cap seal.

[@NKP73]

Drive a 2002 Rav4 238k miles Commute into Brooklyn 5 days a week, this thing is invincible!!! 😍 LOVE IT, If Toyota made Refrigerates/!Toilets/ anything else I would purchase them

[@97accordvtec]

Hello from New Zealand.I've got a 1997 Honda Accord CD5 as you can see in my profile picture.I've owned since 2003.It has a brake light warning light that comes on if the brake light bulb blows.The first time it happened it got me quite worried as not only did the brake light warning light come on but the ABS light and handbrake light came on to.I fixed the easiest thing first being the brake light bulb and all warning lights went off which was a great relief.Just shows that one sensor can set of more than one sensors.

[@ColJonSquall1]

I figured, it would be like my Mitsubishi, where if the TPMS light, the stability control system warning light and the ABS light all had come on, it'd be just the TPMS not receiving a signal from the sensor in the valve stem. I figured that out when swapping wheels temporarily. I eventually had my original factory rims fitted with new tires, put them on, and all the warnings went away.

[@Mid2stars]

had all the lights turn on this week on our mitsubsihi. It looks like something major wrong had happend. It is probably just something simple.

[@Rickmakes]

In-laws were on a road trip their their dash lit up. The car drove but cruise control quit working. It ended up being that the gas cap wasn't tight enough. The car has a large touch screen. God forbid the screen just display a message telling what the problem is.

[@Super6-Four]

Ah yes I remember my friend's Rav4 had this issue. Beyond me why they would program it to disable literally everything a rav4 is good at because of a charcoal canister failing...we used a Scion charcoal canister which was exactly the same, you just have to make sure its the exact same year scion canister and transfer the mounting plate from the old canister to the new one.

[@georgepppp533]

Of course you need a Toyota to back up any fancy European car :) Still prefer my Hi Lux with the engine facing NS, standard transmission with a diff between leaf springs at the rear, on a true chassis. looks real good as I sail past a broken down exotic stuck at the side of the road. Yet to see how it goes on the first service at 400000 klms. It should be run in by then.

[@thefalloutshelter7799]

When the rear wheel speed sensor went out on my BMW E90 the dash and message system was like a Christmas tree

[@iversonjcameron]

Only in USA....these cars run up and down thru South America, they dont have any of those sensors, last forever just like the Suzuki Samurai/Jimney

[@deansapp4635]

My 2004 Toyota Sienna SES light came on and it triggered the Traction / ABS light. Toyota did that deliberate to scare the customer into having it serviced.

[@davidlaforest]

I had same issue i my 05 rav4. Had to replace canister also. Did it myself on the ground. Was easy to do

[@Raven-uu7lb]

I drive a 2010 Corolla Altis as my first car that my dad gave it to me because he bought a 2014 Accord. He still love the Corolla Altis so much to this day that he doesn't wanna sell it even though his friends gave him quite a good offer for the car. So far so good. Reliability has never been an issue to my dad or myself. If I'm correct, those problems mostly caused by the way on how the previous owners drove the cars or how careless they were on the vehicle maintenance. (Correct me if I'm wrong) Current mileage on my Corolla Altis is around 370k km (which is about 229k miles) Other than that, I think I understand why my dad love the car so much- The Corolla Altis is the car that people get to know him by just looking at the number plate. Other than that he told me he loved the car because it's kinda one of the reasons why his business is boomin' (What I'm trying to say is that because of that Corolla, he can go anywhere easily, catching up with clients quickly and never had major issues with it - which is why he really love the Corolla Altis so much)

[@xione0825]

I have a friend that has over 500,000 on his Rav. I think it's a 97 or 98. Still going. His biggest problem is finding parts for it. His mechanic had to rig a make-shift fuel line because they don't make them anymore.

[@groosbro1]

I drove a 2010 RAV4 a few times. Frankly it was like sitting on a toilet bowl while it's on a ladder with a steering wheel.

[@TX_Nano.]

I helped my brother diagnose a bad coil (misfire cyl 4) on his RAV4 and it light the Xmas tree of lights. Replaced the coil, cleared them all and good to go. 🙂. Maybe Toyota decided that folks simply ignore the single SES light and decided to scare folks into getting things serviced.

[@StrangelyIronic]

That's a nice RAV4, I like the color accents and hood. I have a collection of Toyotas at this point, a RWD converted ST204 97 Celica with a turbocharged 1GR V6, a FWD 98 Celica with a turbo 2AZ swap, a first gen manual Scion xB, a second gen auto xB (that my mother drives now and loves), and a 09 second gen Pontiac Vibe GT manual all original (basically a Matrix XRS). Of those that's three 2AZ's that are super reliable (even the turbocharged project), the first gen xB's little 1.5L will go forever with how under stressed it is, and while the 1GR isn't exactly economical compared to original, but it makes for a fun baby Supra with the custom suspension I put together planting the ~340hp and ~360lbft of torque that's at the wheels solidly to the ground.

[@scorpio_357]

The biggest/most expensive failure on my 2010 Tacoma 2.7L was a water pump at 100k miles. The pump didn't even fail it was just a little leaky. I've had the truck since 2012 and 66k miles. Now has around 155k and I expect it to go for another 150k minimum.

[@joannaatkins822]

My '02 Toyota Avensis has an O2 sensor and the ESC, ABS, and engine light are all on. It's a British only car, but it shares an engine type with the Rav4 (1az-fse)

[@effpv6]

Hi from Australia. Love the Rav4 currently on our 2nd one, 1st was a 2007 model, our current one is a 2016 model. only reason we traded up was the 07 was a manual, and my knees are stuffed, and needed to change to an auto. Other than that there was nothing wrong with it, would probably still have it if it wasn't for it being a manual

[@Rhaspun]

That's too bad you can't use the manual. Manual transmission is so much more bullet proof compared to an automatic. I've kept my '97 4 Runner with a manual and it now has over 413k miles on it now. The original clutch lasted over 300k miles. I had it replaced as I was going to take another extended vacation drive a couple of years ago to Yellowstone Park and then I was going to come back down to visit a college friend down in Texas. I started from the SF Bay Area.

[@JBM425]

I just returned from visiting family and friends near Manhattan, KS. That’s a bit of a ways from where you are, and I wouldn’t disrupt your daily business to drop in as an annoying fan. Stage an open house at Omega on some Saturday in 2023, and that would give me another excuse to come out to The Land of Oz again!

[@IRockYourWorldv2]

I daily a 5spd 02 Rav4 and have been enjoying it with minimal issues!