Toyota RAV4 weak points: what to check when buying used

Which RAV4 you are looking at

The recent generations are the XA30 (2005–2012), the XA40 (2012–2018) and the XA50 (from 2018). The engines differ by market: a 2.4 (2AZ-FE) and then a 2.5 (2AR-FE) on the XA30, a 3.5 V6 (2GR) on the XA30, a 2.0 (3ZR) on the XA30 and XA40, a 2.2 diesel (2AD) in Europe, and on the XA50 a 2.0 (M20A), a 2.5 (A25A) and hybrids, including a plug-in. The registration document or a VIN decode tells you which one this car has.

Engine: what to check

• 2.4 (2AZ-FE) and 2.0 (3ZR): both are known to use oil as they age. Check the dipstick, ask how much oil the car takes between services, and look for blue smoke after a long idle.
• 2.5 (2AR-FE): a short grinding rattle in the first seconds after a cold start is a worn VVT actuator; water pump leaks show as dried pink coolant crust around the pump.
• 3.5 V6 (2GR): early engines had a VVT oil line with a rubber section that could burst; Toyota replaced it with a metal one in a service campaign. Ask whether it was done and look for oil on the engine.
• 2.2 diesel (2AD): this engine had head gasket and oil consumption problems, and Toyota extended its warranty in Europe. Look for coolant loss, white smoke, oil in the coolant and overheating, and ask whether the engine was repaired under the programme.
• Cold start: see Cold start: what to listen for and look at.

Gearbox, four-wheel drive and hybrid

• Automatic and CVT: gear changes without jerks, flares or delays; the CVT of the 2.0 should move off without judder or whine. Ask when its fluid was last changed.
• Four-wheel drive: turn the wheel fully at low speed both ways and listen for clunks, grinding or binding from the rear. A whine that grows with speed can be the rear differential or the coupling.
• Hybrid (XA50): some early hybrids would not take the full rated amount of fuel, and Toyota developed a fix; ask the dealer by VIN. On four-wheel-drive hybrids corroded connectors of the rear motor’s high-voltage cable have been reported. On the drive the car should move off in electric mode, with no hybrid system warning.
• Plug-in hybrid: ask for the charging history and check that it charges with the seller’s cable.

Body, underbody and interior

• Underbody: many RAV4s are used on gravel, on snow and with a trailer. Look for scrapes, a worn tow bar and, in countries with winter road salt, rust on the subframes and brake lines.
• Accident repairs: check the paint thickness and the panel gaps; see How to check a car’s paint and accident damage.
• Water leaks: look for damp carpets and stains under the roof lining around the sunroof and the roof rails, and for signs of a flood; see How to tell if a car has been in a flood.

Before you pay

Ask a Toyota dealer by VIN about open recalls and the campaigns above. Do the whole inspection from How to check a used car before you buy it and the drive from the used car test drive checklist. Use what you find to negotiate.