2006 Toyota RAV4: check engine light

Filed Feb 24, 2023 · Engine · CA

Two days ago my car was driving perfectly on the highway. The oil pressure light turned on I turned off the highway immediately and put more oil in the car. At this point my car is consuming over a quart every week and I don't drive more than a couple of hundred miles every week. I've taken several longer trips with this car. I started the car back up after checking the oil level, started driving and the light didn't come back on. About 10 more miles down the road on the highway the oil pressure light the check engine light vsc light the four-wheel drive light appear. I go to an AutoZone and I get a code p0012. I've done lots of research and I've learned that this is all related to Toyota's well-known defective design and manufacturing of their engines. I have a 2az Fe engine. I bought this car with 125,000 miles on it in 2020. It now has about 154,000 mi on it. I didn't know that the oil consumption was extreme until this point of research. Now my car is making a rattling sound most likely the engine needs to be replaced. Technically yes I can drive it but it will stall and probably light on fire if I do and this is dangerous. They had a TSB warranty extension in 2016 I believe. I did not own the car that time nor do I know if that car was even subjected to the extension notice. But it is well known engine can do this and the Pistons fail around this mileage that my car has. It's out of warranty but I'm reading everywhere people having problems with this year's car and the other cars with this engine right now. There's a whole group of engines that are starting to fail because of these poorly designed Pistons that can affect oil leakage. Not only wasting a precious resource but causing a very dangerous situation for drivers. This should be addressed by Toyota still I want them to fix my engine or replace it before I cause an accident that can lead to death. I'm choosing to not drive it right now but I don't have the luxury of a second car. I may have to drive it.

Filed Nov 14, 2022 · Engine · LA

2006 Toyota Rav4 with 2.4 liter engine burning oil rapidly. Burning approximately 4 quarts of oil in 3,000 miles. Vehicle currently has 100,000 miles. Issue persists even though I maintain routine maintenance on the vehicle. Luckily no safety hazards have occurred yet, but there is a high risk for potential safety hazard. Vehicle has been inspected by 3 different mechanics. I have been told by 3 different mechanics that this is a common issue for cars with this year/engine. About 2,800 miles after high synthetic oil change the vehicle begins to sound like it is struggling to accelerate at low speeds and the check engine oil light will briefly turn on at random then go away. Light does not stay lit or continuously flicker.

Filed Apr 8, 2019 · Engine · 138,000 miles · PA

Oil light came on seconds before check engine light. Car would not accelerate and I had to pull off road. Engine required four (4) quarts of oil. No warning of low oil!! I was driving on an interstate highway at this time!

Filed Mar 28, 2017 · Engine · 80,711 miles · NY

While driving east on I-490 from rochester to I-90, the check engine light came on and the engine was misfiring. We exited the freeway and the check engine light started to flash, the engine sputtered and died. I put the car in neutral and parked on the right curb. Fortunately this happened on a city street and not on the freeway. Power steering was of course lost, so the maneuver was difficult. Aaa towed the car to our repair shop, and they reported 24 engine codes were thrown, and recommended a complete engine tune-up, including replacement of the six ignition coil packs, spark plugs, and intake manifold gaskets. Much of the $1,000 expense was 4.5 hours of labor, to remove the intake manifold (necessary to reach the rear bank of cylinders 1,3,5). This was not the first time the ignition coils have failed on this vehicle. In october 2012 (around 50k miles) engine code p0354 was thrown, and I replaced the coil on cylinder 4. In january 2014 (around 58k miles) code p0356 was thrown, and I replaced the coil on cylinder 6. Since the dangerous incident of lost power and replacement of all six coils on 14 june 2016 (around 80k miles) only nine months and 7k miles later, code p0351 (bad coil on cylinder 1) was thrown on 24 march 2017, and now code p0355 (cylinder 5) was thrown on 28 march 2017. I have already spent around $1,200 to deal with this problem, and the car is today back in the repair shop to have two rear bank coils replaced, for $229. There is clearly something wrong when these coils are failing under normal operating conditions, especially after only 7k miles. This is not just a problem for us. Other repair shops have said this era of rav4 is known for this problem. See http://www.carproblemzoo.com/toyota/rav4/ignition-coils-failure-problems.php and you can find other similar records of this problem searching online.

Filed Mar 21, 2017 · Driver assistance · 5 miles · TX

Updating the recent complaint, warning lights:-check engine,vsc, tcs,break,4wd lights are keep on coming , vehicle looses all power assistance. This is the 4th time I am experiencing the same problem. This vehicle was with auto mechanic few days ago and he changed the battery and check the alternator, all in good condition. Yesterday morning I was on the way to work,all warning lights came and I had to stop the car in freeway, I turned off the engine and left the vehicle for few minutes,started engine and engine light were on, but all power came back and I could went back back to my home. I left the this car at home and took my 2nd car and went for work. Evening I check the car, my car looks normal there was no warning lights, it was running normal. I beleive this car has some serious electronic problem( unable to detect through diagnostic machine).which I check with 3 different mechanics.

Filed Mar 9, 2017 · Electrical · 10 miles · TX

I have 2006 toyota rav4-battery warning lights flips and go,- when I was driving in freeway 68mph, battery warning signals flips two times while I try to accelerate the vehicle. And also all warning signals, check engine, tcs, vsc, 4 wd, break, and airbag signals came and vehicle lost all electrical power, steering become hard and break didn't work, I had to pull over the vehicle in freeway. It happed two times, still the battery signals are flips when push the gas. I had to tow this vehicle two times. I check this car with three mechanics and autozone, they could not find out any problem,. They all said battery and alternators are working good ( battery and alternators are replaced two ears ago. I have seen many 2006 toyota rav4 customers experiencing the same problem. Driving this vehicle is scary and life threatening. I hope highway safety is; aware of this problem and they will make an enquiry/action.

Filed Jan 11, 2017 · Engine · 10 miles · TX

Bad acceleration,engine will not pick up fast, if I try to accelerate engine sounds high, the car will not pick up the speed up for few seconds and it jumps in the track. All engine lights came,vehicle lost the power and I lost control over the vehicle,I had to stop in freeway and call tow truck.this car burns oil so fast every 1000 miles I have to put new oil on this car.

Filed May 21, 2015 · Fuel system · RI

Approximately one month ago the following warning signs appeared on my dash board: check engine vsc 4wd maint reqd I went to see a mechanic right away. He told me that a part known as an air sensor had stopped working. He gave me the following identification for the part: 02 sensor bank1 sensor1 he also told me that I needed to order the part through the dealer on the internet; I was not successful for there was no one responding with having the orinal toyata part. Next I called a local toyota dealer who told me that the part in question was on back order nationwide for a wait of at least 3 months! Meanwhile, I am told thati should expect higher gas consumtions and other related problems until the part was replace. I, as I am sure many other car owner, am outraged to be told that I have to wait at least 3 months for a part and then be placed on a long waiting list. This is the kind of staff, I thought tht only happened in controlled economies! This is costing me money in higher gas consumtion while the company is nowhere to be found with a satisfactory explaination and apology to customers!

Filed Jan 20, 2015 · Electrical, Engine · 60,000 miles · NY

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 toyota rav4. While driving at approximately 25 MPH, the vsc and the check engine warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the computer software needed to be updated. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 60,000. The VIN was not available.

Filed May 3, 2014 · Engine · 74,000 miles · TN

Engine would try to die when I applied the brakes. The engine light came on and I looked it up in the manual and saw it was the engine oil symbol. I took it in where I had the oil changed last and they said it was 2.5 qts low. They topped it off and told me to come back after 200 miles and when I did, they said it had used more than it should have. Took it into the toyota dealer and they started the oil consumption test. Yesterday was the final for that and low and behold, they determined that the vehicle was using oil. They said the rings, pistons , valves and etc. Should be replaced for a total of $4,300+. They offered me no assistance but did tell me that they were offering 0 percent on new vehicles. I would never purchase another toyota. I know someone with the same car as mine who spent several hundreds trying to get her car fixed with the same problem and just finally traded it for something else. From reading consumer complaints online, there are hundreds of people having the same problem with this vehicle, please, please step in and make toyota address this issue. Thanks.

Filed Feb 3, 2014 · Engine · 73,000 miles · MD

I have been changing my oil every 3000 miles / 3 months or less this rav4 is not leaking oil and not putting soot out or blowing blue smoke out the tail pipe showing that it is burning oil. No engine lights or oil lights came on until the engine stopped running. By this time it was too late. I took my rav4 to goodyear and they said that they had to put 4.5 quarts of oil in which is how much the rav4 takes. They also stated they did not see any oil leaks anywhere. This is the base model four cylinder model. Oil should not be gone in less than 3000 miles especial with an engine that has less that 150000 miles today. I feel this is a defect that should be addressed by toyota and that everyone that encounters this problem should be compisated for the kbb fair value at the time it happens for this problem. We the people buy cars that should last and not be stuck in a financial hardship for a factory defect that does not even warn us of low oil.

Filed Jan 25, 2014 · Acceleration, Engine · 38,000 miles · MD

When backing the car out and turning the steering, there is a clunking noise that occurs. It mostly occurs from a cold start. There is a service bulletin out for this, but the dealer won't cover it. The car started making a popping sound. It was coming from underneath that car and made the exhaust sound really loud. Dealership said it was the centerpipe that was connected to the catalytic converter. The material of the centerpipe and catalytic was rusted and the dealership blamed it on me and that I drove the car off roading. I told them that the car has never gone off roading, garaged, and well maintained. Other 2006 rav4 owners have cited the same issue stating that the material and craftsmanship of the centerpipe and catalytic converter were of poor quality. The seams of the centerpipe just completely came undone. When speaking with the dealership, they refused to cover it under the emissions warranty. When talking to the environment protection agency for emissions, they said that toyota should cover it. This centerpipe issue became a larger issue when the vehicle misfired and the vsc, check engine, and 4wd lights on. Took it to the dealership to discuss what the issue may be. Other owners stated that the ignition coils were of poor quality and toyota has issued replacements. Talked to the dealership and they refused to replace it under warranty. Shortly after, the car seems to be driving very clunky and does not drive as well as usual. The car vibrates and drives very slowly. It sounded like it dropped a cylinder. The engine sounds very clunky. This has happened many times. Ignition coils were replaced several times. Check engine light, vsc, and 4wd lights turn on solid each of these instances. Since then the tire pressure has turned on and gone bad. Had to get that replaced. Now all 3 lights are back on and will need to find out why.