2008 Toyota RAV4: won't start

Filed May 4, 2020 · Engine · 225,000 miles · CA

Vehicle engine seized and shut down when I was driving on a main street inside city limits on a straight busy road. Pulled into driveway but vehicle would not start again so had it towed to my house. Replaced battery but still would not start. Had vehicle towed to toyota dealer.

Filed Apr 16, 2020 · Body, Electrical · 223,000 miles · CA

Vehicle lost power and shut down as I was driving on a busy main road with lots of traffic. As it continued to slow down I was able to pull into a driveway and stop. I tried to start vehicle again without success but it made loud grinding noise. After short time I attempted to restart vehicle made a loud grinding sound but would not start. Called for tow and they determined it was not the battery and towed vehicle to my house. Paint peeling off vehicle in large patches. Windshield wipers will not work but not a result of latest incident. Wiper motor hums but do not work. Cd player stopped working few months ago. Makes clicking noises but will not play cd or eject discs.

Filed Aug 6, 2014 · Engine · 90,000 miles · NC

My car would not start, and the check engine light and oil light remained on even while key was not in ignition. Also, there was a humming and slight ticking noise coming from the engine while the car was turned off. It seemed like something had shorted out and something electrical was causing something to stay on constantly and it was draining the battery. After researching on the internet someone else had this same problem, and they found that there was a leak coming from the windshield on the passenger side of the vehicle. So I pulled up my carpet and sure enough the entire floor board was covered with water and the pad was completely soaking wet. It appears that water has damaged something in the electrical system. I am not the only one with this problem, and I do not feel that I should have to repair this myself. The vehicle should be void of leaks and able to function in rain and snow conditions. Toyota really needs to address this issue and take responsibility for this defect. Any assistance in this matter would be greatly appreciated. This is the link to the other toyota owners experience: http://www.rav4world.com/forums/96-4-3-general/93222-random-dash-lights-gauges-even-key-removed-2.html.

Filed Aug 2, 2013 · Engine · 69,000 miles · AR

I was driving down a street when my car suddenly died. The engine would not turn over though the battery finally turned on. My car was towed to the local toyota dealership. The service department took the engine apart and said a valve spring broke which caused the valve to drop down and make contact with the #4 piston, breaking it completely apart. (it ended up in the oil pan.) my engine is ruined and must be replaced. They quoted a price of $7000 to replace the engine. The service department manager said there was nothing I could have done that would cause the spring to break like that or cause that kind of damage. My vehicle is 9,000 miles outside of warranty (though still within 6-year time frame of warranty). My car has 69,000 miles on it.

Filed Apr 15, 2012 · Engine · 41,000 miles · NJ

My wife was driving our 2008 toyota rav4 ltd v6 with our 5 years old daughter yesterday. She was driving at around 50 MPH then suddenly, without any warning, the engine stopped in the middle of the road. She almost was rear ended by other cars. The car did not start again after being tried after every 5 minutes. The car was serviced a month back for routine oil change and breaks. A cop came over and got the car towed. Still have no idea.

Filed Jun 4, 2010 · Electrical · 18,118 miles · NC

My wife returned to her 2008 toyota rav4 at the end of the workday. It would not crank. The radio and air came on, but the engine would not crank or turn over. She put the transmission in neutral and then back in park. It still would not crank. Finally, she lowered the emergency brake and tried starting again. This time it started. We took it to an advance auto parts store and had them test the battery. Their equipment stated the battery needs replacing, but the car (and battery) only has 18k miles on it. The report also stated that there is a power drain that needs to be investigated (we had turned off all accessories - radio, air, interior lights - and removed all 3rd party power cords from power outlets - cell phone car charger, etc - before running the diagnostic test). We will be taking the SUV into our local toyota dealership for investigation, but wanted to report this based on another consumer complaint (odi #10274904).

Filed Feb 3, 2010 · Brakes · 100 miles · WA

Brake pedal on my 2008 toyota rav4 releases on it's own when stopped at a traffic light or in stop-and-go-traffic. It's more noticeable when the air conditioner is on, but happens once in awhile in winter. If I have to stop for any reason, with my foot resting on the brake pedal, it releases on its own and goes all the way down to the floor. I usually have to start pumping the brake so that it doesn't start rolling into the vehicle ahead of me. I have taken the car to two different toyota dealerships and they tell me there is nothing wrong with my brakes. (a salesperson admitted to me that her camry did the same thing and that she got rid of the car.) I want my car repaired and safe to drive, otherwise I will have to get rid of it and I cannot afford that at the moment.

Filed Jun 25, 2009 · Electrical · 00

On several occasions, my new 2008 rav4 would not start. The battery is brand new. When I turned the ignition, there was no sound / signal at all. Sometimes, when I put down the hand brake, and try to start the car again, it works. Other times, it doesn't. There are different things that can trigger it to start. How can a brand new car be so unreliable!? We've gotten it towed to the toyota dealership and they can't seem to find the problem. It's been at the dealership for 2 days and nothing has been done to fix the problem.