[jmazz77]

Just picked up a Certified Pre-owned 2012 Rav4 I-4 2 weeks ago. I noticied while road testing the car, a vibration when we got on the highway. Figured it was probably the new cheap Fuzion tires they put on it or maybe the road. Car only has 29k miles. After making the purchase, I drove it to work that night. I have an 80-mile commute, one way, 90% highway. Felt the vibration again. Came on from 50-60mph. Felt like a tire. I brought it back in to the dealer 2 days later. They did a Road-force balance, tech said the balanced good. no issues. But he did feel a binding in the u-joint of the driveshaft. They ordered a new shaft. Went back in this past tuesday for the replacement. Vibration still there. Feels worse actually. From 55-60+. The tech felt it, but I had to leave to get my kids from school. Scheduled to bring it back next tuesday and leave it with them. Suppose to give me a loaner. Tech thinks it might be an axle, but he needs time to take one off another vehicle and try it. We'll see what happens..

I'm also hearing a whine from 30mph+. How would I know if the coupler is bad? Does the TSB I've heard about apply to the 2012 4cyl, 4spd models?

 

[Blogson]

Welcome! Your profile apparently is incomplete so we don't know where you are located, but since you use the term "miles" it's apparently in the U.S. About the whine, the specific TSB which you probably heard about applies only to the 5-speed transmission which was only in the V6 models. There apparently was a TSB about rear coupler whine issued only for RAVs in Canada. Buy you shouldn't have to put up with it, especially in a newly purchased Certified RAV. Perhaps the whine comes from another driveline component. Hopefully the dealer's service dept. will fix both the vibration and the whine. They should not have marketed a Certified vehicle with those or with any problems.

 

[RAVN4RED]

...I'm also hearing a whine from 30mph+. How would I know if the coupler is bad? Does the TSB I've heard about apply to the 2012 4cyl, 4spd models?...

If it is the coupler, probably best diagnosed by a competent dealer with the vehicle on a rack. Here is the link to the coupler TSB. It affects some 2006-2012 4cyl and 6cyl with AWD.
https://www.rav4world.com/d1/attachments/pdf/T-SB-0080-13.pdf

It is covered in the USA by the 5-year/60k mile powertrain warranty. In Canada, warranty has apparently been extended 9 years.