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FYI: Consumer Reports Ranks the 2020 Toyota RAV4 as Least Reliable

14K views 63 replies 38 participants last post by  pgeezer 
#1 ·
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#2 ·
#3 ·
I’m currently at 18K miles and my 2020 RAV4h has yet to be in the shop. It does have the fuel filling issue and I’ve had to jump start it twice at this point but other than those issues, it has been reliable. Thanks to these forums, I was prepared and I have been carrying my jump pack around with me, so each time it needed a jump, my trip was delayed by about two minutes total. The fuel filling issue is a minor inconvenience as I only go to the gas station once a month and fill my vehicle with jerry-cans for the remainder of the month. I’ll bring it into the shop to get these issues addressed at some point.

Coming from a Ford that was unable to move under its own power or had suspension failure issues three times within 18K, I’d say the RAV4h is fairing pretty well in comparison.
 
#5 ·
Two failed starts in 18K doesn’t sound too “reliable”..... anyway I’m at 10K on my 2020 and had two failures to start in 7500K miles. Dealership put on a new battery, asked them about TSB update, but I’m not sure they even checked to update it. Came from a Fusion with 80K plus miles that gave me ZERO problems. That is what I base reliability on. Traded because I wanted CUV, tired of sedans..... I have questioned that decision a few times over the last few months!!!
 
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#6 ·
The fuel tank and electrical (battery) issues are likely the impetus for this article. Not sure CR is still the best judge of auto info. One can search online forums like Edmunds, KBB, CarComplaints, etc to view info from various owners. Admittedly, on those sites people making comments are not vetted as actual owners.

Consumer Reports and even Edmunds have always praised the CRV. However, go to carcomplaints.com and you will see many verified issues with the CRV. Unfortunately, there is not a forum like rav4world for the CRV. They have a forum called crvowners club but owners who present an issue are often crucified and the forum is moderated as such.

RAV4 does have issues, but imo still provides the best reliability in its class. Key statements from the CR article.

Reports provides the RAV4 with an owner satisfaction rating of four out of five. This means some RAV4 owners are still very happy.

When asked, 71% of survey participants said they would purchase the 2020 Toyota RAV4 again. So, you could have a great experience with the 2020 model. Just be aware of the potential issues it may come with.
 
#7 ·
If I’m not mistaken, from what I have read, the RAV4 has had the battery and fuel issue since the 2019 models. It seems to be well documented. It’s not like we didn’t know what we were buying.
 
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#14 ·
Why would the fuel filling issue be called a reliability one? It may indeed be a frustration but it does not stop the car from running perfectly.
 
#16 ·
The quoted CR report cites electrical issues as their first noted problem. But agree I that a fuel filling issue is not a reliability problem, but rather is an engineering and design result.
 
#18 ·
Meh, again, the TSB is available since even before my first fail to start. I could have had it addressed after my first fail to start but I am choosing not to go to the dealer for the time being, not because of COVID but just because I hate going to the dealer. Jumping the vehicle once every six months is not that big of a deal.

My Jeep had brake master cylinder failure at 3,000 miles causing me to have no brakes while going 70 MPH and my Ford had two separate types of suspension failures by 18K (sway bar end-link disconnected in the front and a snapped coil spring in the rear that got bound up in the wheel causing me to skid to a halt); so having a car not trying to kill me is a pleasant change (my bar for happiness/satisfaction is low).
 
#23 ·
I've been critical but also recognize that Toyota is perhaps being treated a little unfairly when you consider major components.

IMO Consumer Reports should apply badness weightings to problems to determine how unreliable something is. For instance, fuel systems that catch fire while driving should have far more impact than entertainment units that reboot themselves. Grenading transmissions should have far more impact than seat heaters that stop working.

People care more about the catastrophic, expensive or dangerous failures than annoying things that get fixed with a software flash.

Seems to me that Toyota's engines and transmissions are still pretty robust. The driveline troubles with DTV are a concern as are the fuel tank issues, and roof rack leaks to prove to have significant impact maybe.
 
#25 ·
I have a 1992 Mazda B2600i pickup. Around 10 or 12 years ago, I didn't get the driveer's door fully latched, it sat for a couple of days with the dome light on. The battery was mid-life, I had to use a jump box to start it. TWENTY NINE years. ONE jump start. Three times in a year, and it would either be in a junkyard or someone else's problem.
 
#26 ·
I'm coming from a 2008 Scion tC with over 140,000 miles and I had zero issues. I'm talking tons of carwashes, and that thing has a giant moonroof! the entire top of the car is a moonroof and it never leaked. Never had battery issues too. So seeing all this stuff scares me as I went with Toyota again for the reliability I've had for years growing up. So far so good!
 
#27 · (Edited)
If the port/direct injection Dynamic Force 2.0L and 2.5L engine, Aisin 8 speed, iMT 6 speed, (Corolla) CVT with the physical first gear, and Dynamic Torque Vectoring all turn out to be bulletproof in a few years, then I would say one has to give credit to Toyota engineering for a job well done, even if their body design team may have missed the boat a few times with recovery points, roof rails and centre consoles that bump my knee the wrong way.

That's a lot of new mechanicals for models that sell in the millions.
 
#34 ·
My two most reliable cars ever were ones CR rated as poor. An Oldsmobile years ago, and a Nissan with 350,000 miles that I still drive daily. The only CR vehicle I ever had that was rated highly was a complete lemon (ford).

Having said that the Rav certainly has had its issues, so we will see long term whether it is a few glitches or overall the platform is poor. Time tells all.

CR has always been Honda lovers. They completely downplay the Honda Oil dillution issue, to the point of it smelling like propaganda for Honda. I have never owned a Honda so I don't really care, it just makes me not trust CR
 
#55 · (Edited)
I trust CR for a lot of ratings but I think they have it wrong both with the RAV4 (and the Tacoma). In my experience my 17 Tacoma and 19 RAV4 hybrid have been great. My RAV4 may be the best car I have owned (at least so far). Why CR rags on the Tacoma is beyond me other than they want a truck to be a car. Toyota got me for life when they recalled my previous Tacoma for the rust frame issues. Smartest thing they ever did in my opinion. Has any other company come close to doing something like that ?
 
#36 ·
The CR small SUV reliability rankings have changed over the years. When we bought our SUVs Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 were rated by CR at the top. So far so good - wife's 2010 CR-V and my 2011 RAV4 V6 both have been bulletproof. Only safety recalls - Takata airbags, rear seat belt clips, with mine windshield wiper control arms (possible corrosion).

And in more than 60 years of vehicle ownership have never had to have one jump started, even in Minnesota outdoors at -20F.
 
#38 ·
CR "reliability" ratings are a bit of a scam, since reliability implies how long it will last. They survey owners and ask if they had a problem. If your gas tank won't fill all the way you vote yes. If your roof leaks on your head you vote yes. They also only survey for a few years, not long term.

I agree these are huge problems, but its a lot different than if the engine stops running. If you can't fill your gas tank and the roof leaks on your head - you will be completely unsatisfied - but it will still get you to work in the morning, albeit wet perhaps :). Its not unreliable - the way I understand the word at least. It should be called customer satisfaction or some such thing - not reliability.

Just one more scam from CR.
 
#39 ·
Let's face it, the CR headline is click-bait, and the CR writers should look up the definition of "reliable", which officially is "performing consistently well'.
So the gas tank issue is a technical design issue and the battery problem is still undefined.. nothing to do with reliability.
With my non hybrid I have no gas tank issues and also I do not have any battery issues. And I sometimes only take the Rav4 out once a week. Starts every time. No issues at all. Very reliable!
 
#40 ·
If one consistently reads CR itself (not articles which are non-CR re-writes such as at the start of this thread), there are occasional reports about long term reliability, such as in articles about which used cars are winners and which ones to avoid, along with brief notes of reliability problems in those to be avoided. The April annual auto issue lists reliability ratings based upon user and owner surveys. We receive a survey each year and it is about as detailed as one would expect from a general consumer magazine. We use the mag. as a guide but not necessarily as an ultimate bible regarding autos and other products.
 
#41 ·
A couple years ago I bought a brand new F250. After 6 weeks and 1500 miles, the ECU crapped out as I was merging onto the highway. I was barely able to limp off the road as a huge Semi barreled up behind me. I had my 10-month-old son with me. Yeah, they fixed it under warranty (which was obviously a major inconvenience to me), but overall THAT is unreliable in my eyes.

Yeah, I would be a little annoyed if I had to jump it every 6 months. But given there is is acknowledged and free fix, that I can schedule on my own time, it wouldn't bother me too much.

Honestly, as others have brought up, reliability to me means the cehicle can get me where I need to go every time. Non-immediate issues that I can schedule to fix on my own timeline and at no cost are inconvenient, but not deal-breakers.
 
#42 ·
ICYMI: Consumer Reports Ranks the 2020 Toyota RAV4 as Least Reliable

(Checked to see if it was already shared before I posted)

Not stirring up sh*t amongst my fellow RAV4'ers, just sharing FYI
CR rates 2020 RAV4 overall reliability as 3/5.
Electronics 2/5
Fuel system 3/5
Engine Major and Minor as 5/5
!engine Cooling 5/5
transmission 5/5

not bad compared to most SUVs that are also having problems with electronics. Fuel System is mainly the fuel tank design on hybrids

hope this helps.
no problems with my 2019 RAV4 Limited Gas Model in past 2 years.
 
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