[celloheaven]

Hi everyone. I've just acquired a 1999 Freesport Automatic 3 door Freesport Rav4. I have been looking for a good condition low mileage 20th century car I can work on myself and this seems to be the one. Toyota reliability and well designed engine bay from the look of it. The car was only driven for 3 months each year for it's lifetime and has clocked a genuine 40'000 miles from new. The first and only owner before me lived in Israel and LA for 9 months of the year returning to the UK for a maximum 3 months in summer. Each year he would instruct a Toyota main dealer to prep the car for his return. I have a folder with £9500 worth of service receipts ! The car as you might expect drives as new and I am already enjoying the drive. For years I have driven large powerful diesel vehicles from pickups to vans to thirsty 4 wheel drives...the last being a VW Touareg...beautiful car but far exceeding my needs and unsuitable for short local urban journies...I am delighted to find a forum with what looks like a large family of enthusiastic owners who possess a wealth of knowledge. Happy days ! :smile

 

[JuneBug]

Welcome to RAV4World! Sounds like you got a once in a lifetime deal! An 18-year old Toyota with only 40,000 original miles? It would be almost impossible to find something like that in the US. Is it diesel or petrol?

 

[celloheaven]

Thank you Junebug...

Yes, a rare vehicle perhaps. I looked long and hard for one such and paid over book price but still think I bought a bargain. It's a 2 Litre petrol automatic 3 door. I fitted a towbar recently and someone disturbed the airbag sensor in the wiring behind the plastic lining on the driver's side on the B pillar. I am trying to locate an OBD reader scanner for tghe diagnostic plug near the alternator under the hood but am having difficulty identifying the right one to buy. I was told they changed the diagnostic plug in 2003. I can see some from China which might suit but am slightly apprehensive about buying from there...stupid really as most of the items we use these days are made in China !!