RAV4 gas vs hybrid??? Cable corrosion future??

3561 Views 15 Replies 11 Participants Last post by RetiredGamer, 8 d ago

DragLongJumping8817

Discussion Starter · 11 mo ago

Deposited $2000 non-refundable on a fully loaded 2022 RAV4 XSE hybrid (OTD $45K) to be delivered late October.
Recently, I read about the cable corrosion issue and also about the temporary fix Toyota did for 2022 models.

Some articles/reviewers says the issue is going to recur after the fix. (I live in NE)
I feel that the gas savings** we save on Rav4 hybrid is not worth for the recurring repairs.

1. Should I move to 2022 Rav4 Limited/XLE premium gas instead? I have flexibility to move my deposit to any vehicle. The only reason I got XSE is for its two-tone (which eventually had hybrid).

2. Highlanders Hybrids never had this issue? I have seen articles saying highlander hybrid as one of the long lasting car in the market. Which are the longest-lasting cars on the market?

3. Why highlander gas models are not in the above longest lasting cars list?

This is going to be my first car and I want to keep this car forever.

** - averaging $4 per gallon and considering combined mpg
150K miles comes around $21K for hybrid and $15K for gas
Minimum savings of $6-10K from hybrid directly goes to cable corrosion repair

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XLEP

· #2 · 11 mo ago

RAV4 ICE only master race checking in... No cable, no corrosion.

Reactions: 4

Eldorado19h

· #3 · 11 mo ago

If you do extra maintenance on the cable it will last . I’m pretty sure there will be a quick fix for it soon. It’s just a ground clamp that rusts and falls apart.
hybrid is much more fun and at high gas prices it makes more sense

Reactions: 2

FinalBoss

· #4 · 11 mo ago

Eldorado19h said:
If you do extra maintenance on the cable it will last . I’m pretty sure there will be a quick fix for it soon. It’s just a ground clamp that rusts and falls apart.
hybrid is much more fun and at high gas prices it makes more sense

Nothings certain, all we can do is guess. Toyota IS aware of it & their solution was the temporary "fix" on the 2022 models. I read supposedly its covered by warranty but only 3years or 36k miles. & its costly, like $5k.

Reactions: 2

FinalBoss

· #5 · 11 mo ago

Wether Toyota does anything about it or not is a gamble (aside from their 2022 model "fix" which it seems didnt fix anything). Right now everyones on the losing end of the gamble.

Reactions: 1

Rav4DNorth

· #6 · 11 mo ago

I don't know much about the Highlander Hybrid and whether it has the same issue with the high voltage cable but the Highlander ICE is reliable according to a close family member who has one. You could also look at the Lexus Hybrids (UXh or NXh) as I believe they do not have this issue as the design is a bit different. You could also look at the Venza which is a hybrid and no cable issues. Its unfortunate you say that your deposit is non-refundable as up here in Canada dealers are not allowed to do that given the current legislation, particularly when you have no guarantee when delivery will be.

Rav4DNorth

· #7 · 10 mo ago

Just did a quick search on other forums and it looks like the Highlander Hybrid (confirmed cases) and the Venza Hybrid will have the same issues with the corroding cable as the Rav4's as they have the same connector setup. So scratch my previous comment about the Venza's not having the issue.

Reactions: 1

meeder

· #8 · 10 mo ago

It will affect all vehicles with the same drivetrain setup.
I still can't fathom why they changed it compared to the previous generation RAV4 which had a different connector setup.

Reactions: 1

markbot

· #9 · 10 mo ago

CCN just did a video on the newest Toyota RAV4 and has a hybrid in the shop. He said they flipped the connector on the cable and hopefully that fixes it. He doesn't encourage it but says a simple drain hole can prevent the issue.

Lowcountry Rav

· #10 · 10 mo ago

Depends on a lot of things. Do you live in the rust belt or somewhere without salt. Do you drive mostly city or highway, because on the highway the mileage is not much different. How expensive do you expect gas to get? You said you want to keep it forever - Hybrids are very reliable, but eventually everything breaks and have less aftermarket support and fewer people knowledgeable to work on them - generically.

Its a complex question.

Reactions: 1

DragLongJumping8817

Discussion Starter · #11 · 10 mo ago

Rav4DNorth said:
I don't know much about the Highlander Hybrid and whether it has the same issue with the high voltage cable but the Highlander ICE is reliable according to a close family member who has one. You could also look at the Lexus Hybrids (UXh or NXh) as I believe they do not have this issue as the design is a bit different. You could also look at the Venza which is a hybrid and no cable issues. Its unfortunate you say that your deposit is non-refundable as up here in Canada dealers are not allowed to do that given the current legislation, particularly when you have no guarantee when delivery will be.

Highlander ICE mpg is a concern for me.
some YT reviewers saying that Venza has same hybrid design has Rav4.

Rav4DNorth

· #12 · 10 mo ago

markbot said:
CCN just did a video on the newest Toyota RAV4 and has a hybrid in the shop. He said they flipped the connector on the cable and hopefully that fixes it. He doesn't encourage it but says a simple drain hole can prevent the issue.

He said that Toyota flipped the design of the connector which created the problem and they have not changed that since 2019. The Hybrids prior to 2019 do not have the problem as the cable is on the top of the electric MGR motor.

Reactions: 1

4x4ken

· #13 · 10 d ago

DragLongJumping8817 said:
Deposited $2000 non-refundable on a fully loaded 2022 RAV4 XSE hybrid (OTD $45K) to be delivered late October.
Recently, I read about the cable corrosion issue and also about the temporary fix Toyota did for 2022 models.

Some articles/reviewers says the issue is going to recur after the fix. (I live in NE)
I feel that the gas savings** we save on Rav4 hybrid is not worth for the recurring repairs.

1. Should I move to 2022 Rav4 Limited/XLE premium gas instead? I have flexibility to move my deposit to any vehicle. The only reason I got XSE is for its two-tone (which eventually had hybrid).

2. Highlanders Hybrids never had this issue? I have seen articles saying highlander hybrid as one of the long lasting car in the market. Which are the longest-lasting cars on the market?

3. Why highlander gas models are not in the above longest lasting cars list?

This is going to be my first car and I want to keep this car forever.

** - averaging $4 per gallon and considering combined mpg
150K miles comes around $21K for hybrid and $15K for gas
Minimum savings of $6-10K from hybrid directly goes to cable corrosion repair

I left Subaru because of the CVT repair or replacement cost of $7,000. I got reasonable trade in dollars because it had 43,000 mi as a 2014. Why buy a car with reported big buck issues?
It will be a constant headache and who can say the depreciation when you go to get rid of it. Buy a used 2018 and avoid the matter. There are other ways to spend money and time that are more pleasant.
I run my 16 and 17Rav4 Limiteds on 87 as the book says to and no issues in doing that. Nothing is forever, if you get 15 years service and no big bills you are being realistic and successful. We kept a 1999 4Runner for 14 years and had 60,000 mi when we traded it in and got reasonable money for it. It got 16mpg so we drove it less than our other car. It showed some signs of big bill fixes and it was practical to replace it with a 40 mpg vehicle. Without the safety improvements the insurance was increasing more than it should have for an older vehicle.

Rav4DNorth

· #14 · 9 d ago

It seems as though Toyota is stepping up to the plate to fix this cable issue once. That being said you can likely expect the same problem to reoccur given the poor design of where this cable sits and depending on where you live. I agree that there are other ways to spend money and time that are more pleasant and a lot less stressful. On top of that, given the current environment, and the fact that the MSRP has gone up between 2-3k on most models just because Toyota decided to do so, and the interest rates also going up, makes it even more costly then its worth for the Hybrid model.

Marksquared

· #15 · 9 d ago (Edited)

My local dealer has 3 Rav4's sitting on their service lot with approved warranty claims to replace the entire cable that have been sitting there for 2-3 months because they cannot get new cables.
So no matter if Toyota has decided to now pay for all repairs, until parts are readily available its too high of a risk for me. Who wants to be making car payments only to have the car sitting at dealer waiting on replacement parts for months upon end.

Reactions: 2

RetiredGamer

· #16 · 8 d ago

You could get the Mazda cx30 signature edition 😆. Looks like a lot of fun that's all.

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