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Toyota Motor Corporation RAV Consumer Reviews

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Horrible Customer Service at Dealership
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ENGLEWOOD, COLORADO -- I've purchased 3 cars from this particular dealership over the years and with the same salesman. In 2003, I vowed NEVER to use their service center again because they didn't top off my fluids when I went in for an oil change AND safety check on my '98 Tacoma before a cross-country drive. Then when I told them my radiator had been left dry (luckily, a friend found and fixed the problem before my trip), refused to refund my money because losing me as a customer meant less to them than $45.

I recently (7/17) purchased a new RAV4. I worked tinted driver and passenger windows into the deal for the RAV4 since they wouldn't come down at all on the price of the car. The (salesman) called me on 7/27 to prompt me to make an appointment to get it done. I called the outsourced person, he told me to call and made an appointment to meet both the salesman & the tinting guy on 7/31 at Burt Toyota (Englewood, CO) at 10:00 am (my day off).

I go to Burt on 7/31 at 10:00 am and it's total chaos. A man stops me before I can enter the office. I say that I have an appointment with the salesman to ask questions about my RAV and that someone is supposed to meet me and tint my windows. The guy says that the dealership has new ownership and that it was just announced the night before. None of the regular sales staff appears to be there. I call the tinting guy at 10:15 am to find out where the heck he is and he says, "Oh, yeah... I'll head right over." Uh, we had an appointment for 10:00 am and he haven't even left yet? I told him not to bother because his customer service is so bad I won't use him.

Then guess who they send out to answer my questions and reschedule my tinting? The same man who wouldn't refund my money 5.5 years ago. He said he'd give me a call to reschedule the tinting and I still haven't heard from him. On 8/3 I called the salesman and left a message telling him what happened (though he was aware we had an appointment) and told him I'm not happy. He called me back and barely bothered to apologize or say he should've called me to cancel. He said he'd have another tinting guy give me a call. I'm still waiting for that.

On 8/10, I called the dealership (now Groove Toyota) and ask for the customer relations manager and I explain the situation. He asked me to email him my vehicle identification number so he can look into it and I did on the evening of 8/10. I haven't heard from him yet, not even an acknowledgement of my email. I am shocked and appalled by the lack of communication I'm experiencing. I just gave them $26K and no one can return a phone call or offer an update? I get better customer service at Walmart.

When I bought the RAV, the salesman made several statements to me that I have since realized are flat-out wrong. He said that the RAV gets 35 mpg on the hwy, that I would get 3 free months of satellite radio, and that the DataDot protection would mean lower insurance rates because they are a theft deterrent. I'm done with Toyota. Considering this is the 3rd car I've purchased from this dealership/salesman, you think they'd be falling all over themselves to make me happy and at the very least, give honest statements and answers to my questions. I thought we were past the typical, misleading sales lines.

It's really too bad that buying a new car has to be such an aggravating experience. I was really excited about getting the RAV and I have always purchased (at a premuim) Toyotas in the past, but I hated being rushed out after the sale, feeling like I've been lied to and/or misled or that a salesman can't do me the courtesy of calling to cancel an appointment, and that no one I've spoken to since the problem started will communicate with me.

It would seem that the philosophy of the service center is also that of the sales staff. Customer service, experience and satisfaction are clearly NOT your priority. Customers are merely $$ signs. I found a small service center in 2003 that puts the customer first and, in the future, I'll look for a dealership that does the same. One that actually speaks honestly and cares about making customers happy before, during, and after the sale. Maybe Honda will treat me better.

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Transaxle Whine 2010 Rav4
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Purchased a 2010 RAV4 V6 5 speed auto transmission. At 8000 miles, it developed a transaxle whine at 40 mph. Took it back to the dealer, was told nothing was wrong with it. I was told I hear it because I have a hearing aid. I called Toyota customer service, was told "take back to the dealer". Was never told of any memos on this problem. Took it back to the dealer and had the transmission man take it for a ride with me. He heard the whine and went back to the dealership. Plugged a laptop into the computer and said, “See, nothing wrong with it,” a computer will not show a whine if tranny is shifting correctly.

Called Toyota again, was told the same thing "TAKE IT BACK TO THE DEALER.” Was never told yet of any memo to the dealer. I was discussed with the RAV4 because of this whine which had gotten worse. Finally traded it off. While on vacation this summer, I stopped at a Toyota dealer up north and asked if they ever had any problems with a whine in the RAV4. Showed me memo # T-SB-0192-10 that showed about a whine in the transmissions of 2006-2010 RAV4s, dated July 15 2010.

I was angry because I got rid of a good vehicle that should have been fixed, but they lied to me about it. The transmission man should be fired for his lies. Spoke with the owner of Phillips Toyota, he said he would look into it and call me. Haven't heard from him since. Called Toyota and advised I was lied to by the dealer and why I was not told there was a memo to the dealers to fix the whine. I was told by some idiot there, "WE DIDN'T TELL YOU TO GET RID OF IT." Don't go to this dealer with a problem, you to may be lied too!

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Transaxle Whine Noise 2006-2010 RAV 4s
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I purchased a 2010 Rav4, V6 engine and 5 speed Transmission. After 8,000 miles it started with a transmission whine at 40 mph. Then it did it when I started from a stop, and grew worse up to 60 mph. Took it to the dealer I bought it at in Leesburg, Florida. Was told there was nothing wrong with it. I called Toyota customer service and told them about the whine, was only told to take it back to the dealer. There was no mention of any memos to dealers.

Took it back to the Toyota dealer, transmission man took it for a ride with me. He heard the whine and we went back to the dealership. At the service department he plugged in a laptop to the computer, said the computer shows trany was OK. I don't know a computer that will show a whine. The whine got more and I was disgusted with the Rav4, traded it for 2011 tacoma. Was told I could get up to 25 mpg. Went on vacation to upstate New York but only got 20 mpg, stopped at a Toyota dealer to get it checked. Was told it was only rated at 21 because it had a 3:73 rear.

Ask them if they had any complaints Rav4 transmissions. The service man looked it up on his computer and showed me a memo # T-SB-0192-10 sent to dealers in July 15, 2010. The memo showed service departments what parts to replace, with part numbers and time to replace parts. Showed 11 parts to replace, if that failed replace the transmission. I was angry that my Rav4 was never fixed and I was never told about this memo by Toyota customer service.

When I got home I went to the Toyota dealership I bought it at and talked to the owner as to why I was lied to by his transmission man. He told me he would look into it and call me, to this date he has not called. Called Toyota in California and asked why I was never told by them about the memo send to the dealers. I asked for someone in charge, was told he was in charge {I don't think he was}.

The answer I got from him was "We didn't tell you to get rid of your RAV4." I was forced to get rid of a good RAV4 because I was lied to and it cost me good money to replace it when I should not have had to get rid of it. Toyota and their dealerships couldn't care less about customers complaints and don't want to repair cars if they don't want to. I will never ever buy another Toyota. I have told my family and friends what Toyota and the dealer did to me.

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2005 Toyota RAV4 Transmission Failure due to bad ECM
By -

TORRANCE, CALIFORNIA -- I purchased a 2005 Toyota Rav4 in July of 2005, and have taken superb care of it over the years. However, the transmission blew up on me after just 89,000 miles. I was crossing a double set of railroad tracks when this happened, and it scared me half to death. It's costing me $3,000 to fix the transmission, and the guy at the garage couldn't even give me a reason for this happening.

After some internet research, I found that this has been happening to numerous '01-'05 Rav4 customers that have reached just over 80,000 miles due to a faulty ECM that Toyota has decided NOT to recall. Now I need to pay another $1,200 to have the ECM replaced at the Toyota dealer so that this doesn't happen to me again. Absolutely ridiculous! How can they get away with something like this?

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My Cars Leaks Water
StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarBy -
Rating: 1/51

CALIFORNIA -- Toyota has a defective plastic part in the Toyota Rav4's called "windshield cowl". This is a plastic piece that sits under the hood and windshield and keeps water out of the car. This is not a mechanical mechanism that should have any normal wear and tear. Toyota acknowledges that it's defective but is not covering it under warranty or is doing any recall on it.

The repair through the Dealer is $399.00. I'm having a really hard time wrapping my head around paying for something that is defective. On rainy days like today, I've had to borrow a car so I can get to work because if I drive mine, the passenger floorboard fills up with about 2 inches of water, then ultimately becomes moldy before it completely dries out. I've been experiencing this problem since 2009.

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What is next?
By -

We bought a new Rav 4 Dec. 26 2009, in Colorado Springs, CO. The salesman said it had a sat. radio in it and that he had listened to it when he drove it around to the front lot after it was "prepped". When we got home, 160 miles away, I could not get it to work. I took it to another dealer and he told me that it does not come as standard equipment on that model. I called the Colorado Springs dealer and after several calls got the sales manager who said I was lying and his number one salesman would not do that. End of call.

We took it into the dealer here to get the radio and he said there was a problem with the radio working with the GPS. They couldn't install it. We got one at Car Toys at less than half the Toyota price. It works fine. Now we hear about the gas pedal and computer problems and not one word, no phone call, no letter from Toyota land. Do you think I would ever buy another Toyota?

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Toyota Motor Corporation RAV Rating:
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1.0 out of 5, based on 1 ratings and
6 reviews & complaints.
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Toyota Motor Corporation
25 Atlantic Avenue
Erlanger, KY 41018-3188
800-331-4331 (ph)
www.toyota.com
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