NHTSA Complaint #10317236 — 2002 TOYOTA RAV4

IN 2003 WE BOUGHT A BRAND NEW 2002 TOYOTA RAV4. IN 2007, THE ENGINE SEIZED UP AT 56,000 MILES. WE TOOK IT TO TOYOTA AND THEY TOLD US IT WOULD COST $7,000 BECAUSE THEY NEEDED TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. AFTER GATHERING ALL OUR MAINTENANCE HISTORY AND MUCH DELIBERATION TOYOTA AGREED TO REPLACE THE ENGINE BUT WE HAD TO PAY FOR THE LABOR ($2500); WE AGREED. AFTER THEY DID THE WORK, WE HEARD A SOFT CONSTANT BEATING SOUND COMING FROM THE ENGINE. WHEN WE TOOK IT BACK, WE WERE TOLD THAT SOUND WAS NORMAL WHEN A NEW ENGINE IS INSTALLED AND IT WILL GO AWAY -- IT DIDN'T. 18 MONTHS AND 10,000 MILES LATER, THE ENGINE DIED AGAIN. BAFFLED AT HOW TWO SEPARATE ENGINES CAN DIE WE TOOK IT TO OUR PERSONAL MECHANIC. HE EXPLAINED TO US THAT THE ENGINE WAS NEVER REPLACED, BUT REBUILT. WE TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY REFUSED TO HELP US. SO DID TOYOTA CORP. THEY HAVE A SETTLEMENT FOR DEFECTIVE ENGINES FOR THE SAME GENERATION ENGINES (1997-2002) FOR ALMOST EVERY MODEL. EXCEPT THE RAV4. WHAT MAKES IT WORSE WAS I WAS TOLD I WAS GETTING A NEW ENGINE. AT THE SAME TIME MY PERSONAL MECHANIC HAD FOUND ME A USED ENGINE (12,000 MI) FOR 2300 INCLUDING INSTALLATION. HAD I KNEW THEY WERE GOING TO REBUILD IT, I WOULD HAVE WENT WITH THAT OPTION. SO THEY SCREWED ME OUT OF 2500, A CAR, AND A CHANCE AT ACTUALLY FIXING THE CAR. *TR