NHTSA Complaint #11218393 — 2005 TOYOTA RAV4

MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS BEEN ON FOR APPROXIMATELY 50,000 OF THE 255,000 MILES ON MY RAV4. IT HAS BEEN ON IT SEEMS MOSTLY BECAUSE OF OXYGEN SENSORS AND RELATED EMISSIONS "ISSUES" AND THIS HAS COST ME THOUSANDS OVER THE YEARS IN DIAGNOSTICS, TROUBLESHOOTING, AND MASKING OTHER PROBLEMS THAT REALLY WERE OCCURRING. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON SO MUCH THAT IT'S HARD TO TELL WHEN THERE REALLY IS A PROBLEM. RECENTLY MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON FOR ABOUT 9 MONTHS. THE MECHANIC CODES REVEALED THAT IT WAS RUNNING TOO "RICH." I PUT IT ON "NON-OPERABLE" FOR REGISTRATION PURPOSES WHILE I AGAIN TRIED TO FIGURE OUT WHY. ONE DAY (ON A TEMPORARY MOVING PERMIT) I WENT TO GET GASOLINE AND FILLED THE TANK HALFWAY. A FEW MILES LATER THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WENT OFF, FOR NO APPARENT REASON. I WENT TO GET A SMOG CHECK, AND WHEN I ASKED ABOUT THE FAIL POLICY AT THE STATION, THE ATTENDANT SAID, "THESE TOYOTAS ALWAYS PASS THE EMISSIONS, AS LONG AS THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ISN'T ON." HE WAS RIGHT, AND MY RAV4 PASSED WITH PERFECT EMISSIONS COMPLIANCE. IN THE PAST I HAVE REPLACED MY CATALYTIC CONVERTER, ALL THE OXYGEN SENSORS, AND EVENTUALLY THE ENTIRE EXHAUST MANIFOLD IN ORDER TO GET THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO GO OFF AND PASS A CA SMOG CHECK. SOME YEARS AGO MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON FOR ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF. IT WAS LEAKING OIL, AND MY MECHANIC SAID JUST TO MAKE SURE IT HAD ENOUGH OIL IN IT UNTIL I COULD AFFORD TO FIX THE "LEAKY GASKETS." BUT THE PROBLEM WAS REALLY A FAULTY OIL PUMP, AND THE ENGINE SEIZED. I HAD A REBUILT ENGINE PUT IN, AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WENT OFF. THE TOYOTA RAN FINE FOR 6 MONTHS. THEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. IN ALL OF THIS, TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE ACCEPTS NO FAULT. THEY SAY I SHOULD COMPLAIN TO NHTSA, AND THEY DON'T HAVE ANY RECALLS. I HAVEN'T HAD SUCH AN UNRELIABLE CAR SINCE MY 1984 CHEVY CHEVETTE. MY NEXT CAR WON'T BE A TOYOTA.