2.5 VVT-i Hybrid Excel CVT 2WD 5dr

Oh dear!

We wanted a RAV 4 principally for my wife to drive. Her requirements are simple - higher off the ground than a regular car, sufficient room for her craft fair goods which are light but bulky, comfortable and easy to drive. The RAV 4 ticked every box.

We have had the RAV for nearly three years and mostly enjoyed the user experience, BUT I have had to call out the recovery more times in three years than I have in the last 40.

The first time was when we went to a boot fair, the tailgate was open for about 5 hours. When we went to leave the car was dead, no ignition lights, nothing. Recovery turned up and explained because we had the tailgate open which activated the interior lights that had flattened the auxiliary battery.

The second time was just before Christmas 2023 when I hit a pothole and burst the FNS tyre. No spare of course. We lined up with others in the same predicament to await our turn to be recovered.

The third time was after a 50 mile journey, the following two days very short trips to the local paper shop, next day drove about half a mile, parked up, an hour later the same as before, flat battery, no ignition lights. This time I took the car to the local Toyota dealer, they checked the car through and reported that everything was OK.

The fourth time the car was sitting on the drive with the tailgate open for about half an hour. Again went to start it, got ignition lights but no starter.

One other annoying fact is that the panel in front of the driver showing speed and other information goes dark on a bright day, so much so that it is difficult to see what speed you are travelling at. It will do the same on a cloudy day when driving through shadows cast by trees.

Would we have another, a resounding 'no'.

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