Problems · by component
2007 Toyota RAV4 engine and engine cooling problems
41 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2007 Toyota RAV4 cite engine and engine cooling, 4% of all 1,003 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
41
4% of all complaints
Crashes
1
Reported by owners
Fires
2
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
What owners say about the engine and engine cooling
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE ENGINE BURNED OIL EXCESSIVELY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER AND A CONSUMPTION TEST WAS PERFORMED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED, BUT THE MECHANIC PLACED LESS OIL IN THE VEHICLE AND ADVISED THE CONTACT TO COME BACK AFTER THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN DRIVEN 500 MILES. THE FAILURE OCCURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 126,000.”
“AFTER HEARING ABOUT TSBS RELATED TO PREMATURE WATER PUMP FAILURE, I NOTICED THAT MY RAV4 WAS LOW ON COOLANT. THE DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT TESTED AND FOUND THE PUMP WAS LEAKING, AND REPLACED IT UNDER THE POWER TRAIN WARRANTY. LESS THAN 15,000 MILES AND 2 YEARS LATER I AM NOTICING THAT THE COOLANT LEVEL IS BEGINNING TO RUN LOW AGAIN, AND SUSPECT THE REPLACEMENT WATER PUMP MAY AGAIN BE DEFECTIVE. *TR”
“AFTER THE CHECK ENGINE, VEHICLE STABILITY CONTROL & 4WD WARNING LIGHTS DISPLAYED ON MY 2007 TOYOTA RAV4 WITH 89,400 MILES, I WENT TO MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSIS OF THE PROBLEM. UPON INSPECTION AND TESTING, THEIR SERVICE ADVISOR STATED, "THE EMISSIONS SYSTEM HAS MALFUNCTIONED SINCE WATER HAS LEAKED INTO THE EMISSION SYSTEM & ITS CHARCOAL CANISTER". THE SOURCE OF THE WATER OCCURRED SINCE THE FUEL FILLER TUBE HOUSING NO LONGER WAS PROPERLY ATTACHED/SECURED TO THE VEHICLE. THIS ALLOWED RWATER COMING DOWN THE SIDE OF THE VEHICLE TO ENTER THROUGH THE FUEL FILLER DOOR BY THE FUEL CAP INTO THE CHARCOAL CANISTER. TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM, THE FUEL FILLER ASSEMBLY ALONG WITH GASKETS, SOME ELECTRONIC AND THE CHARCOAL CANISTER REQUIRED REPLACEMENT FOR THE EMISSION SYSTEM TO PROPERLY FUNCTION AND TO BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH EPA STANDARDS. THE TOTAL COST OF THE REPAIR $1,400 WHICH TOYOTA WOULD NOT COVER SINCE IT WAS NOT UNDER RECALL, NOR WOULD THEY CONSIDER PAYING UNDER MY EXTENDED 6 YR 100,000 MILE WARRANTY SINCE THAT EXPIRED JULY 5, 2013. I FIND IT INCREDIBLE THAT TOYOTA WOULD NOT PAY FOR THESE REPAIRS SINCE THEY INVOLVE EMISSIONS AS WELL AS A SAFETY ISSUES. BASED ON…”
“2007 TOYOTA RAV 4. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE WATER PUMP FAILURE. *SMD THE #6 IGNITION COIL WAS REPLACED, AS IT WAS SHORTING OUT AND THE STEERING WHEEL MADE AN UNUSUAL NOISE, WHEN IT WAS TURNED.*JB”
“THIS VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT. THIS IS NOT WHAT I AM ANNOUNCING AT THE MOMENT, BUT MERELY TO OUTLINE THE PROBLEM OF THE OIL BURNING ON THE RAV 4. THIS PROBLEM IS COSTING ME ADDITIONAL MONIES THAT WAS NOT CATERED FOR THAT PURPOSE. I AM PURCHASING MORE THAN THE USUAL AMOUNT OF ENGINE OIL AT THE STORE THAN I WOULD BUY. I SIMPLY NEED TOYOTA TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE/PROBLEM AND FIX IT. MY VEHICLE IS RELATIVELY NEW AND THERE IS NO REASON THAT I SHOULD NEED A NEW ENGINE, NOT FOR A SEVEN YEAR OLD VEHICLE. I WOULD APPRECIATE IF THE AUTHORITIES CAN AMELIORATE THIS SITUATION FOR ALL TOYOTA OWNERS THAT ARE FACED WITH THIS PROBLEM, AND FIX THE ENGINE BURNING OIL PROBLEM...UPDATED 11-06-13 *BF”
“THERE IS A KNOCKING NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. I CAN ALSO FEEL SOMETHING MOVING IN SYNC WITH THE KNOCKING WHENEVER IT OCCURS. IT FEELS AS THOUGH SOME CAR PARTS ARE MAKING CONTACT AND THE KNOCKING NOISE IS THE RESULT OF THE IMPACT. *TR”
Showing 6 of 41 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 27, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.