2008 Toyota RAV4 - Ratings, Complaints and Recalls

The 2008 Toyota RAV4 with SAB (Toyota's Side Air Bags) has an excellent safety rating in various categories. While the overall safety rating is not specifically rated, it achieved a high score of 5 in the front crash driver side and both sides crash ratings. The rollover rating is also impressive, with a score of 4. Additionally, this vehicle is equipped with standard electronic stability control, which further enhances its safety features. However, it does not have forward collision warning or lane departure warning systems.

On the downside, the car has a substantial number of complaints, with a count of 566, and has been subject to 14 recalls. Despite these issues, the safety features of the 2008 Toyota RAV4 with SAB make it a reliable choice for those looking for a safe and secure driving experience.

Top stats at a glance

Complaint Count

566

Recall Count

14

Investigation Count

4

Safety Rating

Not Rated

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Safety Features

2008 Toyota RAV4 4-DR. w/SAB Safety Features

Here are the safety features that come as standard on the 2008 Toyota RAV4 4-DR. w/SAB

Electronic Stability Control (ESC)

ESC is an advanced safety feature in vehicles designed to help drivers maintain control during challenging driving conditions. By continuously monitoring various factors such as steering angle, vehicle speed, and individual wheel speeds, ESC can detect and reduce the risk of skidding or loss of control. It achieves this by automatically applying brakes to specific wheels to stabilize the vehicle.

Standard
Forward Collision Warning (FCW)

Forward Collision Warning (FCW) is a safety feature in vehicles that helps prevent frontal collisions by alerting the driver of an imminent collision with a vehicle or obstacle ahead. Using sensors such as radar or cameras, FCW monitors the distance and speed of vehicles in front, and if it detects a potential collision, it provides visual and/or auditory warnings to prompt the driver to take evasive action.

No
Lane Departure Warning (LDW)

Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is a safety feature in vehicles that alerts drivers when their vehicle unintentionally drifts out of its lane without signaling. Utilizing cameras or sensors to monitor lane markings on the road, LDW detects when the vehicle crosses these lines and triggers visual, auditory, or haptic alerts to notify the driver of potential lane departure.

No

2008 Toyota RAV4 4-DR. w/SAB Safety Ratings

Here we have the crash and rollover ratings for the 2008 Toyota RAV4 4-DR. w/SAB Where possible we've included the ratings for the oldest and latest models of this car so you can compare how the safety ratings have changed over time.

Frontal Crash Ratings

Combines Driver and Passenger star ratings into a single frontal rating. The frontal barrier test simulates a head-on collision between two similar vehicles, each moving at 35 mph.

Test 2005 Score 2008 Score 2024 Score
Overall Front Crash Rating Not Rated Not Rated 4
Front Crash Driver Side Rating 4 5 4
Front Crash Passenger Side Rating 4 4 5

Side Crash Ratings

Combines Side Barrier and Side Pole Star Ratings into a single side rating.

Test 2005 Score 2008 Score 2024 Score
Overall Side Crash Rating Not Rated Not Rated 5
Side Crash Drivers Side Rating 5 5 5
Side Crash Passenger Side Rating 5 5 5
Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Front Not Rated Not Rated 5
Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Rear Not Rated Not Rated 5
Overall Side Barrier Rating Not Rated Not Rated 5

Rollover Ratings

The Rollover Resistance test measures the risk of rollover in a single-vehicle, loss-of-control scenario.

Test 2005 Score 2008 Score 2024 Score
Rollover Rating Not Rated 4 4
Rollover Possibility % 0% 0% 0%
Dynamic Tip Result No Tip No Tip
Side Pole Crash Rating Not Rated Not Rated 5

Complaints for the 2008 Toyota RAV4

This chart show the number of complaints for each car component. A Higher number of complaints could indicate that this car might have a common fault. Something to look out for when purchasing one.

Component Complaints

Choose a component to see what complaints people have made about them.

Complaint:
"the contact owns a 2008 toyota rav4. the contact stated while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. there were no warning lights illuminated. the contact stated that her husband checked the oil level and noticed that the oil level was low. the contact stated that two weeks prior to the failure, an oil change service was performed. the contact stated that her husband added oil; however, two weeks later he checked the oil level again and the oil level was low. the contact stated that the vehicle consumed one quart of oil every two weeks or approximately every 200 miles. the contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer and the service manager stated that it was a known issue with the vehicle. the contact was notified of a tsb however, the vehicle was over the mileage. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 110,000."
Components Involved: ENGINE
Date of incident: 2019-05-10

Complaint:
"vehicle suddenly lose power while the cars are being driven, the engine shut off, and catch on fire."
Components Involved: ENGINE
Date of incident: 2023-12-04

Complaint:
"the contact's daughter owned a 2008 toyota rav 4. the contact stated that his wife was driving with their daughter on the highway at approximately 65 mph. the contact stated that his wife said no warning lights were illuminated. the contact's wife reported that the vehicle began to make a loud buzzing noise from the engine. the contact's wife was able to pull over on the road shoulder when she noticed smoke issuing from under the hood. the vehicle burst into flames from under the hood. the contact's wife and daughter jumped out of the vehicle, the daughter burned the palm of her right hand. the police and fire department arrived. the police attempted to extinguish the fire and called the fire department which extinguished the fire with water. the vehicle was undrivable and the police had it towed to an impound lot. the police nor the fire department issued a report. the daughter did not seek medical attention for the burn on her right hand. the contact said that the insurance company will inspect the vehicle this week. the contact said the vehicle was completely burned. the manufacturer was informed of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 150,000."
Components Involved: ENGINE
Date of incident: 2024-05-01

Complaint:
"tl* the contact owns a 2008 toyota rav4. the contact stated that upon inspection of her engine, she discovered that the oil had completely emptied without warning. since the discovery, the contact would frequently replace the oil approximately every month due to the excessive oil consumption. the contact then took the vehicle to magic toyota (21300 hwy 99, edmonds, wa 98026) where she was informed that the failure was a known issue and the vehicle was under warranty however, the warranty had expired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was filed. the vehicle had yet to be repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 95,000."
Components Involved: ENGINE
Date of incident: 2020-01-12

Complaint:
"i purchased the 2008 toyota rav4 with 90,600 miles on december 7/2020 for $ 7,000 . on december 13 coming home on sawgrass express way the vehicle got on fire !! luckily i have had the police car followed me because and was driving behind me and notice the car heavily smoking! i pulled over and wait for the police with the textinguisher to localize the fire ! issued a report and florida highway patrol for towing. case number fhpk20off058333 emerald towing ! next day paid for towing $400 ( receipt is provided) s.i.r.t 32962 dec.13.2020 on december 14 paid $ 125 again to be able to tow it to pauls transmission located on 4430 n. dixie hwy. fort lauderdale, fl 33334 replace engine with lkq unit total cost $4,066 invoice provided. in the meantime i have to work so i needed a rental car until january 6th, 2021 $ 437.73 total cost !"
Components Involved: ENGINE
Date of incident: 2021-01-12

Complaint:
"my engine is consuming oil more than normal and i only drive locally and vibrates in idling and when you stopped the car also continuously has a sound coming from the engine like clicking harder at idling and running is very notorious. i consulted other mechanic shops and they said there s a problem in the internal engine but nobody worked in my car. in the past i told the toyota service department and they ignore it"
Components Involved: ENGINE
Date of incident: 2021-03-01

Complaint:
"i own toyota rav 4 2008. i purchased a used certified vehicle in 2009. i have encountered an issue with my car such that engine started stalling intermittently while drive to my home. on the dash board i saw the engine oil light coming on intermittently. i was able to make it to home safely and upon inspection i found that engine oil level was way down to the point that it was not detectable at all. there was no oil on the dip stick. i looked at the service record and my car was serviced on oct 15th 2016 for oil change and other other safety recall. on october 15, 2016 the mileage was 83406. the next service was due on march 15 or at 88406 miles. i called the dch toyota of simi valley dealership and they asked to come in the morning for inspection. then i went to automotive store and purchased 5w-20 oil, it took 3 quart of oil and i was to see the oils level as normal on dip stick. then i argued with dealer that it should not consume 3 or more quart of oil. i went to another independent mechanic he checked the tail pipe and he saw burned oil. he confirmed that engine is burning oil. then i called toyota motor and complained that engine is burning oil. they authorized the dealer to do the oils consumption test. they will investigate on how much oil it burns? dch toyota of simi valley did the oil consumption study and reported that my car did not consume enough oils to do the warranty repair. they said it only consumed 3/4 quart of oil every 1200 miles and it passed the oil consumption test. still i have the same car i put about 2 or more quart every 1500 miles. the engine repair will cost me $5000.00 dollars or more. i think dealer did flawed study on oil consumption test do they do not have to do warranty repair."
Components Involved: ENGINE
Date of incident: 2017-10-04

Complaint:
"vehicle consumes more oil than the normal.have found out that 2007-2009 toyota rav 4,(2az-fe engines) have a faulty piston and rings design.these engines burn oil,because of this faulty design."
Components Involved: ENGINE
Date of incident: 2022-05-09

Complaint:
"vehicle engine seized and shut down when i was driving on a main street inside city limits on a straight busy road. pulled into driveway but vehicle would not start again so had it towed to my house. replaced battery but still would not start. had vehicle towed to toyota dealer."
Components Involved: ENGINE
Date of incident: 2021-03-04

Complaint:
"the engine consume too much oil, it has around 100,000 miles on it. i change oil every 3k to 4k miles and when i'm ready to do oil change the oil is almost empty, now i have to refill and check the oil frequently"
Components Involved: ENGINE
Date of incident: 2019-01-09

Recalls for the 2008 Toyota RAV4

Component Recalls

Choose a component to see what recalls people have made about them.

Recall:
"toyota motor engineering & manufacturing (toyota) is recalling certain model year 2006-2011 toyota rav4 vehicles manufactured october 31, 2005, to september 7, 2010, and 2010 lexus hs250h vehicles manufactured july 6, 2009, to august 26, 2010. the affected vehicles have rear suspension arms (rear tie rods) with adjusting lock nuts that may have been improperly tightened after servicing. as a result of being loose, the arm may have thread damage and may rust, possibly leading to the failure of the arm and an abrupt change in the vehicle's alignment."
Consequence:
Failure of the rear tie rod could cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy:

Toyota will notify owners and dealers will replace both rear suspension arms and encapsulate the locknuts, free of charge. The recall began on September 30, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are G0V for Toyota vehicles and GLK for Lexus vehicles. Note: This recall supersedes recall 13V-383, in which some vehicles were only inspected, sealed, and did not have both arms replaced. The affected vehicles were previously recalled under 13V-383, but did not have both rear suspension arms replaced at that time. Those vehicles need to have both arms replaced as part of this recall remedy.

Component(s) Involved: SUSPENSION > REAR
Date of incident: 2016-08-12

Recall:
"toyota is recalling certain model year 2006 through 2011 rav4 and 2010 lexus hs250h passenger vehicles manufactured from october 2005 through september 2010. if the nuts for adjusting the rear wheel alignment are improperly tightened during service, the rear suspension arm (rear tie rod) may develop unwanted movement and rust, leading to thread damage and eventual failure. failure of the rear tie rod will cause an abrupt change in the vehicle's alignment."
Consequence:
Failure of the rear tie rod could cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy:

Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear tie-rod nut for looseness and replace any suspect tie-rod found loose. Dealers will also affix instructions in multiple places to prevent improper servicing in the future. The recall began on November 30, 2012. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331 or Lexus at 1-800-255-3987.

Component(s) Involved: SUSPENSION > REAR
Date of incident: 2012-08-02

Recall:
"toyota is recalling certain model year 2006 through 2011 rav4 and 2010 lexus hs250h passenger vehicles manufactured from october 2005 through september 2010. if the nuts for adjusting the rear wheel alignment are improperly tightened during service, the rear suspension arm (rear tie rod) may develop unwanted movement and rust leading to thread damage and eventual failure. failure of the rear tie rod will cause an abrupt change in the vehicle's alignment."
Consequence:
Failure of the rear tie rod could cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy:

Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the tie rods and replace any that have rust or corrosion on the alignment adjustment threads. All of the rear tie rods will then be encased in an epoxy to prevent future environmental damage. Due to limitations in parts, the recall remedy will be launched in phases from September 2013 through mid-April 2014. All owners will receive notification of the recall, with most receiving second notifications when parts are available in their area. IMPORTANT: This recall supersedes Toyota and Lexus recall 12V-373. All vehicles that have been inspected and remedied under the previous recall need to be re-inspected and have the appropriate remedy applied.

Component(s) Involved: SUSPENSION > REAR
Date of incident: 2013-08-28

TOYOTA Overall Complaint Ranking

This table shows the ranking of car manufacturers when it comes to most complaints and recalls. The manufacturer with the most complaints is at the top. However this doesn't necassarily mean they should be avoided. Some manufacturers might just have more popular or affordable cars which a lot of people have bought. Which means there's more scope for a complaint to be made. Use the ranking table below as a part your wider research into buying a car.

TOYOTA ranks 3 out of 44 in the complaints ranking table.

Manufacturer Complaint Count Recall Count Ranking
FORD 208,358 3,259 1
CHEVROLET 111,306 2,082 2
TOYOTA 81,019 1,852 3
HONDA 61,937 1,268 4
NISSAN 56,226 930 5
DODGE 45,756 827 6
HYUNDAI 44,150 649 7
GMC 34,441 1,410 8
KIA 29,832 501 9
CHRYSLER 27,698 254 10
TESLA 26,230 730 11
BMW 24,890 1,877 12
VOLKSWAGEN 23,125 829 13
MERCEDES-BENZ 19,066 2,925 14
SUBARU 18,513 703 15
MAZDA 10,599 364 16
PONTIAC 10,430 138 17
CADILLAC 9,434 444 18
AUDI 7,865 1,093 19
BUICK 7,851 279 20
SATURN 7,672 84 21
MERCURY 7,374 135 22
LEXUS 6,373 408 23
LINCOLN 5,897 423 24
ACURA 5,722 382 25
MINI 5,585 366 26
INFINITI 4,000 187 27
MITSUBISHI 3,912 397 28
VOLVO 3,875 727 29
PORSCHE 2,646 1,231 30
SUZUKI 2,272 123 31
FIAT 2,205 80 32
SAAB 1,536 76 33
JAGUAR 1,195 198 34
SMART 528 17 35
GENESIS 436 42 36
ISUZU 249 37 37
ALFA ROMEO 161 37 38
MASERATI 76 46 39
BENTLEY 46 159 40
POLESTAR 42 2 41
LUCID 14 6 42
CODA 4 2 43
MAYBACH 0 0 44

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