Used 2008 Toyota RAV4 Consumer Reviews
Used RAV4 for sale
2...
See Edmunds pricing data
Has Your Car's Value Changed?
Used car values are constantly changing. Edmunds lets you track your vehicle's value over time so you can decide when to sell or trade in.
Really Suprised !
Anton Tesla, 11/24/2015
updated 12/11/2016
2008 Toyota RAV4 Limited 4dr SUV (2.4L 4cyl 4A)
32 of 36 people found this review helpful
Having had the car for 3 months now, I'm definitely impressed with it overall. I bought it used with 11300 miles on the odometer and was amazed to get the previous owners Impressive maintenance records ! Regular scheduled service from day one with quality tires, synthetic oil and fluid changes and genuine Toyota replacement parts. It came with a complete 5 tire set of Firestone Destination m+s radials with less the 2500 miles on them ! The handling of this vehicle has been a real treat with the new car handling without the new car sized payment ! Both in town and on the highway, it rides and drives like it is on rails. I've taken it to our camp in Northern NH and was pleasantly surprised by the way it handled our sometimes sketchy access road with its ruts and mud holes. The 4wd pulled nicely and the suspension kept the rolling and pitching to acceptable levels. The 2.4 4 cyl motor is averaging 22 mpg and it has plenty of power to pull my small utility trailer with either the 4 wheeler or snowmobile on it. The roominess and storage capacity combined with the overall secure feeling the car has while driving it, has me really pleased with the purchase of this Rav4 ! 7 months later, Big surprise at our 1st state inspection ! Both rear coil springs had snapped and jumped up over the top retainer ?? The muffler also had a pin hole ! I called the dealer and asked about our 2 year warranty coverage that we had to purchase to close the sale ? He says those are wear and tear parts, not covered ? GRR ! After 4 " Garage Mechanic " quotes ranging from $1098.99 to $2900.00 for "Dealer only" parts and labor, I about Freaked !!! After a few Strong Toddies and a day or two to cool off, I decided to tackle it myself ! I spent two days surfing for parts and I scored new heavier springs from HD SPRINGS , an Firestone air bag kit and Walker SS muffler for $316.00 !! It took 12 hours for me to swap out old for new. I increased my towing capacity by 1000 LBS and my Rav4 really handles like a new car and tows with No Sag !! LOVIN IT !!
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
Engine replaced at 56K. No more Toyota for me.
nomoretoyota7, 02/27/2014
2008 Toyota RAV4 Sport 4dr SUV (3.5L 6cyl 5A)
23 of 26 people found this review helpful
Sadly, though not my first Toyota, this will be my last. I had to replace my engine due to a hose failure. No recall on this part, but they changed the design in 2009.... wonder why...mmm. I take good care of my vehicles and got regular oil changes. This has become the most expensive car I have ever owned. And I bought it because of the Toyota reputation.
Worst Vehicle I've Ever Owned
wisernow1, 02/22/2013
2008 Toyota RAV4 4dr SUV 4WD (2.4L 4cyl 4A)
51 of 60 people found this review helpful
Before the final stroke of the pen, I decided to buy the Toyota extended warranty - which actually seemed ridiculous that a Toyota wouldn't go 100K without a major problem. That was the only redeeming feature of my purchase: by 80K miles they replaced the alternator, air conditioning condensor, all valve stems and the COMPLETE ENGINE. When I informed Toyota of this total disaster they produced, the best response I got was that it was a good thing I bought the warranty. It is now gone and I'll never deal with a Toyota product again.
2008 RAV 4 could have been great
Alan, 11/01/2018
updated 11/16/2020
2008 Toyota RAV4 4dr SUV (2.4L 4cyl 4A)
7 of 7 people found this review helpful
After 144,000 miles and 10 years later from new, this has been a pretty reliable hard-working car with pretty good comfort and drive-ability. It still has a smooth ride and descent acceleration for a 2.4L. Mileage has been 25 mpg on the highway overall, better with a tail wind. Thus far the chief complaint is the rear suspension arm and alignment recall fix. Toyota in their infinite wisdom ultimately decided the solution to the rear arm suspension fix was to epoxy the system in place, which only Toyota is willing to do at something around $742 per side, so over $1400 for the rear suspension repair/alignment. This was covered by the recall the first time around but now the rear alignment is a bit out again and this time they want the owner to pick up the tab. Much of the repair cost is in the epoxy kit. This is a big failing on Toyota's part for RAV owners with this issue. Why should the owner have to pay an exceptionally high alignment repair price for their design flaw? The right thing for Toyota to do is charge a normal alignment price and eat the rest for the life of the car. Their flaw, their punishment. The second costly repair came this summer with the reverse transmission. Shifting into reverse one day caused the reverse clutch (I'm told unique to RAV4) to break. All other gears worked fine but in reverse, on any kind of steep hill, the gear would slip. My regular repair shop and Toyota dealer service would not repair just the reverse clutch. They would only put in a whole new transmission at something like $3400! A transmission specialist repaired it for $2300, still a pretty big expense, but so far all is well again. Other than those two issues, the car has been great! Whether I'd buy another RAV4 or even Toyota for that matter would depend on researching the latest misgivings like this car has had. That's what has compelled me to share my experience.
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
Fun, reliable, good fit for tall people
szabaka, 01/20/2011
2008 Toyota RAV4 Sport 4dr SUV 4WD (3.5L 6cyl 5A)
7 of 7 people found this review helpful
I am 6'7" (36" inseam) and love my Rav4 Sport w/the V6. The JBL audio is excellent. I have had this car from day one, 25k miles, never a problem - other than flipping a coin for who has the car for the day. Winter (northern Vermont) with Firestone Winterforce: excellent. I've tried getting it to skid, nearly impossible. Never stuck, stomping on the pedal and all four wheels really grab. I am 6'7" tall and have no issue on the driver side (passenger side is ok, I don't sit in the rear but could if the driver seat wasn't all the way back). My only beef is the small light in the rear door. Minor annoyance.
2...