My wife and I have a 2001 Toyota RAV4 with 277,000 kilometres on it. We have owned this vehicle since 2003 / 30,000 kilometres. The vehicle has seen us through many long road trips, regular trips to our cottage (one hour away) and our daily commute during our working years.
The maintenance requirements for the vehicle have been minimal, although we’re seeing more maintenance costs in recent years. Toyota replaced the transmission in 2010 at 127,000 kilometres and the vehicle had new tires and brakes in 2020. I do all the oil changes and easy maintenance items myself.
Because of the vehicle’s history of reliability, we would prefer to keep it for another few years rather than purchasing a new vehicle. I’m of the opinion that we’ll have more choices in vehicles in the coming years as automakers’ supply chain issues are sorted out.
We have recently retired and we’re considering taking the RAV4 on a road trip next winter to Florida. I estimate that trip to be at least 7,000 kilometres round trip. I’m thinking of having my local dealership do a preventative “deep dive” into the vehicle to search for possible issues. I’m also of the opinion that if the vehicle breaks down while we’re in the United States, a dealership will be nearby to help.
What do you think of this approach? Is there some specific service that I should be requesting such as replacing all engine fluids?
Jason P., Winnipeg
I do agree that Toyota reliability, especially from that generation, was remarkable. I regularly see early 2000s Camrys, Corollas, and Rav4s still on the road. While I don’t work on that many vehicles of your vintage anymore, I can still appreciate the position you are in. Surprisingly, this is a common conversation for me, albeit on vehicles from the 2010+ years.
My issue with your thought process is twofold. Firstly, with a higher mileage vehicle like yours the components that have never been changed such as alternators, starter motors or axles are all now at a mileage that is prime for failure. Don’t forget your vehicle would be getting worked out in a manner that it hasn’t in quite some time. It would be running hotter than it has in years. Unpredictable component failure is not that far-fetched. No “deep dive “ at any dealer is going to catch everything.
Secondly, I would worry about parts availability. A 25-year-old vehicle, and particularly an older import, is not going to have a lot of parts support in rural areas of the United States. That means you could possibly get stuck for extended periods because of parts that are discontinued or backordered for weeks. Toyota dealers and the warehouses that they draw from won’t be able to help you quickly as demand for these aged parts is low.
For reference, I refer to my parents who broke down while returning home from wintering in Arizona towing their fifth-wheel RV trailer with their older Ford F-350 truck. As my stepfather is a huge Eagles fan, they thought it would be fun to visit Winslow, Arizona in their travels. They inadvertently ended up committed to more than a month-long residency living out of their trailer in the rear parking lot of the Ford dealership that was repairing their truck. You guessed it, they were stuck waiting for parts. They were truly taking it easy while standing on the corner of Winslow Arizona for about five weeks.
I believe your vehicle is an excellent candidate as a second car that stays local as a grocery getter but little more than that.
Lou Trottier is owner-operator of All About Imports in Mississauga. Have a question about maintenance and repair? E-mail globedrive@globeandmail.com, placing “Lou’s Garage” in the subject line.
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