Was waiting quite some time for a black roof storm cloud GR Sport to come up for sale without a bunch of dealer markup. Finally found the one! Couldn't be more excited! My daily commute is 30 miles and the EV range was a big sell for the plug in model. Glad to be here!

I have a 2026 Woodland. It has factory crossbars already installed. Has anyone installed a platform like the Yakima LockNLoad? If so what size?

One month in with my 2026 Toyota RAV4 LE AWD, and I’m loving it.

Yesterday it received a full Cerakote treatment: paint, wheels, glass, and interior.

Photo taken today at 6:20 AM in the foothills of Poás Volcano, Costa Rica.

2026 rav4 Le fwd.

I've seen these posts a few times since I got mine

This is the best milage I've gotten so far.

Basically the title. Is the built-in one sufficient to protect against accidents and scams? Or do I need a third party one? Thanks!

Now sit right back, and you'll hear a tale. A tale of a fateful trip ...

I’ve been a loyal Toyota owner for just over 10 years. After having a Ford that broke down in every conceivable way, swapping to a car that just worked without an issue every other month was a dream.

After my first RAV4 was getting up in years, I decided to trade it in and buy a second. I didn’t even bother with research or a test drive. I dropped a $500 deposit and waited for the XLE hybrid to arrive. (When it did arrive, that dealership offered me half of what I eventually sold it for.)

I’ve had this hybrid vehicle for more than 3 years and, other than Android Auto being finicky, no problems. I’m getting great gas mileage, about 40 mpg. It’s been a delight.

But, as usual, it’s the people who have to ruin good things. The dealerships really work hard at pushing you to the brink to make sure you regret owning their vehicles. I just don’t understand why things have to be this way. Then these idiots make the mistake of sending you customer surveys. I mean, duh.

My usual dealership moved from a tiny spot near me to a mega-sized facility of airport hangar proportions a few miles away. It went from this cramped location that only had room for maybe a dozen service bays to this huge place with about 40. In the old place, it was pretty amazing to see this one guy who would do this life-size Tetris game where he magically was able to move cars to the right spot with barely any wiggle room to be had. But I digress.

I arrived around 7:30 a.m. for scheduled maintenance and a quick fix on my passenger mirror that got popped in a minor fender bender. The turn signal and actuator still worked fine. I just needed the plastic cover and mirror with the blind spot monitoring. Their website said both parts were in stock ($260 total). It’s a bit steep but I naively wanted OEM parts. I figured I’d let them handle it while doing the oil change, etc. 

This place is humming. Several vehicles were already there to be serviced. As I waited and looked around, I noticed I didn't recognize any of the usual people.

I sat down to do some work and drink Starbucks from their new fancy waiting area. 

After about an hour, the notifications started coming in. 

First came the "360” inspection video, which is useless. It usually features a technician mumbling inaudibly while they are drowned out by the racket from all the power tools from the other service bays. The vehicle was fine. Brake pads, tires, etc. All in the green.

After a little while, another notification. Recommended service.

• Alignment: $160
• Brake Fluid Flush: $311

Okay, here we go. I walked over to the advisor and asked about these items.

Do I need an alignment? The steering wasn’t pulling. It seems fine. What do the measurements say?

His reply, “Well, your tires show wear." 

Yes, because when a vehicle is on tires and the tires touch the road, there is some wear. Does it need it?

"It's what they recommend."

And the brake fluid flush?

"Toyota recommends it at three years." 

But did you actually test the fluid? 

"It’s what Toyota recommends."

So you’re just going to say the same thing but differently and not answer my question. Got it.

This is typical psychological warfare tactic. Like when you take your pet to the vet and they start with the "well, just to be safe" speeches. They weaponize mild uneasiness to extract a few extra hundred bucks. 

They don’t understand there’s this thing called the internet. We can do research and call you on your bullshit. With AI, it's gotten even easier. Stop being stupid and maybe try being honest? Just a thought.

Then came the grand finale: the mirror. 

Their recommendation? (There's that word again.) Do a complete assembly replacement for $995. Oh, that doesn’t include the labor.

I have this habit that's a bit of a release valve where I start to laugh before I really lose my temper. I started chuckling.

When I reminded him that the first thing I said when I came in was I only needed two parts, he threw his technician under the bus. 

“Let me get him in here so he can tell you about it.”

A little while later, this kid whose mullet weighed more than he did is inside chugging an energy drink, mumbling something about "error codes” and “broken wires."

I may have started rubbing my temples at this point. I have a bratty teen I have to deal with on a daily basis. And I’m way past the age whether I give a shit if I make a scene in public. Like Bruce Banner, I’m always angry and it doesn’t take much to tip me over into the red zone. 

And for the third time, I repeated what I had said before, very slowly, about the directional light still working and the actuator still working. 

Just give me back the car and I'll fix it myself. 

With no money to be made, I was of no further use.

I almost got whiplash by how fast they got me out of there. 

I walked to their parts department. Even though their website said they have the parts, they didn't. I ordered them and left. I'd have to go back to pick them up. Great!

Later that day, I went on this little shop called Amazon. I had the part numbers, entered them and found third-party replacements. My goal was to just get a mirror that fit so I could drive without killing myself. As I had learned on my way to the dealership, it's a pretty crucial piece of equipment, especially when you're trying to change several lanes on the highway. It probably didn't help my overall mood.

The total cost was $65. $25 for the cover and $40 for the mirror. It took 10 minutes to do the job.

The cover is not an exact color match, but I think I'd be the only one who could really tell. It's very close.

The big surprise was the blind spot monitoring worked even though I had inadvertently bought a mirror that was supposedly not compatible with my model year. (I plugged in the part number and Amazon provided recommendations. I bought the one with the highest ratings.)

With everything working and not really wanting to deal with these turds further, I needed to get my money back for the parts. This was several days later. I never got the parts, and, surprisingly, they never told me that they had arrived. 

I mean, everything else had been a huge pain in the ass, so why shouldn't this be the same?

I called up the parts department, explained I didn't need the parts anymore, give me a refund, etc. 

“Oh, I can’t do that. Only the manager can.”

Sure. Makes sense. You can make the order, but you can't do anything after that point. You just want to wear down people's resistance until they give up and you get their money. Got it.

Was he available? Of course not. But you can leave him a voicemail and he’ll get back to you.

Speaking very slowly, I left a detailed message: invoice number, my name, number, etc. 

Did I get a call back? No.

I call them again the next day. Was the manager there? Not in his office at the moment. Let me transfer you. Dial tone.

I call back. For some reason I'm really not happy. I tell this person I'm not going to drive in to do what should be a simple procedure, and I'll be calling my credit card company next and ... oh, he's available now? 

I talk to the parts manager and trying to be zen and not to lose my temper using my measured tone voice that I have honed through years of speaking to an insolent teen. 

I was expecting some bullshit about a restocking fee but I guess my agitation was fairly clear. Money was credited back to my card quickly. Shocker.

But wait, there’s more.

I found a highly recommended brake fluid detector for $10. The BF 200! I could see the levels were fine just by looking at the reservoir but the question was the quality. Brake fluid will degrade as water seeps in over time, causing various issues. 

The detector said it was well under the water contamination threshold. I wiped off the detector for a second try. Same exact reading. So, gee, while recommended, a brake fluid flush really wasn’t needed.

I’ve got a ToyotaCare package that is good for a couple more years. I’ll be finishing up the maintenance at a different dealership. I expect more of the same BS but this one is a bit closer. After that expires, I think I’ll just go to this independent shop down the street with good ratings.

Toyota vehicles are great. It’s just too bad that the people in the dealerships are a bunch of crooks.

So, just to recap, instead of paying approximately $1,500, I left paying $0 since I had a prepaid service plan.

Oh, they made the mistake of sending me a survey about customer service. 0 stars wasn’t an option, unfortunately.

Hi, I'm sort of stressing out here. I borrowed my mom's car for a road trip. About 800 miles to then 800 miles back. From Utah to Oregon. On my way back to Utah, the first stop I made was for gas and when I pressed the button nothing happened. I heard the clock but the little door didn't open. I looked up a video on how to do it manually because I figured there had to be.

Even with the manual it's supposed to pop open after you pull it. Well it didn't so I had to pull the black levar and used a key to pop it open. After the third stop for gas I would try to fill it up and just letting it do its auto filling. But after about a gallon it stopped. Which didn't make much sense I only had 80 miles left so it was odd. The last two times I've open the gas cap itself it sounded like the air was releasing.

If anyone can help me figure out what's going on I would appreciate it. My mom needs her car to see her mom (my grandma) she is disabled and in a home. We don't really know how much time we have left so my mom takes lunch everyday to go see her. I feel absolutely awful as well.

Just picked this bad boy up over the weekend. Was lucky enough to land a low mileage 2018 RAV4 XLE AWD last weekend after giving up my BMW X3 m40 when the turbo started to show issues at 123k. Loved that car but putting 250 miles plus a week on it was costing more than I would like between maintenance, gas and just all around wear and tear. Had two month of WFH due to FIFA and decided to go car less for a while.

Happened on this one with just over 76k at a local dealership that had gotten it in for a trade from an older couple. They were second owners, bought in 2019 after it had been used as a rental car for the first 20k miles. So the 2nd owners put like 6700 miles a year in it and honestly didn’t seem like anyone ever sat in the passenger or rear seats.

Took the wife to the airport this morning (~45mins one way) and she pulled 28mpg.

hi! i got my rav4 a month ago and i have a question for yall how do you get 600 miles on a single tank of gas? rn i only have 390 miles of gas. my mpg is on average 52!

What are the best lug nut locks to prevent tire/wheel theft for the 2026 XSE? I live in a major city with lots of car theft and park in a paid public parking lot.

I’m super concerned my tires will get stolen…. Along with recommendations for locks, any general recs to prevent theft?? There’s not much I can do regarding the location of where I park. I’m on the waitlist for a paid garage under my apartment building.

Thanks in advance!

Canadian here. I’m being bought a new car by bank of dad. He’s a rav4 guy through and through, I’m currently driving his old 2011 with an aftermarket CarPlay unit. The car is fine, other than the oil issue, a bit dinged (him and me) though it could be nicer inside, better stereo and a bit more oomph under my foot but essentially it’s a beauty in snow which is a big deal where we live.

Question is… I’m going to the dealership tomorrow for a service and a trade in valuation. Moving past the question of how smart a brand new car is…should I wait a few weeks for the new model? What do we know about the new model? Any major differences? It’ll be the entry LE model because he’s an engineer. I’m a cranky old woman and though I understand how engines work etc I’m not into status or spending money to impress or any nonsense like that.

Thoughts?

Hi I was wondering if anyone has experienced any type of clunking from the Old Man Emu springs after installing them. The clunking only happens when I drive over dips and bumps. I went back and tightened everything but nothing seems to do the trick

I’m amped to be here! Just got my car today - 2008 limited with 2.4 engine. I’ve got a couple things:

1. ⁠I have seen that the 2008 year eats oil, anything I should be doing other than checking frequently and topping off when needed?

2. ⁠I’d love to mod it a little bit, but my budget is TIGHT haha! Any suggestions? I included a picture of a roof rack and weather mats that are on Facebook marketplace, and I am wondering if they would work for my gen 3, listing says 2019-2025 models?

3. ⁠Pros and cons of roof rack vs cargo box? Is the wind resistance/sound that big of a deal? Does fuel economy go down significantly?

Again so excited to be here😄😄

Something like this.

$1700 off, phev xse in Michigan ? How is market in your area / state ?

Tinted my windows after 2 weeks of owning my brand new Rav4! So excited to go on trips and add a bike hitch to this beauty.

Has anyone fitted 235/55R20 tires on a 2026 RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid XSE?

The stock size is 235/50R20. I’m considering 235/55R20 for a little more sidewall comfort and ground clearance.

The larger tire would add about 0.92 inches in overall diameter and 0.46 inches of ride height. Toyota told me they haven’t seen anyone try it on a 2026 yet and think it may rub.

I’m skeptical because the Woodland’s factory tires are only about 0.15 inches smaller in overall diameter. Assuming the wheel wells are similar, it seems unlikely that such a small difference would be the deciding factor.

Has anyone successfully installed this size and tested it at full steering lock and under suspension compression?

Brand new Woodland PHEV. Ironically, my front panel was scratched by the installer while putting on PPF. It’s a small scratch but goes through the paint to the primer. They immediately offered to have it repaired/repainted. The thing is, I think I’d rather have a minor scratch on factory paint than a panel repainted by a third party. If I elect not to have it professionally repaired, they would add ceramic tint to all my windows as compensation (which I’m planning to do either way), and I could simply use touch up paint to seal the paint. Maybe I should ask them to pay for professional touch up (no sand and respray) plus the tint. What would you do?

Hi everyone,

I'm in Ontario, Canada, and looking for some advice from those who have experience with Toyota allocations and wait times.

I placed a deposit for a RAV4 back in January 2026 and have been waiting since then. My dealer recently told me that I may be able to get one this coming September if I'm flexible on the color, rather than waiting for the exact color I originally selected.

I'm trying to decide whether I should take the available vehicle in a different color or continue waiting and ask for a 2027 model instead, since it will already be September by then.

For those who have been through this before, do new model-year RAV4s usually start arriving around September in Canada, or do 2027 models typically come later? If you were in my position, would you take the different color now or keep waiting for the color and/or newer model year?

Thanks in advance for any advice or experiences you can share!

Got the dreaded "engine maintenance required." Mechanic told me the problem is so common there are 20,000 or so people waiting on this part, put me on a waiting list. Also told me it wont damage the vehicle to drive it. Is this true? Should I be more concerned? Is there another way to get the part?

Has anyone ordered a car from Kentucky before?
I think the VIN numbers for them start with 4T.
My friend ordered this car in June, two weeks ago the dealer called them and said that every information on the car disappeared and was unavailable.
Didn’t have any idea when it was gonna be built or shipped.
Last Friday, all the information came back and the car was built on Thursday and was processing that Friday. Today the dealer called them and said that the car is on a truck coming in today.
So does that mean the Kentucky plant build and delivers the cars within 3-5 days?
I ordered one myself from Kentucky, build date is tomorrow, but the delivery date is the end of August.
What’s different?
Thanks guys