2008 Toyota RAV4 Toyota RAV4 2008

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2008 Toyota RAV4 repairs by problem area

Engine (40%)

Transmission and Drivetrain (9%)

Brakes and Traction Control (6%)

Suspension and Steering (16%)

Electrical and Air Conditioning (18%)

Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim (5%)

Other (5%)

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Chart based on 247 repairs.
See TSBs and recalls for the 2008 Toyota RAV4.

2008 Toyota RAV4 electrical repair cost distribution

$2500+ (0%)

$1000 - $2499 (3%)

$500 - $999 (10%)

$100 - $499 (28%)

< $100 (59%)

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Chart based on 39 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.

2008 Toyota RAV4 4dr SUV

269-horsepower 3.5L V6 5-speed automatic FWD

56000 mi

US $100
Battery died, replaced 
14000 mi CD #6 stuck in JBL changer. After dealer "looked at" the unit, none of the CDs would play or eject. Dealer installed new JBL audio unit 
There was, apparently, a TSB on my electric power steering, and I noticed no problem before. It was fixed in a couple of hours. The steering feels slightly heavier now but it is barely noticeable. 
6000 mi T-SB-0067-08 Noise from Auxiliary Port with External Device. Not really having a problem with Ipod noise but thought I would go ahead and get this fixed while under warranty. 
7700 mi Rear window defroster inop. Dealer replaced rear glass under original factory warranty. 

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2008 Toyota RAV4 4dr SUV

269-horsepower 3.5L V6 5-speed automatic AWD

60000 mi

US $80
Brakes making scraping noise. Diagnosed to aftermarket pads that were installed. 
57660 mi

C $90
ENGINE TAKES MORE CRANKING TO START. REPLACED BATTERY WITH HIGHER COLD CRANKING AMP. 
70460 mi

C $560
Airbag light always on. Dealer diagnosed " code b1801, open in D circuit ", Spiral cable. Paid $65 for diagnostics. Bought spiral cable from dealer $480. Friend mechanic installed spiral cable for $60. Problem solved. 
44100 mi Driver side door locks. TSB. 
77000 mi

US $300
Bad amp. Replaced head unit and amp 
91760 mi

C $200
right sided front airbag light on dealer said corrosion on a wire. fixed 
95000 mi

US $8
Side Marker Lamp out. Replaced. Easy for me to do. 
3100 mi Heat/cool fan control working intermittently. Drove vehicle to dealership and part was ordered and appointment made. Day of appointment was told by dealership part on backorder. Left vehicle there as fan control had quite working completely. Waited 9 days for car to be repaired. Given a loaner for that time. 
65000 mi Courtesy switch failure (interior lights) 
71500 mi

US $180
Battery died (Not sure if this counts as maintenance) 
63860 mi

C $185
Car took 3 to 4 seconds to start after being left overnight. The dealer determined the cold amp was low and recommended battery replacement. Car starts great now. So there were two problems with car..fuel injection system and battery. 
1000 mi Grounding noise from the aux and 12v jack. Parts ordered to filter out noise. Took 1.5 hours to fix. 
14000 mi Air bag computer replaced 
4960 mi Brake switch too close to the brake pedal, causing cruise to stop when driving over small holes. 
310 mi Factory installed remote starter was not installed properly. After started with remote starter car does not need a key to drive. And it doesn't shut down with the key.  The headlight indicater also lights up incorrectly. factory installed remote starter was not installed properly. After started with remote starter car does not need a key to drive. And it doesn't shut down with the key. The headlight indicater also lights up incorrectly. 
31620 mi A/C not effective. Replaced leaking service valve and recharge system under warranty. 
57660 mi

C $150
AC low, needed recharge. 
200000 mi airbag warning light and recall repairs 

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2008 Toyota RAV4 4dr SUV

166-horsepower 2.4L I4 4-speed automatic FWD

5000 mi Faulty airbag sensor 
6000 mi Faulty airbag sensor reading low voltage causing the airbag light to go off 
22200 mi Auxiliary module for the head unit was replaced. 
90000 mi

US $250
Alternator 
76000 mi

US $1700
I bought a new air condition compressor and water pump. I had to drain the radiator and a new cap. I changed the oil and transmission service too. 
94000 mi

US $90
Replaced OEM battery 
84000 mi

US $31
Replaced burnt out driver's side headlight 
89000 mi

US $552
Charging warning light came on. Replaced alternator 
140000 mi

US $300
alternator went out 

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2008 Toyota RAV4 4dr SUV

166-horsepower 2.4L I4 4-speed automatic AWD

64260 mi

C $500
The alternator died at just 100K km or 60K miles. Alternator was changed. 1 year old battery seems ok although it was not tested after the incident. 
106000 mi

US $460
Altenator went out. Battery ruined. 
50840 mi

€600
Coming back from a 3 week vacation, Rav4 started O.K, but then shut off. Called AAA and they changed battery, but told us Alternator was dead. Went to an independent shop and changed alternator. Now evaruthing it´s O.K. 
91020 mi

C $109
Wiring repair of the passenger side low beam socket due to corrosion and overheating 
109120 mi repaired wiring from a previous repair. intermittent continuity of headlight due to a previous repair. Note this might actually be part of a a problem related to a modification I the owner made 5 yrs back. I installed PIAA Halogen lamps. 
117500 mi

C $15
Replaced a previously Dealer repaired electrical problem. One headlight had intermittent continuity. I rewired the socket and repaired it 
24000 mi No engine crank one afternoon-all dash lights came on, but no radio/locks/stuck in park. Towed to dealer where it started w/no problem. TSB done on neutral safety switch-not the issue. It was the 120amp fuse rigged under pervious owner. 
52000 mi Radio went silent on a 5 hour trip back home, no sound/seek/scan. Radio was on and display showed station, but no sound what so ever. Took to dealer and the said the head unit was dead. They replaced it with another used unit they had. 

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2008 Toyota RAV4 4dr SUV

150-horsepower 2.0L I4 4-speed automatic AWD

91760 mi

C $200
Clock spring issue causing Air bag light to come on... had repaired by mechanic before receiving recall notice for same issue 

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See TrueDelta's information for all Toyota models.

2008 Toyota RAV4 Electrical Problems

See our lemon odds and nada odds page to see vehicles with no repairs or vehicles with more than three repairs. To see how frequently 2008 Toyota RAV4 problems occur, check out our car reliability stats.