2009 Toyota RAV4 Toyota RAV4 2009

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2009 Toyota RAV4 repairs by problem area

Engine (27%)

Transmission and Drivetrain (14%)

Brakes and Traction Control (12%)

Suspension and Steering (17%)

Electrical and Air Conditioning (14%)

Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim (10%)

Other (5%)

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Chart based on 195 repairs.
See TSBs and recalls for the 2009 Toyota RAV4.

2009 Toyota RAV4 transmission repair cost distribution

$2500+ (4%)

$1000 - $2499 (17%)

$500 - $999 (4%)

$100 - $499 (21%)

< $100 (54%)

Worried about potential repair costs? An extended warranty can provide peace of mind.

Chart based on 24 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.

2009 Toyota RAV4 4dr SUV

269-horsepower 3.5L V6 5-speed automatic AWD

42160 mi leaking axle seal. Both seals replaced under warranty. 
66000 mi Transmission exhibits unexplained pauses and hesitations. In shop several times dealer unable to identify and repair problem. I am on extended warranty, so I can afford to be patient. I guess ! Also persistent. Dealer "sees" problems but cannot identify or repair. Settings have been reset and transmission has had to "relearn" 
70000 mi transmission and computer communication problem. Attempting to diagnose. Failing to do so as yet 
99200 mi

C $1500
rear differental leak 
52000 mi Transmission whine. Replaced transmission with rebuilt honed transmission to eliminate whine. Covered by service bulletin under warranty. No charge to me. 
80000 mi

US $250
AWD system malfunction. 4WD light stayed on. 
85400 mi

C $975
Whining sound heard in the back. Had to replace the magnet (solenoid) in the rear differential. Right where the driving shaft connects to the diff. 
45000 mi Rear viscous coupler replacement 

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2009 Toyota RAV4 4dr SUV

179-horsepower 2.5L I4 4-speed automatic AWD

111600 mi

C $460
Oil Leakage from rear differential. Seals replaced. Later main seal start leaking 
113460 mi

C $1500
Rear differential main seal (pinion) oil leak. I have to replace whole rear differential housing to fix the leak parts $1150 plus $360 labor. Went to the scrap yard, they gave me a mechanic contact. He is going to replace the seal for 1.5 hours labor, plus $20 and oil. Unfortunately for Canada Toyota didn't do recall as they did for USA. 
98000 mi

US $1000
Full axle replacement. This year cannot have a half axle replaced. 
152935 mi

US $410
Flushed and replaced all transmission fluid to eliminate periodic transmission vibration while driving. 
100000 mi Transmission. Opted not to fix. 
46120 mi Replace suspension arm - Warranty. Left rear axle seal replaced.... Extended Warranty. 
133920 mi

C $1100
replaced trans axle due to wear / noise 
142000 mi

US $2300
warranty work rear diff viscous coupling vibration when driving between 35and45. vibration has grown much worse recently. dealer could not identify source-suggested new tires and rims. I had them replace the lifetime ATF fluid - they did not want to - vibration is now very small 
210000 mi

US $3500
[transmission] rebuild 
235000 mi transmission was rebuilt in may 2021 - transmission failed - and was rebuilt under warranty 
59800 mi

C $228
Rear differential pinion seal. Replaced rear pinion seal. 
89280 mi

C $40
Had plug for rear differential replaced. Probably wore out from checking fluid over the years. 
111600 mi

C $1347
Drive shaft needed to be replaced as vehicle was shuddering/vibrating at 40km/hour. UV joint was seized, but it cannot be replaced on its own, so a whole new drive shaft had to be installed. 
154380 mi

C $106
Remove driveshaft and check vibration. Install shudder additive. 
186000 mi

US $40
U joints worn out requiring drive shaft replacement 
203000 mi differential seal leak 
209000 mi front differential needs replacement 
250000 mi seal leaking. replaced fluid. will require major repair at some point. 

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2009 Toyota RAV4 Transmission 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 2009 Toyota RAV4 problems occur, check out our car reliability stats.