Toyota Halts Sales of the V6 RAV4
October 30, 2007 by Alborz Fallah
Toyota Australia has stopped sales of its newly released V6 RAV4. The company stated the RAV4’s V6 engine, which has already seen controversy after Toyota stopped sales of the TRD Aurion, was not performing as smoothly as expected.
Toyota has been hard at work applying the 3.5-litre Toyota Aurion powerplant (2GR-FE) across its entire range. Starting life in the Aurion, then the Tarago, Kluger, and now a brief stint in the RAV4.
Toyota has not given any specific reasons for the sale freeze, noting that it is not a recall, but more of a precaution. The company says the RAV4’s driveability may be compromised.
Prior to the incident, Toyota executive vice-president Mitsuo Kinoshita, told The Age newspaper that Toyota was under pressure due to growing demand. He also noted the use of in-car electronics and integrated circuit boards have been a weak point for the Japanese manufacturer.
This is the third sales freeze for Toyota this year, following the Corolla’s steering rack issue and the TRD Aurion’s engine failure. As we mentioned earlier, Toyota is also having quality issues in the U.S.
Is the king of reliability slipping in standards?
Print it: 
I will wait for Paul to find link? He is right that overall number whilst higher is spread over different overall sales figure number? But it is not a giant amount above Ford Paul. LOL Paul will keep you posted cobber
Notice He han not come back. Ambition to win and wants us to just love toymotor. What a shame, the “want to be” loner Toyota herro was out numberd and lost.
i cant believe you guys still agrue with him….
He is clearly pulling at straws, and when all else fails falls back on his precious drive.com report…. to be honest i have not gotten on here for two days out of total frustration with toyota paul, and when i do come on here every post is clogged with how good toyotas are…. who really cares anymore??
He has done one thing, he has turned me off ever wanting to own a toyota, i will never own one again!! just from the painful reminders a toyota will give me of paul.
There is not a huge amout of difference between ford and toyotas reliability and i think this year has proven that, there has been more toyota recalls and stop sales then any ford product.
Truely toyota paul, give it up! go to a toyota forum where they will embrace you and love your every word!
Oh no dont say that, your not going to buy Toyota… all your effecting is yourself, enjoy being part of the 60% of Falcons who have problems in the first 5 months while all the Toyota owners go along with 75% not having problems. You know what I dont care about, you Ford fairies going into each article attacking other brands. You see it with EVERY Toyota article… you see it with EVERY Holden article… look at your own POS Fords before you attack suprior brands like Toyota.
NM WHERE IS THE LINK TO YOUR “3.5million recalls since 2006″!? You are a liar.
Toyota paul, whats your point? You still haven’t told us! You can’t just expect us to just love toyota.
Paul, If Ford are “Pice Of Shit” how come they used in fleets?
Toymotor Paul ‘wanker’, you still haven’t told us your point.
STILL WAITING EVIDENCE FOR YOUR CLAIMS NM… You make such a huge claim about recalls, you back it up. Im willing to say your right, as soon as you provide some evidence.
Still waiting….
Toymotor Paul ‘wanker’, you still haven’t told us your point.
Still waiting…
Your posting elsewhere NM, but avoiding this…. where is the evidence for your claims?
75% not have problems?? why dont we call all the TRD customers, the RAV V6 customer, the Camry headlight customers….. see how happy they are with the 75% reliability…..
You are a complete tool….
Most posts that i read on here, the ford comments and toyota comments are started on here by one person… you toyota paul….
I reckon if you called BF falcon customers from this year you wouldnt here anywhere near the complaints you would out of a VE commodore ar toyota customer….
TOYOTA RECALLS MAKE FOR GREAT READING = http://www.autorecalls.us/
Hahahah Yeah started all by me… a great example is the SS thread. You really are a twat Tonyn. As for reliability, obviously given that the figures for the next 6 months wont be as great for Toyota, but I dont expect you to understand that this has a short term impact not long term, in fact they reason why they halt sales is to ensure this very fact idiot.
TP…irrespective of whatever the numbers of recalls in total they still sell more cars. But with volume comes problems and it is reflecting mate.
Everyone (including me TP) just calm it down a tad and keeo it solely related to topic of what we post OK…
After purchasing a RAV4 V6, and then being told there was a freeze 2 days later, I have seen an official dealership article that simply states they were not happy with the smoothness of the acceleration of the new V6 RAV4, and there was an occasional “hesitation” in the acceleration. Toyota were not happy with it, put a freeze, are reprogramming the engine control management, and have stated by late november they will be back on sale again. To me, having NEVER pruchased a Toyota before, and looking at what Toyota have done simply gives me confidence that they want the product to be perfect or as near perfect as they can… has nothing to do with safety OR reliability. This is comming from a commodore driver (VP, VR and VT) for the last 15 years – where I saw so many “known” issues that were not “known” by the person who bought the car! Well done Toyota.
NEWS FLASH TO ALL!! Toyota are indeed slipping..as an Insider I know the facts.I see it every day on the production line.thats why I Would NEVER buy one even though I can get one with all the incentives dirt cheap!They are LOSING money in Australia..thats why they are speeding up the production line to make more cars..which leads to what??More problems.Same workers less time.85 seconds per car..make the line faster? You do the numbers.OH WHAT A FEELING.
I was lucky enough to get an SX6 delivered. After 15 months and 60,000 km in a 2006 4 cyl Rav4 Cruiser, the new SX6 is a great improvement. 2000 km in two weeks. Fuel economy is better. Goes up hills without changing down to second gear. Tows a dual axle trailer with ease.There is an occasional hesitation in gear changes, especially 3 to 4 and 4 to 5 up and down mainly under light loads, but is probably only noticable because the rest of the drive is so good. I would not buy another 4 cyl ( unless its a deisel ). Could do with a bigger fuel tank like the Prado.
Greg – have you been contacted to get your ABS Actuator and ECM unit replaced? I think they (Toyota) are getting replacement stocks sometime after 26th November… I am hoping to get my new SX6 sometime first week December…
OK – I’m confused. So if Toyota Australia is putting a freeze on sales of V6 RAV4s then why isn’t something similar happening in the US?
I’m fixing to buy a V6 shortly (in US) but I haven’t seen any articles similar to this “freeze” here in the states.
In addition, from previous posts it sounded like Toyota Australia was going to “un-freeze” sales in the November time frame. It’s December now – and I haven’t seen a statement from Toyota Australia.
Do I even have to worry about similar problems with RAV4’s here in the US?
what a load of shit! ford/holden, etc. i have been a tech @ holden for 14yrs then ford for 2yrs…falcon is as backward as the cavemen discovering fire. commodore had to get its engine from europe cause of emission laws they couldn’t meet. the reason i worked at these dealerships is because it kept me busy with repairs and excitement. mind you falcon was too basic to keep excited about. other dealers were mainly just doing routine servicing, day in day out…boring! oh yeah, every month GMH and ford have reworks to thier vehicles a mile long..so, my fellow countrymen, please don’t be one eyed in your comments just because your one vehicle that you own does not give any probs!
I would not recommend buying a RAV4. I got a 2007 RAV4 V6. After 7,000 miles, the car creates a high pitch whinny noise during acceleration at 40-75 mph. Toyota admit to this noise but claim it is a normal noise. I hate the idea of spending $25,000 for a brand new car that have a high pitch whinny noise built in when I am driving. Not a good upgrade.
according to Toyota Oz, the freeze was to get the vehicles to comply to Australia’s ADR. that was the first month or so on sales (oct)
i’ve just bought a new CV6. must admit there is a noise, exterior while driving…doesn’t change with road or engine speed or engine load. i am assuming that it is wind noise passing the ariel or deflector on tail gate. but i’m not too fussed about it. i’ll wait til it gets up to the 10000kms and check if that noise is present as you described TT.
Laughing …..so hysterical this thread.
No Toyota are not the most reliable. Honda and Mazda or Subaru would be better. But – they are better than the US brands Ford and GM (who are almost bankrupt btw…)
Safetywise – hmmm – anyone remeber Ford’s Pinto? Ford worked out it would be cheaper to pay off claims for deaths caused by the fuel tank rupturing in rear enders than fit a $2 modification….Also – the EA Falcon – shell so weak the roof pillars couldn’t support the weight of the car in a roll over….
Toyota safety isn’t like Saab or Volvo – but its at least as good as Ford / GM….compare their models…