1997 Toyota RAV4 consumer reviews

I had a chevy half ton for years until I bought a 1996 with some mechanical problems, it took less than 2 whole days to rebuild the front end suspension. AC didn't work either, but a can of refrigerant did the trick. The engine is gutless but with the gears it gets out of its own way fine. I loved it so much I had to get an awd 1997 model also with a 5 speed. They're fantastic cars, start and run like a clock, all the little accessories work, and almost all mechanical problems can be dealt with a single day of time. It can carry people and stuff, tow a light trailer, it’s as versatile as an SUV but built and drives like a tall corolla, so it fits almost anywhere. I hope to keep my 97 for many more years. 26-31MPG too

I have a 5door '98 that I kept in fairly original condition with regular maintenance & part-time winter 4wd use (a '09Yaris for daily & an mr2-s for summer). Will qualify for collector plate status here (BC) come 2023 (soon!) meaning low insurance & can be covered all year round. 240k(kms) still going strong with just fluids, brakes & belts replaced. Lots of fa ebook groups for parts & friendly advice. Ill keep this & mr2-s forever for grandson to enjoy when everyone else will be on AI-autonomously boring vehicles!

Its not the fanciest car but it's dependable. Regular oil changes and no expensive repairs. It drives well and I don't worry about breaking down on the road at all

We bought this car in December on 2016 in Northern Arizona. I needed a car with 4 wheel drive for the snow. This one has push button 4 wheel drive. We paid $5000 for it. We have put that much maintenance into it since then. But it needed it. It only had 112,000 miles on it when we bought it!! I drive it everywhere up and down the state of Texas since we have moved back. My daughter calls it the fish bowl, because of the big windows. So it doesn't have all the bells and whistles, and it has crank windows too! I just take my portable blue tooth with me when I travel. LOL!! We bought a 2015 RAV4, but I don't want to part with my older RAV4. I have become attached to it. The KKBB says its only with $526!! But to me it's priceless.

This is a 1997 with only a hundred sixty thousand miles on it. I purchased it in 2003. So I am the second owner. I take it to the beach I run it up and down the East coast. It is super super reliable. I change the oil and brakes regularly. It has never let me down. It is the backup to my BMW which are not known for their reliability. I will never never never give it up. It's a fabulous little car. It's a 4-cylinder it's not a lot of power when you merge on the highway but other than that it hauls what I need and gets me where I'm going. The AC is not as cold as it used to be. It's not the most comfortable car but it's actually okay on long trips. Yes she has some quirks electrical mostly but all in all i highly, highly recommend this car. Can't say enough good things about it. I love her.

Is a nice one but have movement issues and have asked mechanics to fix it but have not gotten a better one to. Advice pls

Like a lot of people here, I'm sure, I found this website after Googling how long a Rav 4 will last. Because my 1997 Rav has 220,000 miles on it and it's still running along. Now, to be fair, I have put a lot of money into it in the past few years. I somehow broke both axles...needed a new O2 sensor...brakes were dragging...the air conditioning fan squeals, and it's probably going to need a new timing belt soonish. So it's been a lot of little fixes that have added up to more than the cost of the car ($1,000 from a family friend)...but I'm attached to it and I never have enough saved up for a whole new car. (college.) Point is, it's still running and I have no idea when it'll die. It's a tough little thing and I've grown oddly attached to it. I always wanted a nice-looking fancy car but now I'm thinking I'll stick with Toyota forever. Oh, and it's great on gas too, takes about $20-$25 to fill up.

This is my fun car. It tows my toys and goes off road in the mountains when I go camping. Never gets stuck and never breaks down (unless I've neglected some maintenance long enough) I wish they still made this exact model so I can buy another one.

The vehicle was as described. Runs excellent and no body damage. The vehicle had one single owner which was a plus. Definitely a good purchase.

The styling, ground clearance, gas mileage, reliability and compact versatility make this the best car I have ever owned! I have put 325,000 miles on this car in 21 years and it's been great. Very few problems and easy to work on. Even better than the 4 Honda Civics I drove before this. The only disappointing aspect I can think of is that Toyota has started to discontinue making some of the parts.