2008 Toyota RAV4 Fuel System Problems

I PURCHASED MY TOYOTA RAV4 IN JANUARY 2008 AT TOYOTA OF FORT WORTH; MY WARRANTY EXPIRED ON JANUARY 19, 2012. THE CAR HAS AROUND 58,000 MILES ON IT. AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE, I WOULD BRING IT IN, TO THE SAME AGENCY, EVERY 5,000 MILES FOR THE ROUTINE SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE. ON JUNE 9, 2011 I BEGAN TAKING MY TOYOTA TO FREEMAN TOYOTA IN HURST SINCE IT WAS CLOSER TO WHERE I LIVE. UNFORTUNATELY, I NOTICED THAT AFTER 2,500 MILES THE FLUID LEVELS WERE DANGEROUSLY LOW BEFORE THE SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE WAS DUE. THEREFORE I WOULD BRING IN THE CAR EARLIER THAT EXPECTED. WITH EVERY VISIT THE RESPONSE THAT THE EMPLOYEE ASSISTING ME GAVE ME WAS, -DON'T WORRY, WE'LL TOP IT OFF. EVEN THOUGH MY RECORDS DO NOT EXPRESS MY CONCERN ABOUT THE FLUID LEVELS, I HAVE BEEN HAVING THE PROBLEM SINCE THEN. ON JUNE 27, 2013, I TOOK MY CAR BACK TO TOYOTA OF FORT WORTH DUE TO THE SAME CONCERN; I WAS TOLD THAT THERE MIGHT BE AN OIL LEAK THAT WOULD POSSIBLY BE CAUSING THE PROBLEM. A DIAGNOSTIC WAS SUGGESTED AND IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THERE WAS NO OIL LEAK. I WAS THEN TOLD THAT THEY NEEDED TO CHECK THE ENGINE TO SEE WHY SO MUCH OIL WAS BEING ABSORBED, BUT THAT IT COULD COST ME UP TO $800. I SPOKE TO THE MANAGER AT THIS AGENCY STATING THAT I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT NOT SUGGESTING A DIAGNOSTIC ON MY CAR WITHIN MY WARRANTY TIME FRAME WAS COMPLETELY UNETHICAL AND I DON'T BELIEVE IT IS FAIR TO ASK ME TO PAY SO MUCH MONEY NOW THAT THE WARRANTY IS EXPIRED WHEN I HAD EXPRESSED THIS CONCERN WHILE I STILL UNDER THE WARRANTY. HE TOLD ME THERE WAS NOTHING HE COULD DO.I AM A TEACHER AND JUST LIKE ANY OTHER INDIVIDUAL, I EXPECTED TO HAVE A RELIABLE VEHICLE. I CANNOT AFFORD EXPENSIVE MAINTENANCE AND DO NOT SEE THAT IT IS FAIR TO HAVE TO PAY FOR ADDITIONAL CHARGES THAT THE MANUFACTURER OR SERVICE AGENT DID NOT MAKE ME AWARE OF AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME.THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION IN THIS MATTER. *TR

VAPOR CANISTER FOR CAPTURE OF FUEL VAPOR FROM FUEL TANK BECOMES DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE WHEN VEHICLES GO THROUGH SNOW OR WATER. CANISTER, WHICH IS CONNECTED TO SEVERAL HOSES EITHER DANGLES UNDER VEHICLE OR PULLS LOOSE. THE LOSS OF THE CANISTER CAUSES ENGINE LIGHT TO INDICATE MALFUNCTION OF EMISSIONS SYSTEM. TOYOTA HAS REDESIGNED MOUNTING SYSTEM ON NEWER MODELS WHICH INCLUDES A SHIELD UNDER THE CANISTER AND MORE CONNECTION POINTS, BUT HAS NOT MADE AVAILABLE A CORRECTION FOR OLDER MODELS. CANISTER HAS COME LOOSE OR OFF TWICE; ONCE DRIVING ON SNOWY ROADS AND THE SECOND TIME WHEN VEHICLE WENT THROUGH A PUDDLE OF WATER ON HIGHWAY AFTER HEAVY RAIN. WITH CANISTER DISCONNECTED IT DISABLES 4 WHEEL DRIVE AND ALSO WILL NOT PASS EMISSIONS TESTS. *TR

WHILE DRIVING AT NORMAL HIGHWAY SPEEDS I PASSED THROUGH A PUDDLE ON THE HIGHWAY AND DURING THIS EVENT, MY CHARCOAL FILTER ASSEMBLY WAS TORN OFF MY RAV4. IT WAS LEFT DANGLING BELOW THE CAR AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. I DID SOME RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND WAS SURPRISED TO HEAR THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM AND THAT TOYOTA HAS DESIGNED A SHIELD FOR THIS FILTER ASSEMBLY ON NEWER MODELS, SO I FIGURED I WOULD LODGE A COMPLAINT, AS THIS IS HIGHLY UNUSUAL TO HAVE A PIECE OF YOUR CAR TEAR OFF DURING NORMAL HIGHWAY DRIVING. *TR

I HAVE ALREADY MADE A PREVIOUS COMPLAINT ABOUT ACCELERATION PROBLEMS WITH MY RAV4 THAT CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. I AM STILL HAVING ISSUES REGARDING THIS PROBLEM. MY CAR WILL SUDDENLY JUMP WHILE BARELY PUSHING THE GAS PEDAL. IT DOES NOT DO IT ALL THE TIME BUT WILL DO SO RANDOMLY WHICH IS EVEN WORSE BECAUSE ONE DOESN'T KNOW WHEN IT WILL HAPPEN. IT IS SCARY DRIVING A VEHICLE THAT FROM MINUTE TO MINUTE YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHEN THIS WILL HAPPEN AGAIN. IT DID IT AGAIN JUST YESTERDAY AS I WAS TAKING OFF FROM AN INTERSECTION, I BARELY MISSED THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. I WISHED TOYOTA WOULD ACKNOWLEDGE THIS SITUATION AS SERIOUS BEFORE SOMEONE DIES. I KNOW OF THE RECALL WITH FLOOR MATS BUT IT DOESN'T INCLUDE MY CAR. I HAVE READ THAT THERE ARE OTHERS WITH THIS SAME ISSUE. WHY IS TOYOTA NOT ACKNOWLEDGING THIS SITUATION? ARE THEY WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO DIE? *TR

2008 TOYOTA RAV-4 SURGES. SINCE PURCHASING THE VEHICLE IN NOVEMBER 2008, MY VEHICLE HAS SPORADICALLY SURGED WHEN COMING TO A STOP AND ALSO WHEN DRIVING WITH FOOT ON ACCELERATOR. I WILL HAVE MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND THE CAR WILL SURGE AS IF I AM PRESSING ON THE ACCELERATOR. WHEN I AM DRIVING, IT SURGES AS IF I AM PRESSING THE GAS PEDAL UP AND DOWN, ALTHOUGH MY FOOT REMAINS STEADY. I COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS THE FIRST TIME THAT I TOOK MY VEHICLE IN AND EACH TIME I HAVE AN OIL CHANGE. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THERE IS NOT A PROBLEM. I THINK THAT THERE MUST BE MORE TO THE TOYOTA RECALL BECAUSE MY VEHICLE THAT IS NOT SUBJECT TO THE RECALL APPEARS TO BE HAVING SIMILAR ISSUES. I COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS LONG BEFORE THIS RECALL WAS ANNOUNCED. *TR