Toyota RAV4 - Put it down to experience....?

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Fri 19 Sep 2014 19:17
Toyota RAV4 - Put it down to experience....? - livi21

This is my first post here, though I have read the forum and have learned a lot from the site, so thank you one and all. My tale...

A couple of weeks ago I bought a 52 Rav4 in Southampton. Drove it a bit beforehand, it was a nice drive, and it was MOT'd and serviced before I collected it.

This week I put it in for a service with a Toyota specialist, having driven it to Scotland and back. He tells me that two of the oxygen sensors have failed. Not only that, someone has removed the dash, covered the engine management led with black foam and then replaced it so, although permanently lit, it could not be seen by anyone so problems would not be picked up.

Suspicion obviously falls on the garage I bought it from, who say it wasn't them, or the previous owner who sold it to the garage. We'll never know for sure and I have no recourse, so am left with a £500 bill.

It is a woeful state of affairs. Oxygen sensors are not a safety issue, but would the person with the foam have thought twice about doing the same with the ABS, or the airbags? Such a shame, what some people consider to be reasonable behaviour.

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Fri 19 Sep 2014 20:06
Toyota RAV4 - Put it down to experience....? - elekie&a/c doctor

Bit unfortunate for you,but on the bright side very little else goes wrong with these old Rav 4 models.Modern cars are awash with warning lights ,so it is often very difficult to tell if one is not working or been deliberately covered when the ignition is switched on.Also the engine mil light is not part of an mot test,so no grounds for any recourse against the seller.

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Fri 19 Sep 2014 22:11
Toyota RAV4 - Put it down to experience....? - Pondlife

the engine mil light is not part of an mot test.

If the MIL light is on, you'll get an advisory. I know this because I put my car in for an MOT with the MIL light on a couple of weeks ago.

The lights should all light up briefly when the ignition is turned on. I think MOT testers check for this, and will give a fail if a bulb is removed or covered. But it's easy to miss on a test drive.

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Fri 19 Sep 2014 20:27
Toyota RAV4 - Put it down to experience....? - tony g
( Suspicion obviously falls on the garage I bought it from, who say it wasn't them, or the previous owner who sold it to the garage. We'll never know for sure and I have no recourse, so am left with a £500 bill.)

IMO the garage who sold you this car would be responsible for the repair ,how could they prove they had not deceived you ? I'm pretty sure that they would be liable for selling a car by deceiving you as to its condition ,as professional car dealers the law will not allow a defense of I didn't know .

Having said that. If you have had the fault repaired at a different garage ,you won't have a claim against the selling dealer .
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Fri 19 Sep 2014 21:55
Toyota RAV4 - Put it down to experience....? - livi21

I'm getting the Toyota garage to do the repairs - I would not trust the garage I bought it from, in the circumstances. I will drive a long way in this car, so would rather have Toyota parts fitted. I accept that means I won't be able to do much more, but if this thread means someone else doesn't get caught out, so much the better.

I am told that the engine management light should come on briefly when the engine starts, and then extinguish. If it does not come on at all, be suspicious. I'm also told that the engine management light will be included in the MOT test in the near future, so perhaps this particular kind of deception will have had its day.

Thanks both for your comments.

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Sat 20 Sep 2014 12:29
Toyota RAV4 - Put it down to experience....? - Ordovices

I don't see that you would have anything to lose by sending the supplying garage with a bill for the work, and drop in a few choice references to fraud, misrepresentation SOGA etc. Hint at a lack of trust for them to rectify, then see if they come up with the goods.

Probably unlikely, but for the cost of a recorded delivery letter, who knows?

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Sun 21 Sep 2014 00:41
Toyota RAV4 - Put it down to experience....? - pd

£500 sounds a lot for a couple of O2 sensors. You could probably get the same parts elsewhere not in a Toyota box for half the price.

I except the heater circuits have gone and there will be little or not effect on the car apart from the 30 seconds after a cold start.

They don't last forever and are a common replacement part.

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