Faults:

The day I drove my RAV4 off the lot it started making loud noises whenever I would make a right turn. I immediately brought it back to the dealership and told them that I didn't want the vehicle anymore. They would not let me out the deal and I was not treated very nice. The salesman took my car for a spin (without me in the car) to see if he could determine what the problem was. Supposedly he didn't hear the loud noises in the front of the car near the wheel base when he made right turns. So that has never been fixed.

The rear view mirror falls off all too often.

The brakes has been squealing from the first week I bought it. I has been replaced three or four times -- two times under warranty. It took over six trips to fix the brake problem from squealing very loudly. It still squeals every now and then four years later -- though not as loudly as when I had purchased it.

My tires wear out very quickly. Apparently after reading some other reviews this problem it not too uncommon.

Sometimes my power windows and locks will not work.

I had to get the manifold replaced after 20K miles. I don't know what the problem was, but the check engine light did come on, they did fix it (cost $200+) and I did not have the problem again.

Are the front seats suppose to move back and forth automatically? Mine doesn't. I've had so many other problems, the seat moving was the least of them.

General Comments:

The vehicle is not worth the money.

I do think it looks very good and has a lot of leg room for the drive (great if you are tall.

The fuel economy is average.

I doesn't really accelerate as quickly as I would like.

Faults:

Rear brake squeal at 7,000 miles, dealer replaced drums according to TSB, covered under warranty.

Check engine light on at 16,000 miles, dealer updated ECU according to TSB, covered under warranty.

A couple minor rattles, fixed most of them myself.

General Comments:

Bought this car used with only 7,000 miles on it, 2 years old, but looked brand new. Toyota certified used vehicles are definitely the way to go, saved quite a bit over buying new, and got great 6yr/100K warranty.

It's no hot rod, but has good performance if you get the 5-speed manual like I did. 4WD is great in the snow even with summer tires on. Would have liked ABS, but really don't miss it, the braking is outstanding anyway.

Interior is quite roomy for it's overall size, and the seats are comfortable on long trips. There is some road noise on the highway, but mostly due to the type of tires.

Sure there are a few rattles and other minor issues here and there, but I'd choose a couple small problems over one large problem any day.

It is definitely a great compromise vehicle, it may not do one thing outstanding, but does many things quite well. Good fuel economy for an SUV, but on the low end for a car.