Advice on buying used

[lynxv29]

Hi everyone -- Just joined the forum as I am shopping for a used Rav4 EV now. Our lease on our 2014 Plug-In Prius expires in April and we've made the decision to get a Rav4 EV. We already have a 4.5 kW solar system on our roof and I am planning on getting the 24 Amp Level 2 charger from Clipper Creek. We live in San Diego so based on my research on this forum we shouldn't have issues getting dealer service. I was hoping to get some advice from experienced Rav4 EV owners though; there are quite a few for sale in our area with different pricing/mileage, etc:

1) How important is mileage? We've test driven three so far and the one we like best (i.e. cleanest inside & out and no weird noises) has 54k miles on it. Obviously the biggest concern for me is battery life. Anyone know what realistic battery degradation is seen say every 10k miles? Is there any validity to buying one with a little more miles on it with the idea that some of the common failures have already been addressed?

2) Several on this forum have indicated the importance of having the latest firmware update. Other than a sticker under the hood, is there any way to check which version it has (via the infotainment system or otherwise)?

3) I have read a couple other threads on warranties and the need to have the Toyota Extended Warranty. Any car I would be buying would likely be too old for the Toyota Warranty; does anyone have experience with third party warranties (i.e. Carmax)?

Thanks in advance for the help!

 

[miimura]

1. Battery degradation is largely proportional to mileage. So, the lower mileage, the lower the likely degradation. However, this is not nearly as important as it is in buying something like a used Leaf. If you could know for sure that something like the Drive Unit had been swapped recently, that information would have some value, but I don't know if you can get that information before buying.

2. The only way to know about the firmware is to get a "Health Report" from Toyota Techstream. The easiest way to get this is from a Toyota EV service technician.

3. The only warranty worth the paper it's written on is the Toyota Platinum Warranty (service agreement). You can buy it for a used car, but it's only a sure thing if you buy the car and the warranty at the same time from a Toyota dealer. In that situation you can get up to 5 years and 60,000 miles from date of purchase. You can read a horror story on this forum from a Nevada Carmax buyer who had to return the car within the 30 day return period because they woudn't fix the car under their own warranty. Imagine what it would be like if he was outside the 30 day period...

I have looked at a couple used RAV4 EVs recently at Toyota dealers and they seem to come with a 1 year 10,000 mile Toyota service agreement at no additional cost. I have not asked how much they wanted for the 5yr/60k duration. However, I would negotiate on the total price of the car with the maximum term agreement included. You could also set some parameters for miles, color, and price and see if your local dealer will go out and get one for you. They are easy for the dealers to get at auctions these days.

 

[smkettner]

Check that the heater works. Not part of the 60/60 factory drive train warranty.

 

[TonyWilliams]

Get the Toyota Platinum used car warranty ONLY... do not buy anything else. Toby at Poway Toyota is the guy I recommend (I don't get any compensation whatsoever for that recommendation).

I can look at the car if you (or the seller) drives it to my house near Poway (with an appointment, as I am frequently in and out). No charge. I can assure you that I know this car as well as anybody.

All the problems with the car are very well known. The good news is there won't likely be anything that will be a surprise to those of us who know this car.

 

[TonyWilliams]

This is mostly for prospective used buyers:

Any RAV4 EV car (with or without some BS "dealer used car certification") should do the following at pre-buy / pre-purchase inspection (or have a responsible person go through the list and send you the results):

1) turn on heater at full blast and feel heat come out. This is a $2500 repair, which is why you want a warranty. (Frequently fails)

2) turn on air conditioning and feel cold air (this rarely fails)

3) check tire wear (the original Yokohamas wear out at 30-40k miles)

4) check brake wear (rarely much wear)

5) look for obvious damage BELOW the car (ran over curb and damaged battery case, etc)

6) plug it into a J1772 charge station and watch it charge

7) ensure firmware 1.3.101 is updated

8) listen for motor noise (frequently replaced free of charge, rarely fails)

9) make sure center navigation screen works ($4000 to replace when not in warranty)

10) get the seat belt recall done. There is a wiper motor recall, but it's not available yet.

11) Check the battery capacity viewtopic.php?f=7&t=1625

That's about it. It's not likely that MOST Toyota dealers are going to know the car very well, or even care to do so. Use your own due diligence and don't rely on others to check these things.



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Issues with RAV4 EV:

1) Speed sensor - RECALL ITEM - vehicle will pop into neutral and stop, power steering disabled)

2) Gateway / communications "ECU" (can disable vehicle, usually a Check EV light)

3) Motor / gear box noise (requires motor replacement)

4) Heater failure (which then takes out the DC to DC)

5) DC to DC failure

6) Onboard charger failure (can't recharge vehicle... except JdeMO equipped cars with CHAdeMO quick chargers)

7) Leaking oil from gear box (I've had this on both one RAV4 and our Mercedes B-Class ED that shares the same Tesla Model S drivetrain)

8) "CHECK EV SYSTEM" message du jour (requires four ON/OFF cycles)

9) Charge Timer

10) Entunes

11) 12 volt battery (if it's the original, get a new one... I recommend a Bosch AGM 60ah Group 24F from Pep Boys, about $165)

12) Charge port door sticks

 

[fromport]

10) get the seat belt recall done. There is a wiper motor recall, but it's not available yet.

Thank you for a complete list of all issue's.
I am glad to be able to tell they fixed the wiper mechanism on my rav4 today:

 

[lynxv29]

Thanks everyone, I really appreciate all the help and advice. We are going to look at a couple this weekend, one at Carmax and another at a dealership nearby. Both being equal I would definitely go with the one from the dealer if I could purchase the Toyota Platinum Warranty. I have read about the heater issues so make sure to check that with every one that I look at too. Looking forward to joining the community but more so powering my car from the roof of my house!