Bought 2 RAV4 EVs

[Tampa Hybrids]

I have had my eye on these for a while but they are very hard to come by and I just happened to find 2 within a week. 2012 and 2013. I have a hybrid and EV dealership in Tampa, Fl. I have been researching these on this sight and look forward to learning more about them. Both cars seem to be in very good condition with quiet drive motors and dry sensors.

 

[fred_dot_u]

Dry sensors! That's a winner, but I understand that it's not a perpetual condition, unless remediation has been performed. Look for the coolant delete mods to see if the ones you're seeing have had that done.

 

[asavage]

Advise your buyers about the advantages of modifying the LDU for dry rotor use ("coolant delete"), which greatly reduces the liability of the inevitable rotor seal leak. Even Tesla has given up on trying to keep the LDU dry, and has eliminated rotor liquid cooling on their Reman LDUs.

 

[hokiematt]

While these vehicles are unique and even fun, being 10+ years old with essentially zero Toyota or Tesla support means that you're taking a notable gamble buying one, and the parts that fail are becoming harder to source. As quickly as newer EVs seem to depreciate, I would argue that unless someone specifically wants the form factor/utility of the RAV4, there are better options for the money.

 

[Tampa Hybrids]

Dry sensors! That's a winner, but I understand that it's not a perpetual condition, unless remediation has been performed. Look for the coolant delete mods to see if the ones you're seeing have had that done.

Thanks, I will do some research on the coolant delete mod. Is there an easy way to identify a car that has had that done?

 

[Pinballdan]

While these vehicles are unique and even fun, being 10+ years old with essentially zero Toyota or Tesla support means that you're taking a notable gamble buying one, and the parts that fail are becoming harder to source. As quickly as newer EVs seem to depreciate, I would argue that unless someone specifically wants the form factor/utility of the RAV4, there are better options for the money.

I had to have my RAV4 because of the large cargo space and I got it cheap because of high miles but had replacement high voltage battery in 2018 and full service records as it was a one owner car and "coolant delete" kit is sitting inside waiting for me to install it !!

 

[asavage]

Thanks, I will do some research on the coolant delete mod. Is there an easy way to identify a car that has had that done?

Well.
If it has had an aftermarket coolant manifold installed, it'll be obvious if you've accessed the speed sensor to check for Blue Drops of Death: it'll look like Re-Volt's or QCCs or similar. Anodized or polished.

If it's had a Tesla OEM coolant delete manifold installed -- very unlikely at this point in time -- it'll be harder to discern. The manifold looks different, but not in major ways, and I don't have a hi-res pic to point out the differences. But, again, it's unlikely you'll encounter a RAV4 EV with a Tesla-supplied coolant bypass manifold installed -- nobody's seen one (yet) and told about it.

If it's had a DIY modification of the OEM manifold, as I did, you can't tell from the outside at all that it's been modified. Certainly, mine looks completely stock.