The four-cylinder behind a generation of Camry and RAV4 models — otherwise mechanically sound, but carrying a well-documented piston ring design issue that caused excessive oil consumption on a significant share of these engines.
A piston ring design used on a significant share of these engines proved prone to excessive oil consumption, common enough that Toyota extended warranty coverage for the issue on affected production years in several markets. Not every example is affected, but the issue is widespread enough that checking oil consumption history should be the very first thing any buyer does, ahead of anything else about the car.
Not a guarantee, but a pattern seen consistently across owner forums and independent-garage reporting.
Oil consumption symptoms, where present, often begin within this range — well below what most buyers would consider high mileage.
Affected examples may require oil top-ups between scheduled changes if not addressed.
Unaffected examples, or ones that received a factory engine repair under warranty, commonly continue without further issue.
This is the defining check on this engine: ask for documented oil consumption history, and if possible verify the level yourself rather than relying solely on the seller's account.
Check whether any manufacturer extended warranty or goodwill repair was ever performed for this specific issue — documentation of a completed repair is a genuine plus.
A blue-tinted exhaust smoke on startup or under load is a visible sign of oil consumption worth watching for during a test drive.
Model-specific pages, with notes on how it behaves in that particular car.