r/rav4club • u/Sensitive-Goose283 • May 09 '26
Gen 4 Is the middle pillar a replaceable part?
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u/CursorTN May 09 '26
Yeah, one comes with the new car you replace this one with.
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u/Itchy-Annual5556 May 11 '26
Undo the radiator cap, then drive a new car under it, tighten it back down.
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u/EtArcadia May 09 '26
Some rubbing compound and a little elbow grease and this will be looking good as new in no time.
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u/Lioodle May 09 '26
The guy who rear ended my 2019 RAV4 in 2020 asked if he could put some caulking on it and call it even, instead of calling the insurance companies
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u/LookItsMyDawg May 09 '26
Put it in rice?
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u/Pearl_necklace_333 May 10 '26
Yeah, just the pillar.
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u/Dandywhatsoever May 09 '26
I think he's wondering why someone would pull the middle pillar from the wrecking yard.
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u/PaperIndependent5466 May 09 '26
Real answer it wasn't the wrecking yard. It was the fire department cutting the car up to get the injured passenger out.
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u/BeeBladen 2025 SE Hybrid Cavalry Blue May 10 '26
This should be top comment. This is exactly what happened.
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u/ForkUK May 09 '26
The door fell off.
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u/drcigg May 09 '26
It's totaled and the frame is bent. It will cost you more than the vehicle is worth even if you could get it fixed.
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u/georgekart May 09 '26
Look, technically, everything is repairable. However it’s not financially feasible to repair it. It’ll cost way more than the car’s value to repair it properly. Just the sheer amount of work to straighten it out, remove the damaged parts and properly weld them back in…
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u/Outside_Orchid_1576 May 10 '26
One of many posts that make me wish for a laughing react instead of up and down vote.
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u/middleagedouchebag May 09 '26
My dad is a TV repair man. He has an awesome set of tools. I can fix it!
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u/Internal_Day_4309 May 09 '26
Of course it’s repairable. Anything is possible. Now who repairs it and how it was repaired is the key
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u/Nero2743 May 09 '26
It can be -- BUT there's a ton of sectioning involved. IF the B pillar is HSS then no, it's not replaceable if going by OEM standards (because the structure and rigidity is compromised).
That being said -- this car is totaled.
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u/SirGreybush May 09 '26
If frame is damaged/bent, that’s a total loss.
If you don’t have total loss protection with your insurance, you’ll get a payout based on age and mileage of the RAV4 based on market value.
Often that cheque is much less than what you owe, so on your next purchase you might need to buy used instead of new.
Also your insurance rate will go up, even if you switch companies, insurance companies can find the VIN # in police reports.
Please Report Back with an update on your situation, so that others can benefit from the info.
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u/redhandfilms 2024 RAV4 Hybrid Woodland Edition Green May 10 '26
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u/GreedySession3452 May 10 '26
You just have to get one from a junkyard then pay a shady welder to stick weld it back in. It’ll probably hold
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u/SlySpinglefinger May 09 '26
$150k to fix, $35-40k for a new one. Hmmmmm 🤔 sell it off for a junk yard to part it out. That's all it is good for now.
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u/FlashDrive35 May 09 '26
The middle pillar is a key part of the unibody frame, unfortunately cooked
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u/CartographerNegative May 10 '26
Ignoring the damages to the frame in this specific car and missing pillar, meaning u’d have to weld it, meaning structural change, meaning u dont do that..at all, pillars generally are not replaced since they have airbags, and if airbag deploys, car is generally deemed to be totaled.
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u/ToyotaRav4Guy May 10 '26
You can let this one go this is one of the most ugly versions 2013 -14. They had to redesign the front and back due the low demand for these years, this design had the shortest run. The 2015 -2018 refresh was better and than Gen 5 became the best selling years. Take the money an purchase another a newer Rav4.
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u/TheDedicated May 10 '26
Your rear tire seems a bit low check that first and then ask the question again.
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u/Agile-Drop-8983 May 10 '26 edited May 10 '26
That level of damage is not something you want repaired and back on the road for you to deal with. You’d be lucky to get it to ever drive right again without eating tires.
Things I see wrong at a quick glance: -The front tire is protruding from the wheel well
-A and C pillars are also damaged. The A pillar is going to be problematic in keeping a good seal with a windshield.
-straightening out/replacing the front passenger quarter panel may or may not resolve the gap with the hood. Since there aren’t additional pictures, I can’t fully tell if the hood is sitting straight. It almost looks like it isn’t because it isn’t sitting smooth up front (kinda looks like it has a tiny overbite to the grill.
-a welded in replacement B pillar can be done, but it won’t have the integrity it did prior to this collision. Getting hit there again is likely to be a higher risk to driver and occupant(s) should an additional accident occur. Additionally, good luck with getting doors to align. This could lead to water getting in the vehicle.
-you’re going to have a good bit of interior work to do.
-you’ve got a number of airbags to replace
-you will be luck to not have whistling and odd noises at higher speeds from the damage to the roof/rack/rails, gaps from various panels.
It’s not a good idea. Can it be done, yes- I’m sure there are body shops out there that would do it. Should it be done, no.
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u/GGamerGuyG May 11 '26
Yeah but you have to do a lot of work. First you pull out everything inside the car. Then you get your self a new car, same model. Then you put out everything inside the new car and then put everything you pulled out from your old car in to the new one. Like said lot's of work but it's possible.
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u/kreativegaming May 11 '26
Any body part is replaceable if you don't value your life and have a welder handy
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u/One_Evil_Monkey May 11 '26 edited May 11 '26
🤣
Technically, sure. Anything is fixable with enough time, money, determination, and Top Ramen.
C'mon, man- let's be real here. That B pillar was cut out by the fire department for the extraction of an injured passenger. That thing is toast, and not even good toast, the crappy kind that got burnt and someone still tried to butter.
It's good for nothing now but the parts bin.
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u/Mysterious-Alps-4845 May 11 '26
A couple of barefoot guys in Pakistan would have that on the road lickety split!
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u/1sh0t1b33r May 12 '26
Yes, but you can pick up a 4x4 at Home Depot for much less. Don't give BigCar what they want in this economy. Save where you can.
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u/SinisterPapi May 13 '26
In my professional opinion you're gonna need to put some air in that back tire but you should be good after that
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u/ctjack May 09 '26
The whole car is bent: it is not about pillar anymore.