I Got This Message On My 2019 Toyota Rav4 Dash, No Secondary Lights Or Warnings, and The Car Is Running Fine. Should I Take This Seriously? ―An Engine-Killing Rav4 Dash Message Confusion Mistake

A recent Rav4 Club forum post asks an important question from the OP about what they believe is a maintenance light because their Toyota Rav4 is otherwise running fine.

Unfortunately, this is a common mistake some Toyota car owners make, who then give incorrect advice to others, such as:

It reminds you that you need an oil change or regular maintenance and then they turn it off at the shop."

I get these every 5,000 miles on my 2018. It set like that so you get your tires rotated every 5,000 and oil every 10,000. At least with mine."

Oddly enough, even a presumably Toyota employee was mistaken as well in the thread conversation:

However, this is an easily forgivable mistake because Toyota uses two messages that are read too similarly, leading to confusion about what they mean.

"Maintenance Required" vs "Engine Maintenance Required"

On Toyota vehicles, "Maintenance Required" and "Engine Maintenance Required" are different messages with distinct meanings:

A "Maintenance Required" dash message is nothing more than a maintenance reminder:

1. It is time for your recommended maintenance service, which is a basic scheduled service like an oil change, tire rotation, or inspection, every 5,000 miles or so.
2. It is triggered by a mileage counter and not by actual issues.
3. It has to be reset manually after servicing.

An "Engine Maintenance Required" dash message is an error message warning:

1. It indicates that a specific issue or need related to the engine, emissions system, or a more serious maintenance concern needs to be remedied.
2. It alerts you to perform or schedule engine-related maintenance as specified in the owner's manual.
3. It is triggered by specific diagnostics or sensors requiring scanning with a diagnostic scan tool to identify the exact error issue.

In other words:

• A "Maintenance Required" = Routine reminder.
• An "Engine Maintenance Required" = Something specific, possibly urgent.

Engine Coolant Leak Problem in Toyota Models

As we've gathered from the OP's question and image of her dash message display, a potentially engine-killing issue is at hand.

Responses from the thread posts show that most of the posts recognize that this is a known coolant leak issue which Toyota has addressed recently:

In response to this prevalent problem observed in a range of Toyota models, Toyota Headquarters created a Customer Support Program to provide owners with coverage for a "flow shut-off valve coolant leak" problem:

The Customer Support Document provides some common Q&A's to help concerned Toyota owners. Here are the top three you will want to know:

To see the entire document and find out more, Google search "24TE04" and choose the Toyota Nation Forum "Customer Support Program 24TE04" link, which will take you directly to a downloadable PDF.

Let Us Know What You Think: Should Toyota clarify some of their dash messages to avoid confusion between maintenance messages? Or, as one thread post noted:

When is Toyota going to smarten up and just put "engine failure, ask reddit" as the message? ―theartistfnaSFD1

Please leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

For additional articles on Toyota models, here are a few for your consideration:

1. Toyota Expert from Japan Reveals, "If You Do The Analysis Correctly, You Might Find That Cheaper Cars Are Not Always Cheaper To Own"
2. I'm a first time car buyer, and I ended up walking away with a 2025 Toyota Corolla Cross. I love the car, but when I was talking to my friends about it, they all have that painful look on their face. Did I get robbed?
3. Toyota Reliability Mistake Used Car Shoppers Make

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Timothy Boyer is an automotive reporter based in Cincinnati who currently researches and works on restoring older vehicles with engine modifications for improved performance. He also reports on modern cars (including EVs) with a focus on DIY mechanics, buying and using tools, and other related topical automotive repair news. Follow Tim on Twitter at @TimBoyerWrites as well as on Facebook and his automotive blog "Zen and the Art of DIY Car Repair" for useful daily news and topics related to new and used cars and trucks.