The 2AR-FE 2.5L replaced the 2AZ-FE and brought far better reliability - but early 2009-2011 models share the 2AZ-FE's oil consumption pattern from piston ring designs. Most 2012+ vehicles have the updated rings and rarely burn oil.
Good overall. Pre-2012 examples can burn oil from worn piston rings (Toyota goodwill replacements available). 2012+ versions are very reliable.
Early 2AR-FE shares the 2AZ-FE oil-control ring design that gums up and burns 1 qt per 1,500-2,500 miles. Toyota issued the LSC-90L customer support program and TSB T-SB-0094-11.
View P0507 Diagnosis →Timing chain stretches after 150K miles if oil changes are stretched. Causes cold-start rattle and eventually P0014/P0017 cam timing codes.
View P0014 Diagnosis →Water pump seal weeps around 100K. Easy DIY.
Front and rear engine mounts crack after 100K. Symptoms: thunk when shifting in/out of reverse.
OEM cat lasts 200K+. Aftermarket cats often trigger P0420 by 60-80K.
View P0420 Diagnosis →Standard age-related weep. Cheap fix.
Run a free AI diagnosis tailored to your exact Toyota. Get the most likely cause and repair estimate in under 30 seconds.
Run a Free Diagnosis on My 2AR-FE100% free · No signup needed · Powered by NHTSA + AI
2009-2011 Camry, RAV4, Venza, Scion tC with original piston rings.
2012+ models with updated piston rings. The 2.5L Camry from 2012-2017 is exceptionally reliable.
If you own a 2009-2011 with oil consumption, ask Toyota about LSC-90L goodwill. Otherwise expect very low ownership cost - $600-$1,000 in seals and water pump around 100K, then mostly oil.
If your 2AR-FE is throwing a check engine light, these are the codes most often associated with the problems above. Click any code for full diagnosis steps and typical repair costs.
Yes for 2007-2011 vehicles with the 2AZ-FE - and Toyota extended goodwill to early 2AR-FE on a case-by-case basis under LSC-90L. Check with your dealer.
200,000-300,000 miles with regular oil changes. 2012+ versions reliably hit those numbers; 2009-2011 versions need ring service first if oil consumption is severe.
2009-2018 Camry, 2009-2018 RAV4, 2009-2016 Venza, 2008-2018 Highlander hybrid (as 2AR-FXE), 2011-2016 Scion tC, 2009-2015 Lexus HS250h.
Timing chain - no scheduled replacement, but expect chain stretch around 150K if oil changes are stretched.
2AZ-FE (2002-2008) had a head-bolt-stripping problem. 2AR-FE (2009-2018) fixed that but inherited the piston ring oil consumption on early years. 2012+ 2AR-FE solved both problems.
No - the 2AR-FE redesigned the head bolts. The notorious stripped head bolts are a 2AZ-FE problem only.