1999 Toyota RAV4

TODAY I WAS BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE AND MY ENGINE SURGED. I WAS ABLE TO STOP THE CAR BY BRAKING AS HARD AS POSSIBLE, AND EVEN THEN IT WAS DIFFICULT TO STOP. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IT HAS SURGED WHILE BACKING UP. ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS OVER THE YEARS THE ENGINE HAS SURGED WHEN THE CAR IS SLOWING DOWN AT A STOPLIGHT OR STOP SIGN, AND USUALLY WHEN I'M GOING UNDER 10 MILES AN HOUR. VERY SCARY! THERE IS NO PROBLEM WITH MY FLOOR MAT, WHICH IS FASTENED SECURELY WELL BELOW THE BRAKE AND GAS PEDALS.ALSO, I'VE NEVER BEEN DISORIENTED AND UNABLE TO TELL WHERE MY FOOT IS. I DON'T DRINK OR SMOKE, AND HAVE A GOOD SAFETY RECORD WITH STATE FARM FOR OVER 40 YEARS. I'VE REPORTED THIS SURGING PROBLEM NUMEROUS TIMES TO TOYOTA AND THEY CAN'T SEE ANYTHING WRONG WHEN THEY TEST DRIVE. THAT'S BECAUSE THE SURGING PROBLEM OCCURS IRREGULARLY, ABOUT ONCE IN EVERY 50 TIMES I BRAKE. AT VARIOUS TIMES I'VE ASKED OTHER DRIVERS OF RAV 4 CARS IF THEY'VE HAD THIS PROBLEM, AND SEVERAL HAVE SAID YES. TOO BAD I NEVER TOOK DOWN THEIR NAMES. I'VE ALSO REPORTED THIS BEFORE TO THE NHTSA, AND NOTHING CAME OF IT. I HAVE FAITH THAT ONE DAY THE PROBLEM WILL BE ACKNOWLEDGED. I'M A RETIRED FEDERAL OFFICIAL, SO I HAVE TO THINK THAT WRITING THIS IS NOT A WASTE OF TIME. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE SITTING AT A STOP WITH THE BRAKES APPLIED, THE VEHICLE ERRONEOUSLY ACCELERATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 107,579.

WHILE DRIVING ON 2 LANE ROAD APPROACHING A STOP LIGHT, THE LIGHT TURNED RED AND CAR BRAKES FOR STOP, AT WHICH TIME THE THE LOWER A FRAME COLLAPSED, FORCING CAR TO THE LEFT AND INTO THE CURB, DRIVER SIDE TIRE WAS FORCED UP INTO THE WHEEL WELL. NO INJURIES OCCURED DUE TO LOW SPEED!! HOWEVER WHAT IF IT HAPPENED AT HIGHWAY SPEED??? CHECKED THE OTHER SIDE AND THE "STEEL" A FRAME "CRUMBLED IN MY HAND!!! CAR IS NOT DRIVABLE. HARD TO BELIEVE YOU HAVE FAITH THAT THIS CRITICAL MEMBER COULD FAIL SO VIOLENTLY?? HOPE THIS HELPS OTHERS, CHECK NOW!!!!! *TR

WHILE CHANGING THE CONVERTER ON MY 1999 RAV4, WE DISCOVERED HOLES AND EXTREME RUSTING ON THE FRONT CROSS MEMBER. IF THIS CROSS MEMBER BREAKS THE WHOLE SUSPENSION COULD DROP OUT FO THE CAR AND CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY. IT IS NO SECRET THAT TOYOTA HAS MANY PROBLEMS WITH FRAME ROT ON OTHER VEHICLES OCCURING ON SIMILAR YEARED MODELS. THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN FIXED AND AFTER A LITTLE INVESTIGATING MYSELF, I HAVE DISCOVERED A DOZEN OTHER RAV4 OWNERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. I CONTACTED TOYOTA CORP. AND WAS TOLD MY CASE WAS THE ONLY OF ITS KIND BY THEM. AFTER TALKING TO DEALERS IN MY AREA I FOUND THAT THIS PROBLEM IS OCCURING AND BEING SEEN BY TOYOTA DEALERS AS WELL. *LN

S10 APPROPRIATE HANDLING RE TOYOTA BRAKING PROBLEM FM OWNER OF A 1999 TOYOTA RAV4. *KB THE CONSUMER STATED SHE WAS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT, WITH HER FOOT ON THE BRAKE, WHEN SUDDENLY THE ENGINE REVVED AND THE VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD. THE CONSUMER STATS SHE PUT ALL HER WEIGHT ON THE BRAKE, BUT IT ONLY STOPPED AFTER SHE TURNED THE ENGINE OFF. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIND A PROBLEM. THE SECOND INCIDENT HAPPENED WITHIN A MONTHS TIME. THE CONSUMER STATED SHE WAS SLOWING DOWN BECAUSE SHE WAS APPROACHING A STOP LIGHT, AS SHE WAS BRAKING THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED. SHE WAS ABLE TO SLAM THE GEAR INTO NEUTRAL, SINCE IT WAS STILL MOVING AND IT STOPPED THE ACCELERATION.

AS I'VE SAID IN PREVIOUS CORRESPONDENCE TO YOUR OFFICE, AND TO TOYOTA, ALL UNANSWERED, MY 1999 RAV 4 HAS OFTEN SURGED WHILE MY FOOT IS ON THE BRAKE, ESPECIALLY WHEN I SLOW DOWN ON AN INCLINE (THE ENGINE RACES) AND I CAN BARELY BRAKE IT TO A FULL STOP. I KNOW THE PROBLEM IS ELECTRONIC, BUT THE TOYOTA DEALER IN BERKELEY, CA WHERE I BOUGHT IT STONE-WALLS, AND REFUSES TO BELIEVE IT UNLESS THEIR MECHANIC TAKES IT OUT FOR A RUN. OF COURSE, IT NEVER HAPPENS THEN, BECAUSE IT ONLY HAPPENS TO ME ABOUT ONCE IN A HUNDRED TIMES. *TR

AS VEHICLE ENTERED INTERED INTERSECTION, FRONT AIRBAG IMPLODED CAUSING DRIVER TO LOSE CONTROL AND HIT A PARKED TRUCK. BOTH VEHICLES WERE DAMAGED AND DRIVER'S INSURANCECOMPANY PAID THE CLAIM, CHARGING THE VIOLATION AGAINST THE DRIVER, AND RAISING DRIVER'S RATES EXORBITANTLY FOR THREE YEARS!! DUE TO THE FORCE OF THE IMPACT AGAINST THE DRIVER BY THE IMPLODING AIRBAG, THE DRIVER WAS VERY DAZED WHEN THE POLICE ARRIVED AND UNABLE TO ADEQUATELY EXPLAIN THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT. *TR