2001 Toyota RAV4

MY 2001 TOYOTA RAV4, 98,000 MILES, HAS A PROBLEM. TRANSMISSION SHIFT AROUND 30MILES AND ENGAGING SHIFT 2ND TO 3RD, RPM GAUGE JUMPING UP 5,000~6,000 RPM ON EVERY DRIVING AND FINALLY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME UP. DEALER SHIP SAID IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND NEEDED REPROGRAM ECM. AFTER FIXED IT HAPPENED AGAIN THEY SAID IT NEEDS NEW ECM AND REPROGRAM. AND HAD SAME PROBLEM. NOW THEY SAY IT NEEDS TRANSMISSION REBUILD TOO. THEY ALREADY KNEW THESE PROBLEM THROUGH THEIR BULLETIN SOME YEARS AGO AND DIDN'T NOTICED OWNERS. IT WOULD BE VERY DANGEROUS IF SHIFT WAS CHANGED WHEN RPM GAUGE JUMPED UP. IT SHOULD BE A RECALL ISSUE. ALSO I READ SOME ARTICLE FOR CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT WAS FILED FOR THIS. *TR

MY 2001 TOYOTA RAV4 WAS JERKING FORWARD WHILE DRIVING CAUSING ME TO ALMOST CAUSE A MAJOR ACCIDENT WHILE MY 3 YEAR OLD WAS IN THE CAR. THE CAR WOULD DO THIS INTERMITTENTLY THEN IT BECAME WORSE. I WAS VERY SCARED TO DRIVE THE CAR AND HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO BORROW MONEY SO I COULD TAKE THE CAR IN FOR REPAIR COSTING ME APPROX. 1800.00 TO REPLACE THE ECM. *TR

2001 TOYOTA RAV4 BEGAN SHIFTING VERY JERKY WHILE ON WAY HOME FROM STORE. VERY SCARY. WOULD LUNGE AND JERK TO START OUT BUT AFTER 2ND OR 3RD GEAR WAS OKAY. WAS TOLD BY TOYOTA I NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION. TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC AND HIS TRANSMISSION SERVICER HAD A MUCH BETTER PRICE. THE TRANSMISSION CO REPORTED BACK TO ME THAT I NEEDED A NEW COMPUTER AS WELL AS A REBUILT TRANSMISSION ($2700) AND THAT THIS (FAULTY COMPUTER) WAS A CONDITION TOYOTA WAS FULLY AWARE OF. APPARENTLY THE COMPUTER FOR THIS YEAR/MODEL WAS KNOWN TO BE FAULTY AND IN THIS CASE WAS TELLING THE TRANSMISSION TO ACCESS 2 GEARS AT THE SAME TIME (ACCORDING TO THEM). REPORTED THIS TO TOYOTA NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS AND THE WOMAN SAID I WAS OUT OF LUCK BECAUSE THE CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY. I WAS NEVER MADE AWARE THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE COMPUTER, EVEN THOUGH I HAD CALLED TOYOTA SEVERAL TIMES BECAUSE OF AN ENGINE LIGHT THAT KEPT COMING ON. *TR

I BOUGHT NEW[ DEC. 2000] A 2001 TOYOTA RAV.4 LIMITED ..WITH 4CYL/.AUTOMATIC 4SPD.O.D.TRANSMISSION +ALL THE XTRAS...I HAVE KEPT IT UP -MECHANICALLY AND BODY WISE NEAR PERFECT...ALMOST ALL THRU TOYOTA DEALERS,AS I PLAN TO PASS IT ON TO MY GRANDDAUGHTER. DURING THE FIRST WEEK OF AUG. 09 I WAS DRIVING ON A 4 LANE LOCAL HIGHWAY @35/40 MPH AND THE "CHECK ENGINE LIGHT "CAME ON AND THEN A LOUD BANG AND GROWL ALL WHILE BUCKING DOWN TO10 MPH AND DROPPED INTO FIRST GEAR. AFTER PULLING OVER TO A STOP,I CHECKED UNDER THE HOOD AND BODY--NO LEAKS OR HANGING PARTS...AFTER I PHONED THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER I DROVE THE CAR [NOW STUCK IN 2ND. GEAR THE SHORT DISTANCE BACK HOME..THE NEXT DAY THE DEALER FOUND 2-CODES STORED--INDICATING A DEFECTIVE ECU.OR ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT ALSO KNOWN AS A ECM OR ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE....THIS $1500. COMPUTER PART SENDS ALL THE SIGNALS TO THE SOLENOIDS IN THE AUTO TANS. WHEN TO SHIFT GEARS..NOW COMES THE SAFETY CONCERN--SEEING THAT THE ECU CAN GO BONKERS AT ANY TIME,IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE SOMEONE IS MOVING ALONG AT 50/60/65MPH AND BOOM THE CAR DROPS DOWN IN 1ST. GEAR GOD FORBID IF THERE ARE 2 OR 3 CHILDREN IN THE CAR AND A 80,000LB.SEMI IS ON THEIR REAR-WORST YET AT NIGHT WITH BAD WEATHER...AS MINE IS NOT THE ONLY ONE IN YOUR FILES AND THE INTERNET HAS THOUSANDS OF NEAR MISSES ON THIS PROBLEM TOYOTA KNEW ABOUT AS FAR BACK AS 2003.THAT THE 01--02 AND 03 RAV 4 HAD THIS SAFETY CONCERN SO THEY TWEAKED THE ECU PER A TSB IN 06 I HAD PURCHASED THE PREMIUM 100K. WARRANTY AND THE E.C.U.WENT OUT AT 105K. WITH SOME PHONE CALLS TO CHICAGO AREA REP.TOYOTA AGREED TO SEND ME A LONG AWAITED CHECK FOR ONE-HALF PART ONLY COST..NOTHING FOR TROUBLESHOOTING-TOWING -OR LABOR FEES....MY MAIN CONCERN IS TOYOTA [I FEEL ]ISN'T ONE BIT PRO ACTIVE ON SAFETY CONCERNS WHEN OWNERS CALL THE 800# IN CALIFORNIA..I HOPE NHTSA CAN GET THIS ON FAST TRACK FOR SAFETY..THANK YOU...P.S. I HAVE OLD PART... *TR

EVENT 1: 1. SHORTLY AFTER BUYING CAR, NOTED ENGINE REVS WOULD SOAR BY 700 TO 800 RPMS BETWEEN GEARS WHILE SHIFTING MANUAL TRANSMISSION. FOUND THIS HAPPENED BY JUST DISENGAGING THE CLUTCH WITHOUT SHIFTING EVEN WITH FOOT NOT ON THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. 2. THE REV SOARING HAPPENED CONSISTENTLY. NO CONSEQUENCES EXCEPT FOR AN UNPLEASANT DRIVING EXPERIENCE. 3. COMPUTER WAS REPROGRAMMED BY THE DEALER FROM WHOM I BOUGHT THE CAR. REV JUMPS REDUCED TO ABOUT 400 RPM. A SECOND REPROGRAMMING REDUCED IT TO ABOUT 200 RPM. THIS BEHAVIOR STILL EXISTS. EVENT #2. 1. ABOUT SIX MONTHS AFTER PURCHASING THE CAR, NOTED THAT WHEN CRUISING WITH RPMS ABOVE 2800 RPM IN 5TH GEAR WITH CRUISE CONTROL ENGAGED AND FOOT NOT ON ACCELERATOR PEDAL, ON DISENGAGING THE CLUTCH, THE ENGINE REVS WOULD SOAR TO 3,200 RPM TO 3,500 RPMAND REMAIN THERE FOR PERIODS RANGING BETWEEN 5 SECONDS TO OVER A MINUTE. THIS OCCURRED WHILE THE CAR WAS COASTING AND SLOWING WHILE NOT UNDER POWER. 2. THIS BEHAVIOR FREQUENTLY OCCURRED UNDER THE ABOVE CONDITIONS. NO CONSEQUENCES EXCEPT AS A PROFESSION ENGINEER AND FORMER SPORTS CAR RACING DRIVER, I KNEW THIS BEHAVIOR WAS NOT NORMAL. 3. BEHAVIOR EXAMINED BY MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER. MECHANIC HOOKED UP RECORDING BOX TO CAR, BUT I WAS UNABLE TO REPLICATE THE BEHAVIOR ON THIS OCCASION. DATA EXAMINED BY A TOYOTA ENGINEER WHO PRONOUNCED THERE WAS NOT A PROBLEM. LATER, I WAS AGAIN ABLE TO REPLICATE THE BEHAVIOR. AFTER YET ANOTHER COMPUTER REPROGRAMMING, THIS BEHAVIOR OF REMAINING AT A HIGH RPM SEEMS TO HAVE STOPPED. HOWEVER, THE ENGINE REVS STILL WILL SURGE TO ABOUT 3,400 RPM BEFORE DROPPING OFF. *TR

ENGINE CONTROL MODULE AND AUTO TRANSMISSION FAILURE. BOUGHT RAV USED JULY 2007 WITH 109,230 MI. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON (HAS REMAINED ON) BUT WAS DIAGNOSED AS O2 SENSOR & RAV OPERATED PERFECTLY (LIVE WHERE EMISSIONS CHECK NOT REQUIRED). MAY 2009 TRANNY STARTED ALTERNATING BETWEEN WORKING GOOD, SHIFTING ROUGH, SLIPPING BETWEEN GEARS, AND NOT DOWNSHIFTING AT SLOW DOWN OR STOP. HAD MECHANIC WITH OVER 15 YRS EXPERIENCE AT TOYOTA DEALERSHIP CHECK IT (AFTER HOURS). HE WAS UNAWARE OF CONNECTION TO FAULTY ECM SO WE THOUGHT TRANY WAS BAD & HE FLUSHED TRANNY. THAT REDUCED FREQUENCY OF SYMPTOMS BUT DID NOT STOP THEM. WE STILL THOUGHT PROBLEM WAS MECHANICAL & TRANNY REBUILD/REPLACE WAS INEVITABLE & I DROVE IT LONGER TO SAVE UP MONEY FOR REPAIRS. I LIVE ON A SEMI-RURAL OHIO STATE ROUTE WITH 55MPH POSTED LIMIT & 65MPH AVERAGE SPEED. I HAD NUMEROUS NEAR MISSES WHEN THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE PROPERLY OR BEGAN TO ACCELERATE NORMALLY THEN SLIPPED, HESITATED, OR REFUSED TO SHIFT. MY 18YR OLD SON DROVE THE RAV IN DEC & PULLED OUT OF OUR DRIVEWAY IN FRONT OF A SEMI TRACTOR TRAILER RIG WITH WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN SAFE DISTANCE EXCEPT THAT THE RAV DECIDED NOT TO ACCELERATE. THE TRUCK WAS ABLE TO PASS, BUT HAD THERE BEEN ONCOMING TRAFFIC, IT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SLOW ENOUGH IN TIME. INTERMITTENT SYMPTOMS CONTINUED UNTIL 12/14/09 WHEN 2ND & 3RD GEAR BURNED OUT & I DROVE HOME 20 MILES IN 1ST. JUST PARTS THRU TOYOTA WILL COST $2000 FOR REBUILT TRANNY PLUS $1000 FOR ECM. INDEPENDENT REPAIRMEN CAN FIX THE ECM FOR $65. HAD I AT LEAST KNOWN ROOT CAUSE OF THE SYMPTOMS WAS ECM NOT TRANNY (TOYOTA'S KNOWN SINCE 2006 OR BEFORE) I COULD HAVE SAVED $4-5K & AVOIDED 7 MONTHS OF RISKY DRIVING. I CHALLENGE ANYONE WHO THINKS THIS IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE TO DRIVE ONE OF THESE AND RELY ON IT WHEN IT FAILS IN 65MPH TRAFFIC. OR WE CAN WAIT UNTIL SOMEONE IS KILLED WHERE THERE IS ENOUGH EVIDENCE TO SHOW THIS PROBLEM WAS THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT AND NOT POOR DRIVER JUDGMENT. *TR

I BOUGHT MY 2001 TOYOTA RAV 4 IN 2004. IN JULY 2009, MY TRANSMISSION STARTED SLIPPING AND BUCKING. I HAVE DONE SOME RESEARCH AND IT SEEMS THAT THIS HAS BEEN AN ISSUE FOR MANY OTHERS WITH A 2001-2003 RAV4. IT IS TERRIFYING TO DRIVE THIS VEHICLE BUT IT'S ALL I HAVE. IT WOULD COST ME MORE TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION THAN IT WOULD TO JUST PAY IT OFF. I AM CONCERNED THAT I WILL HAVE AN ACCIDENT, AS I DO A LOT OF COMMUTING. I AM SO DISAPPOINTED THAT I HAVE INVESTED SO MUCH MONEY IN THE MAINTENANCE OF THIS UNRELIABLE VEHICLE. I HEARD ABOUT TOYOTA'S RECALL ON THE NEWS YESTERDAY AND I AM DISGUSTED THAT TOYOTA HAS NOT ADDRESSED THIS ISSUE. THIS SHOULD BE AS PERTINENT AS A FAULTY ACCELERATOR. I BOUGHT MY TOYOTA BECAUSE I HAD HEARD THAT THEY HAD A REPUTATION FOR SAFE, WELL-MADE VEHICLES. MY LIFE IS PUT ON THE LINE EVERYTIME I HAVE TO DRIVE THAT CONTRAPTION, AND I EXPECT THAT IF NOTHING IS DONE ABOUT THIS ISSUE TO ENSURE A COMPENSATION OR EXTENDED WARRANTY OF SOME KIND, TOYOTA WILL LOSE MY BUSINESS( AMONG MANY, MANY OTHERS, I'M SURE.). MORE IMPORTANTLY, EVERYTIME ANYONE WHO IS HAVING THIS ISSUE WITH A TOYOTA RAV 4 GETS IN THE CAR, THEY ARE INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY OR DEATH CAUSED BY AN ACCIDENT FROM THIS CHEAP, FAULTY, UNRELIABLE TRANSMISSION. PLEASE CONSIDER THIS ISSUE WHEN REVIEWING TOYOTA'S LACK OF CONCERN FOR THEIR DRIVER'S SAFETY. I AM SURE THAT SOME BIGWIG IS SITTING IN AN OFFICE SOMEWHERE, PROFITING FROM THE MONEY THAT TOYOTA SAVED BY USING DEFECTIVE PARTS. *TR

IN OUR 2001 TOYOTA RAV4 WE RECENTLY BEGAN EXPERIENCING DIFFICULTY TRANSITIONING BETWEEN GEARS. THE CAR JERKS AND TAKES A MOMENT TO SHIFT. WE TOOK IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP AND WERE TOLD THAT THE COMPUTER AND TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACE. UPON RESEARCHING THIS I HAVE FOUND HUNDREDS ON CASES OF THE SAME THING HAPPENING TO 2001-2003 RAV4 OWNERS. *CN

I HAVE AN AUTOMATIC 2001 RAV4. WHILE DRIVING WE NOTICED THE HARD SHIFTING INTO DIFFERENT GEARS. THEN IT STARTED TO LURCH AND STALL. IT HAPPENED SPORADICALLY. THEN WITHIN A WEEK'S TIME EVERY INSTANCE YOU DROVE IT THIS HAPPENED. IT TOOK TWO TIMES BEFORE MY MECHANIC SAW THAT IT NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION, AND A NEW COMPUTER THAT TALKS TO THE TRANSMISSION(ECM ENGINE CONTROL MODULE) WHICH THEY INSTALLED. *TR