2001 Toyota RAV4

TL*- THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING THE 2001 TOYOTA RAV 4 AT 65 MPH (WITH 80000 FAILURE MILEAGE THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO MAKE A CLINKING NOISE. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A MECHANIC, WHO STATED THAT THERE WAS A SLUDGE BUILD UP, AND THE TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REPLACED. *AK

MY WIFE DROVE THE 2001 TOYOTA RAV 4 TO WORK THIS MORNING. IT WAS A 5 MILE DRIVE. AFTER PARKING THE CAR A FELLOW EMPLOYEE TOLD HER THE CAR WAS ON FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT RESPONDED AND PUT THE FIRE OUT. BUT THE CAR WAS A TOTAL LOSS. THE FIRE INSPECTOR LOCATED THE ORIGIN OF THE FIRE, ALONG THE FIREWALL DIRECTLY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WALL, BUT SAID HE WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE. HE SAID NO ACCELERANT WAS USED, AND THAT THE FIRE WAS PROBABLY THE RESULT OF A CRACKED FUEL-LINE OR SOME OTHER FLUID LEAKING ONTO THE ENGINE. WE NOTICED NO FLUIDS LEAKED ONTO THE DRIVEWAY AT HOME. I AM POSTING THIS IN CASE ANY ONE ELSE HAD A SIMILAR SITUATION.*AK

I HAVE A 2001 TOYOTA RAV4 [XXX] THE ENGINE TYPE IS A 1AZFE. I RECENTLY LEARNED ABOUT A TOYOTA OIL GEL PROBLEM WITH ENGINE TYPE 5S-FE. THE MOTOR MAY BE DIFFERENT, BUT MY STORY IS THE SAME. THIS IS A WORK VEHICLE THAT WAS MAINTAINED. IN SEPT 2006 I CALLED TOYOTA TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE $2800 REPAIR DUE TO WHAT THEY HAD CALLED "OIL GEL". THE REFERENCE NUMBER FOR THIS CALL IS [XXX]. AT THE TIME I WAS UNAWARE OF THE LAW SUIT IN PROCESS FOR SOME TOYOTA ENGINES DUE TO THIS EXACT THING! JAN 19TH 2007, WHILE DRIVING, MY CAR'S ENGINE LIGHT WENT ON AND 30 SECONDS LATER THERE WAS A PLUME OF BLUE SMOKE ( THE BARTOW FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED AS I WAS ON I-75 IN GEORGIA AND SOMEONE THOUGHT THE CAR WAS ON FIRE). THERE WAS NO FIRE, JUST SMOKE. I PULLED OVER IMMEDIATELY. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE SERVICE DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY TOLD ME I HAD THROWN A ROD. THEY CLAIM THE TWO ARE UNRELATED OCCURRENCES. FROM WHAT I HAVE READ ON WEB SITES, THEY SEEM VERY RELATED TO ME. THE REPAIR IN SEPT WAS COSTLY, TO HAVE THE ROD THROWN 4 MONTHS LATER MAKES ME THINK THE 1AZFE ENGINE MAY HAVE SOME DEFECT AS WELL. THE CAR COULD NOT BE REPAIRED WITHOUT A TOTALLY NEW ENGINE. WE CHOSE NOT TO REPAIR IT. I BELIEVE TOYOTA SHOULD PAY FOR THE REPAIRS IN SEPT 06 AND THE TOW IN JAN 07, AS I AM CONVINCED THIS IS A DEFECT. I CAN PROVIDE ALL THE OIL CHANGES AND MAINTENANCE RECORDS AS THIS HAS BEEN A WORK VEHICLE FOR ME. I WONDER IF OTHER TOYOTA ENGINES SHOULD BE EXAMINED AND REPORTED. THE DEALERSHIP AND TOYOTA HAVE BOTH CLAIMED THIS ENGINE IS NOT INVOLVED. I DISAGREE. HAD I NOT PULLED OVER I AM CERTAIN A FIRE WOULD HAVE BEGUN WITH ALL THE ENGINE OIL ON THE MOTOR. *NM UPDATED 07/11/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE DRIVING AT 25 MPH AND MAKING A LEFT TURN THE PASSENGER'S SIDE TIE ROD FAILED. IN AN ATTEMPT TO STRAIGHTEN THE WHEELS THE PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL COLLAPSED OUTWARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A REPAIR MECHANIC WHO ADVISED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE TIE ROD THREADING WAS STRIPPED AND CAUSED THE FAILURE.THE WEATHER WAS NOT A FACTOR AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. *AK UPDATED 03/01/07. *JB

2001 RAV4 MANUAL TRANSMISSION - THE GEAR SHIFT STARTED MOVING BACK AND FORTH IN THE 5TH GEAR POSITION WHEN PRESSURE WAS APPLIED/RELEASED FROM THE GAS PEDAL. WENT TO BALISE TOYOTA IN WEST SPRINGFIELD, MA AND WAS TOLD THAT THIS WAS NORMAL BEHAVIOR (EVEN THOUGH I HAD THE CAR FOR 5 YEARS AND IT JUST STARTED HAPPENING. ABOUT A WEEK LATER, THE CAR STARTED "POPPING" OUT OF 5TH GEAR. BALISE THEN ADMITTED THAT THIS WAS NOT NORMAL AND "REPAIRED" THE PROBLEM (THERE WAS A SERVICE BULLETIN FROM TOYOTA OUT ABOUT THE PROBLEM). WHEN I GOT THE CAR BACK, THE GEARSHIFT DID NOT MOVE WHEN IN 5TH GEAR. IT IS NOW DECEMBER AND THE GEARSHIFT IS ONCE AGAIN MOVING BACK AND FORTH IN 5TH GEAR AND BALISE TOYOTA IS TELLING ME IT IS NORMAL AND THEY REFUSE TO FIX THE PROBLEM WHILE THE CAR IS STILL UNDER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE ON THE INTERNET WHO HAVE REPORTED THIS SAME PROBLEM. TOYOTA SHOULD HAVE A RECALL TO FIX THE PROBLEM AS HAVING A CAR DROP OUT OF GEAR IS A SAFETY HAZARD, ESPECIALLY AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS WHEN IT WOULD BE MOST APT TO HAPPEN. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ENTER THE HIGHWAY, WITH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL APPLIED THE ENGINE REVVED, BUT DID NOT MOVE FORWARD. THE VEHICLE OPERATED AT A REDUCED SPEED IN A JERKING MOTION. THE VEHICLE WAS SEEN BY A DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE DEALER DETERMINED THE COMPUTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED.

5 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. A DEALER RESET IT AND SAID IT WAS THE GAS WE USED. EVERY YEAR WE GO THROUGH THE SAME THING WHEN WE PURCHASE CHEAP (NO-NAME BRAND) GAS AND HAD TO BE RESET BY A GARAGE OR DEALER. NOW WE RUN A TANK OR TWO OF BETTER (NAME BRAND) GAS AND THE LIGHT MAY GO OFF. I KNOW THAT THIS HAPPENS TO OTHER TOYOTAS. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH THE ENGINE STALLED AND THE VEHICLE LOST ALL POWER. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. UPON INSPECTION IT WAS DETERMINED THE BAFFLE UNDER THE OIL CAP BROKE OFF. AS A RESULT METAL PIECES WENT INTO THE TIMING CHAIN, CAUSING THE ENGINE TO SEIZE. THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED. UPDATED 3/20/2006 - THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO LOCATE A TSB WHICH REFERENCED THIS PROBLEM. *NM

DT: THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE ENGINE LIGHT KEPT ILLUMINATING IN THE 2001 TOYOTA RAV 4. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP THREE TIMES. THE FIRST TIME THEY REPROGRAMMED THE COMPUTER, THE SECOND TIME THEY REPLACED THE OXYGEN SENSORS AND THE THIRD TIME THEY DETERMINED THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONSUMER PLANNED TO REPLACE THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER IN THE FUTURE. CURRENTLY THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE WITH THE ENGINE LIGHT ON. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DRIVING DIFFERENTLY. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED TOYOTA AND THEY URGED THE CONSUMER TO WORK WITH THE DEALER, AND MAYBE THEY WOULD HELP HER WITH THE COST. *AK (11/21/05) THE CONSUMER WAS AWARE OF OTHER SAME MAKE MODEL AND YEARS THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS SAME PROBLEM. *SC