2002 Toyota RAV4

DRIVING NORMALLY NEARING A STOP SIGN/LIGHT/POTENTIAL NEED TO STOP. APPLY BRAKES, VEHICLE JERKS. BEGINNING TO RELEASE BRAKE AND CONTINUE DRIVING ENGINE SHUTS OFF AND ALL WARNING LIGHTS ON PANEL LIGHT UP. SHIFT GEAR NORMALLY INTO PARK, START ENGINE, IT TURNS OVER, SHIFT GEAR INTO DRIVE AND ENGINE SHUTS OFF. TRY SHIFTING INTO 2ND GEAR, 1ST GEAR AND ENGINE SHUTS OFF. IF CAR SITS FOR A WHILE (NOT ABLE TO DETERMINE THAT AMOUNT OF TIME IT VARIES) IT MAY START. HAS HAPPENED AT INTERSECTIONS AND AM PLACED IN THE CENTER OF AN INTERSECTION TRYING TO GET STARTED. THIS HAS OCCURRED IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC SEVERAL TIMES. HAVE TAKEN CAR TO DEALER WHERE IT IS NOW FOR THE FIFTH TIME. THEY PLACED A COMPUTER ON THE COMPUTER TO GET A READING AND IT DID NOT DISPLAY ANYTHING. I CANNOT AFFORD TO PURCHASE A NEW CAR AND CANNOT AFFORD THOUSANDS IN REPAIR COSTS. *TR

I PURCHASED MY USED 2002 TOYOTA RAV4 ON 12/10/05 FROM SOUTH COAST TOYOTA OF COSTA MESA. SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING IT, I RECEIVED SOME KIND OF "ADJUSTMENT NOTICE" ASKING ME TO BRING THE CAR IN, WHICH I DID. I ASKED WHAT THEY NEEDED TO DO TO THE CAR, THEY WOULD NOT DIRECTLY ANSWER MY QUESTION AND SAID IT "WAS NOTHING, JUST A MINOR ADJUSTMENT." IN SEPTEMBER OF 2008, SHORTLY AFTER MY WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED AND MY CAR WAS JUST OVER 83,000 MILES, THE TRANSMISSION BEGAN SLIPPING COMPLETELY OUT OF GEAR WHILE I WAS DRIVING IT, AND THEN IT WOULDN'T SHIFT INTO GEAR, AND I WOULD SUDDENLY HAVE NO CONTROL OVER THE CAR SO I HAD TO STOP, AND THEN TRY TO GET IT IN GEAR, OR DRIVE HOME IN 1ST. I HAD TO DRIVE FROM 1ST GEAR OR 4TH. I WAS UNABLE TO DRIVE IT ON THE FREEWAY TO GET TO WORK, AND HAD TO STOP DRIVING IT ALL TOGETHER ON THE STREET. THE DEALER WOULD NOT REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. THE PRICE HE QUOTED ME TO "REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION AND ECU" WAS AROUND $4,500. I WAS FURIOUS, AS THE REASON I PURCHASED TOYOTAS WAS BECAUSE THEY DROVE 200,000 MILES AS LONG AS YOU PROPERLY MAINTAINED THEM, WHICH I ALWAYS DID. I WENT AND HAD TO PAY $2,593.00 AT IRVINE TRANSMISSION CENTER IN IRVINE, CA ON 9/24/08. AFTER REPLACING THE TRANSMISSION AND TEST DRIVING IT, IT WAS READY FOR PICKUP. WHEN THEY GOT IN THE CAR TO DRIVE IT UP TO ME, SUDDENLY THE NEW TRANSMISSION WOULDN'T SHIFT. SO, THEY RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM AND TOLD ME THE COMPUTER (ECU) APPARENTLY HAD TO BE REPLACED ALSO, AND THEY HAD DISCOVERED THROUGH ONLINE SITES THAT TOYOTA WAS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE. THE DEALER CHARGED ME $500 TO REPLACE THE ECU. THE DEALER SOLD ME A RAV4 THEY KNEW WAS HAVING TRANSMISSION AND ECU FAILURE. I WROTE TOYOTA A COMPLAINT. I BELIEVE I SHOULD BE REIMBURSED THE MONEY I AM OUT, AND THIS CAR SHOULD BE RECALLED WITH THE HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS, IF NOT THOUSANDS, THAT HAVE BEEN REPORTED. I REQUEST YOU TAKE ACTION! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA RAV4. THE VEHICLE WAS INTERMITTENTLY EXPERIENCING TROUBLE ACCELERATING IN WHICH THE VEHICLE WOULD MOMENTARILY PAUSE BEFORE SHIFTING GEARS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE TRANSMISSION FLUID AND FILTER WERE REPLACED. THE MECHANIC ALSO ADVISED HAVING THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE (ECM) REPLACED THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO RECUR INTERMITTENTLY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED BUT ADVISED THE VEHICLE WAS NOT UNDER RECALL AND WOULD NOT PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE. THE ECM WAS NOT REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 154,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 155,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, APPROACHING AN INTERSECTION. THE TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO HESITATE IN AN INTENSE JERKING MOTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTO TRANSMISSION SHOP WHERE THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED WITH A REBUILT TRANSMISSION. THE IDENTICAL FAILURE OCCURRED AFTER THE REPAIR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE AUTO TRANSMISSION SHOP WHERE THE TECHNICIAN REPLACED THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE. THE MANUFACTURER OFFERED A FREE REMEDY UNDER THE CUSTOMER SUPPORT PROGRAM RELATED TO THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE DEFECT; HOWEVER, THE VIN WAS EXCLUDED. THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED THE SAME FAILURES THAT WERE MENTIONED IN THE PROGRAM. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 140,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE HAD DIFFICULTY SHIFTING GEARS. THE VEHICLE WOULD STAY IN THIRD GEAR AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE COMPUTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED SO THAT THEY COULD DETERMINE WHETHER THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT DID NOT NOTIFY THE MANUFACTURER. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 86,954. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 86,850.

MY 2002 TOYOTA RAV4 W/5 SPEED STANDARD TRANSMISSION POPS OUT OF 5TH GEAR AT HIGHWAY SPEED CAUSING SUDDEN DECELERATION AND ENGINE REVVING IF USING CRUISE CONTROL. IF I AM IN HEAVY TRAFFIC THE CAR BEHIND ME COMES CLOSE TO REAR-ENDING ME BECAUSE MY BRAKE LIGHTS DON'T COME ON. THIS FIRST HAPPENED IN FEBRUARY 2006 WITH 60757 MILES ON THE CAR. AT 757 MILES PAST THE 60,000 MILE WARRANTY, OUR LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER REFUSED TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. BUT WE WERE ABLE TO TALK THEM INTO REPAIRING IT FOR FREE. IN JULY 2010 AT 123965 MILES THE SAME THING HAS HAPPENED AGAIN. AT 65 MPH ON CRUISE CONTROL IT POPPED OUT 5TH GEAR AND REFUSED TO GO BACK IN. AGAIN I SUDDENLY LOST SPEED BUT LUCKILY WAS ALMOST BY MYSELF ON THE HIGHWAY. *TR

ABOUT THREE WEEKS AGO MY 2002 TOYOTA RAV 4 TRANSMISSION/SHIFTING BETWEEN 1ST AND 2ND GEARS ACTED UP. IT WASN'T A SMALL, NAGGING ISSUE THAT BUILT UP, IT WAS PRETTY SUDDEN. ONE WEEK IT WAS FINE AND THEN I HAD 2 SMALL SHIFTING INCIDENTS (SHAKING) IN A 2 WEEK PERIOD, AND THEN THE NEXT WEEK, AFTER ABOUT 5-8 DAYS OF MORE LOCAL 'STOP AND GO' DRIVING, MY LOWER GEAR'S SHIFTING WOULD NOT WORK PROPERLY - EVERY SHIFT FROM 1ST TO 2ND WAS DELAYED AND HARSH. MY 2002 RAV4 HAS 98K ON IT. I MAY NEED TO GET A NEW TRANSMISSION AND/OR ECM AND I DON'T THINK TOYOTA WILL COVER ANY OF THE COSTS OF EITHER. I HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT TRADING IT IN SO I WOULDN'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH THESE ISSUES, BUT I DO LIKE MY RAV 4. I AM HOPING (AFTER DOING ALL THE ONLINE RESEARCH AND MAKING SOME OFFICIAL COMPLAINTS TO CR, BBB AND OTHER SAFETY GROUPS) THAT MAYBE TOYOTA WILL PROVIDE (OR BE FORCED TO PROVIDE) PAYMENTS OR COVERAGE IN SOME WAY FOR THIS SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE (ESSENTIALLY "STALLING" IN THE MIDDLE OF INTERSECTIONS, WHEN NEEDING THE ACCELERATION FROM A STOPPED POSITION.) WHEN SPEAKING WITH TOYOTA SERVICE AND HAVING HAD THEM PERFORM THEIR $100 COMPUTER DIAGNOSTICS (BEFORE THE 'CHECK ENGINE' LIGHT CAME ON - THE LIGHT HAS SINCE COME ON AND REMAINS ON- OBVIOUSLY I HAVEN'T DRIVEN IT FOR A FEW WEEKS NOW) I WAS TOLD THAT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD "MOST LIKELY' NEED TO BE REPLACED. I HAD ONLY DRIVEN IT FOR 3 WEEKS AFTER FIRST NOTICING THE PROBLEM AND REALLY ONLY 1 SINCE THE TROUBLE WAS CONTINUOUS AND THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I HOPE TO FIX THE PROBLEM BY EITHER HAVING THE ECM REBUILT ($500) OR PURCHASING A NEW ONE ($1000). HOPEFULLY, L DIDN'T DRIVE IT TOO MUCH BEFORE THE ECM RUINED MY TRANSMISSION ($5000). SINCE THE CAR IS ONLY WORTH ABOUT $6000 TOTAL ANYWAY. *TR

I'VE HAD MY '02 TOYOTA RAV4 SINCE 2003 AND A FEW DAYS AGO MY CAR STARTED HESITATING AND JERKING OUT OF THE BLUE. AFTER STOPPING AT LIGHTS, I NOTICED THAT AT FIRST I HAD TROUBLE ACCELERATING, CAR WOULD HESITATE, THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN IT WOULD LURCH FORWARD JUMPING TO 3000-4000 RPMS. I WAS AFRAID THAT I WOULD GET REAR-ENDED AND THEN I ALMOST SLAMMED INTO THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. I AM AFRAID TO TAKE MY CAR ON THE HIGHWAY WITH THE SLOW ACCELERATING AND THEN SUDDEN JERKING AND SPEED. I'M TAKING MY CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP TOMORROW TO GET THE ECM AND TRANSMISSION CHECKED OUT GIVEN THE TOYOTA TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN THAT ISSUED IN 2006 INVOLVING FAULTY ECMS (TC002-06). ALTHOUGH MY CAR IS JUST EXPERIENCING THE EARLY STAGES OF THIS MALFUNCTION, THIS IS VERY UNSAFE AND DANGEROUS. TOYOTA KNOWS ABOUT IT AND SHOULD ISSUE A RECALL. *TR