2002 Toyota RAV4

I HAVE A 2002 TOYOTA RAV 4 AND AM EXPERIENCING TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE NUMEROUS TOYOTA CUSTOMERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT TOYOTA WILL DO NOTHING TO FIX THE PROBLEM AND THAT WRITING YOU WOULD BE MY BEST BET. THE PROBLEM IS CAUSED BY A FAULTY ECM (ENGINE CONTROL MODULE) AND COSTS ABOUT $1200 TO REPLACE. DRIVING THE VEHICLE AS IS ALSO HURTS THE TRANSMISSION WHICH CAN LEAD TO AN ADDITIONAL $4000 TO FIX. PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT OR IF ANYTHING CAN BE DONE. THANKS. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH AND ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE ONTO THE HIGHWAY, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESPOND AND BEGAN DECELERATING. THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED BY BOTH AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND AN AUTHORIZED DEALER THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS FAILING. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 60,450. UPDATED 07/26/10. *LJ UPDATED 08/03/10*JB

THE MAIN COMPUTER IN THE TRANSMISSION ON MY 2002 TOYOTA RAV4 MALFUNCTIONED CAUSING MY VEHICLE TO BEGIN SHIFTING ON ITS OWN WHILE DRIVING. THE MECHANIC INFORMED ME THAT IT WAS ATTEMPTING TO SHIFT INTO REVERSE WHILE DRIVING. THE FIRST INCIDENT HAPPENED THE LAST WEEKEND IN MAY, 2010. I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR FOR 3 WEEKS NOW, IT IS CURRENTLY WAITING REPAIR. TOTAL COST THUS FAR $1,586.00 TO REPLACE THE COMPUTER SO THAT THE COMPUTER CAN TELL THEM WHAT OTHER DAMAGE HAS BEEN DONE TO THE TRANSMISSION. WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO LOCATE A FUNCTIONAL USED COMPUTER FOR REPAIR. *TR

I HAVE A 2002 RAV4 WHICH IT ALMOST HAD MY FAMILY LIFE TAKEN. LAST WEEKEND WE WERE GETTING IN THE HIGHWAY AND THE CAR DIDN'T SPEED UP A ROLLBACK MANEUVER HIS WAY OUT LUCKILY THE DRIVER ACTED QUICK AT SCENE. MY VEHICLE TRANSMISSION FAIL TO PROCEED, IT WOULDN'T SPEED UP. WE WERE LIKE BAITS FOR THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC NOT KNOWING IF TO GET OUT OF CAR OR GET HIT. WE WERE TERRIFIED SO WE ALL SCREAM. LATER THE TRANSMISSION REP UP. WE PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE TO RELAX. NOW I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT HAPPEN, WHAT WENT WRONG? BUT NOW I NOW I KNOW IS THE FREAKING CAR. MY QUESTION IS WHY TOYOTA DID NOT GAVE US A WARNING ABOUT THE DEFECTS OF THE VEHICLE? I HOPE FOR OTHERS FAMILIES NOT TO GO THROUGH THIS TERRIFYING EXPERIENCE. PLEASE INFORMS TO OTHERS TO TAKE ACTION WITH THIS VEHICLE OR IT MAY BE TO LATE. I DO NOT KNOW WHERE TO GO OR WHAT TO DO NOW WITH THIS VEHICLE. I'M NOT DRIVING IT AND PUTTING MY FAMILY AT RISK AGAIN!!!. BE CAREFUL DRIVING THIS VEHICLE. BUT PLEASE LE ME KNOW WHAT TO DO NEXT. SHOULD I JUNKED THE CAR OR GO TO THE DEALER AND DEAL WITH THEM. I'M NOT GOING TO GIVE AWAY TO TO HER . THAT WILL BE LIKE GIVEN THEM A TICKET TO THE CEMETERY. *TR

TOYOTA RAV4 (2002) JERKED UNCONTROLLABLY INTO TRAFFIC WHILE PREPARING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN ONTO A BUSY BOULEVARD. CARS SCREECHED TO A HALT. COULD HAVE BEEN FATAL. RAV4 HAS FAULTY COMPUTER (ECM) THAT TOYOTA DID NOT RECALL AND HOLDS CONSUMERS RESPONSIBLE FOR REPLACING (APPX$1400). FAULTY COMPUTER OFTEN DESTROYS TRANSMISSION ALSO. I AM FACING $5500 IN REPAIRS AND TOYOTA HAS ADMITTED THAT THE CAR HAS A PROBLEM. THIS IS TOTALLY UNFAIR AND PEOPLE WILL LOSE THEIR LIVES. I AM LUCKY I DIDN'T. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH UP A HILL, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER. THE VEHICLE WILL BE TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. REPORT 1006100118 WAS FILED WITH THE MANUFACTURER; HOWEVER, THEY WILL NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE WITH THE REPAIRS SINCE WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 47,680.

ON MAY 25TH, MY WIFE WAS MERGING INTO TRAFFIC ON A LOCAL BYPASS (SPEED LIMIT 55 MPH). AS SHE BEGAN TO MERGE, OUR 2002 TOYOTA RAV4 HESITATED AND WOULDN'T SHIFT INTO SECOND GEAR. MY WIFE HAD TO SWERVE OFF THE ROAD TO AVOID BEING REAR ENDED BY TRAFFIC. I BROUGHT MY CAR TO THE REPAIR SHOP THE NEXT DAY AND THEY FLUSHED THE TRANSMISSION AND ADDED NEW FLUID. THEY TESTED THE CAR AND IT WAS OK SO I PICKED IT UP AND BROUGHT IT HOME. BY THE NEXT DAY THE CAR WAS HESITATING AGAIN SO I BROUGHT IT BACK TO THE SHOP AND THEY TOOK THE CAR TO THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THEM CHECK THE PROBLEM. I THEN RECEIVED A CALL FROM MY REPAIR PERSON STATING THAT I NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION. THE CAR IS ONLY 8 YEARS OLD WITH 61,000 MILES ON IT BUT ALL WARRANTIES HAVE EXPIRED. I THEN FIND OUT THAT TOYOTA HAS KNOWN ABOUT THE PROBLEM WITH 2002 RAV4 TRANSMISSIONS BUT HAVE NEVER CONTACTED THE BUYERS OR HAD A RECALL DUE TO EXPENSE. NOW I'M STUCK WITH A CAR THAT DOESN'T WORK OR A REPAIR BILL FOR $5,000 PLUS. I BOUGHT A TOYOTA BECAUSE I THOUGHT THAT IT WAS DEPENDABLE. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THAT NOTHING CAN BE DONE TO REPAIR IT WITHOUT COST TO ME SINCE I HAVE NO MORE WARRANTY COVERAGE. I'M NOW LOOKING FOR A NEW CAR SINCE I'M NOT PUTTING $5,000 INTO AN 8 YEAR OLD ONE. DO I HAVE ANY LEGAL ALTERNATIVES SINCE TOYOTA KNEW ABOUT THE PROBLEM BUT SAID NOTHING? *TR

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND TRANSMISSION STARTED TO SHIFT HARD,GOING INTO REVERSE FROM PARK WITH A HUGE CLUNK. ALSO, SLIPPING AT TIMES. WHEN MAKING A LEFT/RIGHT TURN FROM A ROAD TO ANOTHER, CAR WOULD SLUGGISHLY MOVE-VERY DANGEROUS. TOOK IT TO A DEALER AND WAS TOLD A NEW COMPUTER WAS NEEDED TO VERIFY IF THE PROBLEM WAS ECU RELATED OR THE TRANNY..I ASKED WHY A NEW COMPUTER WASN'T AVAILABLE TO TEST WHETHER IT WAS THE COMPUTER OR TRANNY."WE DON'T STOCK COMPUTERS". I WAS QUOTED $1200.00 FOR "NEW" ECU TO SEE IF IT FIXED THE PROBLEM. IF THAT DIDN'T WORK THEN A "NEW" TRANNY FOR 4000.00 TO 5000.00 WOULD BE REQUIRED. THIS IS A 2002 2WD WITH 99K MILES WORTH ABOUT $5000.00(IN GREAT SHAPE OTHERWISE). ALSO LEARNED THAT THE ECU TENDS TO THROW CODES UNRELATED TO THE TRANNY ISSUE. WHEN I BROUGHT MY RAV4 IN I TOLD THEM ABOUT MY ISSUES WITH THE TRANNY AND THAT THERE WAS A TSB TO INSTALL NEW SOFTWARE TO TRY TO FIX THE ISSUE. I WAS THEN TOLD NO, YOU NEED TO TRY A NEW ECU FOR $1200.00. WHY NOT THROW A "NEW" ECU IN TO SEE IF IT FIXES THE PROBLEM? WHY DON'T THEY ACKNOWLEDGE A DEFECT INSTEAD OF EASTER EGGING AT MY EXPENSE? CHARGE ME $1200.00 FOR AN ECU(OR ANY PART) THAT MAY OR MAY NOT SOLVE THE ISSUE IS CRIMINAL AND TO HEAR THAT THE ECU PROBLEM EATS THE TRANNY IS ALSO CRIMINAL QUICK TO TAKE YOUR CASH BUT TO DENY A VERY COMMON PART DEFECT (ECU) THAT ULTIMATELY DESTROYS ANOTHER EXPENSIVE NEEDED COMPONENT. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. I HAVE MADE LEFT/RIGHT TURNS AND THE TRANSMISSION DECIDES TO BUCK/HESITATE AS ONCOMING TRAFFIC IS EXPECTING MY VEHICLE TO MOVE APPROPRIATELY. *TR