2003 Toyota RAV4

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA RAV 4. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE SKIPPED GEARS WHEN SHE ATTEMPTED TO SHIFT FROM 1 TO 2 OR 3 TO 4. THE GEAR SLIPPAGE INCREASED THE RISK OF A VEHICLE CRASH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER AND A TECHNICIAN CONCLUDED THAT THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION. NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 98800.

I BECAME AWARE OF YOUR SITE AFTER A READING A NY TIMES ARTICLE ABOUT RAV4 TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. HARD SHIFTING AND LURCHING BEGAN IN MY 2003 RAV 4 WHEN IT WAS AT AROUND 93,000 MILES. WHEN I TOOK IT IN FOR SERVICE, MY MECHANIC INFORMED ME THAT THE COMPUTER CODE THAT WAS DIAGNOSED INDICATED SERIOUS TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. I RESEARCHED IT ON THE WEB AND DISCOVERED THAT THIS WAS A PROBLEM FOR MANY RAV OWNERS. SINCE IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY, I HAD THE WORK DONE BY A TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST THAT MY MECHANIC RECOMMENDED. I PAID $1100 FOR THE NEW ECU AND $2400 FOR A TRANSMISSION REBUILD. TOYOTA HAS REFUSED TO COMPENSATE ME FOR ANY OF THE REPAIR WORK THAT WAS DONE. *TR

FROM A COMPLETE STOP, HARSH SHIFT/JERK FROM PARK TO REVERSE, HESITATION AND JERKING CHANGING GEARS, MOST TIMES CONSISTENT DURING ENTIRE RIDE, THEN OK FOR A WHILE AFTER ADDING FLUID OR FLUSHING TRANNY FLUID. STARTS ABOUT 10-15 MINUTES INTO RIDE. STARTED WHEN GETTING OFF HIGHWAY RAMP DURING RUSH HOUR. CAME TO A STOP, AND GEARS WERE NOT ENGAGING PROPERLY ON TAKE OFF, LOTS OF JERKING. CAR SHAKING AND FELT LIKE IT WAS GOING TO STALL AND WOULD NOT SWITCH GEARS WITHOUT HITTING GAS PEDAL HARD. CAR TESTED WITH 3 COMPUTERS AND NO CODES. TRANSMISSION FLUSHED 2X, PAN DROPPED, NO EVIDENCE OF METAL OR GUNK. AFTER RESEARCH FOUND BULLETINS HAD BEEN POSTED (BY TOYOTA) FOR THESE CONCERNS SEVERAL TIMES. ECM/TRANSMISSION WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED. COST WILL BE BETWEEN $3K-5K! *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO GEAR. AFTER A COUPLE OF SECONDS, THE VEHICLE RETURNED TO THE CORRECT GEAR, FOLLOWED BY A LOUD BANGING SOUND. THE VEHICLE ALSO JERKED DURING THIS TIME. THERE WERE NO FAILURES OR WARNING INDICATORS PRIOR TO THE FAILURES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AND THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS FAILING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE DEALER CONFIRMED THAT THE TRANSMISSION AND TCM FAILED, AND STATED THAT THE REPAIR WOULD COST $6,500. THE MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT PROVIDE COMPENSATION BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. THE CONTACT WAS LATER INFORMED THAT IF SHE HAD THE VEHICLE REPAIRED AT THE COST OF $6,500, THE MANUFACTURER WOULD REIMBURSE HER IN THE AMOUNT OF $2,500. THE CONTACT DISCOVERED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN FOR THE FAILURE WITH THE TRANSMISSION, WHICH STATED THAT A WARRANTY WAS OFFERED THAT WOULD COVER THE EMISSION FAILURE OF THE TRANSMISSION FOR UP TO 80,000 MILES. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY WILL INVESTIGATE AND CALL THE CONTACT BACK. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 67,548 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 68,270.

I HAVE A 2003 RAV4 BROUGHT NEW AT 0 MILES WITH 92,000 MILES NEVER A PROBLEM OR CHECK ENGINE LIGHT UNTIL MAY 31 09 ON MY WAY HOME FROM WORK THE TRANSMISSION DID NOT WANT TO ENGAGE PROPERLY. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERS TECH THE NEXT MORNING. THEY HAVE ALWAYS SERVICED THIS CAR THEY INFORMED ME THAT I NEEDED A REMANUFACTURED 3122.24 TRANS AND A 1145.89 ECU.I WAS NEVER TOLD THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE ECU IN THIS MODEL OR THAT A TSB HAD BEEN ISSUED. THEY WAS NEVER A ISSUE WITH THE CAR BEFORE THAT ONE DAY YET THESE REPAIRS ARE WHAT I'M TOLD I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR AN ISSUE THAT TOYOTA AS IT TURNS OUT IS WELL AWARE OF TO THE POINT OF MAKING AND UPGRADE FOR THE ECU BUT ARE NOT RECALLING. THIS IS A SAFETY IS YOUR TRANS JUST GOES IN TRAFFIC. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT HAS EXPERIENCED MULTIPLE FAILURES WITH THE VEHICLE EVER SINCE IT WAS PURCHASED. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE TRANSMISSION STALLS AND PREVENTS THE VEHICLE FROM ACCELERATING. THE COMPUTER WAS REMOVED FROM THE VEHICLE AND SENT TO THE MANUFACTURER TO BE SERVICED. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY BEING REPAIRED AT THE COST OF $400. THE CONTACT IS IN THE PROCESS OF NOTIFYING THE MANUFACTURER. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 111,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO FIRST OR SECOND GEAR, AND THE VEHICLE WOULD JERK. THE VEHICLE SHIFTS FROM FIRST TO THIRD GEAR WITHOUT INCIDENT. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE LOSES POWER AND JERKS WHEN DRIVING IN REVERSE. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND THE SOLENOID WAS DIAGNOSED AS THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURES ARE IDENTICAL TO THE ONES MENTIONED IN THE SERVICE BULLETIN FOR THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE REPAIRED BECAUSE IT WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 85,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 20-30 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN JERKING, STALLING, AND SLIPPING OUT OF GEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT THEY COULD NOT MAKE ANY REPAIRS BECAUSE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT DID NOT ILLUMINATE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE SPARK PLUGS COULD BE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE SPARK PLUGS WERE CHANGED AT THAT TIME; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE MECHANIC AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE TRANSMISSION COULD BE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE FILTER AND TRANSMISSION FLUID WERE CHANGED, BUT THE JERKING WORSENED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY NEVER HEARD OF A TOYOTA VEHICLE HAVING TRANSMISSION ISSUES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE TRANSMISSION SHOP AND THEY TOOK APART AND REBUILT THE TRANSMISSION. THE FAILURE RECURRED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED BACK TO THE TRANSMISSION SHOP. THE CONTACT DISCOVERED A TSB REGARDING THE TRANSMISSION (TC002-06), BUT THE DEALER NEVER ACKNOWLEDGED A TSB FOR THE TRANSMISSION OR ECM. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 68,000.

AROUND EARLY MARCH AFTER SEVERAL PRIOR REPAIRS FROM DEC. 08-FEB. 09 MY TOYOTA RAV 4 STARTS DRIVING REALLY ROUGH, WON'T ACCELERATE, THEN LURCHES YOU FORWARD, ETC. HUGE SAFETY ISSUE. YOU GO TO ACCELERATE AND SOMEONE IS BEHIND YOU AND YOU LITERALLY CANNOT GET THE CAR TO GO, THEN IT FINALLY SHOOTS YOU FORWARD. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE SERVICE ADVISOR AT THE DEALERSHIP, THEY THOUGHT IT WAS A CATALYTIC CONVERTER PROBLEM. I CALLED TO GET AN ESTIMATE AND MAD HATTERS HAD THE BEST PRICE. MAD HATTERS DID REPAIR AND CLEARED OFF CODES AND CAR DROVE FINE FOR 48 HOURS. ON WAY HOME FROM WORK THAT MONDAY EVENING IT DROVE THE WORST IT EVER HAS, WOULDN'T ALLOW ME TO ACCELERATE THROUGH AN INTERSECTION, THEN SHOT ME FORWARD, THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE CAR STARTED VIOLENTLY SHAKING. I ALMOST GOT HIT BY ANOTHER CAR WAITING TO TURN AFTER ME AND A WOMAN BEHIND ME. I PRAYED I WOULD MAKE IT HOME. CALLED TOYOTA TOOK IT BACK TO MAD HATTERS AT THEIR SUGGESTION. MAD HATTERS CHECKED AND INDICATED IT WAS A TRANSMISSION CODE. WE CALLED TOYOTA TO IMMEDIATELY TOW IT TO THE DEALERSHIP. TOYOTA CALLED AND INDICATE IT IS THE EMC AND IT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED IMMEDIATELY, CAR IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. $1300. I RESEARCHED AND THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AS WELL AS A OLD TOYOTA SERVICE BULLETIN SO THEY KNOW THIS PROBLEM EXISTED. TWO WEEKS LATER AFTER I GOT THE MONEY TOGETHER I WAS ABLE TO PICK UP MY CAR. THEY REPLACED THE COMPUTER MODULE AND THE CAR SEEMS TO DRIVE FINE, ALTHOUGH AFTER PICKING IT UP I DROVE FOR 10 MILES AND NOW THE ENGINE LIGHT IS ON AGAIN. THIS IS A HUGE PROBLEM AND I PRAY IT HAS NOT DESTROYED MY TRANSMISSION. THANK GOD THERE WERE NO ACCIDENTS INVOLVED. *TR