2003 Toyota RAV4

THE VEHICLE JERKS, MISSES GEARS. WHEN TRYING TO PULL OUT..IT DOESN'T MOVE THEN SUDDENLY TAKES OFF. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND THIS SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM IN 02/03 & 04 RAV 4'S ALSO SAYS THE ECM IS A PROBLEM. HAD THE VEHICLE CHECKED, REPLACED THE FILTER & TRANSMISSION FLUID ONLY TO HAVE IT STILL ACTING THE SAME WAY...WE WERE TOLD THE TRANSMISSION IS SHOT. MY RESEARCH INDICATED TOYOTA KNOWS OF THE PROBLEM & EXTENDED THE WARRANTY TO 10 YEARS OR 150,00 MILES. WHEN WE CONTACTED FREEDOM TOYOTA IN HAMBURG, PA. (THIS IS WHERE WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE) THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT *CHUCKLED* AT US. TOLD US, $91.00 JUST TO PULL IT IN THERE GARAGE TO LOOK AT IT!HOW SAFE IS IT TO DRIVE IF IT JERKS OR JUST WON'T GO? WHERE IS TOYOTAS LOYALTY TO IT'S CUSTOMERS IF THEY *CHUCKLE* AT US ? NEEDLESS TO SAY WE STILL OWE MONEY ON THIS VEHICLE. *TR

WE PURCHASED OUR RAV 4 AS A CERTIFIED USED CAR FROM FOLWER TOYOTA INC. 955 NORTH INTERSTATE NORMAN OKLAHOMA JANUARY 2005. WE WERE TOLD THE CERTIFIED USED CAR INCLUDED A 160-POINT QUALITY INSPECTION, CERTIFYING THE CAR IS IN GOOD WORKING ORDER. THE DEALER NEVER TOLD US ABOUT THE PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION COMPUTER AND THEY NEVER TRANSFERRED THE NAME OF OWNERSHIP TO TOYOTA, INC. IN DECEMBER OF LAST YEAR WE BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION JERKING FORWARD AND SHIFTING HARD BETWEEN 1ST AND 2ND GEAR. IT ALSO SHIFTED HARD INTO REVERSE. WE TOOK IT TO OUR MECHANIC WHO SUGGESTED THAT WE SERVICE THE TRANSMISSION AND SEE IF THAT MIGHT BE THE PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM PERSISTED AND WE CALLED TOYOTA AND TALKED TO A CUSTOMER SERVICE AGENT THAT INFORMED US THAT TOYOTA HAD AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THE TRANSMISSION AND THAT THE WARRANTY FOR OUR CAR RAN OUT DECEMBER 31ST 2012 AND WE WOULD NOT QUALIFY. WE DID NOT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE TRANSMISSION DEFECTIVE COMPUTER UNTIL WE CALLED TOYOTA AND AFTER LOOKING ON THE INTERNET DISCOVERING THAT THE EXTENDED WARRANTY WAS THE RESULT OF A CLASS ACTION SUITE. TOYOTA KNEW ABOUT THE PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION COMPUTER BUT FAILED TO INFORM US ABOUT THE EXTENDED WARRANTY OR THE POTENTIAL PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION. NOW WE ARE TOLD THAT TO REPLACE THE COMPUTER IS BETWEEN $1500.00 AND $1900.00 AND IF THERE HAS BEEN DAMAGE TO THE TRANSMISSION CAUSED BY THE FAILURE OF THE COMPUTER IT WILL COST US $5000.00 TO REBUILD THE TRANSMISSION. WE BELIEVE THAT TOYOTA DEALER THAT SOLD US THE RAV 4 SHOULD HAVE ENSURED THAT OUR NAME AND ADDRESS WAS SENT TO TOYOTA INFORMING THEM OF OUR PURCHASE IN CASE THERE WAS A RECALL OR IN THIS CASE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY COVERING A DEFECTIVE PART. WE ALSO BELIEVE THAT TOYOTA WOULD NOT LISTEN TO OUR APPEAL BECAUSE WE CALLED AFTER THE WARRANTY TIME LIMIT.

TROUBLE WITH HARSH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFTING - DELAYS - CLUNKS - NOISE. DEALER SAYS 99% SURE TROUBLE IS ECM HENCE THE ECM AND TRANSMISSION NEED REPLACEMENT . TOYOTA CANADA DENIES ANY KNOWLEDGE OF THE GOODWILL WARRANTY ON THE PHONE - EVEN AFTER CHECKING WITH A MANAGER. AND SAYS IT IS ONLY A USA ISSUE EVEN THOUGHT THE DEALER READILY ACKNOWLEDGES AN WAB #### SERVICE BULLETIN. THE DEALER SAYS I WILL HAVE TO SUBPOENA THE SERVICE ADVISORY THROUGH A LAWYER TO GET THE INFORMATION THAT TOYOTA CANADA SAYS THEY DO NOT SEEM TO KNOW ABOUT? (IN 2013!!!) THE DEALER SAYS I AM 2 MONTHS PAST THEIR SECRET DEADLINE IN THE SECRET GOODWILL WARRANTY SO TOYOTA DENIES RESPONSIBILITY. FEELS LIKE VERY SHODDY CUSTOMER RELATIONS THAT I FEEL WILL COST TOYOTA FAR MORE THAN THEIR ACTUAL MINUSCULE COST (<$200 THEIR COST?) TO REPLACE WITH A PROPER ECU - ENGINE CONTROL UNIT BEFORE THE TRANSMISSION IS DAMAGED BEYOND REPAIR! THEY CLAIM THAT THEY CANNOT TEST THE ECU UNITS AND DO NOT KNOW WHICH ONES ARE BAD UNTIL THE CUSTOMER (LIKE ME) COMES IN NEEDING MANY THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN REPAIRS. OK GO AHEAD AND WAIT BUT AT LEAST WARN THE CUSTOMER TO WATCH FOR ISSUES AND HAVE IT CHECKED IF ANY ISSUES ARISE RIGHT AWAY. - NOT WASH THEIR HANDS AFTER A SECRET TIME LINE PASSES HOW CONVENIENT FOR THEM! THIS IS A LUDICROUS SITUATION. LESS THAT 90,000 MILES AND TOYOTA HAS THE GALL TO TELL ME TO PAY THEM TO FIX A PART THEY ACKNOWLEDGE IS DEFECTIVE AND THEN PAY AN EXTRA LUMP OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FOR THE TRANSMISSION THEY THEMSELVES SAY IS 99% CERTAIN TO HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY THE FAULTY ECU PROBLEM FOR GOOD MEASURE! HAVE YOU NO SHAME TOYOTA CANADA, OR IS IT TOO MUCH FUN ROLLING AROUND IN A PILE OF MY MONEY? - THE CANADIAN BORDER SHOULD NOT BE SOMETHING A GIANT ELEPHANT OF A COMPANY SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO HIDE BEHIND IN MY HUMBLE OPINION. THE WAY TOYOTA CANADA IS HANDLING THIS ISSUE IS A MAJOR FAIL FOR TOYOTA! *TR

I BACKED UP IN REVERSE AND THEN PUT 2003 RAV 4 INTO DRIVE EXPECTING TO GO FORWARD WHEN MOTOR BEGAN TO RACE AND CAR FLEW BACKWARD OVER 12-FOOT HIGH EMBANKMENT INTO WOODS WHILE ENGINE CONTINUED RACING. CAR DID NOT ROLL OVER BUT SWUNG AROUND 130 DEGREES IN A FLAT AREA AND CAME TO A STOP FACING A TREE 4 FEET STRAIGHT AHEAD. A SECOND OR TWO LATER THE CAR THEN LEAPED FORWARD INTO THE TREE WITH ENGINE ROARING, CAR CONTINUED TO RACE AT HIGH RPMS WITH FRONT BUMPER WRAPPED AROUND TREE. THE ONLY WAY I COULD STOP THE HIGH REVS WAS TO TURN OFF THE IGNITION. I INJURED MY BACK. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE STARTED TO SHAKE AND STALLED WITHOUT ANY WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 157,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 167,000.

I OWN A 2003 TOYOTA RAV4. MY CAR WAS RUNNING IN GOOD WORKING ORDER, WITH JUST OVER 99,000 MILES ON IT. ON MAY 2ND 2012, I EXPERIENCED ISSUES WITH THE CAR'S TRANSMISSION AND ECM. THE CAR WOULD REV WHEN I PRESSED ON THE GAS, BUT IT WOULD NOT MOVE. ALSO, WHEN SHIFTING GEARS, THE CAR WOULD SLOW TO A BRAKE AND THEN THERE WAS BE A BUMP OR GRINDING IN THE GEARS BEFORE THE CAR WOULD PROCEED TO MOVE. THIS WOULD PUT ME IN DANGER OF A REAR END COLLISION BECAUSE MY CAR WOULD SUDDENLY BRAKE WITHOUT ME PRESSING ON THE BRAKES TO SIGNAL THE DRIVER BEHIND ME THAT I WAS GOING TO SLOW DOWN. I HAVE LEARNED THAT TOYOTA IS AWARE OF THIS ISSUE WITH MANY OF ITS RAV4'S (2001-2003). IS THERE ANY HELP ON TOYOTA'S PART TO CORRECT THIS ISSUE THAT THEY KNOW OF WITHOUT PASSING ALONG THE COST TO THE INNOCENT CUSTOMER? THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. *TR UPDATED 06/22/2012 *JS

MY 2003 TOYOTA RAV 4 STARTED SHIFTING POORLY AND INCONSISTENTLY BY NOT SHIFTING TO THE NEXT GEAR, SLIPPING IN BETWEEN GEARS AND SLAMMING INTO GEAR. THERE ARE TIMES WHEN THE TRANSMISSION FUNCTIONS CORRECTLY AND THEN THERE ARE DAYS WHEN IT NEVER DOES. I AM SCARED TO DEATH TO DRIVE THIS CAR NOT KNOWING WHETHER IT WILL BE A GOOD DAY WHEN MY RAV4 BEHAVES AS IT SHOULD OR IF ITS GOING TO LEAVE TRANSMISSION PARTS ALL OVER THE ROAD, GET US IN AN ACCIDENT OR AT THE VERY LEAST, LEAVE US STRANDED. NERVE RACKING AND INCREDIBLY UNSAFE. *TR

MY CAR LOST POWER. I COULD NOT DRIVE MORE THAN 10 MILES AN HOUR. INTERMITTENT LOSS OF POWER HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES LAST YEARS AND THIS YEARS. JUST RECENTLY ON 04/04/2012 AT 4:55PM I WAS DRIVING WITH MY WIFE AND HER SISTER AND I HAD TO PULL ON SHOULDER AND TURNED ON HAZARD WARNING LIGHT AND DRIVE IN LOWER GEAR ( 2ND GEAR ). *TR

THIS IS MY WIFE'S PRIMARY MODE OF TRANSPORTATION, SHE WAS THE ONE WHO FIRST NOTICED THE HERKY/JERKY OPERATION OF THE TRANSMISSION WHEN SHE ATTEMPTED TO PLACE IT IN REVERSE TO BACK UP, SHE THEN NOTIFIED ME OF THE PROBLEM. I PROCEEDED TO TEST DRIVE THE VEHICLE THE NEXT DAY, WHEN WE WERE PULLING INTO TRAFFIC FROM A PARKING LOT, IT SUDDENLY SHUDDERED BETWEEN GEARS AND FINALLY SETTLED INTO THE PROPER GEAR AFTER I LET OFF OF THE ACCELERATOR. ONCE WE MADE IT HOME AFTER ABOUT 10 MILES, WE PARKED THE CAR UNTIL I HAD A CHANCE TO DRIVE IT TO TOYOTA FOR AN ASSESSMENT. THEY DROVE IT AROUND AND NOTICED THE SAME HERKY/JERKY OPERATION, BUT STATED TO ME THAT THEY COULDN'T DO ANYTHING UNTIL THEY RECEIVED A CODE FROM THE COMPUTER STATING EITHER ECU OR TRANSMISSION TROUBLE, AFTER 2 OR 3 DAYS THEY WERE UNABLE TO RETRIEVE ANY SUCH CODE. *TR