2003 Toyota RAV4

I WAS DRIVING TO WORK ON MONDAY MORNING, JUNE 1, 2014, WHEN THE ENGINE SHUT OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION. THERE WAS NO WARNING, NO HESITATION, NO NOISE. I HAD PRESSED DOWN ON THE GAS PEDAL TO CROSS THE INTERSECTION AND MIDWAY THROUGH THE ENGINE DIED. I WAS ABLE TO COAST ACROSS AND PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I WAITED A FEW MINUTES, RESTARTED THE CAR, AND WAS ABLE TO FINISH MY ROUTE TO WORK. I TOOK THE CAR TO A CERTIFIED MECHANIC WHO INSPECTED IT THOROUGHLY BUT FOUND NO PROBLEMS AND WAS UNABLE TO REPLICATE THE PROBLEM. HE CLEANED THE THROTTLE WHICH HE SAID WAS DIRTY. IT'S BEEN 2 DAYS AND WHILE THE ENGINE HASN'T STALLED AGAIN, THERE'S SOME OCCASIONAL HESITATION - WHICH I'VE NEVER ENCOUNTERED BEFORE. IT WAS RUNNING PERFECTLY BEFORE IT STALLED IN THE INTERSECTION. I'M NOW AFRAID TO DRIVE IT BUT IT'S MY ONLY TRANSPORTATION. THE CAR HAS BEEN SERVICED ACCORDING TO SCHEDULE, OIL CHANGES EVERY 3K MILES, TOYOTA REPLACED ECM IN JUNE 2013; WATER PUMP, ALTERNATOR,AND 02 SENSORS HAVE BEEN REPLACED. I'VE READ A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND UNSUCCESSFUL AND EXPENSIVE ATTEMPTS TO TRY TO CORRECT IT.

THIS IS A GENERAL CONCERN QUESTION RE THE ETHICS OF THE TOYOTA CORPORATION. I HAVE HAD CONTINUOUS TROUBLE WITH ENGINE LIGHTS COMING ON WITH THE RESULT BEING O2 SENSOR PROBLEMS. THIS CONTINUED TO HAPPEN WITH APPROXIMATELY 8 CHANGES (I HAVE THE MAJORITY OF THE RECORDS. IN 2010, I RECEIVED NOTICE OF PROBLEMS WITH "HARSH SHIFTING". I CALLED TOYOTA TO INQUIRE ABOUT THIS, AND I WAS ASSURED I WAS NOT HAVING A PROBLEM OR I "WOULD KNOW IT". AT THIS SAME TIME, I WAS HAVING YET ANOTHER ENGINE LIGHT PROBLEM WITH O2 SENSOR CODES AND BROUGHT MY CAR IN.. THE O2 SENSOR REPLACEMENTS WENT ON CONTINUOUSLY FOR QUITE SOME TIME WITHOUT ANY EXPLANATION OF THE CAUSE...EVEN TO THE POINT THAT THEY WERE SENDING THE SENSOR IN TO THE "MAIN OFFICE". UNFORTUNATELY, LAST WEEK MY CAR TOTALLY FAILED, AND THEY ARE NOW TELLING ME IT IS FAILURE OF THE ECM AND/OR THE TRANSMISSION AS WELL! I RECENTLY REVIEWED COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE ECM AND THAT TOYOTA ACTUALLY EXTENDED THE WARRANTY BECAUSE OF THE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS. IT WAS THEN I LEARNED THAT THE O2 SENSORS HAVE A DEFINITE IMPACT ON THE ECM, ETC. AT NO TIME WHATSOEVER DID THEY EVER CHECK THIS OR INFORM ME. THAT THESE MAY BE RELATED,SO I AM WONDERING IF THEY "PUT OFF" CHECKING THIS POSSIBILITY UNTIL MY CAR PASSED THE 10YR/150,000 MILE EXTENSION OF THE WARRANTY ON THIS COMPONENT SO THAT I WOULD THEN NOT BE ELIGIBLE??? *TR

HI ABOUT MY 2003 TOYOTA RAV4, ITS SEEMS TO STALL AND SHUTTING OFF THE ENGINE WHILE DRIVING. FOR EXAPLE IT HAPPEN MORE THEN 5 TIME ON ME THIS MONTH7/1/2011, AND ALMOST GETTING BUMP IN REAR END. I TOOK IT TO TOYOTA DEALER, AND PAYING $100 FOR WHAT THEY COULD FIND ANYTHING WRONG. THIS MODEL SHOULD BE RECALL OR ACCIDENT WILL HAPPEN. *TT

THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TURNED ON. THE CAR BEGAN HESITATING UPON ACCELERATION. I TOOK THE CAR TO AUTO ZONE SO THEY COULD GIVE ME A QUICK DIAGNOSIS. THEY SAID ONE OF THE CODES THAT CAME UP HAD TO DO WITH THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND THAT WOULD BE CAUSING THE STALLING. I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO ONE OF THE DMV'S G2 REPAIR STATIONS AND HAD THE CATALYTIC REPLACED AND WAS INFORMED THAT I HAD TO TAKE MY CAR TO TOYOTA TO HAVE THE ECM REFLASHED. THE CAR WORKED FINE FOR A FEW DAYS AND NOW THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS TURNED BACK ON AND THE CAR BEGAN TO STALL AGAIN. I WAS NEARLY IN AN ACCIDENT DUE TO THE STALLING. I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE THE ECM REFLASHED BUT THE VERY RUDE SERVICE ADVISOR AT TOYOTA LET ME KNOW THAT MIGHT NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. HE LET ME KNOW THAT MY PREVIOUS REPAIR STATION SENT ME THERE TO COVER THEMSELVES WHEN IN FACT THEY SENT ME THERE DUE TO TOYOTA'S SERVICE BULLETIN. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY I HAVE TO PAY TO HAVE A FAULTY ECM REFLASHED. TOYOTA SHOULD PROVIDE THAT SERVICES FOR FREE. I HAVE SINCE FOUND OUT THAT A FAULTY ECM CAN RUIN THE TRANSMISSION SO I MAY HAVE SOME COSTLY REPAIRS IN THE FUTURE DUE TO A FAULTY PART BY TOYOTA. TOYOTA SHOULD REPLACE THE ECMS ON ALL 2001-2003 TOYOTA RAV4S SINCE THEY KNOW THEY ARE FAULTY AND COVER THE COST OF THE TRANSMISSION REPAIR CAUSED BY THEIR FAULTY ECM. TOYOTA IS BEING VERY UNDERHANDED BY SENDING OUT THE SERVICES BULLETIN TO CERTAIN REPAIR SHOPS AND NOT TO ACTUAL TOYOTA OWNERS. THEY SHOULD BE HELD LIABLE. ARE THEY GOING TO WAIT UNTIL SOMEONE DIES? THE UNEXPECTED STALLING CAN CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT AND TOYOTA OWNERS SHOULD BE INFORMED. IF I HAD KNOWN THIS I WOULD NOT HAVE PURCHASED A TOYOTA FOR MY TEENAGER. THE STALLING ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT WHILE I WAS DRIVING BUT IT WOULD HAVE DEFINITELY CAUSED ONE FOR SOMEONE WITH LESS DRIVING EXPERIENCE. IT'S A SHAME THAT TOYOTA WILL NOT DO ANYTHING UNTIL SOMEONE GETS HURT.

WE HAVE A TOYOTA RAV4 ELECTRIC VEHICLE. CAR ROLLED AWAY FROM CHARGING STATION WHILE PLUGGED IN - PERSON IN CAR SHIFTED INTO 'NEUTRAL' BY MISTAKE. RIPPED OUT CHARGING PADDLE DOWN TO THE ELECTRICAL WIRES - POTENTIAL ELECTRICAL HAZARD. COULD BE AVOIDED BY A SIMPLE RELAY THAT WILL PREVENT PEOPLE FROM SHIFTING OUT OF 'PARK' WHEN CAR IS PLUGGED IN. HAPPENS TO MANY TOYOTA ELECTRIC VEHICLES - I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN FILED. PICTURE (JPEG) AVAILABLE IF NEEDED PLEASE DO PASS ON THIS COMPLAINT TO TOYOTA. *JB