2003 Toyota RAV4

ENGINE LIGHT HAS BEEN ON FOR AWHILE. I SPENT 1400 TO GET IT FIXED LAST YEAR SO THAT I CAN PASS EMISSION BUT STILL FAILED AND HAD TO GET A WAIVER. ON DECEMBER OF 2009, A FRIEND OF MINE AND I WAS DRIVING AND IT STARTED TO LOSE ITS POWER AND STARTED JERKING. WE IMMEDIATELY PARKED THE CAR AND TURNED IT OFF. WE WAITED A LITTLE WHILE TO SEE IF WE CAN GET HELP SOMEWHERE BUT WE WERE IN A PLACE WHERE WE CAN'T GET ANY CELL SIGNAL SO WE DECIDED TO TURN THE CAR BACK ON AND AT LEAST TRY TO DRIVE TO A PLACE WHERE WE CAN GET SIGNAL. CAR DROVE OK THAT DAY BUT SINCE THEN HAD JERKING OR SHIFTING PROBLEM SEVERAL HOURS AFTER FIRST USED IN THE DAY. I HAD THE ECU CHANGED THIS YEAR AND IT COST 1500. IT DRIVES BETTER NOW BUT NOW THE PROBLEM STARTS DURING THE FIRST USE OF THE CAR EACH DAY. IT DOESN'T HAPPEN ALL THE TIME BUT IT IS ANNOYING AND MIGHT DAMAGE MY ENGINE MORE THAN THE OLD EMU HAD DAMAGE IT. ALSO THE SEAT BELT ON THE PASSENGER BACK SEAT DURING THE USE FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS(IT DIDN'T HAVE MUCH USE BEFORE 2008) HAD STARTED SNAGGING TO THE POINT THAT IT HAS UNRAVELED. WE FOUND OUT THAT THE METAL LOOP THAT THE SEAT BELT GOES THOUGH IS VERY SHARP AND HAD CAUSED THE SEAT BELT TO GET SHREDDED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 5 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO HESITATE AND THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THE TRANSMISSION REPLACED. WHILE RETURNING TO PICK UP THE VEHICLE FROM THE DEALERSHIP, THE DEALER STATED THAT THE COMPUTER THAT CONTROLLED THE TRANSMISSION ALSO NEEDED TO BE REPLACED; THE COMPUTER WAS ALSO REPLACED BY THE DEALER. THE CONTACT DID NOT FEEL THAT THE TRANSMISSION SHOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED AFTER SEVEN YEARS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 116,911.

I OWN A 2003 RAV 4 PURCHASED USED TWO YEARS AGO THIS APRIL 2010. THE CAR HAS 80,188 MILES THE VIN # IS XXXXX MY WIFE AND I ALONG WITH MY 1 YEAR OLD BOY IN THE BACK SEAT (CAR SEAT) WERE DRIVING INTO A PARKING LOT OF THE LOCAL GYM. WHEN THE CAR SUDDENLY LUNGED FORWARD ALMOST CAUSING HER TO RUN OVER A PEDESTRIAN. (I REALLY MEAN RUN OVER, NOT JUST HIT). I HAD A MECHANIC LOOK AT THE CAR... HE MENTIONED THAT THIS MAKE AND MODEL ARE KNOWN FOR THIS ISSUE... THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECM) MAKES THE CAR SHIFT IRREGULAR IN AND OUT OF 1ST AND 2ND GEAR ( MY RAV 4 IS AUTOMATIC). BETTER SAID... WHEN THE CAR IS PUT INTO DRIVE THE CAR ACTUALLY STARTS MOVING IN SECOND GEAR... WHICH MAKES IT VERY SLUGGISH.. WHEN THE DRIVER PRESSES THE GAS PEDAL TO COMPENSATE, THE CAR THEN UNSUSPECTINGLY AND SUDDENLY DOWNSHIFTS INTO FIRST GEAR CAUSING THE CAR TO LUNGE FORWARD OUT OF CONTROL. THIS TIME WE WERE VERY LUCKY THAT NO ONE WAS INJURED BUT THINGS COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN DIFFERENT... WE HAVEN'T DRIVEN THE CAR SINCE. THE REPAIRS ACCORDING TO MY MECHANIC CAN RANGE FROM $1500 TO $7000. CHANGING THE ECM MAY FIX THE ISSUE BUT THERE NOW MAY BE DAMAGE DONE TO THE TRANSMISSION ITSELF. WE WILL NOT KNOW TILL I HAVE THE ECM CHANGED. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)*TR

I PURCHASED MY TOYOTA RAV 4 2003 ON OCTOBER 2007 WITH ABOUT 58,000 MILES. ABOUT 3 WEEKS AGO MY CAR STARTED JERKING WHILE CHANGING GEARS. I HAD MY CAR PARKED AND WHEN I WANTED TO MOVE IT WAS MAKING A WEIRD NOISE AND MAKING A JUMP. AT RED LIGHTS OR STOP SIGNS CAR WOULD NOT MOVE IF I PRESS THE GAS. NOISE BEGAN TO BE LOUDER AND WHEN DRIVING IN HIGHWAY IT WAS NOT CHANGING GEARS. CAR WOULD NOT MOVE AT TIMES EVEN IF IT WAS ON DRIVING. PROBLEMS BECAME MORE SEVERE. I TOOK IT TO SERVICE AND WAS INFORMED THAT I NEED A NEW COMPUTER TRANSMISSION AND THE COST WILL BE AROUND $1400+TAX+PART AND LABOR. I HAD BOUGHT AN EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT IS NOT COVERING ANY COSTS AT ALL. I HAD NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE CAR FOR THE PAST 3 YEARS. *TR

2003 TOYOTA RAV4. CONSUMER REQUESTS RAMIFICATION TO UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS TO FIX THE MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT IN WORKMANSHIP *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. PRIOR TO THE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATING, THE CONSUMER NOTICED THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL AS SHE APPLIED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AFTER A RED LIGHT AND IT WOULD SURGE WITH FORCE ONCE IT ACCELERATED. THE CONSUMER WAS CHARGED $664.87 FOR A SENSOR AND V-RIPPED BELT. ON MARCH 24, 2010, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AGAIN. UPON RESEARCHING ON THE INTERNET, THE CONSUMER DISCOVERED A TSB FOR THE PCM AND ECM. THE CONSUMER ALSO COMPLAINED OF A SQUEAKING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE AT THE SLIGHTEST ROAD BUMP AND HEARING A THUMP WHEN TURNING THE WHEELS TO THE FAR RIGHT. THE CONSUMER STATED THE DEALER NEVER MENTIONED THE TSB'S REGARDING THE ECM/PCM. *JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA RAV 4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAD ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND WHEN ACCELERATING, THE VEHICLE WOULD HESITATE TO INCREASE IN SPEED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC REPLACED THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE SENSORS. THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE DEALER ADVISED THERE WAS A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN ADDRESSING THE FAILURE BUT WERE NO RECALL FOR THE FAILURE AND REPAIRS WOULD BE AT THE OWNERS EXPENSE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 94,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 96,400.

IN SEPTEMBER 2008, MY RAV4 SUDDENLY BEGAN HAVING SHIFTING PROBLEMS. I PULLED OUT OF A SHOPPING CENTER AND IN THE MIDDLE OF STREET THE CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. IT WAS A VERY FRIGHTENING EXPERIENCE AS OTHER VEHICLES WARE APPROACHING AND AS I PRESSED ON THE GAS PEDDLE NOTHING HAPPENED. THE CAR JUST IDLED HIGH THEN IT JOLTED INTO GEAR. I TOOK IT TO AAMCO THE NEXT DAY. AFTER FURTHER INVESTIGATION BY AAMCO, THEY PROVIDED ME WITH THE TSB TC002-06 ISSUED BY TOYOTA. AAMCO ADVISED ME THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED BEFORE THEY COULD DETERMINE IF IT WAS IN FACT THE COMPUTER SYSTEM THAT CAUSED THE TRANSMISSION FAILURE, WHICH IT DID NEED A NEW ECM COMPUTER AS PER TC002-06. ALSO IN FEB 2009 I NEEDED TO REPLACE THE ECM COOLANT TEMP SENSOR. MY RAV4 AT THE TIME HAD 80,300 MILES ON IT AND THE SLONE TOYOTA THAT I PURCHASED IT FROM WOULD NOT HONOR THE 80/8 WARRANTY. THEY DID HOWEVER GIVE ME 50/50 GOODWILL ASSISTANCE (IF YOU CAN EVEN CALL IT THAT SINCE IT STILL COST OVER $900 FOR THE COMPUTERS.) THE NEW TRANSMISSION COST $3,750 DUE TO THE MALFUNCTIONED COMPUTER. NOW IN APRIL 2010, 18 MONTHS AND 16,000 MILES LATER, I AM GOING THROUGH THIS ALL OVER AGAIN. I WAS DRIVING ON THE PA TURNPIKE AND ALL OF A SUDDEN MY VEHICLE WOULD NOT GO OVER 60 MPH AND THEN IT WENT TO 40 MPH. I COULD NOT GET IT ACCELERATE. I HAD 3 CHILDREN IN THE CAR AND WAS VERY SCARY FOR US AS OTHER VEHICLES WERE QUICKLY APPROACHING BEHIND US AND I COULD NOT GET THE VEHICLE TO DRIVE. THE LOCATION WERE I WAS DRIVING DID NOT HAVE ANYWHERE FOR ME TO PULL OVER. AGAIN THE CAR JOLTED INTO GEAR AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. ONCE AGAIN MY CAR IS AT THE AAMCO. AT THIS TIME WE ARE UNSURE IF THE COMPUTER FAILED AGAIN OR IF THERE IS AN ISSUE WITH THE NEW TRANSMISSION I HAD INSTALLED. REGARDLESS I NEED ANOTHER TRANSMISSION. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW TOYOTA CLAIMED IN 2006 STEPS WERE TAKEN TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN. ONCE I RECEIVE A DIAGNOSIS FOR THIS LATEST INCIDENT I WILL POST A COMPLAINT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA RAV 4. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS ENGAGED WITHOUT A POWER RESPONSE. THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO ACCELERATE NORMALLY AFTER A FEW MOMENTS; HOWEVER, WHEN THE GEAR WAS SHIFTED INTO ANOTHER GEAR POSITION THE VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHICH STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION REQUIRED REPLACEMENT. THE CONTACT HAD CONCERN OF THE SAFETY ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 132,000.

ON OCT. 5, 2002, I BOUGHT A BRAND NEW 2003 TOYOTA RAV4 FROM STAR TOYOTA OF BAYSIDE INC. AS OF THIS WRITING, THE AUTOMOBILES MILEAGE IS ONLY 15, 782 MILES. ON JULY 13, 2009 (8 MONTHS AGO), I HAD TAKEN MY 2003 TOYOTA RAV4 FOR SERVICE IN REGARDS TO THE LIGHTING ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL CHECK ENGINE. ADDITIONALLY, I STATED THAT PRIOR TO THE ENGINE LIGHT TURNING ON, I HAD NOTICED THAT THE CAR WOULD STALL AS I HIT THE GAS PEDAL AFTER A RED LIGHT, AND THAT IT WOULD SURGE WITH FORCE ONCE IT ACCELERATED; IT FELT LIKE A REAR-ENDED COLLISION. THE VEHICLE ONLY HAD 12,894 MILES WHEN THE SUV WAS TAKEN IN FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. I WAS CHARGED $664.87 FOR A SENSOR AND A V-RIPPED BELT. LAST WEEK, ON MAR. 24, 2010 AT 15,757 MILES, THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT CAME BACK ON. THIS PROBLEM RECURRED FOR THE 2ND TIME IN JUST 8 MONTHS OF PRIOR WORK RENDERED, AND AFTER ONLY 2,863 MILES. WHILE RESEARCHING THE INTERNET IN REGARDS TO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON 2003 TOYOTA RAV4, I STUMBLED UPON HUNDREDS OF CONSUMERS COMPLAINTS FOR THE EXACT PROBLEMS. I HAVE BEEN HAVING TROUBLE WITH HARSH SYMPTOMS BEFORE THE ENGINE LIGHT AND, UNSAFE AND HARSH DRIVING CONDITIONS. AS I CONTINUED MY RESEARCH EFFORTS, I IMMEDIATELY LINKED INTO A FEW TOYOTA TSBS CONCERNING A DEFECTED ECM/PCM REPLACEMENT PROCEDURE TO THE FAILING COMPONENTS AS TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE & POWER TRAIN CONTROL MODULE W/THE DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES. I HAVE SERVICED THE VEHICLE THROUGHOUT THE YEARS, AND NEVER INFORMED OF ANY OF THE NUMEROUS TOYOTA TSBS. IT'S DISHONEST, AND LACKS INTEGRITY NOT TO FORMALLY INFORM THE LOYAL CONSUMERS OF THE DEFECTION AND THE SAFETY ISSUES & TRANSMISSION FAILURE. IN WRITTEN FORMAT, I AM JUSTIFIABLY AND LEGITIMATELY REQUESTING PROPER AND HONEST RAMIFICATION TO THIS UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS TO FIX THE MANUFACTURER'S DEFECTION IN WORKMANSHIP OF MY 2003 RAV4. THE PURCHASE OF A NEW AUTO WAS TO ASSURE MYSELF PEACE OF MIND OF SAFETY & QUALITY. A LETTER WILL BE MAIL OUT TOMORROW TO TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE.*TR

2003 TOYOTA RAV4. CONSUMER STATES UNEXPECTED ACCELERATION. *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED AS SHE WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE SLOWLY, WITH HER FOOT ON THE BRAKE, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED FORWARD AND HIT A BRICK WALL. THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED HER VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. NO POLICE REPORT WAS TAKEN. ACCORDING TO THE MECHANIC, HE BELIEVED THE CARPET BECAME STUCK UNDER THE PEDAL. *JB UPDATED 06/02/10 *JB