2003 Toyota RAV4

I HAVE A 2003 TOYOTA RAV 4 WITH AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY THE CAR SLIPPED OUT OF GEAR AND HESITATED AND THE CAR SPUTTERED LOSING SPEED AND NEARLY CAUSING ME TO BE REAR ENDED BY A TRACTOR TRAILER. I AM BEING TOLD THAT IT IS A ECM MODULE CONTROL PROBLEM THAT YOU MAY BE AWARE OF. I SPOKE TO A REPRESENTATIVE AT TOYOTA AND THE TOLD BASICALLY "TO BAD FOR ME". I WOULD LIKE TO FILE A FORMAL COMPLAINT WITH YOUR ORGANIZATION. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA RAV 4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL RESISTS APPLICATION, WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO HESITATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND A TECHNICIAN CONCLUDED THAT THE ECM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 142,700 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 142,882. UPDATED 10/22/09 *BF

I HAVE A 2003 TOYOTA RAV 4 THAT BEGAN SHIFTING HARD IN THE LOWER GEARS AND THE TRANSMISSION WAS SKIPPING. I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO THE SHOP THAT I NORMALLY USE AND WAS TOLD THAT I WOULD NEED TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP SINCE THERE WAS A BULLETIN OUT ABOUT A POSSIBLE COMPUTER PROBLEM. A MONTH BEFORE THE PROBLEM, MY CAR WAS SERVICED AT MY NORMAL SHOP AND A TRANSMISSION FLUSH WAS PERFORMED. I PICKED MY CAR UP FROM THE SHOP AND TOOK IT TO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP IN DULUTH, GA THE FOLLOWING MORNING FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. WITHIN 2 HOURS THE DEALERSHIP CALLED ME AND TOLD ME THAT I WOULD NEED A TRANSMISSION FLUSH BUT NO COMPUTER PROBLEMS WERE FOUND. I WAS TOLD VARIOUS OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE AS WELL, SUCH AS CHANGING THE BELT, 90K SERVICE, AND A FEW BULB REPLACEMENTS. I TOLD THE DEALERSHIP THAT I HAD THE TRANSMISSION FLUSHED A MONTH PRIOR AND THEY SAID THAT THE WRONG FLUID WAS PROBABLY USED SINCE I DID NOT HAVE IT DONE AT A DEALER. I OPTED FOR ONLY THE TRANSMISSION FLUSH AND BULB REPLACEMENT AT THIS TIME. A COUPLE HOURS LATER, THE DEALERSHIP CALLED ME BACK AND TOLD ME THAT I DID NEED TO HAVE THE COMPUTER REPLACED AND POSSIBLY A NEW TRANSMISSION. I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS A BULLETIN OUT CONCERNING THE COMPUTER BUT I AM OVER THE WARRANTY AND THE COST WOULD BE $1,286. I HAVE DONE SOME RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND SEVERAL OTHER PEOPLE THAT HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. HAD I KNOWN ABOUT THE BULLETIN, I COULD HAVE HAD THE COMPUTER REPLACED WHILE STILL UNDER WARRANTY. *TR

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. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO DRIFT UNCONTROLLABLY TOWARD THE RIGHT. AS AN ATTEMPT TO GAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND TURNED THE STEERING COLUMN. AS A RESULT, HE CRASHED INTO A TRAFFIC DIVIDING WALL. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, HE NOTICED THAT THE TIE ROD FAILED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED REPAIR SHOP AND THE TECHNICIAN CONCLUDED THAT THE TIE ROD FRACTURED AND CAUSED THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 40,000.