2003 Toyota RAV4

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.

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

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THE GEAR SHIFTER FAILED TO FUNCTION PROPERLY. THE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND REMAINED LIT UNTIL THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AND IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE MAIN BRAIN OF THE COMPUTERIZED SYSTEM WAS THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE UNAVAILABLE.

FOR A FEW MONTHS NOW THE PROBLEM HAS PROGRESSIVELY GOTTEN WORSE. IT IS A CONSTANT ISSUE. WHEN IN PARK OR STOPPED THE CAR IDLES HIGH. WHEN DRIVING THE CAR (AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION) THE SHIFT OF GEARS IS NOT SMOOTH, IT IS JUMPY AND JERKY. ALSO WHEN SWITCHING TO DRIVE, REVERSE ETC, ITS NOT A SMOOTH TRANSITION. I FEEL LIKE THE TRANSMISSION IS NOT SAFE AND COULD FAIL WHILE IM DRIVING. MY PASSENGERS OFTEN TELL ME I AM A CRAZY DRIVER AS OF LATE, BECAUSE THE CAR IS JERKING THEM AROUND, ALTHOUGH I HAVEN'T CHANGED MY WAY OF DRIVING. I HAVE DONE SOME RESEARCH ONLINE AND FEEL THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AMONG 2003 TOYOTA RAV4'S. *TR

TOYOTA RAV4 2003, TWO WEEKS AGO I NOTICE A SHIFTING PROBLEM WITH THE CAR, MORE SO FROM A STOP AND GO MOTION. I TOOK THE CAR TO TRANSMISSION EXPERT, HE SAID THE TRANSMISSION OIL FILTER NEEDS CHANGING. A DAY LATER I NOTICED THE SAME PROBLEM, TOOK THE CAR BACK. THEY TOLD ME THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. A WEEK LATER I NOTICED THE SAME PROBLEM, I TOOK IT BACK. NOW THEY TOLD ME THE TOYOTA RAV4 HAVE A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE COMPUTER, THAT MAY AT THIS POINT CONTRIBUTED TO PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION, AND IF I WANTED TO FIX THE PROBLEM, I NEED TO REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION AND COMPUTER, WHICH CAN RUN TO THOUSAND OF DOLLARS, I DON'T HAVE THAT KIND OF MONEY AT THIS TIME. MY QUESTION IS IF TOYOTA KNOW THIS TO BE AN ISSUE WHY NOT RECALL THE CARS AND FIX THE PROBLEM? I HAVE GONE TO CARCOMPLAINT.COM AND READ MANY OTHER CAR OWNERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEMS. THOSE OWNERS PAID ALOT MONEY UP FRONT TO TRY TO GET THE PROBLEM FIX, UNFORTUNATELY, THEIR CARS HAD HIGH MILEAGE, AND OUT WARRANTY. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE, I AM FOR WHATEVER ACTIONS NEEDS TO BE TAKEN AGAINST TOYOTA TO FIX THE PROBLEM. DANIEL *TR

I OWN A 2003 TOYOTA RAV4, 138000 MILES. I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE NEW IN 2003. THIS CAR JERKS, JUMPS GEARS, AND SUDDENLY SLOWS WHICH HAS CAUSED ME TO COME CLOSE TO HAVING AN ACCIDENT. NOW IT WON'T GO OVER 40 AND IT WON'T GO IN REVERSE. I CALLED CONTINENTAL TRANSMISSION AND HAVE BEEN TOLD THEY HAVE REPAIRED MANY TOYOTA RAV4'S FOR THIS SAME PROBLEM AND IT IS GOING TO COST ME APPROX $3500.00. IT SEEMS THE DEFECTIVE ECU BURNS UP THE CLUTCH AND OTHER PARTS OF THE TRANSMISSION. ALSO, WHEN SEARCHING ON LINE THEIR ARE MANY COMPLAINTS FROM OTHER RAV4 OWNERS WHO ARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUES SO OBVIOUSLY IT IS NOT A RANDOM PROBLEM. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND ONE OF THESE TIMES SOMEONE IS GOING TO HAVE A CAR ACCIDENT AND/OR GET HURT AND HOPEFULLY NOT KILLED. TOYOTA HAS KNOWN ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND HAS FAILED TO DO A RECALL. MY HUSBAND HAS CALLED TOYOTA AND THEY HAVE REFUSED TO TAKE ANY RESPONSIBILITY OR HELP COMPENSATE IN ANY WAY. WE HAD BELIEVED IN TOYOTA FOR QUALITY, AFTER THIS I WILL NOT EVER CONSIDER BUYING ANOTHER TOYOTA. WITH TODAY'S ECONOMY IN SUCH A FINANCIAL DISASTER IT IS A SHAME THEY CAN GET AWAY WITH THIS. *TR