Toyota RAV4 transmission problems

I PURCHASED A 2005 TOYOTA RAV4 IN JULY OF 2005, AND HAVE TAKEN SUPERB CARE OF IT OVER THE YEARS. HOWEVER, THE TRANSMISSION BLEW UP ON ME AFTER JUST 89,000 MILES. I WAS CROSSING A DOUBLE SET OF RAILROAD TRACKS WHEN THIS HAPPENED, AND IT SCARED ME HALF TO DEATH. IT'S COSTING ME $3,000 TO FIX THE TRANSMISSION, AND THE GUY AT THE GARAGE COULDN'T EVEN GIVE ME A REASON FOR THIS HAPPENING. AFTER SOME INTERNET RESEARCH, I FOUND THAT THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING TO NUMEROUS '01-'05 RAV4 CUSTOMERS THAT HAVE REACHED JUST OVER 80,000 MILES DUE TO A FAULTY ECM THAT TOYOTA HAS DECIDED NOT TO RECALL. NOW I NEED TO PAY ANOTHER $1,200 TO HAVE THE ECM REPLACED AT THE TOYOTA DEALER SO THAT THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN TO ME AGAIN. ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS! HOW CAN THEY GET AWAY WITH SOMETHING LIKE THIS? *TR

THERE WERE NO EVENTS LEADING UP TO FAILURE. MY TRANSMISSION ON MY 2002 TOYOTA RAV4 STARTED SLIPPING AND PULLING OUT OF THE BLUE. IT HAD 87,280 MILES AND HAD BEEN REGULARLY SERVICED AND INSPECTED. IT FAILED TO ACCELERATE AT INTERSECTIONS AND ON TAKE OFF , MAKING DRIVING VERY DANGEROUS. I TOOK IT IN AND WAS TOLD BY THE REPAIR SHOP THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE WAS DEFECTIVE AND HAD CAUSED THE TRANSMISSION TO FAIL , LEAVING ME DRIVING WITH ONLY 3RD GEAR. IT IS BELIEVED THAT THE TOYOTA WAS AWARE OF THE DEFECTIVE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE. MY HUSBAND AND I HAD TO SPEND $3715.30 TO REPAIR THE TRANSMISSION AND REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE ECM. THIS IS A CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER AS THERE IS NO WARNING. FAILURE COULD HAPPEN AT ANY TIME AND ANY PLACE CAUSING BODILY HARM TO THE DRIVER , PASSENGERS, AND OTHER VEHICLES AND OCCUPANTS ON THE ROAD. I FEEL A RECALL IS NEEDED AND REIMBURSEMENT OF ALL REPAIR COSTS SHOULD BE MADE TO VICTIMS OF THIS NEGLIGENCE. *TR

TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS WITH 2002 RAV4: THE "CHECKING" ENGINE LIGHT ON MY CAR WAS ON A WEEK AGO, THEN THE NEXT DAY, I PUT MY CAR TO KOONS TOYOTA AT TYSONS, VIRGINIA FOR CHECKING THE PROBLEM, ALSO I REQUESTED 120,000 MILE SERVICE. AFTER SERVICE WAS COMPLETED BY KOONS, I FOUND THAT MY CAR HAS THE HARSH SHIFTING OCCURS, MEANING THAT, AT THE LOW GEAR, WHEN STEPPED ON THE GAS PEDAL. MY CAR HESITATES TO SHIFT INTO THE SECOND GEAR. AFTER PUSH FURTHER ON THE GAS PEDAL, MY CAR JUMPED HARSHLY INTO THE SECOND GEAR, RATHER THAN SMOOTH DRIVING AS PRIOR TO THE SERVICE. THE NEXT DAY, I BROUGHT MY CAR BACK TO KOONS TO REPORT THE "HARSH SHIFTING" PROBLEM, THEY TEST DROVE MY CAR AND AGREED THAT THERE IS SOME JERKING OCCURS AT LOW GEAR. THEY RECOMMENDED ME TO CONTINUOUSLY DRIVE THE CAR, HOPING THAT THE CAR WILL ADJUST ITSELF TO THE NEW SOFTWARE PROGRAMMING THAT THEY USED. I CONTINUED DRIVE FOR A WEEK WHILE CAREFULLY LISTEN TO MY CAR: THE "HARD SHIFTING" PROBLEM STILL EXIST. THEN LAST NIGHT, THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT WAS ON AGAIN. I IMMEDIATELY BROUGHT MY CAR TO KOONS DEALER AT TYSONS TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. AFTER CHECKING IT AGAIN, KOONS TOLD ME THAT THE PROBLEM CAUSED BY THE "ENGINE CONTROL MODULE" (E.C.M.) AND RECOMMENDED ME THAT FIRST TO REPLACE THE E.C.M., AND IF THAT DOESN'T SOLVE THE HARD SHIFTING PROBLEM, SECOND IS TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION NEXT. I THINK THIS PROBLEM DEFINITELY NOT CAUSE BY ME, RATHER BY KOONS AND TOYOTA MANUFACTURER. NOW I DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING. *TR DANIEL BUI

MY 2003 TOYOTA RAV 4 HAS HAD THE TRANSMISSION REBUILT TWICE, THE COMPUTER REPLACED, AND THE SOLENOIDS REPLACED TWICE. MY MECHANIC ONCE THOUGHT THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS BURNING UP THE SOLENOIDS. I AM AT MY WITS END. I HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE IN THE SHOP SIX TIMES BETWEEN JUNE 2009 AND OCTOBER 2009 FOR THE SAME TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. IT SHIFTS FINE FOR ABOUT A WEEK, AND THEN THE SAME THING: IT BECOMES UNRELIABLE AS TO WHETHER IT WILL SHIFT INTO 2ND OR 3RD GEAR PROPERLY. IT JERKS, IT SLIPS, AT OTHER TIMES IT REVS UP TO 4000 RPMS BEFORE IT GOES INTO GEAR AND THEN IT LURCHES FORWARD LIKE A ROCKET. SOMETIMES THE REAR WHEELS SKIP OFF THE PAVEMENT. I HAVEN'T BEEN INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT YET, BUT IT'S A MATTER OF TIME. I CANNOT MERGE INTO TRAFFIC LIKE NORMAL VEHICLES AND I FEAR BEING REAR-ENDED FROM A STOPPED POSITION. I FEEL LIKE PUTTING A SIGN ON THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE EXPLAINING WHY I'M NOT MOVING. I JUST GOT THE VEHICLE BACK FROM THE TRANSMISSION SHOP THURSDAY. BY FRIDAY, THE TRANSMISSION WAS ALREADY SLIPPING AGAIN. I WANTED TO PULL OFF THE HIGHWAY AND CRY. I PAID $2400 TO HAVE THE TRANSMISSION REBUILT AND FORTUNATELY, ALL OF MY RETURN TRIPS WERE COVERED BY THE TRANSMISSION WARRANTY. BUT I HAVE ALSO PAID $1300 IN RENTAL VEHICLES FOR ALL THE TIME THE RAV 4 WAS IN THE SHOP. I DID FIND THE TOYOTA SERVICE BULLETIN, BUT THE CODES FROM MY VEHICLE DID NOT MATCH THE CODES IN THE BULLETIN. TOYOTA, PLEASE HELP US! WE JUST WANT OUR CARS FIXED! WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH THEM? ARE THEY ALL LEMONS? MY RAV4 HAS 93,000 MILES ON IT. I AM THE 2ND OWNER, IT HAS A CLEAN TITLE, AND WAS MANUFACTURED IN JAPAN. *TR

I OWN A 2001 TOYOTA RAV4 AND THE TRANSMISSION STARTED ACTING FUNNY THIS MORNING. IN REVERSE IT STARTED JERKING. I ALSO NOTICED SOME HESITATION IN 1ST AND 2ND GEARS. I DECIDED TO LEAVE THE CAR AT HOME AND TOOK A RIDE TO WORK. MY WIFE TOOK THE CAR TO SCHOOL TO PICK UP THE KIDS AND IT WAS DRIVING FINE. WHEN SHE PICKED UP THE KIDS FROM SCHOOL AND SHE GOT ON THE FREEWAY ALL OF THE SUDDEN THE TRANSMISSION STARTED JERKING MY WIFE ALMOST GOT HIT BY A SUV. SHE MANAGED TO PULL OVER AND TURN THE CAR OFF. WHEN SHE TURNED IT BACK ON AFTER 2 MINUTES AND STARTED DRIVING IT WAS FINE. I SEARCHED ONLINE AND COME TO FIND OUT THIS IS BEEN A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THIS TRUCK. I JUST LIKE TO KNOW HOW COME SOME ONE NEVER TOOK ANY ACTION INCLUDING TOYOTA. WHEN I CALLED THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER THEY ADVISE ME TO HAVE THE CAR CHECKED AND THE ECU NEEDS TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE APPARENTLY THERE HAS BEEN 14 CARS IN THEIR SERVICE DEPARTMENT WHICH HAD THE SAME ISSUE. *TR