Toyota RAV4 transmission problems

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA RAV 4. WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH THE VEHICLE DOWN-SHIFTED AND STALLED. THE CONTACT IS AWARE OF THE SAFETY RISK INVOLVED. A TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION TO CORRECT THE FAILURE; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RESURFACED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 74000. UPDATED 12/7/09 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN SHE ATTEMPTED TO MAKE A TURN, THE VEHICLE DOWNSHIFTED ERRATICALLY. THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. UPDATED 12/08/09.

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.

THE TRANSMISSION ON MY 2005 TOYOTA RAV4 HAS BEGUN TO SLIP. I HAVE MAINTAINED THE VEHICLE IN ACCORDANCE TO THE PRESCRIBED MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE AND HAVE HAD MOST OF THE SERVICES PERFORMED AT A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. THE TRANSMISSION SLIPS APPROXIMATELY ONCE A WEEK, ALWAYS AT SPEEDS BELOW 40. TODAY I WAS ENTERING A FREEWAY AND I HEARD THE TRANSMISSION SLIP. THE CAR IMMEDIATELY LOST PROPULSION, SLOWING TO A DANGEROUS SPEED FOR AN ACCELERATION RAMP, AND I WAS AFRAID THAT I WAS GOING TO BE REAR-ENDED. I HAVE DONE INTERNET RESEARCH AND SEE THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE VEHICLES. I HAVE CONTACTED TOYOTA'S CORPORATE OFFICE AND BEEN TOLD THAT THERE IS NO RECALL. I HAVE CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP THAT I'VE HAD MOST OF MY SERVICES DONE; THEY RECOMMENDED THAT I HAVE THE COMPUTER ON THE TRANSMISSION RESET, AT A COST OF APPROXIMATELY $125. I'M AFRAID THAT THE TRANSMISSION IS GOING TO FAIL COMPLETELY, OR THAT A SLIP/DISENGAGEMENT IS GOING TO CAUSE ME TO BE IN AN ACCIDENT. *TR

MY 2001 RAV4, WITH JUST OVER 80K ON IT, WENT BELLY-UP. TWO DAYS BEFORE THE EXTENDED WARRANTY EXPIRED (BOUGHT IT CERTIFIED USED), THE TRANSMISSION STARTED SLIPPING, DISABLING THE CAR 2 HOURS FROM HOME. THE DEALER IT WAS TOWED TO SAID THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT, PUT IN 3/4 QT OF TRANNY FLUID, CALLED IT GOOD. IN FEBRUARY, AFTER IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY, IT ONCE AGAIN DIED ON A TRIP, AGAIN 2 HOURS AWAY FROM HOME. THE DEALER I HAD IT TOWED TO THIS TIME SAID IT NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION. THE CODE WAS P0770 FOR SOLENOID MALFUNCTION. AFTER LONG NEGOTIATIONS WITH TOYOTA THEY REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION. *TR

I OWN A 2002 TOYOTA RAV4. ON AUGUST 22ND, 2009 I NOTICED THAT WHEN I WOULD COME TO A COMPLETE STOP, IT WOULD TAKE A WHILE FOR THE CAR TO ACCELERATE AND PICK UP SPEED. ONCE IT DID GET MOVING, THE CAR WOULD JERK FORWARD AND EVENTUALLY PICK UP SPEED. EVERYTIME I WOULD COME TO A STOPLIGHT, I WOULD BE DEATHLY AFRAID THAT MY CAR WOULDN'T START UP AGAIN AND THAT I WOULD BE HIT FROM BEHIND. WHEN DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, IT WOULD SLOW DOWN ALL OF A SUDDEN AND THEN JERK VIOLENTLY FORWARD. THIS HAPPENED EVERYTIME I DROVE. ON FRIDAY, AUGUST 28TH I TOOK THE CAR TO MY MECHANIC AND HE SAID THAT IT WAS A TRANSMISSION ISSUE AND RECOMMENDED A SHOP. MY CAR IS CURRENTLY AT THE TRANSMISSION SHOP GETTING REBUILT AT A COST OF $3,000+ I CALLED THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP WHERE I BOUGHT MY CAR AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD NOT REBUILD THE TRANSMISSION BUT WOULD SEND IT TO BE REMANUFACTURED AT A COST OF NO LESS THAN $5,000. FURTHER RESEARCH ON THE WEB INDICATES THAT THIS IS A HUGE PROBLEM WITH 2002 RAV4 OWNERS AND THAT TOYOTA HAS KNOWN OF THIS FOR A WHILE BUT DONE NOTHING ABOUT IT. APPARENTLY THE ISSUES IS WITH A FAULTY ECM THAT CAUSES THE TRANSMISSION ISSUES. UNFORTUNATELY, BY THE TIME THE TRANSMISSION GOES OUT, MOST OF THE CARS ARE OUT OF THE WARRANTY PERIOD AND THE COST IS LEFT UP TO THE CONSUMER. MY FEAR IS THAT EVEN WITH THE TRANSMISSION REPLACED, IF THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE ECM, IT IS GOING TO RE-OCCUR AND I AM GOING TO INCUR ANOTHER STAGGERING REPAIR BILL. I CALLED TOYOTA'S CORPORATE NUMBER AND SPOKE TO A CUSTOMER CARE REP WHO ADVISED ME THAT THERE ARE NO RECALLS AT THE TIME ON THIS MODEL YEAR AND THAT I COULD NOT SPEAK TO HIS MANAGER AS THEY DO NOT TALK TO CONSUMERS. I WANT TOYOTA TO BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS ISSUE. HAD THEY NOTIFIED THEIR BUYERS TO REPLACE THEIR ECM'S AHEAD OF TIME, THIS WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THESE COSTLY REPAIRS DOWN THE LINE. *TR

FALL '08 2001 TOYOTA RAV4 BEGAN STALLING UNEXPECTEDLY WHILE CHANGING GEARS BETWEEN 2 AND 3 RPMS. SUDDEN JERKS AND HALTS OCCUR AFTER COMING TO COMPLETE STOPS AND ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE TO GO. DIAGNOSTIC TEST CLAIMS SOLENOIDS BUT TOYOTA DEALERSHIP SUGGESTS REPLACING ECM AND/OR TRANSMISSION. AN EXPENSE OF ABOUT $4500 WITHOUT GUARANTEE OF FIXING THE PROBLEM. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS WHEN DRIVING IN HIGHWAY, KEEPING UP WITH TRAFFIC PACE SUDDENLY HALTS AND LOOSES POWER. *TR

JANUARY 2008 I HAD THE ECM REPROGRAMMED BY TOYOTA AFTER RECEIVING A LETTER TO COME IN FOR THIS. ON JUNE 3, 2008, I EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN STUTTER FOLLOWED BY A LOUD NOISE WHILE DRIVING. THE FOLLOWING MORNING WHILE DRIVING TO WORK THE VEHICLE STUTTERED AND FELT LIKE IT WAS GOING TO STALL. IT WOULD HESITATE ON ACCELERATION. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP FOR SERVICING AND TOOK THE CARE IN. THE ADVISOR TOLD ME TO REPLACE THE ECM AND TRANSMISSION. THE SERVICE CODE INDICATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. THE TOYOTA TECH SERVICE BULLETIN (TC002-06) FROM 3//3/06 INDICATED THAT IMPROVEMENTS HAD BEEN MADE TO THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS OF THE ECM AND TO REPAIR THIS PROBLEM, R&R ECM WHICH WAS NOT DONE IN THE RECALL. *TR

THE CAR JUST BEGAN JERKING AFTER I PUT GAS IN ONE DAY. I WAITED A WEEK TO SEE IF THE PROBLEM WOULD GO AWAY, BUT IT GOT WORSE. THE DAY I BROUGHT IT TO THE SHOP, THE CAR WOULD BARELY DRIVE. IT WOULD HESITATE SHIFTING FROM FIRST TO 2ND GEAR AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I BROUGHT THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP WITH ONLY 150 MILES BEFORE THE POWER TRAIN WARRANTY EXPIRED. THEY TOLD ME IT WAS THE ECU AND IT WASN'T THE FIRST TIME THEY HEARD ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP FIXED IT AND I ONLY HAD TO PAY A DEDUCTIBLE. HOWEVER, THIS PROBLEM MASKED THAT THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH THE O2 SENSOR, AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN AFTER 2 DAYS. SO I BROUGHT IT BACK AND THE DEALERSHIP FIXED IT UNDER THE POWER TRAIN WARRANTY EVEN THOUGH IT HAD ALREADY EXPIRED. *TR