Toyota RAV4 transmission problems

AS I PULLED OUT INTO TRAFFIC THE TRANSMISSION STARTED SLIPPING AND MY 2002 TOYOTA RAV4 HESITATED AND WOULD SHIFT INTO GEAR. I TOOK IT TO TOYOTA ON DIXIE HIGHWAY, LOUISVILLE, KY WHERE I HAD PURCHASED THE VEHICLE AND TOOK IT FOR EVERY SERVICE. THEY PUT SOME TYPE OF FLUID SAID THAT THIS MAY FIX THE PROBLEM. I WENT TO GET IT AND ONCE AGAIN WOULD NOT RUN. THEY THEN TOLD ME THAT IT WAS PROBABLY THE TRANSMISSION AND THAT I PROBABLY WOULD NOT BE BACK TO SEE THEM. THEY QUOTED ME A PRICE OF $4,000 TO HAVE THE TRANSMISSION FIXED. *TR

MY 2001 TOYOTA RAV4 BEGAN ACTING UP AND WOULD NOT SHIFT CORRECTLY. IT WOULD SHIFT VERY HARD, AND WOULD OFTEN HESITATE BEFORE SHIFTING INTO GEAR. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A TRANSMISSION SHOP. THE SHOP RECOMMENDED REPLACING THE TRANSMISSION AND ECM MONITOR TO CORRECT THE ISSUE, AS THEY WERE VERY AWARE OF THE ISSUE WITH THE RAV4'S AND ALSO BECAUSE METAL SHAVINGS WERE FOUND IN THE TRANSMISSION PAN. TOYOTA IS WELL AWARE OF THIS ISSUE, AND CONTINUES TO TRY AND AVOID THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES WITH THESE VEHICLES. IN MARCH 2006, TOYOTA SENT DEALERS A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN WARNING THEM THAT SOME CONSUMERS MIGHT COMPLAIN ABOUT HARSH SHIFTING. IT SAID IMPROVEMENTS WERE MADE TO THE COMPUTER ?MANUFACTURING PROCESS TO REDUCE THE POSSIBILITY OF THIS CONDITION OCCURRING.? IT THEN TOLD THE DEALERS TO REPLACE THE MODULE AND IF THAT DID NOT WORK TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. BUT CONSUMERS OWNING THE VEHICLES WERE NEVER NOTIFIED ABOUT THE PROBLEM. TOYOTA ALSO REFUSED TO DO ANYTHING IS THE VEHICLES MILEAGE IS OVER THE 80,000 WARRANTY PERIOD, AND LUCKY FOR THEM, MOST VEHICLES DO NOT HAVE ANY ISSUES UNTIL THEY ARE OUT OF THE WARRANTY PERIOD. *TR

2001 TOYOTA RAV4 HAS TRANSMISSION SLIPPAGE/HARSH SHIFTING. MANUFACTURER DEFECT IN ECU IS WELL KNOWN BUT TOYOTA WILL NOT REPLACE DEFECTIVE ITEM. ANYONE DRIVING THIS MODEL IS IN A "TICKING TIME BOMB" FOR TRANSMISSION FAILURE. IF IT HAPPENS AT SPEED, THERE WILL BE DEATH/INJURY INCURRED. INFORMATION WAS IN N.Y. TIMES ON 8/26/2009 ARTICLE. I AM THE OWNER OF THIS VEHICLE AND WANT TO BE ADDED TO THE NHTSA LIST OF COMPLAINTS/CONCERNS ABOUT THIS WELL KNOWN DEFECT. REQUEST AGENCY PRESSURE TOYOTA TO RECALL/REPLACE ECU/ECM/TRANSMISSION AS NEEDED ON EVERY OPERATIONAL RAV4 IN THE 2001-2003 RANGE. TOYOTA ISSUED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN TC002-06 ON MARCH 3, 2006 ADVISING SERVICE MANAGERS TO REPLACE ECM/TRANSMISSIONS.. "ONLY IF CUSTOMER COMPLAINS" THIS IS A DEVIOUS WAY OF AVOIDING AN OUTRIGHT NOTIFICATION/RECALL AND I REQUEST YOUR GOOD AGENCY HELP OWNERS LIKE ME WHO ARE ENDANGERING THEIR FAMILIES/THEM SELVES & THE GENERAL PUBLIC ON OUR ROADS. I AM A LICENSED DRIVING INSTRUCTOR IN THE STATE OF CONNECTICUT AND WILL MAKE EVERYONE I KNOW AWARE OF THIS DANGEROUS SITUATION WITH A TOYOTA PRODUCT. YOUR ASSISTANCE IS APPRECIATED. *TR

MY TOYOTA RAV 4 (2001) SUDDENLY STARTED SLIDING, JERKING, MOTOR RACING IN MAY OF 2009. IT HAD JUST PASSED THE 80,000 MI MARK, AND THE SHIFTING OF THE TRANSMISSION NEARLY STOPPED. I HAD BOUGHT IT USED, AND WHEN WE CHECKED WITH THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP, FOUND THAT THE 2006 BULLETIN ON THE PROBLEMS WITH THE ECU WHICH CONTROLS THE TRANSMISSION HAD RESULTED IN THE ECU BEING 'FLASHED'. SO IT HAD THE WORK DONE WHICH WOULD SUPPOSEDLY FIX THE PROBLEM. IT IS LUCKY THAT IT HAPPENED ON A STREET AND NOT ON A FREEWAY, WHICH WOULD MOST LIKELY HAVE RESULTED IN A TERRIBLE ACCIDENT. TOYOTA WAS PHONED, A COMPLAINT WAS MADE. NOTHING HAS HAPPENED. AT MY OWN EXPENSE, I HAD THE ECU REBUILT; THE DAMAGE TO THE TRANSMISSION WAS THERE, BUT THE REBUILDING OF THE ECU ENABLED ME TO DRIVE THE CAR. I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG IT WILL LAST. *TR

COST OF REPAIR: 2684.47 & CAR WAS AT DEALERSHIP FOR APP. 1 MONTH TOTAL. MY RAV4 STARTED OCCASIONALLY SHIFTING HARD AND WOULD NOT GO INTO THE NEXT GEAR. WHEN IT FINALLY WENT INTO THE NEXT GEAR IT FELT LIKE A SUDDEN JUMP. THE ENGINE WOULD REV AND THE RPMS WOULD INCREASE WHILE THE CAR WAS IN NEUTRAL. IT REACHED A POINT WHERE IT WOULD NOT GO INTO THE NEXT GEAR AT ALL. I TOOK IT TO TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. I SPOKE WITH SERVICE ADVISOR ,HE SAID THAT THE PROBLEM WAS DUE TO THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE. A SERVICE BULLETIN (TC002-06 89661-42650) INSTRUCTED IN CASES SUCH AS MINE THE ECM WAS TO BE REPLACED. AND HE ALSO STRONGLY ADVISED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FLUID NEEDED TO BE FLUSHED, ALTHOUGH IT DID NOT SHOW ANY NEED TO BE, BUT HE AND THE MASTER MECHANIC FELT IT WOULD BE NEEDED. THE ORIGINAL QUOTE FOR THE ABOVE WAS OVER $1500. WHEN I COMPLAINED THAT I DIDN?T FEEL IT WAS RIGHT THAT I SHOULD PAY WHEN IT WAS A KNOWN BAD ECM THE PRICE DROPPED FOR ?CUSTOMER LOYALTY, BLAH, BLAH?. THEY FELT THEY DID ME A FAVOR AND ONLY CHARGED ME $740.47 . TWO DAYS AFTER I GOT IT OUT OF THE SHOP IT DID THE SAME EXACT THING. I HAD BEEN VERY DISGUSTED WITH THE SERVICE I RECEIVED, THE NOT RETURNING OF PHONE CALLS, ETC. THE LAST PLACE I WANTED TO GO WAS BACK TO THE DEALER. ON OR ABOUT MAY 2, 2008 I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE ENGINE OIL LIGHT HAD BEGUN TO FLICKER. THE ORIGINAL PROBLEM STILL EXISTED. THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON. THEY SAID THE ENGINE OIL LIGHT AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON DUE TO OIL GELATION AND THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. I WENT FOR A RIDE WITH SERVICE ADVISOR TOM DRUZYNSKI AND WE QUICKLY WERE ABLE TO DUPLICATE ORIGINAL PROBLEM. I WAS THEN TOLD THE TRANSAXLE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND THE ENGINE REBUILT. SERVICE ADV TOLD ME REPAIRS WOULD COST $7000. I UNSUCCESSFULLY COMPLAINED TO CORPORATE TOYOTA 2 TIMES. REPAIR COST WENT FROM 7000 TO 1800.THE A/C HASN'T WORKED SINCE. *TR

I AM HAVING SHIFTING PROBLEM OF THE TRANSMISSION ON MY TOYOTA RAV4 L 2002 WHILE DRIVING. WHEN DRIVING ON THE ROAD,THE TRANNY BEGAN SLIPPING,HESITATINGAND JERKING. I CAN'T AFFORD TO GET IT REPAIRED YET. I AM CONCERNING SOMEDAY SOMEONE WILL HIT BEHIND ME DURING DRIVING DUE TO SHIFTING PROBLEM THAT I CAN'T KEEP ON SPEED LIMITED. I GET ONLINE WWW.CARSCOMPLAINTS.COM AND DID SOME RESEARCH. I FOUND OUT MOST OF THE TOYOTA RAV4 OWNERS DESCRIBING SAME SHIFTING PROBLEM BECAUSE OF THE DEFECTED ENGINE CONTROL MODULE THAT CAN DAMAGE THE TRANNY. *TR

DURING A RECENT RAIN I WAS TRANSPORTING MY GRANDKIDS FROM SCHOOL WHEN I NOTICED THAT MY CAR SEEMED TO SLIP AND JOLT FORWARD EACH TIME I ACCELERATED. EACH TIME THE CAR WOULD HESITATE AND THE SLIPPING AND JOLTING WAS SIGNIFICANT. I WAS AFRAID THAT MY CAR WOULD STALL IN TRAFFIC. I WAS VERY GLAD TO GET MY GRANDKIDS HOME SAFELY. I CALLED THE TOYOTA DEALER WHERE THE CAR WAS PURCHASED AND MADE AN IMMEDIATE APPOINTMENT. I WAS TOLD THAT MY TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REPLACED AS WELL AS THE ECU AT A COST OF OVER $6,000! I WAS VERY UPSET BECAUSE MY EXTENDED WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED THE YEAR BEFORE AND DURING THE WARRANTY PERIOD I HAD COMPLAINED ABOUT TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS AND THE "ENGINE" TROUBLE LIGHT WHICH KEPT COMING ON. EACH TIME THEY TOLD ME THAT EITHER AN ADJUSTMENT WAS MADE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM OR THAT THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. I ALSO CALLED TOYOTA HEADQUARTERS AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO FOR ME. I WAS REFERRED BACK TO THE LOCAL DEALER WHO TOLD ME TO CALL HEADQUARTERS AGAIN. I FELT LIKE A PING-PONG BALL. IN THE END NO ONE COULD OR WOULD HELP ME. I ENDED UP GOING TO ANOTHER TOYOTA DEALERSHIP TO HAVE JUST THE ECU REPLACED AT A COST OF $1500. THE CAR STILL JOLTS WHENEVER I ACCELERATE, HOWEVER I AM RETIRED AND CANNOT AFFORD $4000 FOR A NEW TRANSMISSION AT THIS TIME. *TR

2002 RAV4 THAT I WILL NEED TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION AND ECM ON - DESPITE THE FACT THAT THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THESE CARS. REPAIR COST $5,000. ALTHOUGH THERE WERE NO INJURIES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS THERE VERY WELL COULD HAVE BEEN, AS TRANSMISSION WENT OUT AS I WAS MERGING ONTO A VERY BUSY INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. THESE CARS ARE A DEATHTRAP AND TOYOTA NEEDS TO RECALL THEM AND FIX THE PROBLEM. *TR

I HAVE A 2002 RAV4 THAT STARTED HAVING SHIFTING PROBLEMS. WHEN I WOULD PUT THE CAR INTO REVERSE IT WOULD JERK AND JOLT THIS IS HOW IT STARTED. THEN ABOUT A WEEK LATER IT STARTED DOING THIS WHEN THE CAR SHIFTED FROM 1ST TO SECOND AND SO ON. AFTER ABOUT 3 WEEKS OF THIS I TOOK THE CAR INTO THE DEALER AND TOLD THEM TO PLEASE LOOK AT IT. THEY CALLED ME LATER THAT DAY SAYING THAT THEY THOUGHT I NEEDED NEW ENGINE MOUNTS. THAT THEY WERE CAUSING CAR TO JERK WHEN IT CHANGED GEARS. HE SAID THAT THEY NEEDED TO BE ORDERED AND THAT THEY NEEDED THE CAR OVERNIGHT. SO THE NEXT DAY GOT A CALL FROM THE DEALER SAYING THAT THEY DROVE THE CAR SOME MORE AND REALIZED IT WAS MY TRANSMISSION. THAT I NEEDED TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION AND THE COMPUTER THAT CONTROLS IT. THIS WOULD COST ME $5200.00. I CALLED A VERY GOOD FRIEND OF MINE WHO HAS BEEN A MECHANIC FOR 30 YEARS AND HE CALLED A FRIEND OF HIS WHO WORKS PARTS AT TOYOTA. THE PERSON WHO WORKS FOR TOYOTA TOLD MY FRIEND THAT THEY HAVE BEEN HAVING THESE PROBLEMS WITH THE RAV AND THAT IT IS ONLY THE COMPUTER THAT NEEDS REPLACEMENT, NOT THE TRANSMISSION. SO, HE SOLD US THE PART AND MY FRIEND THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE COMPUTER. NOW MY CAR DRIVES PERFECTLY. SO, I INSTEAD SPENT ONLY $1100.00 AS OPPOSED TO THE $5200.00 THAT THE TOYOTA DEALER WANTED TO CHARGE ME WHEN IT WAS NOT MY TRANSMISSION AT ALL. I HAVE ALL THE PAPERWORK FROM THE DEALER SHOWING WHAT THEY WANTED ME TO REPLACE AND SPEND. I AM VERY UPSET THAT AN ACCREDITED TOYOTA DEALERSHIP WAS GOING TO HAVE ME SPEND THAT MUCH MONEY ON SOMETHING WHEN IT WAS NOT THE PROBLEM. I BOUGHT MY CAR THERE AND I HAVE HAD IT SERVICED THERE EVER SINCE- 7 YEARS! *TR