Toyota RAV4 transmission problems

HARD SHIFT PROB FROM 2/3RD GEAR WITH TOYOTA 2002 RAV4 TOOK CAR TO DEALER ON 9-17-2007. RECALL FOR EMISSION PROBLEM CAUSED THE ENGINE LIGHT TO COME ON. I DESCRIBED PROBLEM TO THE DEALER AND ASKED THEM TO LOOK AT THIS PROBLEM. DEALER SAID ANY OTHER PROBLEMS SHOULD SHOW ON COMPUTER. PICKED CAR UP ASKED ABOUT SHIFT PROB. THEY SAID NOTHING CAME UP ON THE COMPUTER DIAGNOSTIC ( I LATER LEARNED THAT THEY TEST DROVE THE CAR AND COULD NOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM) AND IT SOUNDED LIKE IT COULD BE A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. THEY SAID TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE THE TRANSMISSION LOOKED AT. I ASKED FOR COST AND THEY SAID THEY HAD NO IDEA IT WOULD DEPEND ON HOW LONG IT TOOK TO FIND PROBLEM. I TOOK CAR TO TRANSMISSION SHOP. THEY HOOKED CAR UP TO COMPUTER AND SAID INTERNAL TRANSMISSION FAILURE AND NEED TRANSMISSION REBUILT. I HAD THIS REPAR DONE AT COST OF 2,639.81. CALLED ME AFTER TRANSMISSION WAS REBUILT THERE IS A PROBLEM. THEY RESEARCHED DATABASE AND FOUND THAT THERE WAS A BULLETIN PUT OUT BY TOYOTA ON MARCH 3, 2006. POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE THAT CAUSES A SHIFT PROBLEM IN 2001-2003 TOYOTA RAV4'S. IT EXPLAINS THE DIAGNOSTIC AND REPAIR FOR THIS PROBLEM IN DETAIL AND STATES THAT THE ECM MAY NEED TO BE REPLACED. I AM INFORMED THAT IN ORDER FOR MY TRANSMISSION TO WORK NEED TO HAVE ECM REPLACED. TOYOTA KNEW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM WHEN I TOOK MY CAR TO THEM THEY COULD HAVE FIXED THE PROBLEM THEN AND SAVED ME $2,639.81. I PAID DEALER TO HAVE THE ECM REPLACED FOR $1003.81. PART TO ME FOR A WHOLESALE PRICE. THE CAR IS NOW FINALLY RUNNING FINE. I WAS TOLD THAT THEY DO NOT SEARCH FOR BULLETINS ON CARS THAT ARE IN FOR SERVICE. THEY SAID THERE ARE JUST TOO MANY OF THEM FOR THEM TO KEEP UP WITH. I SAW TIME IT TOOK FOR THE TECH TO LOOK UP THE BULLETIN ON LAPTOP INFO CAME UP IMMEDIATELY. MY RESEARCH SHOWS THAT OTHER 2002 RAV4'S HAVE SAME PROBLEM. I HAVE FAILED ECM THAT WAS REMOVED FROM CAR. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVE. A FEW SECONDS LATER, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO MOVE. THE VEHICLE SHIFTED COMPLETELY OUT OF GEAR AND THEN WENT SHIFTED BACK ON ITS OWN. THE FAILURE CONTINUED DURING THE DRIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE ECM AND IT WAS REPROGRAMMED. THE FAILURE RECURRED THE FOLLOWING DAY WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER AND THEY RECHECKED THE ECM. THEY STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND HE STATED THAT THE ECM WAS FAULTY, WHICH CAUSED THE TRANSMISSION TO FAIL. THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE SAME FAILURE WHEN THE CONTACT RETRIEVED IT FROM THE MECHANIC. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER AND THEY DISCOVERED THAT THE ECM WAS FAULTY AND MADE THE REPLACEMENT. THERE IS A TSB FOR THE ECM. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 61,800 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 61,059. UPDATED 02-13-08 *BF UPDATED 02/13/08 *TR

I AM EXPERIENCING A CONSISTENT PROBLEM WITH MY 2007 TOYOTA RAV4 WITH A LAG IN ACCELERATION. THE TIME I NOTICED IT THE MOST IS WHEN SLOWING DOWN TO ABOUT 10 MPH TO MAKE A TURN, AS I COME OUT OF THE TURN AND PRESS THE ACCELERATOR, THE CAR DOES NOTHING FOR A COUPLE OF SECONDS. THEN THE ENGINE REVS UP AND FINALLY LURCHES FORWARD. AFTER TAKING IT IN TO THE DEALERSHIP TWICE AND BEING TOLD THAT THIS IS HOW "DRIVE-BY-WIRE" ACCELERATION IS DESIGNED EVEN THOUGH I'VE TOLD THEM THAT I SEE IT AS A SAFETY ISSUE, I AM NOT OPTIMISTIC THAT THIS PROBLEM WILL BE RESOLVED. I STARTED NOTICING THIS PROBLEM JUST A COUPLE OF DAYS AFTER PURCHASING MY VEHICLE. *TR

REPEATED PROBLEMS WITH TRANSMISSION, ECM THAT HAVE COST IN EXCESS OF $4000 AND STILL THE CAR IS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. TOYOTA REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE FACT THAT SOMEONE WILL SOON BE KILLED FROM THIS PROBLEM. WHEN PULLING INTO TRAFFIC AND THEY SHOULD BE ACCELERATING, THESE CARS STALL. THIS IS MY SECOND REPORT AND NO ONE RESPONDS FROM HERE OR FROM TOYOTA!!! *TR

PURCHASED RAV IN 1/2006 AND HAVE HAD MANY ACCELERATION ISSUES WITH THIS CAR. FROM A SLOW/START OR STOP/START, I HAVE EXPERIENCED THE CAR HESITATE ON ACCELERATION. THIS OCCURRENCE IS ALL THE TIME, CREATING A VERY UNSAFE SITUATION. HAVE COMPLAINED TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS A SAFETY MECHANISM TO PREVENT "HARD" SHIFTING IN THE TRANSMISSION. THIS SITUATION STILL OCCURS SEVERAL TIMES DAILY. *TR INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

DETAILS: THE VEHICLE HAS FREQUENT PROBLEMS WITH ACCELERATION WHEN COLD. CAR HAS NO POWER WHEN TRYING TO ENTER TRAFFIC. I WILL STEP ON THE GAS, BEGIN MOVING, THEN THE ENGINE WILL BOG DOWN AND I WILL HAVE NO ACCELERATION AT ALL. I HAVE TAKEN THIS UP TO MY DEALER, AND THEIR EXPLANATION IS THAT NOTHING IS WRONG. HOWEVER, THIS PROBLEM CAN OCCUR WHEN EVER IT IS COLD. *JB

I STARTED TO HAVE INTERMITTENT ISSUES WITH MY TOYOTA 2002 RAV4 TRANSMISSION; CONCERNING HARD SHIFTING AND LOSE OF POWER DURING ACCELERATION. I HAVE BEEN INFORMED BY THE DEALER THAT I REQUIRE A NEW TRANSMISSION. AFTER SEARCHING THE INTERNET (WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM, WWW.TUNDRASOLUTIONS.COM, & RAV4WORLD.COM) I WAS ABLE TO FIND QUITE A FEW INSTANCES OF PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME ISSUES WITH THEIR 2002 RAV4. EACH STORY ENDS UP WITH THE INDIVIDUALS PAYING AN AVERAGE OF $4500 TO HAVE THE TRANSMISSION REPLACED THEN HAVING TO GO BACK AND HAVE THE ECU REPLACED ($1000). AFTER ALL WAS SAID AND DONE, THE PROBLEMS STILL EXISTED. AFTER SPEAKING WITH TOYOTA THEY FEEL THERE IS NO ISSUE AND DO NOT PLAN ON INVESTIGATING THE ISSUE TO DETERMINE IF A RECALL IS REQUIRED. I JUST HAD MY TRANSMISSION REPLACED AND THE ISSUE IS STILL THERE. I AM IN THE PROCESS WITH MY LOCAL AMOCO TRANSMISSION CO. TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM CAN OCCUR AT ANYTIME WITHOUT NOTICE DURING ACCELERATION FROM A STOPPED CONDITION OR DURING NORMAL DRIVING CAUSING THE CAR ABRUPTLY SLOW DOWN IN TRAFFIC, WHICH COULD PUT THE DRIVER IN A LIFE OR DEATH SITUATION. *TR