WHILE STARTING VEHICLE FOR FIRST TIME AND WHEN SHIFTING VEHICLE INTO DRIVE IT WOULD TRAVEL IN REVERSE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
COMPONENT SPOTLIGHT
Toyota RAV4 transmission problems
602 distinct owner reports with a transmission-specific component in this snapshot.
General power-train reports are not automatically counted as transmission problems. Related recalls and investigations must also name this component; they are not linked by narrative keyword alone.
15 crash reports1 fire reports2 injury reports
Reports by model year
YearTopic reportsRecallsInvestigations
20211
1020191
7020161
3120152
4120131
2120112
111201011
14120097
15320086
144200713
144200621
11220053
5020049
202003109
012002261
002001128
0020004
3019994
4019986
4019974
0019968
00Recall and investigation columns show each year’s full history. A report naming several years can appear in more than one row.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
420–25K
1425–50K
7650–75K
18575–100K
186100–150K
43150K+
546 reports with mileage · 56 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What owners actually said
602 reportsVEHICLE EXHIBITS INTERMITTENT HESITATION UPON ACCELERATION FROM STOP OR LOW SPEED.HESITATION HAS OCCURRED SINCE SHORTLY AFTER VEHICLE PURCHASE DATE, WITH INCREASED FREQUENCY DURING LAST 60-90 DAYS. HESITATION OCCURS BOTH WITH AIR CONDITIONONG ON AND OFF, AND WITH 4-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION OVERDIVE ON AND OFF. 2-3 OCCURRENCE…
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VEHICLE EXHIBITS INTERMITTENT HESITATION UPON ACCELERATION FROM STOP OR LOW SPEED.HESITATION HAS OCCURRED SINCE SHORTLY AFTER VEHICLE PURCHASE DATE, WITH INCREASED FREQUENCY DURING LAST 60-90 DAYS. HESITATION OCCURS BOTH WITH AIR CONDITIONONG ON AND OFF, AND WITH 4-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION OVERDIVE ON AND OFF. 2-3 OCCURRENCES PER WEEK ARE CURRENTLY EXPERIENCED. MOST FREQUENT WHEN VEHICLE IS MAKING SLOW TURN (BOTH RIGHT AND LEFT) AND LASTS 5-10 SECONDS EVEN IF ACCELERATOR IS NEARLY FULLY DEPRESSED. HESITATION HAS ALSO OCCURRED WHEN MOVING STRAIGHT AHEAD FROM STOP OR FROM LOW SPEED (5-10 MPH) STOP AND GO TRAFFIC. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED AND COULD NOT REPLICATE PROBLEM OR OFFER A SOLUTION, HOWEVER VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN FOR ONLY A SHORT TIME BY DEALER'S SERVICE TECHNICIANS. DEALER INDICATES NO REPORT OF SIMILIAR PROBLEMS EITHER AT THIS DEALERSHIP OR TO TOYOTA USA ALTHOUGH I KNOW OF OTHER 2001 RAV4 OWNERS WHO HAVE REPORTED A HESITATION PROBLEM TO THEIR DEALERS AND HAVE NOT HAD THE PROBLEM RESOLVED. WHILE THIS PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT, THIS IS,IN SOME WAYS, WORSE THAN IF IT HAPPENED EVERY TIME BECAUSE THERE IS NO WAY TO PEDICT THE EVENT AND COMPENSATE FOR IT.*AK
THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTS SLOWLY, POPS INTO REVERSE WHILE IN THE CAR WASH AND THE RPM GAUGE SHOWS HIGH RPM'S WHEN ACCELERATING IN THIRD GEAR. NLM
BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH FAILED FIRST TIME 5/19/00 AT 35379 MILES. BRAKE LIGHTS DID NOT WORK AND COULD NOT SHIFT TRANSMISSION OUT OF PARK. DEALER REPLACED AT NO CHARGE BECAUSE VEHICLE WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. REPLACEMENT BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH HAS NOW FAILED AGAIN 12 MONTHS LATER. DEALER HAS SAID WILL REPLACE UNDER HIS 12-MONTH WARRA…
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BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH FAILED FIRST TIME 5/19/00 AT 35379 MILES. BRAKE LIGHTS DID NOT WORK AND COULD NOT SHIFT TRANSMISSION OUT OF PARK. DEALER REPLACED AT NO CHARGE BECAUSE VEHICLE WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. REPLACEMENT BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH HAS NOW FAILED AGAIN 12 MONTHS LATER. DEALER HAS SAID WILL REPLACE UNDER HIS 12-MONTH WARRANTY. DEALER SAYS IS NOT AWARE OF ANY TECH SERVICE BULLETINS OR RECALLS ON THIS PROBLEM.
TRANSMISSION FAILED TO HOLD VEHICLE IN PLACE WHEN STOPPED ON INCLINES. TRANSMISSION WOULD MAKE A THUNKING NOISE. TRANSMISSION WOULD BE RELEASED. VEHICLE ROLLED DOWN THE DRIVEWAY & HIT A TREE. VEHICLE HAS A STANDARD TRANSMISSION WHICH WAS IN GEAR. THE HAND BRAKES WERE NOT APPLIED. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME IT HAPPENED (12/97). *…
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TRANSMISSION FAILED TO HOLD VEHICLE IN PLACE WHEN STOPPED ON INCLINES. TRANSMISSION WOULD MAKE A THUNKING NOISE. TRANSMISSION WOULD BE RELEASED. VEHICLE ROLLED DOWN THE DRIVEWAY & HIT A TREE. VEHICLE HAS A STANDARD TRANSMISSION WHICH WAS IN GEAR. THE HAND BRAKES WERE NOT APPLIED. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME IT HAPPENED (12/97). *AK
WHENEVER THE BRAKES ARE APPLIEDTHE TRANSMISSION WOULD SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL ON ITS OWN. TOOK TO DEALER SEVERAL TIMES & HAD VEHICLE TEST DRIVEN. BRAKES WERE TAPPED LIGHTLY & TRANSMISSION SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL. MECHANIC COULD NOT FIND CAUSE OF PROBLEM. *AK
SHIFT LOCK JAMMED PREVENTING ANY OPERATION OF VEHICLE
THE BOOT AROUND THE MANUEL TRANSMISSION CAME OFF JAMMING MOVEMENT OF THE SHIFTER.
VEHICLE PARKED ON SLIGHT HILL LOCKED IN REVERSE, ROLLED FORWARD DOWN HILL AND HIT ANOTHER CAR. CAUSE OF THIS HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED. *AK
TRANSMISSION FAILED.
Related Official recalls
100V211000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission:park/neutral Start Interlock Switch
Aug 9, 2000
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: SPORT UTILITY ELECTRIC VEHICLES. IF THE SUBJECT VEHICLES ARE REPEATEDLY PARKED BY PLACING THE SHIFT LEVER INTO THE "P" POSITION WITHOUT APPLYING THE PARKING BRAKE, THE PARKING LOCK ROD, A COMPONENT OF THE TRANSMISSION PARKING LOCK SYSTEM, COULD BREAK.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS CONDITION CAN RENDER THE SYSTEM INOPERATIVE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE PARKING LOCK ROD.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
Related NHTSA investigations
0No component-matched exact-year investigations in this snapshot.