1998 Toyota RAV4

ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS OVER A TWO WEEK PERIOD, THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION POPS OUT OF 5TH GEAR WITHOUT WARNING. THIS LEADS TO A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION WHEN IN TRAFFIC AS IT CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO REDUCE MOMENTUM RAPIDLY AND COULD BE EASILY REAR-ENDED. THE LAST EVENT OCCURRED ON 6/7/2007, THE DAY BEFORE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BY A PRIVATE GARAGE. I HAVE ASKED TOYOTA FOR ASSISTANCE ON THIS PROBLEM, BUT WAS DECLINED. THEY HAVE A SERVICE BULLETIN OUT ON THE PROBLEM, BUT THE COVERAGE IS NOT ADEQUATE. THIS PROBLEM CAN OCCUR AT ANYTIME AFTER THEIR COVERAGE EXPIRES. *TR

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 70 MPH, THERE WAS A VERY LOUD NOISE THAT SOUNDED LIKE AN EXPLOSION. THE VEHICLE STALLED SUDDENLY WITHOUT WARNING. UPON INSPECTING THE VEHICLE, THERE WAS OIL ALL OVER THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP WHO DETERMINED THE ENGINE HAD FAILED DUE TO OIL SLUDGE. UPDATED 10/25/2006 - *NM

DT: CONTACT STATES WHILE DRIVING UP A NARROW MOUNTAIN PASS THE CAR STARTED TO FEEL UNSTABLE. THE VEHICLE FELT AS THOUGH IT WAS HYDRO PLANNING EVEN THOUGH THE PAVEMENT WAS DRY. AFTER THE CONSUMER PULLED OVER SHE NOTICED THAT REAR PASSENGER TIRE LOOKED AS THOUGH THE ENTIRE SIDEWALL SEPARATED FROM THE TREAD. THE CERTIFIED MECHANIC FOR AAA STATED THE TIRE WAS DEFECTIVE.*AK

I WAS DRIVING UPHILL ON 4 LANE HIGHWAY WHEN I NOTICED SPEED DROPPING, I HAD DROPPED TO 50 MPH, THEN STARTED TO HEAR METAL BANGING, I WAS STARTING TO HEAD TO BURM WHEN SOME VERY LOUD METALLIC BANGS HAPPENED, AND ONE OR MORE WHEELS LOCKED UP AND SENT ME INTO A SPIN TO THE RIGHT, AND I HIT GAURD RAILS. I WAS ON RT. 68 EASTBOUND IN MARYLAND, ON SIDELING HILL. AFTER HAVING IT IN THE GARAGE THE MECHANICS TOLD ME THAT A GASKET OR SEAL LEAKED ON THE DIFFERENTIAL, THEY TOLD ME THEY HAVE NEVER HAD IT HAPPEN, NOR DO THEY NO WHY.

(1) NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS. OPERATING VEHICLE AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH. (2) ON 10-12-04, THE HOOD ON MY 1998 RAV4 CAME FLYING UP, HITTING THE VEHICLE'S ROOF. (3) CAR TO BE REPAIRED, HOWEVER, FAILURE WAS THE 2ND SAFETY LOCK DID NOT CONTROL THE HOOD FROM FLYING UP OR CATCH FOR EVEN A COUPLE OF SECONDS TO GIVE THE DRIVER WARNING. REPAIR SHOP STATES IT IS THE DESIGN OF THE SAFETY LOCK (2ND LOCK) THAT IS VIRTUALLY WORTHLESS. HE SAID "I'VE NEVER SEEN A LOCK LIKE. MOST OF THEM HAVE A COVER TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING." IT IS A CERTIFIED TOYOTA PART, AND WILL BE REPLACED WITH A CERTIFIED TOYOTA PART, HOWEVER, IT WILL NOT STOP THE SITUATION FROM HAPPENING AGAIN. CAN NOT FIND ANY WEB INFO. FOR CONTACTING TOYOTA. THIS IS AN INHERENT SAFETY DEFECT. NEXT TIME, I COULD BE DRIVING AT 65 MPH! *AK

ON JULY 20TH, 2002 MY WIFE TOOK HER 1998 TOYOTA RAV4 IN TO HAVE A RECOMMENDED FLUSHING OF HER OIL, TRANSMISSION, COOLING SYSTEM. A COMPLETE TUNE UP OF THE MOTOR. AT THIS TIME SHE TOLD THE SERVICE PERSON OF A SMOKE DISCHARGE AT START UP ALONG WITH A SLIGHT NOISE. THE SERVICE PERSON SAID IT WAS PROBALLY THE RUBBER VALVE SEATS AND MY WIFE DIDNT HAVE TO WORRY RIGHT AWAY. IN APRIL 2003, AFTER ALL THE SCHEDUALED SERVICE MAINTAINCE WAS PERFORMED, MY WIFE NOTICED THE SMOKE WAS GETTING WORSE AND THE NOISE A LITTLE WORSE SO SHE TOOK IT IN TO HAVE THE VALVE SEATS REPLACED. THE NEXT DAY THE SERVICE DEPT. CALLED HER AND SAID THE MOTOR WAS SHOT. THEY SAID IT WAS OIL PUMP FAILURE AND IT WOULD BE OVER $4,000.00 FOR A NEW MOTOR. WHEN WE ASKED TO IF THEY WOULD REBUILD THE OLD MOTOR, THE HEAD OF THE SERVICE DEPT. SAID THEY COULDNT BECAUSE THERE WAS TOO MUCH JELL IN THE MOTOR. HE SAID HE WOULD GET AHOLD OF OUR WARRENTY COMPANY TO SUBMIT A CLAIM FOR A NEW MOTOR DUE TO OIL PUMP FAILURE. THEY SENT OUT THEIR INSPECTOR, HE SAID IT WASNT THE OIL PUMP AND OUR CLAIM WAS DENIED WE HAD HIM COME OUT AGAIN ON A APPEAL THE SERVICE DEPT. IN HIS WORDS OFFERED HIM NO PROOF OF THE OIL PUMP FAILURE AND AGAIN WE WERE DENIED. AT THE URGEING OF THE HEAD OF THE SERVICE DEPT. AT BEV SMITH TOYOTA WE RETAINED A LAWYER WITH THE PROMISE OF ALL THE HELP WE NEEDED FROM THE SERVICE DEPT. NEEDLESS TO SAY WE WASTED OUR MONEY ON THE LAWYER. WERE NOT ALLOWED TO TAKE PICTURES OF OUR MOTOR, WE CANT HAVE OUR MOTOR EVEN THAT WE HAD NO CORE TRADE FOR THE SECOND HAND MOTOR THEY PUT BACK IN THE RAV4 WHICH WE PAID ALMOST $3,000.00 FOR. OUR OLD MOTOR IS OFF LIMITS TO US, THE HEAD OF BEV SMITH'S SERVICE WONT RETURN OUR CALLS AND OUR LAWYER FEES ARE OUT THE WINDOW BECAUSE THE LAWYER CANT GET ANYWARE WITH THE WARRENTY COMPANY.