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2001 Toyota RAV4

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2001 Toyota RAV4 do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 258.5.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

236 reports with mileage · 73 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 to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Power Train. Review the 190 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 60 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 28 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

18 crash reports2 fire reports9 injury reports

Power Train complaints

190 reports
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115,092 miles · Jul 20, 2014
Power Train

SUDDEN ISSUE OF ERRATIC SHIFTING AND ACCELERATION. THE ECM WAS REPLACED. HOPEFULLY THE TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN SPARED. I'VE RESEARCHED ONLINE AND UNCOVERED MANY MANY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS. I UNDERSTAND THERE WAS AN EXTENDED WARRANTY, HOWEVER, I AM STILL NOT COVERED AS THE CAR IS OVER 10 YEARS OLD. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10614811

95,000 miles · Mar 20, 2014
Electrical SystemPower Train

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS ON AN ICY AND SNOW COVERED ROAD, THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPED GEARS WITHOUT ANY WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE TECHNICIAN INFORMED THAT THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE WAS FAULTY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPA…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS ON AN ICY AND SNOW COVERED ROAD, THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPED GEARS WITHOUT ANY WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE TECHNICIAN INFORMED THAT THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE WAS FAULTY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,000.

NHTSA ODI #10573766

189,000 miles · Mar 4, 2014
Electrical SystemPower Train

CAR HAD NO SPARK WHEN CRANKING, MY MECHANIC CHECKED AND TRACED THE PROBLEM TO THE CAR'S MAIN ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION COMPUTER (ECM), I ORDERED A USED ECM FOR THE SAME VEHICLE, CAR STARTED BUT TRANSMISSION WAS SHIFTING WAS VERY ABNORMAL, SHIFTING WAS HARSH MAKING A LOUD THUMP WHEN PUT INTO DRIVE OR REVERSE AND STARTING OFF ON THI…

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CAR HAD NO SPARK WHEN CRANKING, MY MECHANIC CHECKED AND TRACED THE PROBLEM TO THE CAR'S MAIN ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION COMPUTER (ECM), I ORDERED A USED ECM FOR THE SAME VEHICLE, CAR STARTED BUT TRANSMISSION WAS SHIFTING WAS VERY ABNORMAL, SHIFTING WAS HARSH MAKING A LOUD THUMP WHEN PUT INTO DRIVE OR REVERSE AND STARTING OFF ON THIRD GEAR. THE DAMAGE ON THE TRANSMISSION WAS ALREADY DONE SO I WENT AND ORDERED A TRANSMISSION AND A NEW ECM SINCE I FOUND OUT THAT ALL ECM'S HAD BEEN UPDATED DUE TO ALL ECM'S BEING DAMAGED FROM FACTORY. A LAWSUIT TOOK PLACE BACK 2012 IN THE CASE THAT WAS ENTITLED MILLIGAN V. TOYOTA MOTOR SALES U.S.A IN WHICH TOYOTA ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE PROBLEM EXISTED TOYOTA HAS EVER SINCE EXTENDED THEIR WARRANTY TO 170,000 MILES, EVEN WHEN THEY KNOW THE PROBLEM IS THERE THEY STILL WON'T RECALL THESE VEHICLES FOR PROPER REPAIRS. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10567097

95,000 miles · Feb 24, 2014
Electrical SystemPower Train

TRAVELING AT 30 MPH OR LESS THE VEHICLE WILL STUMBLE. THIS IS A ROAD HAZARD AS TRAVELING THROUGH AN INTERSECTION THE VEHICLE COULD HAVE AN INCIDENT WHEREBY THE ENSUING TRAFFIC COULD CAUSE A CRASH.THIS IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT THAT INVOLVES THE ECU(ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE) THAT IS THE COMPUTER WHICH CONTROLS THE TRANSMISSION. T…

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TRAVELING AT 30 MPH OR LESS THE VEHICLE WILL STUMBLE. THIS IS A ROAD HAZARD AS TRAVELING THROUGH AN INTERSECTION THE VEHICLE COULD HAVE AN INCIDENT WHEREBY THE ENSUING TRAFFIC COULD CAUSE A CRASH.THIS IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT THAT INVOLVES THE ECU(ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE) THAT IS THE COMPUTER WHICH CONTROLS THE TRANSMISSION. THE PROBLEM IS VERIFIED BY TOYOTA AS THEY EXTENDED THE WARRANTY FOR THIS VEHICLE FOR THIS PROBLEM THAT IS 10 YEARS OR 150,000 MILES. THE VEHICLE AGE IS BEYOND THE 10 YEAR LIMIT. THEREFORE,I WISH TO PURSUE A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM. THANK YOU. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10565617

95,000 miles · Nov 9, 2013
Engine And Engine CoolingPower Train

JUST PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE IN SEPTEMBER OF 2013 WITH ONLY 95,000 MILES. TWO DAYS AFTER PURCHASE, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. DEALER SAID IT WAS THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. SO IT WAS REPLACED AT A COST OF OVER $600. THEN TWO DAYS LATER, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME BACK ON. DEALER SAID IT WAS THE O2 SENSOR, THAT BILL WAS NEARLY …

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JUST PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE IN SEPTEMBER OF 2013 WITH ONLY 95,000 MILES. TWO DAYS AFTER PURCHASE, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. DEALER SAID IT WAS THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. SO IT WAS REPLACED AT A COST OF OVER $600. THEN TWO DAYS LATER, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME BACK ON. DEALER SAID IT WAS THE O2 SENSOR, THAT BILL WAS NEARLY $350. NOW FOR THE ICING ON THE CAKE. FOUR DAYS AFTER THAT REPAIR, I WAS PULLING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY TO GO TO WORK AND THE VEHICLE DID NOT WANT TO SHIFT IN TO GEAR, LUNGED FORWARD AND I NEARLY RAN OVER SOME CHILDREN AT A BUS STOP! THE DEALER SAID THE ISSUE IS WITH THE ECM AND POSSIBLY THE TRANSMISSION. THE ECM WAS REPLACED AT NEARLY $1100 AND THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS! DEALER SAID NEXT STEP IS TO REPLACE TRANSMISSION. THAT COST IS $5700 AND I CAN'T AFFORD IT. THERE ARE SO MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS VEHICLE FOR SIMILAR PROBLEMS. WHY CAN'T THE GOVERNMENT MANDATE THAT TOYOTA HAS TO STAND BEHIND THIS PROBLEM? CHILDREN WERE NEARLY RAN OVER BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM AND TOYOTA WILL NOT DO A [XXX] THING ABOUT IT. VERY SAD. *TR INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ODI #10551642

150,000 miles · Oct 27, 2013
Power Train

I WAS SENT A LETTER ABOUT THE CLASS ACTION SUIT ON THE 2001-2003 TOYOTA RAV4. I ASKED TO HAVE MY VEHICLE FIXED, BUT WAS DENIED, BECAUSE I DID NOT REQUEST UNTIL AFTER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY AND THE 150,000 HAD PASSED. I APPEALED THEIR DECISION AND I WAS DENIED AGAIN. I DID HAVE THE MODULE REPLACED WITH A NEW TOYOTA ONE, WHICH W…

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I WAS SENT A LETTER ABOUT THE CLASS ACTION SUIT ON THE 2001-2003 TOYOTA RAV4. I ASKED TO HAVE MY VEHICLE FIXED, BUT WAS DENIED, BECAUSE I DID NOT REQUEST UNTIL AFTER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY AND THE 150,000 HAD PASSED. I APPEALED THEIR DECISION AND I WAS DENIED AGAIN. I DID HAVE THE MODULE REPLACED WITH A NEW TOYOTA ONE, WHICH WAS INSTALLED BY A MECHANIC THAT DOES NOT WORK AT A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. THIS MODULE WORKED FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, BUT MY RAV IS BACK TO THE SAME HARD SHIFTING SAFETY ISSUES IT HAD BEFORE. I CAN'T AFFORD A NEW TRANSMISSION OR THE NEW MODULE TO COMPLETELY FIX THE SAFETY ISSUE. EVEN IF THEY REPLACED THE MODULE AGAIN, I BELIEVE IT HAS DONE TOO MUCH DAMAGE TO THE TRANSMISSION THAT WILL NOT BE REPAIRED BY THE REPLACEMENT OF THIS PART. YOU PAY FOR AN EXTENDED WARRANTY AND MAINTAIN IT LIKE YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO AND TOYOTA DOES NOT TAKE CARE OF THEIR CUSTOMER. THEY MADE THEIR MONEY AND THAT'S THAT. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10549697

104,568 miles · Sep 27, 2013
Fuel System, GasolinePower TrainVehicle Speed Control

WAS ENTERING A LIMITED ACCESS HIGHWAY AND WANTED TO MERGE ONTO HIGHWAY. WHEN I PRESSED DOWN ON GAS PEDAL TO SPEED UP, THE CAR HESITATED, LURCHED FORWARD, STOPPED, AND THEN SHIFTED HARSHLY ONCE AGAIN. I HAD THOUGHT I GAVE MYSELF PLENTY OF ROOM TO ENTER BUT BECAUSE OF THE POSSIBLE TRANSMISSION PROBLEM, MY CAR ALMOST ENDED IN A C…

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WAS ENTERING A LIMITED ACCESS HIGHWAY AND WANTED TO MERGE ONTO HIGHWAY. WHEN I PRESSED DOWN ON GAS PEDAL TO SPEED UP, THE CAR HESITATED, LURCHED FORWARD, STOPPED, AND THEN SHIFTED HARSHLY ONCE AGAIN. I HAD THOUGHT I GAVE MYSELF PLENTY OF ROOM TO ENTER BUT BECAUSE OF THE POSSIBLE TRANSMISSION PROBLEM, MY CAR ALMOST ENDED IN A CAR WRECK - AN APPROACHING CAR HAD TO TAKE DRASTIC MOVES IN ORDER TO AVOID HITTING MY CAR. I THEN FOUND OUT THAT TOYOTA KNEW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM WITH THEIR ECMS RUINING THESE CARS TRANSMISSIONS - SOMETHING I WAS NOT AWARE, NOR NOTIFIED ABOUT. WHEN I CALLED THEM UP - THEIR TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE LINE, I FOUND OUT THEY STILL HAD MY OLD ADDRESS FROM 2005! EVEN THOUGH I'VE BEEN GOING TO MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP FOR YEARS AND THEY HAD MY LATEST DATA. TOYOTA SAYS THEY CAN DO NOTHING TO HELP WITH A POSSIBLE $6,000 BILL. MY CAR IS ONLY WORTH ABOUT $8K IF THAT. THEIR NEGLIGENCE CAUSED THESE PROBLEMS, AND ALMOST CAUSED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT AND HUMAN INJURY AND/OR DEATH. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10545673

193,000 miles · Sep 11, 2013
Electrical SystemPower Train

I AM NEWLY EMPLOYED WITH THE POST OFFICE SO I NEED MY CAR. I WAS OUT DRIVING MY ROUTE WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN IT WAS LAGGING A LITTLE WHEN I WENT TO TAKE OFF. THEN WHEN I WAS ABLE TO GET SOME SPEED BETWEEN BOXES IT WAS LIKE IT SLIPPED INTO NEUTRAL AND THEN JERKED REALLY HARD AND KICKED INTO GEAR, I TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC AND ALSO…

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I AM NEWLY EMPLOYED WITH THE POST OFFICE SO I NEED MY CAR. I WAS OUT DRIVING MY ROUTE WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN IT WAS LAGGING A LITTLE WHEN I WENT TO TAKE OFF. THEN WHEN I WAS ABLE TO GET SOME SPEED BETWEEN BOXES IT WAS LIKE IT SLIPPED INTO NEUTRAL AND THEN JERKED REALLY HARD AND KICKED INTO GEAR, I TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC AND ALSO THE DEALERSHIP. AFTER I TOOK IT TO THE MECHANIC I FOUND OUT THAT THERE WAS A BULLETIN PUT OUT IN 2010 ABOUT THE SAME EXACT ISSUE, SO I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND MADE AN APPOINTMENT. THEY TOLD ME THE SAME THING THE MECHANIC DID AND THAT MY CAR WASN'T COVERED UNDER THE BULLETIN BECAUSE IT WAS OUTSIDE THE 10 YEAR OR 150,000 MILE RANGE. I CANNOT AFFORD TO HAVE TO PAY THIS OUT OF POCKET AND I NEED MY CAR. THE ESTIMATE THAT I GOT WAS $1536 FROM TOYOTA AND THEN THERE IS THE POSSIBILITY THAT I MIGHT HAVE TO HAVE THE TRANSMISSION CHANGED TOO. THIS IS CRAZY ESPECIALLY SEEING AS TOYOTA KNOWS ABOUT THE ISSUE AND NOTIFIED SOME PEOPLE BUT NOT ALL RAV4 OWNERS. I AM OUT THERE DRIVING MY CAR AND COULD PULL OUT AT THE WRONG TIME AND GET HIT BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT THERE IS NO PICK UP AND GO IN THIS CAR ANYMORE. I LOVE MY CAR AND NEED MY CAR. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10543178

129,000 miles · Aug 3, 2013
Power Train

ECM/TRANSMISSION FAILURE AT 129000 MILES. CANT SAY MUCH MORE THAN HAS ALREADY BEEN SAID BY SO MANY OTHERS. OUT OF POCKET EXPENSE OF ABOUT 3500.00. IN THE SHOP NOW BUT AS I READ THESE I'M WONDERING IF I SHOULD BE FIXING IT AS IT SEEMS TO REOCCUR. NO HELP FROM TOYOTA AND THEY WANTED OVER 5000.00 TO FIX IT. RECEIVED NO NOTIFICATION…

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ECM/TRANSMISSION FAILURE AT 129000 MILES. CANT SAY MUCH MORE THAN HAS ALREADY BEEN SAID BY SO MANY OTHERS. OUT OF POCKET EXPENSE OF ABOUT 3500.00. IN THE SHOP NOW BUT AS I READ THESE I'M WONDERING IF I SHOULD BE FIXING IT AS IT SEEMS TO REOCCUR. NO HELP FROM TOYOTA AND THEY WANTED OVER 5000.00 TO FIX IT. RECEIVED NO NOTIFICATION FROM TOYOTA. MISSED THE WARRANTY BY 9000 MILES. SEEMS IF YOU OWN ONE ITS JUST A MATTER OF TIME AND IT WILL HAPPEN....STAND BEHIND YOUR PRODUCT TOYOTA!!!!! *TR

NHTSA ODI #10533356

119,510 miles · Aug 1, 2013
EngineFuel System, GasolinePower Train

ECM/TRANSMISSION FAILURE...CALLED TOYOTA..REFUSED HELP..OWNED VEHICLE OVER 10 YEARS...KNOWN DEFECT THAT TOYOTA HAS NOT ADDRESSED PROPERLY...NEED TO REPLACE ECM AND TRANSMISSION OUT OF POCKET BECAUSE OF THEIR DEFECTIVE PRODUCTION. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10533027

Official recalls

0

No recalls in this snapshot.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.

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