2001 Toyota RAV4

2001 RAV4- AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION THE CAR STARTED SHIFTING GEARS AND HAVING PROBLEMS TAKING OFF FROM A STOP POSITION A WEEK AGO. THERE WAS NO "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT BLINKING TO LET ME KNOW WHAT THE ISSUE WAS. I TOOK IT TO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY COULDN'T FIND ANY PROBLEMS AND "THINK IT MIGHT BE THE COMPUTER". WHEN IT FIRST HAPPENED I ALMOST GOT INTO A ACCIDENT WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. AFTER I LEFT THE DEALERSHIP, SURE ENOUGH THE CAR STARTS JERKING BACK AND FORTH. I CALLED TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE WHERE THEY TOLD ME THEY RECOGNIZE THE PROBLEM AS THE ECM (SEEMS TO BE THE PROBLEM WITH OTHER COMPLAINTS I HAVE LOOKED INTO), BUT NOTHING CAN BE DONE ABOUT IT AS IT IS NOT ON THE RECALL LIST AND THE CAR CAME FROM JAPAN TO CANADA THEN TO THE UNITED STATES (SERIOUSLY?). I GUESS TOYOTA WILL NOT DO ANYTHING UNTIL SOMEONE IS KILLED IN AN ACCIDENT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH, THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO STUTTER AND THEN THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY STALLED. THE ENGINE RESTARTED AND RESUMED NORMAL. THE FAILURE OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. UPDATED 03/16/11 *BF UPDATED 10/12/11

2001 TOYOTA RAV4 ECM AND TRANSMISSION REPLACED IN MAY OF 2009. PAID OUT OF POCKET. REPLACEMENT WAS A REBUILT TRANSMISSION INSTALLED BY DEALER (VICTORY TOYOTA IN CANTON, MI) SECOND TRANSMISSION FAILED AFTER 17,000 MILES. PAID OUT OF POCKET AGAIN. NO HELP FROM DEALER OR TOYOTA CORPORATE. FOUND OUT THAT DEALER JUST SWAPPED TRANS, DID NOT ACTUALLY REBUILD TRANS. TOOK IT TO AN INDEPENDENT TRANS SHOP. INDEPENDENT DISCOVERED A WASHER MISSING THAT CAUSED THIRD GEAR TO STRIP (DEFECT IN SECOND TRANS). TRANS REPAIRED, BUT THEN GOT A HARD DOWNSHIFT INTO FIRST GEAR WHEN STOPPING, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND P0420 P0430 CODES. INDEPENDENT TRANS SHOP CLEARED CODES, AND TOLD ME THAT IF IT HAPPENED AGAIN TO HAVE DEALER RE-FLASH ECM. WORKED OK FOR ABOUT FIVE DAYS, THEN GOT THE HARD DOWNSHIFT INTO 1ST GEAR AGAIN. TOOK IT TO DEALER. NOW THEY SAY THE CHARCOAL CANNISTER NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. I WILL SUBMIT FOR RE-IMBURSEMENT UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY, BUT AM SEEKING REIMBURSEMENT FOR SECOND TRANSMISSION WHICH WAS A DIRECT RESULT OF THE FIRST ECM AND TRANS FAILING. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA RAV-4. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 10 MPH WHEN HE DISCOVERED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO GEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHERE THEY SUGGESTED THAT THE TRANSMISSION COMPUTER WOULD NEED REPLACING. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED YET THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED BY AN AUTHORIZED DEALER THAT THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION WOULD NEED REPLACING. THE DEALER REPROGRAMMED THE ECM IN 2007 BUT THAT DID NOT REMEDY THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD BE LIABLE FOR THE VEHICLE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 180,000. UPDATED 12/21/10*BF UPDATED 12/29/10

I BOUGHT A USED TOYOTA RAV4 IN 2007. LAST WEEK MY ECM (TRANSMISSION) COMPUTER MALFUNCTIONED. I GOT THE CAR FIXED BY MY TOYOTA DEALER, BUT FOUND OUT THAT THIS IS THE 3RD ECM COMPUTER REPLACED. MY CAR DID NOT ACCELERATE. IT WOULD NOT MOVE. AND IF THE SHIFT IS BUMPED THE SHIFTER WILL MOVE TO ANOTHER RGEAR. I AM SCARED TO DRIVE IT NOW. WHAT IF IT COMPLETELY STALLS. I COULD SEE ONE COMPUTER BUT 3!!! I WILL NOT BUY TOYOTA AGAIN. AFTER FINDING ARTICLES ON THIS ON THE INTERNET-SEEMS LIKE TOYOTA STILL HAS NOT FIGURED OUT HOW TO FIX IT. AND NOW THE QUESTION REMAINS-HOW GOOD IS MY TRANSMISSION AT THIS POINT? *TR

ON 06/05/10, MY PERSONAL VEHICLE (2001 TOYOTA RAV4) BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE TRANSMISSION SLIPPAGE WHICH DEVELOPED INTO "HARSH SHIFTING"; THIS PROBLEM WORSENED OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL WEEKS BUT, DUE TO THE CAR'S ELECTRONICS FAILURE (FROM A KNOWN MALFUNCTION WHICH TOYOTA WAS AWARE OF BUT FAILED TO EVER NOTIFY ME ABOUT) THIS WAS NOT IMMEDIATELY IDENTIFIED AS A TRANSMISSION-RELATED ISSUE. UPON FINALLY REACHING DANGEROUS LEVELS OF JERKING AND DECELERATING ON MAJOR HIGHWAYS, ETC., I FINALLY TOOK THE RAV4 TO A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP, WHERE THEY INFORMED ME OF AN ECM "RECALL" RELATED TO THE TRANSMISSION -- OF WHICH I HAD NEVER RECEIVED NOTIFICATION. THE REPROGRAMMING DID NOT WORK AND THE HARSH SHIFTING WORSENED. I HAD TO TAKE THE VEHICLE BACK ABOUT A WEEK LATER, AT WHICH POINT THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME I WOULD HAVE TO PAY TO REPLACE THE COMPUTER. I DID SO, ONLY TO RECEIVE A NOTICE 3 WEEKS LATER FROM TOYOTA HEADQUARTERS STATING THAT THEY KNEW ABOUT A "HARSH SHIFT" MALFUNCTION RELATED TO THE ECM IN 2001-2003 RAV4 MODELS. HOWEVER, ALL TOYOTA DID WAS EXTEND THE WARRANTY TO 150,000 (MY REPAIR WAS DONE AT 154,000) RATHER THAN ISSUE A SAFETY RECALL. THIS IS UTTERLY LUDICROUS, AS MY CAR HAD THE POTENTIAL TO JUST SUDDENLY STOP MOVING IN THE MIDDLE OF HEAVY HIGHWAY TRAFFIC, WHICH COULD HAVE RESULTED IN MY SEVERE INJURY OR EVEN DEATH. THE ISSUE APPARENTLY DEVELOPED AROUND 06/05/10 AND LED TO THE VEHICLE NEEDING TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT AS OF 08/21/10. THE HARSH SHIFTING TOOK PLACE OVER SEVERAL WEEKS BETWEEN THOSE DATES. *TR

ECM FAILED ON MY 2001 RAV4 AND TOYOTA REFUSED TO PAY FOR REPAIRS. WHEN IT FAILED IT PUT ME IN AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION. THIS WAS AFTER A RECALL ON THE ECM. SO I HAD ALREADY BROUGHT MY CAR INTO THE DEALER AND HAD THE ECM REPROGRAMMED. IF I HAD DIED IN AN ACCIDENT WOULD ANYONE HAVE CHECKED THE ECM TO SEE IT WAS NOT WORKING? I DEFINITELY COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED AND PEOPLE SHOULD NOT BE ON THE ROAD DRIVING THESE CARS THAT COULD AT ANY MINUTE START ACTING ERRATICALLY. *TR