2001 Toyota RAV4

ENGINE CONTROL MODULE AND AUTO TRANSMISSION FAILURE. BOUGHT RAV USED JULY 2007 WITH 109,230 MI. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON (HAS REMAINED ON) BUT WAS DIAGNOSED AS O2 SENSOR & RAV OPERATED PERFECTLY (LIVE WHERE EMISSIONS CHECK NOT REQUIRED). MAY 2009 TRANNY STARTED ALTERNATING BETWEEN WORKING GOOD, SHIFTING ROUGH, SLIPPING BETWEEN GEARS, AND NOT DOWNSHIFTING AT SLOW DOWN OR STOP. HAD MECHANIC WITH OVER 15 YRS EXPERIENCE AT TOYOTA DEALERSHIP CHECK IT (AFTER HOURS). HE WAS UNAWARE OF CONNECTION TO FAULTY ECM SO WE THOUGHT TRANY WAS BAD & HE FLUSHED TRANNY. THAT REDUCED FREQUENCY OF SYMPTOMS BUT DID NOT STOP THEM. WE STILL THOUGHT PROBLEM WAS MECHANICAL & TRANNY REBUILD/REPLACE WAS INEVITABLE & I DROVE IT LONGER TO SAVE UP MONEY FOR REPAIRS. I LIVE ON A SEMI-RURAL OHIO STATE ROUTE WITH 55MPH POSTED LIMIT & 65MPH AVERAGE SPEED. I HAD NUMEROUS NEAR MISSES WHEN THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE PROPERLY OR BEGAN TO ACCELERATE NORMALLY THEN SLIPPED, HESITATED, OR REFUSED TO SHIFT. MY 18YR OLD SON DROVE THE RAV IN DEC & PULLED OUT OF OUR DRIVEWAY IN FRONT OF A SEMI TRACTOR TRAILER RIG WITH WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN SAFE DISTANCE EXCEPT THAT THE RAV DECIDED NOT TO ACCELERATE. THE TRUCK WAS ABLE TO PASS, BUT HAD THERE BEEN ONCOMING TRAFFIC, IT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SLOW ENOUGH IN TIME. INTERMITTENT SYMPTOMS CONTINUED UNTIL 12/14/09 WHEN 2ND & 3RD GEAR BURNED OUT & I DROVE HOME 20 MILES IN 1ST. JUST PARTS THRU TOYOTA WILL COST $2000 FOR REBUILT TRANNY PLUS $1000 FOR ECM. INDEPENDENT REPAIRMEN CAN FIX THE ECM FOR $65. HAD I AT LEAST KNOWN ROOT CAUSE OF THE SYMPTOMS WAS ECM NOT TRANNY (TOYOTA'S KNOWN SINCE 2006 OR BEFORE) I COULD HAVE SAVED $4-5K & AVOIDED 7 MONTHS OF RISKY DRIVING. I CHALLENGE ANYONE WHO THINKS THIS IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE TO DRIVE ONE OF THESE AND RELY ON IT WHEN IT FAILS IN 65MPH TRAFFIC. OR WE CAN WAIT UNTIL SOMEONE IS KILLED WHERE THERE IS ENOUGH EVIDENCE TO SHOW THIS PROBLEM WAS THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT AND NOT POOR DRIVER JUDGMENT. *TR

MY TRANSMISSION STARTED SLIPPING AND BUCKING IN AUG. 2009. THE CAR WOULD LOOSE POWER AND ALMOST STALL OUT. WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY I CAME CLOSE TO BEING REAR ENDED DUE TO LOSS OF POWER. I HAD TAKEN MY CAR IN TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT AND WAS TOLD THAT I DIDN'T HAVE CODES SO THEY COULD NOT TELL ME WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS AND WOULD HAVE TO WAIT FOR IT TO HAPPEN AGAIN OR BRING IT BACK WHAT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. BEFORE I LEFT THE LOT THE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE CODE P0755 WAS THE CODE USED TO REPAIR THE CAR. THIS HOWEVER DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM, AND I BEGAN TO DO SOME RESEARCH AND IT SEEMS THAT THIS HAS BEEN AN ISSUE FOR MANY OTHERS WITH A 2001-2003 RAV4. I CALLED THE TOYOTA COMPANY AND WAS TOLD THAT THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE, BUT BECAUSE MY CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY THEY WOULD NOT HELP FIX THE ISSUE. DUE TO THE FACT THAT THIS IS THE ONLY CAR I HAVE AND NEEDED TO GO TO WORK I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO PAY TO GET THE CAR REPAIRED. I FEEL THAT THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT TOYOTA NEEDS TO ADDRESS ALONG WITH THE CURRENT ISSUES THEY ARE HAVING WITH THE RECALL MODELS NOW. JUST BECAUSE NO ONE HAS DIED FROM THIS ISSUE DOES NOT MEAN NO ONE WILL, IF THE OWNER DOES NOT KNOW ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND ARE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WITH THEIR FAMILIES IN THE CAR WITH THEM. *TR

I BOUGHT MY 2001 TOYOTA RAV 4 IN 2004. IN JULY 2009, MY TRANSMISSION STARTED SLIPPING AND BUCKING. I HAVE DONE SOME RESEARCH AND IT SEEMS THAT THIS HAS BEEN AN ISSUE FOR MANY OTHERS WITH A 2001-2003 RAV4. IT IS TERRIFYING TO DRIVE THIS VEHICLE BUT IT'S ALL I HAVE. IT WOULD COST ME MORE TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION THAN IT WOULD TO JUST PAY IT OFF. I AM CONCERNED THAT I WILL HAVE AN ACCIDENT, AS I DO A LOT OF COMMUTING. I AM SO DISAPPOINTED THAT I HAVE INVESTED SO MUCH MONEY IN THE MAINTENANCE OF THIS UNRELIABLE VEHICLE. I HEARD ABOUT TOYOTA'S RECALL ON THE NEWS YESTERDAY AND I AM DISGUSTED THAT TOYOTA HAS NOT ADDRESSED THIS ISSUE. THIS SHOULD BE AS PERTINENT AS A FAULTY ACCELERATOR. I BOUGHT MY TOYOTA BECAUSE I HAD HEARD THAT THEY HAD A REPUTATION FOR SAFE, WELL-MADE VEHICLES. MY LIFE IS PUT ON THE LINE EVERYTIME I HAVE TO DRIVE THAT CONTRAPTION, AND I EXPECT THAT IF NOTHING IS DONE ABOUT THIS ISSUE TO ENSURE A COMPENSATION OR EXTENDED WARRANTY OF SOME KIND, TOYOTA WILL LOSE MY BUSINESS( AMONG MANY, MANY OTHERS, I'M SURE.). MORE IMPORTANTLY, EVERYTIME ANYONE WHO IS HAVING THIS ISSUE WITH A TOYOTA RAV 4 GETS IN THE CAR, THEY ARE INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY OR DEATH CAUSED BY AN ACCIDENT FROM THIS CHEAP, FAULTY, UNRELIABLE TRANSMISSION. PLEASE CONSIDER THIS ISSUE WHEN REVIEWING TOYOTA'S LACK OF CONCERN FOR THEIR DRIVER'S SAFETY. I AM SURE THAT SOME BIGWIG IS SITTING IN AN OFFICE SOMEWHERE, PROFITING FROM THE MONEY THAT TOYOTA SAVED BY USING DEFECTIVE PARTS. *TR

IN OUR 2001 TOYOTA RAV4 WE RECENTLY BEGAN EXPERIENCING DIFFICULTY TRANSITIONING BETWEEN GEARS. THE CAR JERKS AND TAKES A MOMENT TO SHIFT. WE TOOK IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP AND WERE TOLD THAT THE COMPUTER AND TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACE. UPON RESEARCHING THIS I HAVE FOUND HUNDREDS ON CASES OF THE SAME THING HAPPENING TO 2001-2003 RAV4 OWNERS. *CN

I HAVE AN AUTOMATIC 2001 RAV4. WHILE DRIVING WE NOTICED THE HARD SHIFTING INTO DIFFERENT GEARS. THEN IT STARTED TO LURCH AND STALL. IT HAPPENED SPORADICALLY. THEN WITHIN A WEEK'S TIME EVERY INSTANCE YOU DROVE IT THIS HAPPENED. IT TOOK TWO TIMES BEFORE MY MECHANIC SAW THAT IT NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION, AND A NEW COMPUTER THAT TALKS TO THE TRANSMISSION(ECM ENGINE CONTROL MODULE) WHICH THEY INSTALLED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA RAV 4. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A NOISE IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT ALSO OBSERVED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVING ABNORMAL. THE DEALERS DIAGNOSIS CONFIRMED THAT THE TRANSMISSION AND COMPUTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS NEVER ILLUMINATED ON THE DASHBOARD INDICATING THAT THERE MIGHT BE A FAILURE. REGULAR MAINTENANCE HAS CONSISTENTLY BEEN MAINTAINED BY THE DEALER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIRS SINCE THIS WAS A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,500. UPDATED 03/04/10. *LJ UPDATED 09/30/10*JB

I HAVE 2001 TOYOTA RAV4. I BROUGHT THIS VEHICLE IN 2001 AT MOLLE TOYOTA, KANSAS CITY, MO 64114. I AM THE FIRST OWNER OF THIS VEHICLE. TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY FAILED WHILE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE, AND IT IS SNOWING ON THAT DAY. LUCKILY THERE ARE NO VEHICLES BEHIND MY SUV. THIS VEHICLE ONLY HAS 61000 MILES. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I HAD ANY PROBLEM ON THIS VEHICLE AND IT'S A BIG ONE. I USE THIS VEHICLE DAILY TO DROP MY KID AT SCHOOL. I AM FILING THIS COMPLAINT AS A SAFETY CONCERN. REPORTED THIS PROBLEM TO TOYOTA. THEY TOLD BE TO FILE A COMPLAINT HERE AS WELL. *TR

2001 TOYOTA RAV 4 WITH FAULTY ECM CAUSING JERKY AND UNRESPONSIVE SHIFTING, LEADING TO DANGEROUS HIGHWAY SITUATIONS WHEN VEHICLE IS NOT RESPONSIVE AND FORWARD MOTION IS UNSURE NECESSITATING PULLING OVER ONTO THE SHOULDER. TOYOTA RESPONSE IS REPLACING THE ECM FOR $1135 AND POSSIBLY REPLACING TRANSMISSION FOR $4032. THIS IS THE SAME COMPLAINT AS MANY OTHER RAV4 OWNERS. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS SITUATION. [XXX], CA. *TR PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).*CC