2001 Toyota RAV4

THE BRAKES SCREETCH WHEN APPLIED. THE SOUND IS PARTICULARLY STARTLING IF THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED QUICKLY. THIS SOUND IS NOT THE "WEAR SENSOR" SOUND (DEALER CHECKED BRAKES AND SAID THEY ARE FINE). THIS SOUND IS DIFFERENT THAN THE STANDARD SQUEKY BRAKES YOU HEAR ON SOME CARS AND IS VERY CONCERNING. THE WINDSHIELD WOULD RATTLE WHILE DRIVING (DEALER PUT IN A GASKET AND SOUND STOPPED).*AK

THE 2001 TOYOTA RAV4 HAS A SIGNIFICANT HESITATION PROBLEM UPON ACCERATION RESULTING IN, MY OPINION, AN EXTREMELY UNSAFE VEHICLE. AT RANDOM TIMES THERE IS VIRTUALLY NO POWER PRODUCED BY THE ENGINE FOR APPROX. 5-10 SECONDS WHEN THE ACCELERATOR IS DEPRESSED. THIS RESULTS IN A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION WHEN IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. THE DEALER, ADMITTING THERE IS A PROBLEM, CLAIMS THEY HAVE NO IDEA WHAT CAUSES IT, NOR DOES TOYOTA. I HAVE NARROWLY MISSED BEING HIT BY OTHER TRAFFIC WHEN I EXPECTED THE VEHICLE TO SMOOTHLY ACCELERATE OUT OF HARMS WAY WHEN IT DID NOT.*AK

I PURCHASED THE RAV-4 IN MID-JUNE. IT PULLED TO THE RIGHT, SO I TOOK IT BACK INTO MOLLE TOYOTA TO HAVE IT ALIGNED. I MOVED UP TO THE CHICAGO AREA THE NEXT DAY AND NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE STILL PULLED TO THE RIGHT. I MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO HAVE THE PROBLEM LOOKED AT BY LOMBARD TOYOTA IN LOMBARD, IL. AFTER THREE ATTEMPTS AND NUMEROUS CALLS TO TOYOTA'S CUSTOMER SERVICE THE CAR WAS ALIGNED AGAIN. WHEN I PICKED THE CAR UP, IT STILL PULLED TO THE RIGHT. I CONTACTED LOMBARD TOYOTA IMMEDIATELY AND THEY WERE OF NO HELP. I HAVE CALLED CUSTOMER SERVICE NUMEROUS TIMES AND IT HAS TAKEN 6 WEEKS FOR THEM TO AGREE TO LOOK AT THE CAR AGAIN. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO AN INDEPENDENT TIRE SHOP TO BE LOOKED AND THEY CONCLUDED THAT IT WAS NOT THE TIRES THAT WERE CAUSING THE PULL.*AK

I AM EXPERIENCING A 5 TO 10 SECOND DEAD SPOT IN THE ACCELERATION OF MY NEW RAV4 SEVERAL TIMES A WEEK. BASED ON INTERNET WEB PAGE FORUM POSTINGS, I HAVE FOUND OTHER NEW RAV4 OWNERS THAT HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT SLUGGISH ACCLERATION IS THE RESULT OF A NEW EMMISIONS CONTROL COMPUTER. THIS IS BEYOND SLUGGISH, THE CAR BARELY MOVES. PULLING INTO TRAFFIC, ACCROSS STREETS AND INTERSECTIONS, I AM AT RISK AND NEVER KNOW IF THE CAR IS GOING TO MOVE OR NOT. A NEW EMMISIONS CONTROL COMPUTER HAS BEEN INSTALLED IN RAVS SINCE 4/01 SO THIS PROBLEM APPEARS TO BE NEW. I'M NOT GETTING ANYWHERE WITH TOYOTA ON THIS, AND NEITHER ARE THE OTHER OWNERS THAT HAVE THIS PROBLEM.

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