NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Electrical System complaints
92 reportsClear category filter129,000 miles · Aug 19, 2019
Electrical SystemPower TrainUnknown Or Other
2002 RAV4 ECU SHIFTING PROBLEM (DTC CODE P0755). THE CAR JITTERS WHEN SWITCHING FROM GEAR 1 TO 2 AS WELL ON REVERSE. IT ALSO JITTERS WHEN IT DRIVES ON LOW GEAR. THERE IS AN WELL KNOWN PROBLEM WITH RAV4 2001-2003 BUT TOYOTA HAS FAILED TO RECALL IT, DESPITE BEING A SAFETY HAZARD AS IT HAS CAUSED ACCIDENTS AND BODILY INJURY. IT HAS…
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2002 RAV4 ECU SHIFTING PROBLEM (DTC CODE P0755). THE CAR JITTERS WHEN SWITCHING FROM GEAR 1 TO 2 AS WELL ON REVERSE. IT ALSO JITTERS WHEN IT DRIVES ON LOW GEAR. THERE IS AN WELL KNOWN PROBLEM WITH RAV4 2001-2003 BUT TOYOTA HAS FAILED TO RECALL IT, DESPITE BEING A SAFETY HAZARD AS IT HAS CAUSED ACCIDENTS AND BODILY INJURY. IT HAS THE HIGH LIKELIHOOD TO DESTROY THE TRANSMISSION.
NHTSA ODI #11244996
162,344 miles · Apr 10, 2019
Electrical SystemElectronic Stability Control (esc)
THE PAST COUPLE WEEKS MY CAR HAD BEEN LAGHING MORE AN MORE WHEN AT COMPLETE STOP. THIS PAST WEEK IT HAS BEEN THE WORST. WHENEVER I TRY TO ACCELERATE FROM.A COMPLETE STOP MY CAR WITH LAG AND JERK LIKE IT IS TRYING TO SHIFT INTO GEAR BUT CANT. WHEN I TOOK IT IN TO A TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST THEY SAID IT WAS MY ECM AND THAT THIS YEA…
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THE PAST COUPLE WEEKS MY CAR HAD BEEN LAGHING MORE AN MORE WHEN AT COMPLETE STOP. THIS PAST WEEK IT HAS BEEN THE WORST. WHENEVER I TRY TO ACCELERATE FROM.A COMPLETE STOP MY CAR WITH LAG AND JERK LIKE IT IS TRYING TO SHIFT INTO GEAR BUT CANT. WHEN I TOOK IT IN TO A TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST THEY SAID IT WAS MY ECM AND THAT THIS YEAR SPECIFICALLY HAS HAD PROBLEMS RECORDED FRON OTHERS WITH THE SAME ISSUES WITH THE EMC. ONE INCIDENT I HAD SPECIFICALY WAS WHEN INWAS TRYING TO GO UP A MOUNTAIN TO GET TO WORK MY RPMS WERE SPIKING AS MY RAV WAS TRYING TO SHIFT GEARS TO GET UP THE MOUNTAIN AND MY CAR STALLER OUT. I HAD NO CLUE IT DIED UNTILL I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE MOUNTAIN AND TURNING MY STEERING WHEEL BECAME A STRUGGLE. I HAD TO PUT ON MY E BREAK JUST TO STOP AND TRY AND TURN IT ON TO SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL SO I COULD GET DOWN THE MOUNTAIN. I HAVE HAD SERVERAL CASES WHEN I HAVE ALMOST BEEN RE ENDED BECAUSE OF THE JERKING HAS BEEN SO ROUGH.
NHTSA ODI #11195491
91,000 miles · Nov 23, 2018
Electrical SystemPower Train
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA RAV4. AFTER STARTING THE ENGINE, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT PROPERLY ACCELERATE WHEN DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO FRED ANDERSON TOYOTA (9101 GLENWOOD AVENUE, RALEIGH, NC) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE AND TRANSMISSION WERE FAULTY AND NEEDED T…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA RAV4. AFTER STARTING THE ENGINE, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT PROPERLY ACCELERATE WHEN DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO FRED ANDERSON TOYOTA (9101 GLENWOOD AVENUE, RALEIGH, NC) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE AND TRANSMISSION WERE FAULTY AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED, BUT NO ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 91,000. *TT CONSUMER STATED TRANSMISSION FAILED WHILE IN TRAFFIC, CAR WAS ABLE TO ACCELERATE PROPERLY AND WAS LONGER SHIFTING GEARS.*JB
NHTSA ODI #11153376
Mileage unknown · Feb 12, 2016
Electrical SystemEngine
FEDERAL EMISSIONS WARRANTY FOR THE ECM ON 2001-2003 TOYOTA RAV4'S PALM SPRINGS TOYOTA FAILED TO NOTIFY OR ADVISE THAT THIS MUCH NEEDED REPAIR NEEDED TO BE DONE, HOWEVER DID NOTIFY AND REPAIR THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS OF OTHER REPAIRS IN THE OPEN AVAILABLE AND ALLOTTED TIME FRAME THAT THIS ECM SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPLACED.
NHTSA ODI #10825802
115,000 miles · Dec 7, 2015
Electrical SystemUnknown Or Other
THE ECM WHICH CONTROLS THE TRANSMISSION FAILED.
NHTSA ODI #10808931
71,890 miles · Nov 6, 2015
Electrical SystemPower Train
CAR WENT INTO NEUTRAL WHILE NEGOTIATING AN INTERSECTION ON SEVERAL OCCATIONS. HAS BUCKED STALLED PULLING INTO TRAFFIC, AND FAILED TO SHIFT WHILE PASSING, IM TOLD ITS A KNOW PROBLEM WITH ECU, BUT TOYOTA CUT A DEAL AND DID NOT HAVE TO NOTIFY OWNERS! BOUGHT THIS CAR NEW NOW THERE TELLING ME 6000 TO 9000$
NHTSA ODI #10788776
95,000 miles · Jan 4, 2015
Electrical SystemElectronic Stability Control (esc)Engine
ECM MALFUNCTION. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10669913
150,000 miles · Nov 19, 2014
Electrical SystemEngine
MY MOTHER HAD THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE FIXED JUNE OF 2013. SHE HAD TO PAY FOR THIS REPAIR HERSELF BECAUSE TOYOTA REFUSED TO FIX IT, EVEN THOUGH THEY SENT LETTERS OUT TO PEOPLE SAYING THAT THEY WOULD COVER THE COST TO REPAIR THIS KNOWN ISSUE. AFTER 1900.00 LATER, SHE PAID FOR IT. A YEAR LATER I OWN THIS SAME VEHICLE AND THE SAME…
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MY MOTHER HAD THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE FIXED JUNE OF 2013. SHE HAD TO PAY FOR THIS REPAIR HERSELF BECAUSE TOYOTA REFUSED TO FIX IT, EVEN THOUGH THEY SENT LETTERS OUT TO PEOPLE SAYING THAT THEY WOULD COVER THE COST TO REPAIR THIS KNOWN ISSUE. AFTER 1900.00 LATER, SHE PAID FOR IT. A YEAR LATER I OWN THIS SAME VEHICLE AND THE SAME THING HAS GONE BAD. ITS JUST OUT OF THE WARRANTY. I ALMOST GOT HIT DUE TO THE CAR STALLING WHEN I PULLED OUT AT AN INTERSECTION. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM, AND IT WAS PAID FOR BY ANOTHER FAMILY MEMBER. YET IT HAS THE SAME ISSUE. TOYOTA NEEDS TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. HORRIBLE COSTUMER SERVICE. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10659408
94,000 miles · Oct 27, 2014
Electrical System
THE ECM MALFUNCTION. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10650460
88,970 miles · Dec 30, 2013
Electrical SystemPower Train
WE BOUGHT THIS CAR OFF MY MOM (WHO WAS THE ORIGINAL OWNER AND HAS TAKEN IMMACULATE CARE OF IT!) JUST TWO MONTHS AGO! OUT OF NOWHERE THE CAR STARTED TO EXPERIENCE "HARD SHIFTING". BECAUSE IT COULDN'T SHIFT LIKE IT SHOULD, IT WAS A ROAD HAZARD/SAFETY ISSUE! WE TOOK IT INTO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP THAT VERY DAY. THEY TOLD US IT WAS T…
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WE BOUGHT THIS CAR OFF MY MOM (WHO WAS THE ORIGINAL OWNER AND HAS TAKEN IMMACULATE CARE OF IT!) JUST TWO MONTHS AGO! OUT OF NOWHERE THE CAR STARTED TO EXPERIENCE "HARD SHIFTING". BECAUSE IT COULDN'T SHIFT LIKE IT SHOULD, IT WAS A ROAD HAZARD/SAFETY ISSUE! WE TOOK IT INTO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP THAT VERY DAY. THEY TOLD US IT WAS THE ECM AND MAYBE EVEN THE TRANSMISSION! THE APPROX. COST WOULD BE $1,100 TO REPLACE THE ECM, AND THOUSANDS MORE IF IT WAS THE TRANSMISSION. THEY SAID THEY WOULD HAVE IT DONE BY TUESDAY (CHRISTMAS EVE.) I STARTED RESEARCHING THE PROBLEM BECAUSE IT DIDN'T MAKE SENSE THAT THIS CAR THAT HAD SUCH LOW MILES WOULD HAVE THIS PROBLEM. WELL, I FOUND OUT THIS IS A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM WITH THE RAV4. TOYOTA KNOWS ABOUT IT AND HAS NOT RECALLED THIS PART! THERE WAS EVEN A LAWSUIT AGAINST THEM, BUT THAT ONLY LED TO AN EXTENSION OF THE WARRANTY TO 10 YEARS OR 150,000 MILES, WHICHEVER COMES FIRST! OUR CAR ONLY HAS 88,900 MILES BUT BECAUSE IT IS 11 YEARS OLD, IT WON'T BE COVERED BY A WARRANTY! WE ARE OUT $1,180 RIGHT AT CHRISTMAS TIME! AND THEY DID NOT GET THE CAR FIXED UNTIL DEC. 27TH! (KIND OF PUTS A DAMPER ON CHRISTMAS PLANS WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE YOUR CAR!):( I CALLED TOYOTA IN HOPES THAT THEY WOULD HELP US BECAUSE THEY KNOW THIS PART IS FAULTY, BUT I WAS MET WITH AN UNSYMPATHETIC RESPONSE! BASICALLY, "ITS OUT OF WARRANTY SO IT WON'T BE COVERED!" TOYOTA NEEDS TO RECALL THIS PART, AND REIMBURSE THOSE WHO HAVE ALREADY HAD TO FIX IT, NOT ONLY BECAUSE IT IS THEIR MORAL OBLIGATION TO DO SO, BUT ALSO BECAUSE SOMEONE COULD BE KILLED IF THEY DON'T! PLEASE RECALL THIS PART, BE DECENT HUMAN BEINGS, INSTEAD OF BEING WORRIED ABOUT YOUR BOTTOM LINE! THERE ARE MORE IMPORTANT THINGS THAN MONEY, TOYOTA! AS MAD AS I AM ABOUT BEING OUT THE MONEY TO FIX THIS PROBLEM (THAT TOYOTA KNEW ABOUT) I AM GLAD THAT I AM ONLY OUT THE MONEY, RATHER THAN MOURNING THE LOSS OF A LOVED ONE. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10557840