2002 Toyota RAV4

I PURCHASED MY USED 2002 TOYOTA RAV4 ON 12/10/05 FROM SOUTH COAST TOYOTA OF COSTA MESA. SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING IT, I RECEIVED SOME KIND OF "ADJUSTMENT NOTICE" ASKING ME TO BRING THE CAR IN, WHICH I DID. I ASKED WHAT THEY NEEDED TO DO TO THE CAR, THEY WOULD NOT DIRECTLY ANSWER MY QUESTION AND SAID IT "WAS NOTHING, JUST A MINOR ADJUSTMENT." IN SEPTEMBER OF 2008, SHORTLY AFTER MY WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED AND MY CAR WAS JUST OVER 83,000 MILES, THE TRANSMISSION BEGAN SLIPPING COMPLETELY OUT OF GEAR WHILE I WAS DRIVING IT, AND THEN IT WOULDN'T SHIFT INTO GEAR, AND I WOULD SUDDENLY HAVE NO CONTROL OVER THE CAR SO I HAD TO STOP, AND THEN TRY TO GET IT IN GEAR, OR DRIVE HOME IN 1ST. I HAD TO DRIVE FROM 1ST GEAR OR 4TH. I WAS UNABLE TO DRIVE IT ON THE FREEWAY TO GET TO WORK, AND HAD TO STOP DRIVING IT ALL TOGETHER ON THE STREET. THE DEALER WOULD NOT REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. THE PRICE HE QUOTED ME TO "REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION AND ECU" WAS AROUND $4,500. I WAS FURIOUS, AS THE REASON I PURCHASED TOYOTAS WAS BECAUSE THEY DROVE 200,000 MILES AS LONG AS YOU PROPERLY MAINTAINED THEM, WHICH I ALWAYS DID. I WENT AND HAD TO PAY $2,593.00 AT IRVINE TRANSMISSION CENTER IN IRVINE, CA ON 9/24/08. AFTER REPLACING THE TRANSMISSION AND TEST DRIVING IT, IT WAS READY FOR PICKUP. WHEN THEY GOT IN THE CAR TO DRIVE IT UP TO ME, SUDDENLY THE NEW TRANSMISSION WOULDN'T SHIFT. SO, THEY RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM AND TOLD ME THE COMPUTER (ECU) APPARENTLY HAD TO BE REPLACED ALSO, AND THEY HAD DISCOVERED THROUGH ONLINE SITES THAT TOYOTA WAS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE. THE DEALER CHARGED ME $500 TO REPLACE THE ECU. THE DEALER SOLD ME A RAV4 THEY KNEW WAS HAVING TRANSMISSION AND ECU FAILURE. I WROTE TOYOTA A COMPLAINT. I BELIEVE I SHOULD BE REIMBURSED THE MONEY I AM OUT, AND THIS CAR SHOULD BE RECALLED WITH THE HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS, IF NOT THOUSANDS, THAT HAVE BEEN REPORTED. I REQUEST YOU TAKE ACTION! *TR

MY 2002 TOYOTA RAV4 BEGAN HAVING PROBLEMS SHIFTING IN APRIL 2010. IT WAS INTERMITTENT, AND WASN'T CAUSE FOR CONCERN UNTIL MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON IN MAY 2010. THE SYMPTOMS OF THE PROBLEM WITH MY VEHICLE ARE THAT IT STALLS, HESITATES, AND HAS A STOP / GO (JERKING) TYPE OF ACTION WHILE DRIVING IT. AT THAT TIME, I TOOK IT TO A SERVICE TECHNICIAN AT MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER WHERE I PURCHASED BOTH OF MY TOYOTAS. THEY TOLD ME THAT THE ECM HAD TO BE REPLACED AND WOULD COST AROUND 1,300 DOLLARS. MIND YOU, I HAD TO PAY 75 DOLLARS FOR THE DIAGNOSTIC CHECK. THE FOLLOWING WEEK, I TOOK MY RAV4 TO A LOCAL TRANSMISSION SHOP, HAD IT DIAGNOSED FOR A SECOND OPINION AND HE CONFIRMED THAT THE ECM UNIT WAS BAD AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, WHICH COST ME YET, ANOTHER 75 DOLLARS FOR THE DIAGNOSIS. HE ALSO INSTRUCTED ME NOT TO CONTINUE TO DRIVE THE CAR BECAUSE IT COULD POSSIBLY HARM THE TRANSMISSION. SINCE DOING SO, I HAVE BEEN DOWN TO ONE CAR FOR TWO AND A HALF MONTHS BECAUSE I SIMPLY DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO HAVE IT REPAIRED. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH ONLINE, I FOUND OUT THAT TOYOTA HAS KNOWN ABOUT THIS PROBLEM SINCE 2006. IT IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE WHEN ENTERING TRAFFIC, OR TRYING TO MOVE FROM A STOP LIGHT OR STOP SIGN, AS YOU DON'T KNOW WHEN THE CAR IS GOING TO SHIFT INTO GEAR OR NOT. TOYOTA HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL, NOR HAS NOT DONE ANYTHING TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE. I AM DISGUSTED THAT IN 2006 TOYOTA REALIZED THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH THE ECM, WHICH COULD RUIN THE TRANSMISSION. INSTEAD OF LETTING CONSUMERS KNOW ABOUT THIS ISSUE AS SOON AS THEY REALIZED, THEY SENT A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN TO DEALERSHIPS AND SERVICE AREAS, BUT FAILED TO LET THEIR OWN CUSTOMERS KNOW. ACCORDING TO INTERNET RESEARCH, THIS PROBLEM GENERALLY STARTS AROUND 90,000 MILES AND CAUSES CONSIDERABLE DANGER WITH JERKING AND SHIFTING PROBLEMS. ACCORDING TO INTERNET RESEARCH, THIS PROBLEM GENERALLY STARTS AROUND 90,000 MILES AND CAUSES CONSIDERABLE DANGER WITH JERKING AND SHIFTING PROBLEMS. *TR

2002 TOYOTA RAV4 STARTED JERKING AND SHAKING,, THEN SLOWING DOWN AT 111K MILES AT IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC CONCERNED FOR SAFETY, HAD TO PULL OVER AND CALL FOR A TOW TRUCK TO TOW CAR HOME. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP, BUT THEY SAID THAT IT COULD BE ECM, WHICH IS $1500, BUT NO GUARANTEES IT WOULD WORK. RESEARCHED ISSUE, AND FOUND OUT THAT THIS IS KNOWN ISSUE SINCE 2006, BUT TOYOTA DIDN'T NOTIFY OWNERS. *TR

I RECENTLY HAD A FAILURE OF THE CONTROL MODULE (ECU), I WAS TOLD BY MY MECHANIC THAT THIS PROBLEM CAME UP FREQUENTLY FOR RAV 4S OF YEARS 2002 AND 2003 AND THAT TOYOTA WAS AWARE OF THIS ISSUE SINCE 2006 ' BUT NEVER RECALLED THE CARS! AFTER SEARCHING ON THE INTERNET I NOTICED THAT THERE WERE HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS REGARDING EXACTLY THE SAME ISSUE AND EVEN A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT FOR THE SAME MATTER FILED IN 2009. THE REPLACEMENT COST ME $758.50 TO REPLACE (WITH A REFURBISHED ONE) AND I HAD TO RENT A CAR DURING THE REPLACEMENT PROCESS ' WHICH COST ME $131.32 ' THEREFORE A TOTAL OF $889.82. *TR

WHIPLASH AND CERVICAL DISC HERNIATION DUE TO NEGLIGENCE OF TOYOTA RAV 4 2002 TRANSMISSION AND ECM PROBLEMS. AROUND 4/20/10 I TOOK MY TOYOTA TO THIS DEALERSHIP DUE TO ONGOING JERKING AND FORWARD THRUST WHEN STARTING FROM A STOP POSITION, ALSO THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON. THEY KEPT MY TOYOTA FROM 4/19/10 TILL 4/21/10. RESET THE ENGINE STATING THAT IT IS O2 SENSOR PROBLEM AND REPLACED IT. ALSO DIAGNOSED TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS BUT I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP PERSONA,L" I DON'T WANT TO STAMP YOUR CAR AS CONDEMNED, TAKE IT BACK AND WHEN PROBLEM GETS WORSE BRING IT BACK" HE DID NOT WARN ME THAT IF I DID NOT GET IT CORRECTED RIGHT AWAY, I CAN BE JEOPARDIZING MY SAFETY AND SAFETY OF PEOPLE ON THE ROAD. IT IS APPARENT FROM THE PAPERWORK THEY HANDED ME THAT THEY HAD DIAGNOSED A SERIOUS PROBLEM AND SHOULD HAVE CORRECTED IT RIGHT AWAY. AROUND MIDDLE OF MAY THE PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION GOT WORSE, ON 2 OCCASIONS THE CAR STALLED COMPLETELY WHILE GOING AT 30 MPH AND THEN SEVERELY THRUST FORWARD AGAIN. IN ANOTHER 3-4 DAYS I STARTED EXPERIENCING SEVERE MUSCLE SPASMS AND HEADACHES. SINCE THEN I HAD BEEN TO ER, RECEIVED CT AND MRI SHOWING DISC PROLAPSE AND TEAR OF MY 2 VERTEBRAL DISCS. I HAVE BEEN RECEIVING PHYSICAL THERAPY, CERVICAL TRACTION, PAIN MEDICATION, CERVICAL COLLAR, AND AM SCHEDULED TO RECEIVE AN EPIDURAL INJECTION IN 2 WEEKS. I HAVE SEEN MY PCP TWICE, A NEUROLOGIST, 2 NEURO SURGEONS AND HAVE RECEIVED NUMEROUS MEDICATION, SOME WITH SERIOUS SIDE EFFECTS AND HAVE DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT THESE VISITS. I AM A PHYSICIAN AND DUE TO THIS PROBLEM HAVE MISSED DAYS AT WORK JEOPARDIZING MY CLINICAL CARE. YESTERDAY ALMOST GOT IN AN ACCIDENT WHEN MY CAR SLOWED DOWN INSTEAD OF ACCELERATING AND I ALMOST HIT ANOTHER CAR, THIS INCIDENT MADE ME REALIZE I CAN HURT OTHER PEOPLE IF I CONTINUE TO DRIVE THIS CAR. I TOOK IT IN TO DEALER TODAY AND THEY ARE GOING TO RUN A DIAGNOSIS ON IT AGAIN, AND IT MIGHT COST ME 6,000 DOLLARS. PLEASE HELP.*TR

2002 TOYOTA RAV4 TRANSMISSION FAILURE. THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN MAINTAINED EXCELLENTLY WITH ALL RECOMMENDED SERVICES PERFORMED AT TOYOTA DEALERS OR AUTHORIZED FACILITIES. IN 2009, TOYOTA SENT A RECALL NOTICE ABOUT A "FAULTY ECM" (ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE) AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN AND THE ECM WAS REPROGRAMMED. AFTER THIS SERVICE, THE CAR STARTED SHIFTING ERRATICALLY AND AS OF JUNE 26, 2010, THE TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY FAILED WITH 118,000 MILES ON THE CAR. TOYOTA KNOWS THAT THE ECM CAUSES THE TRANSMISSION FAILURE AND IS REFUSING TO MAKE THIS RIGHT. TOYOTA NEEDS TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE AND RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS LACK OF INTEGRITY AND FOR PUTTING CONSUMERS AT RISK OF DEATH OR INJURY, DUE TO TRANSMISSION FAILURES IN 2002 RAV4'S, CAMRY'S AND COROLLAS. GOOGLE THIS INFORMATION TO SEE THAT THIS IS BECOMING MORE COMMON WITH THIS MODEL OF CAR, NOW THAT THEY ARE REACHING 100,000 MILES. *TR

2002 TOYOTA RAV4 ALL OF A SUDDEN WOULDN'T SHIFT BETWEEN 3RD AND 4TH GEAR. TO OK IN IMMEDIATELY INTO DEALERSHIP TO BE CHECKED. SAID IT WAS THE ECM. IT WAS ALREADY TAKEN IN FOR RECALL AND IS ANOTHER MALFUNCTION OF SAME PROBLEM. IF YOU DRIVE IT WILL RUIN YOUR TRANSMISSION. I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED IN THE DEALERSHIP AS THEY ONLY SAID TO CALL TOYOTA. I HAVE DONE THAT AND AM WAITING A RESPONSE. THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS ON THIS AND 220,000 TOYOTA VEHICLE HAVE ISSUES. MY CAR ONLY HAS 56000 MILES ON IT AND SHOULD STILL BE COVERED BUT THEY STOP AT 8 YEARS. I AM 25 DAYS PAST WARRANTY. DUE TO THEM KNOWING AND ALREADY RECALLING THEM THEY SHOULD BE LIABLE. *TR

I PURCHASE MY VEHICLE A 2002 RAV4, AUTOMATIC, NEW. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED. APPROXIMATELY IN MARCH OF 2010 MY VEHICLE STARTING JERKING, I LOOK AT MY GAS GAUGE AND THOUGHT I MUST BE LOWER ON GAS THEN THE GAUGE IS SHOWING. I GOT GAS AND THE PROBLEM STOPPED. ABOUT 2 WEEKS LATER THE SAME PROBLEM. I GOT GAS AND THE SITUATION STOPPED. SPORADICALLY, IN THE 2 WEEK TIME FRAME MY VEHICLE SEEMED TO LOSE POWER. I DID TAKE MY CAR INTO MY MECHANIC AND HE HAD THE CAR AND DID TEST DRIVES WITH NO PROBLEMS. AGAIN, IN APRIL THE PROBLEM AROSE AGAIN AND THE CAR WHEN TO MY MECHANIC AND AGAIN THEY COULD FIND NO PROBLEM. ON APRIL 22, 2010 UPON LEAVING WORK I STARTED MY VEHICLE AND THERE WAS A HORRIBLE JERKING, SHAKING AND AT TIMES SEEMED TO HAVE NO POWER I FINALLY WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT HOME (1 MILE AWAY) WITH THE TIRES BARELY ROLLING DOWN THE ROAD. IMMEDIATELY, THE NEXT DAY I TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC AND AS WE WERE DOING A TEST DRIVE THE VEHICLE BEGAN THE JERKING, SHAKING AND LOST POWER, THE CAR WAS NOT OPERABLE ANY LONGER. THE DIAGNOSIS: TRANSMISSION BURNT AND NEW ECM (MY THIRD IN THIS VEHICLE). THE VEHICLES ENGINE CHECK LIGHT NEVER CAME ON OR ANY OTHER SENSORS IN THE VEHICLE. WHEN THE ECM WAS TESTED IT DID NOT DISPLAY ANY CODES OR PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE. I CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP AND EXPLAINED THE SITUATION AND WAS ADVISED I NEEDED TO BRING IT IN FOR THEM TO LOOK AT IT. I EXPLAINED TO THEM IT DOES NOT RUN AND NOT GOING ANYWHERE AND WOULD THESE (I WOULD HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED WITH AN EXPENSE OF ANYWHERE FROM $250 TO $300.00, A HOURS DRIVE AWAY) EXPENSES BE COVERED. RESPONSE "WARRANTY EXPIRED 60 DAYS AGO." AFTER MANY DAYS OF AN AGONIZING DECISION, I ADVISED MY MECHANIC TO GO AHEAD AND FIX THE CAR AT THE TUNE OF $3500.00, REPLACING THE ECM AND TRANSMISSION. THE VEHICLE IS STILL BEING REPAIRED AND I WILL HAVE IT BACK NEXT WEEK. *TR

MY 2002 TOYOTA RAV4 CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THE LIGHT WENT OFF A FEW DAYS LATER, BUT MY HUSBAND TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT. THE MECHANIC SAID THE ECU (COMPUTER) FAILED. A FEW DAYS LATER THE CAR HAD PROBLEMS SHIFTING, AND IT STARTED BUCKING ON THE HIGHWAY. I DID SOME RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET, AND CAME TO FIND OUT THAT THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECT WITH THE 2002 TOYOTA RAV4. THERE WAS A TOYOTA INTERNAL MEMO WRITTEN IN 2006 ADMITTING THE DEFECT. MY HUSBAND AND I BOUGHT THIS CAR BRAND NEW. THE CAR HAS ONLY 60,000. MILES ON IT. WE CALLED TOYOTA TO SEE IF THEY WOULD HONOR THE WARRANTY (WE ARE THREE MONTHS OVER THE WARRANTY) AND THE DEALERSHIP SAID NO, AND TOYOTA HEADQUARTERS GAVE US A CASE NUMBER, AND REFERRED US BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP. WE HAVE BEEN LOYAL TOYOTA CUSTOMERS. WE ALSO BOUGHT A 2007 TOYOTA SIENNA. IT IS UNCONSCIONABLE THAT A COMPANY IS PUTTING ITS CUSTOMERS AT RISK WITH A DEFECTIVE PART, AND THEN HIDING IT FROM THE VEHICLE OWNER. WE NEVER RECEIVED A MEMO ABOUT THE DANGER OF THIS VEHICLE. DOES SOMEONE HAVE TO BE KILLED IN ORDER FOR OUR GOVERNMENT TO GET INVOLVED? TOYOTA SHOULD BE ORDERED TO REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE PARTS THAT IT WILLFULLY SOLD TO ITS CUSTOMERS AND THEN TRIED TO COVER IT UP! *TR