2002 Toyota RAV4

MY TOYOTA RAV4 (2002) WITH LESS THAN 90,000 MILES HAS BEEN SLIPPING AND IT HAS CAUSED ME TO BE IN SOME PRETTY RISKY SITUATIONS, SUCH AS NEARLY GETTING INTO A FATAL CAR ACCIDENT WHEN STOPPING AND TRYING TO PROCEED AGAIN AT STOP LIGHTS AND STOP SIGNS. APPARENTLY THE ECM IS CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE TRANSMISSION AND INSTEAD OF THEM TRYING TO FIX THE PROBLEM AS A COMPANY, THEY ARE RECOMMENDING ME TO SPEND OVER 4,000 TO FIX A PROBLEM THAT THEY HAVE FELL TO RESOLVE. IT HAS BECOME A FINANCIAL NIGHTMARE AND I DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN MY HOUSE AND MY CAR BECAUSE I NEED BOTH! *TR

NO PROBLEMS WERE APPARENT UNTIL OVERNIGHT THE TRANSMISSION APPEARED TO BE SLIPPING. INDEPENDENT MECHANIC CITED FAILING TRANSMISSION AS PROBABLE ISSUE. TOYOTA DEALERSHIP STATED THE ECM/ECU WAS FAILING. TURNS OUT ECM WAS DEFECTIVE IN THE MODEL YEAR OF THIS VEHICLE. TOYOTA' RESPONSE WAS TO "REPROGRAM/REFLASH" DEFECTIVE ECM. THIS ONLY POSTPONEDTHE FAILURE OF THE ECM. THE DEFECTIVE ECM WOULD SEND INCORRECT CODES TO THE TRANSMISSION STUTTERING OR HALTING SHIFTS THUS LEAVING THE VEHICLE EFFECTIVELY IN NEUTRAL. THIS STUTTERING/SLIPPING QUICKLY DESTROYS THE TRANSMISSION. THE FAILURE OF THE ECM WOULD NOT ALLOW THE TRANSMISSION TO SHIFT WHICH PUT US IN DANGER OF BEING IN A REAR END COLLISION WHILE TRYING TO GET ONTO BUSY HIGHWAYS OR STALLING IN AN INTERSECTION. THIS OCCURRED MULTIPLE TIMES IN THE TRIP TO THE DEALERSHIP ALONE (THE VEHICLE WENT IN THE NEXT OPEN BUSINESS DAY AFTER THE FIRST OCCURRENCE). THE FAILURE OCCURRED IN THE FIRST THREE GEARS. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE WHICH WAS GIVEN AN INEFFECTIVE SOLUTION. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE ECM AT A SIGNIFICANT COST TO THE CONSUMER. WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE DEFECTIVE ECM, THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT STATED THE REPLACEMENT OF THE ECM, ALTHOUGH AGREED TO BE DEFECTIVE, WAS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CONSUMER AND NOT TOYOTA. *TR

APPROXIMATELY 3 WEEKS AGO I BEGAN NOTICING HESITATION, JERKING, AND SLIPPING COMING FROM WHAT I THOUGHT WAS THE TRANSMISSION. WHEN THE PROBLEM CONTINUED, I TOOK IT TO A LOCAL BIG TEN TIRES TO SEE WHAT THEY THOUGHT. THEY THOUGHT IT WAS A DEFECTIVE ENGINE MOUNT. THAT DID NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. I REALIZED THEN IT WAS A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER THAT SOLD ME THE VEHICLE,AND THEY CONFIRMED THAT IT WAS A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM, BUT THEY TOLD ME TO LIVE WITH IT BECAUSE IT WAS INTERMITTENT! THEY DID NOT TELL ME IT WAS THE SAME PROBLEM THAT AT LEAST HUNDREDS IF NOT THOUSANDS OF 2001-2003 RAV 4 OWNERS ARE HAVING AS WE SPEAK, NAMELY, A DEFECTIVE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (SEE NEW YORK TIMES ARTICLE DATED 8/26/09). THE DEFECTIVELY DESIGNED ECM IS SENDING THE WRONG MESSAGES TO THE TRANSMISSION. THIS CAUSES THE TRANSMISSION TO MALFUNCTION. THIS PRESENTS TWO PROBLEMS: OVER TIME IT DESTROYS THE TRANSMISSION AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT IS A SAFETY HAZARD. ON TWO OCCASIONS I PULLED OUT IN TRAFFIC AND THE TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY (WITHOUT WARNING) REFUSED TO SHIFT FROM FIRST TO SECOND. THIS HESITATION ALMOST CAUSED OTHER VEHICLES TO HIT ME. IT FINALLY "JERKED" INTO GEAR AND I WAS ABLE TO AVOID THE COLLISIONS. HAD IT NOT DONE SO, I COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED. IT IS AN ABSOLUTE DISGRACE THAT TOYOTA HAS KNOWN ABOUT THIS PROBLEM SINCE AT LEAST AS EARLY AS 2006 WHEN IT ISSUED A TSB TO IT DEALERS PERTAINING TO THIS EXACT PROBLEM. I AM GOING TO BE HONEST. I ALSO THINK IT IS A TRAVESTY THAT TOYOTA HAS NOT BEEN FORCED TO MAKE A RECALL. TO CONCLUDE THAT THIS IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE IS FLAT OUT WRONG. JUST BECAUSE IT DOES NOT OCCUR ON THE "OPEN HIGHWAY" IS, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, LUDICROUS. I CAN BE JUST AS SERIOUSLY INJURED IF MY CAR IS HIT BY SOMEONE GOING 40 MPH BECAUSE I CAN'T GET OUT OF THEIR WAY. NO PARTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED. PLEASE DO THE RIGHT THING AND MAKE TOYOTA FIX THIS PROBLEM DO NOT LET THIS BECOME ANOTHER PINTO GAS TANK CASE. THANK YOU. *TR

MY 2002 TOYOTA RAV4 HAD ISSUES WITH THE ECU (COMPUTER) WHICH CONTROLS THE GEAR SHIFTING. THE SYMPTOMS ARE STALLING/PAUSING BETWEEN 1ST AND 2ND AND/OR 2ND AND 3RD GEAR. WHEN IT HAPPENS, PRESSING ON THE GAS HAS NO EFFECT - CAR DOES NOT ACCELERATE. OCCURS QUITE FREQUENTLY AFTER THE PROBLEM SURFACES. ON 10/8, AS I WAS TAKING A LEFT TURN ONTO A MAIN ROAD, I HAD A STALL AND COULD NOT ACCELERATE. THERE WAS AN ONCOMING CAR THAT HAD ENOUGH TIME TO STOP AND DID NOT HIT ME. I HAD MY MOTHER AND 14 MONTH OLD DAUGHTER IN THE BACK. I RESEARCHED THE ISSUE ONLINE AND FOUND THIS SAME COMPLAINT FOR HUNDREDS OF RAV4 OWNERS. THE ECU (COMPUTER) FAILS AFTER SIGNIFICANT MILEAGE (I'M AT 135K), CAUSING THE TRANSMISSION TO BE AFFECTED. IF THE ECU REPAIR DOES NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM, THE TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REBUILT. I HAD THE ECU RE-BUILT FOR $1,413 ($1200 FOR THE PART ALONE) AND IT SEEMS TO HAVE FIXED MY ISSUE. *TR

I HAVE A 2002 RAV 4 WITH 60K MILES AND THE ECM IS FAULTY AND IS CAUSING MY TRANSMISSION TO SLIP, FLARE UP, AND ALMOST GOT ME KILLED IN CAR ACCIDENT AD MY VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVE IN TRAFFIC UNTIL IT FINALLY GRABBED AND WENT FORWARD. NOW, I HAVE TO SPEND $4000 TO HAVE MY TRANSMISSION FIXED AT 60K MILES. I AM OUTRAGED THAT TOYOTA HAS NOT RECALLED THIS FAULTY COMPUTER ECM. IT'S DANGEROUS AND DEFECTIVE AND NEEDS TO BE RECALLED. I WILL BE CONTACTING AN ATTORNEY AS 1000'S OF OTHERS ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM AND DISCUSS A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT. *TR

MY 2002 TOYOTA RAV4 HAS A KNOWN DEFECT WITH THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE WHICH CAUSES THE TRANSMISSION TO GO BAD WHICH RESULTS IN THE CAR HESITATING AND JERKING WHICH ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND THEY REFUSED TO FIX ANYTHING BECAUSE THEY WILL ONLY FIX THIS FAULTY ECM IF THE CAR IN UNDER 80,000 MILES, MINE HAD 80,800. *TR

I HAVE A 2002 TOYOTA RAV4L. MY PROBLEMS STARTED YESTERDAY. THE CAR IS NOT SHIFTING PROPERLY. IT STALLS AS IF THE CAR WERE PUT INTO NEUTRAL AT 20MPH AND AGAIN AT ABOUT 40MPH. I WAS ALMOST HIT BY ANOTHER CAR BECAUSE MY CAR WOULD NOT MOVE WHEN THE GAS WAS PUSHED IT JUST REVVED THE ENGINE. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS CAR. I PURCHASED IT IN DEC OF 2006 AND AM STILL PAYING FOR THIS CAR. FROM WHAT I HAVE READ I HAVE THE SAME TYPE ISSUE AS MOST OTHERS- THE ECM. THIS IS UNSAFE AND TOYOTA NEEDS TO FESS UP. THEY KNEW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM IN EARLY 2006 BECAUSE A TSB WAS SENT OUT TO ALL TOYOTA DEALERS. IF WE HAD BEEN NOTIFIED OF THIS AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE OR IN 2006 THE 2002 WOULD HAVE MOST LIKELY STILL BEEN UNDER WARRANTY. THEY KEPT IT QUIET UNTIL NOW AND PEOPLE ARE CATCHING ON. I HAVE SENT A COMPLAINT TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE MY CAR WAS PURCHASED AND AM WAITING TO HEAR BACK WHAT THEY INTEND TO DO IN THIS CASE. I AM WILLING TO TAKE IT AS FAR AS I NEED TO GO TO MAKE THEM REPAIR THE CAR AT NO COSTS TO ME. FROM WHAT I HAVE READ IT WOULD COST MORE TO REPAIR THE CAR THAT WHAT THE VALUE OF THE CAR ACTUALLY IS AT THIS POINT. I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED AND WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER TOYOTA AGAIN BECAUSE OF THE DECEPTION AND THE INCONVENIENCE AND LACK OF CONCERN OF THE SAFETY OF THE CONSUMER FROM TOYOTA. *TR

AROUND THE 1ST OF JULY MY TOYOTA RAV 4 STARTING JERKING AND REFUSED TO GO INTO SECOND GEAR. THE RAV 4 HAS HAD ALL OF THE REGULAR REQUIRED MAINTENANCE AND SHOWED ABSOLUTELY NO SIGNS OF FAILURE. THE TRANSMISSION AND THE ECM WERE GOING OUT. I HAD MY 16 YEAR OLD GRANDSON IN THE CAR WHEN THIS HAPPENED. I DID NOT REALIZED THAT TOYOTA HAS BEEN AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM FOR AROUND 3 YEARS UNTIL I STARTED DOING SOME RESEARCH. THIS IS DEFINITELY A SAFETY HAZARD AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED BY THE TOYOTA COMPANY IMMEDIATELY. I AM JUST NOW LEARNING THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL HUNDRED TOYOTA CUSTOMERS THAT HAVE FILED COMPLAINTS CONCERNING THE SAME ISSUE BUT OF COURSE THE TOYOTA COMPANY WILL NOT REMEDY THE SITUATION. IF MY GRANDSON AND I HAD BEEN ON A BUSY HIGHWAY I DO FEEL THE OUTCOME WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH MORE DEVASTATING. *TR