2002 Toyota RAV4

AT 84,000 MILES THE CAR STARTED SURGING FOR NO REASON, STALLING WHILE MOVING ON THE HIGHWAY, AND STALLING WHILE APPROACHING INTERSECTIONS. HAPPENED TWO TO THREE TIMES DAILY, CAUSING A NUMBER NEAR MISS ACCIDENTS, REAR ENDS. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER WHO REPLACED THE COMPUTER. THIS WAS VERY DANGEROUS AND EASILY COULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. *TR THE CONSUMER STATED HE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION. UPDATED 07/26/10.*JB

2002 TOYOTA RAV4 HAS DEFECTIVE ECU WHICH HAS IN TURN FRIED TRANSMISSION...MY WIFE NOTICED PROBLEMS WHEN THE SHIFTING AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION ON A MERGE AND WAS ALMOST RUN OVER BY A SEMI-TRUCK. WE THEN TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHO TOLD US THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS NOT ON SO THEY COULD NOT DIAGNOSE AND ADVISED US TO DRAIN THE TRANSMISSION FLUID. 2 WEEKS LATER, MY WIFE WAS ON THE HIGHWAY AND THE TRANSMISSION SPONTANEOUSLY SHIFTED INTO LOW GEAR CAUSING HER TO SWERVE OFF ROAD. WE HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT WE NEED TO REPLACE THE ECU AND TRANSMISSION AT $5,000. I HAVE GONE ONLINE AND READ THAT TOYOTA HAS BEEN AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM FOR OVER 2 YEARS AND WILL NOT ISSUE RECALL AS NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE HAVE COMPLAINED...THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE MY WIFE WAS ALMOST KILLED!!! PLEASE ADDRESS WITH TOYOTA!! *TR UPDATED 03/22/10.*JB

THERE EXISTS A DOCUMENTED HISTORY OF ECM FAILURE IN THE 2002 TOYOTA RAV4 VEHICLES THAT IS CAUSING SHIFTING PROBLEMS IN THE TRANSMISSION. THIS DEFECTED PART NEEDS TO BE RECALLED AS NEEDING REPLACEMENT (NOT JUST "REPROGRAMMING" AS TOYOTA HAS TRIED TO DO). WHEN I BEGAN EXPERIENCING THESE PROBLEMS WITH MY 2002 TOYOTA RAV4 ON APRIL 17, 2009, I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC AND NO MATTER HOW HARD I PRESSED ON THE ACCELERATOR, MY CAR WOULD NOT GO. IT EVENTUALLY VERY SLOWLY BEGAN TO ACCELERATE BUT EVERY TIME I HAD TO STOP AT A LIGHT OR STOP SIGN, IT WOULD BARELY GO AGAIN. I WAS TERRIFIED THAT I WAS GOING TO GET HIT EVERY TIME I HAD TO CROSS OVER A STREET WITH ONCOMING TRAFFIC. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION...SOMEONE IS GOING TO GET IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT ONE OF THESE DAYS BECAUSE THERE IS NO WARNING WHEN THIS BEGINS TO HAPPEN - THE CAR JUST WON'T GO AT TAKEOFF. MANY OF US WHO OWN THE 2002 RAV4 HAVE WASTED HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS ON MISDIAGNOSIS OF THIS PROBLEM...I HAD THE TRANSMISSION FLUID FLUSHED, I HAD A TOP ENGINE CLEANING TO REMOVE BUILDUP IN THE THROTTLE, I WAS EVEN TOLD AT THE DEALERSHIP THAT MY CAR MAT WAS GETTING IN THE WAY OF THE ACCELERATOR AND THAT WAS ADDING TO THE PROBLEM. ONLY AFTER NONE OF THIS FIXED THE PROBLEM DID THEY COME BACK AND FINALLY SAY THAT THE ECM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED OR THE TRANSMISSION WOULD BE RUINED. THIS REPAIR IS GOING TO COST ME $1300.00 BECAUSE THE WARRANTY RAN OUT AT 80,000 MILES AND MY VEHICLE IS AT 84,000 MILES. I AM GOING TO FIX THIS CAR SO THAT I CAN TRADE IT IN (THE DEALERSHIP EVEN SUGGESTED THAT I TRADE IT- THEY MUST KNOW HOW SERIOUS THIS IS). I CAN'T TAKE THE RISK THAT THIS VEHICLE WILL BE SAFE TO DRIVE EVEN AFTER THE ECM IS REPLACED BECAUSE I'VE READ THAT THE NEW ECM MAY NOT COMMUNICATE CORRECTLY WITH THE OLD TRANSMISSION. THIS IS A DEVASTATING LOSS FOR THOSE OF US WHO BOUGHT OUR VEHICLES BASED IN LARGE PART ON THE TOYOTA REPUTATION FOR RELIABILITY. *TR

CAR SHUTTERED AND STOPPED ROLLING IN AN INTERSECTION, THEN ABRUPTLY WENT INTO GEAR AGAIN WITH A LURCH. TRANSMISSION SHOP REPLACED VALVE ASSEMBLY. PROBLEM RETURNED AND CAR WAS RETURNED TO SHOP. NEW VALVE ASSEMBLY INSTALLED, PROBLEM CAME BACK. RETURNED TO SHOP, TRANSMISSION REMOVED, REPLACED, 3 TIMES. SEALS REPLACED. SAME PROBLEM.ECM WAS SUSPECT. CAR WAS TAKEN TO LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER, WAS TOLD ECM WAS FINE, ECM WAS RE-PROGRAMMED AND WE WERE CHARGED $275.00. PROBLEM CONTINUED. LONG STORY SHORT-ECM WAS REPLACED, PROGRAMMED, AND PAID ANOTHER $1200. WORKS FINE. TOYOTA OWES ME BIG TIME. THEY KNOW OF THIS PROBLEM, AND IGNORE. I HAVE OWNED 5 TOYOTAS IN MY LIFE, AND HAVE AN FJ CRUISER AS WELL. WILL NOT CONSIDER TOYOTA IN THE FUTURE UNLESS THEY ADMIT THE PROBLEM, AND ASSIST IN REPAIRS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD REPEATEDLY SLIP OUT OF GEAR WITHOUT WARNING. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE ON-BOARD COMPUTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE IT WAS DEFECTIVE. THEY FURTHER STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS COMMON WITH HIS YEAR, MAKE, AND MODEL VEHICLE. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE REPAIR, THE FAILURE RESURFACED AND THE ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION BECAUSE THE ON-BOARD COMPUTER MECHANICALLY FAILED. AS A RESULT, THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AND WOULD COST $4,000 TO REPLACE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 126,605. UPDATED 6/8/09 *CN UPDATED 06/11/09.*JB

I BROUGHT MY RAV BRAND NEW IN 200. HAVE HAD NO PROBLEM WITH IT UP UNTIL A FEW DAYS AGO. IT WAS RUNNING JUST FINE BUT THE NEXT DAY I NOTICED THAT IT WOULD JERK WHEN I SHIFTED IN/OUT OF REVERSE. NOT ONLY THAT BUT IT HAD TROUBLE ACCELERATING AND WOULD JERK FROM 1ST TO 2ND GEAR. READ MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS ON THIS ISSUE VIA WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM/TOYOTA/RAV4/2002/TRANSMISSION/PROBLEMS_SHIFTING.SHTML AND FOUND THAT I AM NOT ALONE IN THIS PROBLEM....THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE.. I HAVE A FOUR YEAR OLD AND I AM SCARED OF DRIVING ANYWHERE BECAUSE IM SCARED OF PULLING OUT IN TRAFFIC FOR THE FEAR THAT THE CAR WONT MOVE AND I MAY GET HIT.....THIS NEED TO BE ADDRESSED....*TR

I BROUGHT MY RAV BRAND NEW IN 2002. HAVE HAD NO PROBLEM WITH IT UP UNTIL A FEW A YEAR AGO WHEN THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON INTERMITTENT. EVERY TIME I WAS GOING TO TAKE THE VEHICLE INTO GET CHECKED IT WOULD GO OUT. WHEN I ARRIVED AT MY PRESENT DUTY STATION I WAS DEPLOYED ALMOST IMMEDIATELY. WITHIN TWO MONTHS OF MY DEPLOYMENT MY WIFE TOLD ME THAT CAR WAS HAVING A HARD TIME MOVING AND COULD HEAR THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPING. SHE THEN TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE MECHANIC AND THEY TOLD HER THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS BROKE AND NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. ONLY 52000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. THE MECHANIC ALSO TOLD MY WIFE THAT THERE COULD BE A TSB OUT ON THE VEHICLE PERTAINING TO THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE, PART THAT TELLS THE TRANSMISSION TO SHIFT GEARS, "ECM"AND THERE WAS SEVERAL THAT PERTAINED THE PROBLEM AND WHAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. BEING IN ITALY SHE CONTACTED THE STATES REP FOR TOYOTA AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY COULDN'T LOCATE OUR CAR BECAUSE WE BOUGHT IT FROM A LICENSED DEALER "AMERICAN SPEC VEHICLE" FROM GERMANY. SHE THEN CONTACT THE AGENCY THAT IS AUTHORIZED TO SELL "AMERICAN SPEC CARS" AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE FELL UNDER THE WARRANTY AND THAT THEY "AMERICAN TOYOTA" SHOULD PAY FOR IT BASED ON AN AMERICAN TSB. CALLED TOYOTA AGAIN AND NOTHING. WHEN I CAME HOME, WE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND BECAUSE IT WAS AN AMERICAN TSB THEY WOULD CONSIDER THE REPLACEMENT. IN THE MEAN TIME THEY ASSURED US THAT THE VEHICLE WAS SAFE TO DRIVE AND BEING OUR ONLY VEHICLE MY WIFE WAS FORCED TO DRIVE IT. TOYOTA "ROME" OKED THE REPLACEMENT OF THE ECM, THE ACTUAL FAULT OF THE VEHICLE BUT HAS REFUSED TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION THE RESULT OF THE FAULTY PART. NOW THE TRANSMISSION IS COMPLETELY SHOT AND LOOKING ON LINE THOUSANDS OF AMERICAN CONSUMERS ARE PAYING THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS OUT TO REPLACE A PRODUCT THAT IS THE RESULT OF TOYOTA'S ENGINEERING FLAWS. I PERSONALLY FEEL THAT THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE THE TRANSMISSION AND THE REPLACEMENT. FURTHER INVESTIGATION IS REQUESTED. *TR

I STARTED HAVING ISSUES WITH MY CAR ON 6-20-2008. I WAS DRIVING MY CAR & NOTICED THAT WHEN I WOULD ACCELERATE IT WASN'T ACCELERATING PROPERLY. THEN I NOTICED THAT AS THE CAR WAS SHIFTING INTO 2ND GEAR IT WOULD STALL & THEN SUDDENLY SHIFT REALLY HARD INTO 3RD GEAR. SOMETIMES AS I WOULD ACCELERATE THE CAR WOULD START SHAKING & THEN SHIFT HARD INTO 1ST GEAR. THIS MADE ME VERY NERVOUS BECAUSE I WAS UNABLE TO KEEP UP WITH THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC & FEARED THAT THE PROBLEM WOULD CREATE AN ACCIDENT. THE PROBLEM SEEMED TO HAPPEN INTERMITTENTLY, BUT IT WAS HAPPENING MORE OFTEN THAN NOT. WE LOOKED AT THE TRANSMISSION FLUID THINKING IT MIGHT BE SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE TRANSMISSION DUE TO THE WAY IT WAS SHIFTING. WE CHECKED THE FLUID & FILLED THE FLUID. MY HUSBAND DROVE IT A LITTLE & IT DIDN'T ACT UP FOR HIM. SO I THOUGHT THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED. WELL THEN I STARTED DRIVING IT AGAIN & IT CONTINUED TO SHIFT HARD & NOT ACCELERATE PROPERLY. I HAD MY UNCLE LOOK AT IT & HE THOUGHT IT SOUNDED LIKE THE TRANSMISSION WAS NOT ENGAGING. SO I FINALLY TOOK IT TO A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THEM LOOK AT IT. OF COURSE ($84 LATER) THEY COULDN'T GET THE PROBLEM TO OCCUR. I WENT TO PICK THE CAR UP THE NEXT DAY & THEY SAID THEY FOUND A BULLETIN ON 2001-2003 TOYOTA RAV4'S THAT IF THERE WAS A HARD SHIFTING THAT THE ECM NEEDED REPLACING. $1500 LATER THE CAR IS FIXED. OF COURSE TOYOTA DOES NOT COVER THE COST OF THE PROBLEM BECAUSE IT WAS ONLY A BULLETIN & SUPPOSEDLY DID NOT CAUSE A SAFETY ISSUE & COME TO FIND OUT MY MANUFACTURERS WARRANTY IS PAST & MY EXTENDED WARRANTY DOESN'T COVER IT EITHER EVEN THOUGH IT'S A MAJOR PART THAT KEEPS THE CAR RUNNING & FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. I AM EXTREMELY DISSATISFIED WITH THE TOYOTA SERVICE & THEIR WAYS OF HANDLING PROBLEMS THAT ARE NOT THE CONSUMERS FAULT BUT TOYOTA'S MANUFACTURING FAULT. *TR