2002 Toyota RAV4

I PURCHASED THE 2002 TOYOTA RAV4 NEW FROM THE DEALERSHIP. ONE DAY WHILE I WAS ON MY WAY TO WORK I ALMOST WRECKED BECAUSE THE DRIVE BELT GOT HUNG UP ON SOMETHING AND IT CHEWED UP MY DRIVE BELT. ALSO, I STARTED NOTICING EVERY TIME THAT I WANTED TO SPEED UP MY RAV4 WOULD HESITATE AND NOT GO IN GEAR. IF IT DID GO IN GEAR IT MADE A NOISE LIKE A GRINDING TYPE OF NOISE. I CALLED THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND THEY DID NOTHING. I CALLED THE TOYOTA MOTOR USA AND TOLD THEM ABOUT MY PROBLEM AND I WAS TOLD THAT TOYOTA DOES NOT MANUFACTURE ANY DEFECTIVE VEHICLES AND THEY REFUSED TO DO ANYTHING. THE I READ WHERE THERE HAD BEEN A RECALL ON ALL 2001, 2002 AND 2003 RAV4 TOYOTA VEHICLES BECAUSE OF FAULTY TRANSMISSIONS. I THEN SENT A LETTER TO TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION USA AND AGAIN THEY REFUSED TO DO ANYTHING. THE RAV4 HAS BEEN PARKED IN MY GARAGE AND IT HAS ONLY 35,000 MILES ON IT AND EVERYONE IN MY FAMILY IS AFRAID TO DRIVE IT. I THOUGHT THAT WHEN A CAR MANUFACTURER HAS A RECALL THAT THE MANUFACTURER HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO FIX THE DEFECT. IN MY CASE TOYOTA HAS REFUSED TO DO ANYTHING. CAN YOU AGENCY ASK TOYOTA WHY THEY HAVE NEVER OFFERED TO DO ANYTHING FOR A LEGITIMATE RECALL WHICH INVOLES THE PROBLEMS THAT I AM HAVING. THANK YOU.

PURCHASED THE 2002 TOYOTA RAV4 FOR $6000 FROM A 'REPUTABLE' MECHANIC. HIS NEPHEW OWNED IT. MECHANIC DID ALL THE WORK ON IT WHILE IT WAS OWNED BY NEPHEW. NEPHEW OWNED IT FOR 2 YEARS. I PURCHASED IT IN MAY 2014. FEBRUARY 2015 THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT. THROUGH MUCH RESEARCH & DIGGING FOUND A RECALL ON IT. TOYOTA STATED THEY FIXED IT IN 2007. FURTHER INVESTIGATION SHOW 2001 - 2003 RAV4'S ARE A PIECES OF JUNK. THIS CAR WAS TAKEN IN FROM THE PREVIOUS OWNER TO HAVE THE 'SHIFTING ISSUES' LOOKED AT IN MARCH 2012. SAID NEPHEW OWNED IT AT THAT TIME. NOONE CAN TELL ME THE MECHANIC & THE NEPHEW DIDN'T KNOW THERE WAS GOING TO BE PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION. FEBRUARY 16, 2015 THE CAR STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. HAD TOWED TO MY MECHANIC, WE WILL CALL HIM [XXX]. [XXX] SAID IT WAS THE TRANSMISSION, HE COULD TAKE THE TRANNY OUT & SEND IT TO HIS TRANSMISSION GUY FOR REPAIRS. TOTAL ESTIMATE: $ 3800. CALLED THE PREVIOUS OWNER, HE 'OH, I'M SORRY'. FAST FORWARD TO TODAY, APRIL 27, 2015. THE CAR HAS BEEN AT THE MECHANICS FOR 2 1/2 MONTHS. TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN REBUILT. HAD TO REPROGRAM THE ECM. HAVE GONE THROUGH 3 ECM'S, THE TRANSMISSION IS STILL SLIPPING BETWEEN 2ND & 3RD GEARS. [XXX] & THE TRANNY GUY TELLS ME IT IS THE COMPUTER. COMPUTER COMPANY SAYS IT IS THE TRANNY. SO MY CAR JUST SITS AT MY MECHANICS SHOP. IT CAN RUN BUT IF I RUN IT I RISK RUINING THE TRANSMISSION & IT NOT BEING COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. UP UNTIL THIS POINT I HAVE FORKED OUT $4100 FOR THE REPAIRS. (DOESN'T INCLUDE THE LOAN I HAD TO TAKE OUT FOR THE CAR). TODAY I AM GOING TO TAKE THE CAR IN & DEMAND IT GETS FIXED BY THIS WEEKEND, IF IT DOESN'T I'M GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE THEM TO SMALL CLAIMS COURT TO GET MY MONEY BACK SO I CAN HAVE IT REPAIRED PROPERLY. THE TWO PEOPLE I AM DOING BUSINESS WITH ARE SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS. I DON'T WANT TO TAKE THEM TO COURT BUT THEY ARE FORCING MY HAND. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

MY RAV4 STARTED HAVING ISSUE WITH THE TRANSMISSION. I BROUGHT IT TO A TOYOTA DEALER IN ESCANABA, MICHIGAN AND THEY TOLD ME I NEEDED A TRANSMISSION AND A BRAIN AND THE COST WAS OVER $4,000. I COULD NOT AFFORD AT THE TIME SO I WAITED A SHORT TIME BEFORE I COULD GET A LOAN TO REPAIR. AFTER IT WAS REPAIRED, IT STARTED ACTING UP AGAIN AND I BROUGHT IT BACK TO THE DEALER IN ESCANABA AND THEY TOLD ME IT WAS THE MOTOR THIS TIME AND I HAD DONE SOMETHING. IT WASN'T THE MOTOR. WHEN THE TRANSMISSION WAS INSTALLED, THEY BROKE THE FLYWHEEL, BENT THE CRANKSHAFT AND THE TRANSMISSION PUMP WAS WELDED TO THE TRANSMISSION. THE DEALER REPAIRED FOR FREE THIS TIME. NOW, THE TRANSMISSION IS LEAKING IN TWO DIFFERENT AREAS. I HAVE HAD MONTHS WITHOUT A VEHICLE AND LOTS OF EXPENSES INCURRED. I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED IN MY RAV4 AND THE DEALERSHIP IN ESCANABA. *TR

CAR SEEMED TO STRUGGLE GETTING TO 1ST GEAR THEN LURCHED INTO 4TH GEAR. STRUGGLED TO GET IT DRIVEN TO THE DEALERSHIP. ENDED UP BEING A FAILURE OF ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE (ECM), FAILED CODE PO 755. THIS WAS COVERED UNDER A WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT OF A NHTSA ID#10037585 KNOWN PROBLEM THAT EXPIRED AFTER 10 YEARS FROM PURCHASE OR 150,000 MILES. I PURCHASED THE CAR NEW IN 2003 FROM THE SAME DEALERSHIP THAT DID THE REPAIR. TOYOTA CORPORATE OFFICE WOULD NOT OFFER ANY HELP IN FIXING THIS KNOWN MALFUNCTION PROBLEM EVEN THOUGH MY MILEAGE WAS LESS THAN 43,000 MILES. I FEEL A KNOWN SAFETY ISSUE SHOULD BE ADDRESSED IN SOME WAY BY TOYOTA BEYOND THEIR STRINGENT TIME LIMITS. 1-9-2015 COST TO REPLACE ECM...$1,435....WITH NO GUARANTEES IT DID NOT RUIN THE TRANSMISSION. *TR

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

MY DAUGHTER PURCHASED A USED 2002 RAV4 AS HER FIRST CAR IN 2010. IT HAD ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS WITHIN MONTHS OF PURCHASING. SHE ALSO HAD TRANSMISSION ISSUES WHERE IT WOULD NOT GO INTO GEAR OR IT WOULD ACT SLUGGISH WHILE DRIVING ON THE CALIFORNIA FREEWAYS. IT WAS VERY DANGEROUS, ESPECIALLY FOR A YOUNG DRIVER. WE LEARNED OF THE CLASS ACTION SUIT FOR THIS ISSUE AND GOT ON BOARD WITH IT. UNFORTUNATELY WE LOST, AS WE KNEW WE WOULD, SINCE TOYOTA DOES NOT WANT TO STAND BEHIND ITS WARRANTIES OR TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS. WE PAID FOR A TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT SO SHE COULD SAFELY DRIVE THIS VEHICLE AND THE TSB CLEARLY STATES THAT ANY PRIOR OUT-OF-POCKET REPAIRS RELATED TO THIS ISSUE WOULD BE REIMBURSED. EVEN THOUGH WE EVENTUALLY HAD THE ECM AND TRANSMISSION REPLACED AT THEIR EXPENSE, SHE WAS TO BE REIMBURSED FOR THE PRIOR WORK DONE BUT WAS NOT. WE WILL NEVER PURCHASE ANOTHER TOYOTA PRODUCT. TOO MANY RECALLS AND ISSUES. AND THEY DO. NOT. HONOR. THEIR. AGREEMENTS. I KNOW WE AREN'T THE ONLY ONES....THERE ARE LEGIONS OF DISSATISFIED CONSUMERS. SOMETHING THIS DANGEROUS SHOULD BE ADDRESSED. NEVER HAD THESE PROBLEMS WITH FORD OR PONTIAC VEHICLES. *TR

I PURCHASED MY 2002 TOYOTA RAV4 SUV IN AUGUST OF 2002. EVER SINCE I BOUGHT THE RAV4 SOMETHING HAS BEEN WRONG WITH IT. THE FIRST 3-MONTHS THAT I HAD THE RAV4 THE DRIVE BELT WAS CHEWED UP AND ALMOST CAUSED ME TO WRECK. THE TRANSMISSION STARTED MAKING FUNNY NOISES LIKE A GRINDING SOUND AND THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT SHIFT. SOMETIMES I WOULD JUST HAVE TO PULL OFF OF THE ROAD BECAUSE THE RAV4 TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT SHIFT. I CALLED AND TALKED WITH THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH MY RAV4. I FINALLY JUST PARKED IT BECAUSE MY WIFE WOULD NOT DRIVE IT AND I WOULD NOT DRIVE IT. TOYOTA WOULD NOT FIX MY VEHICLE NOR WOULD THE DEALERSHIP. MY BROTHER-IN-LAW SAID THAT HE WOULD TRY TO FIND A USED TRANSMISSION AND PUT IT IN MY NEW RAV4 SUV. THE USED TRANSMISSION WAS PURCHASED AT A CAR PARTS AND SALVAGE PLACE FOR $1,700.00 AND MY BROTHER-IN-LAW PUT THE USED TRANSMISSION INTO MY NEW TOYOTA RAV4 SUV. I HAVE CONTACTED TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION SEVERAL TIMES AND THEY SAID THAT THEY ARE NOT GOING TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT PAYING ME FOR THE USED TRANSMISSION THAT I HAD TO PURCHASE. CAN YOU SEE IF TOYOTA WILL LISTEN TO YOU ABOUT MY COMPLAINT? THAN K YOU. *TR

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING TO A DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT AND, WHILE ON THE "ON RAMP" TO THE INTERSTATE, THE CAR WOULD NOT SHIFT FROM 2ND TO THIRD GEAR (IT'S AN AUTOMATIC TRANS). WITH THE ENGINE REVVING SHE LOOKED DOWN TO CHECK TO ASSURE IT WAS IN DRIVE ABOUT THE TIME IT LURCHED INTO 3RD, THEN SOON LURCHED INTO 4TH. COMING HOME SHE SHIFTED BETWEEN DRIVE AND NEUTRAL TO TRY TO MAINTAIN A SAFE SPEED, SAVE THE TRANSMISSION AND ENGINE, WHILE ALLOWING HER TO GET HOME. THE DEALERSHIP QUOTED $989 TO REPLACE THE ECM (COMPUTER), BUT COULDN'T ASSURE THE TRANSMISSION WOULDN'T LATER NEED TO BE REPLACED. TOYOTA CORPORATE WAS NOT HELPFUL. I HAD RECORDS FROM THE PREVIOUS CAR OWNER THAT TOYOTA ISSUED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY TO REPLACE THE ECM FOR 10 YEARS OR 150,000 MILES AS A RESULT OF A CLASS ACTION SUIT, "IF THEY FELT IT WAS WARRANTED." I ALSO HAD DOCUMENTATION THAT THE ECM WAS "REPROGRAMMED" AT 72K MILES. MY CONTENTION WAS THE ECM SHOULD'VE BEEN REPLACED, NOT REPROGRAMMED, BUT WAS TOLD THAT THE REPROGRAMMING WAS DONE TO CORRECT A DIFFERENT PROBLEM. I ASKED IF I COULD SPEAK TO SOMEONE ELSE AT CORPORATE AND WAS TOLD EVERYONE WOULD GIVE ME THE SAME RESPONSE SINCE IT IS THEIR COMPANY POSITION. THE INTERNET IS FULL OF OWNERS WHO REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION FIRST, ONLY TO FIND THE ECM CAUSED THE NEWER TRANSMISSION TO FAIL ALSO, OR OWNERS WHO REPLACED THE ECM ONLY TO FIND THAT THE TRANSMISSION ALSO NEEDED REPLACEMENT. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT TOYOTA IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. I BELIEVE THEY HAVE FAILED TO ADEQUATELY PROTECT OWNERS BY CREATING A RECALL TO ALLOW OWNERS TO GET THIS FIXED PRIOR TO SCARY AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SHIFTING PROBLEMS. THE INTERNET IS ALSO FULL OF PEOPLE WHO CLAIM TO WANT TO ENTER ANOTHER CLASS ACTION SUIT, BUT I AM HOPING TOYOTA APPRECIATES THEIR CUSTOMERS ENOUGH THAT LAW SUITS WOULDN'T BE REQUIRED TO GET THEM TO DO THE RIGHT THING. BUT, I'M LOSING HOPE. *TR