2002 Toyota RAV4

MY TOYOTA RAV4 2002 SEEMS TO HAVE A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. I HAVE NOTICED 2-3 TIMES A DIFFICULTY IN SHIFTING FROM REVERSE TO 1ST GEAR. HOWEVER, ON THE DAY OF THIS INCIDENT, I WAS DRIVING IN TRAFFIC AT ABOUT 20 MPH. I TRIED TO ACCELERATE TO KEEP UP WITH TRAFFIC AND MY CAR WOULD NOT- IT STARTED TO SHUTTER. I HAVE READ ONLINE THAT MANY OTHERS HAVE THIS PROBLEM AND IT IS A DEFECT WITH TOYOTA RAV4S MADE IN THAT YEAR. I DO NOT WANT TO HAVE TO PAY TO HAVE THIS FIXED, AND THAT WAS A DANGEROUS SITUATION TO BE IN WHEN I AM IN TRAFFIC. *TR

TOYOTA RAV4 STARTED SLAMMING INTO GEAR. WHILE DRIVING I WOULD HAVE MY FOOT DOWN ON ACCELERATOR AND THE VEHICLE WOULDN'T GO INTO GEAR AND WHEN IT FINALLY DID IT WOULD LURCH FORWARD WHILE SLAMMING IN GEAR. I WAS TOLD BY MY MAINTENANCE MECHANIC THAT THERE WAS A TBS ON THIS VERY PROBLEM HOWEVER WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY TOLD ME 1ST. "SOMEONE ALREADY REPLACE IT (WHICH WASN'T THE CASE THEN 2. "IT MUST HAVE BEEN CAUGHT AT THE FACTORY". THERE ARE OVER 200 COMPLAINTS REGARDING THE VERY PROBLEM AND TOYOTA'S IRRESPONSIBLE RESPONSE TO THE PROBLEM. I HAVE NOW BEEN TOLD THAT THEY WILL "START WITH REPLACING THE GROUNDING WIRES" AND "GO FROM THERE". I HAVE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT EXPIRES IN JULY 2009. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND I FEEL THAT TOYOTA (BASED ON ALL THE COMPLAINTS FOUND) WILL CONTINUE TO NICKEL AND DIME ME WITH NON-WARRANTY CHARGES AND THEN WHEN THE REAL PROBLEM IS ADDRESSED FOR THE POWER TRAIN MY VEHICLE WILL BE OUT OF WARRANTY. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER AND MY VEHICLE ONLY HAS 47,315 MILES ON IT. THE REFERENCE NUMBER FOR THE TSB IN THIS CASE IS TC002-06 FROM 3-06/ THE DEALERSHIPS I SPOKE TO WERE UNAWARE OF THE TBS UNTIL I BROUGHT IN A COPY OF IT. THE CODES FOR THIS PROBLEM DON'T EVEN SHOW UP. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT NHTSA IS LOOKING FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM TO ESTABLISH A NEED FOR AN INVESTIGATION. PLEASE CONSIDER ME AS ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE. I TRULY FEEL THIS PROBLEM IS NOT ONLY A COSTLY ONE BUT A EXTREME SAFETY CONCERN AS YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN THIS PROBLEM WILL HAPPEN. *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 HAVE A TOYOTA RAV4 2002-IN MAY 2006 I WENT TO MILITARY TRAINING SCHOOL, I GOT BACK OCT 2006 WHILE DRIVING MY ENGINE FAILED ON THE HWY. I TOOK IT TO TOYOTA AND THEY TOLD ME IT WAS 420 MILES OVER THE WARRANTY AND IT WAS NOT COVERED. I DID ALL MY REQUIRED UPKEEP AND MAINTENANCE AND TO MY SURPRISE IT HAD OIL SLUDGE. HE CLAIMS ITS FROM SITTING BUT ALOT OF VEHICLES SIT AND DO NOT HAVE PROBLEMS ESPECIALLY MILITARY MEMBERS THAT ARE DEPLOYED. I HAD TO PAY 3989.00 FOR A USED ENGINE. AFTER RESEARCHING AND FINDING OUT 2001 -03 CAMRY AND LEXUS HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS AND WERE RECALLED. I FOUGHT GOT AND ATTORNEY AND STILL NO RECALL. I HOPE TO HAVE A CIVIL LAWSUIT WITH TOYOTA BECAUSE OF THIS BUT IT NEVER HAPPENED. MARCH 2007 MY TRANSMISSION WENT OUT WHILE ON THE HWY. I WAS DRIVING AND NOTICE IT KEPT JERKING. THEN IT WOULD HESITATE GETTING INTO GEAR AND REVERSE. I TOOK IT TO A TOYOTA DEALER AND THEY TOLD ME MY TRANSMISSION IS GOING OUT AND IT WOULD COST 4980.00. OK LET ME BREAK DOWN THE EXISTING PROBLEMS UP UNTIL THIS POINT. THE DRIVERS DOOR ELECTRIC LOCKING SYSTEM WENT OUT IT WAS REPAIRED 4 TIMES, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT NEVER GOES OFF SAID ITS A ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. THE ALARMS COMES ON AND WILL NOT GO OFF EVEN WHEN DOOR KEY OR KEY PAD IS INDICATED. SO I HAD TO UNHOOK. YESTERDAY MARCH 31ST I WAS DONE WITH THE RAV 4. I HAVE NOTICE THAT MORE THAN 35 % OF OWNERS HAVE THIS PROBLEMS AND TOYOTA REFUSES TO RECALL. *TR

I TOOK MY 2002 RAV4 IN FOR THE RECALL TWO MONTHS LATER I HAVE SPENT $380.00 AT ELMHURST TOYOTA FOR FLUSHING THE TRANSMISSION AND CLEANING THE FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM. $2,700 FOR A REBUILT TRANSMISSION AND I AM STILL EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM. CAR WILL NOT SHIFT AND GEARS. I CALL THE TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE AND SPOKE TO THEM ABOUT THE ISSUE AND ALL I RECEIVED WAS AN APOLOGY. I AGREE WITH ALL OF YOU TOYOTA SHOULD UPGRADE THIS RECALL FROM PLACING A BANDAGE ON THE FESTERING ECM PROBLEM AND JUST REPLACE THE ECM. THIS PROBLEM HAPPEN 60 DAYS TO THE DATE AFTER TAKING MY RAV4 IN FOR THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT RECALL . *TR MARY A. BROWN CHICAGO, IL

THE CAR WAS RUNNING FINE UNTIL ONE DAY WHEN IT STARTED "BUCKING" AND I EXPERIENCED A SIGNIFICANT LOSS OF POWER ACCELERATING. THIS OCCURRED WHEN I WAS MAKING A LEFT TURN WITH ONCOMING TRAFFIC AND RESULTED IN THE OTHER CAR BEING FORCED TO STOP TO LET ME PASS. FROM A STOP, CAR FELT LIKE IT WAS STARTING IN SECOND OR THIRD GEAR INSTEAD OF FIRST GEAR. VERY DANGEROUS! LIMPED TO LOCAL SHOP AND CAR WAS DIAGNOSED WITH BAD SOLENOID IN TRANSMISSION. THIS WAS REPLACED, DROVE THREE MILES HOME AND THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED THE NEXT DAY. SAME CODE APPEARED DURING DIAGNOSIS AND THIS INDICATED THAT THE MAIN COMPUTER (ECM) WAS DEFECTIVE. THIS WILL COST $1200 TO REPLACE. POTENTIAL REPLACEMENT OF TRANSMISSION MAY BE NEEDED AS WELL AT A COST OF $3500. AFTER A SEARCH ON THE INTERNET I FOUND THAT THIS PROBLEM HAD BEEN EXPERIENCED BY HUNDREDS OF OTHER RAV OWNERS. MY CAR HAS 86K MILES AND WAS JUST OVER THE 80K MILE WINDOW FOR THE MANUFACTURER TO PAY FOR REPAIRS. TOYOTA HAS KNOWN ABOUT THIS PROBLEM SINCE 2006, ACCORDING TO TSB ISSUED. THE CAR HAS BEEN REGULARLY SERVICED AT THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. *TR

TOYOTA RAV 4 4X4 HAS GEAR CHANGING PROBLEMS IN FIRST AND SECOND. I THOUGHT IT WAS A SOLENOID THEN SOMETHING WITH THE TRANSMISSION. DID OBD DIAGNOSTIC CHECK WHICH SHOWED SOLENOID BUT IT WAS THE COMPUTER OR ECM. WE REPLACED IT WITH THREE USED COMPUTERS WHICH EVIDENTLY HAD SAME DEFECT AND IN PROCESS OF DRIVING UNDER THESE CONDITIONS THE TRANS WAS RUINED. YOU MUST STOP DRIVING CAR GET BRAND NEW ECM COMPUTER OF THE NEW SERIES BECAUSE THE SERIAL NUMBER HAS CHANGED THREE TIMES UNTIL TOYOTA FIXED IT FINALLY. I HAD TO REPAIR TRANS, PURCHASE A NEW COMPUTER ALL OF WHICH COST ME $5,000.00. TOYOTA NEVER ISSUED A PUBLIC BULLETIN, THE BULLETIN WAS ONLY ISSUED TO CAR DEALERS WHILE THE GENERAL PUBLIC WAS KEPT IN THE DARK. *TR