2002 Toyota RAV4

REPEATED PROBLEMS WITH TRANSMISSION, ECM THAT HAVE COST IN EXCESS OF $4000 AND STILL THE CAR IS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. TOYOTA REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE FACT THAT SOMEONE WILL SOON BE KILLED FROM THIS PROBLEM. WHEN PULLING INTO TRAFFIC AND THEY SHOULD BE ACCELERATING, THESE CARS STALL. THIS IS MY SECOND REPORT AND NO ONE RESPONDS FROM HERE OR FROM TOYOTA!!! *TR

I STARTED TO HAVE INTERMITTENT ISSUES WITH MY TOYOTA 2002 RAV4 TRANSMISSION; CONCERNING HARD SHIFTING AND LOSE OF POWER DURING ACCELERATION. I HAVE BEEN INFORMED BY THE DEALER THAT I REQUIRE A NEW TRANSMISSION. AFTER SEARCHING THE INTERNET (WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM, WWW.TUNDRASOLUTIONS.COM, & RAV4WORLD.COM) I WAS ABLE TO FIND QUITE A FEW INSTANCES OF PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME ISSUES WITH THEIR 2002 RAV4. EACH STORY ENDS UP WITH THE INDIVIDUALS PAYING AN AVERAGE OF $4500 TO HAVE THE TRANSMISSION REPLACED THEN HAVING TO GO BACK AND HAVE THE ECU REPLACED ($1000). AFTER ALL WAS SAID AND DONE, THE PROBLEMS STILL EXISTED. AFTER SPEAKING WITH TOYOTA THEY FEEL THERE IS NO ISSUE AND DO NOT PLAN ON INVESTIGATING THE ISSUE TO DETERMINE IF A RECALL IS REQUIRED. I JUST HAD MY TRANSMISSION REPLACED AND THE ISSUE IS STILL THERE. I AM IN THE PROCESS WITH MY LOCAL AMOCO TRANSMISSION CO. TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM CAN OCCUR AT ANYTIME WITHOUT NOTICE DURING ACCELERATION FROM A STOPPED CONDITION OR DURING NORMAL DRIVING CAUSING THE CAR ABRUPTLY SLOW DOWN IN TRAFFIC, WHICH COULD PUT THE DRIVER IN A LIFE OR DEATH SITUATION. *TR

VEHICLE WAS PLUGGED IN TO A CHARGER, CHARGING NORMALLY. DRIVER RETURNED TO THE CAR, AND NEGLECTED TO REMOVE THE CHARGING CABLE. DRIVER TURNED THE KEY, AND SHIFTED FROM PARK TO REVERSE. VEHICLE ROLLED AWAY FROM THE CHARGING STATION AND DAMAGED THE CABLE AND THE CHARGING STATION, DISABLING THE CHARGING STATION UNTIL IT COULD BE REPAIRED (AT A COST OF $1200 TO $1500). VEHICLE SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO SHIFT OUT OF PARK WHEN CONNECTED TO A CHARGING STATION. (DATE IS APPROXIMATE.) *NM

ON FEBRUARY 19, 2004, I TOOK MY 2002 TOYOTA RAV4 TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR A PROBLEM THAT INVOLVED THE VEHICLE UNEXPECTEDLY SURGING FORWARD. AND FAILING TO SHIFT GEARS. I WAS TOLD THAT THE SPEED SENSOR WAS REPLACED AND THE VEHICLE WAS RELEASED TO ME. THE PROBLEM CONTINUED THAT DAY AND I RETURNED THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP ON FEBRUARY 20, 2004. I WAS TOLD THAT A PART HAD TO BE ORDERED AND THAT THEY WOULD CALL ME WHEN THE PART WAS IN. I WAS TOLD THAT IN THE MEANTIME, THE VEHICLE WAS SAFE TO DRIVE. ON FEBRUARY 23, 2004, MY HUSBAND DROVE THE VEHICLE AND WAS STOPPED AT AN INTERSECTION WHEN THE VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD INTO THE INTERSECTION. WE IMMEDIATELY PHONED TOYOTA, TELLING THEM THAT VEHICLE WAS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE AND REQUESTED THAT THEY TOW THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND HAS BEEN AT THE DEALERSHIP SINCE FEBRUARY 23, 2004. PRINCIPLE COMPLAINT: MY VEHICLE SUDDENLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY SURGES OR ACCELERATES AND FAILS TO SHIFT GEARS. *AK