2002 Toyota RAV4

EITHER THE ECU OR THE TRANSMISSION IS NOT WORKING RIGHT. THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION CAN USUALLY CHANGE BETWEEN 1ST AND 2ND GEAR BUT IT USUALLY CANNOT CHANGE BETWEEN 2ND AND 3RD. THE ENGINE USUALLY REVS AS THE TRANSMISSION SLIPS. IF WE EASE UP ON THE ACCELERATOR OR SOMETIMES WE TO PUMP IT A LITTLE, THEN THE TRANSMISSION CHANGES GEARS. THERE HAVE BEEN A FEW OCCASIONS WHERE THE ENGINE REVS AND THE TRANSMISSION CATCHES ON ITS OWN BUT THIS IS CAUSES THE CAR TO ACCELERATE WHEN WE DO NOT EXPECT IT TO. THIS JUST STARTED HAPPENING RECENTLY. WE HAD NOTICED FOR THE PAST FEW MONTHS THAT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD CHANGE A LITTLE HARDER THAN NORMAL, BUT NOT THE CAR IS NOT DRIVABLE DUE TO SAFETY REASON. *TR

2002 TOYOTA RAV4. THE TRANSMISSION SLIPS FROM 1ST TO 2ND GEAR UNCONTROLLABLY AND CAUSES A SUDDEN SURGE IN THE VEHICLE THAT MAKES DRIVING IT NOT ONLY DANGEROUS BUT A LIABILITY TO ME. TOYOTA SHOULD BE CONCERNED WITH THIS, CONSIDERING THEIR RECENT PROBLEMS WITH SUDDEN ACCELERATION AND BRAKING. THE CAR WAS BOUGHT THROUGH A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP, WHICH MAKES IT ALL THE WORSE BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT THEY KNOWINGLY PASSED THIS CAR THROUGH THEIR INSPECTION PROCESS AND DID NOT DO A [XXX] THING. TELL TOYOTA TO FIX THIS PROBLEM FOR THE SAFETY OF MILLIONS OF PEOPLE ON THE ROAD. *TR INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

AUTO: 2002 TOYOTA RAV4 ISSUE: ECU OR ECM COMPLAINT: TOYOTA REFUSES TO REPAIR ANY TRANSMISSION DAMAGES ASSOCIATED WITH THE FAULTY COMPUTER PART. DESCRIPTION: WHEN PRESSING THE GAS WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A COMPLETE STOP, THE TRANSMISSION WILL NOT SHIFT PROPERLY. JERKY MOVEMENTS IN THE LOWEST GEARS AND REVERSE; SLUGGISH WHEN PEDAL FULLY PRESSED. CURRENT RESOLVE: TOYOTA WILL REPLACE THE ECM, THOUGH THE PART WILL TAKE 2-3 WEEKS DUE TO HIGH DEMANDS. TOYOTA WILL NOT REPAIR ANY OTHER TRANSMISSION DAMAGES ASSOCIATED WITH THE FAULTY PART. *TR

MY 2002 RAV 4 CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AT 96,000 MILES; WHEN THE CODE WAS CHECKED IT RELATED IT TO THE CATALYST SYSTEM, BUT I CALLED TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE ECM HAD TO BE UPDATED AS PART OF A RECALL FOR MY VEHICLE AND I NEEDED TO TAKE IT TO A TOYOTA DEALER; DOING THIS WOULD CAUSE THE FAULTY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO BE RESET. THEY PERFORMED THE SERVICE, AND NOW 3 WEEKS LATER THE VEHICLE SPONTANEOUSLY POPS OUT OF 5TH GEAR, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO DRAMATICALLY DECREASE UNPREDICTABLY AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. DANGEROUS!!! ALTHOUGH AFTER LOOKING ON THE INTERNET AND DISCOVERING COUNTLESS OTHERS WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM, TOYOTA HAS NOT YET ISSUED A RECALL FOR THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS; THEY HAVE DONE NOTHING TO ADDRESS THIS DANGEROUS AND COSTLY-TO-FIX PROBLEM. SUPPOSEDLY IN 2006 TOYOTA REALIZED THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH THE ECM, (WHICH COULD APPARENTLY DAMAGE THE TRANSMISSION). INSTEAD OF LETTING CONSUMERS KNOW ABOUT THIS ISSUE AS SOON AS THEY REALIZED, THEY SENT A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN TO DEALERSHIPS AND SERVICE AREAS, BUT FAILED TO LET THEIR OWN CUSTOMERS KNOW. ACCORDING TO INTERNET RESEARCH, THIS PROBLEM GENERALLY STARTS AROUND 90,000 MILES. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED, AND SHE WAS UNABLE TO SHIFT GEARS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS WITHIN THE ELECTRIC CONTROL UNIT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A FOREIGN GARAGE SPECIALIST WHO REPLACED THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A LETTER FROM THE MANUFACTURER CONCERNING A WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT FOR THE ECU FAILURE, BUT THE MANUFACTURER DENIED REIMBURSEMENT SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS OVER THE 150,000 MILE WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 172,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 188,000. UPDATED 03/07/11*LJ UPDATED 11/28/11 *CN

I HAVE A 2002 RAV4 I PURCHASED USED IN MAY 2010 FOR $9,000. A FEW DAYS AFTER PURCHASING IT, THE TRANSMISSION STARTED SLIPPING. ALMOST HAD NUMEROUS ACCIDENTS WHEN NEEDING TO ACCELERATE WHEN PULLING OUT INTO A BUSY ROAD AND THE TRANSMISSION FAILED TO GET OUT OF 2ND GEAR INTO 3RD GEAR. HAD THE TRANSMISSION REPLACED/REBUILT FOR $3,500, THE ECM FLASHED FOR $265, 3 NEW OXYGEN SENSORS PUT IN FOR $900. NOW THE CAR IS STILL DOING WHAT IT DID EVEN AFTER ALL THAT MONEY SPENT. LOOKING UP ON THE WEB, FOUND MANY OWNERS HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AND ALMOST ALL HAD TO REPLACE THE ECM. I AM NOW TRYING TO GET AN APPOINTMENT WITH A TOYOTA DEALER TO GET THIS DONE. VERY DISAPPOINTED IN TOYOTA. *TR

2002 TOYOTA RAV4 - WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY, MY CAR MAY AUTOMATICALLY GO FROM 60 TO 40 MPR IN MATTER OF SECONDS. OR MY CAR WILL GET STUCK ON 60MPR & VIOLENTLY JERK. TWICE HAVE I TAKEN IT IN FOR AN ECM RECALL. MY ENGINE LIGHT HAS BEEN ON EVER SINCE 60,000 MILES AND NOW IT'S AT 150,000. THE EXTENDED WARRANTY HAS BEEN ISSUED BUT MY CAR IS OVER THE LIMIT (154,000 MILES). THIS EXTENDED WARRANTY SHOULD HAVE BEEN ISSUED "YEARS AGO" NOW IT'S TOO LATE. MY CAR HAS HAD PROBLEMS EVER SINCE MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS TURNED ON AT 60K. *TR

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR RAV 4 WITH MY SON ABOARD. THE CAR BEGAN EXPERIENCING TROUBLE ACCELERATING, CAR WOULD HESITATE, THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN IT WOULD LURCH FORWARD. IT WAS TOTALLY UNSAFE TO DRIVE AT THAT POINT. I HAVE LEARNED THAT THIS IS DUE TO A FAULTY ECM WHICH HAS CAUSED THIS VEHICLE TO BE EXTREMELY UNSAFE. II TOOK THE CAR TO MY MECHANIC AND SURE ENOUGH THE CAR SHOWED THE P0755 OBD II CODE WHICH INDICATES THAT THE ISSUE IS WITH THE ECM. F LEFT UNATTENDED, THE TRANSMISSION WILL REQUIRE REPLACEMENT AT A COST OF $4000 - $5000. I TALKED TO TOYOTA ABOUT IT AND THEY SAID A REPAIR WAS COVERED UNDER A CUSTOMER SUPPORT WARRANTY EXTENSION PROGRAM (*CASE # 1010011845). HOWEVER, NOW I TALK TO FITZGERALD TOYOTA IN GAITHERSBURG (JUDITH) AND THEY INDICATE THAT THEY HAVEN'T EVEN HEARD OF THIS PROGRAM. *TR