2002 Toyota RAV4

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY BETWEEN 30-40 MPH, THE OIL PRESSURE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY. THE FAILURE WOULD OCCUR AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE A PROBLEM. THE FAILURE PROGRESSED OVER A PERIOD OF TIME. RECENTLY, THE "SERVICE ENGINE" WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN DETECTED AN ENGINE OIL SLUDGE AND LOW OIL PRESSURE. ALSO, HE RECOMMENDED THE ENGINE BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD BE LIABLE FOR THE REPAIR; HOWEVER, THE MANUFACTURER REFUSED TO TAKE FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY. THE VEHICLE WAS AT THE DEALER AND HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CONTACT PLANNED TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED TO HIS RESIDENCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 33,000.

DRIVING NORMALLY NEARING A STOP SIGN/LIGHT/POTENTIAL NEED TO STOP. APPLY BRAKES, VEHICLE JERKS. BEGINNING TO RELEASE BRAKE AND CONTINUE DRIVING ENGINE SHUTS OFF AND ALL WARNING LIGHTS ON PANEL LIGHT UP. SHIFT GEAR NORMALLY INTO PARK, START ENGINE, IT TURNS OVER, SHIFT GEAR INTO DRIVE AND ENGINE SHUTS OFF. TRY SHIFTING INTO 2ND GEAR, 1ST GEAR AND ENGINE SHUTS OFF. IF CAR SITS FOR A WHILE (NOT ABLE TO DETERMINE THAT AMOUNT OF TIME IT VARIES) IT MAY START. HAS HAPPENED AT INTERSECTIONS AND AM PLACED IN THE CENTER OF AN INTERSECTION TRYING TO GET STARTED. THIS HAS OCCURRED IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC SEVERAL TIMES. HAVE TAKEN CAR TO DEALER WHERE IT IS NOW FOR THE FIFTH TIME. THEY PLACED A COMPUTER ON THE COMPUTER TO GET A READING AND IT DID NOT DISPLAY ANYTHING. I CANNOT AFFORD TO PURCHASE A NEW CAR AND CANNOT AFFORD THOUSANDS IN REPAIR COSTS. *TR

I PURCHASED MY USED 2002 TOYOTA RAV4 ON 12/10/05 FROM SOUTH COAST TOYOTA OF COSTA MESA. SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING IT, I RECEIVED SOME KIND OF "ADJUSTMENT NOTICE" ASKING ME TO BRING THE CAR IN, WHICH I DID. I ASKED WHAT THEY NEEDED TO DO TO THE CAR, THEY WOULD NOT DIRECTLY ANSWER MY QUESTION AND SAID IT "WAS NOTHING, JUST A MINOR ADJUSTMENT." IN SEPTEMBER OF 2008, SHORTLY AFTER MY WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED AND MY CAR WAS JUST OVER 83,000 MILES, THE TRANSMISSION BEGAN SLIPPING COMPLETELY OUT OF GEAR WHILE I WAS DRIVING IT, AND THEN IT WOULDN'T SHIFT INTO GEAR, AND I WOULD SUDDENLY HAVE NO CONTROL OVER THE CAR SO I HAD TO STOP, AND THEN TRY TO GET IT IN GEAR, OR DRIVE HOME IN 1ST. I HAD TO DRIVE FROM 1ST GEAR OR 4TH. I WAS UNABLE TO DRIVE IT ON THE FREEWAY TO GET TO WORK, AND HAD TO STOP DRIVING IT ALL TOGETHER ON THE STREET. THE DEALER WOULD NOT REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. THE PRICE HE QUOTED ME TO "REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION AND ECU" WAS AROUND $4,500. I WAS FURIOUS, AS THE REASON I PURCHASED TOYOTAS WAS BECAUSE THEY DROVE 200,000 MILES AS LONG AS YOU PROPERLY MAINTAINED THEM, WHICH I ALWAYS DID. I WENT AND HAD TO PAY $2,593.00 AT IRVINE TRANSMISSION CENTER IN IRVINE, CA ON 9/24/08. AFTER REPLACING THE TRANSMISSION AND TEST DRIVING IT, IT WAS READY FOR PICKUP. WHEN THEY GOT IN THE CAR TO DRIVE IT UP TO ME, SUDDENLY THE NEW TRANSMISSION WOULDN'T SHIFT. SO, THEY RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM AND TOLD ME THE COMPUTER (ECU) APPARENTLY HAD TO BE REPLACED ALSO, AND THEY HAD DISCOVERED THROUGH ONLINE SITES THAT TOYOTA WAS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE. THE DEALER CHARGED ME $500 TO REPLACE THE ECU. THE DEALER SOLD ME A RAV4 THEY KNEW WAS HAVING TRANSMISSION AND ECU FAILURE. I WROTE TOYOTA A COMPLAINT. I BELIEVE I SHOULD BE REIMBURSED THE MONEY I AM OUT, AND THIS CAR SHOULD BE RECALLED WITH THE HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS, IF NOT THOUSANDS, THAT HAVE BEEN REPORTED. I REQUEST YOU TAKE ACTION! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA RAV4. THE VEHICLE WAS INTERMITTENTLY EXPERIENCING TROUBLE ACCELERATING IN WHICH THE VEHICLE WOULD MOMENTARILY PAUSE BEFORE SHIFTING GEARS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE TRANSMISSION FLUID AND FILTER WERE REPLACED. THE MECHANIC ALSO ADVISED HAVING THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE (ECM) REPLACED THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO RECUR INTERMITTENTLY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED BUT ADVISED THE VEHICLE WAS NOT UNDER RECALL AND WOULD NOT PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE. THE ECM WAS NOT REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 154,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 155,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, APPROACHING AN INTERSECTION. THE TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO HESITATE IN AN INTENSE JERKING MOTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTO TRANSMISSION SHOP WHERE THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED WITH A REBUILT TRANSMISSION. THE IDENTICAL FAILURE OCCURRED AFTER THE REPAIR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE AUTO TRANSMISSION SHOP WHERE THE TECHNICIAN REPLACED THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE. THE MANUFACTURER OFFERED A FREE REMEDY UNDER THE CUSTOMER SUPPORT PROGRAM RELATED TO THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE DEFECT; HOWEVER, THE VIN WAS EXCLUDED. THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED THE SAME FAILURES THAT WERE MENTIONED IN THE PROGRAM. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 140,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

MY 2002 TOYOTA RAV4 BEGAN HAVING PROBLEMS SHIFTING IN APRIL 2010. IT WAS INTERMITTENT, AND WASN'T CAUSE FOR CONCERN UNTIL MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON IN MAY 2010. THE SYMPTOMS OF THE PROBLEM WITH MY VEHICLE ARE THAT IT STALLS, HESITATES, AND HAS A STOP / GO (JERKING) TYPE OF ACTION WHILE DRIVING IT. AT THAT TIME, I TOOK IT TO A SERVICE TECHNICIAN AT MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER WHERE I PURCHASED BOTH OF MY TOYOTAS. THEY TOLD ME THAT THE ECM HAD TO BE REPLACED AND WOULD COST AROUND 1,300 DOLLARS. MIND YOU, I HAD TO PAY 75 DOLLARS FOR THE DIAGNOSTIC CHECK. THE FOLLOWING WEEK, I TOOK MY RAV4 TO A LOCAL TRANSMISSION SHOP, HAD IT DIAGNOSED FOR A SECOND OPINION AND HE CONFIRMED THAT THE ECM UNIT WAS BAD AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, WHICH COST ME YET, ANOTHER 75 DOLLARS FOR THE DIAGNOSIS. HE ALSO INSTRUCTED ME NOT TO CONTINUE TO DRIVE THE CAR BECAUSE IT COULD POSSIBLY HARM THE TRANSMISSION. SINCE DOING SO, I HAVE BEEN DOWN TO ONE CAR FOR TWO AND A HALF MONTHS BECAUSE I SIMPLY DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO HAVE IT REPAIRED. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH ONLINE, I FOUND OUT THAT TOYOTA HAS KNOWN ABOUT THIS PROBLEM SINCE 2006. IT IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE WHEN ENTERING TRAFFIC, OR TRYING TO MOVE FROM A STOP LIGHT OR STOP SIGN, AS YOU DON'T KNOW WHEN THE CAR IS GOING TO SHIFT INTO GEAR OR NOT. TOYOTA HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL, NOR HAS NOT DONE ANYTHING TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE. I AM DISGUSTED THAT IN 2006 TOYOTA REALIZED THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH THE ECM, WHICH COULD RUIN 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 AND CAUSES CONSIDERABLE DANGER WITH JERKING AND SHIFTING PROBLEMS. ACCORDING TO INTERNET RESEARCH, THIS PROBLEM GENERALLY STARTS AROUND 90,000 MILES AND CAUSES CONSIDERABLE DANGER WITH JERKING AND SHIFTING PROBLEMS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE HAD DIFFICULTY SHIFTING GEARS. THE VEHICLE WOULD STAY IN THIRD GEAR AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE COMPUTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED SO THAT THEY COULD DETERMINE WHETHER THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT DID NOT NOTIFY THE MANUFACTURER. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 86,954. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 86,850.