2002 Toyota RAV4

TOYOTA RAV4 (2002) JERKED UNCONTROLLABLY INTO TRAFFIC WHILE PREPARING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN ONTO A BUSY BOULEVARD. CARS SCREECHED TO A HALT. COULD HAVE BEEN FATAL. RAV4 HAS FAULTY COMPUTER (ECM) THAT TOYOTA DID NOT RECALL AND HOLDS CONSUMERS RESPONSIBLE FOR REPLACING (APPX$1400). FAULTY COMPUTER OFTEN DESTROYS TRANSMISSION ALSO. I AM FACING $5500 IN REPAIRS AND TOYOTA HAS ADMITTED THAT THE CAR HAS A PROBLEM. THIS IS TOTALLY UNFAIR AND PEOPLE WILL LOSE THEIR LIVES. I AM LUCKY I DIDN'T. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH UP A HILL, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER. THE VEHICLE WILL BE TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. REPORT 1006100118 WAS FILED WITH THE MANUFACTURER; HOWEVER, THEY WILL NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE WITH THE REPAIRS SINCE WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 47,680.

ON MAY 25TH, MY WIFE WAS MERGING INTO TRAFFIC ON A LOCAL BYPASS (SPEED LIMIT 55 MPH). AS SHE BEGAN TO MERGE, OUR 2002 TOYOTA RAV4 HESITATED AND WOULDN'T SHIFT INTO SECOND GEAR. MY WIFE HAD TO SWERVE OFF THE ROAD TO AVOID BEING REAR ENDED BY TRAFFIC. I BROUGHT MY CAR TO THE REPAIR SHOP THE NEXT DAY AND THEY FLUSHED THE TRANSMISSION AND ADDED NEW FLUID. THEY TESTED THE CAR AND IT WAS OK SO I PICKED IT UP AND BROUGHT IT HOME. BY THE NEXT DAY THE CAR WAS HESITATING AGAIN SO I BROUGHT IT BACK TO THE SHOP AND THEY TOOK THE CAR TO THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THEM CHECK THE PROBLEM. I THEN RECEIVED A CALL FROM MY REPAIR PERSON STATING THAT I NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION. THE CAR IS ONLY 8 YEARS OLD WITH 61,000 MILES ON IT BUT ALL WARRANTIES HAVE EXPIRED. I THEN FIND OUT THAT TOYOTA HAS KNOWN ABOUT THE PROBLEM WITH 2002 RAV4 TRANSMISSIONS BUT HAVE NEVER CONTACTED THE BUYERS OR HAD A RECALL DUE TO EXPENSE. NOW I'M STUCK WITH A CAR THAT DOESN'T WORK OR A REPAIR BILL FOR $5,000 PLUS. I BOUGHT A TOYOTA BECAUSE I THOUGHT THAT IT WAS DEPENDABLE. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THAT NOTHING CAN BE DONE TO REPAIR IT WITHOUT COST TO ME SINCE I HAVE NO MORE WARRANTY COVERAGE. I'M NOW LOOKING FOR A NEW CAR SINCE I'M NOT PUTTING $5,000 INTO AN 8 YEAR OLD ONE. DO I HAVE ANY LEGAL ALTERNATIVES SINCE TOYOTA KNEW ABOUT THE PROBLEM BUT SAID NOTHING? *TR

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND TRANSMISSION STARTED TO SHIFT HARD,GOING INTO REVERSE FROM PARK WITH A HUGE CLUNK. ALSO, SLIPPING AT TIMES. WHEN MAKING A LEFT/RIGHT TURN FROM A ROAD TO ANOTHER, CAR WOULD SLUGGISHLY MOVE-VERY DANGEROUS. TOOK IT TO A DEALER AND WAS TOLD A NEW COMPUTER WAS NEEDED TO VERIFY IF THE PROBLEM WAS ECU RELATED OR THE TRANNY..I ASKED WHY A NEW COMPUTER WASN'T AVAILABLE TO TEST WHETHER IT WAS THE COMPUTER OR TRANNY."WE DON'T STOCK COMPUTERS". I WAS QUOTED $1200.00 FOR "NEW" ECU TO SEE IF IT FIXED THE PROBLEM. IF THAT DIDN'T WORK THEN A "NEW" TRANNY FOR 4000.00 TO 5000.00 WOULD BE REQUIRED. THIS IS A 2002 2WD WITH 99K MILES WORTH ABOUT $5000.00(IN GREAT SHAPE OTHERWISE). ALSO LEARNED THAT THE ECU TENDS TO THROW CODES UNRELATED TO THE TRANNY ISSUE. WHEN I BROUGHT MY RAV4 IN I TOLD THEM ABOUT MY ISSUES WITH THE TRANNY AND THAT THERE WAS A TSB TO INSTALL NEW SOFTWARE TO TRY TO FIX THE ISSUE. I WAS THEN TOLD NO, YOU NEED TO TRY A NEW ECU FOR $1200.00. WHY NOT THROW A "NEW" ECU IN TO SEE IF IT FIXES THE PROBLEM? WHY DON'T THEY ACKNOWLEDGE A DEFECT INSTEAD OF EASTER EGGING AT MY EXPENSE? CHARGE ME $1200.00 FOR AN ECU(OR ANY PART) THAT MAY OR MAY NOT SOLVE THE ISSUE IS CRIMINAL AND TO HEAR THAT THE ECU PROBLEM EATS THE TRANNY IS ALSO CRIMINAL QUICK TO TAKE YOUR CASH BUT TO DENY A VERY COMMON PART DEFECT (ECU) THAT ULTIMATELY DESTROYS ANOTHER EXPENSIVE NEEDED COMPONENT. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. I HAVE MADE LEFT/RIGHT TURNS AND THE TRANSMISSION DECIDES TO BUCK/HESITATE AS ONCOMING TRAFFIC IS EXPECTING MY VEHICLE TO MOVE APPROPRIATELY. *TR

TRANSMISSION SLIPPING AND SLAMMING INTO GEAR. VEHICLE SHUDDERS LIKE IT WAS GOING TO STOP RUNNING, THEN RPM'S JUMPED UP TO ABOUT 4,000 AND SLAMMO! SLAMS INTO GEAR. ALMOST GOT HIT BY A LARGE TRUCK BEHIND ME. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT DOESN'T COME ON . TOOK IT TO DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAY WITHOUT ERROR CODES THEY CANNOT DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. HAD A RECALL ON ECM A COUPLE OF YRS. AGO. HAD IT DONE(RE-FLASHED) AT DEALERSHIP. NO HELP FROM TOYOTA. *TR

TOYOTA RAV4 AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WENT CRAZY AND CAR STARTED LUNGING FORWARD AND THEN NOT GOING WHEN IT SHOULD. IT CAUSED A MINOR ACCIDENT SOME TIME AGO, BUT IS VERY DANGEROUS AND UNSAFE AND WE HAVE NOT FELT SAFE ENOUGH TO EVEN KEEP THE CAR ON THE ROAD. IF PEOPLE ARE NOT AS FORTUNATE AS US TO HAVE ANOTHER VEHICLE OR CAN NOT AFFORD TO GET THIS PROBLEM FIXED, IT COULD VERY WELL CAUSE A FATAL ACCIDENT. WE ARE SURPRISED THAT THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL BUSINESS WITH THEM. OURS ONLY HAD 60,000 MILES WHEN IT HAPPENED TO US AND FROM WHAT I READ ON THE INTERNET THERE IS MAJOR CAUSE FOR CONCERN. *TR

I HAVE A 2002 TOYOTA RAV-4. I HAVE TAKEN PROPER CAR OF THE CAR, LIKE OIL CHANGES, TUNE-UPS, THE WHOLE NINE YARDS. EXCEPT RECENTLY THE TRANSMISSION IN THE CAR HAS FAILED. IT JUST RECENTLY STARTED HAPPENING AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW THIS ISSUE HAS COME ABOUT. I AM ALMOST AT 102K MILES ON MY CAR. I WAS ALMOST HIT BY ANOTHER SUV DUE TO THE TRANSMISSION FAILING. I HAVE RECENTLY FOUND ARTICLES BY USA TODAY AND CBS5 STATING HOW OWNERS OF TOYOTA RAV-4'S 2001-2003 MODELS HAVE HAD TRANSMISSION FAILURES. *TR

2002 TOYOTA RAV4 ALL OF A SUDDEN WOULDN'T SHIFT BETWEEN 3RD AND 4TH GEAR. TO OK IN IMMEDIATELY INTO DEALERSHIP TO BE CHECKED. SAID IT WAS THE ECM. IT WAS ALREADY TAKEN IN FOR RECALL AND IS ANOTHER MALFUNCTION OF SAME PROBLEM. IF YOU DRIVE IT WILL RUIN YOUR TRANSMISSION. I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED IN THE DEALERSHIP AS THEY ONLY SAID TO CALL TOYOTA. I HAVE DONE THAT AND AM WAITING A RESPONSE. THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS ON THIS AND 220,000 TOYOTA VEHICLE HAVE ISSUES. MY CAR ONLY HAS 56000 MILES ON IT AND SHOULD STILL BE COVERED BUT THEY STOP AT 8 YEARS. I AM 25 DAYS PAST WARRANTY. DUE TO THEM KNOWING AND ALREADY RECALLING THEM THEY SHOULD BE LIABLE. *TR