2002 Toyota RAV4

IN 2003 WE BOUGHT A BRAND NEW 2002 TOYOTA RAV4. IN 2007, THE ENGINE SEIZED UP AT 56,000 MILES. WE TOOK IT TO TOYOTA AND THEY TOLD US IT WOULD COST $7,000 BECAUSE THEY NEEDED TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. AFTER GATHERING ALL OUR MAINTENANCE HISTORY AND MUCH DELIBERATION TOYOTA AGREED TO REPLACE THE ENGINE BUT WE HAD TO PAY FOR THE LABOR ($2500); WE AGREED. AFTER THEY DID THE WORK, WE HEARD A SOFT CONSTANT BEATING SOUND COMING FROM THE ENGINE. WHEN WE TOOK IT BACK, WE WERE TOLD THAT SOUND WAS NORMAL WHEN A NEW ENGINE IS INSTALLED AND IT WILL GO AWAY -- IT DIDN'T. 18 MONTHS AND 10,000 MILES LATER, THE ENGINE DIED AGAIN. BAFFLED AT HOW TWO SEPARATE ENGINES CAN DIE WE TOOK IT TO OUR PERSONAL MECHANIC. HE EXPLAINED TO US THAT THE ENGINE WAS NEVER REPLACED, BUT REBUILT. WE TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY REFUSED TO HELP US. SO DID TOYOTA CORP. THEY HAVE A SETTLEMENT FOR DEFECTIVE ENGINES FOR THE SAME GENERATION ENGINES (1997-2002) FOR ALMOST EVERY MODEL. EXCEPT THE RAV4. WHAT MAKES IT WORSE WAS I WAS TOLD I WAS GETTING A NEW ENGINE. AT THE SAME TIME MY PERSONAL MECHANIC HAD FOUND ME A USED ENGINE (12,000 MI) FOR 2300 INCLUDING INSTALLATION. HAD I KNEW THEY WERE GOING TO REBUILD IT, I WOULD HAVE WENT WITH THAT OPTION. SO THEY SCREWED ME OUT OF 2500, A CAR, AND A CHANCE AT ACTUALLY FIXING THE CAR. *TR

I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF A 2002 RAV4 AND HAVE BEEN TAKING IT TO TOYOTA FOR SERVICE. AS I WAS LEAVING WORK AT 5PM ONE FRIDAY, MY CAR WOULD HARD-SHIFT INTO FIRST AND STRUGGLE EVEN MORE TO GET TO SECOND, ETC. I DROVE IT STRAIGHT TO TOYOTA CARLSBAD. THEY CONTACTED ME THE FOLLOWING DAY AFTER CHANGING THE TRANSMISSION FLUID. THEY SAID I NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION AND COMPUTER. COME TO FIND OUT THERE HAD BEEN A SERVICE BULLETIN IN 2006 THAT ONLY TOYOTA KNEW ABOUT THAT RECOGNIZED THE POTENTIAL FOR TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. I WAS NOT INFORMED OF THIS WHEN I HAD THE TRANSMISSION SERVICED BY TOYOTA IN 2007. THE TOTAL COST TO ME WOULD BE $4800 WITHOUT TAX, WHICH I COULD NOT AFFORD. SINCE I NEEDED MY CAR FOR WORK AND I TAKE CARE OF MY ELDERLY MOTHER, I SCROUNGED TOGETHER THE NEARLY $2000 FOR THE COMPUTER REPLACEMENT AS WELL AS THE THERMOSTAT REPLACEMENT (THE IDIOT LIGHT CODE SAID IT HAD A LOOSE WIRE, AND NOT TOTAL REPLACEMENT!). I WAS TOLD THE TRANSMISSION WOULD DEFINITELY NEED TO BE REPLACED IN A VERY SHORT TIME, AND THEY SUGGESTED I PURCHASE ANOTHER CAR VERY SOON. THE SERVICE BULLETIN SHOULD HAVE BEEN SHARED WITH ME, THE CLIENT. THEY KNEW ABOUT AND KEPT THE POTENTIAL PROBLEM FROM ME AND NOW THE PROBLEM IS A COSTLY ONE TO REPAIR. I WOULD LIKE TOYOTA TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION FOR FREE AND REIMBURSE ME FOR MY COSTS TO REPLACE THE COMPUTER. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS RAV4 PROBLEM, I HAVE LEARNED THAT THIS HAS BEEN A BIG AND CONTINUING PROBLEM FOR 2002 RAV4 OWNERS AND SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED. I BELIEVE THAT THE COMPUTER (OR ECM) WAS THE CAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. I AM HOPING THE TRANSMISSION WILL NOT HAVE TO BE REPLACED. I PURCHASED THIS EXPENSIVE (FOR ME) TOYOTA BECAUSE IT WAS SAID TO LAST LONGER THAN OTHER VEHICLES. I TRULY THINK THIS PROBLEM NEEDS TO BE BROUGHT TO THE LIGHT AND INCLUDED IN THE FEDERAL INVESTIGATION OF TOYOTA. *TR

IN THE FALL OF 2008, THE FACTORY INSTALLED CRUISE CONTROL ON MY 2002 TOYOTA RAV 4 FUNCTIONS INTERMITTENTLY. IT WILL WORK FOR A SHORT PERIOD ON ANY LONG TRIP THEN WILL CAUSE VEHICLE TO DECELERATE. SOMETIMES CANNOT GET IT TO WORK AGAIN. LIGHT WILL FLASH ON AND OFF ON THE DASHBOARD. HAVE TAKEN IT IN TO LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP WHO CANNOT GET IT TO DUPLICATE. THE MECHANIC STATES EVERYTHING IS FINE. DUE TO SEMI-FUNCTIONAL CRUISE, THE MILEAGE ON A LONG DISTANCE TRIP HAS DECREASED FROM 30-32 MPG TO 24-26MPG.REPORTED THIS TO TOYOTA IN 2009 AND GIVEN A CASE # WHICH I HAVE MISPLACED. THEY DID NOT APPEAR TO BE CONCERNED OR ADMIT THEY HAD A PROBLEM. EXTENDED WARRANTY (TO 100,000 MILES) WILL NOT COVER THE REPAIR. THERE IS INDEED AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE GOING ON, BUT NO ONE SEEMS TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM OR CARE. IN SEARCHING I HAVE FOUND OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAVE POSTED COMMENTS REGARDING THE SAME ISSUE WITHOUT RESOLUTION. *TR

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR 2002 RAV4 LAST WEEK, SHE PULLED AWAY FROM A STOP SIGN AND OUR 2002 RAV4 STARTED JERKING AND THEN SLOWED TO A SUDDEN STOP RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION. AFTER A "SCARY MOMENT", IT STARTED DRIVING NORMALLY AGAIN. WE TOOK THE CAR TO OUR MECHANIC THE NEXT DAY TO HAVE THE TRANSMISSION SERVICED, IT WAS ABOUT DUE . WE WERE TOLD THE TRANSMISSION IS PROBABLY "SHOT". WHILE SHOPPING ON-LINE FOR A REPLACEMENT, I CAME ACROSS NUMEROUS WEB SITES WITH HUNDREDS OF RAV4 CUSTOMERS EXPERIENCING THE SAME TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS! TURNS OUT HE PROBLEMS WERE IDENTIFIED, BY TOYOTA THEMSELVES A FEW YEARS AGO, AS A MALFUNCTIONING ECM (ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE) CAUSING THE FAILURES OF THE TRANSMISSIONS WITHIN 50 MILES OF DRIVING. TOYOTA NOTIFIED THEIR SERVICE TECHS, BUT DID NOT NOTIFY IT'S CUSTOMERS OF THIS PROBLEM. WE MAINTAIN OUR VEHICLES ROUTINELY AND HAVE NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE RAV. BUT THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. A CAR STALLING IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS IF NOT DEADLY. TOYOTA MOTORS HAS KNOWN ABOUT THIS SAFETY ISSUE FOR YEARS, AND THEY HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO INFORM THEIR CUSTOMERS OF SUCH DANGEROUS SITUATIONS AND TO REPAIR AND/OR REPLACE ANY MALFUNCTIONING PARTS IN THEIR CUSTOMERS CARS THAT COULD CAUSE SUCH A SITUATION. *TR

INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) I PURCHASED MY 2002 TOYOTA RAV4 FROM MY DEALER, RICH TOYOTA OF HUNTINGTON, WV IN SPRING 2002'IT WAS HIS DEMO CAR, VIN#[XXX] ; MODEL #4416A. AT 107,00 MILES, OUT OF THE CLEAR-BLUE, THE RAV4 CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON FOR ABOUT TWO HOURS, THEN WENT OUT, BUT THEN SHIFTING BECAME ERRATIC. I HAVE SERVICED THIS VEHICLE FAITHFULLY SINCE I PURCHASED IT AND EXPECTED TO GET ANOTHER 100,000 MORE MILES, BUT, MY DEALERSHIP, WHERE IT HAS BEEN SERVICED SINCE PURCHASE, SAID IT WAS GOING TO COST OVER $1,200 FOR THE ECC/ECM (ENGINE CONTROL COMPUTER/ENGINE CONTROL MODULE), AND EVEN IF I REPLACE JUST THE ECC/ECM, IT STILL MAY NOT WORK WITH THE OLD TRANSMISSION, SO IT WAS RECOMMENDED THAT I REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION TOO FOR ANOTHER $3,500 BECAUSE THE DEFECTIVE ECC MAY HAVE DESTROYED THE TRANSMISSION. THEY ALSO SUGGESTED REPLACEMENT OF THE AIR-FUEL SENSOR FOR A TOTAL OF $5,189.00 IN REPAIRS BEFORE TAXES. I HAD NEVER REALIZED THAT THERE WERE EVER ANY SERIOUS PROBLEMS LIKE THIS WITH THE TOYOTA PRODUCT LINE UNTIL I WENT ONLINE TO RESEARCH THIS TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. WHAT AN EYE-OPENER!!! THERE WERE MANY, MANY PROBLEMS DOCUMENTED WITH MANY OF TOYOTA'S PRODUCTS! CONSIDERING THAT THIS RAV4 WAS A $22,000 VEHICLE WHEN I PURCHASED IT, DOESN'T IT SEEM STRANGE THAT AFTER JUST 6 YEARS IT IS INOPERABLE AND EVEN DANGEROUS! AFTER E-MAILING AND SENDING A LETTER TO TOYOTA USA IN TORRENCE CALIFORNIA ABOUT THIS ISSUE, I CALLED THE TOYOTA CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE CENTER AT 1-800-331-4331 AND TALKED WITH A REAL PERSON. PLUS, I HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED A CASE NUMBER, WHICH GOES INTO THEIR DATABASE AND LOGS THE ISSUE SHOULD THEY HAVE ENOUGH COMPLAINTS TO WARRANT A RECALL OR OTHER REMEDY. I HAVE SINCE REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION AND DEFECTIVE ECU AT A COST OF ABOUT $4,500. AFTER RESEARCHING YOUR COMPLAINT FILES ON THIS RAV4 ISSUE, WHY HASN'T NHTSA DONE SOMETHING ABOUT IT WITH TOYOTA!!!!???? *TR

WEEK OF 2/23/10 SNOW DAY DRIVING HOME AND MY VEHICLE STARTED HAVING SHIFTING PROBLEMS WITH OUT WARNING. THE NEXT DAY THE PROBLEM SEEMED TO BE UN NOTICEABLE. WEEK OF 3/1/10 ON MY WAY HOME FROM WORK THE PROBLEM STARTED AGAIN WITH OUT WARNING. THIS TIME IT WAS SEVERE SHIFTING PROBLEMS. I DROVE IT TO A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD I NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION. THIS IS TURNING OUT TO BE A SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLAR PROBLEM. I DID RESEARCH ONLINE AND FOUND THAT HUNDREDS OF TOYOTA CUSTOMERS HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. I FOUND THAT TOYOTA HAS KNOWN ABOUT THE PROBLEM FOR YEARS BUT ONLY COVERS IT IF FOUND UNDER THE WARRANTY PERIOD IF THE PROBLEM PRESENTS ITSELF. BUT AFTER THAT TOYOTA PLACE THE FINANCIAL BURDEN ON THEIR CUSTOMERS FOR THE KNOWN PROBLEMS FOUND BETWEEN THE ECM AND THE TRANSMISSION. MILEAGE ON DAY OF INCIDENT IS APROX 97,000 MILES. IT SEEMS LIKE TOYOTA'S UNSAID MOTTO IS LETS SELL VEHICLES WITH KNOWN DEFECTS, DON'T TELL OUT CUSTOMERS, AND DO NOTING FOR OUR CUSTOMERS. TOO MANY PEOPLE HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AROUND THE SAME MILEAGE. I WAS TOLD THAT I WAS BUYING A ROCK SOLID CAR BECAUSE IT WAS TOYOTA. WITH ME HAVING TO BARE THE FINANCIAL BURDEN OF A KNOWN PROBLEM TELLS ME THAT TOYOTA DOES NOT AND WILL NOT BACK THEIR PRODUCTS.. *TR UPDATED IVOQ 11/12/10