ECM FAILED ON 2002 TOYOTA RAV4 CAUSING ERRATIC AUTO TRANSMISSION SHIFTING AND CAR SPEED TO VARY WIDELY WHILE IN TRAFFIC. NO 'CHECK ENGINE' LIGHT WARNING. TOYOTA KNOWS OF THE PROBLEM AND DID NOT PROVIDE ANY WARNING. I HAD TO PAY A REPAIR BILL OF $5358.00 TO REPLACE THE ECM AND TRANSMISSION. *TR
2002 Toyota RAV4
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most RAV4 years
Owner complaints for the 2002 Toyota RAV4 are substantially higher than the model-year median of 258.5.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all RAV4 years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
478 reports with mileage · 49 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Power Train. Review the 376 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 92 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 41 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
What owners actually said
527 reportsAS I PULLED OUT INTO TRAFFIC THE TRANSMISSION STARTED SLIPPING AND MY 2002 TOYOTA RAV4 HESITATED AND WOULD SHIFT INTO GEAR. I TOOK IT TO TOYOTA ON DIXIE HIGHWAY, LOUISVILLE, KY WHERE I HAD PURCHASED THE VEHICLE AND TOOK IT FOR EVERY SERVICE. THEY PUT SOME TYPE OF FLUID SAID THAT THIS MAY FIX THE PROBLEM. I WENT TO GET IT AND …
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AS I PULLED OUT INTO TRAFFIC THE TRANSMISSION STARTED SLIPPING AND MY 2002 TOYOTA RAV4 HESITATED AND WOULD SHIFT INTO GEAR. I TOOK IT TO TOYOTA ON DIXIE HIGHWAY, LOUISVILLE, KY WHERE I HAD PURCHASED THE VEHICLE AND TOOK IT FOR EVERY SERVICE. THEY PUT SOME TYPE OF FLUID SAID THAT THIS MAY FIX THE PROBLEM. I WENT TO GET IT AND ONCE AGAIN WOULD NOT RUN. THEY THEN TOLD ME THAT IT WAS PROBABLY THE TRANSMISSION AND THAT I PROBABLY WOULD NOT BE BACK TO SEE THEM. THEY QUOTED ME A PRICE OF $4,000 TO HAVE THE TRANSMISSION FIXED. *TR
I AM HAVING SHIFTING PROBLEM OF THE TRANSMISSION ON MY TOYOTA RAV4 L 2002 WHILE DRIVING. WHEN DRIVING ON THE ROAD,THE TRANNY BEGAN SLIPPING,HESITATINGAND JERKING. I CAN'T AFFORD TO GET IT REPAIRED YET. I AM CONCERNING SOMEDAY SOMEONE WILL HIT BEHIND ME DURING DRIVING DUE TO SHIFTING PROBLEM THAT I CAN'T KEEP ON SPEED LIMITED. I …
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I AM HAVING SHIFTING PROBLEM OF THE TRANSMISSION ON MY TOYOTA RAV4 L 2002 WHILE DRIVING. WHEN DRIVING ON THE ROAD,THE TRANNY BEGAN SLIPPING,HESITATINGAND JERKING. I CAN'T AFFORD TO GET IT REPAIRED YET. I AM CONCERNING SOMEDAY SOMEONE WILL HIT BEHIND ME DURING DRIVING DUE TO SHIFTING PROBLEM THAT I CAN'T KEEP ON SPEED LIMITED. I GET ONLINE WWW.CARSCOMPLAINTS.COM AND DID SOME RESEARCH. I FOUND OUT MOST OF THE TOYOTA RAV4 OWNERS DESCRIBING SAME SHIFTING PROBLEM BECAUSE OF THE DEFECTED ENGINE CONTROL MODULE THAT CAN DAMAGE THE TRANNY. *TR
CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. TOOK TO TOYOTA. THEY TOLD ME I NEEDED A NEW ECM THAT THERE WAS A TSB ON THE MAKE MODEL AND YR OF MY VEHICLE RAV4 2002/I DROVE HOME AND TOLD MY BOYFRIEND THAT THE ECM REPLACEMENT IS 1600 DOLLARS. ONE WEEK LATER I WAS DRIVING TO TOYOTA TO HAVE FIXED AND MY CAR WOULD NPT ACCELERATE. IT WOULD STOP AND GO …
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CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. TOOK TO TOYOTA. THEY TOLD ME I NEEDED A NEW ECM THAT THERE WAS A TSB ON THE MAKE MODEL AND YR OF MY VEHICLE RAV4 2002/I DROVE HOME AND TOLD MY BOYFRIEND THAT THE ECM REPLACEMENT IS 1600 DOLLARS. ONE WEEK LATER I WAS DRIVING TO TOYOTA TO HAVE FIXED AND MY CAR WOULD NPT ACCELERATE. IT WOULD STOP AND GO AND I BARELY MADE IT THROUGH A VERY BUSY INTERSECTION.. I WAS AT 83,000 MILES AND OUT OF WARRANTY WHEN THIS HAPPENED. OF COURSE I HAD TO ABSORB THE COST.. *TR
DURING A RECENT RAIN I WAS TRANSPORTING MY GRANDKIDS FROM SCHOOL WHEN I NOTICED THAT MY CAR SEEMED TO SLIP AND JOLT FORWARD EACH TIME I ACCELERATED. EACH TIME THE CAR WOULD HESITATE AND THE SLIPPING AND JOLTING WAS SIGNIFICANT. I WAS AFRAID THAT MY CAR WOULD STALL IN TRAFFIC. I WAS VERY GLAD TO GET MY GRANDKIDS HOME SAFELY. I …
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DURING A RECENT RAIN I WAS TRANSPORTING MY GRANDKIDS FROM SCHOOL WHEN I NOTICED THAT MY CAR SEEMED TO SLIP AND JOLT FORWARD EACH TIME I ACCELERATED. EACH TIME THE CAR WOULD HESITATE AND THE SLIPPING AND JOLTING WAS SIGNIFICANT. I WAS AFRAID THAT MY CAR WOULD STALL IN TRAFFIC. I WAS VERY GLAD TO GET MY GRANDKIDS HOME SAFELY. I CALLED THE TOYOTA DEALER WHERE THE CAR WAS PURCHASED AND MADE AN IMMEDIATE APPOINTMENT. I WAS TOLD THAT MY TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REPLACED AS WELL AS THE ECU AT A COST OF OVER $6,000! I WAS VERY UPSET BECAUSE MY EXTENDED WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED THE YEAR BEFORE AND DURING THE WARRANTY PERIOD I HAD COMPLAINED ABOUT TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS AND THE "ENGINE" TROUBLE LIGHT WHICH KEPT COMING ON. EACH TIME THEY TOLD ME THAT EITHER AN ADJUSTMENT WAS MADE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM OR THAT THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. I ALSO CALLED TOYOTA HEADQUARTERS AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO FOR ME. I WAS REFERRED BACK TO THE LOCAL DEALER WHO TOLD ME TO CALL HEADQUARTERS AGAIN. I FELT LIKE A PING-PONG BALL. IN THE END NO ONE COULD OR WOULD HELP ME. I ENDED UP GOING TO ANOTHER TOYOTA DEALERSHIP TO HAVE JUST THE ECU REPLACED AT A COST OF $1500. THE CAR STILL JOLTS WHENEVER I ACCELERATE, HOWEVER I AM RETIRED AND CANNOT AFFORD $4000 FOR A NEW TRANSMISSION AT THIS TIME. *TR
2002 RAV4 THAT I WILL NEED TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION AND ECM ON - DESPITE THE FACT THAT THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THESE CARS. REPAIR COST $5,000. ALTHOUGH THERE WERE NO INJURIES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS THERE VERY WELL COULD HAVE BEEN, AS TRANSMISSION WENT OUT AS I WAS MERGING ONTO A VERY BUSY INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. THESE CARS ARE A…
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2002 RAV4 THAT I WILL NEED TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION AND ECM ON - DESPITE THE FACT THAT THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THESE CARS. REPAIR COST $5,000. ALTHOUGH THERE WERE NO INJURIES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS THERE VERY WELL COULD HAVE BEEN, AS TRANSMISSION WENT OUT AS I WAS MERGING ONTO A VERY BUSY INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. THESE CARS ARE A DEATHTRAP AND TOYOTA NEEDS TO RECALL THEM AND FIX THE PROBLEM. *TR
I HAVE A 2002 RAV4 THAT STARTED HAVING SHIFTING PROBLEMS. WHEN I WOULD PUT THE CAR INTO REVERSE IT WOULD JERK AND JOLT THIS IS HOW IT STARTED. THEN ABOUT A WEEK LATER IT STARTED DOING THIS WHEN THE CAR SHIFTED FROM 1ST TO SECOND AND SO ON. AFTER ABOUT 3 WEEKS OF THIS I TOOK THE CAR INTO THE DEALER AND TOLD THEM TO PLEASE LOOK A…
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I HAVE A 2002 RAV4 THAT STARTED HAVING SHIFTING PROBLEMS. WHEN I WOULD PUT THE CAR INTO REVERSE IT WOULD JERK AND JOLT THIS IS HOW IT STARTED. THEN ABOUT A WEEK LATER IT STARTED DOING THIS WHEN THE CAR SHIFTED FROM 1ST TO SECOND AND SO ON. AFTER ABOUT 3 WEEKS OF THIS I TOOK THE CAR INTO THE DEALER AND TOLD THEM TO PLEASE LOOK AT IT. THEY CALLED ME LATER THAT DAY SAYING THAT THEY THOUGHT I NEEDED NEW ENGINE MOUNTS. THAT THEY WERE CAUSING CAR TO JERK WHEN IT CHANGED GEARS. HE SAID THAT THEY NEEDED TO BE ORDERED AND THAT THEY NEEDED THE CAR OVERNIGHT. SO THE NEXT DAY GOT A CALL FROM THE DEALER SAYING THAT THEY DROVE THE CAR SOME MORE AND REALIZED IT WAS MY TRANSMISSION. THAT I NEEDED TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION AND THE COMPUTER THAT CONTROLS IT. THIS WOULD COST ME $5200.00. I CALLED A VERY GOOD FRIEND OF MINE WHO HAS BEEN A MECHANIC FOR 30 YEARS AND HE CALLED A FRIEND OF HIS WHO WORKS PARTS AT TOYOTA. THE PERSON WHO WORKS FOR TOYOTA TOLD MY FRIEND THAT THEY HAVE BEEN HAVING THESE PROBLEMS WITH THE RAV AND THAT IT IS ONLY THE COMPUTER THAT NEEDS REPLACEMENT, NOT THE TRANSMISSION. SO, HE SOLD US THE PART AND MY FRIEND THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE COMPUTER. NOW MY CAR DRIVES PERFECTLY. SO, I INSTEAD SPENT ONLY $1100.00 AS OPPOSED TO THE $5200.00 THAT THE TOYOTA DEALER WANTED TO CHARGE ME WHEN IT WAS NOT MY TRANSMISSION AT ALL. I HAVE ALL THE PAPERWORK FROM THE DEALER SHOWING WHAT THEY WANTED ME TO REPLACE AND SPEND. I AM VERY UPSET THAT AN ACCREDITED TOYOTA DEALERSHIP WAS GOING TO HAVE ME SPEND THAT MUCH MONEY ON SOMETHING WHEN IT WAS NOT THE PROBLEM. I BOUGHT MY CAR THERE AND I HAVE HAD IT SERVICED THERE EVER SINCE- 7 YEARS! *TR
I HAD A TOYOTA RV4 2002, THAT WAS GIVING ME TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS, THE CAR STAR SHAKING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FREEWAY IN VARIOUS OCCASION, THAT REALLY SCARED ME, AND MY CHILD, I HAD TO PAID 3462.52 DOLLARS TO HAVE THE TRANSMISSION REPLACED, BUT THAT DIDN'T FIX THE PROBLEM, AND TOYOTA REPLACED THE ECM, ANOTHER 1, 200 DOLLARS. I…
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I HAD A TOYOTA RV4 2002, THAT WAS GIVING ME TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS, THE CAR STAR SHAKING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FREEWAY IN VARIOUS OCCASION, THAT REALLY SCARED ME, AND MY CHILD, I HAD TO PAID 3462.52 DOLLARS TO HAVE THE TRANSMISSION REPLACED, BUT THAT DIDN'T FIX THE PROBLEM, AND TOYOTA REPLACED THE ECM, ANOTHER 1, 200 DOLLARS. I'M VERY UNHAPPY BECAUSE LATER I FOUND OUT, THAT TOYOTA KNEW OF THIS PROBLEM, BUT THEY DIDN'T NOT NOTIFIED THE CUSTOMER, I'M A SINGLE MOTHER, AND FOR ME THAT WAS A LOT OF MONEY TO PAID WITH MY CREDIT CARDS... *TR
1. TOYOTA 2002 RAV 4 STARTING JERKING UNCONTROLLABLY AT 80,300 MILES WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AT AROUND 60 MPH. 2. TOOK IT IN THE NEXT DAY AND TOYOTA DEALER STATED THAT IT WAS AN ENGINE CONTROL MODULE FAILURE WHICH WAS MAKING THE TRANSMISSION JERK. 3. THEY REPLACED THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE AND STUCK US WITH THE BILL SIN…
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1. TOYOTA 2002 RAV 4 STARTING JERKING UNCONTROLLABLY AT 80,300 MILES WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AT AROUND 60 MPH. 2. TOOK IT IN THE NEXT DAY AND TOYOTA DEALER STATED THAT IT WAS AN ENGINE CONTROL MODULE FAILURE WHICH WAS MAKING THE TRANSMISSION JERK. 3. THEY REPLACED THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE AND STUCK US WITH THE BILL SINCE OUR CAR WAS 300 MILES OVER WARRANTY ALTHOUGH WE HAD BROUGHT IT IN 4 TIMES PRIOR FOR ENGINE CONTROL MODULE PROBLEMS. *TR
PURCHASED VEHICLE FROM DAUGHTER. HAD IT FOR 2 YEARS AND ONCE IT HIT 90,000 MILES, STARTED SHIFTING INTO 3RD GEAR FROM STOP POSITION. AFTER TOWING TO TOYOTA DEALERSHIP, WAS TOLD NEED NEW TRANNY $3290.27 AND ECM $1211.13 . TOYOTA HAS MONOPOLY ON ECM/PROGRAMMING AND IT MUST BE CHANGED WITH REBUILT/NEW TRANNY. WENT TO WEBSITE AND IT…
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PURCHASED VEHICLE FROM DAUGHTER. HAD IT FOR 2 YEARS AND ONCE IT HIT 90,000 MILES, STARTED SHIFTING INTO 3RD GEAR FROM STOP POSITION. AFTER TOWING TO TOYOTA DEALERSHIP, WAS TOLD NEED NEW TRANNY $3290.27 AND ECM $1211.13 . TOYOTA HAS MONOPOLY ON ECM/PROGRAMMING AND IT MUST BE CHANGED WITH REBUILT/NEW TRANNY. WENT TO WEBSITE AND IT SEEMS THAT THIS IS STANDARD FOR 2002 RAV4'S. MANUFACTURER SAYS NOT THEIR PROBLEM, DEALERSHIP DOESN'T CARE AND WON'T HELP IN ANY WAY! *TR
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
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