2002 Toyota RAV4

2002 RAV4 WITH 95,000 MILES AND ROUTINE SERVICE. BEGAN JERKING AND HESITATING WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE, SEEMS LIKE SHIFTING PROBLEMS. THREE DIFFERENT SHOPS - TWO DEALERSHIPS - UNABLE TO DETERMINE EXACT PROBLEM. RECOMMENDED FLUSHING TRANSMISSION FLUIDS, REPLACING TRANSMISSION, REPLACING SOLENOID - NO ONE WAS ABLE TO GUARANTEE THESE FIXES WOULD CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THE INTERNET IS FULL OF HUNDREDS OF SIMILAR PROBLEMS. MANY PEOPLE REPLACED TRANSMISSION WITH NO FIX. THE CAR IS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE BECAUSE OF STALLING DURING ACCELERATION. TSB #00206 ISSUED IN 2006 MENTIONS REPLACING ECM. MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE DONE THIS HAVE HAD SUCCESS. TOYOTA SHOULD ENSURE ALL DEALERSHIPS KNOW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND CORRECT IT BEFORE SUGGESTING COSTLY TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENTS. *TR

THE TOYOTA RAV4 (YEAR 2002) INDISCRIMINATELY SPEEDS UP AND MAXES OUT THE RPMS (6000) FOR NOT REASON. I WAS GOING 65 AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE RPMS WENT UP TO 6000 FROM 3000 AND THE CAR SPED UP TO 85 AND THEN WENT INTO NEUTRAL WITH ME TOUCHING ANY GEARS OR ANY PEDALS. LUCKILY I WAS ALLOWING ENOUGH DISTANCE BETWEEN ME AND THE OTHER VEHICLES TO SAFELY GET IT PULLED OFF TO THE SIDE. THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO WAY TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE TO KEEP IT FROM CRASHING INTO SOMEONE DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ME AND BOTH SIDES AND THE REAR HAD VEHICLES IN THEM. THE ECM, TRANSMISSION AND VSS (VARIABLE SPEED SENSOR) WERE REPLACED AND THE PROBLEM STILL OCCURS. TOYOTA DISAVOWS ANY KNOWLEDGE OF THESE TYPES OF ISSUES; HOWEVER, THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS FOR THE SAME ISSUES AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS BEING SPENT TO SOLVE THEM AND IT'S NOT BEING SOLVED. THERE ARE LIVES AT STAKE HERE. TOYOTA SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THESE PROBLEMS. THE MODELS EFFECTED ARE THE TOYOTA RAV4'S FROM 1999 TO 2009. AND IT APPEARS THAT IT'S STILL AN ISSUE AND STILL BEING PUSHED UNDER THE RUG SO TO SPEAK. ACTION OR LIVES....THAT'S WHAT IT ALL BOILS DOWN TO NOW. INCIDENT DATE IS MOST CURRENT. NUMEROUS PAST DATES. *TR

TOYOTA RAV 4 2002. A MONTH AGO, MY CAR STARTED JERKING AND BUCKING AND STALLING MID INTERSECTION. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK IT TO MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER FOR SERVICING. THE SERVICE DEPT. COULD NOT DETERMINE THE PROBLEM SO THEY CHANGED TRANSMISSION FLUID (CHARGE ALMOST $200.00) AND SENT ME ON MY WAY WITH NOTICE THAT IF THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON I SHOULD RETURN. TWO WEEKS LATER, I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY APPROACHING A DOUBLE MERGE DRIVING 60 MPH WHEN MY CAR SUDDENLY DOWNSHIFTED INTO FIRST GEAR CAUSING ME TO LURCH AND LOSE CONTROL OF VEHICLE WHILE ONE TRACTOR TRAILER TRUCK WAS MERGING TO MY RIGHT AND ANOTHER DIRECTLY BEHIND ME CAUSING TRUCK BEHIND ME TO LAY ON BRAKES AND VEER OFF THE ROAD...I MANAGED TO GET MYSELF OFF THE ROAD...NO ACCIDENT OCCURRED BUT THE THREAT TO MY LIFE WAS SERIOUS. I DID INVESTIGATION ON LINE CARCOMPLANTS.COM AND FOUND THAT THERE WAS A SERVICE BULLETIN ISSUED TO ALL DEALERS IN 2006. I WAS NEVER INFORMED OF DEFECT THEREFORE WAS ENDANGERING MYSELF AND MY FAMILY EVERY TIME I DROVE THE CAR WITHOUT ANY KNOWLEDGE. I TOOK THE CAR TO A DIFFERENT LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER AND PAID $150.00 FOR DIAGNOSTIC: FAULTY ECM (SEE CARCOMPLAINTS.COM). QUOTED A COST OF REPLACEMENT AT ($1,200.00) THAT MIGHT SOLVE THE PROBLEM BUT THEY WOULD NOT KNOW CONDITION OF TRANSMISSION UNTIL AFTER THEY REPLACED THE ECM. I WAS UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THIS ANSWER AND FELT I MIGHT HAVE BETTER SERVICE WITH ORIGINAL DEALER SO I PAID FOR CAR TO BE TOWED ($100.00) AND RENTED A CAR. ORIGINAL DEALER DETERMINED ECM NEEDS REPLACEMENT NO GUARANTEE THAT TRANSMISSION WOULD BE OKAY. I ASKED THAT DEALER SPEAK ON MY BEHALF TO TOYOTA TO SEE IF THEY WERE WILLING TO SHARE SOME OF THE RESPONSIBILITY AND COST OF REPLACEMENT OF FAULTY ECM. TOYOTA REFUSED. AFTER BEING WITHOUT FAMILY'S ONLY CAR FOR 2 WEEKS,PAYING FOR RENTAL (OVER $200.00) THE ECM WAS REPLACED ($1,000.00) CAR SEEMED TO BE OKAY FOR ONE WEEK. 4 DAYS AGO ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. RETURNING TO YET ANOTHER DEALER TOMORROW. DO YOU VALUE MY SAFETY? *TR

AT 84,000 MILES THE CAR STARTED SURGING FOR NO REASON, STALLING WHILE MOVING ON THE HIGHWAY, AND STALLING WHILE APPROACHING INTERSECTIONS. HAPPENED TWO TO THREE TIMES DAILY, CAUSING A NUMBER NEAR MISS ACCIDENTS, REAR ENDS. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER WHO REPLACED THE COMPUTER. THIS WAS VERY DANGEROUS AND EASILY COULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. *TR THE CONSUMER STATED HE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION. UPDATED 07/26/10.*JB

I PURCHASED A NEW 2002 TOYOTA RAV 4 IN 2002. LAST YEAR, A FEW YEARS AFTER THE PURCHASE DATE, TOYOTA HAD A RECALL FOR THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER AND THE LIGHT WAS FIXED. MAYBE A YEAR OR TWO AFTER, THE LIGHT BEGAN TO COME ON AND HAS STAYED OFF AND ON FOR YEARS. LAST YEAR, MY TRUCK BEGAN TO "HESITATE" WHILE DRIVING AND FINALLY IT BEGAN TO STOP ALL TOGETHER. I TOOK IT TO A TRANSMISSION SHOP AND AN AIR CONDITIONER BELT WAS REPLACED AND THE AGENT TOLD ME THAT HE COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM WITH IT. FOR A DAY OR TWO, I HAD NO PROBLEMS WITH THE TRUCK. BUT SHORTLY AFTER, THE PROBLEM CAME BACK AND I WAS STUCK WITHOUT TRANSPORTATION. I WAS TOLD IT WAS A $2,500 COMPUTER ENGINE PROBLEM. I DO NOT HAVE THAT KIND OF MONEY. SO, I HAD TO RENT A CAR. MY INSURANCE WOULD NOT PAY RENTALS. EXTERNALLY, IT IS A BEAUTIFUL TRUCK, EVEN TODAY. BUT, INTERNALLY, IT COMPLETELY LET ME DOWN. WHEN I PURCHASED MY TRUCK, I THOUGHT I WAS GETTING A DEPENDABLE TRUCK THAT WOULD LAST FOR YEARS AFTER IT WAS PAID OFF. I PAID OFF THE CAR IN JANUARY OF THIS YEAR AND IT IS SITTING IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE. HOW BAD CAN THIS GET? MY TRUCK HAS OVER 140,000 MILES WHICH ACCORDING TO MY RESEARCH, EXCEEDS WARRANTY DATES. IF THE REPAIR COST IS HIGH, I WILL HAVE NO OTHER CHOICE BUT TO TRY TO SELL THE TRUCK. I WENT OUT AND BOUGHT AN AMERICAN MADE USED CAR THE OTHER DAY. IT CANNOT COMPARE WITH MY TOYOTA WHEN IT WAS IN GOOD CONDITION. NOW I AM BACK IN DEBT AGAIN. THIS TIME I GOT A THREE YEAR WARRANTY. TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT, I AM SO DISAPPOINTED IN THE TOYOTA RAV4 TRUCKS. ACCORDING TO THE WEB, A LOT OF US ARE. *TR

2002 TOYOTA RAV4 HAS DEFECTIVE ECU WHICH HAS IN TURN FRIED TRANSMISSION...MY WIFE NOTICED PROBLEMS WHEN THE SHIFTING AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION ON A MERGE AND WAS ALMOST RUN OVER BY A SEMI-TRUCK. WE THEN TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHO TOLD US THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS NOT ON SO THEY COULD NOT DIAGNOSE AND ADVISED US TO DRAIN THE TRANSMISSION FLUID. 2 WEEKS LATER, MY WIFE WAS ON THE HIGHWAY AND THE TRANSMISSION SPONTANEOUSLY SHIFTED INTO LOW GEAR CAUSING HER TO SWERVE OFF ROAD. WE HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT WE NEED TO REPLACE THE ECU AND TRANSMISSION AT $5,000. I HAVE GONE ONLINE AND READ THAT TOYOTA HAS BEEN AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM FOR OVER 2 YEARS AND WILL NOT ISSUE RECALL AS NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE HAVE COMPLAINED...THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE MY WIFE WAS ALMOST KILLED!!! PLEASE ADDRESS WITH TOYOTA!! *TR UPDATED 03/22/10.*JB

2002 TOYOTA RAV4 BEGAN JERKING AND STALLING. CAR WOULDN'T ACCELERATE FROM A STOP. WAS TURNING LEFT INTO TRAFFIC WHEN THIS FIRST OCCURRED AND ONCOMING TRAFFIC HAD TO STOP. WAS STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF A MAJOR INTERSECTION FOR FIVE MINUTES, UNTIL AFTER MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS AT PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL DID THE CAR BEGIN TO CRAWL IN A JERKY MOTION. DROVE 2 MILES WITH THE JERKING AND STALLING ON STOP AND WITH NO ACCELERATION. LITERALLY ROLLED INTO LOCAL MECHANIC'S SHOP. FOUND OUT THAT THE TRANSMISSION HAS TOTALLY FAILED AND MUST BE REPLACED. THERE WERE ABSOLUTELY NO PROBLEM INDICATIONS, NO WARNING LIGHTS, ENGINE LIGHTS OR AN OTHER PREVIOUS PROBLEMS. THE CAR HAS ONLY 65,000 MILES ON IT. I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED AND DISHEARTEN AT THE RESPONSE FROM THE TOYOTA MANUFACTURER. THE 2002 RAV4 TRANSMISSION REPORT IN CONSUMER REPORTS STICKS OUT LIKE A SORE THUMB. MY DAUGHTER WAS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT WHEN THE CAR STALLED IN THE INTERSECTION. I THANK GOD SHE WASN'T HURT. WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO HAVE THESE AUTOMOBILES RECALLED? A SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH? *TR

TRANSMISSION FAILED ON MY 2002 TOYOTA RAV 4 FWD AUTOTRANSMISSION WITH LESS THAN 52000 MILES. NO ENGINE LIGHTS EVER APPEARED TO ALERT ME OF PROBLEM. FIRST SIGN WAS WHILE DRIVING 65MPH ON INTERSTATE 80 HEADING TO ERIE, PA FROM YOUNGSTOWN, OH. CAR TAKEN IN TO NEAREST TRANSMISSION SHOP, AAMCO WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT CLUTCHES WERE COMPLETELY DAMAGED/BURNT AND NEEDED TO BE COMPLETELY REBUILT AT A COST OF $3000. NOW BEING TOLD THAT THE ECM NEEDS TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE OF VOLTAGE PROBLEMS AND GEARS STILL MISSING WITH REBUILT TRANS. REPLACEMENT ECM COVERED UNDER TOYOTA'S TSB TC002-06 IF UNDER 8 YEARS/80,000 BUT LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP STATING THAT CURRENT PART NUMBER IS THE REPLACEMENT PART. I CONTACTED MY TOYOTA DEALERSHIP BACK HOME WHO DID A REPROGRAMMING RECALL BUT DID NOT REPLACE ECM. REPROGRAMMING / RECODING / FLASHING ECM WAS NOT THE PROCEDURE TO RESOLVE ON ABOVE TSB AND I BELIEVE THE DEALERSHIP BACK HOME SIMPLY RELABELED ECM WITH NEW PART NUMBER SINCE THEY CONFIRMED THAT IT WAS NOT REPLACED WITH NEW ECM. A NEW ECM WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THE TRANSMISSION FAILURE FROM HAPPENING. AAMCO DEALERSHIP FIGHTING TO GET ME AN ECM COVERED UNDER THE TC002-06 TSB. VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN SHOP FOR ALMOST 3 WEEKS AND NO END IN SIGHT. CANNOT TAKE VEHICLE BACK HOME EVEN WITH REBUILT TRANS BECAUSE IT IS NOT ROADWORTHY WITHOUT ECM AND TESTING. NEED TO RENT VEHICLE TO GET MYSELF BACK HOME UNTIL CONTACTED BY AAMCO REGARDING RESOLUTION. *TR