2002 Toyota RAV4

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER WHERE THE DEALER ENCOUNTERED SLUDGE IN THE ENTIRE ENGINE. THE DEALER DETERMINED THE SLUDGE WAS FROM POOR MAINTENANCE. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WAS REGULARLY MAINTAINED BY SERVICE DEALERS. UPDATED 9/22/2006 - *NM

VEHICLE WAS PLUGGED IN TO A CHARGER, CHARGING NORMALLY. DRIVER RETURNED TO THE CAR, AND NEGLECTED TO REMOVE THE CHARGING CABLE. DRIVER TURNED THE KEY, AND SHIFTED FROM PARK TO REVERSE. VEHICLE ROLLED AWAY FROM THE CHARGING STATION AND DAMAGED THE CABLE AND THE CHARGING STATION, DISABLING THE CHARGING STATION UNTIL IT COULD BE REPAIRED (AT A COST OF $1200 TO $1500). VEHICLE SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO SHIFT OUT OF PARK WHEN CONNECTED TO A CHARGING STATION. (DATE IS APPROXIMATE.) *NM

CAR SMOKES EARLY IN THE MORNING, I TOOK CAR IN BEFORE WARRANTY EXPIRED BUT WAS TOLD BY DEALER THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. AT THE BEGINNING CAR WOULD ONLY SMOKE EARLY IN THE MORNINGS AND NOT ALL THE TIME. LATER AS THE CAR BEGAN TO SMOKE MORE REGULARLY THE DEALER REFUSED TO REPAIR DUE TO EXPIRATION OF WARRANTY. THE CAR IS NOW SMOKING DRASTICALLY, I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT THE SMOKING IS A COMMON SITUATION (DEFECT) WITH RAV4'S OF 2002. I WAS ALSO INFORMED THAT OTHER CARS HAD BEEN BROUGHT IT AND HAD BEEN FIXED BECAUSE THEY WERE UNDER WARRANTY. *JB

THE CAR SUFFERED MECHANICAL DEFECT AND THE FRONT END BAR WAS BROKEN, WHEN FRONT END BAR BROKE IT LOST DIRECTION AND HIT ANOTHER CAR IN FRONT. THE HIGHWAY PATROL CAME TO TAKE THE ACCIDENT REPORT. WE WERE DRIVING AT 25MPH ON FREEWAY NUMBER 405. I HAVE CALLED MY AUTO INSURANCE AND I WAS GIVEN A CASE NUMBER. I HAVE FULL COVER. I AM WAITING FOR A RESPONSE FROM MY AUTO INSURANCE TO FIX THE CAR. I HAVE CONTATED TOYOTA AND I ALSO HAVE A CASE WITH THEM. THE CASE NUMBER IS 200603011457. I HAVE TOYOTA AND THE CLAIMS REPRESENTATIVE IS CHRISTY. CHRISTY HAVE SAID TO WAIT AT LEAST 60 DAYS. I CAN'T WAIT 60 DAYS. I NEED MY CAR. THE AUTO INSURANCE HAS NOT GIVEN ME A RENTAL. I HAVE COMPLAINT TO THE COMMISSIONER OF AUTO INSURANCE IN CALIFORNIA. THEY WILL CONDUCT AND INVESTIGATION. THE CASE NUMBER WITH MY AUTO INSURANCE IS 10000148757. MY AUTO INSURANCE CARRIER IS INFINITY. WHAT I WANT IS TOYOTA TO REPLACE MY CAR. THE CAR IS A TOTAL LOSS. I FEEL THIS BROKEN BAR SHOULD BE RECALL.*AK

WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY WHEN MY OIL LIGHT TURNED ON AN SECONDS LATER WHITE SMOKE STARTED COMING OUT OF THE ENGINE. HAD CAR TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. AFTER LOOKING AT THE CAR THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINE THAT THE RADIATOR HAD CRACKED DUE TO THE SLUDGE IN THE ENGINE. SAID I WOULD NEED TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE ENGINE. TOLD THEM I HAD A 100,000 MILE 5 YEAR WARRANTY. MY CAR HAD ABOUT 85,000 MILES ON IT AT THE TIME. TOYOTA DEALERSHIP SAID THAT THEY DOUBTED THAT THE WARRANTY PEOPLE WOULD COVER THAT AND THEY RARELY SAW PEOPLE GET COVERAGE FOR SLUDGE IN THE ENGINE. REPORTED TO WARRANTY PEOPLE AND THEY TOLD ME THAT MY CAR WAS "VERY POORLY MAINTAINED" AND BECAUSE I DID NOT CHANGE OIL OR MAINTAIN MY CAR THEY WOULD NOT COVER. I TOLD THEM THAT I HAD CHANGED MY OIL SEVERAL TIMES SINCE I OWNED THE CAR. THEY SAID I NEED ALL RECEIPTS. I HAD A FEW RECEIPTS BUT NOT ALL. TOOK MY CAR TO A PRIVATE SHOP AND GOT REBUILT ENGINE. STILL HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET CAR OUT BECAUSE I AM FINANCIALLY STRAPPED. IT COSTS 3500.00. TOYOTA SAID I WOULD HAVE TO PAY 8000.00 FOR A NEW ENGINE AND 5000.00 FOR A USED ENGINE. HAD TO RENT CAR THAT HAS COST ME 1100.00. MUST TAKE CAR BACK BECAUSE I CANNOT AFFORD IT. WON'T HAVE TRANSPORTATION. I AM DISAPPOINTED BECAUSE ONE OF THE REASONS I BOUGHT A TOYOTA WAS BECAUSE OF ITS REPUTATION FOR MANUFACTURING DEPENDABLE, LONG LASTING CARS. I AM A SINGLE MOTHER AND HAVE SO MUCH ON MY PLATE TO WORRY ABOUT BROKEN DOWN CARS. *NM

I HAVE A 2002 TOYOTA RAV 4. I HAVE TAKEN MY CAR TO THE DEALER FOR THE CHANGES OF OIL AND FILTER. TWICE THEY SUGGESTED A WYNNS SYSTEM ENGINE CLEANING WHICH WE PAID FOR. THE LAST ONE WAS DONE ON APRIL 2005. LAST OCTOBER 7, 2005 I WAS DRIVING MY CAR ON THE EXPRESSWAY AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE OIL LIGHT LIT UP AND THE CAR STOPPED. THE CAR WAS TOWED FROM THE HIGHWAY TO OUR HOUSE AND THE NEXT DAY WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER ADRIEL TOYOTA IN RIO GRANDE, PUERTO RICO. ABOUT TWO HOURS LATER THEY CALLED ME AND STATED THAT THE MOTOR STALLED AND THE WARRANTY WAS NOT GOING TO PAY SINCE I HAD NOT TAKEN THE CAR TO THEM FOR THE LAST OIL CHANGE. I REMINDED THEM THAT JUST NINE MONTHS EARLIER A WYNNS MOTOR ENGINE CLEANING HAD BE DONE BY THEM AND THAT IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE MOTOR OF THE CAR TO HAVE SLUDGE IF THEY HAD DONE THE JOB CORRECTLY. THE TOYOTA COMPANY OF PUERTO RICO CALLED TO TELL ME THE SAME THING. I MADE A COMPLAINT AT THE CONSUMERS AFFAIRS IN PUERTO , I AM WAITING FOR A DECISION. TODAY I SHOWED THE PICTURES TO AN AUTOMOTIVE EXPERT WHO STATES THAT THE MOTOR HAVE NOT HAD ANY OIL CHANGES AND THE WORST WAS THAT THERE WAS NO WAY THAT THE ENGINE HAD BE CLEANED. THE DEALERS STATES THAT THEY HAVE NOT HAD ANY MOTOR SLUDGING ON ANY RAV 4 IN PUERTO RICO BUT CONSUMER REPORT STATES THAT TOYOTA HAS THIS PROBLEM MOST COMMONLY WITH CAMRY'S . TODAY I FOUND OUT THAT RAV 4 HAVE THE SAME ENGINE CAMRY'S HAVE. AM I SUPPOSED TO BE PUNISHED FOR WHATEVER PROBLEM TOYOTAS ENGINES HAVE?

WHILE DRIVING A CLICKING NOISE CAME FROM FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE STEERING FAILED TO TURN PROPERLY, AND THE DRIVER WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, AND CRASHED INTO A CONCRETE BARRIER. UPON IMPACT, BOTH AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE DRIVER REFUSED MEDICAL ATTENTION AND WENT TO THE HOSPITAL ON HER OWN. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. *AK THE CONSUMER WAS IN THE PASSING LANE GOING AT A RATE OF 56-57 MPH WHEN THE CLICK WAS HEARD, THE VEHICLE STARTED TO GLIDE TO THE LEFT, THE CONSUMER TRIED TO GAIN CONTROL OF THE STEERING BUT THE WHEEL CONTINUED TO GO AROUND. THERE WAS NO STEERING POWER. THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT THE RACK AN PINION SNAPPED. *SC *JB

I HAD DRIVEN ABOUT 3 MILES THEN GOT STUCK IN A TRAFFIC JAM. AT THAT TIME, I COULD SMELL SOMETHING BURNING BUT I THOUGHT IT WAS THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. FINALLY, I GOT OFF THAT ROAD AND DROVE ANOTHER 10 MILES BUT I AGAIN NOTICED THE BURNING SMELL. I CHECKED THE PANEL AND THE CAR WAS NOT RUNNING HOT. NEXT, A SMALL CURL OF SMOKE CAME FROM UNDER HOOD ON PASSENGER SIDE. THEN SUDDENLY SMOKE BEGAN BILLOWING FROM UNDER THE HOOD AND INTO THE CAR THROUGH THE VENT. I LOST STEERING AND BRAKING. I REMOVED THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION, BUT THE CAR CONTINUED MOVING FORWARD. THEN THE CAR ABRUPTLY STOPPED. FLAMES ENGULFED THE ENGINE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME OUT AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE BUT THE CAR WAS TOTALED. *AK