2003 Toyota RAV4

I WAS DRIVING TO WORK ON MONDAY MORNING, JUNE 1, 2014, WHEN THE ENGINE SHUT OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION. THERE WAS NO WARNING, NO HESITATION, NO NOISE. I HAD PRESSED DOWN ON THE GAS PEDAL TO CROSS THE INTERSECTION AND MIDWAY THROUGH THE ENGINE DIED. I WAS ABLE TO COAST ACROSS AND PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I WAITED A FEW MINUTES, RESTARTED THE CAR, AND WAS ABLE TO FINISH MY ROUTE TO WORK. I TOOK THE CAR TO A CERTIFIED MECHANIC WHO INSPECTED IT THOROUGHLY BUT FOUND NO PROBLEMS AND WAS UNABLE TO REPLICATE THE PROBLEM. HE CLEANED THE THROTTLE WHICH HE SAID WAS DIRTY. IT'S BEEN 2 DAYS AND WHILE THE ENGINE HASN'T STALLED AGAIN, THERE'S SOME OCCASIONAL HESITATION - WHICH I'VE NEVER ENCOUNTERED BEFORE. IT WAS RUNNING PERFECTLY BEFORE IT STALLED IN THE INTERSECTION. I'M NOW AFRAID TO DRIVE IT BUT IT'S MY ONLY TRANSPORTATION. THE CAR HAS BEEN SERVICED ACCORDING TO SCHEDULE, OIL CHANGES EVERY 3K MILES, TOYOTA REPLACED ECM IN JUNE 2013; WATER PUMP, ALTERNATOR,AND 02 SENSORS HAVE BEEN REPLACED. I'VE READ A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND UNSUCCESSFUL AND EXPENSIVE ATTEMPTS TO TRY TO CORRECT IT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE HESITATED WHEN DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED MULTIPLE TIMES .THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS ADVISED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ECM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 82,000.

ON THE SUBJECT DATE I WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING SPOT, WITH CARS ON BOTH SIDES OF ME. THERE WAS A CURB AND AN ISLAND, WITH A TREE IN IT, IN FRONT OF ME. MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE; I BROUGHT THE CAR TO A STOP AND WAS ABOUT TO PUT IT INTO PARK WHEN THE CAR UNEXPECTEDLY ACCELERATED, JUMPED THE CURB AND HIT THE TREE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE PASSENGERS BUT THERE WAS EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO MY CAR. I HAVE FILED A CLAIM WITH THE TOYOTA COMPANY HOLDING THEM RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS UNEXPECTED ACCELERATION BASED ON PREVIOUS INCIDENTS WITH THIS SAME YEAR AND MODEL CAR. I AM SEEKING, AT THE VERY LEAST, REPAIR OF MY CAR. BASED ON THE PREVIOUS HISTORY OF THIS PARTICULAR MAKE, MODEL AND YEAR CAR, I FEEL THAT IT IS IMPORTANT TO BRING THIS MATTER TO THE ATTENTION OF THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION. I WOULD APPRECIATE ANY ASSISTANCE WHICH THE NHTSA CAN GIVE ME REGARDING HOW TO PROCEED WITH THIS MATTER. THE VEHICLE IS PRESENTLY BEING EXAMINED BY REPRESENTATIVES OF THE TOYOTA COMPANY. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR ANY ASSISTANCE AND ADVICE WHICH YOU CAN GIVE ME IN THIS MATTER. *TR

I PULLED ONTO THE HIGHWAY, AND PUSHED THE ACCELERATOR DOWN TO GET INTO TRAFFIC, AND THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE INSTANTLY AS IT ALWAYS HAD DONE. THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPED, SLOWLY GETTING INTO GEAR, AND THEN ONLY GRADUALLY CAUGHT, CAUSING ME TO ALMOST GET HIT IN THE INTERIM BY AT LEAST ONE CAR AND A TRACTOR TRAILER. TOLD BY MY MECHANIC THAT THIS WAS UNUSUAL FOR TOYOTA TRANSMISSIONS, HE SAID I SHOULD GO ONLINE AND SEE IF THERE WERE ANY RECALLS FOR THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM. SURE ENOUGH, TOYOTA HAD, UNDER DURESS OF A LAW SUIT, ACKNOWLEDGED THE PROBLEM, AND HAD ISSUED AN EXPANSION OF THE WARRANTY ON THIS EXACT PROBLEM TO 10 YEARS OR 150,000 MILES. ON THE ONLINE DESCRIPTION OF THE TRANSMISSION/EMC PROBLEM, IT WAS STATED THAT THE PROBLEM USUALLY STARTED AROUND 80,000 MILES, WHICH IS WHAT MY 2003 RAV 4 HAS ON IT. AFTER FIRST CALLING TOYOTA HEADQUARTERS (TORRANCE, CA) TO GET THEM TO INCLUDE MY CAR UNDER THAT EXTENSION, THEY SAID THAT IT WAS TOO LATE AND THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. I THEN SENT THEM A REGISTERED LETTER BEGGING THEM TO HELP ME, AS THE CAR WAS ESSENTIALLY A DEATH TRAP WITH THE SLIPPAGE INTO THE FIRST TWO GEARS, AND THEY RESPONDED WITH A LETTER TELLING ME TO CALL THEM BACK. THIS WAS FRUITLESS, AS THE REITERATED EXACTLY WHAT THE FIRST CUSTOMER SERVICE REP TOLD ME. I ASKED THEM TO PUT IT IN WRITING THAT THEY WOULD NOT STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT FAILURE, WHICH THE REP SAID HE WOULD DO. I HAVE HEARD NOTHING FROM THEM SINCE THAT CALL LAST WEEK. I TOLD HIM I DID NOT GET ANYTHING FROM THEIR COMPANY TELLING ME, THE OWNER, THAT THIS PROBLEM IN THE POWER TRAIN EXISTED, AND THAT IT WAS UNFAIR THAT BECAUSE I BABIED THE CAR OVER THE YEARS I HAVE OWNED IT, THE 80,000 MILES JUST OCCURRED RECENTLY, PAST THE 2013 DATE THAT WAS IN THE NEW WARRANTY EXTENSION. IN OTHER WORDS, A PROBLEM THAT WAS KNOWN BY TOYOTA TO MANIFEST ITSELF AROUND 80,000 MILES PENALIZED ME IN THIS CASE. *TR

THE CAR WAS SHIFTING VERY HARSHLY AND WITH A VERY STRONG SHAKING LIKE A SHIMMY. I CALLED THE TOYOTA DEALERS REPAIR SHOP AND IT WAS DECIDED TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED IN FOR REPAIRS RATHER THAN CONTINUE DRIVING. THE TECHNICIAN SAID I NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION ECU AND POSSIBLE A NEW TRANSMISSION. ECU COST $1300.00 AND TRANSMISSION, IF NEEDED, IS $4,000.00.NO ONE TOLD ME THAT TOYOTA PAID TO HAVE THESE FIXED BY EXTENDING THE WARRANTY SEVERAL YEARS AGO IN CALIFORNIA. THAT WARRANTY HAS NOW ELAPSED YET MY CAR HAS LESS THAN 60,000 MILES ON IT. *TR

EXPERIENCING ABNORMAL BEHAVIOR WHEN SHIFTING GEARS (AUTO TRANS). TRANSMISSION WAS SHIFTING ODDLY - HARSH SHIFT CONDITION . IT WAS NOT A FREQUENT PROBLEM AND NO ENGINE LIGHT AND I TOOK IT TO THE LOCAL MECHANIC AND HE CONNECTED TO HIS COMPUTER AND COULD NOT FIND ANY ERROR CODES. THE PROBLEM HAPPENS EVERY TIME I MOVE FROM A STOP. FOUND OUT THAT TOYOTA PUT OUT A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN IN EARLY 2006 AFTER DEFECTS STARTED SURFACING STATING TO REPLACE THE CAR'S COMPUTER ECM/ECU AND POSSIBLY THE TRANSMISSION.. THE COMPANY DID NOT INFORM OWNERS ABOUT THIS DEFECT WHICH IS NOW SURFACING AND DID NOT RECALL DUE TO COST OF REPLACING THE ECU AND TRANSMISSION IT DESTROYS. THE DEFECTIVE ECU BURNS UP THE CLUTCH AND OTHER PARTS IN THE TRANSMISSION

CAR SITTING IN MY DRIVEWAY. TOOK EMERGENCY BRAKE OFF, STEPPED ON BRAKE, PUT CAR IN REVERSE. CAR GAVE A VIOLENT JERK BACKWARDS. BACKED OUT OF DRIVEWAY, PUT CAR IN DRIVE AND STEPPED ON ACCELERATOR. CAR JERKED FORWARD A LITTLE, ENGINE REVVED UP, SLOW ACCELERATION AFTER PRESSING ON ACCELERATOR. HAD TO PUT MORE PRESSURE ON ACCELERATOR TO GAIN ADEQUATE SPEED TO PULL FORWARD. STOPPED AT STOP SIGN, TRIED TO ACCELERATE, CAR JERKED FORWARD A LITTLE, ENGINE REVVED UP, BUT THERE WAS LITTLE TO NO ACCELERATION AFTER PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR. MORE PRESSURE ON ACCELERATOR RESULTED IN AN ADEQUATE SPEED TO PULL FORWARD. SAME SERIES OF EVENTS AFTER STOPPING AND/OR SLOWING DOWN WHILE DRIVING. SAME HARD JERK WHEN PUTTING CAR IN REVERSE FOR ANY REASON FOLLOWED BY FORWARD JERK, ENGINE REV AND SLOW ACCELERATION WHEN PUTTING CAR IN DRIVE. TOOK VEHICLE TO TOYOTA SERVICE ON 11-26-14. PROBLEM WITH ECM (ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE). MODULE HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE TRANSMISSION WAS NOT REPLACED. COST TO ME WAS $1590.63, INCLUDING TAX. DUE TO MY IN SERVICE DATE, TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE ADVISED MY CAR WAS OUT OF THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE ADVISED ME THE VERY BEST THEY COULD DO WAS TO OFFER ME $500 TOWARDS A NEW TOYOTA, BUT NOT TOWARDS REPAIR. *TR

I PURCHASED A 2003 TOYOTA RAV4 FROM THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP THAT ONLY HAD 13 MILES ON IT IN AUGUST 2003. IN AUGUST OF 2014, I STARTED HAVING TROUBLE WITH THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFTING HARSH WHEN CHANGING. THE CAR WOULD STRAIN TO CHANGE GEARS, THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN IT WOULD JERK INTO GEAR. NO LIGHTS CAME ON AT ALL. I TOOK IT TO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THE PROBLEM INSPECTED AND THEY TOLD ME ABOUT AN EXTENDED WARRANTY OF 10 YEARS OR 150,000 MILES. THIS WAS THE FIRST THAT I HAD HEARD ABOUT THIS WARRANTY. TOYOTA NEVER CONTACTED ME TO LET ME KNOW ABOUT THE WARRANTY. AFTER INSPECTING MY RAV4, THEY TOLD ME THAT I NEEDED TO REPLACE THE ECM AND IF THAT DIDN'T SOLVE THE PROBLEM, I WOULD NEED A TRANSMISSION. I FEEL LIKE TOYOTA SHOULD HAVE INFORMED ME OF THE PROBLEM SOONER. (BEFORE ALL THAT TIME HAD GONE BY.) I WAS VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH THE OUTCOME. I SEE FROM THIS WEBSITE THAT I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM AND FEEL THAT TOYOTA SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR. *TR