Toyota RAV4 transmission problems

WHILE DRIVING MY 2002 TOYOTA RAV 4 WITH 97,000 MILES, I EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN PROBLEM WHEN SHIFTING INTO 2ND GEAR. THE CAR WOULD STICK AND THEN SUDDENLY ACCELERATE AS IF THE GEAR FINALLY CAUGHT. AFTER TAKING IT TO THE MECHANIC I FOUND OUT I NOT ONLY NEEDED TO REPLACE MY TRANSMISSION BUT ALSO THE ECM. THIS WAS A COSTLY REPAIR OF OVER $3300 FOR A CAR THAT SHOULD HAVE GONE WELL OVER THAT MILEAGE PRIOR TO NEEDING A TRANSMISSION CHANGE. ALSO IT TOOK 2 ECMS BEFORE WE FOUND ONE THAT COULD WORK. THE CAR WORKED FINE AND THEN SUDDENLY HAD THIS PROBLEM. *TR

MY 2001 TOYOTA RAV4, 98,000 MILES, HAS A PROBLEM. TRANSMISSION SHIFT AROUND 30MILES AND ENGAGING SHIFT 2ND TO 3RD, RPM GAUGE JUMPING UP 5,000~6,000 RPM ON EVERY DRIVING AND FINALLY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME UP. DEALER SHIP SAID IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND NEEDED REPROGRAM ECM. AFTER FIXED IT HAPPENED AGAIN THEY SAID IT NEEDS NEW ECM AND REPROGRAM. AND HAD SAME PROBLEM. NOW THEY SAY IT NEEDS TRANSMISSION REBUILD TOO. THEY ALREADY KNEW THESE PROBLEM THROUGH THEIR BULLETIN SOME YEARS AGO AND DIDN'T NOTICED OWNERS. IT WOULD BE VERY DANGEROUS IF SHIFT WAS CHANGED WHEN RPM GAUGE JUMPED UP. IT SHOULD BE A RECALL ISSUE. ALSO I READ SOME ARTICLE FOR CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT WAS FILED FOR THIS. *TR

IN SEPTEMBER 2008, MY RAV4 SUDDENLY BEGAN HAVING SHIFTING PROBLEMS. I PULLED OUT OF A SHOPPING CENTER AND IN THE MIDDLE OF STREET THE CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. IT WAS A VERY FRIGHTENING EXPERIENCE AS OTHER VEHICLES WARE APPROACHING AND AS I PRESSED ON THE GAS PEDDLE NOTHING HAPPENED. THE CAR JUST IDLED HIGH THEN IT JOLTED INTO GEAR. I TOOK IT TO AAMCO THE NEXT DAY. AFTER FURTHER INVESTIGATION BY AAMCO, THEY PROVIDED ME WITH THE TSB TC002-06 ISSUED BY TOYOTA. AAMCO ADVISED ME THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED BEFORE THEY COULD DETERMINE IF IT WAS IN FACT THE COMPUTER SYSTEM THAT CAUSED THE TRANSMISSION FAILURE, WHICH IT DID NEED A NEW ECM COMPUTER AS PER TC002-06. ALSO IN FEB 2009 I NEEDED TO REPLACE THE ECM COOLANT TEMP SENSOR. MY RAV4 AT THE TIME HAD 80,300 MILES ON IT AND THE SLONE TOYOTA THAT I PURCHASED IT FROM WOULD NOT HONOR THE 80/8 WARRANTY. THEY DID HOWEVER GIVE ME 50/50 GOODWILL ASSISTANCE (IF YOU CAN EVEN CALL IT THAT SINCE IT STILL COST OVER $900 FOR THE COMPUTERS.) THE NEW TRANSMISSION COST $3,750 DUE TO THE MALFUNCTIONED COMPUTER. NOW IN APRIL 2010, 18 MONTHS AND 16,000 MILES LATER, I AM GOING THROUGH THIS ALL OVER AGAIN. I WAS DRIVING ON THE PA TURNPIKE AND ALL OF A SUDDEN MY VEHICLE WOULD NOT GO OVER 60 MPH AND THEN IT WENT TO 40 MPH. I COULD NOT GET IT ACCELERATE. I HAD 3 CHILDREN IN THE CAR AND WAS VERY SCARY FOR US AS OTHER VEHICLES WERE QUICKLY APPROACHING BEHIND US AND I COULD NOT GET THE VEHICLE TO DRIVE. THE LOCATION WERE I WAS DRIVING DID NOT HAVE ANYWHERE FOR ME TO PULL OVER. AGAIN THE CAR JOLTED INTO GEAR AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. ONCE AGAIN MY CAR IS AT THE AAMCO. AT THIS TIME WE ARE UNSURE IF THE COMPUTER FAILED AGAIN OR IF THERE IS AN ISSUE WITH THE NEW TRANSMISSION I HAD INSTALLED. REGARDLESS I NEED ANOTHER TRANSMISSION. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW TOYOTA CLAIMED IN 2006 STEPS WERE TAKEN TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN. ONCE I RECEIVE A DIAGNOSIS FOR THIS LATEST INCIDENT I WILL POST A COMPLAINT. *TR

2002 TOYOTA RAV4 WITH UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. *KB THE CONSUMER STATED HIS DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE, AND HAD DIFFICULTY STOPPING THE VEHICLE, BECAUSE THE ACCELERATOR BECAME STUCK. THE INCIDENT ONLY OCCURRED ONCE TO DATE. IN AUGUST 2008 THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED FOR A HARSH SHIFTING WITHIN THE TRANSMISSION. A REBUILT TRANSMISSION WAS INSTALLED. THE CONSUMER CONTINUED TO EXPERIENCE PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION. *JB THE CONSUMER STATED HE WAS GIVEN A COPY OF A TSB THAT HAD BEEN ISSUED REGARDING THE TRANSMISSION WHICH STATED IF THE HARSH SHIFTING PERSISTS AFTER THE ECM REPLACEMENT, THE AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE ASSEMBLY MAY ALSO REQUIRE REPLACEMENT. UPDATED 04/29/10. *JB THE CONSUMER STATED THE COMPUTER IN THE VEHICLE WAS DEFECTIVE AND EVENTUALLY REPLACED. HOWEVER THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THE NEW COMPUTER IS ALSO DEFECTIVE IN LIGHT OF THE RECENT TOYOTA RECALLS. UPDATED 05/04/10. *JB

PURCHASED NEW TOYOTA RAV4 2010 4-CYLINDER MODEL IN FEBRUARY. WHEN AT A STOP ON MILD INCLINE (DRIVEWAY MADE OF WOODCHIPS...GOOD TRACTION), THE VEHICLE ROLLS BACKWARDS WHEN FOOT IS OFF THE BRAKE PEDAL. DEALERSHIP INSISTED THIS IS NORMAL FOR THESE VEHICLES AND DEMONSTRATED THIS ANOMALY WITH ANOTHER RAV4 TO PROVE IT. THE ENGINE DOESN'T PRODUCE ENOUGH TORQUE FOR THE TRANSMISSION DURING IDLE TO ENGAGE THE CONVERTER APPARENTLY, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE TRANSMISSION IS HOT. NO ONE TOLD ME OF THIS PROBLEM DURING SALES. A 'HILL-ASSIST" OPTION IS AVAILABLE THAT I DID NOT KNOW ABOUT. THIS MERELY PROLONGS THE BRAKING WHEN SWITCHING FROM BRAKE TO ACCELERATOR PEDAL WHEN THE PRESSURE CHANGES. SINCE I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT ALL OF THIS STUFF WHEN PURCHASING, THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED I ALMOST RAMMED INTO THE TRUCK BEHIND ME. THEN WHEN STEPPING ON THE GAS THE VEHICLE LUNGES FORWARD IN RESPONSE TO THE RPM CHANGE. THIS IS A HAZARD TO THE UNWITTING BUYER AND NEEDS TO BE CLEARLY DISCUSSED WITH ALL BUYERS. THE DEALERSHIP BLOWS OFF THIS INCIDENT AS 'NORMAL' FOR THIS CAR. WHAT THEY DON'T SAY IS THAT IT IS BAD ENGINEERING...THAT THE CAR COMPUTER SHOULD RAISE RPMS UNTIL THE TRANSMISSION IS WORKING PROPERLY ON INCLINE. THE SOFTWARE CANNOT BE CHANGED SO THE CAR IS CONSIDERED 'NORMAL'. I WAS DISGUSTED WITH THE EXPLANATIONS, EVEN FROM A MECHANIC THERE I RESPECT, HE SAID THIS IS 'HOW THEY ARE'. *TR

RAV 4 2002 OWNER. I STARTED HAVING TROUBLE WITH SHIFTING ON MY AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION RAV 4. WHEN STARTING OUT TO DRIVE, IT DOES NOT SHIFT SMOOTHLY. IT FEELS LIKE THE EMERGENCY BREAK IS ON (IT ISN'T) THEN IT "JUMPS" OR SURGES FORWARD. FINALLY, AFTER A WEEK OR TWO OF THIS THE "CHECK ENGINE LIGHT" CAME ON AND THE CAR WILL L NOT SHIFT THRU ALL THE GEARS. I WENT ONLINE AND FOUND THAT THOUSANDS OF OTHER OWNERS OF RAV 4'S (2001 THRU 2003, BUT APPARENTLY ESPECIALLY 2002) HAVE DESCRIBED MY EXACT EXPERIENCE. THE PART REQUIRED COSTS $1,000 ( AND THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE LABOR!). THEN, ONCE IT IS PUT IN, YOU GET TO LEARN IF YOUR GEAR BOX HAS BEEN DESTROYED! IF SO, ANOTHER $5,000 TO $7,000 REPAIR! AND TOYOTA KNEW!!!!! THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS! *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA RAV 4. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS ENGAGED WITHOUT A POWER RESPONSE. THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO ACCELERATE NORMALLY AFTER A FEW MOMENTS; HOWEVER, WHEN THE GEAR WAS SHIFTED INTO ANOTHER GEAR POSITION THE VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHICH STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION REQUIRED REPLACEMENT. THE CONTACT HAD CONCERN OF THE SAFETY ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 132,000.

I OWN A 2002 TOYOTA RAV4 WHICH WAS BOUGHT NEW. IT HAS 103K MILES. IN THE FIRST WEEK OF APRIL, 2010, AS I PULLED OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY TO VISIT A FRIEND, I NOTICED AN ABRUPT OCCURRENCE OF TRANSMISSION SLIPPAGE FROM 1ST -2ND GEARS. THERE WAS A FEELING OF DOWNSHIFTING THAT EVENED OFF AT 3RD GEAR. THIS HAPPENED EVERY TIME THE CAR WAS ACCELERATED AFTER A STOP, GOING UP A HILL. THERE WAS A CLUNK SOUND WHEN THE CARE WAS PUT IN REVERSE. I DID NOT KNOW WHAT WAS HAPPENING SINCE THIS CAME ABOUT OVERNIGHT. NO WARNING LIGHTS HAVE EVER COME ON, EVEN NOW. MY BOYFRIEND SAID IT SOUNDED LIKE THE TRANSMISSION. I TOOK THE CAR TO TOYOTA DEALERSHIP FOR DIAGNOSTICS AND WAS TOLD THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS FAILING AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED FOR $5100. I AM UNEMPLOYED AND THERE WAS NO WAY I COULD COME UP WITH THAT AMOUNT OF MONEY. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE MORE THAN A FEW BLOCKS, TO MY BOYFRIEND'S, AS THE CAR CONTINUES TO HAVE SLIPPAGE. I CAN NOT ACCELERATE FAST ENOUGH AFTER A STOP, AND OTHER CARS COME BOUNDING DOWN ON ME, HONKING AND SWITCHING LANES AT THE LAST MINUTE. I TOOK THE CAR HOME, RESEARCHED THE INTERNET, AND FOUND OUT ABOUT THE NUMBERS OF COMPLAINTS PEOPLE HAVE ON THIS ISSUE. THEN I FIND OUT ABOUT TC002-06, IN WHICH CONSUMERS WERE NOT MADE PRIVY TO. THIS IS DELIBERATE CONSUMER FRAUD, COSTING TRUSTING CONSUMERS TO PAY FOR DEFECTS THE MANUFACTURER WAS AWARE OF, BUT REFUSING TO ACKNOWLEDGE OR CORRECT THEIR DEFECT. THIS SEEMS TO ME, JUST AS ILLEGAL AS INSIDER TRADING, KNOWING SOMETHING, MAKING A PROFIT, AND NOT TELLING HOW THEY KNOW. *TR

2002 TOYOTA RAV 4 TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. PURCHASED THE VEHICLE USED WITH 20,000 MILES ON IT IN SEPT. 2006. NOTICED SOMETIMES A SLIPPAGE BUT IT DID NOT OCCUR REGULARLY SO I IGNORED IT. WENT TO GET INSPECTION THE FOLLOWING YEAR AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE VEHICLE AND I TOOK IT TO TOYOTA AND THEY FIXED THE ECM OR SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT BECAUSE IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. NOW THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN INOPERABLE SINCE MARCH 2009 BECAUSE I NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION. I AM STILL PAYING $380 A MONTH PLUS INSURANCE ON THIS VEHICLE THAT I CANNOT DRIVE AND I SEE WHERE HUNDREDS OF OTHERS HAVE REPORTED THE VERY SAME COMPLAINT WITH THE TRANSMISSION IN THEIR 2002 TOYOTA RAV 4. WHY IS TOYOTA NOT LIABLE FOR THIS DEFECT? I NEED MY VEHICLE FIXED AND I CANNOT AFFORD TO CONTINUE PAYING $500 A MONTH FOR A CAR I CANNOT DRIVE AND DEFINITELY CANNOT HAVE REPAIRED AT A COST OF $5000!!! PLEASE HELP! *TR