Toyota RAV4 transmission problems

MY 2008 TOYOTA RAV4 ACCELERATED WHEN THE BRAKE WAS APPLIED ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS RECENTLY. ONE INSTANCE TOOK PLACE ON OR ABOUT JUNE 30, 2011, THE SECOND TIME HAPPENED ON OR ABOUT MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 2011. THE FIRST TIME, TOYOTA CLAIMED THAT THE NON-BRAKING/UNEXPECTED ACCELERATION PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BY FLOOR MATS I PUT IN THE CAR. I BOUGHT THESE FOR THE CAR BECAUSE I FELT THE ONES TOYOTA ORIGINALLY PROVIDED WERE NOT SAFE (HEELS ON MY SHOES, THOUGH FLAT, KEPT GETTING CAUGHT IN THE DEEP RIDGES OF THEIR MATS, MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER). AFTER SPEAKING WITH THE TOYOTA 'S MECHANICS, I THREW OUT MY MATS AND REPLACED THEM WITH NEW TOYOTA MATS RECOMMENDED BY THE DEALERSHIP. ABOUT ONE MONTH LATER THE SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN. WHEN I APPLIED MY FOOT TO THE BRAKE, INSTEAD OF THIS ACTION STOPPING THE CAR, THE CAR ACCELERATED AND MOVED FORWARD. THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED, MY CAR WAS APPROACHING A STOP SIGN AT THE BOTTOM OF A HILL LEADING TO MY COMPLEX'S EXIT. AS I NEARED THE STOP SIGN IN FRONT OF A VERY BUSY ROADWAY, I STARTED APPLYING MY BRAKES. THE CAR DID NOT SLOW DOWN. ALTHOUGH I PUSHED DOWN HARDER & HARDER ON THE BRAKE IN A DESPERATE EFFORT TO STOP THE CAR, IT CONTINUED TO MOVE FORWARD. MY RAV4 WENT ONTO THE ROADWAY, NARROWLY MISSING A TRUCK IN ONCOMING TRAFFIC. THE SECOND TIME I WAS IN A PARKING LOT. I THINK THERE IS SOMETHING SIGNIFICANTLY WRONG WITH THIS CAR AND DO NOT BELIEVE IT TO BE SAFE. THE MECHANIC AT TOYOTA, BEFORE EVEN EXAMINING THE CAR, CLAIMED IT WAS "HUMAN ERROR." I HAVE DRIVEN MANY CARS IN MY LIFETIME AND HAVE NEVER HAD THIS HAPPEN TO ME BEFORE. IT IS MY SINCERE HOPE THAT THE NHTSA & DOT WILL LOOK INTO THIS AND OTHER RELATED MATTERS. IT APPEARS THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE HAVING BRAKE PROBLEMS WITH THESE CARS. I TRULY BELIEVE PEOPLE'S LIVES ARE IN DANGER. I'M AFRAID TO HAVE MY GRANDDAUGHTERS TRAVEL IN MY CAR! *KB

THE TRANSMISSION WILL NOT ACCELERATE AND THEN SOMETHING SUDDENLY "KICKS IN" AND THE TRUCK WILL GO- NEARLY BEEN REAR-ENDED NUMEROUS TIMES- THIS IS A BIG SAFETY ISSUE- TOLD IT'S GOING TO BE A $4,000 TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT- ONLY 102K MILES, LIKE NEW. ALSO, AT TRAFFIC LIGHTS, WON'T ACCELERATE AND PEOPLE GET TICKED AND NEED TO PASS AND CAN'T- NUMEROUS ONLINE COMPLAINTS- ADD THIS. UNACCEPTABLE FOR TOYOTA. *KB

I NOTICED VEHICLE WAS NOT ACCELERATING OR GOING INTO PROPER GEAR. I WAS ALARMED WHEN I COULDN'T PICK UP SPEED TURNING LEFT. ENGINE LIGHT LIT WHEN I GOT HOME. I SPOKE TO TOYOTA TODAY ABOUT THE KNOWN ECU ISSUE WITH 2001-2003 RAV4S. MY CAR WAS SERVICED IN 2007 WHEN THERE WAS A RECALL BUT THEY WILL NOT ADDRESS THE ISSUE NOW SINCE THE WARRANTY EXPIRED. I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH TOYOTA NOT ADDRESSING THE ECU/ECM ISSUE TO A SATISFACTORY MANNER. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT TOYOTA SHOULD SHOW MORE CONCERN OVER. *KB

MY 18 YEAR OLD HAS A 2001 RAVE 4 THE MECHANIC SAYS THAT THE ECU HAS TRASHED THE TRANSMISSION SO NOW SHE NEEDS BOTH TO BE REPLACED. I HAVE FOUND MANY COMPLAINTS ON LINE ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND MOST LIKELY NOT MANY PEOPLE KNOW TO CONTACT THIS AGENCY OR THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED BY NOW. PLEASE REFER TO THE TOYOTA SERVICE BULLETIN MARCH 3, 2006. TOYOTA IS AWARE OF THE ISSUE! THIS PROBLEM HAS THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE AN ACCIDENT DUE TO LOSE OF POWER OR STALLING OF THE VEHICLE. MY DAUGHTER HAS BEEN VERY FORTUNATE NOT TO BE IN AN ACCIDENT DUE TO THIS ECU /TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 35 MPH, THE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED, AND THE TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO EXHIBIT SEVERE HESITATION IN A JERKING MOTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AND CONFIRMED THAT THE TRANSMISSION, ECM MODULE AND A FAULTY TRANS AXLE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THERE WAS A PRIOR VOLUNTARY RECALL ISSUED BY THE MANUFACTURER PERTAINING TO THE ECM MODULE; HOWEVER, THE CONTACT DID NOT RECEIVE NOTIFICATION OF THE RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE RECALL EXPIRED IN JANUARY 2011 AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO PROVIDE FURTHER ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 136,000.

WHEN STARTING UP FROM A STOP, THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFTS PROPERLY FROM 1ST TO 2ND GEARS HOWEVER WHEN IT SHIFTS FROM 2ND TO 3RD GEAR, IT APPEARS TO MOMENTARILY GO IN TO NEUTRAL WHERE THE ENGINE WINES OUT BEFORE QUICKLY BANGING INTO THIRD GEAR. VERY HARSH SHIFTING. THIS APPEARS TO OCCUR ONLY AFTER THE TRANSMISSION HEATS UP AFTER DRIVING FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES OR LONGER. AFTER THIS OCCURS, IT WILL DO THIS EVERY TIME WHEN STARTING FROM A STOP. I HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS TO THE DEALER FOR SOME TIME HOWEVER WAS ONLY RECENTLY ABLE TO PROVE IT TO THEM. I WAS THEN TOLD THAT I WOULD NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION FOR ABOUT $4000.00. *TR

SEVERAL MONTHS AGO MY TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO SLIP AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. SUBSEQUENTLY AS I DROVE THE CAR, IT BEGAN TO LURCH AND I LOST CONTROL OF IT SEVERAL TIMES. I TOOK THE CAR TO TOYOTA DEALER THEN AND THEY COULD NOT IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM BUT SUGGESTED REPLACING THE ECM UNIT AS A "POSSIBLE FIX." THEY SUGGESTED THAT PERHAPS THE WHOLE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I WANTED A SECOND OPINION AND TOOK THE CAR TO A SPECIALIST. HE COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM EITHER. AFTER A SEARCH ON THE INTERNET, I FOUND THAT NOT ONLY WAS THIS IMMINENT PROBLEM WELL-DOCUMENTED, BUT TOYOTA DEALERS HAD BEEN MADE AWARE OF IT IN 2006! T WHEN I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO TOYOTA LAST WEEK, THEY ADMITTED THAT THEY HAD BEEN INFORMED, BUT COULD NOT REPAIR THE CAR FREE OF CHARGE AS I HAVE 180+K MILES ON IT. HAD TOYOTA NOTIFIED ME ABOUT THE ISSUE IN 2006, I WOULD HAVE REPLACED THE MODULE THEN. NOW THE CAR IS COMPLETELY UNDRIVABLE AND CANNOT EVEN BE SOLD. *TR