Toyota RAV4 transmission problems

AFTER REGULAR SERVICE, CAR BEGAN SHIFTING POORLY THIS WEEK WITH JUST OVER 85K MILES WITH NO INITIAL INDICATION OF PROBLEM INCLUDING HARD CLUNKING/SHIFTING IN THE LOWER GEARS.. I HAVE HAD NEAR REAR-END ACCIDENTS THIS WEEK AS A RESULT OF THE INTERMITTENT BEHAVIOR OF THE ENGINE. AFTER TAKING THE VEHICLE TO DEALER WHOM DIAGNOSED THEN UN-DIAGNOSED TRANSMISSION/ECM FAILURE HAVE RESEARCHED AND FOUND THAT THERE IS A LARGE COMMUNITY OF USERS REPORTING THIS SAME ISSUE. *TR

SOMEWHERE AROUND THE LATER PART OF JUNE, 2009 MY CAR BEGAN HESITATING. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY COULD NOT FIND WHAT WAS WRONG WITH IT. I TOOK IT BACK AND THEN WAS INFORMED THE IT WAS MY ECM. I CONTACTED TOYOTA TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM FIXED SINCE IT WAS A MANUFACTURING PROBLEM DURING PRODUCTION. THEY INFORMED ME THAT IT WAS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO GET IT FIXED. MY VEHICLE HAS AROUND 97,000 MILES ON IT. THIS IS HAPPENING ON A REGULAR BASIS. SEVERAL TIMES MY FAMILY AND I WERE ENDANGERED BECAUSE SOMEONE ALMOST HIT MY VEHICLE FROM THE BACK BECAUSE OF THE HESITATION. AS OF TODAY, I HAVE NOT BEEN SUCCESSFUL AT GETTING TOYOTA TO OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE IN GETTING THIS REPAIRS. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WOULD LOOSE ACCELERATION AND THE RPM SPIKED. WHENEVER THE CONSUMER STOPPED AT A LIGHT, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO MOVE IMMEDIATELY. THE TECHNICIAN INFORMED THE CONSUMER THE TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING, DUE TO A PROBLEM STEMMING FROM THE ECM, WHICH WAS NOT READING PROPERLY WHICH WAS AFFECTING THE TRANSMISSION. UPDATED IVOQ. 08/07/09.*JB

ALL OF A SUDDEN OUT OF THE BLUE MY TRANSMISSION STARTED SLIPPING AND HARD SHIFTING. WE DROVE IT HOME TO PARK IT UNTIL WE COULD FIGURE OUT THE PROBLEM. $1000 LATER AND NO THANKS TO TOYOTA IT IS FIXED. IT WAS THE COMPUTER THAT NEEDED REPROGRAMMED. THANKFULLY THE TRANSMISSION WASN'T SHOT B/C WE DIDN'T DRIVE IT AFTER IT STARTED TO HARD SHIFT AND SLIP. TOOK IT TO TOYOTA AND THEY WERE GOING TO CHARGE US $5000 FOR A NEW TRANSMISSION. BUT WE FOUND SOMEONE TO HELP US WITH THE COMPUTER PROBLEM. *TR

MY 2002 TOYOTA RAV4 HAS BEEN INTERMITTENTLY NOT SHIFTING INTO GEAR. IT BALKS AND CLUNKS, AND EVENTUALLY SHIFTS. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE WHEN ENTERING TRAFFIC, BECAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW IF THE CAR WILL BE ABLE TO ACCELERATE TO THE SPEED OF TRAFFIC OR NOT. IT IS ALSO A SAFETY ISSUE AT STOP LIGHTS, BECAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW IF YOU WILL BE ABLE TO MAKE IT ACROSS THE INTERSECTION BEFORE THE LIGHT CHANGES OR NOT. THIS STARTED IN JANUARY 2009, BUT WAS NOT CONSISTENT. IN JULY, IT FINALLY CREATED A "CHECK ENGINE" CONDITION. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A REPUTABLE MECHANIC, AND HE CHANGED THE TRANSMISSION FLUID AND REPLACED SOLENOIDS, WHICH THE ENGINE CODE SUGGESTED. I THEN TOOK IT TO A TOYOTA DEALER, AND THEY REPLACED THE ECM, AT A COST OF $1500. THAT DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM, AND THEY SAY I NEED TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION FOR $3500. TOYOTA HAS KNOWN ABOUT THIS PROBLEM SINCE 2006, AND AT THAT TIME ISSUED A BULLETIN. HOWEVER, I FEEL THEY SHOULD HAVE ISSUED A RECALL DUE TO THE SAFETY ISSUES AND THE COST INVOLVED. *TR

FROM A COMPLETE STOP, HARSH SHIFT/JERK FROM PARK TO REVERSE, HESITATION AND JERKING CHANGING GEARS, MOST TIMES CONSISTENT DURING ENTIRE RIDE, THEN OK FOR A WHILE AFTER ADDING FLUID OR FLUSHING TRANNY FLUID. STARTS ABOUT 10-15 MINUTES INTO RIDE. STARTED WHEN GETTING OFF HIGHWAY RAMP DURING RUSH HOUR. CAME TO A STOP, AND GEARS WERE NOT ENGAGING PROPERLY ON TAKE OFF, LOTS OF JERKING. CAR SHAKING AND FELT LIKE IT WAS GOING TO STALL AND WOULD NOT SWITCH GEARS WITHOUT HITTING GAS PEDAL HARD. CAR TESTED WITH 3 COMPUTERS AND NO CODES. TRANSMISSION FLUSHED 2X, PAN DROPPED, NO EVIDENCE OF METAL OR GUNK. AFTER RESEARCH FOUND BULLETINS HAD BEEN POSTED (BY TOYOTA) FOR THESE CONCERNS SEVERAL TIMES. ECM/TRANSMISSION WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED. COST WILL BE BETWEEN $3K-5K! *TR

ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECM) INCORRECTLY PROGRAMMED BY MANUFACTURER LEADING TO DIFFICULTY SHIFTING BETWEEN 1ST AND 2ND GEARS, HARD SHIFTS, JERKING, MISFIRING, PROBLEMS ACCELERATING. CAN POSE A DEFINITE DANGER TO TRAFFIC DUE TO FAILURE TO ACCELERATE OR SHIFT AS NEEDED WHILE DRIVING. CAN ALSO LEAD TO SEVERE TRANSMISSION DAMAGE AND POSSIBLE FAILURE IF ECM PROBLEM IS NOT CAUGHT AND ECM REPLACED IMMEDIATELY. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT OCCASIONALLY COMES ON AND THEN GOES OFF - REGISTERS A PROBLEM WITH SOLENOID A & B. TOYOTA TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN TC002-06 DETAILS THE PROBLEM AND RECOMMENDED REPAIR, INCLUDING REPLACEMENT OF ECM AND POSSIBLY OF TRANSMISSION. AFTER 3-4 WEEKS OF HARD SHIFTING, PROBLEMS ACCELERATING AND STUTTERING, DIAGNOSTICS IDENTIFIED PROBLEM. VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY WAITING FOR REPLACEMENT ECM AND POSSIBLE TRANSMISSION FLUSH. *TR