Toyota RAV4 transmission problems

ON FEBRUARY 19, 2004, I TOOK MY 2002 TOYOTA RAV4 TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR A PROBLEM THAT INVOLVED THE VEHICLE UNEXPECTEDLY SURGING FORWARD. AND FAILING TO SHIFT GEARS. I WAS TOLD THAT THE SPEED SENSOR WAS REPLACED AND THE VEHICLE WAS RELEASED TO ME. THE PROBLEM CONTINUED THAT DAY AND I RETURNED THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP ON FEBRUARY 20, 2004. I WAS TOLD THAT A PART HAD TO BE ORDERED AND THAT THEY WOULD CALL ME WHEN THE PART WAS IN. I WAS TOLD THAT IN THE MEANTIME, THE VEHICLE WAS SAFE TO DRIVE. ON FEBRUARY 23, 2004, MY HUSBAND DROVE THE VEHICLE AND WAS STOPPED AT AN INTERSECTION WHEN THE VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD INTO THE INTERSECTION. WE IMMEDIATELY PHONED TOYOTA, TELLING THEM THAT VEHICLE WAS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE AND REQUESTED THAT THEY TOW THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND HAS BEEN AT THE DEALERSHIP SINCE FEBRUARY 23, 2004. PRINCIPLE COMPLAINT: MY VEHICLE SUDDENLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY SURGES OR ACCELERATES AND FAILS TO SHIFT GEARS. *AK

WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE OWNER HEARD A LOUD BANG. THE VEHICLE SWERVED ALL OVER THE HIGHWAY. THE VEHICLE WOULD NO LONGER GO INTO 5TH GEAR. THE 4TH GEAR ALSO BEGAN SHOWING SYMPTOMS OF FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER EVENTUALLY REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION. AFTER 40,000 MILES THE EXACT SAME FAILURE RECURRED WITH THE 5TH GEAR FAILING. THEY ARE NOT CLAIMING ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE REPAIR. *JB

WHEN I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY, MY FRIEND (WHO WAS SITTING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT AND LIKES TO SIT WITH HIS KNEES UP) ACCIDENTALLY BUMPED THE GEAR SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL. I WAS IN THE PASSING LANE ON A BUSY HIGHWAY AND FOUND THAT ALL OF THE SUDDEN I HAD NO POWER TO THE WHEELS. IT WAS VERY FRIGHTENING. I PULLED OVER AS SOON AS I COULD. I FEARED THAT IF I PUT THE GEAR SHIFTER BACK INTO DRIVE, THE CAR WOULD DRASTICALLY LURCH (FASTER OR SLOWER). AFTER THIS HAPPENED, I NOTICED THAT THE GEAR SHIFT IS ACTUALLY LOCATED CLOSER TO THE PASSENGER SIDE THAN THE DRIVER SIDE AND EASILY BUMPED INTO NEUTRAL. I CALLED A LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER AND ASKED THAT THEY FIX THE PROBLEM. I WAS TOLD THAT ALL CARS ARE DESIGNED TO BE ABLE TO SWITCH INTO NEUTRAL SHOULD YOU BE SLIDING ON A SLIPPERY ROAD. AND THAT THEY THEREFORE COULD AND WOULD DO NOTHING ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE READ ONLY GREAT THINGS ABOUT TOYOTAS BUT AFTER THIS EXPERIENCE, I PLAN TO SELL THIS CAR AND NEVER GET ANOTHER TOYOTA. THIS, I THINK, IS A VERY, VERY SERIOUS SAFETY DESIGN FLAW. PEOPLE WITH KIDS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT MUST HAVE THIS HAPPEN TO THEM ALL THE TIME. I THINK THESE CARS SHOULD BE RECALLED. NO AUTOMATIC GEAR SHIFT SHOULD BE EASILY ACCIDENTLY TAPPED INTO NEUTRAL WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY.*AK