Toyota RAV4 transmission problems

I WAS RECENTLY WARNED THAT MY 2003 TOYOTA RAV4 HAD MANY, MANY TRANSMISSION COMPLAINTS. NOT 2 DAYS LATER, MY RAV BEGAN SHOWING SIGNS OF TRANSMISSION FAILURE. I RESEARCHED THE ISSUE ON THE INTERNET TO FIND THAT THERE WERE AN UNUSUALLY LARGE NUMBER OF OWNERS WITH SIMILAR PROBLEMS, BUT FOUND NO RELIEF WITH TOYOTA. AFTER TAKING MY VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR ANALYZING, I WAS INFORMED IT NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION TO THE TUNE OF ALMOST $4,000. THIS IS ON A VEHICLE THAT HAS BEEN DRIVEN BY ONLY ME AND HAD PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE DONE REGULARLY. *TR

2001 RAV4- AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION THE CAR STARTED SHIFTING GEARS AND HAVING PROBLEMS TAKING OFF FROM A STOP POSITION A WEEK AGO. THERE WAS NO "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT BLINKING TO LET ME KNOW WHAT THE ISSUE WAS. I TOOK IT TO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY COULDN'T FIND ANY PROBLEMS AND "THINK IT MIGHT BE THE COMPUTER". WHEN IT FIRST HAPPENED I ALMOST GOT INTO A ACCIDENT WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. AFTER I LEFT THE DEALERSHIP, SURE ENOUGH THE CAR STARTS JERKING BACK AND FORTH. I CALLED TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE WHERE THEY TOLD ME THEY RECOGNIZE THE PROBLEM AS THE ECM (SEEMS TO BE THE PROBLEM WITH OTHER COMPLAINTS I HAVE LOOKED INTO), BUT NOTHING CAN BE DONE ABOUT IT AS IT IS NOT ON THE RECALL LIST AND THE CAR CAME FROM JAPAN TO CANADA THEN TO THE UNITED STATES (SERIOUSLY?). I GUESS TOYOTA WILL NOT DO ANYTHING UNTIL SOMEONE IS KILLED IN AN ACCIDENT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH, THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO STUTTER AND THEN THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY STALLED. THE ENGINE RESTARTED AND RESUMED NORMAL. THE FAILURE OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. UPDATED 03/16/11 *BF UPDATED 10/12/11

I HAVE A 2002 RAV4 I PURCHASED USED IN MAY 2010 FOR $9,000. A FEW DAYS AFTER PURCHASING IT, THE TRANSMISSION STARTED SLIPPING. ALMOST HAD NUMEROUS ACCIDENTS WHEN NEEDING TO ACCELERATE WHEN PULLING OUT INTO A BUSY ROAD AND THE TRANSMISSION FAILED TO GET OUT OF 2ND GEAR INTO 3RD GEAR. HAD THE TRANSMISSION REPLACED/REBUILT FOR $3,500, THE ECM FLASHED FOR $265, 3 NEW OXYGEN SENSORS PUT IN FOR $900. NOW THE CAR IS STILL DOING WHAT IT DID EVEN AFTER ALL THAT MONEY SPENT. LOOKING UP ON THE WEB, FOUND MANY OWNERS HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AND ALMOST ALL HAD TO REPLACE THE ECM. I AM NOW TRYING TO GET AN APPOINTMENT WITH A TOYOTA DEALER TO GET THIS DONE. VERY DISAPPOINTED IN TOYOTA. *TR

2002 TOYOTA RAV4 - WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY, MY CAR MAY AUTOMATICALLY GO FROM 60 TO 40 MPR IN MATTER OF SECONDS. OR MY CAR WILL GET STUCK ON 60MPR & VIOLENTLY JERK. TWICE HAVE I TAKEN IT IN FOR AN ECM RECALL. MY ENGINE LIGHT HAS BEEN ON EVER SINCE 60,000 MILES AND NOW IT'S AT 150,000. THE EXTENDED WARRANTY HAS BEEN ISSUED BUT MY CAR IS OVER THE LIMIT (154,000 MILES). THIS EXTENDED WARRANTY SHOULD HAVE BEEN ISSUED "YEARS AGO" NOW IT'S TOO LATE. MY CAR HAS HAD PROBLEMS EVER SINCE MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS TURNED ON AT 60K. *TR

VEHICLE WAS AT THE STOP SIGN FOR THE HIGH SPEED TRAIN. THE VEHICLE WAS REARENDED BY A TRUCK. BRAKES WERE APPLIED, THE BRAKES FAILED AND THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO GO TOWARDS THE RAILROAD CROSSING WITH APPROACH OF THE HIGH SPEED TRAIN. THE DRIVER IN DESPERATION MADE A U-TURN STILL TRYING TO STOP THE VEHICLE. IN DESPERATION THE GEAR WAS SHIFTED TO PARK AND THE KEY REMOVED, THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ROLL JUMPED THE CURB AND FORTUNATELY RAN INTO TREE WHICH STOPPED THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE BODY DAMAGE IS BEING REPAIRED. *TR

2001 TOYOTA RAV4 ECM AND TRANSMISSION REPLACED IN MAY OF 2009. PAID OUT OF POCKET. REPLACEMENT WAS A REBUILT TRANSMISSION INSTALLED BY DEALER (VICTORY TOYOTA IN CANTON, MI) SECOND TRANSMISSION FAILED AFTER 17,000 MILES. PAID OUT OF POCKET AGAIN. NO HELP FROM DEALER OR TOYOTA CORPORATE. FOUND OUT THAT DEALER JUST SWAPPED TRANS, DID NOT ACTUALLY REBUILD TRANS. TOOK IT TO AN INDEPENDENT TRANS SHOP. INDEPENDENT DISCOVERED A WASHER MISSING THAT CAUSED THIRD GEAR TO STRIP (DEFECT IN SECOND TRANS). TRANS REPAIRED, BUT THEN GOT A HARD DOWNSHIFT INTO FIRST GEAR WHEN STOPPING, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND P0420 P0430 CODES. INDEPENDENT TRANS SHOP CLEARED CODES, AND TOLD ME THAT IF IT HAPPENED AGAIN TO HAVE DEALER RE-FLASH ECM. WORKED OK FOR ABOUT FIVE DAYS, THEN GOT THE HARD DOWNSHIFT INTO 1ST GEAR AGAIN. TOOK IT TO DEALER. NOW THEY SAY THE CHARCOAL CANNISTER NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. I WILL SUBMIT FOR RE-IMBURSEMENT UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY, BUT AM SEEKING REIMBURSEMENT FOR SECOND TRANSMISSION WHICH WAS A DIRECT RESULT OF THE FIRST ECM AND TRANS FAILING. *TR