Problems with 2002 Toyota RAV4 POWER TRAIN

Toyota rav4 started slamming into gear. while driving i would have my foot down on accelerator and the vehicle wouldn't go into gear and when it finally did it would lurch forward while slamming in gear. i was told by my maintenance mechanic that there was a tbs on this very problem however when i took it to the dealership they told me 1st. "someone already replace it (which wasn't the case then 2. "it must have been caught at the factory". there are over 200 complaints regarding the very problem and toyota's irresponsible response to the problem. i have now been told that they will "start with replacing the grounding wires" and "go from there". i have an extended warranty that expires in july 2009. this is a safety issue and i feel that toyota (based on all the complaints found) will continue to nickel and dime me with non-warranty charges and then when the real problem is addressed for the power train my vehicle will be out of warranty. i am the original owner and my vehicle only has 47,315 miles on it. the reference number for the tsb in this case is tc002-06 from 3-06/ the dealerships i spoke to were unaware of the tbs until i brought in a copy of it. the codes for this problem don't even show up. it is my understanding that nhtsa is looking for people who have had this problem to establish a need for an investigation. please consider me as one of those people. i truly feel this problem is not only a costly one but a extreme safety concern as you never know when this problem will happen. *tr

My toyota rav4 2002 seems to have a transmission problem. i have noticed 2-3 times a difficulty in shifting from reverse to 1st gear. however, on the day of this incident, i was driving in traffic at about 20 mph. i tried to accelerate to keep up with traffic and my car would not- it started to shutter. i have read online that many others have this problem and it is a defect with toyota rav4s made in that year. i do not want to have to pay to have this fixed, and that was a dangerous situation to be in when i am in traffic. *tr

In 2009, 2010, and 2011 my 2002 toyota rav4 exhibited sharp, rough shifting into and out of gear, often when on the freeway. the vehicle also had a check engine light that repeatedly came on. i was initially advised by a non-toyota repair shop that the issue was with the transmission and it had to be replaced. however, upon taking the car to a toyota dealership they stated the problem was with the ecm. in 2009 they re-programmed the ecm, in 2010 they re-programmed the ecm and in 2011 (after the extended warranty was issued by toyota corp) they replaced the ecm. they never did any service on the transmission. now in april 2013 just 17months after they replaced the ecm it happens again and they tell me i need a new transmission and i have to pay for it because it's out of the extended warranty. since the ecm was throwing the transmission in & out of gear for 3 years, isn't it obvious that the transmission was damaged by the ecm? it was even mentioned in the service bulletins that the ecm was possibly causing damage to the transmission and the dealerships may also have to replace the transmission at the same time the ecm was replaced. yet because they chose not to repair or replace the transmission on my car in 2011 while it was under warranty, i now have to pay for what should have been done in the first place. toyota has been aware of this problem since 2006 yet they never issued a recall or notified owners until a class action lawsuit was filed. toyota needs to satisfy their customers by issuing a recall and admitting that both the ecm and transmission need to be replaced on any 2001-2003 rav4 that experiences rough shifting, or shifting in & out of gear, or codes that reflect a problem with the ecm or transmission. this is dangerous for drivers and toyota is negligent in preventing injuries and deaths due to a known defect. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 toyota rav4. the contact noticed that the transmission would repeatedly slip out of gear without warning. he took the vehicle to the dealer and they stated that the on-board computer needed to be replaced because it was defective. they further stated that the failure was common with his year, make, and model vehicle. immediately after the repair, the failure resurfaced and the engine warning indicator illuminated on the instrument panel. he took the vehicle back to the dealer and they stated that they would have to replace the transmission because the on-board computer mechanically failed. as a result, the transmission failed and would cost $4,000 to replace. the vehicle has not been repaired. the manufacturer did not assist. the failure and current mileages were 126,605. updated 6/8/09 *cn updated 06/11/09.*jb

Toyota rav4 automatic transmission went crazy and car started lunging forward and then not going when it should. it caused a minor accident some time ago, but is very dangerous and unsafe and we have not felt safe enough to even keep the car on the road. if people are not as fortunate as us to have another vehicle or can not afford to get this problem fixed, it could very well cause a fatal accident. we are surprised that the transmission problems was not included in the recall business with them. ours only had 60,000 miles when it happened to us and from what i read on the internet there is major cause for concern. *tr

I took my 2002 rav4 in for the recall two months later i have spent $380.00 at elmhurst toyota for flushing the transmission and cleaning the fuel injection system. $2,700 for a rebuilt transmission and i am still experiencing the same problem. car will not shift and gears. i call the toyota customer service and spoke to them about the issue and all i received was an apology. i agree with all of you toyota should upgrade this recall from placing a bandage on the festering ecm problem and just replace the ecm. this problem happen 60 days to the date after taking my rav4 in for the check engine light recall . *tr mary a. brown chicago, il

I have a 2002 toyota rav4 with only 77,000 miles. it was monday last week (march 15) when i noticed my car kind of lost it's accelerating power when i cruised up the coronado bridge (san diego, ca) but it was wednesday that same week when i experienced this slipping/ jerking/ harsh shifting movement of the transmission while accelerating even on a regular highway. i thought at first it was the engine but to find out that it was the transmission. i took the car to toyota that friday morning which they told me that they have to replace the computer and maybe the transmission but few days later i was told that the transmission was still good. (don't know how true that is and how thorough they've conducted their inspection). with this incident at 77,000 miles, toyota should extend the warranty coverage of their computer and transmissions given the fact that they had a tsb released march 2006 which i just found out researching for my car's possible defect. now i'm worried that since my transmission was already subjected to this harsh problem, it'll no longer last... and with just 6k miles warranty for the new computer, i'm not financially ready to buy another transmission or yet, another car. i've read so many complaints regarding computer problems with 01-03 rav4 (www.carcomplaints.com) that i am hoping nhtsa can come up with something demanding toyota to extend its warranty coverage for this specific problem. thank you. *tr

Driving my rav4 south on hamilton road, a busy thruway, while stopped at a light to turn left my tranny slips and hesitates so bad that as i pulled into the intersection in the way of oncoming cars my car couldn't get through the intersection safely. fortunately no crashes. maybe next time. *tr

Toyota rav 4 4x4 has gear changing problems in first and second. i thought it was a solenoid then something with the transmission. did obd diagnostic check which showed solenoid but it was the computer or ecm. we replaced it with three used computers which evidently had same defect and in process of driving under these conditions the trans was ruined. you must stop driving car get brand new ecm computer of the new series because the serial number has changed three times until toyota fixed it finally. i had to repair trans, purchase a new computer all of which cost me $5,000.00. toyota never issued a public bulletin, the bulletin was only issued to car dealers while the general public was kept in the dark. *tr

I am having shifting problem of the transmission on my toyota rav4 l 2002 while driving. when driving on the road,the tranny began slipping,hesitatingand jerking. i can't afford to get it repaired yet. i am concerning someday someone will hit behind me during driving due to shifting problem that i can't keep on speed limited. i get online www.carscomplaints.com and did some research. i found out most of the toyota rav4 owners describing same shifting problem because of the defected engine control module that can damage the tranny. *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

The car was running fine until one day when it started "bucking" and i experienced a significant loss of power accelerating. this occurred when i was making a left turn with oncoming traffic and resulted in the other car being forced to stop to let me pass. from a stop, car felt like it was starting in second or third gear instead of first gear. very dangerous! limped to local shop and car was diagnosed with bad solenoid in transmission. this was replaced, drove three miles home and the same problem occurred the next day. same code appeared during diagnosis and this indicated that the main computer (ecm) was defective. this will cost $1200 to replace. potential replacement of transmission may be needed as well at a cost of $3500. after a search on the internet i found that this problem had been experienced by hundreds of other rav owners. my car has 86k miles and was just over the 80k mile window for the manufacturer to pay for repairs. toyota has known about this problem since 2006, according to tsb issued. the car has been regularly serviced at the toyota dealership. *tr

In 2007 a recall 601 was issued by toyota for engine control modules in rav4s. i took my 2002 in & they recalibrated the module. i was told at the time it somehow affected the gear shift. 18 mos. later, feb. 2009, my transmission suddenly started slipping & jumping in & out of gear. i've owned toyotas for 30 years & this was most unusual. i took the car to s.f. toyota. they had a very hard time pinpointing the problem because it was sporadic. first they said solenoid, then they finally said replace the whole transmission for $4800. and that it was not connected to the engine control module. if it were, it would be covered by warranty, otherwise, not. i don't feel a transmission should suddenly go out after 78,000 with no warning. especially on a toyota. i almost had a very bad accident when my car slipped out of gear on the highway & wouldn't reengage. i think it's defective because there are numerous complaints on line for this year & model with the exact same problem. and i think toyota is ignoring the problem. *tr

Hard shifting from 1st gear to 2nd gear of 2002 toyota rav 4 automatic transmission after 100,000 miles on odometer. *tr

Auto transmission problem, where the car shudders and shifts very abruptly and often shifts very late posing very dangerous to drive. this problem came on instantaneously without any forewarning , so as i started researching it, the problem appears to be an ecu malfunction where the computer doesn't send the right commands to the transmission for when to shift properly. this can be very dangerous and it is very upsetting that toyota didn't at least inform rav4 owners of this issue. i could have replaced the ecu and which is an easy repair costing only about $1200 or there is also a shop online that fixes the ecu for $400 but now i have to fix the ecu and replace a transmission thanks to toyota's negligence now the repair bill is in the $4000-$6000 price range. many independent mechanics aren't aware of the issue and have replaced the transmission without knowing that the ecu is at fault and ended up replacing the transmission again and again until finally pinpointing the problem and replacing the ecu also. the same nearly happened to me when i took it to both of my mechanics and they didn't foresee the ecu to be at fault and wanted to replace only the transmission. we've owned the car since day 1 and it has been meticulously maintained it's sad to have this happen to it without any warning. *tr

2002 toyota rav4 92,000 miles transmission went out. put over $3,400 into getting it repaired. probably will have to put another $1,000 to get computer replaced. still not working correctly. very disappointed in toyota for not offering any kind of fix to this solution. *tr

My car started to rev without any forward gain in distance when i depressed the accelerator. i took it into the toyota dealership and was told the transmission fluids just needed to be flushed, but that there was no metal in it. two days later i took my car back in for the same revving and bucking problem. the team manager checked the transmission out again and. reassured me that all was fine and asked me to ride with him to prove it. the car did not buck. i was given a story about how the computer resets when the car is worked on, and that it was set for a more aggressive driver. today, i barely made it home from the mountains. my rav crawled over the pass and kept jerking from 30-60 rpms with noise but no acceleration gain. i cannot count on the car to take me to work until it is fixed properly. *tr

Purchased vehicle from daughter. had it for 2 years and once it hit 90,000 miles, started shifting into 3rd gear from stop position. after towing to toyota dealership, was told need new tranny $3290.27 and ecm $1211.13 . toyota has monopoly on ecm/programming and it must be changed with rebuilt/new tranny. went to website and it seems that this is standard for 2002 rav4's. manufacturer says not their problem, dealership doesn't care and won't help in any way! *tr

Transmission shift erratically causing the car to buck. 2002 toyota rav4. *tr

Harsh shift. *tr

Driving down the highway going 65 miles per hour and the engine just stopped, completely shut down. 2002 toyota rav 4. *tr

I was coming home and waiting for my garage door to open when my 2002 toyota rav4 suddenly accelerated (even though i quickly put my foot on the brake) and crashed through the bottom half of the garage door side-swiping another vehicle in the garage. i took the vehicle to a body shop to get fixed and also took it to a service shop, and neither place could find anything wrong with the car. since then, i have noticed on a few rare occasions that, upon shifting the car into reverse, there is a sudden jerking action. i am beginning to think that this all my be related to the ecm transmission module that i've been reading about lately. *tr

Started car 2 weeks ago (december 8th) drove for 10 minutes at slow speed under 30 mph. car started bucking and having trouble shifting. was almost rare ended due to lack of acceleration. rpm would increase but car would struggle shifting and accelerating. brought to transmission specialist. they thoroughly checked transmission and couldn't find a problem. drained fluid and replaced filter. cost $170. three days later started bucking again. trouble shifting. brought to different mechanic who states needs new transmission. requesting rebuilt from toyota. cost over $2000, car only has 94,000 miles on engine. toyota says that if it is over 60,000 miles it is not under warranty. *tr

I brought my rav brand new in 200. have had no problem with it up until a few days ago. it was running just fine but the next day i noticed that it would jerk when i shifted in/out of reverse. not only that but it had trouble accelerating and would jerk from 1st to 2nd gear. read multiple complaints on this issue via www.carcomplaints.com/toyota/rav4/2002/transmission/problems_shifting.shtml and found that i am not alone in this problem....this is unacceptable.. i have a four year old and i am scared of driving anywhere because im scared of pulling out in traffic for the fear that the car wont move and i may get hit.....this need to be addressed....*tr

My 2002 rav4 transmission went bad (shifting improperly) over 100 complaints on line about same problem. there are no recall or extended warranties from toyota. *tr

2002 toyota rav4 transmission started jerking and could not pick up speed on highway. almost got into a major accident with my daughter (20 month old) on board. i looked online and there are numerous complaints of this make and model having major transmission problems. toyota need to fix this major safety problem and not stick the consumer with the bill (average fix $3,000 dollars fix per vehicle at best worth$7,000). *tr

Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6) i purchased my 2002 toyota rav4 from my dealer, rich toyota of huntington, wv in spring 2002'it was his demo car, vin#[xxx] ; model #4416a. at 107,00 miles, out of the clear-blue, the rav4 check engine light came on for about two hours, then went out, but then shifting became erratic. i have serviced this vehicle faithfully since i purchased it and expected to get another 100,000 more miles, but, my dealership, where it has been serviced since purchase, said it was going to cost over $1,200 for the ecc/ecm (engine control computer/engine control module), and even if i replace just the ecc/ecm, it still may not work with the old transmission, so it was recommended that i replace the transmission too for another $3,500 because the defective ecc may have destroyed the transmission. they also suggested replacement of the air-fuel sensor for a total of $5,189.00 in repairs before taxes. i had never realized that there were ever any serious problems like this with the toyota product line until i went online to research this transmission problem. what an eye-opener!!! there were many, many problems documented with many of toyota's products! considering that this rav4 was a $22,000 vehicle when i purchased it, doesn't it seem strange that after just 6 years it is inoperable and even dangerous! after e-mailing and sending a letter to toyota usa in torrence california about this issue, i called the toyota customer assistance center at 1-800-331-4331 and talked with a real person. plus, i have been assigned a case number, which goes into their database and logs the issue should they have enough complaints to warrant a recall or other remedy. i have since replaced the transmission and defective ecu at a cost of about $4,500. after researching your complaint files on this rav4 issue, why hasn't nhtsa done something about it with toyota!!!!???? *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota rav4. the contact was driving approximately 20 mph, approaching an intersection. the transmission began to hesitate in an intense jerking motion. the vehicle was taken to an auto transmission shop where the transmission was replaced with a rebuilt transmission. the identical failure occurred after the repair. the vehicle was taken back to the auto transmission shop where the technician replaced the electronic control module. the manufacturer offered a free remedy under the customer support program related to the electronic control module defect; however, the vin was excluded. the contact experienced the same failures that were mentioned in the program. the failure mileage was approximately 140,000. the vin was unavailable.

Harsh shifting/slipping in automatic transaxle. no special events leading up to failure; just started in about 123,000 miles. problem now occurs every time i drive the vehicle. only an obd ii scan has been performed on the vehicle. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 toyota rav4. while the contact was attempting to accelerate she noticed that the vehicle suddenly lunged forward. the dealer stated that the transmission computer needed to be replaced. there were no prior warnings, the current and failure mileages were 86936.

I was driving my fathers 2002 toyota rav4 awd when the transmission suddenly shifted from 2nd to 1st gear and then the drive line locked-up causing the vehicle to stop suddenly. a car following me tried to stop but "tapped" my rear bumper. no damage to either vehicle. diagnosis of the problem was a bad vehicle computer and new transmission was needed. costs were $4500. *tr

Car had very sluggish acceleration onto highway after ecu failed and transmission is slow to get into gear. had to pull over to shoulder as the vehicle could not get up to interstate speed. *tr

Suddenly, my car starting shifting very roughly into reverse. it happens every time i put the car into reverse. i was told the ecm needed to be replaced because it was defective. this is the same ecm that had a factory recall issued that i had serviced last year. *tr

2002 toyota rav4 transmission - transmission is not working properly in shifting. rough shifting from 2/3 gear. had to find information on federal 8year/80k mile mandated free reprogramming to try to fix this. but reading accounts this may not work and even then the transmission may be damaged already. there should be a recall regardless of miles driven as this is a constant problem on this year/model. thank goodness i was low mileage but this problem occurs regardless of mileage. this is a toyota defect in the transmission. *tr

I have a toyota rav 4 2002. it has 64,000 miles. it has had all it's recommended services, new tires and is clean. the transmission needs replacing and possibly the computer. toyota will not assume any responsibility for the transmission and it costs $3500.00 to replace the parts. on carcomplaints.com there are 120 complaints re the transmission and the 2002 rav4. people are talking about a law suit. they have said that i despite replacing the transmission it still needed repairs. *tr

Our rav4 began to have problems shifting, and the check engine light was on. took to local dealer. first visit resulted in tune-up items. dealership treated it as an engine-related problem. check engine came back on again the same afternoon. on second visit, dealership kept car overnight to drive it while it was cold. we were told that we had a bad catalytic converter, and that this would have to be replaced before any further diagnosis could occur. the cc was only three years old, already having been replaced under warranty. they had already reprogrammed the ecm. per a toyota service campaign. after the cc replacement, car is still not shifting properly, and is getting worse. dealership advised us that we need an ecm replacement, at a cost of $1300. after the fact, we found toyota tsb tc002-06, which describes the exact issues our rav4 is having. toyota admits in the tsb that the ecm of the '01 through '03 rav4's can cause the harsh shifting that we are seeing, and that toyota made changes to the "manufacturing process to reduce the possibility of this condition occurring". the recommendation is the replacement of the ecm. it cannot be reprogrammed to eliminate this problem. the result of this ecm failure is that the car is no longer drivable, as the transmission does not shift properly at all, and it constantly looses tension on its clutch pack, resulting in loss of power to the road. the condition gets worse over a short time. in only two weeks, the car will not stay in any single gear when driving. a search of this issue on the internet found many other people having the same problem. often, the ecm failure causes physical transmission failure. the dealership will not stand behind their faulty diagnosis, nor will they make toyota honor the warranty, which is 80,000 miles or 8 years. we are under the years, but over by 8,000 miles. how can this not be treated as a safety issue? is it not serious enough when your car slips out of gear in traffic unexpectedly? *tr

I purchased my used 2002 toyota rav4 on 12/10/05 from south coast toyota of costa mesa. shortly after purchasing it, i received some kind of "adjustment notice" asking me to bring the car in, which i did. i asked what they needed to do to the car, they would not directly answer my question and said it "was nothing, just a minor adjustment." in september of 2008, shortly after my warranty had expired and my car was just over 83,000 miles, the transmission began slipping completely out of gear while i was driving it, and then it wouldn't shift into gear, and i would suddenly have no control over the car so i had to stop, and then try to get it in gear, or drive home in 1st. i had to drive from 1st gear or 4th. i was unable to drive it on the freeway to get to work, and had to stop driving it all together on the street. the dealer would not replace the transmission. the price he quoted me to "replace the transmission and ecu" was around $4,500. i was furious, as the reason i purchased toyotas was because they drove 200,000 miles as long as you properly maintained them, which i always did. i went and had to pay $2,593.00 at irvine transmission center in irvine, ca on 9/24/08. after replacing the transmission and test driving it, it was ready for pickup. when they got in the car to drive it up to me, suddenly the new transmission wouldn't shift. so, they researched the problem and told me the computer (ecu) apparently had to be replaced also, and they had discovered through online sites that toyota was having problems with this vehicle. the dealer charged me $500 to replace the ecu. the dealer sold me a rav4 they knew was having transmission and ecu failure. i wrote toyota a complaint. i believe i should be reimbursed the money i am out, and this car should be recalled with the hundreds of complaints, if not thousands, that have been reported. i request you take action! *tr

I brought my rav brand new in 2002. have had no problem with it up until a few a year ago when the engine light came on intermittent. every time i was going to take the vehicle into get checked it would go out. when i arrived at my present duty station i was deployed almost immediately. within two months of my deployment my wife told me that car was having a hard time moving and could hear the transmission slipping. she then took the vehicle to the mechanic and they told her that the transmission was broke and needed to be repaired. only 52000 miles on the vehicle. the mechanic also told my wife that there could be a tsb out on the vehicle pertaining to the electronic control module, part that tells the transmission to shift gears, "ecm"and there was several that pertained the problem and what needed to be replaced. being in italy she contacted the states rep for toyota and was told that they couldn't locate our car because we bought it from a licensed dealer "american spec vehicle" from germany. she then contact the agency that is authorized to sell "american spec cars" and was informed that the vehicle fell under the warranty and that they "american toyota" should pay for it based on an american tsb. called toyota again and nothing. when i came home, we took the vehicle to local dealership and because it was an american tsb they would consider the replacement. in the mean time they assured us that the vehicle was safe to drive and being our only vehicle my wife was forced to drive it. toyota "rome" oked the replacement of the ecm, the actual fault of the vehicle but has refused to replace the transmission the result of the faulty part. now the transmission is completely shot and looking on line thousands of american consumers are paying thousands of dollars out to replace a product that is the result of toyota's engineering flaws. i personally feel that they are responsible the transmission and the replacement. further investigation is requested. *tr

The 2002 toyota rav4 has a faulty ecm and has caused the transmission to go out. i almost had an accident the other day. toyota is aware of the problem but did not do a recall. here is a list of the same problem owners had: http://www.carcomplaints.com/toyota/rav4/2002/transmission/problems_shifting.shtml. *tr

Automatic transmission started thumping/jerking when shifting from park to drive or reverse, despite having foot on the brake. within a month, the transmission started slipping and would not shift from first gear. engine races at 4,000+ rmp and does not shift to other gears. *tr

2002 toyota rav4 just stops, it doesn't shift 2nd and 3rd gear , the engine light turns and some times it work correctly with no problem but in the middle of a drive the rav4 it just stop jerking almost to a dead stop. dealer said "you need a new transmission and it will cost you $4,989.00 dollars." *tr

Accelerating and shift failure in automatic transmission -toyota issued tsb on march 2006 to change ecm which controls shift sequencing. defective ecm could cause transmission failure. as a toyota owner i think this should be a recall item. my opinion is this is a safety issue. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 toyota rav4. while the vehicle was stopped, the contact began to remove her foot from the brake pedal and the vehicle suddenly jerked forward three times. while driving 15 mph, the vehicle jerked forward three times again while making a left turn. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and they stated that the transmission needed to be replaced. there were no warnings prior to the failures. the vin was unknown. the current and failure mileages were 148,000.

Toyota rav4 2002, 98367 miles, taken to toyota dealer for recall on ecm reprogram, after done the recall by toyota dealer, transmission shifting very erratically. took car back to dealer and they said that transmission needs to be replaced. also it is dangerous to drive due to loss of transmission. *tr

I own a toyota 2002 rav4. it is experiencing major problems with the transmission. it jerks and hesitates and is extremely dangerous to drive as you never know if it is going to proceed forward or not. pulling out in an intersection is dangerous. *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

I drove my car saturday 8-1-08 and noticed that from park to reverse the car was shifting very hard. i had the tranny drained and filled and additive placed. the shifting was so violent that i called around and did internet research. after reading http://www.carcomplaints.com/toyota/rav4/2002/transmission/problems_shifting.shtml and http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index.php?s=eec4529e47f582cec0a62327b81dbe0c&showtopic=28020&pid=308037&st=450&#entry308037 it has become clear that a documented history of malfunction exists with this toytoa transmission. i have thus far had the drain and fill performed and am going to see a diagnostic test from the dealership. i am concerned for my safety. i worry that my car will have the shifting and jerking and failures during the travel, as is described elsewhere. because of my safety concerns and inability to pay for $4,000 in repairs, i intend to sell this vehicle and experience a hardship as a result. *tr

2002 toyota rav 4 2 wheel drive, driven for 2 years by my wife, last week started shifting from first to 3rd. also it slips now. *tr

As i pulled out into traffic the transmission started slipping and my 2002 toyota rav4 hesitated and would shift into gear. i took it to toyota on dixie highway, louisville, ky where i had purchased the vehicle and took it for every service. they put some type of fluid said that this may fix the problem. i went to get it and once again would not run. they then told me that it was probably the transmission and that i probably would not be back to see them. they quoted me a price of $4,000 to have the transmission fixed. *tr

I bought my 2002 toyota rav4 new at toyota of hollywood, fl in 2002. my wife has been driving the vehicle and i have performed all service at the dealership. the car has only 55k miles on it. recently the car has been experiencing hesitation when shifting. we took the vehicle to the dealership and they replaced the computer "under warranty". this is something that should have been done 2 years ago when the tsb was first put out. the tsb would have prevented this transmission problem from appearing. now the dealership is saying that it didn't fix the problem and that they must replace the solenoids but the are not sure if that will fix the problem. had they fixed the problem with the computer 2 years ago, we wouldn't have a problem now. the car only has 55k miles. the transmission on a toyota should not fail in 55k miles. that's the reason i bought a toyota. this is well know issue. thousands of people ar writing about this issue on the internet every day. these are just some of the links. http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.f0c4213/0 http://rav4world.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=15515 toyota should replace the transmission under warranty for free since i wouldn't have this problem now if the dealership had performed the work that was supposed to be done. *tr