Problems with 2003 Toyota RAV4 POWER TRAIN

Hi i own a toyota rav4 2003 since 2009 this is a serious safety issue. i am asking the nhtsa to order a recall to have toyota fix this problem before someone gets killed or seriously injured. the problem is that the car often does not accelerate as it should. when headed up and accelerating from a stop, the car sputters before jerking into gear and accelerating. and then about 5-8 seconds later the car would jolt into gear. also, when already moving and going up even a slight hill, when i press the accelerator to maintain speed, the car sputters as it shifts from second to third gear before jerking into third gear. through the internet,i almost got hit a few times. i learned that the ecm is a computer (electronic control module) that controls the transmission and other components, that toyota has known about this ecm manufacturing defect on 2001 to 2003 rav4s now i have to spend lots of money that it wasn't in my budget,..the toyota knew about this problem, why they never had a recall? can someone do something about it? *tr

2003 rav4 with automatic transmission started having trouble accelerating from a stop. there seemed to be hardly any power when the gas pedal was pressed, and then about 5-8 seconds later the car would jolt into gear. this problem would happen also when increasing speed, or any time the gas pedal was pressed down. the car was taken to an auto shop where they said the transmission was broken and needed to be replaced. i am a very conservative driver (i never try to accelerate too quickly), and this trusty toyota hasn't ever had any engine problems... ever! there are less than 77,000 miles on the vehicle. *tr

I purchased the rav4 in late july, 2013. the rav4 had 78,000 miles on the odometer. i paid $9,000+ for the rav4. at 80,000 miles the automatic transmission began having shifting problems such as jerking between gears, very sluggish response during acceleration and horrendous gas mileage. i get about 8 miles per gallon. took it to the dealer, they ran diagnostics on my car and discovered that the problems fall "within the parameters" of the service bulletin no.: tc-10-034 except the "in service" date of my vehicle was march 8, 2003 thereby making me ineligible for the 10 year warranty by 4 months. this is ridiculous!!! this is a toyota screwup and has nothing to do with road conditions or owner neglect. i bought this car so my daughter can continue her daycare. she shuttles pre-school age children to various recreation facilities and my wife, who has terminal cancer, often accompanies her so she can spend as much quality time with her before the eventuality. now i'm reading that this particular rav4 problem can be extremely dangerous. if toyota "cares for it's customers", how can this be a service bulletin and not a recall. this defect should be addressed regardless of mileage or date of service. i just spent over $9,000 for a 10 year old car because it was a toyota. "it'll last forever". i called the toyota customer complaint phone number and all i got was contempt. her name was [xxx] and her argument was "toyota was very kind in extending the warranty for you", it's your fault for not reading it". yeah right, it's my fault for not following your screwups for the past ten years. i want my car fixed!! i can't afford $5,000 for a transmission, ecm and computer reboot. this is a toyota problem and i, the customer, demand to be heard. if toyota truly "cares for its customers", they have an obligation to do the right thing. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Takata recall transmission slips when put in gear and when accerating

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota rav4. the contact stated that while driving approximately 5 mph, the vehicle was jerking violently as the check engine warning light illuminated. the check engine warning light would illuminate intermittently. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the computer and the power transmission needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure and current mileage was 93,900.

I started experiencing a transmission shifting problem on 7/2/13. it has been intermittent since that date. on 7/10/13 the problem became more pronounced and frequent. when proceeding forward from a stop the vehicle would start to advance, then shift out of gear. it has resulted in near miss rearend and side crashes. i made an appointment with my mechanic for 7/15/13. diagnostic testing showed the problem to be a faulty engine control computer. research turned up a toyota service bulletin (tsb 015610) describing the problem i was having. even though they were aware of a safety issue, they chose not to do repairs until the problem manifested itself. *tr

The car would engage 2nd and 3rd gears at the same time causing temporary lock up of the rear wheels and loss of control. found out about a tsb and class action suite regarding this issue affecting the ecu while researching the problem. contacted toyota regarding the issue and they informed me that my 2003 rav4 was not covered because it had been put in service june of 2003. i am appalled this is not a recall as it is clearly a safety issue if loss of control of the vehicle is possible. this could be fatal if it were to happen to on a slippery road or going around a corner. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota rav 4. the contact stated that while driving approximately 5 mph, transmission failed. the failure recurred several times and without warning. the vehicle was taken to a independent mechanic twice, who diagnosed that the transmission would need to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 67,597.

2003 toyota rav 4. consumer writes in regards to transmission failure. *smd the consumer stated on may 14, 2013, the vehicle did not respond, when she applied the accelerator pedal. when she attempted to shift gears, a loud noise emitted from the vehicle, and the check engine light illuminated. the consumer was informed, the vehicle needed a transmission computer.

On or about may 5, 2013 i noticed my car started to hard shift, though i was driving as usual. the problem happens off and on and is most noticeable when waiting at a stop sign, red light or drive thru at a restaurant. the shift jolt is most noticeable when needing to accelerate or shifting into drive--it doesn't happen when i go into reverse. the shift jolt sometimes is accompanied by a thud noise. on may 7, 2013 i contacted toyota headquarters and discuss this with a customer service representative at 1-800-331-4331. she transferred me to a rude and cantankerous woman who seemed to have heard the story before. she stated i need to go to a dealership and get a diagnostic, which costs $100 in my area. she then stated that if any of the following codes appear: codes: p0750, p0753, p0755, p0758 or p0760 that i would need to replace ecm module first, if still problem the faulty module could've messed up the transmission. she conceded that toyota issued a bulletin to the dealerships and apparently it is a widespread problem. at some point i received a toyota internal case number. she said there was nothing she could do for me as i am not under warranty. i have 188,000+ miles on my car and apparently if it is not under 150,000 mile warranty. i take very good care of my car and it is not my fault the problem did not appear within a randomly selected mileage they chose. toyota admitted they knew of the problem and they are liable for any manufacturer's defect of the ecm/transmission. i request your assistance in getting my car repaired for free as it is toyota's faulty/defective part that is now causing my car problems. *tr the consumer stated after getting the repairs done, toyota refused to reimburse her for the repairs. they wouldn't even consider partial payment. even though, a customer service representative initially told her she would need to get the repairs done and ten toyota would reimburse her. updated 12/16/13

2003 toyota rav 4. consumer writes in regards to transmission failure. *smd the consumer learned toyota knew there was an issue and extended the warranty on the transmission to 10 years/150,000 miles in 2006. the consumer had a 110,000 miles on his vehicle, but was five months over the extended warranty. the consumer stated it cost $800 plus tax, to locate the problem and would cost $4,000 to replace the transmission.

I purchased my veh in jan 2003.next day, i noticed my veh was not able to drive uphill. at 50k miles in 2010, i went to dealer with a recall letter. my complaint:cust having difficulty driving uphill-won't accel-get stuck at 45-50 mph. veh is shifting harsh & cust stated that she is having problems with trans.cust thinks that this is part of the ztl letter she got in mail. their response was:test drove veh & duplicated the lack of power found veh had 3 floor mats under the accel pedal not allowing full travel removed mats & veh ran & shifted fine. i left disappointed & they charged me. problem grew & my car started acting strange even though i was keeping up with maintanence. in march 2013, my car wouldn't even start & i thought it must be the battery, & got it towed & had battery replaced.when i was driving, it started shaking. it was strange but i didn't read into it until late april 2013, i was waiting for green light to make l turn & my car resisted & pulled back harshly. since then i was scared of driving my veh. one day it was fine mostly but another day similar issue, stopping & driving was scary & it couldn't go higher than 20 mph. the last time i drove, i could hardly put my car in the garage. i had it towed again to toyota for service. my car has 65k miles & they told me ecu has to be replaced & if doesn't work, i should pay for a new trans. i contacted manufacturer, they said they will pay for the ecu but not for transmission (if necessary) nor for labor cost. i'm frustrated with this issue, they should replace my trans even if new ecu makes it look like my car is repaired but i don't believe it. the defect shortened the transmission's life.i will never feel safe again in my car with the existing trans. the manufacturer should take full responsibility, pay for damages, not demand on warranty, inform customers & apologize for acting like nothing is wrong. *tr

Trouble with harsh automatic transmission shifting - delays - clunks - noise. dealer says 99% sure trouble is ecm hence the ecm and transmission need replacement . toyota canada denies any knowledge of the goodwill warranty on the phone - even after checking with a manager. and says it is only a usa issue even thought the dealer readily acknowledges an wab #### service bulletin. the dealer says i will have to subpoena the service advisory through a lawyer to get the information that toyota canada says they do not seem to know about? (in 2013!!!) the dealer says i am 2 months past their secret deadline in the secret goodwill warranty so toyota denies responsibility. feels like very shoddy customer relations that i feel will cost toyota far more than their actual minuscule cost (<$200 their cost?) to replace with a proper ecu - engine control unit before the transmission is damaged beyond repair! they claim that they cannot test the ecu units and do not know which ones are bad until the customer (like me) comes in needing many thousands of dollars in repairs. ok go ahead and wait but at least warn the customer to watch for issues and have it checked if any issues arise right away. - not wash their hands after a secret time line passes how convenient for them! this is a ludicrous situation. less that 90,000 miles and toyota has the gall to tell me to pay them to fix a part they acknowledge is defective and then pay an extra lump of thousands of dollars for the transmission they themselves say is 99% certain to have been caused by the faulty ecu problem for good measure! have you no shame toyota canada, or is it too much fun rolling around in a pile of my money? - the canadian border should not be something a giant elephant of a company should be allowed to hide behind in my humble opinion. the way toyota canada is handling this issue is a major fail for toyota! *tr

We purchased our rav 4 as a certified used car from folwer toyota inc. 955 north interstate norman oklahoma january 2005. we were told the certified used car included a 160-point quality inspection, certifying the car is in good working order. the dealer never told us about the problem with the transmission computer and they never transferred the name of ownership to toyota, inc. in december of last year we began to experience problem with the transmission jerking forward and shifting hard between 1st and 2nd gear. it also shifted hard into reverse. we took it to our mechanic who suggested that we service the transmission and see if that might be the problem. the problem persisted and we called toyota and talked to a customer service agent that informed us that toyota had an extended warranty on the transmission and that the warranty for our car ran out december 31st 2012 and we would not qualify. we did not know anything about the transmission defective computer until we called toyota and after looking on the internet discovering that the extended warranty was the result of a class action suite. toyota knew about the problem with the transmission computer but failed to inform us about the extended warranty or the potential problem with the transmission. now we are told that to replace the computer is between $1500.00 and $1900.00 and if there has been damage to the transmission caused by the failure of the computer it will cost us $5000.00 to rebuild the transmission. we believe that toyota dealer that sold us the rav 4 should have ensured that our name and address was sent to toyota informing them of our purchase in case there was a recall or in this case an extended warranty covering a defective part. we also believe that toyota would not listen to our appeal because we called after the warranty time limit.

I backed up in reverse and then put 2003 rav 4 into drive expecting to go forward when motor began to race and car flew backward over 12-foot high embankment into woods while engine continued racing. car did not roll over but swung around 130 degrees in a flat area and came to a stop facing a tree 4 feet straight ahead. a second or two later the car then leaped forward into the tree with engine roaring, car continued to race at high rpms with front bumper wrapped around tree. the only way i could stop the high revs was to turn off the ignition. i injured my back. *tr

Erratic transmission shifting. this was already complained about on 7/2010. toyota needs to honor what you told them to do. transmission/ecm. i want a refund for my out of pocket expense on this issue $995.98. extended warranty 10 years or 150,000 miles ..updated 01/17/2013 *bf

My rave4 starting having problem with shifting about 5 years ago but we park it because my mom passed away and i received her car, but i want to get it fix and have been driving it again with only shift problems in first gear!

Primary complaint: purposeful deception regarding full benefits of extended warranty of ecm and/or transmission replacement under class action milligan vtoyota.the events leading to my transmission issues began in 7/ 2012. i had problem getting out of my parents steep driveway so i took it to the garage that had been changing my oil in sissonville wv. upon diagnostics they reported to me a solenoid code which indicated a possible transmission issue. i was referred to aamco transmissions, however the check engine light had been reset and they were unable to get any codes. after being told it could possibly be something with my exhaust as well, i was referred to quality exhausts but was unable to be seen. then proceeded barker's in dunbar. after test driving and evaluating he stated i had broken motor mounts. i made an appointment 7/18/12. when the technician placed my car on the rack he stated he was not sure what was wrong but it was not motor mounts and with the symptoms it was having i should have my transmission looked at. i had it towed to love lexus in saint albans.there i was told my ecm was in need of replacement.he explained it was under warranty. i was caught off guard due the age of the vehicle. he went on to say the ravs have had some problems with these computers and an extended warranty was placed and applied to them.the harsh shifting had not been completely resolved. in 9/12 my check engine light came back on.i took it back to love lexus and explained the condition as stated above.i asked if they would please test drive it to make sure they understood my complaint.after the diagnostics were complete i was told a fuel sensor had gone bad and was in need of replacement. part 1 of 2 *tr

part 2 of 3 this was at my cost and at that time i expressed my concern that it was an older car and with all these problems occurring, what was his opinion on trading. he didn't show any real interest but did state some have had great longevity and others not so much. after leaving that visit my car still did not shift properly and was still harsh in reverse.within a month or so my check engine light came back on again. while i was extremely reluctant to take it back to love lexus i did. i expressed my complaint once again about it not being quite right and requested they take it out on the four lane so that it could be driven up past 55mph. he diagnostics ran again and informed me that my fuel cap wasn''t on tight enough. i left embarrassed; however, my car still was not driving right.i continued to drive this car with the same issues for the next year and in october 2013 my check engine light came back on. i took my car to a & e service center.they checked my transmission fluid and stated in smelled burnt, their diagnostics stated it was my transmission and the only thing they could recommend in lieu of replacing my transmission was to flush it and replace the filter and fluid. they stated that with the amount of metal shavings they found which they showed me, this was the equivalent of putting a bandaid on a broken bone.this only lasted about a month and on 11-12-13 i had it towed to aamco. the estimate was $2767.19. due to me being in a financial hardship my parents gave me their 2002 4-runner and purchased a new car for themselves.we originally was trading the rav. . *tr

Part 3 of 3the salesman encouraged my parents to keep it because they wouldn't get much of a trade in, so i had my rav towed to my house. i called the sm of love lexus to inform him of my problem, to see if there was any recourse from him and to also express that i was completely unsatisfied.i reminded him that i had requested that they test drive on the four lane so they could understand my complaint of the hesitation of going in gear.he stated on the phone he did not recall, however they did drive it on the back lot. i asked him can you obtain a speed of 55mph in your lot, his response was ?no?. at that point i decided i would not be dealing with that service department any longer.in 2/2014 i began investigating how to get rid of my rav and stumbled upon the class action lawsuit that was described above.i have only received 50% of the benefits awarded to me by the extended warranty and i don?t understand why i would not have been informed of the whole thing.i didn't get a notice from the corporation of this problem, love lexus also failed to disclose my rights to having my transmission replaced along with the ecm under this extended warranty. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota rav4. the contact stated that while driving 45 mph, the vehicle started to shake and stalled without any warning. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 157,000 and the current mileage was 167,000.

I own a 2003 toyota rav4. my car was running in good working order, with just over 99,000 miles on it. on may 2nd 2012, i experienced issues with the car's transmission and ecm. the car would rev when i pressed on the gas, but it would not move. also, when shifting gears, the car would slow to a brake and then there was be a bump or grinding in the gears before the car would proceed to move. this would put me in danger of a rear end collision because my car would suddenly brake without me pressing on the brakes to signal the driver behind me that i was going to slow down. i have learned that toyota is aware of this issue with many of its rav4's (2001-2003). is there any help on toyota's part to correct this issue that they know of without passing along the cost to the innocent customer? thank you for your time. *tr updated 06/22/2012 *js

My 2003 toyota rav 4 started shifting poorly and inconsistently by not shifting to the next gear, slipping in between gears and slamming into gear. there are times when the transmission functions correctly and then there are days when it never does. i am scared to death to drive this car not knowing whether it will be a good day when my rav4 behaves as it should or if its going to leave transmission parts all over the road, get us in an accident or at the very least, leave us stranded. nerve racking and incredibly unsafe. *tr

This is my wife's primary mode of transportation, she was the one who first noticed the herky/jerky operation of the transmission when she attempted to place it in reverse to back up, she then notified me of the problem. i proceeded to test drive the vehicle the next day, when we were pulling into traffic from a parking lot, it suddenly shuddered between gears and finally settled into the proper gear after i let off of the accelerator. once we made it home after about 10 miles, we parked the car until i had a chance to drive it to toyota for an assessment. they drove it around and noticed the same herky/jerky operation, but stated to me that they couldn't do anything until they received a code from the computer stating either ecu or transmission trouble, after 2 or 3 days they were unable to retrieve any such code. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota rav4. the contact stated that while driving 60 mph, the vehicle started to jerk violently. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the transmission and computer were defective and needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was out of warranty. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and the current mileage was 170,000.

Car will not moves very slowly when it stops and you try to accelerate, very dangerous! *tr

2003 toyota rav4 - transmission slipping; ends up it is a computer (ecm) problem which is skipping 2nd gear and hesitating on acceleration and jerking into 3rd gear from 1st gear. *tr

My husband was driving to the grocery store when he heard a grinding noise. soon after, the check engine light went on. he immediately took our vehicle to the local toyota dealer. we soon discovered our 2003 toyota rav 4 has a defective ecm and the transmission has been severely damaged due to the ecm. it costs over $5,000 dollars to replace the ecm and the transmission. we are unable to drive the vehicle because we feel it is dangerous for ourselves and others. *tr

Vehicle started to begin takeoff really slow and hesitant, and then shift really hard with a jerking motion into second. not safe for taking off with traffic or crossing intersections. very scary to operate. could ruin transmission, shafts, and other parts. quote from dealership to replace ecm is around 1500+. then transmission around 3000+. i am currently dealing with toyota back and forth on getting repair approved. parts are available. all necessary calls have been done up the chain of command. they are not warranting this claim at this time. *kb

Hi about my 2003 toyota rav4, its seems to stall and shutting off the engine while driving. for exaple it happen more then 5 time on me this month7/1/2011, and almost getting bump in rear end. i took it to toyota dealer, and paying $100 for what they could find anything wrong. this model should be recall or accident will happen. *tt

2003 toyota rav4. started having vague problems last year with the car not wanting to shift at the appropriate times. on dec 22, 2010 we took it to greentree toyota in danbury ct and they replaced an ecu unit. it seemed to be working better but not optimal. it started shifting bad again and at times not wanting to shift at all so we returned the car to milton ruben toyota in augusta ga on 4/25/11. these symptoms are sporadic and some days it runs better than others. upon driving the car they are telling me that because the check engine light is not on and the codes are fine, as well as the fact that they can not get it to reproduce any of the symptoms i am complaining of i.e. difficulty merging into traffic b/c it will hardley go at times, upon taking off on an incline, at times, it will not go over 30 mph with the gas pedal to the floor, at times it will go over 4.5 rpm before it decides to shift, i will not let my daughter drive this car because i am afraid she will pull out and not be able to go in time. the symptoms are very obvious but i am being told that they don't see any symptoms at all and the car is running beautifully and that they can not put forth a claim to toyota for this issue without a set criteria. this is so frustrating and now i will have to pay them money to tell me that the car is fine when it is not. i so wish i had not bought this toyota and will never buy a toyota again. *tr

My car lost power. i could not drive more than 10 miles an hour. intermittent loss of power happened several times last years and this years. just recently on 04/04/2012 at 4:55pm i was driving with my wife and her sister and i had to pull on shoulder and turned on hazard warning light and drive in lower gear ( 2nd gear ). *tr

I have 2003 rav4 with 70000 miles, all of sudden the gear started jump and jerk, i asked a dealer how to fix it, the dealer told me to pay $4000, this is very bad i hope there should be a recall because everybody with rav 4 has the same problem..this is so bad.. *tr

The vehicle jerks, misses gears. when trying to pull out..it doesn't move then suddenly takes off. i did some research and this seems to be a problem in 02/03 & 04 rav 4's also says the ecm is a problem. had the vehicle checked, replaced the filter & transmission fluid only to have it still acting the same way...we were told the transmission is shot. my research indicated toyota knows of the problem & extended the warranty to 10 years or 150,00 miles. when we contacted freedom toyota in hamburg, pa. (this is where we purchased the vehicle) the service department *chuckled* at us. told us, $91.00 just to pull it in there garage to look at it!how safe is it to drive if it jerks or just won't go? where is toyotas loyalty to it's customers if they *chuckle* at us ? needless to say we still owe money on this vehicle. *tr

In october, 2010 my 2003 rav4 started acting sluggish and shifting poorly. it would almost stall out in traffic and several times i was almost rear ended because the car would balk shifting from second to third gear. i took it to arlington toyota in palatine, illinois. they could find nothing wrong. in january, 2011 the problem got worse. the dealer reflashed the ecm module which controls the transmission. the problem got worse. they told me that i would need a new ecm .cost $1400. mileage out of warranty so it would not be covered. they contacted toyota regional who also said they would not cover it. i contacted toyota customer relations but they also said even though i had received a recall notice, they would not cover the cost. *tr

check oil light came on and would go out, after checking the oil level all appear fine, the car would burn 1 quart every two months. after driving along the express way for 30 miles and using a two lane road for about 3 miles the check engine light and oil light all came on at a stop light and then the engine make noise and quit running, after towing the car to a auto repair shop we were told the car needed a new engine. the car is a rav 4 2003 with about 89,000 miles on it. *tr

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

Toyota rav4 2003, transmission issue, during driving, the car sometimes slowdown, in highway, during driving time, the car sudden slowdown, just like deep step on the brake pad. it is happen all the time during driving. *tr

2003 toyota rav4 at 90,000 miles the vehicle showed signs of an issue with the transmission or computer that controls the transmission, symptoms include rough shifting and delayed engagement (3-9 seconds) of the drive train on acceleration. *tr

My wife's' 2003 toyota rav4 just started having transmission problems. we took it immediately to a repair shop. on the way there were serious problems with the transmission shifting which was particularly dangerous during the acceleration and deceleration in intersections. the dealer repair shop said the computer and transmission would need to be replaced. i called toyota customer service and they told me a service bulletins had gone out, but that our particular vin was not part of the bulletin, even though the problem is exactly the same as has been widely noted and recognized by toyota. *tr

Toyota rav4 2003 has transmission problems. the mechanic said this is common with this car so i did some research and quickly found that many other people had the same problem. there is a problem with the computer asking the car to shift to first and second gear at the same time. this causes the car to slow down then rapidly accelerate. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota rav4. the contact stated that he experienced transmission problems; the gears would slip at times. the vehicle was inspected by a mechanic who stated that the problem was most likely the engine control module; no codes were produced. the vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint. the contact called the manufacturer who offered no assistance. the current and failure mileages were approximately 89,800.

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota rav4. the vehicle began to hesitate and then rapidly accelerate after the vehicle came to a stop. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where he was informed that the ecu and transmission needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were 83,000. updated 11/05/10. *lj updated 02/03/11*lj updated 02/04/11*jb

I was about to merge with traffic on a local highway when i stepped on the gas pedal and the car did not accelerate. it terrified me because there was a tractor trailer to my left that almost hit me. as i pressed harder on the pedal to accelerate the car, the engine made a loud revving sound, and the car started to jerk forward, in the sense that there seemed to be transmission slippage: sometimes the car accelerated harshly while at other times it was like it was on neutral. this occurred with no warning at all, as something like this had never happened before, nor was there any hint that something like this would happen. this transmission slippage occurs at low speed, right at those crucial moments when you need the car to accelerate because you are merging with traffic, or are crossing an intersection after having stopped at a light or stop sign. after searching online, i found many similar complaints. people reported that the problem was the engine control module (ecm), so i had that fixed, and now the car seems to be running fine. the worst thing is that online people discovered that toyota issued an internal memo in 2006 notifying dealers of this problem, but it did not notify the owner, let alone recall the cars and have the problem fixed. apparently, toyota did not feel the problem was serious enough, though i am convinced that it was only luck that i survived that day on the highway! *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota rav4. the contact was driving approximately 30 mph when the check engine light illuminated and the vehicle lost power. when the contact shifted into reverse gear, the vehicle began to shake violently. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that the electronic control module and the transmission had failed. the manufacturer stated that the warranty was no longer valid; therefore, they would not provide any assistance with the repair repair cost. the vin was not available. the failure and the current mileage was 86,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota rav 4. when the contact drove out of her driveway at a slow speed the vehicle started shaking. the dealer changed the oil, the fuel filter and the catalytic converter. the failure still persisted. the dealer later stated that the ecm needed to be replaced at her expense and that if the ecm did not correct the failure the transmission would have to be replaced for $5500.00. toyota was also contacted and stated that since the warranty was not valid they could not offer her any assistance. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was approximately 123,000. the current mileage is 124,600.

No warning when transmission slipped from stopped to first. would jerk then be fine. drove approximately 50 miles while this was happening with hazard lights on. took to a local transmission shop & was quoted $3,200 for a new transmission. no mention of the ecm being the cause or needing repaired. will have to trade in. failure 110,000. *tr

Transmission problem on a 2003 rav4 4 wheel drive. it started at 100,456 miles. never had problem with the car before. it started to occur once in a while in first gear, then the engine light came on, got it check. came up code po755. now is occurring more often. light goes off and after a couple of day goes on again. took it to toyota. they said it needs a remanufacture transmission and they need to change the ecm. cost 5,995 they told me i'm better off trading the car. *tr

Car suddenly started having shifting problem, hesitates from a start, very jerky, then difficulty shifting into second gear. *tr

Car jerks, harsh shifting, stays stuck in gear, will not go back into first gear. have done oil change, transmission fluid flush, left and right 02 sensors, still shifting harsh conditions, feels very unsafe. *tr