2001 Toyota RAV4 Power Train

MY RAV 4 2001 HAS ABOUT 140,000 MILES ON IT AND HAS DEVELOPED A SERIOUS PROBLEM. TO CLARIFY, A MASSIVE ACCELERATION PROBLEM IS OCCURRING WHEN I'VE BEEN DRIVING THE CAR FOR 15 TO 20 MINUTES, THEN SUDDENLY - WHILE I'M AT A STOP LIGHT, THE SUV'S ENGINE RACES WILDLY LOUD LIKE WHAT YOU HEAR AT THE INDY 500... IT JERKED AND FELT LIKE IT INTERNALLY CONTROLLED MY ACCELERATOR FOOT PAD! I HAD TO APPLY A MASSIVE AMOUNT OF PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE PAD BEFORE I HAD A CHANCE TO QUICKLY SHIFT MY CAR INTO PARK TO PREVENT RUNNING OVER PEDESTRIANS AND HITTING CARS IN FRONT OF ME AT THE STOP LIGHT! MY RAV 4 ENGINE WAS STILL RACING LOUDLY WANTING TO SHOOT FORWARD LIKE A ROCKET! I HAVE HAD THE FAULTY ECM REPLACEMENT RECALL DONE WHEN TOYOTA ISSUED A WARNING TO HAVE THE RAV4 ECU UNIT REPLACED SEVERAL YEARS AGO. NOW I'M EXPERIENCING THIS ENGINE RACING/ACCELERATION PROBLEM WITH MY RAV 4. WILL MY LOCAL TOYOTA SERVICE CENTER CHARGE ME FOR THE PARTS AND THE LABOR TO FIX THIS DEFECTIVE MECHANICAL PROBLEM?

THE RAV4 WOULD NOT SHIFT. THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED

THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION IS SHIFTING IRRATICALLY, SOMETIMES IT WILL TAKE OFF SLOWLY UNTIL THE GEAR ENGAGES. SOMETIMES THERE IS A CLUNKING SOUND AS THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTS GEARS.

THE ECM ON MY 2001 RAV4 WAS CALIBRATED IN 2008 BY A LOCAL DEALER. UNDER RECALL 601. IN 2008 THE CAR HAD JUST OVER 63000 MILES. IT NOW HAS 124000 AND THE TRANSMISSION IS HARD SHIFTING AGAIN.

WE WERE ALMOST HIT AT A STREET LIGHT. UPON ACCELERATING OUR CAR THE ENGINE DIED DUE THE TRANSMISSION OR MALFUNCTION OF THE ELECTRIC CONTROL MODULE. WE WERE LUCKY IF THE PERSON BEHIND HAD NOT SLAMMED ON BRAKES WE WOULD HAVE BEEN HIT. ALSO THE CAR HAS PROBLEMS WITH SHIFTING WHILE DRIVE ON FREEWAY. WE ALWAYS NOW STAY IN THE SLOW LANE BECAUSE WE FEAR TO PASS,

HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING HARSH SHIFTING FOR THE LAST WEEK OR SO BUT THE MOST DEBILITATING TRANSMISSION PROBLEM OCCURRED ON 6/5/2015 WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH. I ENDED UP DRIVING DIRECTLY HOME USING "LOW" GEAR BECAUSE I WAS AFRAID OF DAMAGING THE CAR FURTHER. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THIS CAR AND PURCHASED IT NEW IN 2001. 7 YEARS AFTER PURCHASE, BACK ON 3/10/2008, IT WAS SERVICED BY TOYOTA UNDER A "SPECIAL SERVICE CAMPAIGN" WHERE THEY REPROGRAMMED THE ECM UNDER WARRANTY. I IMAGINE IT WAS FOR THE HARSH SHIFTING PROBLEM (SEE T-SB-0156-10). IT HAS OBVIOUSLY COME BACK 7 YEARS LATER. PROGRAMMING ONLY GOOD FOR 7 YEARS?

VEHICLE SHIFTS VERY HARSHLY AND JERKS. I SUSPECT IT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE TRANSMISSION AND THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO SHIFT GEARS WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ECM COMPUTER MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 147,295.

SUDDEN ISSUE OF ERRATIC SHIFTING AND ACCELERATION. THE ECM WAS REPLACED. HOPEFULLY THE TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN SPARED. I'VE RESEARCHED ONLINE AND UNCOVERED MANY MANY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS. I UNDERSTAND THERE WAS AN EXTENDED WARRANTY, HOWEVER, I AM STILL NOT COVERED AS THE CAR IS OVER 10 YEARS OLD. *TR

I WAS SENT A LETTER ABOUT THE CLASS ACTION SUIT ON THE 2001-2003 TOYOTA RAV4. I ASKED TO HAVE MY VEHICLE FIXED, BUT WAS DENIED, BECAUSE I DID NOT REQUEST UNTIL AFTER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY AND THE 150,000 HAD PASSED. I APPEALED THEIR DECISION AND I WAS DENIED AGAIN. I DID HAVE THE MODULE REPLACED WITH A NEW TOYOTA ONE, WHICH WAS INSTALLED BY A MECHANIC THAT DOES NOT WORK AT A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. THIS MODULE WORKED FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, BUT MY RAV IS BACK TO THE SAME HARD SHIFTING SAFETY ISSUES IT HAD BEFORE. I CAN'T AFFORD A NEW TRANSMISSION OR THE NEW MODULE TO COMPLETELY FIX THE SAFETY ISSUE. EVEN IF THEY REPLACED THE MODULE AGAIN, I BELIEVE IT HAS DONE TOO MUCH DAMAGE TO THE TRANSMISSION THAT WILL NOT BE REPAIRED BY THE REPLACEMENT OF THIS PART. YOU PAY FOR AN EXTENDED WARRANTY AND MAINTAIN IT LIKE YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO AND TOYOTA DOES NOT TAKE CARE OF THEIR CUSTOMER. THEY MADE THEIR MONEY AND THAT'S THAT. *TR

I HAVE A 2001 RAV4 THAT IN 2010 HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE GEAR AND THE DEALER CHANGE THE REMAN TRANSAXLE ASSEMBLY BUT KNOW I CAN'T DRIVE THE CAR BECAUSE THE CAR NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION AND SOME OTHER PART AND THE DEALER WOULD NOT FIX IT WHEN THE KNOW THAT THE CAR HAD ALL THESE PROBLEM WHEN I BOUGH THE CAR FOR 28,000 DOLLARS THEY WERE HAPPY IF THESE IS THE WAY THAT TOYOTA GET RICH STEALING FROM PEOPLE THAT BELIEVE THAT THEY ARE BUYING A GOOD PRODUCT. *TR

ECM/TRANSMISSION FAILURE AT 129000 MILES. CANT SAY MUCH MORE THAN HAS ALREADY BEEN SAID BY SO MANY OTHERS. OUT OF POCKET EXPENSE OF ABOUT 3500.00. IN THE SHOP NOW BUT AS I READ THESE I'M WONDERING IF I SHOULD BE FIXING IT AS IT SEEMS TO REOCCUR. NO HELP FROM TOYOTA AND THEY WANTED OVER 5000.00 TO FIX IT. RECEIVED NO NOTIFICATION FROM TOYOTA. MISSED THE WARRANTY BY 9000 MILES. SEEMS IF YOU OWN ONE ITS JUST A MATTER OF TIME AND IT WILL HAPPEN....STAND BEHIND YOUR PRODUCT TOYOTA!!!!! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE SHIFTED VERY HARD AND JERKED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED VERY SLOWLY. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE FAILURE ALSO OCCURRED WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A COMPLETE STOP. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THERE WAS AN INTERNAL FAILURE AND THAT THE TRANSMISSION AND TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 82,045.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS EXHIBITING BEHAVIORS OF A MANUAL TRANSMISSION WHEN IT WAS AN AUTOMATIC. THE ENGINE RPMS WOULD INCREASE EXCESSIVELY BEFORE SHIFTING AND THEN THE TRANSMISSION WOULD FAIL. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC AND WAS TOLD THAT THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 200,000.

APPARENTLY THERE WAS A TSB ISSUED ON THIS AND A CUSTOMER CARE TICKET ISSUED AND A RECALL BUT BEING AS MY CAR IS 11 YEARS OLD AND 137,000 IT FALLS OUTSIDE OF THE PARAMETERS TOYOTA SET OF 10 YEARS OR 150,000 MILES TOYOTA WILL NOT FIX THIS PROBLEM THAT WILL COST UPWARDS OF $4000!! I CANNOT UNDERSTAND HOW A PROBLEM THAT THEY ACKNOWLEDGE WILL HAPPEN HAS HAPPENED AND THEY DON'T WANT TO FIX IT. I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO. *TR

2001 TOYOTA RAV4 TRANSMISSION IS SHIFTING HARD AND INTO INAPPROPRIATE GEARS. WHILE ACCELERATING, THE TRANSMISSION IS NOT SHIFTING INTO A HIGHER GEAR AS IT NORMALLY DID. NOW IT HESITATES BETWEEN GEARS (NEUTRAL) AND THEN RANDOMLY SHIFTS INTO A LOWER OR HIGHER GEAR OFTEN JUMPING FROM GEAR TO GEAR UNTIL SETTLING INTO THE PROPER GEAR. THIS BEHAVIOR JUST BEGAN WITH 112K MILES. *TR

TRANSMISSION SLIPPAGE/FAILURE DID NOT ALLOW ME TO ACCELERATE TO HIGHWAY SPEEDS ON AN ON-RAMP. *TR

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SOMETIMES HESITATES WHEN SHIFTING AND SOMETIMES STARTS IN 3RD GEAR INSTEAD OF 1ST. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON A WEEK AGO, SIMILAR TO WHEN SHIFTING PROBLEMS BEGAN. *KB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO STALL IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, WHERE A DIAGNOSTIC TEST WAS PERFORMED AND THE DEALER STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS FAULTY AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE FAULTY TRANSMISSION WAS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THIS YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

FAULTY SHIFTING IN 2001 TOYOTA RAV4 RELATED TO THE ECM CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO SLOW DOWN AND ALMOST COME TO A STOP WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE OR PULL OUT INTO TRAFFIC. ECM WAS REPLACED BUT THE FAULTY SHIFTING STILL OCCURS. ACCORDING TO THE DEALERSHIP THIS MEANS THAT THE VEHICLE NOW NEEDS A NEW TRANSMISSION. WHILE THE VEHICLE IS 10 YEARS OLD, IT HAS LESS THAN 130,000 MILES ON IT. THIS SHOULD NOT BE OCCURRING. TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS ISSUE IS DUE TO THE ECM AND ITS POOR DESIGN DESPITE EXTENDING THE WARRANTY FOR EXACTLY THIS ISSUE. THERE ARE MULTIPLE REPORTS ON THE INTERNET FROM RAV4 OWNERS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA RAV 4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT SHIFT GEARS WHILE DRIVING. ONCE SHE WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE TO SHIFT, THE VEHICLE BEGAN JERKING ABNORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE FAILURE WAS DIAGNOSED AS AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE WITHIN THE COMPUTER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 158,000.

FAILED TO SPEED UP WHEN I WAS MERGING INTO TRAFFIC. *TR

I HAVE A 2011 RAV 4 WITH 151,000 MILES ON IT. I HAD MY TRANSMISSION FLUID FLUSHED WHEN I GOT MY OIL CHANGED IN EARLY JUNE OF 2011. MY TRANSMISSION STARTING "JUMPING" IN EARLY AUGUST OF 2011 WHEN IN ALMOST ANY GEAR. THE PROBLEM CAME ON VERY SUDDENLY WITH NO WARNING SIGNS. THE DAY IT HAPPENED, I CALLED MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP WHO HAS DONE ALL OF MY SERVICING AND ASKED IF IT COULD HAVE POSSIBLY HAD TO DO WITH THE FLUSHING OF THE SYSTEM TWO MONTHS PRIOR AND IF THERE HAD BEEN ANY RECALLS ON MY VEHICLE FOR THIS SORT OF PROBLEM. THEY SAID THAT IT WAS UNLIKELY TO HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE FLUSHING AND NO, THERE HAD BEEN NO RECALLS THAT THEY WERE AWARE OF. I WAS REFERRED OVER TO A TRANSMISSION SHOP THAT REBUILDS TRANSMISSIONS AND GOT IT INTO THE SHOP THAT VERY NEXT MORNING. THE SHOP REBUILT MY TRANSMISSION AND CHARGED ME OVER $3000 TO DO SO. WHEN I PICKED MY VEHICLE UP AND DROVE IT, IT JUMPED WHEN ONLY DRIVEN HALF OF A BLOCK. THE TRANSMISSION SHOP OWNER SUGGESTED I DRIVE IT A LITTLE BIT MORE AND TAKE IT FROM ZERO TO 60 MPH ON THE INTERSTATE. I DID SO BUT TWO DAYS LATER, MY TRANSMISSION FAILED TO ACCELERATE WHEN I PULLED OUT INTO TRAFFIC, WHICH WAS EXTREMELY FRIGHTENING SEEING THAT I AM FIVE MONTHS PREGNANT, AND IT ALSO BEGAN TO JUMP AGAIN, IN ALMOST ANY GEAR AFTER IT FINALLY ACCELERATED. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE TRANSMISSION SHOP AND AFTER THREE DAYS, THEY DETERMINED THAT IT MUST BE THE ECM. THEY REPLACED THIS FOR ME AND CHARGED ME ANOTHER $600 TO DO SO. ONCE AGAIN, WHEN I PICKED MY VEHICLE UP AND DROVE IT, IT JUMPED WHEN ONLY DRIVEN HALF A BLOCK. I AM BEYOND BROKE AND FRUSTRATED THAT A) TOYOTA SENT OUT NO NOTIFICATIONS TO OWNERS OF THIS YEAR AND MODEL WARNING OWNERS OF THE POTENTIAL DANGERS ASSOCIATED WITH A FAILED ECM AND B) THAT EVEN WITH A NEW ECM AND REBUILT TRANSMISSION, THAT MY TRANSMISSION IS STILL NOT OPERATING AS IT SHOULD. *TR

MY 18 YEAR OLD HAS A 2001 RAVE 4 THE MECHANIC SAYS THAT THE ECU HAS TRASHED THE TRANSMISSION SO NOW SHE NEEDS BOTH TO BE REPLACED. I HAVE FOUND MANY COMPLAINTS ON LINE ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND MOST LIKELY NOT MANY PEOPLE KNOW TO CONTACT THIS AGENCY OR THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED BY NOW. PLEASE REFER TO THE TOYOTA SERVICE BULLETIN MARCH 3, 2006. TOYOTA IS AWARE OF THE ISSUE! THIS PROBLEM HAS THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE AN ACCIDENT DUE TO LOSE OF POWER OR STALLING OF THE VEHICLE. MY DAUGHTER HAS BEEN VERY FORTUNATE NOT TO BE IN AN ACCIDENT DUE TO THIS ECU /TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. *TR

I OWN A REGULARLY SERVICED AND WELL MAINTAINED 108,000 MILE 2001 TOYOTA RAV4 WITH A TRANSMISSION CONCERN. CAR UPON ACCELERATION WILL NOT RESPOND, REVS, SLIPS AND LUNGES INTO GEAR. THIS OCCURS INTERMITTENTLY. TWO INDEPENDENT TRANSMISSION SPECIALISTS HAVE INSPECTED THIS VEHICLE AND STATED THAT THE PROBLEM THEY DIAGNOSE IS A COMPUTER PROBLEM WHICH IS MALFUNCTIONING COMMUNICATION TO THE TRANSMISSION. THEY HAVE RECOMMENDED NOT REPAIRING THE TRANSMISSION BUT FOCUS ON THE CAR'S COMPUTER. TOYOTA DEALERSHIP FINDS NO COMPUTER CODES ON THE DIAGNOSTIC CHECK TO INDICATE ANY PROBLEM WHATSOEVER WITH THIS VEHICLE. TOYOTA CASE MANAGER AND DEALERSHIP SERVICE MANAGER STATES TO DRIVE THIS VEHICLE WITH ALL THE SAFETY CONCERNS MENTIONED UNTIL A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT INDICATES A COMPUTER PROBLEM. TOYOTA SERVICEMAN RODE IN VEHICLE WITH THIS OWNER AND FELT THE ABOVE MENTIONED SAFETY TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS AND REPORTED IT BACK TO THE MANAGER. NO REPAIR WORK WAS RECOMMENDED BECAUSE THE COMPUTER CODES DID NOT COMMUNICATE A PROBLEM. OTHER THAN THE SERVICE TECH WHO DROVE IN THIS VEHICLE AND FELT FIRST HAND THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPING AND NOT RESPONDING, TOYOTA REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGES THERE IS A PROBLEM. THE COMPUTER COMMUNICATING INFORMATION TO THE TRANSMISSION ON MANY 2001 RAV4 VEHICLES HAVE PROVEN TO MALFUNCTION ACCORDING TO TOYOTA'S OWN SERVICE BULLETIN. ACCORDING TO MY RESEARCH A MALFUNCTIONING COMPUTER HAS LED TO MANY TRANSMISSIONS BEING DAMAGED IN TOYOTA VEHICLES. I AM AT A LOSS AS TO WHAT TO DO. I AM ALSO VERY DISAPPOINTED IN TOYOTA'S RUN AROUND AND THEIR DISMISSIVE ATTITUDE WHEN BRINGING A SAFETY CONCERN TO THEIR ATTENTION. *TR