2003 Toyota RAV4 POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I WAS DRIVING MY 2003 TOYOTA RAV4 AND ATTEMPTED TO MERGE INTO ANOTHER LANE WHEN I EXPERIENCED A VERY HARD SHIFT FROM THE TRANSMISSION CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO STALL WITH A REVING ENGINE NOISE AND AVOIDED BEING REAR ENDED BY A TRUCK. I PURCHASED MY RAV4 BRAND NEW IN 2003 TO ACCOMODATE MY DISABILITY NEEDS AND ONLY HAVE 82,000 MILES.I CHECKED WITH MY MECHANIC TODAY AND HE LOOKED UP THE TOYOTA RECALL ON THESE RAV4 TRANSMISSION FAILURES AND NOT ONCE DID TOYOTA INFORM ME ABOUT THE RECALL. HOW IS DISABLED INDIVIDUAL ON FIXED INCOME TO AFFORD $3000.00 FOR A TRANSMISSION ON A WELL MAINTAINED TOYOTA WITH ONLY 82,000 MILES. I WISH TOYOTA WOULD SHOW SOME EMPATHY TO ACCOMMODATE AN INDIVIDUAL WHOSE SOLE PURPOSE OF A BRAND NEW RAV4 WOULD FULFILL HIS DAILY PHYSICAL CHALLENGES IN LIFE AND NOW LEFT WITH A TOYOTA WITH 82,000 MILES IN NEED OF A TRANSMISSION. THIS RAV4 IS NO LONGER SAFE TO BE DRIVEN GIVEN ITS NATURE OF SAFETY CONCERNS.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND THE VEHICLE JERKED. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE BECAME STUCK IN SECOND AND THIRD GEAR. THE FAILURE RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE FAILURE WAS UNDETERMINED; HOWEVER, THE TECHNICIAN DISCOVERED THAT THE COMPUTER DAMAGED THE TRANSMISSION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 103,000.

BOUGHT CAR USED AND DIDN'T NOTICE THE SHIFT PROBLEM TIL LATER.SHIFTS HARD FROM 2 TO 3RD GEAR. MANY PEOPLE HAVE ISSUE WITH THIS MOSTLY BEING THE ECM GOING BAD THEN DESTROYING THE TRANSMISSION. BOTH ARE EXPENSIVE FIXES AND BOTH ARE DANGEROUS LEADING TO ACCIDENTS. *TR

HARSH SHIFTING; AUTOMATIC SHIFTING ERRATIC; LURCHING, ESPECIALLY WHEN STARTING FROM STOP. LOCAL GARAGE SAYS TRANSMISSION IS SHOT AND REQUIRES REPLACEMENT ($3100).

THIS LETTER IS IN REFERENCE TO AN ISSUE, NAMELY, HARSH SHIFT CONDITION, ON OUR 2003 TOYOTA RAV4, THE VEHICLE PRESENTLY SHOWS APPROXIMATELY 119, 600 MILES. ACCORDING TO TOYOTA WARRANTY POLICY BULLETIN NO. POL 10-03, DATED 07/09/10, PAGE 1, TOYOTA HAS RECEIVED REPORTS THAT CERTAIN 2001 THROUGH 2003 MODEL YEAR RAV4 VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH AN AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE MAY EXHIBIT A HARSH SHIFT CONDITION IF THIS CONDITION OCCURS, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT MAY ILLUMINATE AND/OR THE VEHICLE MAY BEGIN TO SHIFT HARSHLY. THIS WARRANTY IS BEING OFFERED FOR 10 YEARS OR 150,000 MILES PLEASE VERIFY VIN APPLICABILITY FOR THIS CSP BY PERFORMING A VIN INQUIRY BEFORE COMPLETING THE REPAIR. ON PAGE 2 WE CHECKED THE APPLICABLE VIN RANGES AND OBSERVED THAT OUR VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN THIS CUSTOMER SUPPORT PROGRAM (CSP).OUR RESPECTFUL REQUEST IS THAT TOYOTA HONOR THE WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT FOR OUR RAV4. BASED ON A TELEPHONE CALL TO TOYOTA MOTOR SALES CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE CENTER IN TORRANCE CA, THE COMPANY REP. SAID TOYOTA WOULD NOT HONOR THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. I BELIEVE THAT THE PART (ECM) WAS DEFECTIVE AND SHOULD BE REPLACED UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY BECAUSE THE VEHICLE IS UNDER 150,00 MILES BUT JUST OVER THE TEN YEAR LIMIT. THANK YOU. *TR

CAR WAS HAVING TROUBLE SHIFTING. IT FELT LIKE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS ON. I PULLED OUT INTO TRAFFIC AND THE CAR WOULD NOT SHIFT FROM 1ST TO 2ND GEAR. I HAD TO PULL OVER. I CALLED MY MECHANIC WHO SAID IT SOUNDED LIKE THE TRANSMISSION AND RECOMMENDED A TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST. THE TRANSMISSION WAS REBUILT. THEY ALSO REPLACED THE COMPUTER. THEY TOLD ME THE COMPUTER FAILURE IS WHAT CAUSED THE TRANSMISSION FAILURE. THE PARTS LISTED ARE THE COMPUTER, CONVERTER, OVERHAUL KIT FOR AWD, AND TRANSAXLE OIL FILTER. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH HE ENGAGED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND IT TOOK A FEW SECONDS BEFORE THE VEHICLE WOULD ACCELERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO ADVISED HIM THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND THAT THE ECM CARD NEEDED REPROGRAMMING. THE FAILURE STARTED IN JUNE 2009. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DRIVABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 73,000. UPDATED 2/28/11 *CN UPDATED 03/07/11

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

COMPUTER FAILED THAT LED TO TRANSMISSION TO FAIL. AFTER FIXING IT STILL GLITCHESESES. IT IS OK ONE DAY AND GLITCHES ANOTHER VERY UNPREDICTABLE AND TRANSMISSION MECHANIC CAN NOT FIGURE OUT THE PROBLEM. COMPUTER WAS PUT IN NEW AND TRANSMISSION WAS REBUILT COST ABOUT $ 4000. IT IS HARD TO EFFORT THIS DURING THESE ECONOMIC HARDSHIPS. NOT TO MENTION ALL THIS HAPPENED ONLY ON 88000 KMS. *TR

S10 APPROPRIATE HANDLING-LETTER TO THE SECRETARY FROM RE TOYOTA PROBLEMS *TGW 2003 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN PLUGGED INTO THE ELECTRIC CHARGING SYSTEM, THE VEHICLE ROLLED AWAY. THE CONSUMER STATED IT CAN HAPPEN IF THE GEAR IS INADVERTENTLY SHIFTED OUT OF PARK AND INTO NEUTRAL IF THE VEHICLE IS PARKED ON A SLIGHT SLOPE. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA RAV4. SHE NOTICED THAT WHEN SHE STOPPED THE GEAR WILL FAIL IT WILL STAY IN DRIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, AND THE DIAGNOSIS INDICATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT. THE DEALER REPLACED THE ECU AND THE FAILURE WAS CORRECTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 102,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 104,236. UPDATED 03/30/10. *LJ THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN SHE MADE A STOP, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT GO INTO GEAR AND THE ENGINE REVVED, THEN SLIPPED INTO GEAR AND LURCHED FORWARD. THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD IT WAS A COMPUTER PROBLEM AND SENDING FAULTY SIGNALS TO THE TRANSMISSION. THE CONSUMER STATED THERE HAVE BEEN NO OTHER PROBLEMS SINCE. UPDATED 07/15/10*JB

ECM AND TRANSMISSION PROBLEM IN 2003 TOYOTA RAV4 CREATE A VERY DANGEROUS CONDITION - SEVERE HESITATION AND DELAY/DISRUPTION IN SHIFTING WHEN OTHER VEHICLES ARE BEHIND YOU OR WHEN YOU ARE TRYING TO CROSS LANES OF TRAFFIC IN LOW GEARS. *TR

I BOUGHT A BRANDNEW 2003 RAV4 6 YEARS AGO AND ALREADY HAVE 95,000 MILES ON IT. THE TRANSMISSION STARTS TO SLIPPED AND DRAG A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO. IT ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT ON MY WAY HOME BECAUSE THE TRANSMISSION SLOWLY SHIFTS GEAR ON 2ND AND 3RD WITH A HIGH IDLING. I HAVE READ SOME FORUMS ABOUT THE RAV4 2001-2003 ECM ISSUES. I WOULD LIKE TO COMPLAINT THAT TOYOTA WOULD NOT DO A RECALL TO THE FAULTY PART THAT CAN CAUSE DEATH AND SERIOUS ACCIDENT WHILE DRIVING A RAV4 (2001-2003) MODEL WITH A DEFECTIVE ECM. THERE ARE OVER 488 COMPLAINTS THAT I'VE READ IN ONE FORUM ALONE. I HOPE YOU WILL FIND A WAY TO HAVE TOYOTA ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS ECM FAILURE TO MY 2003 RAV4 AND HOPE TO HAVE THEM REPLACE ALL THE RAV4 (2001-2003) ECM MODULE FREE OF CHARGE. *TR

I HAVE A 2003 TOYOTA RAV4- SEEMS TO BE EXACT SAME PROBLEM EVERYONE ELSE IS HAVING--NO PROBLEMS UNTIL EARLY THIS YEAR 2008, TRANSMISSION WAS SKIPPING GEAR 2 TO 3, TOOK TO MECHANIC THEN TO TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST, WHERE THE SAME PROCEDURE OCCURRED. COMPUTER CHIP REPLACED, FEW DAYS LATER, SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED. TRANSMISSION REPLACED AT 89,000 MILES, 3400 DOLLARS TOTAL. OTHERWISE, THE CAR IS GREAT. NO ACCIDENT, JUST TOO MUCH HASSLE, MONEY, AND SEVERAL STRESSFUL, SCARY RIDES HOME. *TR

I HAVE A 2003 TOYOTA RAV4, AT 86600 MILES IT APPEARED MY TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING, WHEN I WOULD PULL OUT IN FRONT OF ANYONE IT WAS STALL AND SLIP WHILE GOING INTO 1ST AND 2ND GEAR. (AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION), THE DEALERSHIP (TOYOTA) SAID IT WAS INTERNAL IN THE TRANSMISSION SO I TOOK IT TO A TRANSMISSION PLACE, THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT. AFTER REVIEW THE COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET IT SEEMS THAT THIS IS HAPPENING WITH TOYOTA'S 2001 THRU 2003 AND IT IS THE ECM THAT GOES BAD AND IF YOU DRIVE YOUR CAR IT WILL TARE UP THE TRANSMISSION. I WENT BACK TO TOYOTA AND SHOWED THEM THE BULLETIN PUT OUT BY TOYOTA AND AFTER SOME BACK AND FORTH WITH THEM THEY INSTALLED ME A NEW ECM, THIS WAS JUST 2 DAYS AGO, THEY ARE NOT SURE IF THIS WILL FIX THE PROBLEM OR NOT, BUT I BELIEVE TOYOTA SHOULD RECALL THESE VEHICLES BEFORE SOMEONE GET KILLED, THIS IS A REAL EXPENSE TO THE CAR OWNERS. *TR