NHTSA Complaint #10290899 — 2002 TOYOTA RAV4

APPROXIMATELY 3 WEEKS AGO I BEGAN NOTICING HESITATION, JERKING, AND SLIPPING COMING FROM WHAT I THOUGHT WAS THE TRANSMISSION. WHEN THE PROBLEM CONTINUED, I TOOK IT TO A LOCAL BIG TEN TIRES TO SEE WHAT THEY THOUGHT. THEY THOUGHT IT WAS A DEFECTIVE ENGINE MOUNT. THAT DID NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. I REALIZED THEN IT WAS A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER THAT SOLD ME THE VEHICLE,AND THEY CONFIRMED THAT IT WAS A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM, BUT THEY TOLD ME TO LIVE WITH IT BECAUSE IT WAS INTERMITTENT! THEY DID NOT TELL ME IT WAS THE SAME PROBLEM THAT AT LEAST HUNDREDS IF NOT THOUSANDS OF 2001-2003 RAV 4 OWNERS ARE HAVING AS WE SPEAK, NAMELY, A DEFECTIVE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (SEE NEW YORK TIMES ARTICLE DATED 8/26/09). THE DEFECTIVELY DESIGNED ECM IS SENDING THE WRONG MESSAGES TO THE TRANSMISSION. THIS CAUSES THE TRANSMISSION TO MALFUNCTION. THIS PRESENTS TWO PROBLEMS: OVER TIME IT DESTROYS THE TRANSMISSION AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT IS A SAFETY HAZARD. ON TWO OCCASIONS I PULLED OUT IN TRAFFIC AND THE TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY (WITHOUT WARNING) REFUSED TO SHIFT FROM FIRST TO SECOND. THIS HESITATION ALMOST CAUSED OTHER VEHICLES TO HIT ME. IT FINALLY "JERKED" INTO GEAR AND I WAS ABLE TO AVOID THE COLLISIONS. HAD IT NOT DONE SO, I COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED. IT IS AN ABSOLUTE DISGRACE THAT TOYOTA HAS KNOWN ABOUT THIS PROBLEM SINCE AT LEAST AS EARLY AS 2006 WHEN IT ISSUED A TSB TO IT DEALERS PERTAINING TO THIS EXACT PROBLEM. I AM GOING TO BE HONEST. I ALSO THINK IT IS A TRAVESTY THAT TOYOTA HAS NOT BEEN FORCED TO MAKE A RECALL. TO CONCLUDE THAT THIS IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE IS FLAT OUT WRONG. JUST BECAUSE IT DOES NOT OCCUR ON THE "OPEN HIGHWAY" IS, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, LUDICROUS. I CAN BE JUST AS SERIOUSLY INJURED IF MY CAR IS HIT BY SOMEONE GOING 40 MPH BECAUSE I CAN'T GET OUT OF THEIR WAY. NO PARTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED. PLEASE DO THE RIGHT THING AND MAKE TOYOTA FIX THIS PROBLEM DO NOT LET THIS BECOME ANOTHER PINTO GAS TANK CASE. THANK YOU. *TR