NHTSA Complaint #10311123 — 2002 TOYOTA RAV4

AFTER HAVING AN OXYGEN SENSOR REPLACED IN THE EXHAUST SYSTEM OF MY 2002 TOYOTA RAV4 ON 02/02/10, I NOTICED THAT MY CAR BEGAN ACCELERATING SLUGGISHLY. APPROXIMATELY 50 MILES AFTER THE SERVICE WAS PERFORMED, I NOTICED MY CAR JERKED WHEN SHIFTING THROUGH GEARS 1-3 AND THE TACHOMETER WOULD REV TO 3000 RPMS. THE CAR THEN RAN FINE FOR APP. 4 DAYS WITH NO GEAR SLIPPAGE. A WEEK LATER THE GEARS STARTED SLIPPING AGAIN WITHOUT WARNING AND THE CAR SEEMED TO HAVE NO POWER WHEN THE GAS PEDAL WAS FULLY ENGAGED DURING A RIGHT HAND TURN TO MERGE WITH ONCOMING TRAFFIC. THE CAR THEN BUCKED VIOLENTLY. THIS RESULTED WITH MY PASSENGER AND I BECOMING ANXIOUS/SCARED BECAUSE WE DIDN'T KNOW IF THE TRAFFIC COMING TOWARD US WOULD HAVE HIT US IF WE SUDDENLY LOST POWER. I IMMEDIATELY DROVE MY CAR HOME WHERE IT HAS REMAINED PARKED AND SET AN APPOINTMENT WITH A TOYOTA DEALER EXPLAINING THE PROBLEMS. ACCORDING TO SIMILAR STORIES FROM FELLOW RAV4 OWNERS, THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE CAUSING IRREVERSIBLE DAMAGE TO THE TRANSMISSION. I AM TAKING THE CAR TO THE DEALER TO HAVE IT 'OFFICIALLY' DIAGNOSED ALTHOUGH IT ONLY CODES TO HAVE THE O2 SENSOR REPLACED, WHICH I DID. *TR