NHTSA Complaint #10313672 — 2003 TOYOTA RAV4

WE HAVE A 2003 TOYOTA RAV4 THAT OBVIOUSLY HAS A DEFECTIVE PART AND SAFETY ISSUES. WE BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE FOR OUR TEENAGE DAUGHTER APPROXIMATELY 1 1/2 YRS AGO FROM A DEALER AND IT HAD 74,000 MILES. THANKFULLY WE DID GET A EXTENDED WARRANTY, BUT NOT ONE THAT WILL COVER THIS PROBLEM. THIS LAST NOVEMBER OUR DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING THE CAR AND WAS STUCK GOING UP A HILL AS THE CAR WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO THE RIGHT GEAR. SHE WAS STRANDED ON THE MOUNTAIN HIGHWAY UNTIL WE COULD COME GET HER. THANKFULLY SHE DID GET OFF THE ROAD, BUT IT SCARED US TO THINK THAT THIS CAR COULD OF DONE THIS IF SHE WAS AT A HIGH SPEED OR COULDN'T HAVE GOT OFF THE ROAD IN THE DARK MOUNTAIN TERRAIN. WE HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A LOCAL SHOP AND THEY CONCLUDED THAT IT NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION. WE HAD ONLY PUT MAYBE 10,000 MILES ON IT SINCE PURCHASE. THE WARRANTY COVERED THE $4000 REPLACEMENT COST OF A NEW TRANSMISSION. AFTER PICKING UP THE VEHICLE IT SEEMED TO RUN OK BUT STILL HAD SHIFTING PROBLEMS AT THE SPEED OF 20-30. A HARSH JERKING. OUR DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING THE CAR AND AGAIN IT STOPPED WORKING IN A BUSINESS DISTRICT. SO BACK TO THE SHOP. WELL NOW WE ARE STUMPED ON WHAT COULD BE WRONG. EVEN HAD 2 SENSORS REPLACED AND STILL THE SAME PROBLEM. SO WE HAVE A TOYOTA, WHICH WE BOUGHT FOR OUR TEENAGE DAUGHTERS BECAUSE OF THEIR REPUTATION OF BEING A GREAT VEHICLE, BUT NOW WORRIED WHAT IT WILL DO AS THEY ARE DRIVING IT. SO THE LATEST IS I DID SOME OF MY OWN RESEARCH ON THIS YEAR VEHICLE. CAME ACROSS A WEBSITE CALLED RAV4WORLD. THERE ARE PAGES OFF COMPLAINTS ON TRANSMISSION FAILURES FOR RAV4 2001-2003. I GUESS TOYOTA DIDN'T DO A RECALL FOR A SUPPOSEDLY DEFECTIVE ECM THAT IS THE MAIN COMPUTER IN CAR AND IT IS LEADING TO TRANSMISSION FAILURE. TOYOTA DID PUT OUT AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON REPLACEMENT WHICH IS 96MONTHS OR 80,000 MILES. OUR CAR IS AT 84K. THE PROBLEM WITH THIS IS HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE DRIVING THIS CAR AND HAVE NO IDEA THAT THIS DEFECTIVE ECM IS DESTROYING THE TRANSMISSION??? ALSO IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE! *TR