NHTSA Complaint #10331060 — 2003 TOYOTA RAV4

MY 2003 RAV4, SUDDENLY BEGAN HAVING INTERMITTENT TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS - THE TRANSMISSION STICKS IN FIRST GEAR THEN BANGS INTO SECOND; JERKING SPORADICALLY - NOT MOVING, THEN LUNGING FORWARD. IT IS DANGEROUS. MY MECHANIC SAID THAT IT WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH MY TOYOTA AND THAT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED ALONG WITH THE COMPUTER THAT CONTROLS IT. $3,500. MY CAR HAS JUST OVER 100,000 MILES. IT IS "YOUNG. I LOOKED ONLINE AND IT TURNS OUT THAT THE NEW YORK TIMES DID AN ARTICLE IN AUGUST 2009. TOYOTA KNEW ABOUT THIS SINCE 2006. THE ARTICLE MENTIONED SOMETHING ABOUT A "BULLETIN" THAT SAID THEY WOULD REPAIR THE PROBLEM UP TO 80,000 MILES AND 8 YEARS. I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED AND NOW MY CAR IS UNDER THE YEARS AND OVER THE MILES. AT CARCOMPLAINTS.COM I FOUND A LOT OF OTHERS THAT HAVE BEEN THROUGH THIS. MOST OF THE MILEAGE IS OVER 80,000. I CALLED TOYOTA AND THEY TOLD ME THAT BECAUSE OF MY MILEAGE...THEY CAN'T HELP ME. BUT, IT WAS THEIR DEFECT. IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED. WHY WASN'T I NOTIFIED EARLIER SO IT COULD BE REPLACED? THEY TOLD ME THAT THERE ISN'T A RECALL. IS THAT BECAUSE NO ONE DIED BECAUSE OF IT YET? *TR UPDATED IVOQ 10/01/10 THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THE TRANSMISSION ALONG WITH THE ECM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. UPDATED IVOQ 10/08/10.