NHTSA Complaint #10331763 — 2002 TOYOTA RAV4

I PURCHASE MY VEHICLE A 2002 RAV4, AUTOMATIC, NEW. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED. APPROXIMATELY IN MARCH OF 2010 MY VEHICLE STARTING JERKING, I LOOK AT MY GAS GAUGE AND THOUGHT I MUST BE LOWER ON GAS THEN THE GAUGE IS SHOWING. I GOT GAS AND THE PROBLEM STOPPED. ABOUT 2 WEEKS LATER THE SAME PROBLEM. I GOT GAS AND THE SITUATION STOPPED. SPORADICALLY, IN THE 2 WEEK TIME FRAME MY VEHICLE SEEMED TO LOSE POWER. I DID TAKE MY CAR INTO MY MECHANIC AND HE HAD THE CAR AND DID TEST DRIVES WITH NO PROBLEMS. AGAIN, IN APRIL THE PROBLEM AROSE AGAIN AND THE CAR WHEN TO MY MECHANIC AND AGAIN THEY COULD FIND NO PROBLEM. ON APRIL 22, 2010 UPON LEAVING WORK I STARTED MY VEHICLE AND THERE WAS A HORRIBLE JERKING, SHAKING AND AT TIMES SEEMED TO HAVE NO POWER I FINALLY WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT HOME (1 MILE AWAY) WITH THE TIRES BARELY ROLLING DOWN THE ROAD. IMMEDIATELY, THE NEXT DAY I TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC AND AS WE WERE DOING A TEST DRIVE THE VEHICLE BEGAN THE JERKING, SHAKING AND LOST POWER, THE CAR WAS NOT OPERABLE ANY LONGER. THE DIAGNOSIS: TRANSMISSION BURNT AND NEW ECM (MY THIRD IN THIS VEHICLE). THE VEHICLES ENGINE CHECK LIGHT NEVER CAME ON OR ANY OTHER SENSORS IN THE VEHICLE. WHEN THE ECM WAS TESTED IT DID NOT DISPLAY ANY CODES OR PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE. I CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP AND EXPLAINED THE SITUATION AND WAS ADVISED I NEEDED TO BRING IT IN FOR THEM TO LOOK AT IT. I EXPLAINED TO THEM IT DOES NOT RUN AND NOT GOING ANYWHERE AND WOULD THESE (I WOULD HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED WITH AN EXPENSE OF ANYWHERE FROM $250 TO $300.00, A HOURS DRIVE AWAY) EXPENSES BE COVERED. RESPONSE "WARRANTY EXPIRED 60 DAYS AGO." AFTER MANY DAYS OF AN AGONIZING DECISION, I ADVISED MY MECHANIC TO GO AHEAD AND FIX THE CAR AT THE TUNE OF $3500.00, REPLACING THE ECM AND TRANSMISSION. THE VEHICLE IS STILL BEING REPAIRED AND I WILL HAVE IT BACK NEXT WEEK. *TR