NHTSA Complaint #10345675 — 2002 TOYOTA RAV4

MY 2002 TOYOTA RAV4 BEGAN HAVING PROBLEMS SHIFTING IN APRIL 2010. IT WAS INTERMITTENT, AND WASN'T CAUSE FOR CONCERN UNTIL MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON IN MAY 2010. THE SYMPTOMS OF THE PROBLEM WITH MY VEHICLE ARE THAT IT STALLS, HESITATES, AND HAS A STOP / GO (JERKING) TYPE OF ACTION WHILE DRIVING IT. AT THAT TIME, I TOOK IT TO A SERVICE TECHNICIAN AT MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER WHERE I PURCHASED BOTH OF MY TOYOTAS. THEY TOLD ME THAT THE ECM HAD TO BE REPLACED AND WOULD COST AROUND 1,300 DOLLARS. MIND YOU, I HAD TO PAY 75 DOLLARS FOR THE DIAGNOSTIC CHECK. THE FOLLOWING WEEK, I TOOK MY RAV4 TO A LOCAL TRANSMISSION SHOP, HAD IT DIAGNOSED FOR A SECOND OPINION AND HE CONFIRMED THAT THE ECM UNIT WAS BAD AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, WHICH COST ME YET, ANOTHER 75 DOLLARS FOR THE DIAGNOSIS. HE ALSO INSTRUCTED ME NOT TO CONTINUE TO DRIVE THE CAR BECAUSE IT COULD POSSIBLY HARM THE TRANSMISSION. SINCE DOING SO, I HAVE BEEN DOWN TO ONE CAR FOR TWO AND A HALF MONTHS BECAUSE I SIMPLY DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO HAVE IT REPAIRED. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH ONLINE, I FOUND OUT THAT TOYOTA HAS KNOWN ABOUT THIS PROBLEM SINCE 2006. IT IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE WHEN ENTERING TRAFFIC, OR TRYING TO MOVE FROM A STOP LIGHT OR STOP SIGN, AS YOU DON'T KNOW WHEN THE CAR IS GOING TO SHIFT INTO GEAR OR NOT. TOYOTA HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL, NOR HAS NOT DONE ANYTHING TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE. I AM DISGUSTED THAT IN 2006 TOYOTA REALIZED THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH THE ECM, WHICH COULD RUIN THE TRANSMISSION. INSTEAD OF LETTING CONSUMERS KNOW ABOUT THIS ISSUE AS SOON AS THEY REALIZED, THEY SENT A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN TO DEALERSHIPS AND SERVICE AREAS, BUT FAILED TO LET THEIR OWN CUSTOMERS KNOW. ACCORDING TO INTERNET RESEARCH, THIS PROBLEM GENERALLY STARTS AROUND 90,000 MILES AND CAUSES CONSIDERABLE DANGER WITH JERKING AND SHIFTING PROBLEMS. ACCORDING TO INTERNET RESEARCH, THIS PROBLEM GENERALLY STARTS AROUND 90,000 MILES AND CAUSES CONSIDERABLE DANGER WITH JERKING AND SHIFTING PROBLEMS. *TR