NHTSA Complaint #10470631 — 2006 TOYOTA RAV4

THERE WAS A RUMBLE IN THE REAR @ 40 MPH. I HAD MAPLEWOOD TOYOTA CHECK IT 2-3 TIMES, THEY SAID THEY COULDN'T HEAR IT, CAR WAS FINE; THEY CHECKED THE TRANS OIL ONCE AND SAID IT WAS FINE. IT'S A CLOSED SYSTEM-YOU NEVER NEED TO CHANGE ITS OIL. (I HAD ASKED THIS QUESTION SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE YEARS AND THEY ALWAYS TOLD ME THAT I NEVER NEEDED TO CHANGE THE TRANS OIL & THE MANUAL DOES NOT LIST IT EITHER). THEY TOOK IT FOR A DRIVE AND CHECKED IT GOOD-SAID THAT 1ST GEAR WAS GOING, BUT IT WAS FINE TO DRIVE-COME BACK WHEN I COULDN'T STAND THE NOISE AND THEY'D PUT IN A NEW TRANS FOR $4,500. I WAS GOING OUT OF TOWN, THEY SAID OK, CAR WILL BE FINE. SINCE THE RUMBLE WAS SO LOUD, 3 DAYS LATER I GOT A SECOND OPINION AT A TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST'S SHOP RECOMMENDED TO ME BY SEVERAL FRIENDS. THEY PUT IT UP ON A RACK AND TESTED IT WITH A STETHOSCOPE TYPE DEVICE. THEY SAID THAT THE BEARING WAS VERY BAD AND THAT I SHOULD NOT TAKE THE CAR OUT OF TOWN OR DRIVE IT AS IT WAS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE AND COULD STOP AT ANY TIME. THEY REPLACED M,W/S, U240/24E 00-UP (CORK); FILTER; BUSHING, A40 SERIES PUMP; TC, RAV4, MED STALL, INK 14; CENTER GEAR BEARING, ETC. WHEN THE TOYOTA TECHNICIAN CHECKED THE TRANS OIL, I REALIZED THAT IT WAS NOT "A CLOSED SYSTEM"! ALSO, THE OIL WAS BLACK AND I NOW KNOW THAT IT SHOULD BE RED. I THINK I SHOULD HAVE BEEN CHANGING THE TRANS OIL ALL ALONG AND MY TRANSMISSION PROBABLY WOULD NOT HAVE FAILED. I THINK THEY SHOULD ORDER A RECALL ON ALL THESE TRANSMISSIONS - AND PAY FOR THE WORK THAT I HAD TO HAVE DONE BEFORE MY CAR FAILED ON A FREEWAY SOMEWHERE. A TRANSMISSION SHOULD LAST FOREVER, ESPECIALLY SINCE HALF OF THE MILES HAVE BEEN FREEWAY MILES AND I DRIVE MY CAR VERY GENTLY. I JUST PUT IN NEW BRAKE PADS FOR THE FIRST TIME RECENTLY AND THERE WAS STILL 20-30% LEFT ON THEM. PREVIOUSLY I HAD TO PAY TOYOTA $400 TO REPAIR THE STEERING COLUMN-ANOTHER DEFECT THAT SHOULD BE A RECALL. *TR