NHTSA Complaint #10584882 — 2002 TOYOTA RAV4

I WAS DRIVING WEST ON NORTHGATE WAY TOWARD MERIDIAN AVENUE. THE CAR (AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION) FAILED TO SHIFT GEARS AND ALMOST STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION NEAR I5 NORTHBOUND ENTRANCE. I CONTINUED TO DRIVE TO MERIDIAN WAY AND TURN LEFT. I PULLED OVER TO THE CURB ON MERIDIAN WAY AND TURNED THE CAR OFF. I THEN RESTARTED THE CAR AND DROVE HOME TO WALLINGFORD (3 MILES) BY PACING THE CAR SO THAT I DID NOT HAVE TO INTERACT WITH OTHER VEHICLES. (THIS OCCURRED EARLY ON A SUNDAY MORNING SO TRAFFIC WAS LIGHT.) I WAS BARELY ABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR UP MY DRIVEWAY - SHIFTING CONTINUED TO BE A PROBLEM SO THAT THE CAR STALLED AND DID NOT RESPOND TO THE ACCELERATOR. TOYOTA HAS A DOCUMENT THAT DESCRIBES THE PROBLEM. HOWEVER I CANNOT ACCESS ANY ASSISTANCE FROM TOYOTA BECAUSE THE CAR HAS BEEN IN SERVICE GREATER THAN 10 YEARS. THE EXPERIENCE WAS VERY FRIGHTENING. THE FAILURE IS EPISODIC AND UNPREDICTABLE. I FEEL TOYOTA SHOULD REPLACE THE ECM IN ANY CAR THAT FAILS IN THIS MANNER. THERE ARE TECHNICAL SERVICE REPORTS ON THE WEBSITE. THE WARRANTY IS LIMITED TO 10 YEARS OR 150,000 MILES, WHICHEVER OCCURS FIRST.