NHTSA Complaint #10610975 — 2002 TOYOTA RAV4

I WAS BEGINNING TO PULL ONTO THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY 75 IN VENICE, FLORIDA, WHEN THE CAR STARTED BUCKING UNCONTROLLABLY AND I COULD NOT GET UP TO SPEED TO MERGE INTO TRAFFIC. IT THEN JERKED INTO GEAR AND I WENT ON. IT SEEMED TO HAVE A PROBLEM SHIFTING INTO 3RD GEAR. IT SEEMED TO HAPPEN WHEN PULLING AWAY FROM A STOP LIGHT AS WELL. I TOOK IT TO A TRANSMISSION SHOP, WHO PUT HIS COMPUTER DIAGNOSTIC ON IT. HE SAID THE COMPUTER WAS NOT SHOWING AS BAD, SO HE REBUILT THE TRANSMISSION. I GOT THE CAR BACK AND IT STARTED DOING THE EXACT SAME THING! I TOOK IT BACK, HE REBUILT IT AGAIN, STILL WITH NO BAD COMPUTER CODES SHOWING. STILL NOT FUNCTIONING CORRECTLY, EVEN THOUGH HE HAD REPLACED THE BURNED 3RD GEAR. I PAID $2200 FOR THIS. NOW IT NEEDS A $950 COMPUTER! IT IS A 2002 AND I READ ONLINE THAT THESE VEHICLES HAD A TRANSMISSION ISSUE AND OWNERS WERE REIMBURSED FOR THIS. MINE DID NOT ACT UP UNTIL THIS POINT. HTTP://WHEELS.BLOGS.NYTIMES.COM/2010/07/13/TOYOTA-EXTENDS-WARRANTY-ON-TROUBLED-2001-3-RAV4/. I AM A SINGLE FATHER RAISING A YOUNG DAUGHTER. I NEED THIS CAR TO TAKE MY DAUGHTER TO SCHOOL SAFELY AND TO GET TO MY JOB. HOW CAN I GET REIMBURSED FOR THIS PROBLEM? I LOVE MY RAV4 AND WANT TO KEEP IT. I BOUGHT THE TOYOTA BECAUSE EVERYONE SAYS THEY WILL RUN FOREVER, BUT I CAN'T AFFORD ISSUES LIKE THIS. I TAKE GOOD CARE OF THIS CAR. I HAVE HAD JEEPS AND OTHER CARS UP TO 300,000 MILES AND NEVER HAD TRANSMISSION ISSUES. THANK YOU SO MUCH. *TR