NHTSA Complaint #10616923 — 2002 TOYOTA RAV4

I PURCHASED A 2002 TOYOTA RAV4. SUV. AND WITHIN THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF OWNING IT, MY DRIVE BELT BROKE AND ALMOST CAUSED ME TO WRECK AND HIT THREE OTHER VEHICLES. I HAD MY NEW CAR TOWED BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I HAD PURCHASED THE VEHICLE AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THE DRIVE BELT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER MY WARRANTY.A FEW MONTHS LATER I NOTICED THAT MY TRANSMISSION WAS MAKING A WEIRD GRINDING SOUND AND WAS HARD TO SHIFT. SOMETIMES THE CAR WOULD NOT SHIFT AND IT WOULD COME TO A COMPLETE STOP AND THIS ALMOST CAUSED ME TO WRECK VIA HITTING OTHER VEHICLES OR OTHER VEHICLES HITTING ME. I TOOK IT TO MY DEALERSHIP AND TOLD THEM THAT THEY HAD SOLD ME A LEMON AND I WANTED TO KNOW IF THEY WOULD GIVE ME ANOTHER RAV4, THAT IS DEPENDABLE. THEY TOLD ME NO. I LET THE RAV 4 SIT IN MY GARAGE FOR TWO YEARS AND MY BROTHER-IN-LAW SAID THAT IF HE COULD FIND A USED TRANSMISSION FROM A WRECKED VEHICLE THEN HE WOULD INSTALL IT IN MY RAV 4. HE FOUND A TRANSMISSION AND I HAD TO PAY IN CASH $1,300.00 FOR THE TRANSMISSION AND I GAVE HIM $400.00 TO INSTALL THE TRANSMISSION. RECENTLY I FOUND OUT THAT TOYOTA HAS RECALLED 2001, 2002 AND 2003 TOYOTA RAV4 SUV'S FOR TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. I CONTACTED THE TOYOTA SALES USA ABOUT THEIR RECALLS OF MY VEHICLE AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY WERE NOT GOING TO DO ANYTHING FOR ME. I FEEL THAT TOYOTA SHOULD REIMBURSE ME FOR THE COST OF BUYING A USED TRANSMISSION AND FOR PAYING TO HAVE THE TRANSMISSION PUT IN MY RAV4SUV. PLEASE ADVISE. *JS