NHTSA Complaint #10631106 — 2003 TOYOTA RAV4

I'M THE OWNER OF A 2003 RAV4, PURCHASED FROM A TOYOTA DEALER IN 2011. LAST WEEK, I EXPERIENCED A TIME LAPSE OF MY CAR SHIFTING INTO FIRST GEAR, IN MY OPINION, A SAFETY HAZARD. THIS MORNING I TOOK THE CAR TO A MECHANIC AND BEGAN SEARCHING THE WEB FOR ANY RECALLS FOR A 2003 RAV4, THERE ARE NONE. HOWEVER, ON THIS SITE, I DISCOVERED THAT I AM ONE OF MANY WHO HAVE THIS COMPLAINT, AND THAT WE ,THE CONSUMER, ALL SHARE THE SAME RESULTS FROM TOYOTA. YOU MISSED THE DEADLINE. IT WAS ON THIS NHTSA.GOV WEBSITE THAT I LEARNED OF A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT ABOUT THE ECM DEFECT WITH MY RAV4 (SEE WWW.RV4ECMSETTLEMENT.COM), THE LETTER WAS SUPPOSEDLY SENT TO ALL WHO OWN A 2003 RAV4. I NEVER RECEIVED THIS LETTER. NOR DID I RECEIVE ANY TYPE OF NOTIFICATION FROM TOYOTA RE: AN EXTENDED WARRANTY,OR FOR THAT MATTER ANY TYPE OF TIME SENSITIVE DATES TO CAPTURE ANY TYPE OF RECOVERY FROM TOYOTA. TOYOTA CLAIMS THEY WORK WITH A COMPANY WHO GATHERS OWNERS INFORMATION FROM THE DMV. TOYOTA CALLS THIS ISSUE WITH THE TRANSMISSION NOT SHIFTING PROPERLY INTO GEAR, A "CUSTOMER MALFUNCTION SUPPORT PROGRAM"...AND THE CATCH IS THAT YOU ONLY HAVE 10 YEARS FROM THE DATE OF FIRST USE TO NOTIFY THEM OF YOUR "MALFUNCTION"...MY CAR MISSED THE DEADLINE BY 6 MONTHS AND AGAIN, LET ME REITERATE THAT I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED BY ANYONE ABOUT THIS ISSUE, NOR IS THIS ISSUE TERMED A RECALL ITEM. MY QUESTION IS WHY NOT? WHY IS THIS NOT A RECALL, WHEN THIS SITUATION IS CLEARLY A SAFETY ISSUE. IF YOU ARE IN A CAR THAT WILL NOT MOVE INTO FIRST GEAR, AND THEN THE CAR UNEXPECTEDLY JERKS INTO ACCELERATION, IS THAT NOT A SAFETY CONCERN?? TOYOTA'S TERM "HARSH SHIFT OF AUTO TRANS AXLE" " MY COMPLAINT AND OPINION IS THAT TOYOTA HAS BEEN DECEPTIVE WITH THEIR CONSUMERS. AND THESE ATTORNEYS? WHY DID I NOT HEAR FROM THEM?? AND FURTHERMORE, WILL I HEAR BACK FROM THE NHTSA ??? HOW CAN THE CONSUMER MAKE A DEADLINE, IF THEY ARE NOT NOTIFIED???