NHTSA Complaint #10693641 — 2013 TOYOTA RAV4

POTENTIALLY LETHAL TRANSMISSION FAILURE IN TOYOTA RAV4 IN MARCH 2013 I BOUGHT A NEW TOYOTA RAV4 AT ACTON TOYOTA, IN MASSACHUSETTS. ON FEBRUARY 21ST 2014, I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE IN SUDBURY, MASSACHUSETTS ON ROUTE 20 WHEN SUDDENLY IT WENT COMPLETELY HAYWIRE. THE ENGINE STALLED OUT ? RESTARTED ? STALLED OUT AGAIN ? RESTARTED. THIS WAS ALL WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS MOVING. I DROVE INTO THE LOCAL CITIZENS BANK CAR PARK, WHERE I PARKED HEAD IN TO A VERY LARGE SNOW DRIFT. I THEN DISCOVERED THAT ALL THE GEARS WERE GONE EXCEPT FOR 'D'! OI CYCLED SEVERAL TIMES THROUGH CLOSING THE CAR DOWN AND RESTARTING IT - NO CHANGE. OI COULD NOT PUSH THE CAR BACKWARDS AWAY FROM THE SNOW DRIFT ON MY OWN. OEVENTUALLY I WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. OON ARRIVAL AT ACTON TOYOTA, THE SERVICE DIRECTOR - RANDY IRWIN - TESTED THE CAR AND IMMEDIATELY ENCOUNTERED THE ISSUE - SHIFTER IN REVERSE - REVVING THE ENGINE - NOTHING. HE TRIED THIS WITH ALL THE DIFFERENT SHIFTER POSITIONS OTHER THAN 'D', ALWAYS WITH THE SAME RESULT. HE THEN ENGAGED 'D' AND MOVED THE CAR FORWARD SLIGHTLY. HE THEN SLOWLY ENGAGED REVERSE AND THERE WAS A HUGE CLUNK FROM UNDER THE CAR. AND NOW REVERSE WAS ENGAGED! THE DEALERSHIP GAVE ME A LOANER VEHICLE AND KEPT THE RAV4. ON MARCH 3RD 2014, I PHONED IRWIN - HE SAID A TOYOTA REPRESENTATIVE DROVE IT THE PREVIOUS WEEK. THERE HAD BEEN NO RECURRENCE OF THE PROBLEM - NOW THEY WERE DOING A 'VISUAL INSPECTION' (WHATEVER THAT IS!) SINCE NOTHING CAME UP IN DIAGNOSTIC TESTS. ON MARCH 5TH 2014 I PHONED IRWIN AGAIN ? HE SAID THAT TOYOTA HAD TAKEN THE CASE OVER. TOYOTA THEN CALLED - THEY SAID THEY HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET THE ISSUE TO RECUR, AND SO THEY REQUESTED THAT I PICK UP THE VEHICLE AT THE DEALERSHIP. THIS I DID. AT NO POINT DID TOYOTA EVER ACKNOWLEDGE A PROBLEM ? THEY ALWAYS STATED SIMPLY THAT THEY HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET THE ISSUE TO RECUR. *TR