NHTSA Complaint #11001814 — 2013 TOYOTA RAV4

TORQUE CONVERTER FAILED SUDDENLY WHILE CROSSING A HIGHWAY BRIDGE WITH NO BREAKDOWN LANE. NO PRIOR WARNING, JUST SUDDEN RPM JUMP TO REDLINE AND NO ABILITY TO ACCELERATE. WAS ABLE TO COAST ACROSS THE BRIDGE TO AN EXIT RAMP. DEALER DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A TRANSMISSION FAILURE. SINCE CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY, WE BROUGHT IT TO AN INDEPENDENT SHOP WHO FOUND IT WAS ACTUALLY THE TORQUE CONVERTER. THE SPLINE CONNECTION TO THE STATOR WAS BROKEN, EITHER THE WELD BROKE OR THE OVERRUNNING CLUTCH GAVE OUT. THIS IS THE SECOND TORQUE CONVERTER IN THE CAR. THE FIRST WAS REPLACED DUE TO A SHUDDERING ISSUE 2 YEARS AGO AT 45,000 MILES. THIS FAILURE OCCURRED AT 78,000 MILES. TOYOTA DENIES ANY RESPONSIBILITY SINCE THE SECOND FAILURE OCCURED OUTSIDE THE 1 YEAR REPAIR WARRANTY. INDEPENDENT RESEARCH SHOWS THIS LIKELY ISN'T ISOLATED AND IS RELATED TO DEFECTS WITH THE SIMILAR CAMRY TORQUE CONVERTER. TRANSMISSION WAS TORN DOWN AND REBUILT OUT OF PRECAUTION AND NO DAMAGE WAS FOUND, THUS THE FAILURE WAS ENTIRELY DUE TO A DEFECTIVE TORQUE CONVERTER. I BROUGHT THE PART TO THE DEALER SO THAT THEY COULD WITNESS THE FAILED PART. TOYOTA ALSO CONFIRMED THAT THERE WAS NO PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE REQUIRED ON THE TRANSMISSION.