2003 Toyota RAV4 Complaint Log

CRUNCHING NOISE IN DASH BOARD ALTHOUGH REPAIRED 4 TIMES BY DEALER NOISE IS STILL EVIDENT. *AK

I HAD MY HAND RESTING ON THE GEAR SHIFT (AUTOMATIC ON THE FLOOR) AND BUMPED IT FROM DRIVE INTO NEUTRAL. I DID NOT PUSH THE BUTTON DESIGNED FOR SHIFTING. I WAS STOPPED ON A HILL; WHEN I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE TO START, I DRIFTED BACKWARD TOWARD ANOTHER CAR. *NM

WHILE DRIVING EAST AT 75 MPH, THE RIGHT REAR TIRE BLEWOUT, WHICH CAUSED THE CONSUMER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER MADE A 190' TURN ON THE HIGHWAY AND STOPPED AFTER HITTING A GUARDRAIL. THERE WERE NO SERIOUS INJURIES, AND A AMBULANCE CAME TO THE SCENE AS WELL AS THE POLICE. CONSUMER BELIEVED THAT THE TIRES WERE DEFECTIVE.*AK *TS

HAD JUST GOT ON THE FREEWAY A COUPLE OF MILES AGO, WAS GOING ABOUT 70 MILES AND HOUR AND HAD THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE BLOWOUT IN TWO LOCATIONS ALONG THE SIDEWALL. THE TIRE IS A BRIDGESTONE DUELER H/T 687 (IT WASN'T LISTED AS A MODEL IN THE MENU).

TOYOTA RAV 4 DRIVE BELT PULLEYS WERE NOT INSTALLED CORRECTLY.*MR. WHILE DRIVING, THE BATTERY DISCHARGER LIGHT CAME ON, AND THE VEHICLE LOST ALL STEERING CAPABILITY. IT WAS DISCOVERED THE BELT TENSIONER AND BELT HOUSING BROKE.*TS *JB

TRANSMISSION UNRESPONSIVE AT TIMES. HARD SHIFTING IN REVERSE. HESITATES AT 1ST GEAR...

HI, I AM WRITING TO COMPLAIN ABOUT MY 2003 TOYOTA RAV-4. I HAVE EXPERIENCE SOME TROUBLES WITH WHAT SEEMS TO BE THE ECM AND TRANSMISSION. I HAVE BEEN IN EXTREMELY CLOSE CALLS FOR A MAJOR ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF THE TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTIONING WHILE ACCELERATING. THE ECM/TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY DOWNSHIFTS OR ACCELERATES OUT OF SEQUENCE AND IT CAUSES THE ENTIRE VEHICLE TO ABRUPTLY JERK IN A FORWARD/BACKWARD MOTION. THE ESTIMATED COST FOR REPAIRS IS WELL ABOVE $4,000 DOLLARS FOR WHAT DOES NOT SEEM NORMAL FOR A VEHICLE THAT ONLY HAS 100K MILES. IN AN ECONOMY LIKE THIS, IT IS DIFFICULT FOR ME TO OBTAIN THAT AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR REPAIRS. I TRUSTED TOYOTA FOR ITS RELIABILITY BUT AFTER THIS MY THOUGHTS HAVE CHANGED. I AM EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED TO BE DEALING WITH THIS FRUSTRATING ISSUE. I HAVE READ MANY MORE COMPLAINTS ON THIS ISSUE ON EDMUNDS.COM UNDER COSTUMER REVIEWS. I WISH THAT TOYOTA RECALLS THIS PROBLEM LIKE THEY HAVE FOR OTHER MODELS SINCE THIS PROBLEM CAN BE LIFE THREATENING. *TR

IN OCTOBER 2004, I PURCHASED A 2002 TOYOTA RAV4 FROM MODERN TOYOTA IN WINSTON-SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA ON A SIX-YEAR PAYMENT PLAN. I ALSO PURCHASED OUT WHAT WAS LEFT OF THE THREE-YEAR WARRANTY, AND A ONE-YEAR MAINTENANCE PLAN. I HAVE CONTINUED TO GET OIL CHANGES AND TUNE-UPS AT REGULAR INTERVALS. THE CAR IS AT ABOUT 93,000 MILES. ON FRIDAY, JULY 18, I WAS DRIVING TO A DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT, AND QUITE SUDDENLY, IT BEGAN SHIFTING IMPROPERLY. IN THE LOWER GEARS, IT LURCHED AND BUCKED AS IF IT WAS HAVING TROUBLE CATCHING. IMMEDIATELY, I DROVE TO EMPORIA MOTORS, THE LOCAL TOYOTA SERVICE CENTER. IT WAS ABOUT 11 AM. EMPORIA MOTORS WAS TOO BUSY TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM BY THE END OF THE BUSINESS DAY. THE CAR WAS NOT DRIVABLE AND THEY DID NOT PROVIDE ME WITH A LOANER, SO I HAD TO DO WITHOUT A VEHICLE OVER THE WEEKEND. ON MONDAY, JULY 21AT AT 8:30 AM, I WAS INFORMED THAT THE TRANSAXLE/TRANSMISSION WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE PART NEEDED WAS ESTIMATED AT $3,450.00. AFTER RUNNING AN INTERNET SEARCH AT WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM, I FOUND THAT THERE WERE 103 COMPLAINTS ABOUT TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS ON THE 2002 RAV4, MOST OF WHICH WERE FOCUSED ON PROBLEMS WITH SHIFTING, OFTEN OCCURRING WHEN THE VEHICLE'S MILEAGE REACHED THE 90,000 MARK. THIS IS CLEARLY NOT A RANDOM PROBLEM, THE COSTS OF THOSE REPAIRS TO OTHER CONSUMERS ARE COMPARABLE TO MINE, AND YET, TOYOTA HAS NOT TAKEN ANY RESPONSIBILITY WHATSOEVER FOR THIS PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE IS ONLY SIX YEARS OLD AND I HAVE NOT EVEN FINISHED PAYING IT OFF, AND NOW I'LL HAVE TO MAKE ADDITIONAL MONTHLY PAYMENTS FOR THE TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT. THE HIGH COST OF THIS UNEXPECTED REPAIR IS A SERIOUS BURDEN IN THESE DIFFICULT ECONOMIC TIMES. I AM EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED WITH THE QUALITY OF THIS CAR. I LIVE IN A RURAL STATE AND I NEED TO KNOW THAT MY CAR IS RELIABLE AND THAT ITS QUALITY IS BACKED BY THE MANUFACTURER. *TR

ON OCT. 5, 2002, I BOUGHT A BRAND NEW 2003 TOYOTA RAV4 FROM STAR TOYOTA OF BAYSIDE INC. AS OF THIS WRITING, THE AUTOMOBILES MILEAGE IS ONLY 15, 782 MILES. ON JULY 13, 2009 (8 MONTHS AGO), I HAD TAKEN MY 2003 TOYOTA RAV4 FOR SERVICE IN REGARDS TO THE LIGHTING ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL CHECK ENGINE. ADDITIONALLY, I STATED THAT PRIOR TO THE ENGINE LIGHT TURNING ON, I HAD NOTICED THAT THE CAR WOULD STALL AS I HIT THE GAS PEDAL AFTER A RED LIGHT, AND THAT IT WOULD SURGE WITH FORCE ONCE IT ACCELERATED; IT FELT LIKE A REAR-ENDED COLLISION. THE VEHICLE ONLY HAD 12,894 MILES WHEN THE SUV WAS TAKEN IN FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. I WAS CHARGED $664.87 FOR A SENSOR AND A V-RIPPED BELT. LAST WEEK, ON MAR. 24, 2010 AT 15,757 MILES, THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT CAME BACK ON. THIS PROBLEM RECURRED FOR THE 2ND TIME IN JUST 8 MONTHS OF PRIOR WORK RENDERED, AND AFTER ONLY 2,863 MILES. WHILE RESEARCHING THE INTERNET IN REGARDS TO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON 2003 TOYOTA RAV4, I STUMBLED UPON HUNDREDS OF CONSUMERS COMPLAINTS FOR THE EXACT PROBLEMS. I HAVE BEEN HAVING TROUBLE WITH HARSH SYMPTOMS BEFORE THE ENGINE LIGHT AND, UNSAFE AND HARSH DRIVING CONDITIONS. AS I CONTINUED MY RESEARCH EFFORTS, I IMMEDIATELY LINKED INTO A FEW TOYOTA TSBS CONCERNING A DEFECTED ECM/PCM REPLACEMENT PROCEDURE TO THE FAILING COMPONENTS AS TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE & POWER TRAIN CONTROL MODULE W/THE DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES. I HAVE SERVICED THE VEHICLE THROUGHOUT THE YEARS, AND NEVER INFORMED OF ANY OF THE NUMEROUS TOYOTA TSBS. IT'S DISHONEST, AND LACKS INTEGRITY NOT TO FORMALLY INFORM THE LOYAL CONSUMERS OF THE DEFECTION AND THE SAFETY ISSUES & TRANSMISSION FAILURE. IN WRITTEN FORMAT, I AM JUSTIFIABLY AND LEGITIMATELY REQUESTING PROPER AND HONEST RAMIFICATION TO THIS UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS TO FIX THE MANUFACTURER'S DEFECTION IN WORKMANSHIP OF MY 2003 RAV4. THE PURCHASE OF A NEW AUTO WAS TO ASSURE MYSELF PEACE OF MIND OF SAFETY & QUALITY. A LETTER WILL BE MAIL OUT TOMORROW TO TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE.*TR

S10 APPROPRIATE HANDLING RE SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION INCIDENT FM OWNER OF A 2003 TOYOTA RAV4. *KB THE CONSUMER STATED ON 3 SEPARATE OCCASIONS, WHEN SHE TRIED TO CHANGE LANES TO GET IN FRONT OF ANOTHER VEHICLE, IT WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED NOTHING WAS WRONG. AFTER THE THIRD OCCURRENCE, THE CONSUMER WENT BACK TO THE DEALER AND THEY KEPT THE VEHICLE. UPON INSPECTION, THE DEALER DISCOVERED THE SENSOR IN THE GAS TANK WAS NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. *JB

S10 APPROPRIATE HANDLING-LETTER TO THE SECRETARY FROM RE TOYOTA PROBLEMS *TGW 2003 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN PLUGGED INTO THE ELECTRIC CHARGING SYSTEM, THE VEHICLE ROLLED AWAY. THE CONSUMER STATED IT CAN HAPPEN IF THE GEAR IS INADVERTENTLY SHIFTED OUT OF PARK AND INTO NEUTRAL IF THE VEHICLE IS PARKED ON A SLIGHT SLOPE. *JB

CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE THAT HE PURCHASED DID NOT COME EQUIPPED WITH CRUISE CONTROL, SO THE DEALER OFFERED TO ADD IT, IT WAS SOON DISCOVERED THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS FAULTY, WHEN THE CRUISE CONTROL IS ACTUATED TO MAINTAIN A CERTAIN SPEED , IN ORDER TO STAY WITH THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC THE VEHICLE ACCELERATES 3-4 MPH ABOVE THE DESIRED SPEED THEN DROPS BACK 3-4 MPH BELOW THE DESIRED SPEED, THEN SLOWLY MOVES UP TO THE DESIRED SPEED, THE SECOND CRUISE CONTROL WAS INSTALLED AND ACTED EXACTLY AS THE FIRST, IN THE END THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT THE UNIVERSAL CRUISE CONTROL WAS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE AND IF A UNIT BECAME AVAILABLE THE DEALER WOULD INSTALL THE NEW UNIT.*JB

THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION, AND THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. *JB

WHILE COASTING DOWN A HILL DRIVER BEGAN TO DEPRESS THE BRAKES AND THERE WAS NO BRAKE PRESSURE. ALSO, DRIVER HAD DIFFICULTY WITH THE VEHICLE DOWN SHIFTING AT ANYTIME. *AK