Toyota RAV4 Complaints (2003)

315 consumer complaints on file.

#10231351June 17, 2008
STRUCTURE
I HAVE A 2003 TOYOTA RAV 4. FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW THERE HAS BEEN A SQUEAKING/CRUNCHING NOISE IN THE DASHBOARD THAT NO ONE HAS BEEN ABLE TO GET RID OF. MY MECHANIC HAS PUT PACKING BEHIND MY RADIO AND IN THE VICINITY AND FOR THE FIRST DAY THE NOISE IS GONE BUT IT ALWAYS RETURNS. IT IS HORRIBLE IN THE WINTER IN THE MIDWEST WHEN EVERYTHING IS COLD AND STIFF BUT GETS A LITTLE MORE TOLERABLE WHEN ITS HOT AND HUMID. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10231399June 17, 2008
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
TOYOTA RAV-4 HAS SERIOUS TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS LEADING TO FAILURE OF THE TRANSMISSION. WILL NOT SHIFT FROM FIRST GEAR TO SECOND IN HEAVY TRAFFIC, AT INTERSECTIONS ETC. HAVE COME CLOSE TO BEING HIT BY ON COMING TRAFFIC ON TWO OCCASIONS. TOYOTA WILL ACKNOWLEDGE THIS PROBLEM. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10231204June 16, 2008
POWER TRAIN, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I HAVE A 2003 TOYOTA RAV4- SEEMS TO BE EXACT SAME PROBLEM EVERYONE ELSE IS HAVING--NO PROBLEMS UNTIL EARLY THIS YEAR 2008, TRANSMISSION WAS SKIPPING GEAR 2 TO 3, TOOK TO MECHANIC THEN TO TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST, WHERE THE SAME PROCEDURE OCCURRED. COMPUTER CHIP REPLACED, FEW DAYS LATER, SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED. TRANSMISSION REPLACED AT 89,000 MILES, 3400 DOLLARS TOTAL. OTHERWISE, THE CAR IS GREAT. NO ACCIDENT, JUST TOO MUCH HASSLE, MONEY, AND SEVERAL STRESSFUL, SCARY RIDES HOME. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10230419June 10, 2008
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
MY 2003 TOYOTA RAV-4 WITH 103,000 MILES ON IT IS HAVING SEVERE TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. THE CAR WILL NOT SHIFT FROM 1ST TO 2ND WITHOUT LUNGING, CLUNKING, AND HESITATING TO THE POINT WHERE IT HARDLY MOVES. JUST HAD THE 90,000 MILE TUNE UP DONE AND THE DEALER COULD NOT ID THE PROBLEM. AFTER GETTING THE CAR HOME IT IS UNDRIVABLE-WE DID NOT THINK WE WOULD MAKE IT TO THE AUTO REPAIR SHOP. THEY TELL ME IT IS A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM-VERY EXPENSIVE TO FIX. I HAVE READ THAT MANY OTHERS ARE HAVING THIS SAME PROBLEM. IT IS DANGEROUS AND A CLEAR MANUF. DEFECT THAT NEEDS TO BE FIXED. MY CAR IS NOW SITTING IN THE SHOP WITH NO HOPE OF A SOLUTION. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10229889June 4, 2008
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I HAVE A 2003 TOYOTA RAV4, AT 86600 MILES IT APPEARED MY TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING, WHEN I WOULD PULL OUT IN FRONT OF ANYONE IT WAS STALL AND SLIP WHILE GOING INTO 1ST AND 2ND GEAR. (AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION), THE DEALERSHIP (TOYOTA) SAID IT WAS INTERNAL IN THE TRANSMISSION SO I TOOK IT TO A TRANSMISSION PLACE, THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT. AFTER REVIEW THE COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET IT SEEMS THAT THIS IS HAPPENING WITH TOYOTA'S 2001 THRU 2003 AND IT IS THE ECM THAT GOES BAD AND IF YOU DRIVE YOUR CAR IT WILL TARE UP THE TRANSMISSION. I WENT BACK TO TOYOTA AND SHOWED THEM THE BULLETIN PUT OUT BY TOYOTA AND AFTER SOME BACK AND FORTH WITH THEM THEY INSTALLED ME A NEW ECM, THIS WAS JUST 2 DAYS AGO, THEY ARE NOT SURE IF THIS WILL FIX THE PROBLEM OR NOT, BUT I BELIEVE TOYOTA SHOULD RECALL THESE VEHICLES BEFORE SOMEONE GET KILLED, THIS IS A REAL EXPENSE TO THE CAR OWNERS. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10223617April 7, 2008
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
WHILE DRIVING MY 2003 RAV 4 THE CHECK OIL ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON THEN ENGINE STARTED TO MAKE A CLUNKING SOUND AND STOPPED. THE CAR HAS 86,000 MILES IT WAS TOWED TO THE SHOP WHERE THE MECHANIC SAYS THE ENGINE IS BLOWN AND IT WILL COST ABOUT 8,000 DOLLARS TO REPLACE. THE ENGINE WOULD NOT START AFTER THIS HAPPENED. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10220687March 10, 2008
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA RAV4. OVER TIME, THE SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILED. THE BUCKLE DOES NOT LATCH WHEN ATTEMPTING TO FASTEN THE SEAT BELT. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIR. THE VIN, ENGINE SIZE, AND NUMBER OF CYLINDERS WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 184,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10220150March 5, 2008
AIR BAGS
MY MOTHER WAS DRIVING BACK FROM HER SECOND HOME ON THE 60 FREEWAY IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AT NORMAL HIGHWAY SPEED AND CAME UP UPON STOPPED TRAFFIC. SHE APPLIED HER BRAKES HARD BUT RAN INTO THE BACK OF ONE VEHICLE WHICH WAS PUSHED OUT OF THE LANE AND THEN MY MOTHER CONTINUED INTO THE BACK OF ANOTHER VEHICLE BEFORE COMING TO A STOP. IN NEITHER OF THE 2 SEPARATE COLLISIONS DID ANY OF THE AIRBAGS IN HER 2003 TOYOTA RAV 4 DEPLOY. BECAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT SHE BROKE HER NECK BETWEEN C5 AND C6 IN HER SPINAL COLUMN AND HAS BEEN IN THE ICU UNIT OF THE LOCAL HOSPITAL EVER SINCE. *TR
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#10218131February 15, 2008
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE OIL INDICATOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE ENGINE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART AND WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE ENGINE FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO THE LACK OF OIL IN THE ENGINE, ALTHOUGH OIL HAD BEEN PLACED IN THE VEHICLE A WEEK BEFORE. THE ENGINE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPLACED IN JULY OF 2006 DUE TO THE SAME FAILURE. THE VIN, ENGINE SIZE, AND NUMBER OF CYLINDERS WERE UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 68,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 92,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10197816July 30, 2007
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
MY TOYOTA RAV4 WD, 2003, TRANSMISSION FAILED IN A MAJOR INTERSECTION AND AGAIN TRAVELING UP A HILL. *JB
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10185741March 21, 2007
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
WHILE DRIVING THE RAV 4 ON COUNTRY ROADS, THE CAR STALLED AT A STOP. AFTER MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS, WE WERE ABLE TO RE-START THE CAR AND DRIVE IT HOME ALTHOUGH IT RAN VERY ROUGH. TOWED CAR TO DEALER WHO EVENTUALLY DETERMINED IT WAS CAUSED BY A INTERMITTENT GROUND-WIRE CONNECTION BETWEEN COMPUTERS. CAR HAD ABOUT 50,000 MILES ON IT.*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10185743March 21, 2007
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
AFTER SITTING IN GARAGE FOR A FEW DAYS, RAV4 WOULD NOT START. CHECKED BATTERY, BUT IT WAS WORKING. ALSO TRIED TO JUMP-START CAR, BUT THIS DID NOT WORK. CAR WAS TOWED TO DEALER WHO DETERMINED THAT A COMPUTER FAILED.*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10183093February 20, 2007
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
THE FOLLOWING ARE THE EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE OF MY '03 TOYOTA RAV4: - CURRENT MILEAGE: 93K MILES - AFTER COMING TO A FULL STOP AT A STREET LIGHT I STARTED TO ACCELERATE AND NOTICED MY CAR STARTED TO STALL. I FIGURED MY FOOT MAY HAVE SLIPPED OFF THE GAS PEDAL AND DIDN'T THINK MUCH OF IT. - LATER THAT WEEK THE STALLING WORSENED AND MY CAR WOULD THEN START TO SHUTTER UNCONTROLLABLY. - THIS LED ME TO TAKE NOTICE THAT THE STALLING/SHUTTERING OCCURRED AFTER MY CAR WAS WARMED UP AND I HAD DRIVEN ABOUT 20 MINS. - I BROUGHT MY CAR TO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED THIS CAR. - DIAGNOSTICS TESTS WERE PERFORMED AND I WAS TOLD MY TRANSMISSION WAS THE CAUSE OF THE STALLING/SHUTTERING. - THE TECHNICIAN RECOMMENDED TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION BECAUSE "TOYOTA" RECOMMENDS TO DO SO INSTEAD OF FINDING OUT WHAT THE TRUE CAUSE IS. - THEY PROCEEDED TO TELL ME IT WOULD COST ME $4,000 TO REPLACE WHICH HAS LED ME TO THIS POINT IN POSTING THIS COMPLAINT. - I AM NOT PLEASED WITH THE SERVICE OPTIONS I WAS GIVEN AND WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT TOYOTA IS A DEPENDABLE CAR. I'VE ONLY HAD THIS CAR FOR 3 YEARS AND AM VERY DISAPPOINTED. *JB
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10170676October 12, 2006
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
MY WIFE'S 2003 TOYOTA RAV4 HAS 85000 MILES. SEVERAL WEEKS AGO IT STARTED SHIFTING POORLY AND EVENTUALLY WOULD NOT MOVE EASILY FROM REST. WE TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND WERE TOLD THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS BAD. WE COULD NOT BELIEVE THIS AND TOOK IT TO A LOCAL COTTMAN TRANSMISSION SHOP FOR REPAIR. AFTER 2 WEEKS AND THE REPLACEMENT OF MANY INTERNAL PARTS, MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL, WE PAID $4000 FOR OUR CAR AND DROVE IT AWAY. WITHIN 100 MILES THE SAME SYMPTOMS RETURNED. WE HAD IT TOWED TO THE COTTMAN TRANSMISSION SHOP AND WERE TOLD THAT THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE WAS DEFECTIVE AND THEY WANTED ANOTHER $1100 TO REPLACE IT. WHETHER COTTMAN TRANSMISSION IS BEING HONEST OR NOT REMAINS TO BE SEEN BUT WE FEEL THAT TOYOTA SHOULD HAVE SOME RESPONSIBILITY IN THIS MATTER. SO FAR TOYOTA USA HAS BEEN UNHELPFUL OR UNRESPONSIVE. I DISCOVERED A TSB (TC002-06) THAT DISCUSSES THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE. THE TSB STATES THAT IT IS PART OF THE EMISSION CONTROL SYSTEM AND THAT REPLACEMENT WILL BE COVERED BY WARRANTY UP UNTIL 96 MONTHS OR 80000 MILES. LEAVES US OUT BUT OTHERS MAY BE INTERESTED. *JB
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10169959October 4, 2006
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
I HAVE A 2003 RAVA4. I USE SYNTHETIC OIL IN IT WHEN I GET MY REGULAR OIL CHANGE. LAST WEEK I WAS DRIVING TO THE STORE AND MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND THE OIL LIGHT CAME ON. I GOT AN OIL CHANGE AROUND TWO MONTHS AGO. I BECAME VERY ALARMED. I WENT BACK TO MY HOME AND PUT MORE OIL IN THE ENGINE. I THEN WENT TO THE STORE NOW I AM HEARING A SOUND THAT SOUNDS LIKE THE CAR IS A BOMB. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER. THE MECHANICS SAYS I HAVE SLUDGE. I CAN NOT UNDERSTAND THIS BECAUSE I USE SYNTHETIC OIL. TOYOTA DEALER WANT ME TO PURCHASE A NEW ENGINE WITH LABOR IT WILL COST ME 8,000.00. I HAVE 39,000 MILES. SHOULD THE DEALER FIX THIS FOR ME BECAUSE MY ENGINE IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY? *JB
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10162172July 11, 2006
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY:CABLES
WE HAVE A TOYOTA RAV4 ELECTRIC VEHICLE. CAR ROLLED AWAY FROM CHARGING STATION WHILE PLUGGED IN - PERSON IN CAR SHIFTED INTO 'NEUTRAL' BY MISTAKE. RIPPED OUT CHARGING PADDLE DOWN TO THE ELECTRICAL WIRES - POTENTIAL ELECTRICAL HAZARD. COULD BE AVOIDED BY A SIMPLE RELAY THAT WILL PREVENT PEOPLE FROM SHIFTING OUT OF 'PARK' WHEN CAR IS PLUGGED IN. HAPPENS TO MANY TOYOTA ELECTRIC VEHICLES - I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN FILED. PICTURE (JPEG) AVAILABLE IF NEEDED PLEASE DO PASS ON THIS COMPLAINT TO TOYOTA. *JB
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10149344February 3, 2006
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
ON TUESDAY, JANUARY 24, 2006 WHILE DRIVING FROM RHODE ISLAND, THE OIL LIGHT CAME ON - IMMEDIATELY I PULLED OVER TO THE NEXT EXIT TO A GAS STATION. I PUT ONE QUART OF OIL IN THE ENGINE BECAUSE THAT IS ALL IT STATED IT NEEDED. AT WHICH TIME THE OIL LIGHT WENT OFF. I CONTINUED TO DRIVE FOR APPROXIMATELY FIVE MINUTES AND THE OIL LIGHT CAME ON - THEN THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. AFTER A FEW MINUTES A CLICKING SOUND STARTED - SO IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND TURNED THE ENGINE OFF. I TRIED TO START THE ENGINE AGAIN - HOWEVER IT WOULD NOT TURN OVER. I IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED AAA TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED. THE CAR WAS TOWED FROM RHODE ISLAND TO NORTH CARY AUTO. THE MECHANIC TRIED STARTED THE CAR AND IMMEDIATELY STATED THAT THE ENGINE WAS NO GOOD. I ASKED HIM TO CHECK THE CAR OVER TO MAKE SURE THIS WAS THE CASE. HE STATED THAT AFTER CHECKING THE CAR - HE DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHY THE OIL LIGHT CAME ON BECAUSE THE CAR HAD PLENTY OF OIL. I IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED IRA TOYOTA AND THE TOYOTA CORPORATE OFFICE AT WHICH TIME THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE CAR NEEDED TO BE BROUGHT IN TO A TOYOTA DEALER TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT. ON FEBRUARY 2 AT APPROXIMATELY 3:45 P.M. I RECEIVED A CALL FROM CHARLENE TO INFORM ME THAT IT WOULD TAKE $10,000 TO REPAIR THE CAR BECAUSE THE ENGINE WAS GONE. SHE STATED THAT A ROD BROKE AND WENT UP INTO ENGINE WHICH CAUSED IT TO SHUT DOWN. I ASKED TO SPEAK TO HER MANAGER, CATHY KITIK, WHO ALSO INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS "GUNK" IN THE ENGINE. AT WHICH TIME I INFORMED HER THAT IT WAS SLUDGE AND IT IS KNOWN THAT TOYOTA HAS HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE V4 AND V6 ENGINES. SHE STATED THAT IT NEVER OCCURRED IN THE TOYOTA RAV 4. AT WHICH TIME I ASKED HER "IS IT A TOYOTA ENGINE" AND SHE CONFIRMED THAT IT WAS. SHE ALSO CONFIRMED THAT A ROD BROKE AND WENT INTO THE ENGINE WHICH CAUSED IT TO SHUT DOWN. I INFORMED HER THAT I HAD RECEIPTS WHICH SHOWED THE OIL WAS CHANGED APPROPRIATELY. *NM
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10146410December 14, 2005
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
THE CONSUMER 2004 TOYOTA RAV4 BURST INTO FLAMES AFTER HAVING OIL CHANGED, DESTROYING VEHICLE. *TS THE CONSUMER HAD SEVERAL PROBLEMS WITH THE DEALER'S SERVICE PRIOR TO THIS FIRE. SHE CONTACTED THE DEALER AND THE TOLD THE THAT IT WAS NOT THEIR PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER SPOKE TO ANOTHER DEALER WHO INDICATED THAT SEVERAL RAV4'S WERE CATCHING ON FIR DUE TO A FAULTY REMOTE START AND ALARM, WHICH THE CONSUMER HAD INSTALLED IN HER VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER REQUEST REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE DAMAGE. *NM
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10133906September 23, 2005
TIRES:SIDEWALL
DT: WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH ON THE DRY HIGHWAY THERE WERE FUNNY NOISES COMING FROM FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. LEFT FRONT DRIVERS SIDE TIRE BLEW OUT. CONSUMER PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE SIDEWALL BLEW OUT AT 16,000 MILES, THERE W 40,000 MILES ON THE TIRES. THERE WERE NO PREVIOUS PROBLEMS WITH THESE TIRES. CONSUMER HAD TO CHANGE TIRES. DID NOT REPORT TO THE DEALER, BUT DID REPORT TO DUNLOP MANUFACTURER. DUNLOP SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO BECAUSE IT WAS A SIDEWALL BLOWOUT AND THERE WAS NO WARRANTY. DUNLOP, ST20, GRANTREC 215/70/R16, DOT# EUYN2V94002. *JB
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10129632July 21, 2005
TIRES:SIDEWALL
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).
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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