Toyota RAV4 Complaints (2001)

309 consumer complaints on file.

#10241993September 12, 2008
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN
2001 TOYOTA RAV 4 STARTED WITH CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMING ON AND OFF THEN TOYOTA SENT SSC-601 IN MARCH OF 08 THAT I NEEDED TO HAVE ECM REPROGRAMMED WHICH I DID{TOOK TECH 2 TIMES TO GET IT RIGHT} NOW MY TRANSMISSION STARTED SLIPPING SO I TOOK IT IN TO TOYOTA AND THEY DID A DIAGNOSTIC AND SURE AS PIE THEY SAID ECM HAS FAILED AND THEY WANT 940.00 TO REPLACE IT. THIS IS A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM THAT HAS BEEN SEEN BY TOYOTA AND IS A MANUFACTURES DEFECT THAT THEY EXPECT US THE CONSUMER TO EAT I'VE HAD NOTHING BUT RUNAROUND FROM BOTH LOCAL DEALER AND THEIR CORPORATE OFFICE. NO ONE SEEMS TO CARE AND IS UNWILLING TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10241809September 11, 2008
POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
CIRCUIT BOARD FOR TRANSMISSION FAILED AND VALVE. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10236222July 29, 2008
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
I HAVE NOT BEEN INJURED, BUT BELIEVE THE ISSUE WITH MY TRANSMISSION IS NOT ONLY A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT, BUT POSES A SAFETY ISSUE DEPENDING ON THE SEVERITY. THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF OTHERS EXPERIENCING THIS SAME ISSUE WITH THEIR TOYOTA RAV4S THAT WERE PRODUCED BETWEEN THE YEARS 2001-2003. A DEFECTIVE COMPUTER PART IS CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE TRANSMISSION, ULTIMATELY DESTROYING THEM IF NOT CAUGHT EARLY AND REPLACED AT A COST OF $1200! IN MANY CASES, THE TRANSMISSION STILL NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AT AN ADDITIONAL COST OF AROUND $3500 OR MORE. IT IS SICKENING THAT A COMPANY SUCH AS TOYOTA WOULD NOT RECALL THIS PART AND COVER THE COST OF MALFUNCTIONS! IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE, AS YOU NEVER KNOW HOW SEVERE THE LURCHING AND SKIPPING OF THE TRANSMISSION WILL BE. IT CAN COME OUT OF NOWHERE AND THAT CERTAINLY CREATES THE POTENTIAL FOR ACCIDENTS. I THINK THIS ISSUE IS ON THE RISE BECAUSE IT TENDS TO HAPPEN WITH HIGHER MILE VEHICLES. I TRULY HOPE MORE CONSUMERS WILL FILE COMPLAINTS SO THAT TOYOTA WILL BE FORCED TO STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT. I AM GLAD THAT I HAVE HEARD OF NO REPORTED INJURIES AT THIS POINT-I HOPE THAT REMAINS THE CASE. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10235643July 24, 2008
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
OWN 01 TOYOTA RAV 4 THAT HAS FAULTY COMPUTER, TOYOTA WILL NOT ADMIT THAT THESE MODELS ARE FAULTY. VEHICLE IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. REPLACING COMPUTER CAN ALSO MAKE TRANSMISSION GO OUT. A VERY EXPENSIVE MISTAKE BY TOYOTA AT MY COST. I PAID 12,400 FOR THIS VEHICLE LESS THAN 2 YRS AGO. IT IS SHIFTING SO HARD THAT IT IS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. I WISH I HAD READ CAR COMPLAINTS.COM BEFORE I PURCHASED IT, THERE ARE TONS OF OWNERS WITH 01-02 RAV'S WITH SAME PROBLEM. I THINK TOYOTA NEED TO CORRECT AT THEIR COST. THIS IS MY 3RD TOYOTA BUT WILL BE MY LAST!!!! *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10235281July 22, 2008
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
ACCELERATION FREQUENTLY HESITATES CAUSING DRIVER TO PULL OUT INTO TRAFFIC WITHOUT POWER. THIS PROBLEM HAS RECENTLY GOTTEN WORSE AND HAPPENS EVERY TIME I DRIVE. INTERNET RESEARCH SUGGESTS A BAD ECM IS CAUSING THE PROBLEM. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10234439July 15, 2008
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
I HAVE A TOYOTA RAV4 2001 CAR. ITS AN AUTO TRANSMISSION WITH 117,000 MILES ON IT. SUDDENLY ABOUT 10 DAYS AGO I STARTED FEELING THE HARSH SHIFTING / BUCKING / JERKING WHILE TAKING THE CAR. I THEN WENT TO A NEAR BY TOYOTA DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TEST AND WHAT THEY HAVE FOUND WAS A FAULT CODE P0755 (HARSH SHIFT AND/OR M.I.L. ?ON? DTC P0750/P0753/P0755/P0758/P1760) WHICH IS BASICALLY RECOMMENDING TO REPLACE THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE. I THEN SEARCHED ABOUT THIS FAULT CODE ON THE INTERNET I ENDED UP ON A WEBSITE (HTTP://WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM/TOYOTA/RAV4/2002/TRANSMISSION/PROBLEMS_SHIFTING.SHTML) WHERE I COULD SEE NUMEROUS SIMILAR COMPLAINTS. IT LOOKS LIKE TOYOTA HAS MADE A FAULT ECM AND HAVE INSTALLED IN SO MANY RAV4 (B/W 2001 - 2003 MODEL YEAR), WHICH MADE SO MANY CUSTOMERS LIKE US TO GO THROUGH A LOT OF SERVICE EXPENSES. PLEASE DO THE NEEDFUL SO THAT TOYOTA MAKES A REIMBURSE THE EXPENSES FOR ALL THE CUSTOMERS WHO HAS GONE THROUGH SOME FINANCIAL BURDEN DUE TO THIS. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10233815July 10, 2008
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
OUR 2001 TOYOTA RAV4 RECENTLY STARTED SHIFTING VERY HARD AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND STARTED TO DO SOME RESEARCH. THE CAR WAS VERY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE AS THERE WERE LARGE HESITATIONS BEFORE THE NEXT GEAR WOULD CATCH. I FOUND OUT THAT TOYOTA PUT OUT TSB TC002-06 IN REGARDS TO A DEFECTIVE ECM COMPUTER THAT CONTROLS THE TRANSMISSION. OUR ECM DID NEED TO BE REPLACED, BUT TOYOTA NEEDS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. THEY SHOULD BE REPLACING THIS PART FOR FREE. TOYOTA HAS ADMITTED THE PART IS DEFECTIVE, YET WILL NOT STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT. THE DAMAGES TO OUR CAR DUE TO THIS COMPUTER COULD HAVE COST IN EXCESS OF $5,000 TO REPAIR. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10231858June 20, 2008
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
MY 2001 RAV4 BEGAN HAVING TRANSMISSION SLIPPAGE ISSUES. I RESEARCHED IT ONLINE AND FOUND NUMEROUS ISSUES REGARDING A DEFECTIVE ECM BEING THE CAUSE OF THE SLIPPAGE. ALL THE SYMPTOMS THAT WERE DESCRIBED IN THE FORUM MATCHED MINE EXACTLY. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER AND THE ONLY THING HE CAN DO IS DISCOUNT THE NEW ECM BY 10%. I NEED TO USE MY CAR SO I RELUCTANTLY AGREED TO THE REPAIRS. ONCE THE ECM IS REPLACED I AM HOPING THIS WILL FIX THE ISSUE. IF NOT I WILL HAVE TO PAY FOR A REBUILT OR NEW TRANSMISSION. TOYOTA KNEW OF THIS ISSUE IN 2006 BUT DECIDED NOT TO INFORM THEIR CUSTOMERS OF THE ISSUE BUT INSTEAD ONLY ISSUE A TECHNICAL BULLETIN ON HOW TO FIX THE ISSUE. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER TOYOTA PRODUCT AGAIN! *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10231667June 19, 2008
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
MY '01 TOYOTA RAV4 BEGAN EXPERIENCE SHIFTING PROBLEMS IN AUG07, IT WOULD NOT SHIFT PROPERLY, AND WOULD SUDDENLY SLAM INTO GEAR. THIS HAPPENED SPORADICALLY ON AND OFF, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WOULD GO ON AND OFF. DUE TO THIS PROBLEM, IT MADE IT VERY DANGEROUS TO MERGE ONTO HIGHWAYS, AS I'M TRYING TO ACCELERATE AND THE CAR WON'T GO BEYOND 1ST GEAR, AND THEN ONCE I'M RUNNING, IT SLAMS INTO GEAR, ALMOST CAUSING ME TO HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. IN NOV07, BASED ON A NOTICE FROM TOYOTA, I SENT CAR TO DEALER TO GET ECM REPROGRAMMED. APPARENTLY THIS WAS CAUSING THE PROBLEM. WELL, IT DID NOTHING. SO IN JUNE08, AS THE PROBLEM GOT EVEN WORSE, I SENT IT BACK TO DEALER. THEY SAID I NEEDED THE ECM REPLACED, THIS CAUSED MY CAR TO GET WORSE. SO A WEEK LATER, I TOOK IT TO A TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST TO GET TRANSMISSION REBUILT. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10230854June 12, 2008
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, STEERING
FIRST MY 2001 RAV4 STARTED SHIFTING REALLY HARD (THE LOWER GEARS) AND I COULD SEE THE RPM GOING UP HIGH. AFTER A DAY OF HAVING THIS PROBLEM MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THE TRANSMISSION FLUID IS AT A GOOD LEVEL AND IT'S NICE AND PINK. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10230145June 6, 2008
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
AS DESCRIBED BY MANY OTHERS THAT OWN A TOYOTA RAV-4 (2001) , MY CAR EXPERIENCED MAJOR PROBLEMS SHIFTING. AFTER RESEARCHING THE PROBLEM, I DISCOVERED THAT IT WAS DESCRIBED IN A SERVICE BULLETIN RELEASED BY TOYOTA. I TOOK MY CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND DEMANDED THAT THEY REPLACE THE ECM INSTEAD OF SIMPLY RESETTING IT AS THEY WERE PLANNING ON DOING. THE PROBLEM HAS NOT RETURNED TO DATE, BUT HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR THE INFORMATION PROVIDED BY OTHERS (ON VARIOUS WEBSITES), I WOULD NOT HAVE KNOWN TO MAKE THIS REQUEST. I WAS LUCKY THAT MY VEHICLE WAS UNDER THE SPECIFIED MILEAGE AND THAT THE COSTS WERE COVERED BY THE WARRANTY. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10228322May 20, 2008
TIRES, TIRES:TREAD/BELT
MY FIANCE WAS DRIVING MY RAV 4 THIS PAST SATURDAY. THE CAR HAS 4 COPPER DISCOVERER TIRES (DOT# UTDAC5T0704) THAT WERE PURCHASED IN EARLY 2006. THEY WERE TRAVELING AT ABOUT 70 MPH ON A BUSY HIGHWAY. ONE OF THE TIRES COMPLETELY CAME APART, LEAVING ONLY SOME RAGGED SIDEWALLS ON THE WHEEL. THERE WERE (MIRACULOUSLY) NO INJURIES AND HE WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR UNDER CONTROL AND OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10225528April 23, 2008
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
2001 TOYOTA RAV 4 HAS PREMATURE TRANSMISSION FAILURE CAUSING SLIPPING, AND DELAYED SHIFTING. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10224496April 14, 2008
STRUCTURE
PAINT DEFECT ON HOOD AND R/F FENDER. CLEAR COAT PEELNG OFF. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10222587March 28, 2008
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM)
I HAVE NOT HAD AN ACCIDENT OR INJURIES TO WHAT MY COMPLAINT IS ABOUT. I PERSONALLY THINK THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. I DRIVE A 2001 TOYOTA RAV4 AND RECENTLY STARTED HAVING SHIFTING ISSUES. I STARTED TO RESEARCH THIS ISSUE AND CAME ACROSS THIS WEBSITE CALLED CARCOMPLAINTS.COM AND FOUND MANY OTHERS WITH THE SAME ISSUE. TOYOTA IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEMS BECAUSE THEY CAME OUT WITH A TSB IN 2006. WHEN YOU COME TO A COMPLETE STOP AND THEN GO TO DRIVE THE CAR FORWARD THE VEHICLE DOESN'T SHIFT PROPERLY THEREFORE COULD BE A SAFETY ISSUE WITH NOT BEING ABLE TO MOVE OUT OF THE WAY OF ON COMING TRAFFIC. PLEASE VISIT THIS WEBSITE AND SEE THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME ISSUES AND I LIKE MANY OTHERS FEEL THERE IS A DEFECTIVE ECM IN THESE VEHICLES SENDING FAULTY SIGNALS TO THE TRANSMISSION CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO NOT SHIFT PROPERLY AND COULD POTENTIALLY CAUSE ACCIDENTS. THE OTHER PROBLEM IS THAT THIS IS NOT HAPPENING ALL THE TIME, ITS SPORADIC AND EVEN THE DEALER IS HAVING DIFFICULTY DUPLICATING THE PROBLEM. I HOPE MORE PEOPLE MAKE COMPLAINTS AND I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN SEEING HOW MANY HAVE. THANKS! *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10222594March 28, 2008
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:TORQUE CONVERTER, EQUIPMENT:MECHANICAL
I HAVE A TOYOTA RAV 4 4WD 2001 MODEL. AT 47,000 MILES I HAD AN ENGINE REPLACEMENT DONE BY LYNCH TOYOTA UNDER WARRANTY. 25,000 MILES LATER VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A CRACKED FLEX PLATE. REPAIR WAS DONE BY AAMCO AND IN THEIR WRITTEN REPORT THEY STATE THAT DUE TO AN ALIGNMENT DOWEL THAT WAS CUT OFF WHEN LYNCH REPLACED THE ENGINE, THE ENGINE BECAME MISALIGNED AND THE FLEX PLATE CRACKED. IN ADDITION THE TORQUE CONVERTER ALSO HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE REPORTS WERE HANDED TO LYNCH AND THEIR SERVICE MANAGER DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS AND REPORTED THAT THE CRACKED FLEX PLATE WAS MORE THAN LIKELY DUE TO POOR MATERIALS. I STILL HAVE THE FLEX PLATE AND WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE IS A WAY TO HAVE IT CHECKED TO FIND OUT IF INDEED IT WAS MADE FROM POOR MATERIALS. AAMCO DON'T APPEAR TO BELIEVE THIS TO BE THE CASE. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10221107March 13, 2008
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE
TRANSMISSION SLIPPING ON 2001 TOYOTA RAV4. SERVICE BULLETIN ISSUED REQUIRING REPLACEMENT OF COMPUTER TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. BULLETIN EXTENDED WARRANTY TO 80,000. CONSUMER NEVER NOTIFIED OF THIS PROBLEM. COMPUTER WENT BAD AT 87,000 MILES. TOYOTA AND CONSUMER CURRENTLY GOING ROUND AND ROUND OVER WHETHER TOYOTA OR CONSUMER MUST PAY FOR COMPUTER REPLACEMENT. CONSUMER ALSO TOLD THAT TRANSMISSION MAY NOW NEED TO BE REPLACED. TOYOTA HAS RECEIVED NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM FROM RAV4 OWNERS AND IN MANY CASES THE SHIFT PROBLEMS RELATED TO THE COMPUTER FAILURE HAS RESULTED IN DAMAGE TO TRANSMISSION WHICH TOYOTA WILL NOT PAY FOR. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10216252January 28, 2008
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE
FAILED ECM RESULTS IN THE CAR STARTING IN THE WRONG GEAR AND HESITATING WHEN SWITCHING GEARS. DRIVING THE CAR WITH THIS ECM FAILURE CAUSES VISIBLE DAMAGE TO THE TRANSMISSION WITHIN LESS THAN 100 MILES OF DRIVING AND MAKES THE DRIVER UNABLE TO BE CONFIDENT THAT THEIR CAR WILL SHIFT INTO GEAR WHEN NECESSARY, WHICH IS ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS ON LEFT TURNS IN HIGHLY TRAFFICKED AREAS. ONE DEALERSHIP (COBB COUNTY TOYOTA, KENNESAW, GA) REFUSED TO REPLACE THE ECM EVEN THOUGH A TSB ISSUED BY TOYOTA STATED IT SHOULD BE REPLACED WHEN THESE SYMPTOMS PERSISTED. TOYOTA USA REFUSED TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION EVEN THOUGH THE SHIFTING PROBLEMS CAUSED BY THE FAILING COMPUTER WILL ALMOST CERTAINLY DAMAGE THE TRANSMISSION. *CN
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10210083November 27, 2007
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
I WAS DRIVING HOME ONE NIGHT, I WAS DRIVING A 2001 TOYOTA RAV 4. AI WAS IN THE RIGHT HAND LANE, A DEER RAN IN FRONT OF ME, I SWERVED TO THE RIGHT AND MISSED THE DEER, HOWEVER I HIT A GUARDRAIL ON THE RIGHT SIDE, OVERCOMPENCIATED ACROSS ROAD STRAIGHT UP A BANK, APPROX 20 FT. THE ACR TURNED TO THE RIGHT AND ROLLED OVER TWICE DOWN THE BANK. SINCE THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, I SUFFERED A DEEP LACERATION TO RIGHT SIDE OF HEAD AND THE GEAR SHIFT FRACTURED 4-7 RIBS. THERE WAS A POLICE OFFICER NEARBY WHO SAW THE WHOLE THING, HE STATED HE CLOCKED ME AT 35MPH, AND STATED ALSO IN THE POLICE REPORT THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. IF YOU CAN HELP ME IN THIS MATTER I WOULD BE VERY GRATEFUL. RESPECTFULLY--BILLY JACK HARRELL *TR
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#10209254November 18, 2007
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
ROUGH SHIFT IN LOW GEARS CAUSING ENGINE TO REV BUT CAR DOES NOT MOVE. HAD SOLENOIDS REPLACED, PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. TOLD ECM NEEDS TO BE REPLACED BUT OTHER OWNERS SAID THIS HAS NOT CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. CAR REVS BUT GOES NO WHERE AND CREATES DANGEROUS SITUATION ESPECIALLY IN DENSE TRAFFIC WITH BIG TRUCKS. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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