2001 Toyota RAV4 Powertrain & Transmission Problems

MY2001RAV4 WITH 125000 STARTED JUMPING INTO GEAR ALSO THE RPM REVS UP BUT VECHICLE LOSSES POWER VERY DANGEROUS ON HIGHWAY TRANSMISSION SLIPPING AND JERK INTO GEARS

MY 2001 SILVER TOYOTA RAV 4 HAD A SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION PROBLEM WHEN I WAS DECELERATING TO A COMPLETE STOP AT AN ALREADY CONGESTED INTERSECTION WITH TRAFFIC LIGHTS. I WAS APPLYING BRAKE PRESSURE FROM 20 MPH, DOWN TO 15,10,5, DOWN TO 2 MPH, COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP, MY RAV 4 ENGINE SUDDENLY STARTED TO REV-UP/RACE WILDLY AND VERY LOUD IN A MATTER OF 3, OR 4-5 SECONDS (THE ENGINE/RPM SOUNDED SIMILAR ONE WOULD HEAR WHEN YOU WOULD BE ACCELERATING ENTERING A FREEWAY VIA THE ENTRANCE RAMP). MY RAV 4 SHOT FORWARD SO FAST LIKE IT WAS ON SOME ROCKET LAUNCHING PAD. MY FOOT WAS ON MY BRAKE PEDAL ALMOST TO THE CAR FLOOR AND I COULD NOT STOP THE CAR FROM MOVING INTO THE BACK - AND REAR ENDING THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME WHICH WAS ABOUT 10-15 FEET IN FRONT OF ME, THAT WAS STOPPED WAITING FOR THE LIGHT TO TURN GREEN AT THE ALREADY CONGESTED STOP LIGHT INTERSECTION. DAMAGE WAS DONE TO THE REAR END OF THE SUV DOOR HATCH AND THE ATTACHED TIRE MOUNTED ON THE BACK OF THE SUV IN FRONT OF ME. DAMAGE ON MY RAV 4 WAS CAR HOOD FOLDING BACK AND UP AND MY FRONT UPPER AND LOWER SECTION OF MY BUMPER AND PLASTIC GRILL AREA. I IMMEDIATELY REPORTED THE UNINTENDED ACCELERATION PROBLEM TO T HE TOYOTA MOTOR COMPANY THE NEXT DAY AND THEY SENT A 3RD PARTY ENGINEERING ANALYSIS TO EXAMINE MY CAR. THE INVESTIGATOR SPENT 4-5 HOURS EXAMINING MY CAR AND COULDN'T ELABORATE HIS FINDINGS BUT HAS SUBMITTED THE INFORMATION HE WAS ABLE TO RETRIEVE, BACK TO THE TOYOTA MOTOR CO. APPARENTLY, MY 2001 RAV 4 IS A FIRST GENERATION MODEL/VERSION AND DIDN'T HAVE THE ELABORATE DETAILED EDR DEVICES INSTALLED IN THEM, HOWEVER SOME OTHER DEVICE/DEVICES, COULD POSSIBLY BE RETRIEVED? THE FINAL REPORT BY TOYOTA TAKEN BY THE 3RD PARTY FIELD ENGINEERING ANALYSIS WILL TAKE 3-4 WEEKS FROM THIS REPORT I HAVE POSTED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED (PLEASE SEE THE SCANNED INFO- FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION).

MY RAV 4 2001 HAS ABOUT 140,000 MILES ON IT AND HAS DEVELOPED A SERIOUS PROBLEM. TO CLARIFY, A MASSIVE ACCELERATION PROBLEM IS OCCURRING WHEN I'VE BEEN DRIVING THE CAR FOR 15 TO 20 MINUTES, THEN SUDDENLY - WHILE I'M AT A STOP LIGHT, THE SUV'S ENGINE RACES WILDLY LOUD LIKE WHAT YOU HEAR AT THE INDY 500... IT JERKED AND FELT LIKE IT INTERNALLY CONTROLLED MY ACCELERATOR FOOT PAD! I HAD TO APPLY A MASSIVE AMOUNT OF PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE PAD BEFORE I HAD A CHANCE TO QUICKLY SHIFT MY CAR INTO PARK TO PREVENT RUNNING OVER PEDESTRIANS AND HITTING CARS IN FRONT OF ME AT THE STOP LIGHT! MY RAV 4 ENGINE WAS STILL RACING LOUDLY WANTING TO SHOOT FORWARD LIKE A ROCKET! I HAVE HAD THE FAULTY ECM REPLACEMENT RECALL DONE WHEN TOYOTA ISSUED A WARNING TO HAVE THE RAV4 ECU UNIT REPLACED SEVERAL YEARS AGO. NOW I'M EXPERIENCING THIS ENGINE RACING/ACCELERATION PROBLEM WITH MY RAV 4. WILL MY LOCAL TOYOTA SERVICE CENTER CHARGE ME FOR THE PARTS AND THE LABOR TO FIX THIS DEFECTIVE MECHANICAL PROBLEM?

THE RAV4 WOULD NOT SHIFT. THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED

THE ECM ON MY 2001 RAV4 WAS CALIBRATED IN 2008 BY A LOCAL DEALER. UNDER RECALL 601. IN 2008 THE CAR HAD JUST OVER 63000 MILES. IT NOW HAS 124000 AND THE TRANSMISSION IS HARD SHIFTING AGAIN.

THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION IS SHIFTING IRRATICALLY, SOMETIMES IT WILL TAKE OFF SLOWLY UNTIL THE GEAR ENGAGES. SOMETIMES THERE IS A CLUNKING SOUND AS THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTS GEARS.

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING CAR AND IT STARTED DOING STRANGE CHANGES WITH THE TRANSMISSION, SUCH AS SLIPPING BETWEEN GEAR CHANGES AND JERKING MOVEMENTS. AT ONE POINT, SHE TOLD ME GETTING ON FREWAY ON RAMP WAS A HAZARD, BECAUSE OF IRRATIC BEHAVIOR OF TRANSMISSION!!

MY 2001 TOYOTA RAV4 HAS 63192 MILES ON IT. IT BEGAN EXHIBITING TRANSMISSION/ACCELERATION PROBLEMS YESTERDAY WHILE DRIVING MY GRANDDAUGHTER FROM SCHOOL, ABOUT A 2 MILE ROUND TRIP ON CITY STREET TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 35-40MPH. THE CAR REFUSED TO PICK UP SPEED AND BEGAN TO JERK DUE TO SHIFTING/MISSING GEARS, ALL BY ITS SELF. THE CAR HAS AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SO SHOULD NOT EXHIBIT THESE PROBLEMS. I FOUND OUT TODAY THAT THIS WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM TO TOYOTA AND THERE WAS A VOLUNTARY RECALL THAT I HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OFF. I CONTACTED TOYOTA AND THEY REFUSE TO ASSIST WITH RECTIFYING THIS PROBLEM SAYING THE DATE FOR THE RECALL HAS PASSED, BUT I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED OF SAID RECALL TO BEGIN WITH. THE PROBLEM JUST STARTED AND ALTHOUGH THE VEHICLE IS 15 YO, IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN IMMACULATELY MAINTAINED AND SERVICED AND ONLY HAS 63K MILES ON IT SO SHOULD NOT BE HAVING ANY TRANSMISSION ISSUES. I WANT TOYOTA TO RECTIFY THIS PROBLEM AS IT IS A PROBLEM WITH THEIR MODULE AND NOT DUE TO THE AGE OR CONDITION OF THE CAR. THERE HAVE BEEN MANY REPORTS OF THIS SAME ISSUE WITH THIS EXACT VEHICLE YEAR AND MODEL AND TOYOTA HAS KNOWLEDGE OF THESE ISSUES. THE CAR IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE AND THIS SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY TOYOTA AND FIXED IMMEDIATELY. IN AN ARTICLE FOUND ONLINE, TOYOTA ADMITTED TO THIS MANUFACTURER DEFECT AND DESPITE THE DEFECT, TOYOTA DID NOT OFFER ANY SPECIAL WARRANTY COVERAGE. INSTEAD, THE BULLETIN SAID REPAIRS WOULD BE COVERED UNDER THE FEDERAL EMISSIONS WARRANTY OF 80,000 MILES OR EIGHT YEARS FROM THE TIME THE VEHICLE WAS SOLD. BUT THIS IS NOT AN ISSUE WITH THE AGE OF THE VEHICLE AND IT HAS LESS THAN 80K MILES ON IT, AND IT IS DUE TO A MANUFACTURER DEFECT WHICH SHOULD BE COVERED.

HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING HARSH SHIFTING FOR THE LAST WEEK OR SO BUT THE MOST DEBILITATING TRANSMISSION PROBLEM OCCURRED ON 6/5/2015 WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH. I ENDED UP DRIVING DIRECTLY HOME USING "LOW" GEAR BECAUSE I WAS AFRAID OF DAMAGING THE CAR FURTHER. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THIS CAR AND PURCHASED IT NEW IN 2001. 7 YEARS AFTER PURCHASE, BACK ON 3/10/2008, IT WAS SERVICED BY TOYOTA UNDER A "SPECIAL SERVICE CAMPAIGN" WHERE THEY REPROGRAMMED THE ECM UNDER WARRANTY. I IMAGINE IT WAS FOR THE HARSH SHIFTING PROBLEM (SEE T-SB-0156-10). IT HAS OBVIOUSLY COME BACK 7 YEARS LATER. PROGRAMMING ONLY GOOD FOR 7 YEARS?

VEHICLE SHIFTS VERY HARSHLY AND JERKS. I SUSPECT IT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE TRANSMISSION AND THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE.

HARSH SHIFT BETWEEN 2 AND 3, PROBABLY DUE TO ECM FAILING

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO SHIFT GEARS WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ECM COMPUTER MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 147,295.

I BOUGHT A TOYOTA RAV4 TWO WEEKS AGO, AND SAW THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE, BUT ASSUMED THAT TOYOTA WOULD REPLACE IT IF MINE NEEDED REPLACED. MY VEHICLE'S ECM HAD BEEN REPROGRAMMED, SO I ASSUMED IT WOULD BE FINE. I WAS WRONG. AFTER ABOUT A WEEK, MY VEHICLE STARTED SHIFTING HARSHLY, AND I HAD TO CRAWL ALONG A BUSY EXPRESSWAY WITH MY FOUR-WAY LIGHTS ON WITH CARS FLYING PAST ME. AND I HAD TO LIMP THROUGH INTERSECTIONS, THEN IMMEDIATELY STOP MY CAR FROM LURCHING FORWARD -- WHAT IF A PERSON HAD BEEN WALKING ACROSS THE INTERSECTION?? TOYOTA SAYS MY VEHICLE'S TOO OLD TO BE COVERED UNDER THE RECALL TO REPLACE THE ECM. ABSOLUTELY APPALLING. IF THEIR FIRST RECALL OBVIOUSLY DIDN'T WORK, OWNERS SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR A HUGE MISTAKE TOYOTA MADE. IT IS ONLY FAIR THAT THIS IS COVERED FOR THE LIFETIME OF THE CAR. IT IS NOT FAIR FOR PEOPLE LIKE MYSELF WHO HAVE TO BUY A USED CAR. I DON'T KNOW HOW THIS HASN'T BEEN INVESTIGATED YET. IT IS OBVIOUSLY A SAFETY ISSUE SEEING AS THE CAR CRAWLS THROUGH BUSY INTERSECTIONS AND SOMEONE COULD EASILY HIT YOU. OR YOU COULD BE TRYING TO MERGE ONTO A HIGHWAY AND THE CAR COULD REFUSE TO ACCELERATE AND A CAR COULD HIT YOU THEN. OR IF IT'S A SNOWY OR ICY DAY AND YOU TRY TO CLIMB A HILL, YOU COULD EASILY NOT MAKE IT UP THE HILL AND ROLL BACKWARDS INTO THE CAR BEHIND YOU. OR THE TRANSMISSION COULD GO OUT ALTOGETHER SUDDENLY, SEEING AS THIS IS A KNOWN RISK WHEN THE CAR STARTS SHIFTING HARSHLY. WE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO WAIT FOR SOMEONE TO DIE OR BE SERIOUSLY INJURED BEFORE THERE IS A RECALL FOR THE LIFETIME OF THE VEHICLE FOR THIS HUGE PROBLEM. IT IS ONLY BY THE GRACE OF GOD THAT I HAVEN'T BEEN INJURED OR ANYONE ELSE AROUND ME. *TR

I PURCHASED MY 2001 TOYOTA RAV4 IN JULY 2012,. NOW 2 YEARS LATER AND STILL OWE A GOOD AMOUNT ON MY CAR I AM HAVING THE SAME ISSUES WITH THE ECM AS THE OTHERS. I CALLED TOYOTA AND THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO TO ASSIST PEOPLE THAT ARE PURCHASING THESE CARS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN TAKEN CARE OF. THIS ISSUES I AM DEALING WITH INCLUDE THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPING AND REVVING HIGHER, OR THE LOSS OF POWER WHEN GOING FROM A COMPLETE STOP. TOYOTA HELPED THE OWNERS, WITH AN " EXTENDED WARRANTY" 10 YEARS / 150000 MILES. THAT IS ALL GOOD BUT THE WARRANTY WAS FROM THE FIRST DATE. BASICALLY FROM DAY 1. THAT IS NOT FAIR TO THE PEOPLE WHO PURCHASE THESE CARS SECOND HAND WITH NO KNOWLEDGE OF THE ISSUES. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE AND COULD CASE AN ACCIDENT CAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW WHEN IT IS GOING TO HAPPEN. *TR

WE WERE ALMOST HIT AT A STREET LIGHT. UPON ACCELERATING OUR CAR THE ENGINE DIED DUE THE TRANSMISSION OR MALFUNCTION OF THE ELECTRIC CONTROL MODULE. WE WERE LUCKY IF THE PERSON BEHIND HAD NOT SLAMMED ON BRAKES WE WOULD HAVE BEEN HIT. ALSO THE CAR HAS PROBLEMS WITH SHIFTING WHILE DRIVE ON FREEWAY. WE ALWAYS NOW STAY IN THE SLOW LANE BECAUSE WE FEAR TO PASS,

I WAS DRIVING ALONG AND CAME TO A STOP. WHEN I STARTED TO GO, MY RAV HAD NO POWER, THEN IT LURCHED AND ALMOST STOPPED. I HAD TO NURSE IT-SLOWLY ACCELERATE-IN ORDER FOR IT TO MOVE. EVERY TIME I STOPPED AND STARTED IT DID THIS. ONCE IT MADE A NOISE LIKE A HARD SHIFT FROM THE REAR OF THE CAR. I HAD TO PUT MY EMERGENCY FLASHERS ON TO DRIVE IT SAFELY, AND DROVE TO A TRANSMISSION SHOP. IN SPEAKING WITH THEM, THEY SAID THAT TOYOTA HAS A KNOWN RECALL ON THIS SITUATION! THE COMPUTER LOCKS UP THE TRANSMISSION. THEY CALLED TOYOTA AND GAVE THEM MY VIN, IT HAS NOT BEEN REPLACED. ITS GOING TO COST ANYWHERE FROM $1500 TO $5000 TO FIX, DEPENDING ON IF THE TRANSMISSION IS ACTUALLY MESSED UP OR IF IT IS THE COMPUTER CAUSING THE PROBLEM. HE HAS TO PULL THE TRANSMISSION TO CHECK IT FIRST. IF IT IS THE COMPUTER THEY SAID ABOUT $1000. WHO DO I CONTACT TO GET REIMBURSED FOR THIS RECALL? WHEN I PUT MY VIN NUMBER IN YOUR SITE, IT SAYS THERE ARE NO KNOWN RECALLS. THE INTERNET SAYS DIFFERENTLY. I NEED HELP! *TR

RECENTLY THE CHECK ENGINE DASHBOARD LIGHT ON OUR 2001 TOYOTA RAV4 CAME ON. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AN AUTO PARTS STORE THAT OFFERED A FREE DIAGNOSTIC CHECK; IT INDICATED TROUBLESHOOTING CODE P0770; THE TECHNICIAN EXPLAINED THAT THE TRANSMISSION TRIES TO SIMULTANEOUSLY SHIFT INTO 2ND AND 3RD GEARS DUE TO FAULTY SIGNALS FROM THE ECM (ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE) THAT REGULATES THE TRANSMISSION. THIS EXPLANATION SEEMED CONSISTENT WITH THE CARS BEHAVIOR (NOT CLIMBING EVEN A SMALL HILL AND HAVING TO RESTART IT) AND NUMEROUS ACCOUNTS WE'VE READ ONLINE THAT SUGGEST THE ECM DEFECT REMEDIED FOR A WHILE BY A RECALL IN 2007 AND EVIDENTLY A FEW YEARS AFTER THAT BY A CLASS ACTION SUIT NO LONGER IN EFFECT IS STILL AN ONGOING PROBLEM. WE TOWED THE RAV TO OUR CLOSEST AUTHORIZED TOYOTA REPAIR FACILITY, THEN EXPLICITLY ASKED IF THEY WOULD CHECK BOTH THE ECM AND TRANSMISSION. THE SERVICE REP GAVE A $4200 TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT ESTIMATE, BUT MADE NO MENTION OF THE ECM MODULE, EVEN THOUGH I SPECIFICALLY ASKED ABOUT THIS. 1) TOYOTA SHOULD EXTEND THEIR RECALL ON THE ECM MODULES INDEFINITELY AND PAY FOR BOTH ECM AND TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT, SINCE THIS IS A FUNDAMENTAL DESIGN DEFECT AND A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE. IF THE CIRCUITRY IN THE ECM WERE TO MALFUNCTION AT HIGH SPEEDS IT MIGHT CAUSE FATALITIES OR SERIOUS INJURIES. 2) THE SPECIFIC TOYOTA DEALER SHOULD HAVE INCLUDED THE ECM IN THEIR ESTIMATES AND MADE GREATER EFFORTS TO WORK WITH TOYOTA TO REMEDY THIS SPECIFIC SITUATION AND ALL AFFECTED VEHICLES IN GENERAL, FOR THE SAFETY AND WELFARE OF THEIR CUSTOMERS. IT WOULD APPEAR THAT THIS DEALERSHIPS SERVICE DEPARTMENT INTENTIONALLY DIVERTED ATTENTION FROM THE ECM DEFECT AND ITS LIABILITY TO AVOID THE EXPENSE AND COMPLICITY INVOLVED IN WHAT WOULD SEEM TO BE A LEGITIMATE ON-GOING SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

ECM WAS REPLACED IN 2007. NO PROBLEMS AT THAT TIME. IN MAY 2014 BRAKES PLUS MISDIAGNOSED PROBLEM AND FIXED ALMOST EVERYTHING POSSIBLE. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT NEVER WENT ON UNTIL THE DAY BEFORE THE PROBLEM. TRANSMISSION STARTED ACTING UP AND WHEN I WENT TO PASS A PERSON ON A BICYCLE SLIPPED INTO NEUTRAL. THEN IT JUMPED BACK AND FORTH LIKE TRYING TO GO FROM ONE GEAR TO ANOTHER, WITH NOTHING HAPPENING. I COULD HAVE BEEN HIT BY A TRUCK AT THIS POINT, BUT AVOIDED. TOOK THE RAV BACK TO BRAKES PLUS. THEY SAID IT WAS THE TRANSMISSION. WOULD COST $4500-5000 REPAIR. THEY NEVER EVEN CHECKED THE DIAGNOSIS - WHICH WHEN WE TOOK TO AUTO ZONE (WHICH WILL READ THE PROBLEM AS ECM). THEN TOWED THE CAR TO THE DEALER. THEY SAID THE TRANSMISSION IS "SMOKE." CALLED THE TOYOTA REP AND ONLY GOT A CASE NUMBER. OF COURSE THE CAR IS 13 YEARS OLD AND WE HAVE HAD IT 12. IT IS AT 175,000 MILES. WE CAN'T PUT ANOTHER $4,500 IN THIS CAR. THE ECM SHOULD NOT HAVE GONE OUT AGAIN. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT SHOULD HAVE GONE ON IN MAY FROM WHAT WE ASSESS CONSIDERING THE PROBLEMS WE EXPERIENCED AT THAT TIME. I WOULD NOT ADVISE ANYONE TO PURCHASE A 2001-2003 RAV4. I AM NOT SURE I'D EVERY PURCHASE ANOTHER TOYOTA. IT LOOKS LIKE TOYOTA HAS STUCK US WITH A NEARLY $5000 REPAIR IF WE WANT A NEW TRANS. AND WE JUST PUT $2,700 INTO IT IN MAY. *TR

VEHICLE ACCELERATED BY ITSELF WHILE DRIVING AT 45MPH. I HAD TO USE BOTH BRAKES TO STOP THE CAR AND EXPERIENCED A HARSH SHIFT CONDITION WHILE TRYING TO SHIFT TO PARK. DEALERSHIP CHECKED IT OUT AND STATED THAT THE ECM HAS BEEN REPROGRAMMED IN 2007 AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE ANYTHING AT THIS TIME BECAUSE NO WARNING LIGHT CAME ON DURING THE INCIDENT EVEN THOUGH I REMINDED THEM ABOUT THE CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT FOR 2001-2003 MODEL YEAR RAV4S. *TR

SUDDEN ISSUE OF ERRATIC SHIFTING AND ACCELERATION. THE ECM WAS REPLACED. HOPEFULLY THE TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN SPARED. I'VE RESEARCHED ONLINE AND UNCOVERED MANY MANY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS. I UNDERSTAND THERE WAS AN EXTENDED WARRANTY, HOWEVER, I AM STILL NOT COVERED AS THE CAR IS OVER 10 YEARS OLD. *TR