2002 Toyota RAV4 Electrical System Problems

THE PAST COUPLE WEEKS MY CAR HAD BEEN LAGHING MORE AN MORE WHEN AT COMPLETE STOP. THIS PAST WEEK IT HAS BEEN THE WORST. WHENEVER I TRY TO ACCELERATE FROM.A COMPLETE STOP MY CAR WITH LAG AND JERK LIKE IT IS TRYING TO SHIFT INTO GEAR BUT CANT. WHEN I TOOK IT IN TO A TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST THEY SAID IT WAS MY ECM AND THAT THIS YEAR SPECIFICALLY HAS HAD PROBLEMS RECORDED FRON OTHERS WITH THE SAME ISSUES WITH THE EMC. ONE INCIDENT I HAD SPECIFICALY WAS WHEN INWAS TRYING TO GO UP A MOUNTAIN TO GET TO WORK MY RPMS WERE SPIKING AS MY RAV WAS TRYING TO SHIFT GEARS TO GET UP THE MOUNTAIN AND MY CAR STALLER OUT. I HAD NO CLUE IT DIED UNTILL I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE MOUNTAIN AND TURNING MY STEERING WHEEL BECAME A STRUGGLE. I HAD TO PUT ON MY E BREAK JUST TO STOP AND TRY AND TURN IT ON TO SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL SO I COULD GET DOWN THE MOUNTAIN. I HAVE HAD SERVERAL CASES WHEN I HAVE ALMOST BEEN RE ENDED BECAUSE OF THE JERKING HAS BEEN SO ROUGH.

THE ECM WHICH CONTROLS THE TRANSMISSION FAILED.

ECM MALFUNCTION. *TR

MY MOTHER HAD THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE FIXED JUNE OF 2013. SHE HAD TO PAY FOR THIS REPAIR HERSELF BECAUSE TOYOTA REFUSED TO FIX IT, EVEN THOUGH THEY SENT LETTERS OUT TO PEOPLE SAYING THAT THEY WOULD COVER THE COST TO REPAIR THIS KNOWN ISSUE. AFTER 1900.00 LATER, SHE PAID FOR IT. A YEAR LATER I OWN THIS SAME VEHICLE AND THE SAME THING HAS GONE BAD. ITS JUST OUT OF THE WARRANTY. I ALMOST GOT HIT DUE TO THE CAR STALLING WHEN I PULLED OUT AT AN INTERSECTION. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM, AND IT WAS PAID FOR BY ANOTHER FAMILY MEMBER. YET IT HAS THE SAME ISSUE. TOYOTA NEEDS TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. HORRIBLE COSTUMER SERVICE. *TR

THE ECM MALFUNCTION. *TR

ON STARTING, THE CAR THE BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON. A MONTH OR SO LATER I NOTICED A CLUNKING IN THE TRANSMISSION AS THE AUTOMATIC WENT TO A HIGHER GEAR. THIS PROBLEM STILL REMAINS. *TR

TOYOTA 2002 RAV4, AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION PROBLEM WHEN SWITCHING INTO FIRST / SECOND GEAR, CAR WILL HICCUP, AND OR NOT ACCELERATE AS EXPECTED. AAMCO TRANSMISSION SPECIALISTS CONFIRMED DEFECTIVE ECM MODULE FAILURE, AND REQUIRE A FULL TRANSMISSION REBUILT. TOYOTA APPARANTY KNOWS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, AND HAS ISSUED SERVICE ADVISORY, BUT NO RECALL. PROBLEM CAN RESURFACE ANY ANYTIME, VERY HIGH POTENTIAL FOR ACCIDENTS AS CAR WILL FAIL TO ACCELERATE OR JUST STALL WHEN ENTERING INTERSECTIONS AND OR FREEWAYS.

FEDERAL EMISSIONS WARRANTY FOR THE ECM ON 2001-2003 TOYOTA RAV4'S PALM SPRINGS TOYOTA FAILED TO NOTIFY OR ADVISE THAT THIS MUCH NEEDED REPAIR NEEDED TO BE DONE, HOWEVER DID NOTIFY AND REPAIR THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS OF OTHER REPAIRS IN THE OPEN AVAILABLE AND ALLOTTED TIME FRAME THAT THIS ECM SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPLACED.

AUTO: 2002 TOYOTA RAV4 ISSUE: ECU OR ECM COMPLAINT: TOYOTA REFUSES TO REPAIR ANY TRANSMISSION DAMAGES ASSOCIATED WITH THE FAULTY COMPUTER PART. DESCRIPTION: WHEN PRESSING THE GAS WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A COMPLETE STOP, THE TRANSMISSION WILL NOT SHIFT PROPERLY. JERKY MOVEMENTS IN THE LOWEST GEARS AND REVERSE; SLUGGISH WHEN PEDAL FULLY PRESSED. CURRENT RESOLVE: TOYOTA WILL REPLACE THE ECM, THOUGH THE PART WILL TAKE 2-3 WEEKS DUE TO HIGH DEMANDS. TOYOTA WILL NOT REPAIR ANY OTHER TRANSMISSION DAMAGES ASSOCIATED WITH THE FAULTY PART. *TR

I HAVE A TOYOTA RAV4 AND ITS COMPUTER BROKE. WE TOOK IT TO MANUFACTURE AND THEY SAID THE COMPUTER IS FREE TO REPLACE UNDER WARRANTY, HOWEVER, THEY CHARGE US REPAIR COST AROUND $700. IS IT LEGAL TO CHARGE FOR THE REPAIR FOR ANYTHING UNDER WARRANTY? *TR

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR RAV 4 WITH MY SON ABOARD. THE CAR BEGAN EXPERIENCING TROUBLE ACCELERATING, CAR WOULD HESITATE, THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN IT WOULD LURCH FORWARD. IT WAS TOTALLY UNSAFE TO DRIVE AT THAT POINT. I HAVE LEARNED THAT THIS IS DUE TO A FAULTY ECM WHICH HAS CAUSED THIS VEHICLE TO BE EXTREMELY UNSAFE. II TOOK THE CAR TO MY MECHANIC AND SURE ENOUGH THE CAR SHOWED THE P0755 OBD II CODE WHICH INDICATES THAT THE ISSUE IS WITH THE ECM. F LEFT UNATTENDED, THE TRANSMISSION WILL REQUIRE REPLACEMENT AT A COST OF $4000 - $5000. I TALKED TO TOYOTA ABOUT IT AND THEY SAID A REPAIR WAS COVERED UNDER A CUSTOMER SUPPORT WARRANTY EXTENSION PROGRAM (*CASE # 1010011845). HOWEVER, NOW I TALK TO FITZGERALD TOYOTA IN GAITHERSBURG (JUDITH) AND THEY INDICATE THAT THEY HAVEN'T EVEN HEARD OF THIS PROGRAM. *TR

I RECENTLY HAD A FAILURE OF THE CONTROL MODULE (ECU), I WAS TOLD BY MY MECHANIC THAT THIS PROBLEM CAME UP FREQUENTLY FOR RAV 4S OF YEARS 2002 AND 2003 AND THAT TOYOTA WAS AWARE OF THIS ISSUE SINCE 2006 ' BUT NEVER RECALLED THE CARS! AFTER SEARCHING ON THE INTERNET I NOTICED THAT THERE WERE HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS REGARDING EXACTLY THE SAME ISSUE AND EVEN A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT FOR THE SAME MATTER FILED IN 2009. THE REPLACEMENT COST ME $758.50 TO REPLACE (WITH A REFURBISHED ONE) AND I HAD TO RENT A CAR DURING THE REPLACEMENT PROCESS ' WHICH COST ME $131.32 ' THEREFORE A TOTAL OF $889.82. *TR

2002 TOYOTA RAV4 ALL OF A SUDDEN WOULDN'T SHIFT BETWEEN 3RD AND 4TH GEAR. TO OK IN IMMEDIATELY INTO DEALERSHIP TO BE CHECKED. SAID IT WAS THE ECM. IT WAS ALREADY TAKEN IN FOR RECALL AND IS ANOTHER MALFUNCTION OF SAME PROBLEM. IF YOU DRIVE IT WILL RUIN YOUR TRANSMISSION. I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED IN THE DEALERSHIP AS THEY ONLY SAID TO CALL TOYOTA. I HAVE DONE THAT AND AM WAITING A RESPONSE. THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS ON THIS AND 220,000 TOYOTA VEHICLE HAVE ISSUES. MY CAR ONLY HAS 56000 MILES ON IT AND SHOULD STILL BE COVERED BUT THEY STOP AT 8 YEARS. I AM 25 DAYS PAST WARRANTY. DUE TO THEM KNOWING AND ALREADY RECALLING THEM THEY SHOULD BE LIABLE. *TR

MY 2002 TOYOTA RAV4 CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THE LIGHT WENT OFF A FEW DAYS LATER, BUT MY HUSBAND TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT. THE MECHANIC SAID THE ECU (COMPUTER) FAILED. A FEW DAYS LATER THE CAR HAD PROBLEMS SHIFTING, AND IT STARTED BUCKING ON THE HIGHWAY. I DID SOME RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET, AND CAME TO FIND OUT THAT THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECT WITH THE 2002 TOYOTA RAV4. THERE WAS A TOYOTA INTERNAL MEMO WRITTEN IN 2006 ADMITTING THE DEFECT. MY HUSBAND AND I BOUGHT THIS CAR BRAND NEW. THE CAR HAS ONLY 60,000. MILES ON IT. WE CALLED TOYOTA TO SEE IF THEY WOULD HONOR THE WARRANTY (WE ARE THREE MONTHS OVER THE WARRANTY) AND THE DEALERSHIP SAID NO, AND TOYOTA HEADQUARTERS GAVE US A CASE NUMBER, AND REFERRED US BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP. WE HAVE BEEN LOYAL TOYOTA CUSTOMERS. WE ALSO BOUGHT A 2007 TOYOTA SIENNA. IT IS UNCONSCIONABLE THAT A COMPANY IS PUTTING ITS CUSTOMERS AT RISK WITH A DEFECTIVE PART, AND THEN HIDING IT FROM THE VEHICLE OWNER. WE NEVER RECEIVED A MEMO ABOUT THE DANGER OF THIS VEHICLE. DOES SOMEONE HAVE TO BE KILLED IN ORDER FOR OUR GOVERNMENT TO GET INVOLVED? TOYOTA SHOULD BE ORDERED TO REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE PARTS THAT IT WILLFULLY SOLD TO ITS CUSTOMERS AND THEN TRIED TO COVER IT UP! *TR

MY 2002 TOYOTA RAV4 BEGAN HAVING PROBLEMS SHIFTING IN APRIL 2010. IT WAS INTERMITTENT, AND WASN'T CAUSE FOR CONCERN UNTIL MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON IN MAY 2010. THE SYMPTOMS OF THE PROBLEM WITH MY VEHICLE ARE THAT IT STALLS, HESITATES, AND HAS A STOP / GO (JERKING) TYPE OF ACTION WHILE DRIVING IT. AT THAT TIME, I TOOK IT TO A SERVICE TECHNICIAN AT MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER WHERE I PURCHASED BOTH OF MY TOYOTAS. THEY TOLD ME THAT THE ECM HAD TO BE REPLACED AND WOULD COST AROUND 1,300 DOLLARS. MIND YOU, I HAD TO PAY 75 DOLLARS FOR THE DIAGNOSTIC CHECK. THE FOLLOWING WEEK, I TOOK MY RAV4 TO A LOCAL TRANSMISSION SHOP, HAD IT DIAGNOSED FOR A SECOND OPINION AND HE CONFIRMED THAT THE ECM UNIT WAS BAD AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, WHICH COST ME YET, ANOTHER 75 DOLLARS FOR THE DIAGNOSIS. HE ALSO INSTRUCTED ME NOT TO CONTINUE TO DRIVE THE CAR BECAUSE IT COULD POSSIBLY HARM THE TRANSMISSION. SINCE DOING SO, I HAVE BEEN DOWN TO ONE CAR FOR TWO AND A HALF MONTHS BECAUSE I SIMPLY DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO HAVE IT REPAIRED. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH ONLINE, I FOUND OUT THAT TOYOTA HAS KNOWN ABOUT THIS PROBLEM SINCE 2006. IT IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE WHEN ENTERING TRAFFIC, OR TRYING TO MOVE FROM A STOP LIGHT OR STOP SIGN, AS YOU DON'T KNOW WHEN THE CAR IS GOING TO SHIFT INTO GEAR OR NOT. TOYOTA HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL, NOR HAS NOT DONE ANYTHING TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE. I AM DISGUSTED THAT IN 2006 TOYOTA REALIZED THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH THE ECM, WHICH COULD RUIN THE TRANSMISSION. INSTEAD OF LETTING CONSUMERS KNOW ABOUT THIS ISSUE AS SOON AS THEY REALIZED, THEY SENT A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN TO DEALERSHIPS AND SERVICE AREAS, BUT FAILED TO LET THEIR OWN CUSTOMERS KNOW. ACCORDING TO INTERNET RESEARCH, THIS PROBLEM GENERALLY STARTS AROUND 90,000 MILES AND CAUSES CONSIDERABLE DANGER WITH JERKING AND SHIFTING PROBLEMS. ACCORDING TO INTERNET RESEARCH, THIS PROBLEM GENERALLY STARTS AROUND 90,000 MILES AND CAUSES CONSIDERABLE DANGER WITH JERKING AND SHIFTING PROBLEMS. *TR

WAS DRIVING IN A 55 MILE HIGHWAY CAR FELT LIKE WAS DRIVING THROUGH SLUDGE. ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THEN CAR STARED JERKING GOT TO SIDE OF ROAD AND HAD TOWED TO TOYOTA DEALER SHIP SAID THE TRANSMISSION CHIP WAS BAD COST AROUND $1300.. AND NEW TRANSMISSION ALTOGETHER WOULD COST ME $6000.*TR

AFTER HAVING AN OXYGEN SENSOR REPLACED IN THE EXHAUST SYSTEM OF MY 2002 TOYOTA RAV4 ON 02/02/10, I NOTICED THAT MY CAR BEGAN ACCELERATING SLUGGISHLY. APPROXIMATELY 50 MILES AFTER THE SERVICE WAS PERFORMED, I NOTICED MY CAR JERKED WHEN SHIFTING THROUGH GEARS 1-3 AND THE TACHOMETER WOULD REV TO 3000 RPMS. THE CAR THEN RAN FINE FOR APP. 4 DAYS WITH NO GEAR SLIPPAGE. A WEEK LATER THE GEARS STARTED SLIPPING AGAIN WITHOUT WARNING AND THE CAR SEEMED TO HAVE NO POWER WHEN THE GAS PEDAL WAS FULLY ENGAGED DURING A RIGHT HAND TURN TO MERGE WITH ONCOMING TRAFFIC. THE CAR THEN BUCKED VIOLENTLY. THIS RESULTED WITH MY PASSENGER AND I BECOMING ANXIOUS/SCARED BECAUSE WE DIDN'T KNOW IF THE TRAFFIC COMING TOWARD US WOULD HAVE HIT US IF WE SUDDENLY LOST POWER. I IMMEDIATELY DROVE MY CAR HOME WHERE IT HAS REMAINED PARKED AND SET AN APPOINTMENT WITH A TOYOTA DEALER EXPLAINING THE PROBLEMS. ACCORDING TO SIMILAR STORIES FROM FELLOW RAV4 OWNERS, THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE CAUSING IRREVERSIBLE DAMAGE TO THE TRANSMISSION. I AM TAKING THE CAR TO THE DEALER TO HAVE IT 'OFFICIALLY' DIAGNOSED ALTHOUGH IT ONLY CODES TO HAVE THE O2 SENSOR REPLACED, WHICH I DID. *TR

2002 TOYOTA, RAV4, MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, THE CAR ONLY HAS 50,000MILES ON IT, I HAVE JUST RECENTLY HEARING ABOUT THIS SAME PROBLEM WITH MANY OTHER TOYOTA RAV 4 OWNERS. *TR

MY 2002 TOYOTA RAV4 HAD ISSUES WITH THE ECU (COMPUTER) WHICH CONTROLS THE GEAR SHIFTING. THE SYMPTOMS ARE STALLING/PAUSING BETWEEN 1ST AND 2ND AND/OR 2ND AND 3RD GEAR. WHEN IT HAPPENS, PRESSING ON THE GAS HAS NO EFFECT - CAR DOES NOT ACCELERATE. OCCURS QUITE FREQUENTLY AFTER THE PROBLEM SURFACES. ON 10/8, AS I WAS TAKING A LEFT TURN ONTO A MAIN ROAD, I HAD A STALL AND COULD NOT ACCELERATE. THERE WAS AN ONCOMING CAR THAT HAD ENOUGH TIME TO STOP AND DID NOT HIT ME. I HAD MY MOTHER AND 14 MONTH OLD DAUGHTER IN THE BACK. I RESEARCHED THE ISSUE ONLINE AND FOUND THIS SAME COMPLAINT FOR HUNDREDS OF RAV4 OWNERS. THE ECU (COMPUTER) FAILS AFTER SIGNIFICANT MILEAGE (I'M AT 135K), CAUSING THE TRANSMISSION TO BE AFFECTED. IF THE ECU REPAIR DOES NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM, THE TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REBUILT. I HAD THE ECU RE-BUILT FOR $1,413 ($1200 FOR THE PART ALONE) AND IT SEEMS TO HAVE FIXED MY ISSUE. *TR

I HAVE A 2002 RAV 4 WITH 60K MILES AND THE ECM IS FAULTY AND IS CAUSING MY TRANSMISSION TO SLIP, FLARE UP, AND ALMOST GOT ME KILLED IN CAR ACCIDENT AD MY VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVE IN TRAFFIC UNTIL IT FINALLY GRABBED AND WENT FORWARD. NOW, I HAVE TO SPEND $4000 TO HAVE MY TRANSMISSION FIXED AT 60K MILES. I AM OUTRAGED THAT TOYOTA HAS NOT RECALLED THIS FAULTY COMPUTER ECM. IT'S DANGEROUS AND DEFECTIVE AND NEEDS TO BE RECALLED. I WILL BE CONTACTING AN ATTORNEY AS 1000'S OF OTHERS ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM AND DISCUSS A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT. *TR