2006 Toyota RAV4 Powertrain & Transmission Problems

TAMARA RECALL ENGINE FAILURE ALMOST CAUSED A MAJOR ACCIDENT. DEALERSHIP TELLS ME THE IT'S AN RECALL BUT, IT HAS NOW EXPIRED. I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW A SAFETY RECALL CAN EXPIRE. I NEED HELP FROM AN ATTORNEY ON THIS MATTER. BECAUSE THIS ISN'T RIGHT. CAN YOU RECOMMEND AN ATTORNEY? THEY SAID THEY COULD ONLY DO NEW RINGS AND NEW PISTONS BACK THEN BUT NOW TOYOTA WILL NOT EVEN DO THAT. SO NOW I JUST HAVE A 5,000 BILL FOR A NEW ENGINE.

LOSING OIL ENGINE MAKING NOISE NO POWER

WE PURCHASED A 2006 RAV4 LIMITED THE FIRST WEEK OF MARCH 2019. A REAR DIFFERENTIAL COUPLING GROWL NOISE WAS NOTICEABLE A MONTH AFTER WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. WHILE DRIVING THE REAR END STARTED MAKING A GROWLING NOISE. IN EARLY JANUARY 2015 TOYOTA ISSUED A WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM (ZF4) FOR YEARS 2006-2012 RAV4 TO HAVE THE DEFECTIVE BEARING REPLACED, BUT THEY PUT AN EXPIRATION DATE OF APRIL 30TH 2017 OR 9 YEARS FROM THE DATE OF FIRST USE REGARDLESS OF MILEAGE. I CAN'T UNDERSTAND HOW YOU CAN PUT AN EXPIRATION DATE ON A DEFECTIVE PART. THESE BEARINGS COULD GO BAD AND SEIZE AT ANY TIME POSSIBLY CAUSING AN ACCIDENT WITH INJURIES OR EVEN DEATH. WE HAPPEN TO OWN TWO OF THESE VEHICLES, SAME YEARS, ONE MAKING NO NOISE AND NOT GOING BAD YET, BUT THE OTHER DECIDED IT WAS TIME. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THIS REAR DIFFERENTIAL COUPLING BEARING, NOT A WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM. TOYOTA HAS ALREADY ACKNOWLEDGED A DEFECT WITH THE BEARING BY INITIATING A WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM, YOU CAN'T JUST SAY AFTER APRIL 30TH 2017 NO OTHER BEARINGS WILL FAIL AND IF THEY DO WE PASS THE BUCK ON THE PROBLEM. THANK YOU FOR HEARING MY CONCERNS, I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING BACK FROM YOU. I WOULD LIKE TO DEBATE THE ISSUE WITH ONE OF THEIR REPRESENTATIVES WITH YOU LISTENING, I'D RIP'EM APART. IT IS TIME THESE BILLION DOLLAR COMPANIES OWN UP TO THEIR MISTAKES AND NOT PASS THE BUCK TO THE LITTLE GUY. THANK YOU AGAIN, (XXXX). YOU CAN CONTACT ME AT (XXXX). PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

REAR DIFFERENTIAL COUPLER IS FAILING. EMITTING AN AWFUL NOISE AND GETTING WORSE. SPOKE TO TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE. THEY TOLD ME THAT THE ENHANCED EXTENDED WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED AT THE END OF LAST YEAR. I DID NOT KNOW ABOUT THIS, UNTIL THE PART HAS WORN OUT. (DEFECTIVE) IT IS A $1400. PART PLUS LABOR TO INSTALL. THEY CANNOT EXTEND THE ENHANCED EXTENDED WARRANTY ACCORDING TO THE RULES THAT NHTSA HAS SUGGESTED. DON'T YOU THINK IT IS TIME FOR NHTSA TO REQUIRE THAT TOYOTA RENEW THIS REPLACEMENT, OR CALL IT A RECALL FOR THEIR DEFECTIVE MANUFACTURING PROCESS?

WHEN TRYING TO BACK UP A HILL, THE TRANSMISSION POPS OUT OF GEAR AND THEN BACK INTO GEAR. WHEN IT POPS BACK INTO GEAR THE CAR LUNGES IN AN UNCONTROLLABLE MANNER. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS! I HAVE READ THAT THIS IS CAUSE BY PREMATURE WEAR-OUT OF THE REVERSE CLUTCHES AND THE FIX IS A NEW $4000 TRANSMISSION. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT TOYOTA SHOULD AT LEAST PROVIDE AN ASSISTANCE PROGRAM TO REPAIR. THE PROBLEM IS CONTINUOUS, IT WAS ALWAYS OCCUR WHEN TRYING TO BACK UP A HILL.

TRANSFER CASE NOISE; QUELLING NOISE IS COMING FROM ENGINE ( I HEAR THIS NOISE AT LOW SPEED BETWEEN 20 MILES AND 40MILES). WHEN I PUSH GAS PEDAL VEHICLE DON,T PICK THE SPEED, ENGINE RUNS FAST AND IT JUMPS TO GET ITS SPEED.

BOUGHT USED 2006 RAV 4 FROM WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A REPUTABLE TOYOTA DEALER IN LAKE CITY FLORIDA.WITHIN 2 WEEKS OF BUYING THIS CAR CHECKED OIL AND IT WAS 2 QUARTS LOW.NOW ABOUT EVERY 1000 MILES OR LESS THIS VEHICLE IS USING NEARLY 2 QUARTS OF OIL.PLEASE HELP IN THIS MATTER.THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE MY DAUGHTERS GOING OFF INTO THE WORLD VEHICLE BUT ITS TURNING OUT TO BE A PIECE OF CRAP.AND A WASTE OF MONEY.I KNOW TOYOTA IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND WILL DO NOTHING TO FIX IT.LAKE CITY TOYOTA ARE RUDE AND HAVE DONE NOTHING TO HELP IN THIS PROBLEM. AND IN HINDSIGHT BUYING THIS CAR THEY WERE VERY SKETCHY IN THE WAY THEY GOT US THERE TO BUY IT IN THE FIRST PLACE.NOW I KNOW WHY.I JUST WANT THIS VEHICLE REPAIRED.WE LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE ABOUT IT.BUT ENGINE FAILURE AND OR CATALYTIC CONVERTER ISSUES DOWN THE ROAD IS SADDENING FOR A VEHICLE WE JUST PAID 7000 DOLLARS FOR.TOYOTA WE WILL NEVER BUY AGAIN. *TR

LOUD GRINDING SOUND AT APPROX 40MPH, EASILY REPLICATED AND SOUNDS AS IF SOMETHING IS STUCK UNDERNEATH CAR. DEALER REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE FAULTY PARTS OR COVER ANY REPAIRS. *TR

I HAVE A 2006 RAV4, BUILT IN NOVEMBER, 2005. MY CHECK ENGINE, VSC AND 4WD LIGHTS LIT UP ON AUGUST 16, 2013. AFTER REFERRING TO THE MANUAL AND FOLLOWING DIRECTIONS YIELDED NO RESULT, I KEPT DRIVING AND WENT TO A TOYOTA DEALER THE NEXT DAY. I WAS ADVISED THE TRANSMISSION IN MY CAR HAD FAILED AND I NEEDED A NEW ONE. THE TRANSMISSION HAD BEEN FLUSHED ON 9/18/12 WITH 59,767 MILES ON MY CAR, THE DEALER MARKED THE TRANSMISSION FLUID "GOOD" ON 6/17/13 WITH 65,143 MILES AND THERE WERE ONLY 66,319 WHEN THE TRANSMISSION FAILED IN AUGUST, 2013. BEING STRANDED OUT OF TOWN FOR THREE DAYS ALLOWED ME TO FIND NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE TRANSMISSION FAILING IN RAV4'S WITH LOW MILEAGE. THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO WARNING THAT A HUGE PROBLEM AND EXPENSE WAS ABOUT TO OCCUR (WHICH IS STRANGE WHEN AN ALARM BLEATS, REQUESTING FASTENING OF THE SEATBELT, WHEN A GALLON OF MILK IS PUT ON THE PASSENGER SEAT.) AND THERE IS NOTHING IN THE MANUAL TO EVEN SUGGEST THE LIGHTS THAT LIT INDICATE A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. I HAVE FILED CASE #1310310749 WITH TOYOTA AND AWAIT THEIR FOLLOW UP ON PROMISES MADE. I WILL HAPPILY PROVIDE COPIES OF ANY PAPERWORK, SHOULD IT BE REQUESTED. I WOULD ASK FOR THE TRANSMISSION FAILURES TO BE LOOKED INTO AS WELL AS THE TOTAL LACK OF CLARITY AND/OR DIRECTION IN THE MANUAL. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. *TR

DRIVE SHAFT BROKE. *TR

WHILE DRIVING FROM MARYLAND TO MAINE FOR A VACATION, I NOTICED MY TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING AND GRINDING GEARS FREQUENTLY IN THE RANGE OF 20-35 MPH. I NOTICED IT HAPPENING MORE FREQUENTLY DURING SLOWDOWN FOR MAKING A TURN AND THEN ACCELERATION TO RESUME DRIVING. I DID NOT HAVE ANY ACCIDENTS, BUT THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING MORE FREQUENTLY. I HAD PREVIOUSLY REPORTED THE PROBLEM, WHEN IT HAPPENED LESS FREQUENTLY, TO MY DEALERSHIP (DARCARS OF FREDERICK) AND THEY TOLD ME THAT 1)THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE SOUND DURING THEIR TEST RUN AND 2) IF SUCH A THING HAD HAPPENED, MY ECU WOULD HAVE MADE A NOTE OF IT AND RECORDED IT. SINCE THERE WAS NO RECORD OF IT HAPPENING, IT WAS NOTHING. HOWEVER, UPON READING SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE RAV4 02-03 MODELS, REGARDING TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS, I FIND THAT THEIR ISSUES OF HANGING BEFORE SLIPPING INTO GEAR, GRINDING GEAR AND NOT FINDING THE GEAR AT ALL ARE THE SAME ONES I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING IN MY '06 RAV4. COULD IT BE THAT MY ECU IS BAD? YES, BUT MY DEALER WON'T ACKNOWLEDGE THAT POSSIBILITY. THEY CHECK MY FLOOR MATS, BUT NOT THE ECU FOR FAULTY ISSUES. THIS IS MY PRIMARY VEHICLE AND I TRANSPORT MY DAUGHTER IN IT ALL OF THE TIME. I AM WORRIED ONE DAY I AM GOING TO BE DRIVING AND GET INTO A SERIOUS ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF THIS ISSUE. I HAVE ALL OF MY MAINTENANCE RECORDS AND RECENTLY HAD THE TRANSMISSION FLUSHED AND FILLED COMPLETELY. I USED OEM FLUID AND AM ON SCHEDULE WITH ALL OF MY MAINTENANCE. *TR

MY TRUCK HAS HAD 4 INCIDENTS OF DANGEROUSLY LOW OIL LEVELS. TOYOTA HAS SERVICE BULLETINS OUT REGARDING OIL CONSUMPTION AND MY MODEL OF THE 2006 TOYOTA RAV4 REGARDING FAULTY PISTONS AND RINGS. I HAVE BROUGHT MY TRUCK TO TOYOTA 4 TIMES FOR THIS ISSUE AND TOYOTA REFUSES TO FIX THE PROBLEM UNDER MY WARRANTY STATING THAT I AM OUT OF WARRANTY EVEN THOUGH MY FIRST COMPLAINT WAS 10/13/13 AND MY WARRANTY EXPIRED JAN 2013 T-SB-0094-11 IS THE TOYOTA SERVICE BULLETIN. *TR

WHEN PLACED IN REVERSE GEAR CAR BOLTS OR JUMPS. LOUD NOISE. EITHER REVERSE GEAR OR TRANSMISSION IS FAULTY. HAS GOTTEN WORSE OVER THE YEARS.

AT APPROXIMATELY 81000 MILES, RAV-4 STARTED TO BURN OIL AT A RATE OF TWO QUARTS PER EVERY 3000 MILES. NOW AT 120,000 MILES, IT BURNS ONE QUART EVERY 1000 MILES. BY COMPARISON, MY 1987 TOYOTA CAMRY DOES NOT BURN A DROP. *TR

OUR 2006 RAV4 CREATES A GROWLING SOUND FROM THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL AREA WHEN DRIVING AT 35 TO 40 MPH. THE SOUND GOES AWAY WHEN ACCELERATING ABOVE 40 MPH. THE NOISE IS BECOMING MORE PRONOUNCED WITH TIME. TWICE THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO IDENTIFY THE CAUSE. RESEARCH ONLINE LOCATED TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN TSB-0080-13 WHICH DISCUSSES SYMPTOMS VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT OUR RAV IS EXPERIENCING. A CALL TO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP RESULTED IN BEING INFORMED THAT DETERIORATION OF THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL COUPLING DUE TO CONTAMINATED BEARING COULD BE THE PROBLEM, AND THAT ESTIMATED COST OF REPAIR COST IS $1,925. I ASKED IF FAILURE OF THE COUPLING COULD BE CATASTROPHIC, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL. THE ANSWER WAS NOT LIKELY UNLESS DRIVING ON SLIPPERY SURFACES. THIS VEHICLE IS REGULARLY MAINTAINED, AND HAS NOT BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT. IT IS DISAPPOINTING THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT AN IMPENDING FAILURE OF THE DRIVETRAIN. IS THIS A FLAW IN THE ENGINEERING/DESIGN THAT WENT INTO THIS VEHICLE? WHAT ELSE CAN BE DONE BEYOND INFORMING OTHERS IN THE INTEREST OF THEIR PERSONAL SAFETY? *TR

WHEN STARTING UP FROM A STOP, THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFTS PROPERLY FROM 1ST TO 2ND GEARS HOWEVER WHEN IT SHIFTS FROM 2ND TO 3RD GEAR, IT APPEARS TO MOMENTARILY GO IN TO NEUTRAL WHERE THE ENGINE WINES OUT BEFORE QUICKLY BANGING INTO THIRD GEAR. VERY HARSH SHIFTING. THIS APPEARS TO OCCUR ONLY AFTER THE TRANSMISSION HEATS UP AFTER DRIVING FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES OR LONGER. AFTER THIS OCCURS, IT WILL DO THIS EVERY TIME WHEN STARTING FROM A STOP. I HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS TO THE DEALER FOR SOME TIME HOWEVER WAS ONLY RECENTLY ABLE TO PROVE IT TO THEM. I WAS THEN TOLD THAT I WOULD NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION FOR ABOUT $4000.00. *TR

AT APPROXIMATELY 60,000 MILES I NOTICED WHEN I BACKED UP I HEARD A LOUD CLUNKING NOISE IN WHAT SEEMED TO BE THE REAR. AT APPROXIMATELY 62,000 MILES I TOOK IT TO MY DEALER AND IT WAS DIAGNOSED AS A "TRANSAXLE" PROBLEM. *TR

2006 TOYOTA RAV4 V-6 ENGINE. SUDDEN AND MASSIVE LOSS OF ALL ENGINE OIL. DEALER IS AWARE THAT THIS IS CAUSED BY A DEFECTIVE OIL HOSE. NO RECALL ISSUED YET. DEALER STATES "WE'RE JUST FIXING THEM AS THEY COME IN". I WAS FORTUNATE I WAS CLOSE TO HOME. ENGINE WAS BONE DRY OF OIL IN LESS THAN 3 MILES. SHOULD THIS HAVE HAPPENED FURTHER AWAY; 1. ENGINE WOULD HAVE SEIZED. 2. POTENTIAL FIRE - THE UNDERSIDE OF VEHICLE WAS COVERED IN OIL AND COULD HAVE EASILY IGNITED. TOYOTA NEEDED TO RECALL THIS DEFECTIVE PART. NOT "JUST REPAIR AS THEY COME IN." *TR

2006 TOYOTA RAV 4 RUBBER OIL HOSE (PART NO. 15707-31010) RUPTURE SPEWED OIL ALL OVER ENGINE AND ROAD. VEHICLE HAS 61000 MILES. THE 2008 AND LATER MODEL RAV 4'S NOW USE A DIFFERENT METAL PART (PART NO. 15772-31030). LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO GET TO THE BREAKDOWN AFTER NOTICING ENGINE SMOKING FROM EXCESS OIL. THE DEALERSHIP WILL ONLY INSTALL ORIGINAL PART NUMBER FOR THE 2006 AND 2007 RAV 4 MODELS, EVEN THOUGH APPARENTLY THE 2008 METAL PART IS SUPERIOR. *TR

MY 2006 RAV4 SPORT THAT OCCASIONALLY HAS PROBLEMS WITH ACCELERATION, THIS USUALLY OCCURS RIGHT AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE AND CAN LAST UP TO 15 MIN INTO THE DRIVE. OCCURS WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP, YOU PRESS THE GAS PEDAL AND RECEIVE A VERY SLOW RESPONSE FROM THE VEHICLE; ALMOST AS IF TRYING TO DRIVE WITH THE E BRAKE ON. ONCE YOU HAVE REACHED 5-10MPH IT ENGAGES AND GOES, BUT UNTIL THEN IT IS VERY UNSAFE. THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE WHEN MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN, ALTHOUGH YOU WOULD NORMALLY HAVE ENOUGH ROOM AND TIME TO TURN AND BE OUT OF THE WAY FOR INCOMING TRAFFIC, IF YOU DON'T COMPENSATE FOR THAT ADDITIONAL LAG , YOU COULD GET T-BONED. *TR