Automatic Transmission problems of the 2002 Toyota RAV4 - part 2

I had the same issue that was supposed to be fixed by Toyota in 2007. It concerns technical service bulletin (tc002-06). After driving the car for thirty minutes, the car would then start to shift harshly/delayed shift causing a loss of acceleration. I had this service done in 2007 and then last month had to have the ecm replaced because of the same issue.

Having issues with Toyota rav 4 gear shifting transmission issue vehicle diagnostics report indicates p0750 failure Toyota release a TSB in March 06 and yet my dealer did nothing to replace the ecm even in my service done in 2008 I am now at 101k miles.

Rav 4 2002 owner. I started having trouble with shifting on my automatic transmission rav 4. When starting out to drive, it does not shift smoothly. It feels like the emergency break is on (it isn't) then it "jumps" or surges forward. Finally, after a week or two of this the "check engine light" came on and the car will l not shift thru all the gears. I went online and found that thousands of other owners of rav 4's (2001 thru 2003, but apparently especially 2002) have described my exact experience. The part required costs $1,000 ( and this does not include labor!). Then, once it is put in, you get to learn if your gear box has been destroyed! if so, another $5,000 to $7,000 repair! and Toyota knew!!!!! this is outrageous!.

On February 25th 2010, while attempting to enter 105 freeway, my 2002 Toyota Rav4 refused to accelerate, almost resulting in my car been rear-ended. This progressed into erratic shifting.

My wife was driving our 2002 Rav4 last week, she pulled away from a stop sign and our 2002 Rav4 started jerking and then slowed to a sudden stop right in the middle of the intersection. After a "scary moment", it started driving normally again. We took the car to our mechanic the next day to have the transmission serviced, it was about due . We were told the transmission is probably "shot". While shopping on-line for a replacement, I came across numerous web sites with hundreds of Rav4 customers experiencing the same transmission problems! turns out he problems were identified, by Toyota themselves a few years ago, as a malfunctioning ecm (electronic control module) causing the failures of the transmissions within 50 miles of driving. Toyota notified their service techs, but did not notify it's customers of this problem. We maintain our vehicles routinely and have never had any problems with the rav. But this is a serious safety issue. A car stalling in the middle of an intersection is extremely dangerous if not deadly. Toyota motors has known about this safety issue for years, and they have the responsibility to inform their customers of such dangerous situations and to repair and/or replace any malfunctioning parts in their customers cars that could cause such a situation.

I have a 2002 rav 4 with 139k miles on it. Lately my car has been having trouble shifting from first gear to second gear. I noticed it within the last two weeks of February. But there would be days when it would act normal and it was fine and some days it had its problems. Within this past week it has become worse. Now when my car comes to a complete stop and tries to shift it would hesitate, jerk, shift again and become almost idol and then go. This would make me not want to stop at all when driving because I don't know if it will just die on me. I would get really afraid if I would get rear ended for my car having trouble shifting. The problem is the transmission and the ecm. In order to fix the problem I have to get the transmission fixed which costs over $1,000 dollars. I did some research and noticed I am not the only one with this problem. I think that Toyota should recall all 2002 rav 4 because of its faulty transmission and I shouldn't have to pay so much. I could've caused an accident with my car but that's not my fault and Toyota already knows it's a problem but is not doing anything about it.

Week of 2/23/10 snow day driving home and my vehicle started having shifting problems with out warning. The next day the problem seemed to be un noticeable. Week of 3/1/10 on my way home from work the problem started again with out warning. This time it was severe shifting problems. I drove it to a Toyota dealership and was told I needed a new transmission. This is turning out to be a several thousand dollar problem. I did research online and found that hundreds of Toyota customers have had the same problem. I found that Toyota has known about the problem for years but only covers it if found under the warranty period if the problem presents itself. But after that Toyota place the financial burden on their customers for the known problems found between the ecm and the transmission. Mileage on day of incident is aprox 97,000 miles. It seems like Toyota's unsaid motto is lets sell vehicles with known defects, don't tell out customers, and do noting for our customers. Too many people have the same problem around the same mileage. I was told that I was buying a rock solid car because it was Toyota. With me having to bare the financial burden of a known problem tells me that Toyota does not and will not back their products. . Updated ivoq 11/12/10.

I am the original owner of a 2002 Rav4 and have been taking it to Toyota for service. As I was leaving work at 5pm one Friday, my car would hard-shift into first and struggle even more to get to second, etc. I drove it straight to Toyota carlsbad. They contacted me the following day after changing the transmission fluid. They said I needed a new transmission and computer. Come to find out there had been a service bulletin in 2006 that only Toyota knew about that recognized the potential for transmission problems. I was not informed of this when I had the transmission serviced by Toyota in 2007. The total cost to me would be $4800 without tax, which I could not afford. Since I needed my car for work and I take care of my elderly mother, I scrounged together the nearly $2000 for the computer replacement as well as the thermostat replacement (the idiot light code said it had a loose wire, and not total replacement!). I was told the transmission would definitely need to be replaced in a very short time, and they suggested I purchase another car very soon. The service bulletin should have been shared with me, the client. They knew about and kept the potential problem from me and now the problem is a costly one to repair. I would like Toyota to replace the transmission for free and reimburse me for my costs to replace the computer. After researching this Rav4 problem, I have learned that this has been a big and continuing problem for 2002 Rav4 owners and should be investigated. I believe that the computer (or ecm) was the cause of this problem. I am hoping the transmission will not have to be replaced. I purchased this expensive (for me) Toyota because it was said to last longer than other vehicles. I truly think this problem needs to be brought to the light and included in the federal investigation of Toyota.

I own a 2002 Toyota Rav4, which I bought 2. 5 years ago. I recently had to have my transmission rebuilt and clutch replaced after it suddenly began slipping gears. I had no prior warning light alerting me that there was a problem occurring with my cars engine. The transmission repair shop had done extensive repair and ultimately had to keep my car for three weeks trying to determine why it still wouldn't run properly. It was finally taken to freeman Toyota in petaluma CA to have the computer "flashed". My mechanic was told the computer was dead and would need replacing for just over $1,000. 00. I had already been quoted $3,300. 00 for prior repairs to the transmission and clutch. Had I been alerted by an a warning that the engine was having problems, I could have avoided needing to replace the transmission and clutch. I have since learned that Toyota had a "dealer" recall for the 2002 Toyota Rav4. The freeman Toyota dealership has denied this. I am out $4,300. 00 and am a single mom with ms.

Pulling away from a stop, the transmission acted like it was slipping and would not speed up. I drove the vehicle 1 mile home, with similar slip/shift issues. In addition, when I shifted between drive and reverse in my driveway, the transmission has a hard clunk. I had the ecm refurbished at my own expense, and the problem appears to be mostly gone. I am still concerned about slightly erratic shifting between second and third, and am concerned that the transmission may have been damaged. If this problem would have occurred at highway speeds, which I drive routinely, there would be a safety issue at the 75mph speeds that are normal on i15.

Purchased 2002 Toyota Rav4 new from Toyota dealer in October 2001. Experienced hard shifting several years ago when traveling uphill and a highway speeds. Told that the car was shifting fine. Now the engine control module needs to be replaced and possibly the complete transmission. Toyota issued a TSB in 2008 but I was never informed. This is a very dangerous situation since the car can stop at any time.

2002 Rav4 faulty ecm damaged my transmission. I bought this car for my daughter for college and it ran fine for 3 years until now. The car started jerking (pulling) when accelerating the car. I did my research on the internet and found out about the problem with the ecm. I found hundreds of complaints from other Rav4 with the same problem. I decided to call Toyota and opened a case number. A week later I called them back and they told me that the warranty no longer cover this. I also found out that Toyota never notified customers about this problem reported on bulletin tc002-06 dated 3/3/06. I received a recall for "check engine light" but never received a recall to replace the ecm. I took the car to the dealer and they said I have to replace both the ecm and the transmission and it will cost me about $3000, which I think this could have been prevented if Toyota would have replaced the ecm earlier.

One day out of the blue my truck had trouble accelerating each time I came to a stop, it then alternate between jerking forward and hesitating before it actually got going. I had to try not to hit anything in front of me and not get hit by the car behind me thinking I'm taking off. I was terrified merging onto the highway because it wouldn't accelerate and then did the hesitating and jerking thing. Went straight to mechanic, diagnostics showed possible transmission issue. Which would cost $4,200 new and about $3k used. Did online research and found hundreds of same complaints and recommendations to replace ecm before it did ruin the transmission. I took the chance and replaced the ecm and truck is running fine now. I had called my Toyota dealership who told me my warranty was up (5yrs/50k miles - and I am at 70k miles). Could not get thru to Toyota headquarters because of gas pedal recall. This is dangerous and research shows Toyota knew of this problem since 2006 and has not done a recall. Total cost: $1,300 for new ecm and $300 for car rental.

I am the owner of a 2002 Toyota rav-4 with 60,000 miles and have a transmission issue. I read online that this has been a recurring issue with 2001-2003 Toyota rav-4s and that Toyota has known about it since 2006, yet they continue to sell them. My issue started in January of this year, when I noticed that the vehicle stalled going from 1st to 2nd shift. Then all of a sudden it jerked and moved forward, sometimes doing this several times continuously until reaching about 35 miles/hr. It was hard going up hill and at times felt unsafe with vehicles traveling very close behind me. I brought it to the Toyota dealership and they told me that it was the ecm sensor that went. They also mentioned that they had seen this issue with many other rav-4s and Toyota issued no recall. So this was fixed and within a couple of days my car was bad again. I contacted Toyota, and they charged me again to look at it and them told me that the transmission went due to this sensor issue and I needed a new one. Also that although it was Toyota's problem, they would not cover it. They wanted to charge over $6000 and when calling other transmission specialists they wanted anywhere from 3000-5000. This is a huge issue for not just myself but I'm sure many other consumers who are left feeling unsafe driving these vehicles and without the cash to fix it. I haven't driven it in weeks, since the last time I drove it I was pulling out onto a busy street and I had plenty of time to make it onto the road but in the middle of my turn my car felt as if it would stall and took a while before it got into 2nd gear to drive off. In the meantime a car that was driving at about 30-40miles/hr was coming at me and I barely made it onto the rode and drove off in time. Had the car been any closer, and he was pretty far initially, he may have hit me. I don't feel safe driving this vehicle and have read of others failing on the freeway. This is not right. I hope that an accident or even death doesn't result.

Toyota 2002 Rav4 transmission jerks, car doesn't run right, computer problem causes tranny failure.

2002 Toyota Rav4, while putting in drive the car stalls for a second then jerks into gear. . . I had ecm work done for 1300. 00 dollars and the car still jerks into gear and sometimes there is no power. . . I am worried that my wife will be in traffic and the car will lose power causing an accident.

My Toyota 2002 Rav4 with only 55,000 started having problems with transmission and I took it in as soon as problem started and was told at dealership I needed to replace the whole transmission and install a rebuilt. The repair cost $3400 and after a day of driving I had to take car back to dealer as it was still not running right and then I was told that the ecm needed replacing which they said they did at no cost to me which is very hard to believe. I am totally disgusted that after taking care of my car and at only 55,000 miles the transmission had to be replaced. Another disturbing issue is that Toyota issued a bulletin regarding this problem but the consumer is still stuck with the repair which is very costly. I also asked them to please return my old transmission and was told that I could not have it. If it was replaced and it is my property why could they not return the transmission to me so that I could be sure that it was replaced. When I took my car back as it was still not running right I was told that they could not figure out what the codes meant and why the car was not running and was told the harness needed to also be replaced and then they changed their story saying that the paint from the rebuilt transmission was too thick and that is why the cables were not making the connection. I took my car to a Toyota dealer for service and these people clearly were giving me the run around. I called Toyota corporation to file a complaint and they only gave me a 20% discount of $640 towards the !@#$% transmission which I still had to pay the dealer the full amount and I have to submit a whole bunch of paperwork so that I can get my discount. It seems Toyota cars are not are good as they claim to be.

On the evening of December 21, 2009, I was driving our 2002 Toyota Rav4, exiting a major shopping center, in a long line of vehicles at a slow speed. Suddenly the engine stalled (something that never happened before). I restarted the engine and moved a few car lengths, still in a long line of slow moving vehicles and the engine stalled again. I restarted the engine and was able to proceed home (about 10 miles) without further difficulty. The next day, December 22, 2009, my wife used the vehicle to do some shopping. During her trip she made 4 uneventful stops and restarts. At her 5th stop, at a traffic light at an intersection (on a very busy highway) she stopped for a red light. She then proceeded from the red light - but the engine stalled again. My wife was able to restart the engine, but as soon as the gear shift was put into drive, the engine stalled again. Repeated attempts to restart the engine and move the car were unsuccessful. My wife was stuck in the middle of an intersection with trucks and cars passing around her with horns blowing. A passing motorist ultimately came to her assistance and pushed the vehicle out of the intersection to the shoulder of the highway out of potential danger. When I arrived at the location, I also could not drive the vehicle. The engine would start, but engaging any drive position (d, 2, 1, r) would cause the engine to shut down. The vehicle(with 88,000 miles) was towed to my repair shop. The shop diagnosed an ecm/transmission problem - and then transferred the vehicle to a transmission shop for further diagnosis and repair on December 23, 2009.

One day, out of the blue, my 2002 Toyota Rav4 started having trouble getting full power in 1st gear, and often slipped when going from 1st to 2nd, and 2nd to 3rd. Since this was so sudden, I often had trouble getting up to speed when pulling into traffic. There were no accidents, but a few close calls. I had the ecm (engine control module) replaced the next day because my mechanic said that this was a fairly common failure for the Rav4, and Toyota had put out a TSB for this problem. Unfortunately, I was well past the mileage needed to get this done under warranty.

No problems were apparent until overnight the transmission appeared to be slipping. Independent mechanic cited failing transmission as probable issue. Toyota dealership stated the ecm/ecu was failing. Turns out ecm was defective in the model year of this vehicle. Toyota' response was to "reprogram/reflash" defective ecm. This only postponedthe failure of the ecm. The defective ecm would send incorrect codes to the transmission stuttering or halting shifts thus leaving the vehicle effectively in neutral. This stuttering/slipping quickly destroys the transmission. The failure of the ecm would not allow the transmission to shift which put us in danger of being in a rear end collision while trying to get onto busy highways or stalling in an intersection. This occurred multiple times in the trip to the dealership alone (the vehicle went in the next open business day after the first occurrence). The failure occurred in the first three gears. This is a very serious safety issue which was given an ineffective solution. The dealership replaced the ecm at a significant cost to the consumer. When asked about the defective ecm, the service department stated the replacement of the ecm, although agreed to be defective, was the responsibility of the consumer and not Toyota.

My Toyota Rav4 (2002) with less than 90,000 miles has been slipping and it has caused me to be in some pretty risky situations, such as nearly getting into a fatal car accident when stopping and trying to proceed again at stop lights and stop signs. Apparently the ecm is causing damage to the transmission and instead of them trying to fix the problem as a company, they are recommending me to spend over 4,000 to fix a problem that they have fell to resolve. It has become a financial nightmare and I don't want to have to choose between my house and my car because I need both!.

While starting up from a red light, I felt the trans slip, then bang into 2nd gear. It would continue to buck and slip, than would catch and run smooth. I thought something had happened to the trans, although I only have approx 48,000 miles on the car. Turned out to be a faulty ecm which Toyota is apparently aware of and was replaced under warranty. I fell this could have potentially been dangerous and I very easily could have been in an accident, but did not really drive the car after the initial incident.

Problems with shifting was doing it several times a week - jerked real hard when shifting & was slipping - was initially told it was the transmission and/or the ecm now they tell me the problem is supposedly the ecm. I have been without car now for several months. Initially as I was told the transmission needed to be replaced & I don't have that kind of money. Found another mechanic & have had several opinions. My mechanic has sent the ecm to a place in texas that can rebuild the ecm for about half the cost of a new one however now, they can't get parts for the last month to repair the ecm because of the recalls. This should also be a recall as there are over 200 complaints on my year, make & model for the same problems that I have experienced on just one website. I am so frustrated - where can I go to get help from Toyota??? can you please look into the ecm & transmission on the 2002 Toyota Rav4? thank you for any help you can give.

I have a 2002 Rav4. About 2 months ago, I noticed that when I accelerated, my car hesitated and then jumped into gear. The problem worsened, and when I took it to be looked at, the mechanic informed me that the repairs to the damaged transmission would cost close to $4,000. After researching Toyota rav 4 + transmissions, I quickly found many sites stating that many people are having this exact same problem with their Toyota 2001 - 2004 rav 4 transmissions, and that the problems are due to a faulty computer that Toyota has know about for years.

Problem appeared without warning. The transmission became sluggish at low speeds and from a stop at stop signs and stop lights, creating a hazard of being hit by other vehicles in intersections. Also a rough shift (automatic transmission) between first and second gears, resulting in same hazard as above. These problems match Toyota's technical service bulletin tc0002-06, 3/3/2006. Immediately took it to dealer shop, they replaced transmission. Problem persisted!. Shop replaced ecm, and problem fixed. Toyota had implied a problem existed w/ ecm in the TSB back in 2006. They further admitted fault now by providing via the local dealer a "one time good will warranty" on the ecm. I believe that if Toyota had recalled the ecms or extended the warranty back in 2006 and replaced mine at that time, I would not have had my transmission replaced for $4126 parts and labor. I assume dealer disposed of old ecm.

Without warning, the transmission on my Rav4 started shifting erratically and then it stopped altogether in the middle of heavy traffic! I almost had a serious accident. As it was all there was a minor ding.

In March 2006, Toyota sent dealers a technical service bulletin 002-06warning them that some consumers might complain about harsh shifting. It said improvements were made to the computer ?manufacturing process to reduce the possibility of this condition occurring. ? it then told the dealers to replace the module and if that did not work to replace the transmission. But consumers owning the vehicles were never notified about the problem. This is exactly what my car is doing, I was never informed of this defect when I bought my 2002 Toyota Rav4 used in Nov 2007 from Toyota of butte mt. And of course it isn't covered under any warranty or recall now - only up to 80,000 miles before the ecm starts to malfunction. I was quoted the fix to be around $900. 00 and that's if it hasn't caused damage to my transmission by now. I'm a single working mom of 3 kids on a very limited income - I can't afford to have this fixed and now I'm without the only car my family has because driving it is an extreme safety hazard with it's current problems. As I pull out into traffic the car decides to not shift (as if it were in neutral) right in the path of oncoming traffic - nice job Toyota. I think that this should be a covered recall on these vehicles before someone is killed!!!!!!!!.

I have a 2002 Toyota Rav4 with 110,000 miles on it. The transmission has just failed. What a dangerous situation, doesn't want to go, so you take off from a stop sign & you're in the middle of traffic & there you sit trying to get the car to move. To correct the problem the transmission needs to be replaced & I don't have $5000 to repair this. It is my understanding that Toyota was aware of this problem and has done nothing about it. Nice.

I bought a 2002 Toyota Rav4 in Nov 2001. Sometime in Nov 2009, I was driving on I-25 southbound when suddenly the Toyota down shifted gears and slowed down from about 65 mphto 45 mph. As I pressed on the gas pedal, it began to upshift and gain speed. The transmission was beginning to act up at lower speeds about once a week at times more often. The Toyota had about 86,000 miles. After doing a google search for 2002 Toyota Rav4 transmission problems, I discovered this problem began about 35,000 miles on some Toyota. I called the Toyota dealer service department and they were aware of the problem but reported that Toyota would not own up to it. Google search reports reported that the problem was reported to NHTSA and suggested others to report the problem. One reported that his wife was almost killed by the highway instant speed reduction.

I have a 2002 Toyota rav 4 that is having acceleration shifting problems. Reading online it is from a faulty ecu in the car which is causing the car to shift at improper times which is ruining the transmission. The problem comes and goes- when I bring it to Toyota they claim nothing is wrong with the car. Also looking on line there are many more people that have the same type of issue with their rav 4's as well.

Approximately 3 weeks ago I began noticing hesitation, jerking, and slipping coming from what I thought was the transmission. When the problem continued, I took it to a local big ten tires to see what they thought. They thought it was a defective engine mount. That did not remedy the problem. I realized then it was a transmission problem. I took it to the dealer that sold me the vehicle,and they confirmed that it was a transmission problem, but they told me to live with it because it was intermittent! they did not tell me it was the same problem that at least hundreds if not thousands of 2001-2003 rav 4 owners are having as we speak, namely, a defective engine control module (see new york times article dated 8/26/09). The defectively designed ecm is sending the wrong messages to the transmission. This causes the transmission to malfunction. This presents two problems: over time it destroys the transmission and more importantly, it is a safety hazard. On two occasions I pulled out in traffic and the transmission suddenly (without warning) refused to shift from first to second. This hesitation almost caused other vehicles to hit me. It finally "jerked" into gear and I was able to avoid the collisions. Had it not done so, I could have been seriously injured. It is an absolute disgrace that Toyota has known about this problem since at least as early as 2006 when it issued a TSB to it dealers pertaining to this exact problem. I am going to be honest. I also think it is a travesty that Toyota has not been forced to make a recall. To conclude that this is not a safety issue is flat out wrong. Just because it does not occur on the "open highway" is, with all due respect, ludicrous. I can be just as seriously injured if my car is hit by someone going 40 mph because I can't get out of their way. No parts have been replaced. Please do the right thing and make Toyota fix this problem do not let this become another pinto gas tank case. Thank you.

Transmission problems with 2002 Rav4: the "checking" engine light on my car was on a week ago, then the next day, I put my car to koons Toyota at tysons, virginia for checking the problem, also I requested 120,000 mile service. After service was completed by koons, I found that my car has the harsh shifting occurs, meaning that, at the low gear, when stepped on the gas pedal. My car hesitates to shift into the second gear. After push further on the gas pedal, my car jumped harshly into the second gear, rather than smooth driving as prior to the service. The next day, I brought my car back to koons to report the "harsh shifting" problem, they test drove my car and agreed that there is some jerking occurs at low gear. They recommended me to continuously drive the car, hoping that the car will adjust itself to the new software programming that they used. I continued drive for a week while carefully listen to my car: the "hard shifting" problem still exist. Then last night, the "check engine" light was on again. I immediately brought my car to koons dealer at tysons to correct the problem. After checking it again, koons told me that the problem caused by the "engine control module" (e. C. M. ) and recommended me that first to replace the e. C. M. , and if that doesn't solve the hard shifting problem, second is to replace the transmission next. I think this problem definitely not cause by me, rather by koons and Toyota manufacturer. Now I do not know what to do. Thank you for listening. Daniel bui.

2002 Toyota Rav4 with auto transmission, 94k miles; transmission is not shifting between 1st and 2nd gear in a safe manner. The rpms reach 4000 - 5000 before transmission shifts to 2nd gear. This is dangerous when merging on a highway ramp as the car is not shifting to reach higher speeds in order to merge safely. Also, in stop and go traffic, car is not shifting into 2nd gear in a timely manner and could cause life threatening accidents due to rear-end collisions.

Apparently with all the chatter about Toyota Rav4s there is clearly an issue with the transmissions. Mine as well has started to slip and buck in and out of 2nd gear. An investigation is definitely warranted and should lead to a recall by Toyota.

In the middle of a trip, after stopping, the transmission started jerking when switching gears. Since then it has been an intermittent problem. Sometimes it downshifts for no reason, sometimes it doesn't fully engage into first gear. Sometimes it works fine. Sometimes it has trouble accelerating going uphill, it will downshift and rev to redline and won't shift to the next gear. I took it to the dealer, and they said that they couldn't find anything wrong, that it worked for them. But then they also offered to replace my transmission.