Transmission Solenoid problems of the 2002 Toyota RAV4

I bought my friends 2002 Toyota rav 4 and from the time I bought it back in March have been having problems with the the transmission. When I go to pull out into traffic it has no power and pulls out toooo slow and bucks! I have to wait till there is no traffic to safely pull out! I read where there was a recall on this problem and it was extended to 10 years or 150,000 miles. The vehicle had 136,000 miles on it! I think this was happening to her before she sold it to me and she was going to trade it in but decided to sell it private! don't know if she ever got the recall letter or not but I'm sure she would have had it repaired if she did. Anyway I am on a limited income and can't afford the part it says it needs and think that since Toyota had a mileage of up to 150,000 they should have to fix it! I did pay 700 dollars to have 2 of the solenoids replaced but that didn't fix the problem! the vehicle has been well taken care of as far as changing the oil and upkeep but am really upset! I actually bought the car for my son to take his driving test in but he can't even drive it with this happening! my concern is I think Toyota should have to fix all recalls if it is under the milage and they knew there was a problem! any help would be appreciated! thank-you.

I purchased the rav in 2007 with less than 50,000 miles. Soon after the purchase the check engine light would come on and off. When I took the vehicle multiple times to be serviced the engine light would not be on and the dealer service department did not check for codes because dealer policy is if engine light was not on, codes would not be check. This vehicle was subject to a 2007 recall on ecu and the ecu was reset per recall instructions per the Toyota dealership. Since that time I have had to replace multiple components with the most recent repair of $3,600 for a rebuilt transmission. I believe that if computer would have been checked back in 2007 these repairs (replacement of multiple solenoid, oxygen sensors and valve switch) would not have not taken, including the recent failure and replaced of the transmission and I would not be in this situation now. Per multiple Toyota service department staff, I was told this model has a history of ecu problems causing transmission failures. Resetting the ecu only masked or put a band aide on this transmission problem.

2002 Toyota Rav4: ecm computer problem causes the transmission to burn out. The ecm has a design blunder which causes it to lose its ability to control the solenoids. The transmission is damaged quite suddenly.

2002 Toyota Rav4. Car stalled on highway, barely made it up hills. Drove two hours from home to a recruiting event. Transmission shift solenoid needed to be replaced. Car has 76,600 miles on it. Slow shifting and sudden complete malfunction led to safety issues/serious potential for accidents.

I have a 2002 Toyota rav 4. After experiencing some problems with accelerating, the check engine light went on (the same evening that I experienced the acceleration problem). I took it into an auto center and they reported that it was code # p0755 - stored in system solenoid b malfunction. I was told that I would need to replace the ecm. They told me that Toyota has been having alot of problems with this and that Toyota said repairs would be covered under the federal emissions warranty of 80,000 miles or eight years from the time the vehicle was sold. Unfortunately, my car has almost 97,000 miles on it so it was not covered. . Read more...

I have a 2002 Toyota rav 4. About 1 month ago, the car begin shifting hard into reverse and second gear. At some times the shifting would stall, I. E. It would not shift into second gear right away and when it would, it would shift hard. I did research online and learned about the ecm/ecu problem that is causing 01-04 Toyota rav 4s to have trouble with shifting. I took it to Toyota and they followed the procedures on their service bulletin. They tested the ecm and said it was fine and told me I had to replace the transmission for $4,100. I took the car to a transmission care center. I had the solenoid b replaced for $560 because this was malfunctioning. The car still had the same problems after the solenoid was replaced, so I had the transmission overhauled for a total of $3,100. The tech stated there was about 200,000 miles worth of wear on the transmission, the car itself only has 90,000. There were various pieces that were not functioning properly due to wear on the transmission; these were replaced. The car is still having difficulty shifting-the same problems are occurring. I believe that it is the ecm/ecu malfunctioning. Many other people have had this same problem, where they are told the ecm/ecu is fine, have their transmission replaced and then the car still malfunctions and they have to have the ecm/ecu replaced.

My 2002 Toyota Rav4 has been intermittently not shifting into gear. It balks and clunks, and eventually shifts. This is a safety issue when entering traffic, because you don't know if the car will be able to accelerate to the speed of traffic or not. It is also a safety issue at stop lights, because you don't know if you will be able to make it across the intersection before the light changes or not. This started in January 2009, but was not consistent. In July, it finally created a "check engine" condition. I took the vehicle to a reputable mechanic, and he changed the transmission fluid and replaced solenoids, which the engine code suggested. I then took it to a Toyota dealer, and they replaced the ecm, at a cost of $1500. That did not solve the problem, and they say I need to replace the transmission for $3500. Toyota has known about this problem since 2006, and at that time issued a bulletin. However, I feel they should have issued a recall due to the safety issues and the cost involved.

Engine control module (ecm) incorrectly programmed by manufacturer leading to difficulty shifting between 1st and 2nd gears, hard shifts, jerking, misfiring, problems accelerating. Can pose a definite danger to traffic due to failure to accelerate or shift as needed while driving. Can also lead to severe transmission damage and possible failure if ecm problem is not caught and ecm replaced immediately. Check engine light occasionally comes on and then goes off - registers a problem with solenoid a & b. Toyota technical service bulletin tc002-06 details the problem and recommended repair, including replacement of ecm and possibly of transmission. After 3-4 weeks of hard shifting, problems accelerating and stuttering, diagnostics identified problem. Vehicle is currently waiting for replacement ecm and possible transmission flush.

2002 Rav4 with 95,000 miles and routine service. Began jerking and hesitating when trying to accelerate, seems like shifting problems. Three different shops - two dealerships - unable to determine exact problem. Recommended flushing transmission fluids, replacing transmission, replacing solenoid - no one was able to guarantee these fixes would correct the problem. The internet is full of hundreds of similar problems. Many people replaced transmission with no fix. The car is dangerous to drive because of stalling during acceleration. TSB #00206 issued in 2006 mentions replacing ecm. Many people who have done this have had success. Toyota should ensure all dealerships know about this problem and correct it before suggesting costly transmission replacements.

Toyota rav 4 4x4 has gear changing problems in first and second. I thought it was a solenoid then something with the transmission. Did obd diagnostic check which showed solenoid but it was the computer or ecm. We replaced it with three used computers which evidently had same defect and in process of driving under these conditions the trans was ruined. You must stop driving car get brand new ecm computer of the new series because the serial number has changed three times until Toyota fixed it finally. I had to repair trans, purchase a new computer all of which cost me $5,000. 00. Toyota never issued a public bulletin, the bulletin was only issued to car dealers while the general public was kept in the dark.

The car was running fine until one day when it started "bucking" and I experienced a significant loss of power accelerating. This occurred when I was making a left turn with oncoming traffic and resulted in the other car being forced to stop to let me pass. From a stop, car felt like it was starting in second or third gear instead of first gear. Very dangerous! limped to local shop and car was diagnosed with bad solenoid in transmission. This was replaced, drove three miles home and the same problem occurred the next day. Same code appeared during diagnosis and this indicated that the main computer (ecm) was defective. This will cost $1200 to replace. Potential replacement of transmission may be needed as well at a cost of $3500. After a search on the internet I found that this problem had been experienced by hundreds of other rav owners. My car has 86k miles and was just over the 80k mile window for the manufacturer to pay for repairs. Toyota has known about this problem since 2006, according to TSB issued. The car has been regularly serviced at the Toyota dealership.

In 2007 a recall 601 was issued by Toyota for engine control modules in Rav4s. I took my 2002 in & they recalibrated the module. I was told at the time it somehow affected the gear shift. 18 mos. Later, Feb. 2009, my transmission suddenly started slipping & jumping in & out of gear. I've owned Toyotas for 30 years & this was most unusual. I took the car to s. F. Toyota. They had a very hard time pinpointing the problem because it was sporadic. First they said solenoid, then they finally said replace the whole transmission for $4800. And that it was not connected to the engine control module. If it were, it would be covered by warranty, otherwise, not. I don't feel a transmission should suddenly go out after 78,000 with no warning. Especially on a Toyota. I almost had a very bad accident when my car slipped out of gear on the highway & wouldn't reengage. I think it's defective because there are numerous complaints on line for this year & model with the exact same problem. And I think Toyota is ignoring the problem.

I bought my 2002 Toyota Rav4 new at Toyota of hollywood, FL in 2002. My wife has been driving the vehicle and I have performed all service at the dealership. The car has only 55k miles on it. Recently the car has been experiencing hesitation when shifting. We took the vehicle to the dealership and they replaced the computer "under warranty". This is something that should have been done 2 years ago when the TSB was first put out. The TSB would have prevented this transmission problem from appearing. Now the dealership is saying that it didn't fix the problem and that they must replace the solenoids but the are not sure if that will fix the problem. Had they fixed the problem with the computer 2 years ago, we wouldn't have a problem now. The car only has 55k miles. The transmission on a Toyota should not fail in 55k miles. That's the reason I bought a Toyota. This is well know issue. Thousands of people ar writing about this issue on the internet every day. These are just some of the links. . Read more...

This "certified, pre-owned" vehicle suddenly started hesitating and has difficulty shifting from 1st to 2nd gear in an automatic transmission. The first repair, transmission flushing, did not correct the problem. It is now in the shop with a transmission specialist for a "check engine" code for solenoid/transmission problem, code 1760 and/or 770 - not covered under warranty. The first mechanic stated the transmission fluid was "burnt. " there are an unbelievable amount of documented complaints about this same problem, there needs to be a recall. I have only owned this car for 20,000 miles and owe alot of money on it. According to the complaints I have read, people are losing thousands of dollars, out-of-pocket trying to fix their vehicles. I am next. It is extremely dangerous to attempt to accelerate onto the highway when the transmission won't kick in. I have had several close call accidents.

In the past few years the check engine light kept coming on and my local dealer would fix something that was supposed to be causing the problem twice. The 3rd time Toyota had a recall on the computer and reprogrammed the ecu. Now the 4th time the car would not go when pushing the pedal or it would stop in traffic with the hopes of not getting into a wreck. Barely made it back to the dealer who said it had a bad main computer failure and the "shift solenoid b" was bad. All this with only 83k miles. This seems somewhat very low to be having this kind of a problem. I contacted Toyota, gave them the info and they investigated and said it was way out of warranty so the case is "closed". The total cost of repair was to be $4998 but with the dealer giving me a "one time good will 50% split and a senior citizens discount", it had a final price of $3,725. 63.

I own a 2002 Toyota rav 4. The vehicle has been running great. One day 1st & 2nd gear began to slip. The car will accelerate then just stop until 1st gear catches abruptly jolt. The transmission is automatic. The car has just over 87,000 miles. After researching I saw there were several vehicles with the same exact problem. Toyota did put out an alert stating that there are computer problems but those forms were not sent to the owners only to the service centers. Now I have to take my vehicle in have solenoids changed and possibly the engine computer. These are the problems listed in the alert sent out. If Toyota knows 2002 rav 4's are having these issues why have there been no recalls. I also must say that it is unjust that we as consumers have to spend thousands of dollars on parts and labor for what it seems to be manufacturer defects. I've added a link where one can view several other complaints on the same defect. Thank you for your time. . Read more...