Transmission Solenoid Problems of Toyota RAV4

Yesterday my car drove perfectly fine. Today, I am pulling out of my driveway trying to accelerate, there was a delayed reaction, then a thud and the car jumped forward at the time of the thud. It did it again when I pulled into a parking space, propelling the vehicle forward suddently after the thud was heard again. When I put it in reverse, the thud was heard again, not as loud. All of my driving was on city streets, but due to the sudden lerching forward after the thud sound, I kept a very wise distance from vehicles in front of me. This happened both in stationary and also while in motion. It feels like a transmission problem, although I have read about issues with ecm solenoids. This car has record of being serviced on a very regular basis. It has about 148k miles on it.

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Takata recall" I was driving on a city street on my way home late afternoon. . . Auto started to jerk and felt like something was pulling at it. . . It slowed up then jerked again. . . It continued on. . . I was driving at 45 speed limit. . . As I was turning the shifting was sounding like it was sticking. . . I parked it at home and next morning I had it checked and diagnosed as solenoid problem causing transmission burnout. . . Also Toyota revealed problems with the ecm and transmission failure.

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The vsc/trac light came on while driving. Also transmission started acting funny. From a stop sign it would hesitate and then start with a jerk. While driving at a constant speed the rpms would go up and down. I took it to an auto parts store to have them read the error code. They said it was a solenoid problem within the transmission. I took it to a transmission shop and they checked it out and ordered a remanufactured transmission. Total cost was over $4,600. Since the transmission was replaced have had the car back 3 times in 2 weeks with same problem. Today, 1-23-17, I drove it about 1 mile and vsc/trac light came on again. I took it back to transmission shop and left it running. They came out and tried to use their scanner but had some difficulty so they turned off the engine and when they tried to restart it the engine would not turn over. So the car now has been towed to tunex since they have more diagnostic equipment. On the internet I see article that claim that the problem with these 2001 thru at least 2005 ravs is the ecm. The site of other deal. Com says this is a very common problem because of defective ecms from the manufacturer. There was a class action suit against Toyota that covered transmission problems on 2001-2003 ravs. Seems like whether it is the ecm or the transmission or both that Toyota should be held responsible.

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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.

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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.

Primary complaint: purposeful deception regarding full benefits of extended warranty of ecm and/or transmission replacement under class action milligan vtoyota. The events leading to my transmission issues began in 7/ 2012. I had problem getting out of my parent¿s steep driveway so I took it to the garage that had been changing my oil in sissonville wv. Upon diagnostics they reported to me a solenoid code which indicated a possible transmission issue. I was referred to aamco transmissions, however the check engine light had been reset and they were unable to get any codes. After being told it could possibly be something with my exhaust as well, I was referred to quality exhausts but was unable to be seen. Then proceeded barker¿¿s in dunbar. After test driving and evaluating he stated I had broken motor mounts. I made an appointment 7/18/12. When the technician placed my car on the rack he stated he was not sure what was wrong but it was not motor mounts and with the symptoms it was having I should have my transmission looked at. I had it towed to love Lexus in saint albans. There I was told my ecm was in need of replacement. He explained it was under warranty. I was caught off guard due the age of the vehicle. He went on to say the ravs have had some problems with these computers and an extended warranty was placed and applied to them. The harsh shifting had not been completely resolved. In 9/12 my check engine light came back on. I took it back to love Lexus and explained the condition as stated above. I asked if they would please test drive it to make sure they understood my complaint. After the diagnostics were complete I was told a fuel sensor had gone bad and was in need of replacement. Part 1 of 2.

I have a 2004 Toyota Rav4. The check engine light and vsc light came on while driving at 30 mph. Noticed that as I continued to drive home at approximately 65 mph, the car was not shifting into overdrive and the rpm's were very high. Took it to the dealer, and they said the code showed that the solenoid was bad. The part was replaced at a cost of $750. Then told that did not correct the problem, needed a new transmission and another $4300. I know there was a class action lawsuit for the 2001-2003 Toyota Rav4 transmissions, think it should have been expanded to include the 2004 as the problems seem to be the same. This problem is dangerous and could have caused serious accident and damage to myself or others. Bought a Toyota for reliability and what I thought were great vehicles. Very sad when I read all of the complaints with this vehicle. I know what my next car will not be.

I have a 2004 Toyota Rav4. The check engine light came on and after about 20 miles the car started shifting hard and finally wouldn't get in gear. Took it to the dealer, and they said the electronic control module (ecm) is at fault (error p0766- shift solenoid d stuck). They replaced the ecm but the problem persisted. The dealer told me the only way to fix the problem is to replace the transmission. I spoke to Toyota corp but they told me the problem with the shift solenoid is a "wholly" separate issue. I told them about the 2001-2003 extension of warranty that Toyota did the Rav4 but they refused to cover the transmission replacement. This problem is very dangerous because the transmission can just disengage from the motor and leave you stuck in the middle of the road when you pull out of driveway or on the ramp entering a highway.

After 148,603 miles on my 2002 Rav4, the transmission began shifting back & forth between 1st & 2nd gear with violent shaking. Shifting from drive to reverse also caused violent/loud clunking. A scanner was used to retrieve trouble codes which yielded a p0755 code (shift solenoid malfunction). Upon research on various Toyota Rav4 forums I found many others with same symptoms.

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.

We recently encountered a problem with our 2003 Toyota Rav4 where the transmission intermittently seemed to slip when engaging first gear from a stopped position, shifted harshly between first and second gears, or at times seemed to slip between shifting from first and second gear. The result of the hesitation to shift gears represents a real safety issue in traffic, and we feared this issue would cause an accident. We immediately stopped driving the vehicle and took it to our local Toyota dealership (apple valley Toyota in martinsburg, wv) to look into the problem. We dropped off the vehicle overnight, and received a call from the dealership the next day informing us that we needed a new transmission (quoted $3800). Researching this issue on the internet, we found the known issue with the ecm for this model year vehicle, and the fact that Toyota has known about the issue since at least 2006- although they did not inform the owners of these vehicles, nor did the mechanics at the dealership seem to know that this was an issue- despite a 2006 TSB on the subject. Unfortunately we did not find this out until after we had taken the vehicle to another shop and had the transmission rebuilt and the solenoid box replaced. Now, after almost $4000, we are still experiencing the same issue with the transmission which has left the vehicle undrivable. We feel that Toyota has a responsibility to their customers and that this is clearly a safety issue that warrants a recall. And that even if a recall is not ordered, they should have at least alerted their customers to this issue and prepared their dealerships on how to identify and resolve the issue correctly. Please be proactive and investigate this issue before lives are lost. This problem makes operation of the vehicle unsafe!.

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.

My 2003 Toyota Rav4 had a very harsh shift into reverse, hesitant shift or no shift into 1st. If it did shift into 1st, there was a ramp up in rpm to 4000+ and shaking to get from 2nd to 3rd. I took it to a certified mechanic who did a full diagnostic and informed me that there were no problem codes, however I should flush the tranny fluids to begin with. After a complete flush, the problems didn't go away so I did some research on Rav4 transmission problems and discovered the ecm issue with my model. I had the ecm serviced and a vast majority of the issued were solved, however the faulty ecu had already done permanent damage to the transmission where it had a horrible shift from 2nd to 3rd (a horribly harsh shift into 3rd gear with rpm ramp up to 5000+ rps) requiring additional work from a certified mechanic to replace solenoids and transmission work.

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.

My 2003 Toyota rav 4 has had the transmission rebuilt twice, the computer replaced, and the solenoids replaced twice. My mechanic once thought the ignition switch was burning up the solenoids. I am at my wits end. I have had the vehicle in the shop six times between June 2009 and October 2009 for the same transmission problem. It shifts fine for about a week, and then the same thing: it becomes unreliable as to whether it will shift into 2nd or 3rd gear properly. It jerks, it slips, at other times it revs up to 4000 rpms before it goes into gear and then it lurches forward like a rocket. Sometimes the rear wheels skip off the pavement. I haven't been involved in an accident yet, but it's a matter of time. I cannot merge into traffic like normal vehicles and I fear being rear-ended from a stopped position. I feel like putting a sign on the back of the vehicle explaining why I'm not moving. I just got the vehicle back from the transmission shop Thursday. By Friday, the transmission was already slipping again. I wanted to pull off the highway and cry. I paid $2400 to have the transmission rebuilt and fortunately, all of my return trips were covered by the transmission warranty. But I have also paid $1300 in rental vehicles for all the time the rav 4 was in the shop. I did find the Toyota service bulletin, but the codes from my vehicle did not match the codes in the bulletin. Toyota, please help us! we just want our cars fixed! what the heck is wrong with them? are they all lemons? my Rav4 has 93,000 miles on it. I am the 2nd owner, it has a clean title, and was manufactured in japan.

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.

March 2009 vehicle check engine light came on and I took vehicle to autozone for a diagnostic check. Check indicated that the shift solenoid was bad. I took vehicle to Toyota of bedford and was told I had to get another diagnostic because they don't take diagnostic from other places, so that cost me $100. After their diagnostic check was performed, they claimed it was just the gas cap and turned the light off. Within a couple of weeks the light can back on while I was driving on the freeway. In June 2009, the car started having shifting difficulty, getting stuck in a gear then jerking out of it. I took it to a foreign car specialist shop and they changed the transmission fluid, I drove it for a few weeks again, then it shifted hard while driving and the check engine light came on again. I have to get off the freeway sometimes when the car gets stuck in a gear and won't accelerate!!! I read complaints exactly like mine with the 2001 Toyota rav 4 and can't believe nothing is being done. This is dangerous and not a driver error, this is clearly a manufacturer error. Why do you have to wait until someone gets killed before a recall can be ordered. This a part that should never be defective and if it is it should be fixed without question.

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Toyota 2001 Rav4 transmission shift problem since March 2009. Approx miles to date 95,750. When I first took it in, I checked with autozone for diagnostic check which was free because the check engine light came on. I then took the readings to Toyota who told me they wouldn't accept autozone's diagnostic and I had to get another one from them which cost $100. Then they told me it was just the gas cap and turned the check engine light off. Within 2 days, after my e-check, the light came back on has been on ever since. I have taken it back several times for oil changes and they never said that there was a problem. The diagnostic from autozone stated the shift solenoid was bad but Toyota said it was the gas cap. I have done some research and I am now aware that I am not the only one with this type of problem. This is shameful that they choose to ignore this serious malfunction to get major money from the consumers. I am more upset with the fact that I bought the car in may of 2006 and they knew then that there was a problem. The warranty is a joke, that's a major part that they won't honor and they are purposely ignoring it so that it's not covered or their problem. Why wait until someone gets hurt or killed because they don't want to own up to their defective parts. My car will get stuck in first gear and jump to second very hard. I have taken the car to a foreign car repair shop last spring and they did a quick fix by trying to see if replacing the transmission fluid to see if that worked but it lasted for only a week. During my last maintenance check at Toyota, I was told I probably had six months, still never acknowledging that it was a defect in their part or that it was covered. It's not fair to the consumer to be ignored and taken advantage of by this company. Please don't ignore our complaints they are real and serious.

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.

My 2001 Rav4 developed a shifting issue, and eventually produced a check engine code, which indicated an issue with the transmission solenoid. The transmission shop tells me that I need a new transmission at the cost of $3200. They also tell me that this is a common issue with the 2001-2003 Rav4s, and that Toyota is aware of it. A techinical service bulletin was issued in 2006, indicating that there was an issue with some Rav4s, and that the ecm should be replaced - if not the transmission may be ruined. I was never informed of any possible issue, and now my vehicle is ruined. It is extremely dangerous to drive, and would not shift into gear correctly. This is a safety issue in that I was unaware that there was any issue, and until the check engine light came on, I was unaware that my car may not shift correctly at any given moment.

Fall '08 2001 Toyota Rav4 began stalling unexpectedly while changing gears between 2 and 3 rpms. Sudden jerks and halts occur after coming to complete stops and attempting to accelerate to go. Diagnostic test claims solenoids but Toyota dealership suggests replacing ecm and/or transmission. An expense of about $4500 without guarantee of fixing the problem. Extremely dangerous when driving in highway, keeping up with traffic pace suddenly halts and looses power.

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...

Car wouldn't shift properly. Toyota dealer said I needed a new transmission due to a problem with the solenoid. After internet searching the problem, I asked that the local repair shop replace the computer (much less costly) and the car started working again. An internal memo to dealers stated that this was a common problem on the make/model but the local dealer did not mention such a memo. I only found it after searching online.

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...

Rough shift in low gears causing engine to rev but car does not move. Had solenoids replaced, problem still exists. Told ecm needs to be replaced but other owners said this has not corrected the problem. Car revs but goes no where and creates dangerous situation especially in dense traffic with big trucks.

My 2001 Rav4, with just over 80k on it, went belly-up. Two days before the extended warranty expired (bought it certified used), the transmission started slipping, disabling the car 2 hours from home. The dealer it was towed to said they couldn't find anything wrong with it, put in 3/4 qt of tranny fluid, called it good. In February, after it was out of warranty, it once again died on a trip, again 2 hours away from home. The dealer I had it towed to this time said it needed a new transmission. The code was p0770 for solenoid malfunction. After long negotiations with Toyota they replaced the transmission.