I purchased the Rav4 in late July, 2013. The Rav4 had 78,000 miles on the odometer. I paid $9,000+ for the Rav4. At 80,000 miles the automatic transmission began having shifting problems such as jerking between gears, very sluggish response during acceleration and horrendous gas mileage. I get about 8 miles per gallon. Took it to the dealer, they ran diagnostics on my car and discovered that the problems fall "within the parameters" of the service bulletin no.: tc-10-034 except the "in service" date of my vehicle was March 8, 2003 thereby making me ineligible for the 10 year warranty by 4 months. This is ridiculous!!! this is a Toyota screwup and has nothing to do with road conditions or owner neglect. I bought this car so my daughter can continue her daycare. She shuttles pre-school age children to various recreation facilities and my wife, who has terminal cancer, often accompanies her so she can spend as much quality time with her before the eventuality. Now I'm reading that this particular Rav4 problem can be extremely dangerous. If Toyota "cares for it's customers", how can this be a service bulletin and not a recall. This defect should be addressed regardless of mileage or date of service. I just spent over $9,000 for a 10 year old car because it was a Toyota. "it'll last forever". I called the Toyota customer complaint phone number and all I got was contempt. Her name was [xxx] and her argument was "Toyota was very kind in extending the warranty for you", it's your fault for not reading it". yeah right, it's my fault for not following your screwups for the past ten years. I want my car fixed!! I can't afford $5,000 for a transmission, ECM and computer reboot. This is a Toyota problem and I, the customer, demand to be heard. If Toyota truly "cares for its customers", they have an obligation to do the right thing. Information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Torrance, CA, USA

The contact owns a 2003 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while driving approximately 5 mph, the vehicle was jerking violently as the check engine warning light illuminated. The check engine warning light would illuminate intermittently. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the computer and the power transmission needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure and current mileage was 93,900.

- Toms River, NJ, USA

I started experiencing a transmission shifting problem on 7/2/13. It has been intermittent since that date. On 7/10/13 the problem became more pronounced and frequent. When proceeding forward from a stop the vehicle would start to advance, then shift out of gear. It has resulted in near miss rearend and side crashes. I made an appointment with my mechanic for 7/15/13. Diagnostic testing showed the problem to be a faulty engine control computer. Research turned up a Toyota service bulletin (tsb 015610) describing the problem I was having. Even though they were aware of a safety issue, they chose not to do repairs until the problem manifested itself.

- Niles, MI, USA

I was at a stop sign no gas, turned down hill in snow car accelerated going straight into downed tree. My vehicle is not on the recall list and has had sticking accelerator, rear end clunking noise and power steering has made it where I am afraid to drive vehicle. My service animal hit the windshield that shattered when vehicle accelerated and had to slam on brakes at another time. I've had other near misses and two left of center tickets with power steering issues. I have taken into Toyota for steering and check engine light and they will not even write service ticket. They filled power steering fluid said no problem. They keep resetting check engine light stating its gas cap. This car is a lemon, transmission problems, electrical system, computer. This is the first new vehicle I ever bought and wish I would have stuck with used.

- Lowell, AR, USA

The car would engage 2nd and 3rd gears at the same time causing temporary lock up of the rear wheels and loss of control. Found out about a tsb and class action suite regarding this issue affecting the ECU while researching the problem. Contacted Toyota regarding the issue and they informed me that my 2003 Rav4 was not covered because it had been put in service June of 2003. I am appalled this is not a recall as it is clearly a safety issue if loss of control of the vehicle is possible. This could be fatal if it were to happen to on a slippery road or going around a corner.

- Plymouth, MA, USA

On or about May 5, 2013 I noticed my car started to hard shift, though I was driving as usual. The problem happens off and on and is most noticeable when waiting at a stop sign, red light or drive thru at a restaurant. The shift jolt is most noticeable when needing to accelerate or shifting into drive--it doesn't happen when I go into reverse. The shift jolt sometimes is accompanied by a thud noise. On May 7, 2013 I contacted Toyota headquarters and discuss this with a customer service representative at 1-800-331-4331. She transferred me to a rude and cantankerous woman who seemed to have heard the story before. She stated I need to go to a dealership and get a diagnostic, which costs $100 in my area. She then stated that if any of the following codes appear: Codes: P0750, P0753, P0755, P0758 or P0760 that I would need to replace ECM module first, if still problem the faulty module could've messed up the transmission. She conceded that Toyota issued a bulletin to the dealerships and apparently it is a widespread problem. At some point I received a Toyota internal case number. She said there was nothing she could do for me as I am not under warranty. I have 188,000+ miles on my car and apparently if it is not under 150,000 mile warranty. I take very good care of my car and it is not my fault the problem did not appear within a randomly selected mileage they chose. Toyota admitted they knew of the problem and they are liable for any manufacturer's defect of the ECM/transmission. I request your assistance in getting my car repaired for free as it is Toyota's faulty/defective part that is now causing my car problems. The consumer stated after getting the repairs done, Toyota refused to reimburse her for the repairs. They wouldn't even consider partial payment. Even though, a customer service representative initially told her she would need to get the repairs done and ten Toyota would reimburse her. Updated 12/16/13

- Washington, DC, USA

I purchased my veh in Jan 2003.next day, I noticed my veh was not able to drive uphill. At 50K miles in 2010, I went to dealer with a recall letter. My complaint:cust having difficulty driving uphill-won't accel-get stuck at 45-50 mph. Veh is shifting harsh & cust stated that she is having problems with trans.cust thinks that this is part of the ztl letter she got in mail. Their response was:test drove veh & duplicated the lack of power found veh had 3 floor mats under the accel pedal not allowing full travel removed mats & veh ran & shifted fine. I left disappointed & they charged me. Problem grew & my car started acting strange even though I was keeping up with maintanence. In March 2013, my car wouldn't even start & I thought it must be the battery, & got it towed & had battery replaced.when I was driving, it started shaking. It was strange but I didn't read into it until late April 2013, I was waiting for green light to make L turn & my car resisted & pulled back harshly. Since then I was scared of driving my veh. One day it was fine mostly but another day similar issue, stopping & driving was scary & it couldn't go higher than 20 mph. The last time I drove, I could hardly put my car in the garage. I had it towed again to Toyota for service. My car has 65K miles & they told me ECU has to be replaced & if doesn't work, I should pay for a new trans. I contacted manufacturer, they said they will pay for the ECU but not for transmission (if necessary) nor for labor cost. I'm frustrated with this issue, they should replace my trans even if new ECU makes it look like my car is repaired but I don't believe it. The defect shortened the transmission's life.I will never feel safe again in my car with the existing trans. The manufacturer should take full responsibility, pay for damages, not demand on warranty, inform customers & apologize for acting like nothing is wrong.

- Lakewood, CO, USA

2003 Toyota rav 4. consumer writes in regards to transmission failure. The consumer learned Toyota knew there was an issue and extended the warranty on the transmission to 10 years/150,000 miles in 2006. The consumer had a 110,000 miles on his vehicle, but was five months over the extended warranty. The consumer stated it cost $800 plus tax, to locate the problem and would cost $4,000 to replace the transmission.

- Fair Lawn, NJ, USA

The vehicle jerks, misses gears. When trying to pull out..it doesn't move then suddenly takes off. I did some research and this seems to be a problem in 02/03 & 04 rav 4's also says the ECM is a problem. Had the vehicle checked, replaced the filter & transmission fluid only to have it still acting the same way...we were told the transmission is shot. My research indicated Toyota knows of the problem & extended the warranty to 10 years or 150,00 miles. When we contacted freedom Toyota in hamburg, pa. (this is where we purchased the vehicle) the service department *chuckled* at us. Told us, $91 just to pull it in there garage to look at it!how safe is it to drive if it jerks or just won't go" where is Toyota loyalty to it's customers if they *chuckle* at us " needless to say we still owe money on this vehicle.

- Hegins, PA, USA

We purchased our rav 4 as a certified used car from folwer Toyota Inc. 955 North interstate norman Oklahoma January 2005. We were told the certified used car included a 160-point quality inspection, certifying the car is in good working order. The dealer never told us about the problem with the transmission computer and they never transferred the name of ownership to Toyota, Inc. In December of last year we began to experience problem with the transmission jerking forward and shifting hard between 1st and 2nd gear. It also shifted hard into reverse. We took it to our mechanic who suggested that we service the transmission and see if that might be the problem. The problem persisted and we called Toyota and talked to a customer service agent that informed us that Toyota had an extended warranty on the transmission and that the warranty for our car ran out December 31st 2012 and we would not qualify. We did not know anything about the transmission defective computer until we called Toyota and after looking on the internet discovering that the extended warranty was the result of a class action suite. Toyota knew about the problem with the transmission computer but failed to inform us about the extended warranty or the potential problem with the transmission. Now we are told that to replace the computer is between $1500 and $1900 and if there has been damage to the transmission caused by the failure of the computer it will cost us $5000 to rebuild the transmission. We believe that Toyota dealer that sold us the rav 4 should have ensured that our name and address was sent to Toyota informing them of our purchase in case there was a recall or in this case an extended warranty covering a defective part. We also believe that Toyota would not listen to our appeal because we called after the warranty time limit.

- Tarzana, CA, USA

Trouble with harsh automatic transmission shifting - delays - clunks - noise. Dealer says 99% sure trouble is ECM hence the ECM and transmission need replacement. Toyota Canada denies any knowledge of the goodwill warranty on the phone - even after checking with a manager. And says it is only a usa issue even thought the dealer readily acknowledges an wab #### service bulletin. The dealer says I will have to subpoena the service advisory through a lawyer to get the information that Toyota Canada says they do not seem to know about? (in 2013!!!) the dealer says I am 2 months past their secret deadline in the secret goodwill warranty so Toyota denies responsibility. Feels like very shoddy customer relations that I feel will cost Toyota far more than their actual minuscule cost (<$200 their cost?) to replace with a proper ECU - engine control unit before the transmission is damaged beyond repair! they claim that they cannot test the ECU units and do not know which ones are bad until the customer (like me) comes in needing many thousands of dollars in repairs. Ok go ahead and wait but at least warn the customer to watch for issues and have it checked if any issues arise right away. - not wash their hands after a secret time line passes how convenient for them! this is a ludicrous situation. Less that 90,000 miles and Toyota has the gall to tell me to pay them to fix a part they acknowledge is defective and then pay an extra lump of thousands of dollars for the transmission they themselves say is 99% certain to have been caused by the faulty ECU problem for good measure! have you no shame Toyota Canada, or is it too much fun rolling around in a pile of my money? - the Canadian border should not be something a giant elephant of a company should be allowed to hide behind in my humble opinion. The way Toyota Canada is handling this issue is a major fail for Toyota!

- Canada, MT, USA

Erratic transmission shifting. This was already complained about on 7/2010. Toyota needs to honor what you told them to do. Transmission/ECM. I want a refund for my out of pocket expense on this issue $995.98. Extended warranty 10 years or 150,000 miles..updated 01/17/2013

- Akron, OH, USA

I backed up in reverse and then put 2003 rav 4 into drive expecting to go forward when motor began to race and car flew backward over 12-foot high embankment into woods while engine continued racing. Car did not roll over but swung around 130 degrees in a flat area and came to a stop facing a tree 4 feet straight ahead. A second or two later the car then leaped forward into the tree with engine roaring, car continued to race at high rpms with front bumper wrapped around tree. The only way I could stop the high revs was to turn off the ignition. I injured my back.

- Highland, NY, USA

The contact owns a 2003 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while driving 45 mph, the vehicle started to shake and stalled without any warning. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 157,000 and the current mileage was 167,000.

- Chesapeake, OH, USA

I own a 2003 Toyota Rav4. My car was running in good working order, with just over 99,000 miles on it. On May 2nd 2012, I experienced issues with the car's transmission and ECM. The car would rev when I pressed on the gas, but it would not move. Also, when shifting gears, the car would slow to a brake and then there was be a bump or grinding in the gears before the car would proceed to move. This would put me in danger of a rear end collision because my car would suddenly brake without me pressing on the brakes to signal the driver behind me that I was going to slow down. I have learned that Toyota is aware of this issue with many of its Rav4's (2001-2003). Is there any help on Toyota's part to correct this issue that they know of without passing along the cost to the innocent customer? thank you for your time. Updated 06/22/2012

- Somerville, MA, USA

My 2003 Toyota rav 4 started shifting poorly and inconsistently by not shifting to the next gear, slipping in between gears and slamming into gear. There are times when the transmission functions correctly and then there are days when it never does. I am scared to death to drive this car not knowing whether it will be a good day when my Rav4 behaves as it should or if its going to leave transmission parts all over the road, get us in an accident or at the very least, leave us stranded. Nerve racking and incredibly unsafe.

- Canandaigua, NY, USA

My car lost power. I could not drive more than 10 miles an hour. Intermittent loss of power happened several times last years and this years. Just recently on 04/04/2012 at 4:55pm I was driving with my wife and her sister and I had to pull on shoulder and turned on hazard warning light and drive in lower gear ( 2nd gear ).

- Woodbury, MN, USA

This is my wife's primary mode of transportation, she was the one who first noticed the herky/jerky operation of the transmission when she attempted to place it in reverse to back up, she then notified me of the problem. I proceeded to test drive the vehicle the next day, when we were pulling into traffic from a parking lot, it suddenly shuddered between gears and finally settled into the proper gear after I let off of the accelerator. Once we made it home after about 10 miles, we parked the car until I had a chance to drive it to Toyota for an assessment. They drove it around and noticed the same herky/jerky operation, but stated to me that they couldn't do anything until they received a code from the computer stating either ECU or transmission trouble, after 2 or 3 days they were unable to retrieve any such code.

- Felton, CA, USA

The contact owns a 2003 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while driving 60 mph, the vehicle started to jerk violently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the transmission and computer were defective and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was out of warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and the current mileage was 170,000.

- Wesley Chapel, FL, USA

Car will not moves very slowly when it stops and you try to accelerate, very dangerous!

- Fletcher, NC, USA