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. *TR
2007
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING OUR 2007 TOYOTA RAV 4 OUT OF A TOLLBOOTH AREA AND ACCELERATING NORMALLY, WHEN THE CAR STARTED RAPIDLY ACCELERATING ON ITS OWN. HE STEPPED HARD ON THE BRAKES BUT COULD NOT GET THE CAR BELOW 40 MPH. HE SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL AND GRADUALLY THE CAR SLOWED AND HE MOVED TO THE BREAKDOWN LANE. HE REMOVED THE KEYS FROM THE IGNITION, AND THE VEHICLE FINALLY STOPPED. THE ENTIRE INCIDENT FROM START TO FINISH HAPPENED OVER THE COURSE OF ABOUT 3 MILES OF HIGHWAY. HE GAVE A FULL ACCOUNT OF THIS TO OUR LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER. THEY DID NOT IDENTIFY THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM, BUT ACKNOWLEDGED THAT IT WAS NOT DUE TO FLOOR MATS. THE CAR'S BRAKES--BOTH PADS AND ROTORS--WERE DESTROYED DURING THE INCIDENT. WE WERE NOT COMFORTABLE DRIVING IT AGAIN. THE DEALERSHIP BROUGHT BACK THE CAR BACK FROM US AT KELLY BLUE BOOK VALUE. *TR
