IN OCTOBER 2004, I PURCHASED A 2002 TOYOTA RAV4 FROM MODERN TOYOTA IN WINSTON-SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA ON A SIX-YEAR PAYMENT PLAN. I ALSO PURCHASED OUT WHAT WAS LEFT OF THE THREE-YEAR WARRANTY, AND A ONE-YEAR MAINTENANCE PLAN. I HAVE CONTINUED TO GET OIL CHANGES AND TUNE-UPS AT REGULAR INTERVALS. THE CAR IS AT ABOUT 93,000 MILES. ON FRIDAY, JULY 18, I WAS DRIVING TO A DOCTORїS APPOINTMENT, AND QUITE SUDDENLY, IT BEGAN SHIFTING IMPROPERLY. IN THE LOWER GEARS, IT LURCHED AND BUCKED AS IF IT WAS HAVING TROUBLE CATCHING. IMMEDIATELY, I DROVE TO EMPORIA MOTORS, THE LOCAL TOYOTA SERVICE CENTER. IT WAS ABOUT 11 AM. EMPORIA MOTORS WAS TOO BUSY TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM BY THE END OF THE BUSINESS DAY. THE CAR WAS NOT DRIVABLE AND THEY DID NOT PROVIDE ME WITH A LOANER, SO I HAD TO DO WITHOUT A VEHICLE OVER THE WEEKEND. ON MONDAY, JULY 21AT AT 8:30 AM, I WAS INFORMED THAT THE TRANSAXLE/TRANSMISSION WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE PART NEEDED WAS ESTIMATED AT $3,450.00. AFTER RUNNING AN INTERNET SEARCH AT WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM, I FOUND THAT THERE WERE 103 COMPLAINTS ABOUT TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS ON THE 2002 RAV4, MOST OF WHICH WERE FOCUSED ON PROBLEMS WITH SHIFTING, OFTEN OCCURRING WHEN THE VEHICLEїS MILEAGE REACHED THE 90,000 MARK. THIS IS CLEARLY NOT A RANDOM PROBLEM, THE COSTS OF THOSE REPAIRS TO OTHER CONSUMERS ARE COMPARABLE TO MINE, AND YET, TOYOTA HAS NOT TAKEN ANY RESPONSIBILITY WHATSOEVER FOR THIS PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE IS ONLY SIX YEARS OLD AND I HAVE NOT EVEN FINISHED PAYING IT OFF, AND NOW IїLL HAVE TO MAKE ADDITIONAL MONTHLY PAYMENTS FOR THE TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT. THE HIGH COST OF THIS UNEXPECTED REPAIR IS A SERIOUS BURDEN IN THESE DIFFICULT ECONOMIC TIMES. I AM EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED WITH THE QUALITY OF THIS CAR. I LIVE IN A RURAL STATE AND I NEED TO KNOW THAT MY CAR IS RELIABLE AND THAT ITS QUALITY IS BACKED BY THE MANUFACTURER. *TR
