2003 Toyota Rav4 Electrical Problems

HARSH SHIFTING, JUMPING FROM GEAR-TO-GEAR, SLUGGISH ACCELERATION AND TRANSMISSION/ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE FAILURE. CALLED TOYOTA REGARDING THE EXTENDED WARRENTY. THEY REFUSED TO HONOR THE EXTENDED WARRANTY DESPITE NOT PROVIDING NOTICE TO THE CORRECT ADDRESS.

ELECTRIC CONTROL MODULE (ECM) IS BAD, CAUSING HARSH SHIFTING, FAILURE TO ACCELERATE CORRECTLY, AND RPM'S TO JUMP. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED. THIS VEHICLE ONLY HAS 112,000 MILES ON IT. THE PART IS $800+ OR $1100 FROM DEALER.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE WOULD SUDDENLY STOP ACCELERATING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE ECM UNIT WAS FAULTY AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 162,000.

ECM FAIL. HEADING NORTH ON HIGHWAY 53 AND MADE A TURN TO GO SOUTH ON HIGHWAY 53 CAR SEEM TO APPLY BRAKES AND GEARS WAS HUNTING WHICH GEAR TO GO IN ALL THE TIME I GIVING IT GAS TO GET OUT OF THE WAY OF ON COMING CARS,, MADE IT HOME, NEXT DAY DROVE CAR AND AS I MADE A RIGHT TURN SAME THING AGAIN WENT BACK HOME AND CALL TOYOTA DEALER THEY SAID IT SOUND LIKE THE TRANMISSION WAS FAILING, GOT ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND THAT THE ECM HAD FAIL ON THE CAR, I CALL TOYOTA AND THEY SAID IT WOULD COST $1400 AND THAT TOYOTA WOULD NOT PAY OR DISCOUNT ANY OF IT EVEN THEY HAD KNOW ABOUT THE FAIL OF THE UNIT SINCE THE BEGINNING, I PULL THE ECM UNIT MYSELF SENT IT TO BE REPAIR GOT IT BACK AND REINSTALL IT AND CAR WOULD NOT CRANK HAD IT TOW TO TOYOTA DEALER AND THEY SAID A WIRE HAD TO BE REPLACE, AFTER PICKING THE CAR UP IT RUN GOOD BUT FRONT POWER DOOR LOCKS DOES NOT WORK AND THE SECURITY SYSTEM DOES NOT WORK, I CAN LIVE WITHOUT THOSE 2 SYSTEM FOR NOW SINCE I DON:T WANT TO PUT ANY MORE MONEY INTO THE CAR RIGHT NOW. I THINK TOYOTA SHOULD HAVE REPLACE THIS SINCE THEY KNEW IT WAS GOING TO FAIL AT SOME TIME WITH THE 2003 RAV4 BUT NO THEY WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT, NO HELP FORM THEM. NO MORE TOYOTAS FOR ME OR MY FAMILY, I AM GOING BACK TO A HONDA FOR SURE. TOTAL COST TO ME WAS $833.05 NOT COUNTING WITHOUT THE CAR FOR 2 WEEKS.

BASICALLY TOYOTA WILL NOT HONOR THE REPLACEMENT OF MY ECM BECAUSE I NOTIFIED THEM 10 AFTER THEIR "EXTENSION" HAD EXPIRED. I DID NOT RECEIVE ANY NOTIFICATIONS REGARDING THIS ISSUE. I SPENT A WEEK FROM MECHANIC TO MECHANIC, GETTING ESTIMATES. FINALLY SOMEONE TOLD ME ABOUT THE RECALL AND SUGGESTED I REACH OUT TO TOYOTA. THEY REFUSED TO MAKE AN EXCEPTION BECAUSE THE DELIVERY DATE TO THE ORIGINAL OWNER WAS 8/31/2003. THEY EVEN HAD THE PREVIOUS OWNER ON THEIR DATABASE. MY DAUGHTER PLEADED WITH THE ASSISTANT TO THE CEO AND SHE REFUSED TO EVEN REVIEW THIS AGAIN WITH HIM. I WAS VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH THIS DECISION AND NEED GUIDANCE AS TO WHAT IS LEGAL. THE DEFECTIVE COMPUTER WAS INSTALLED BY THEM AND SOLD TO THE CONSUMER WITH THIS PROBLEM. SHOULDN'T THEY BE RESPONSIBLE REGARDLESS OF THE TIMEFRAME THEY SET ON THEIR OWN? IT IS ABSURD TO HAVE THEM ADMIT IT WAS PART OF THE DIAGNOSTIC CODES THAT WERE THEIR FAULT, BUT SINCE I CALLED A WEEK LATER, THEY GOT OFF SCOTT FREE. PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT MY OPTIONS ARE. *TR

OFTEN (AND UNPREDICTABLY), VEHICLE DOES NOT ACCELERATE FROM STOP. IT CREEPS FORWARD AS TACK JUMPS, THEN WITH A LOUD "CLUNK" IT JERKS INTO 2ND (OR 3RD) GEAR AND SUDDENLY LEAPS FORWARD. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT GOES ON AND OFF. TOOK VEHICLE TO TOYOTA DEALER MORE THAN ONCE AND TOLD "NO PROBLEM FOUND." WHEN THIS ISSUE WAS FINALLY DEMONSTRATED, THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP REPORTED THAT SOLENOID B IS FAULTY AND ENTIRE TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED STARTING AT $4600. NOW I READ THAT MANY OWNERS OF 2001-3 RAV4S HAVE EXACT PROBLEM CAUSED BY A FAULTY EMC THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPLACED WHEN TOYOTA ORIGINALLY ADMITTED THE PROBLEM IN 2006. INSTEAD THE DAMAGE TO MY VEHICLE HAS PROGRESSED TO A REPAIR 4 TIMES THAT AMOUNT. I HAVE FOUND NO REASONABLE REPAIR RATE SO FAR. *TR

THE CLIPS SECURING THE ELECTRICAL CONSOLE ON THE DRIVER'S DOOR GAVE WAY AND FELL INTO THE DOOR, FOR NO APPARENT REASON. NOW THE CONSOLE IS LOOSE AND KEEPS RIDING UP FROM IT'S POSITION. I'M CONCERNED THIS IS GOING TO CAUSE AN ELECTRICAL SHORTAGE OR WILL GET WET WHEN DOOR OR WINDOW IS OPENED DURING RAIN, SNOW ETC. I HAD SOMEONE LOOK AT IT AT A NEARBY TOYOTA DEALER AND WAS TOLD THE WHOLE ELECTRICAL CONSOLE ON THE DRIVER'S DOOR NEEDS TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE IT'S ONE UNIT....NO WAY TO JUST REPLACE THE CLIPS. THE COST OF THE PART ALONE WAS QUOTED AS $514.00, WITH LABOR EXTRA. IF THIS WAS CAUSED BY NEGLIGENCE ON MY PART I WOULDN'T MIND, HOWEVER I DID NOTHING TO IT. I JUST HEARD A NOISE AND SOMETHING FELL INTO THE DOOR, THEN SAW WHAT HAD HAPPENED. I FEEL THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL SO TOYOTA ABSORBS THE COST, NOT ME. THE VEHICLE HAD LESS THAN 98,000 MILES ON IT WHEN IT HAPPENED AND IT HAS BEEN WELL CARED FOR. PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT, IF ANYTHING, CAN BE DONE FOR ME. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION. *TR

ORIGINAL OWNER OF 2003 RAV4. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED. WHEN NOTIFIED BY COLLEGE SECURITY THAT CAR HAD ERUPTED INTO FLAMES. CAR WAS TOTALLY CONSUMED BY FIRE AND WAS WRECKED AT JUNKYARD. THE CAR HAD NEVER BEEN CRASHED, HAD ALL MAINTENANCE UP TO DATE AND WAS IN PERFECT SHAPE. *TR

MY CAR HAS A PROBLEM WELL KNOWN BY MANUFACTURERS,AS,HARSH SHIFT OF AUTOMATICTRANSAXLES , OR (ECM)CODE P0755.TOYOTA SENT SERVICE BULLETINS TO DEALERS BUT I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED>NOW I HAVE TO REPAIR MY CAR AT A COST OF OVER $6000.TOYOTA HEADQUARTERS IN CALIFORNIA HAS REFUSED TO HONOUR MY REPAIR,EVEN THOUGH THEY HONOURED FOR CALIFORNIA.REASON BEING AM OUT OF WARRANTY BY THE MILES,WHICH I HAVE 175000,BUT IM STILL IN WARRANTY BY THE YEARS OF 10 YEARS.

LONG HESITATION IN CHANGING GEARS. JERKING WHEN ACCELERATING. LACK OF ACCELERATION. *TR

I AM WRITING TO LET YOU KNOW ABOUT MY 2003 RAV4 ECM/TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. I BROUGHT OUR RAV4 INTO OUR LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP TWO TIMES EARLIER THIS YEAR, COMPLAINING OF A LURCHING ISSUE. AFTER MY THIRD ATTEMPT TO BRING IT IN AT 68,827 MILES, MIND YOU I HAD THE PLATINUM WARRANTY WHICH COVERS UP TO 75,000 MILES, ON JUNE 9, 2009. AFTER ONLY BEING GONE FOR 20 MINUTES AFTER DROPPING IT OFF, I GOT A PHONE CALL STATING THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG, WHEN CLEARLY, IN THE TSB IT STATES IT WOULD TAKE ATLEAST 30 MIN TO DETECT. NEEDLESS TO SAY IT WAS DETECTED LATER THAT DAY. WHEN THE TECHNICIAN THAT FIXED IT, GAVE THE CAR BACK TO MY WIFE, HE TOLD HER THAT IF THIS DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM THEN THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. SO FAR SO GOOD....UNTIL TODAY, OCTOBER 16. I TOOK IT IN BECAUSE IT WAS HAVING THE SAME ISSUES AS BEFORE AND SLIPPING OF THE TRANSMISSION. I BROUGHT IT IN AND THEY FINALLY CAME TO THAT CONCLUSION AFTER HAVING TO TAKE IT OUT TWICE. WHEN I LEFT THE LAST TIME, IN JUNE, THEY GAVE ME THE IMPRESSION THAT ANYTHING THAT HAPPENS UNDER THIS ECM CHIP WOULD BE COVERED UNDER 80000 MILES. I WAS AT 79515 WHEN I TOOK IT IN. THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS NOT COVERED BY ANY WARRANTY, INCLUDING MY PLATINUM WARRANTY THAT I HAD. I ASKED THEM IF THE ECM CHIP WOULD HAVE CAUSED THE DAMAGE, AND ATLEAST THREE ASSISTANT SERVICE MANAGERS TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS NO RELATION BETWEEN THE CHIP AND THE TRANSMISSION FAILURE. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, TOYOTA STATED IN A NYTIMES ARTICLE THAT THE CHIP WOULD CAUSE TRANSMISSION DAMAGE. NEEDLESS TO SAY I AM EXPECTED TO PAY $3700 DOLLARS FOR A NEW TRANSMISSION THAT HAS FAILED DUE TO THE LACK OF ATTENTION IN CHANGING THE ECM CHIP. YEAH!!!! *TR

TOYOTA 2003 RAV4 HAS A MALFUNCTIONING ECM. IT HAS CAUSED THE CAR TO SPEED UP AND SLOW DOWN ALMOST CAUSING ACCIDENTS 2 TIMES WHILE DRIVING ON THE ROAD. PLEASE TAKE ACTION. I HAVE FOUND THAT TOYOTA KNEW ABOUT THIS DEFECT IN 2006 AND WILL NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. I THINK THAT TOYOTA SHOULD GIVE A 100% REFUND TO EVERYONE WHO BOUGHT THIS CAR BECAUSE THEY KNEW THAT THIS DEFECT MIGHT KILL PEOPLE AND THEY DID NOTHING. SO I HAVE THIS CAR AND I AM AFRAID TO LET ANYONE DRIVE IT BECAUSE THEY MAY NOT BE ABLE TO CONTROL THE SPEED. I HOPE THAT THIS CAN BE TAKEN CARE OF SOON BECAUSE WE NEED A CAR TO DRIVE THAT IS SAFE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA RAV 4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL RESISTS APPLICATION, WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO HESITATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND A TECHNICIAN CONCLUDED THAT THE ECM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 142,700 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 142,882. UPDATED 10/22/09 *BF

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THE GEAR SHIFTER FAILED TO FUNCTION PROPERLY. THE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND REMAINED LIT UNTIL THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AND IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE MAIN BRAIN OF THE COMPUTERIZED SYSTEM WAS THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE UNAVAILABLE.

WHILE DRIVING THE RAV 4 ON COUNTRY ROADS, THE CAR STALLED AT A STOP. AFTER MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS, WE WERE ABLE TO RE-START THE CAR AND DRIVE IT HOME ALTHOUGH IT RAN VERY ROUGH. TOWED CAR TO DEALER WHO EVENTUALLY DETERMINED IT WAS CAUSED BY A INTERMITTENT GROUND-WIRE CONNECTION BETWEEN COMPUTERS. CAR HAD ABOUT 50,000 MILES ON IT.*AK

AFTER SITTING IN GARAGE FOR A FEW DAYS, RAV4 WOULD NOT START. CHECKED BATTERY, BUT IT WAS WORKING. ALSO TRIED TO JUMP-START CAR, BUT THIS DID NOT WORK. CAR WAS TOWED TO DEALER WHO DETERMINED THAT A COMPUTER FAILED.*AK

WE HAVE A TOYOTA RAV4 ELECTRIC VEHICLE. CAR ROLLED AWAY FROM CHARGING STATION WHILE PLUGGED IN - PERSON IN CAR SHIFTED INTO 'NEUTRAL' BY MISTAKE. RIPPED OUT CHARGING PADDLE DOWN TO THE ELECTRICAL WIRES - POTENTIAL ELECTRICAL HAZARD. COULD BE AVOIDED BY A SIMPLE RELAY THAT WILL PREVENT PEOPLE FROM SHIFTING OUT OF 'PARK' WHEN CAR IS PLUGGED IN. HAPPENS TO MANY TOYOTA ELECTRIC VEHICLES - I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN FILED. PICTURE (JPEG) AVAILABLE IF NEEDED PLEASE DO PASS ON THIS COMPLAINT TO TOYOTA. *JB

THE CONSUMER 2004 TOYOTA RAV4 BURST INTO FLAMES AFTER HAVING OIL CHANGED, DESTROYING VEHICLE. *TS THE CONSUMER HAD SEVERAL PROBLEMS WITH THE DEALER'S SERVICE PRIOR TO THIS FIRE. SHE CONTACTED THE DEALER AND THE TOLD THE THAT IT WAS NOT THEIR PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER SPOKE TO ANOTHER DEALER WHO INDICATED THAT SEVERAL RAV4'S WERE CATCHING ON FIR DUE TO A FAULTY REMOTE START AND ALARM, WHICH THE CONSUMER HAD INSTALLED IN HER VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER REQUEST REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE DAMAGE. *NM

IN THE LAST WEEK AFTER SOME HEAVY RAINS IN SAN DIEGO, CA, I NOTICED THAT THE FRONT FLOOR BOARDS ON BOTH SIDES OF MY 2003 RAV 4 WERE VERY WET. THERE WASN'T ANY WATER ON THE GROUND, THE SEATS NOR WERE THE WINDOWS OR MOON ROOF LEFT OPEN. WHEN THE CAR WAS GOING AROUND A CURVE, THERE WAS A SWOOSHING SOUND OF RUNNING WATER SOMEWHERE UNDER THE DASHBOARD (IT SOUNDED LIKE). I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IN NOV 2002 BRAND NEW WITH AN EXTENDED WARRANTY. I CURRENTLY HAVE 52,000 MILES ON THE CAR. I HAVE NOT HAD ANY PREVIOUS PROBLEMS. I CALLED SEVERAL TOYOTA CAR DEALERSHIPS ABOUT WHAT IT COULD POSSIBLY BE AND NO ONE HAS EVER SEEN THIS. I HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED THIS WITH ANY CAR WHETHER OLD OR NEW SINCE 1966 NOR HAVE I HEARD OF ANYONE HAVING A PROBLEM LIKE THIS. I TOOK MY CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED AND TOLD THAT THIS WAS NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY. I STATED THIS WAS NOT A NORMAL PROBLEM OF WEAR AND TEAR, OTHERWISE MECHANICS WOULD BE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THIS AND BE ABLE TO DIAGNOSE IT WITHOUT DIFFICULTY. I WAS TOLD THAT MY CARPETING WAS TOTALLY RUINED (ITS MOLDY) AND ALL OF IT HAS TO BE REPLACED. I AM ASTHMATIC AND VERY ALLERGIC TO MOLD, THEREFORE ITS A HEALTH HAZARD. SINCE THIS WAS NOT CAUSED BY MY NEGLIGENCE, NOR IS IT A PART THAT IS EXPECTED TO WEAR WITH NORMAL USE IF EVER, I DO NOT FEEL THAT I SHOULD HAVE TO PAY HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS FOR PARTS AND LABOR, EVEN MORE SO THAT THE MECHANICS ARE HAVING A DIFFICULT TIME FINDING THE SOURCE. THIS PART OR PARTS ARE DEFECTIVE. THE DEALERSHIP STATED THAT THEY WILL TRY TO SPEAK WITH THE FACTORY TO GET SOME ASSISTANCE BUT AT THIS POINT ITS UNKNOWN. THERE HAS BEEN PROPER MAINTENANCE ON THE CAR AS REQUIRED AND THE CAR HAS NOT BEEN IN ANY ACCIDENTS.*AK

AS MY HUSBAND AND I DROVE WE SMELLED A STRANGE ODOR WE THOUGHT IT WAS THE AIR OUTSIDE. MY HUSBAND NOTICED THERE WAS SMOKE RISING FROM THE HOOD. HE DROVE TO THE SHOULDER AND GOT OUT OF THE VEHICLE. SPARKS BEGAN TO APPEAR AND VERY QUICKLY THE ENTIRE CAR BECAME ENGULFED. WE WERE VERY LUCKILY NOT TO BE INJURED. WE LOST A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF OUR BELONGINGS. WE WERE GOING AWAY FOR THE WEEKEND TO OUR HOME IN PA. AND WERE CARRYING CLOTHING, LUGGAGE,ETC. TO STORE. *NM