2002 Toyota RAV4: jerking or lurching

Filed May 24, 2024 · Acceleration, Engine · MA

My car engine light goes on and off due to transmission fault. It continuously has a hard time shifting gears in between 2500-3000 rpm and gives a jerky stop before continuing to speed up/accelerate despite when I have not let go of my foot from the pedal. After taking it to the auto shop, I was told this is the same problem other Toyota RAV 4 between 2001-2003 experiences and the mechanics told me that there was a lot of recall for the same code my car is giving (2 codes that the computer diagnosed were p0775 and p0161). While Toyota extended the warranty to 10years/150,000k and my car is 1-2 years past the warranty, it's only been barely 80,000mi and it should not be causing this problem. This transmission/ECM problem puts me and the passengers to risks because both the speed and RPM don't go past certain numbers which is low at most times, limiting myself as the driver to go even within the speed limits. All the more, with this happening more frequently these days than it had in the past, I am highly concerned for my safety and not feel safe to have someone in my car. I have been to 4 different mechanics and they have told me the same problem and that it's the same case as they saw from different RAV4's recall problem. This car was handled very carefully and this is the only occurring problem. With engine light being on and off, it is my concern that I need to have this car inspected, related to Toyota RAV4 recalls.

Filed May 5, 2022 · Transmission · CA

2002 Toyota RAV4 AWD transmission problems and will be available upon request. Transmission caused vehicle to disengaged , jerks, stalls with severed engine braking while driving creating a safety performance and hazard on the roads to myself and other unexpected drivers. Upon reading similar complaints of other owners reported similar transmission problems. This was believed to be a reproduced problem and should be investigated for Safety-Related defects. The vehicle was inspected by manufacture according to previous owner. Manufacturer recently replaced transmission and updated ECM per previous owner. The vehicle appeared in working order for 3-4 months then the transmission problems occurred again as mentioned above. There was no warning lights while I experienced this transmission problem.

Filed Jul 22, 2020 · Transmission · 77,010 miles · VA

Vehicle stalls and jerks constantly while driving; unable to accelerate after stoplight. Very unpredictable.this is due to defective ECM which toyota has been aware of but refuses to list as a recall.I purchased the used car 1 month ago --- had no idea it had this serious, dangerous problem. Took it to toyota dealer which is saying it will cost $5k to fix !! Car only has 77k miles.

Filed Apr 10, 2019 · Driver assistance, Electrical · 162,344 miles · UT

The past couple weeks my car had been laghing more an more when at complete stop. This past week it has been the worst. Whenever I try to accelerate from.a complete stop my car with lag and jerk like it is trying to shift into gear but cant. When I took it in to a transmission specialist they said it was my ECM and that this year specifically has had problems recorded fron others with the same issues with the emc. One incident I had specificaly was when inwas trying to go up a mountain to get to work my rpms were spiking as my rav was trying to shift gears to get up the mountain and my car staller out. I had no clue it died untill I was driving down the mountain and turning my steering wheel became a struggle. I had to put on my e break just to stop and try and turn it on to shift into neutral so I could get down the mountain. I have had serveral cases when I have almost been re ended because of the jerking has been so rough.

Filed Jan 9, 2015 · Engine, Transmission · 42,900 miles · FL

Car seemed to struggle getting to 1st gear then lurched into 4th gear. Struggled to get it driven to the dealership. Ended up being a failure of electronic control module (ECM), failed code po 755. This was covered under a warranty enhancement of a the federal safety agency id#10037585 known problem that expired after 10 years from purchase or 150,000 miles. I purchased the car new in 2003 from the same dealership that did the repair. Toyota corporate office would not offer any help in fixing this known malfunction problem even though my mileage was less than 43,000 miles. I feel a known safety issue should be addressed in some way by toyota beyond their stringent time limits. 1-9-2015 cost to replace ECM...$1,435....with no guarantees it did not ruin the transmission.

Filed Sep 24, 2014 · Acceleration, Transmission · 167,200 miles · NC

My wife was driving to a doctor's appointment and, while on the "on ramp" to the interstate, the car would not shift from 2nd to third gear (it's an automatic trans). With the engine revving she looked down to check to assure it was in drive about the time it lurched into 3rd, then soon lurched into 4th. Coming home she shifted between drive and neutral to try to maintain a safe speed, save the transmission and engine, while allowing her to get home. The dealership quoted $989 to replace the ECM (computer), but couldn't assure the transmission wouldn't later need to be replaced. Toyota corporate was not helpful. I had records from the previous car owner that toyota issued an extended warranty to replace the ECM for 10 years or 150,000 miles as a result of a class action suit, "if they felt it was warranted." I also had documentation that the ECM was "reprogrammed" at 72k miles. My contention was the ECM should've been replaced, not reprogrammed, but was told that the reprogramming was done to correct a different problem. I asked if I could speak to someone else at corporate and was told everyone would give me the same response since it is their company position. The internet is full of owners who replaced the transmission first, only to find the ECM caused the newer transmission to fail also, or owners who replaced the ECM only to find that the transmission also needed replacement. It is obvious that toyota is aware of the problem. I believe they have failed to adequately protect owners by creating a recall to allow owners to get this fixed prior to scary and potentially dangerous shifting problems. The internet is also full of people who claim to want to enter another class action suit, but I am hoping toyota appreciates their customers enough that law suits wouldn't be required to get them to do the right thing. But, I'm losing hope.

Filed Aug 27, 2014 · Transmission · 112,000 miles · MS

Going from a very slow speed or from stop it has a hard time getting out of first and or second. I will jerk or shift very harshly. Sometimes it feels like I've been rearended. As it's picking up speed in the 15-25 MPH range it will start to slow on it's own when I'm still giving it gas. It feels like there's a rubberband in the transmission stretching and as it gets tight it's slowing down then it will just release and then comes the harsh or violent shift. If I can catch it at the right time and let off the gas, that will most of the time negate the harshness. It is probably not safe to be driving it but I do not have a choice at this point. Toyota told me it may need a new chip at about $900 and if that doesn't work, it will need a new transmission!! I'll just be as careful as I can and not pull out in front of traffic.

Filed Jul 16, 2014 · Transmission · 176,500 miles · FL

I was beginning to pull onto the interstate highway 75 in venice, florida, when the car started bucking uncontrollably and I could not get up to speed to merge into traffic. It then jerked into gear and I went on. It seemed to have a problem shifting into 3rd gear. It seemed to happen when pulling away from a stop light as well. I took it to a transmission shop, who put his computer diagnostic on it. He said the computer was not showing as bad, so he rebuilt the transmission. I got the car back and it started doing the exact same thing! I took it back, he rebuilt it again, still with no bad computer codes showing. Still not functioning correctly, even though he had replaced the burned 3rd gear. I paid $2200 for this. Now it needs a $950 computer! It is a 2002 and I read online that these vehicles had a transmission issue and owners were reimbursed for this. Mine did not act up until this point. Http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/13/toyota-extends-warranty-on-troubled-2001-3-rav4/. I am a single father raising a young daughter. I need this car to take my daughter to school safely and to get to my job. How can I get reimbursed for this problem? I love my rav4 and want to keep it. I bought the toyota because everyone says they will run forever, but I can't afford issues like this. I take good care of this car. I have had jeeps and other cars up to 300,000 miles and never had transmission issues. Thank you so much.

Filed Jul 8, 2014 · Acceleration, Transmission · 74,123 miles · CA

Several times during the week of june 2, 2014, my check engine light went on and off periodically. I had my mechanic check the codes, but she found nothing wrong. On june 13, 2014 I was driving n. On highway 101 near redwood city, ca. It was about 6p.m. In good weather; I was in stop-and-go commute traffic. I had slowed to a stop in the far left lane,of 5 lanes, due to slow traffic. When traffic began to move again, I accelerated and the transmission seemed to be "slipping"; I revved the engine,but there was no power going to the wheels. There were many cars behind me blowing their horns. Then the car began to "clank" and "chug" and it sounded like the transmission was grinding. I turned on my emergency flasher lights and pulled very slowly over to the shoulder across 5 lanes of traffic! I had several near accidents, but I made it to the shoulder! The car would only go very slowly, but the loud noises stopped, so I pulled off the freeway at the nearest exit (which was very close) . I would have stayed on the shoulder if the car was still "clanking" from the transmission area, but the noise had subsided. I felt that there was a serious mechanical (transmission) problem with my car. I called my daughter and asked her to drive to my location. I was going to call for a tow truck when she arrived. She arrived in about 45 minutes. I restarted the car and put it into "drive" and accelerated gently. The car sounder perfectly normal, and accelerated at a normal speed with plenty of power. We decided to try to slowly drive the car home if it continued to drive normally. We got home fine, but just as I was pulling into my parking lot, the car made loud noises again and lurched a few times as I pulled in the driveway. I had the car towed to the nearest toyota dealer the next day. That's when I began to discover all the problems rav 4's had had with class action's&ECM failures.

Filed Dec 23, 2013 · Transmission · 100,000 miles · CA

When I was driving about 40mph the car would lurch, not all the time, but every so often. When I was backing up the car would make a clunking noise. I took my car to have the transmission repaired with my mechanic, it was repaired but the local but he said that if the computer part of the transmission isn't dealt with, it would happen again. I went to the toyota dealership with the recall paperwork that my mechanic printed out for me and they said that 10 years have passed and they wouldn't honor the recall.

Filed Sep 21, 2013 · Acceleration, Electrical · 163,340 miles · NY

Today my toyota rav4 2002 began to have automatic transmission shifting issues. It has an excessive jerk when shifted from park to reverse, it is slow to shift from 1 to 2, and it jerks like I was rear ended when shifting to the next gear. I contacted my local toyota dealer and was told there are no outstanding recalls on my car, the ECM software was updated before I purchased it used. I asked if they had any issues with the transmission on this model and year and I was told "no". They recommended I bring it in for a diagnostic check for $104 just to check it out. Afterwards I thought I would check the net. I found numerous threads regarding the 2001-3 ECM/transmission issue. It appears a number of owners have submitted complaints to the federal safety agency. Please add me. They are ignoring this issue and pretending they do not know anything about it.

Filed Sep 11, 2013 · Acceleration, Transmission · 109,000 miles · VA

I just got a toyota rav 4 2002 auto and when driving with family the vehicle started to run sluggish, jerks when pressing gas, starts slow real slow after coming to a stop and this situation almost got us into an accident in us 81 near front royal virginia. Additionally the check engine light came on. After taking vehicle to a mechanic it shows a code p0755 and reading about the problem is not a solenoid but it is ECM or ecu malfunction that the toyotas rav 2001-2003 are presenting which makes the car show a ghost code not a transmission code but rather a defective computer malfunction that cannot be repaired but replaced. Toyota knows about this problem and I do not see toyota assumed responsibility and had passed the cost to vehicles owners and not a general recall to be fixed at manufacture expenses. Please research and make this issue a immediate recall because it had caused accidents due to the malfunction.