The vehicle with 71,000 miles and perfect service record had a engine failure, without warning, while driving on the highway. The oil pressure light came on and before I had time to pull over to the shoulder to inspect the engine started knocking badly. I barely made it to the shoulder before the vehicle stalled. After having it towed to the dealership, they came out with the diagnose that the "engine threw a rod" for no apparent reason. There was sufficient engine oil and last oil change was done 4500 miles before. Basically, engine at this point is beyond repair and has to be replaced. Beside the financial lose, now I extremely concern about the safety and reliability of the vehicle and more importantly the engine or any other part that caused the engine to fail. The fact that I had 10 years old boy in the car with me who thought that we were going to die that day and crying hysterically make it all the more bothersome. When I called toyota headquarter to report the problem, they basically dismissed me as routine problem and not toyota's problem. They seem disinterested to find out why engine with so few miles got busted for no reason and perfect maintenance record. I am concerned about the reliability and safety of the engine in the vehicle (1az-fe). I hope govt investigate this case and I am willing to participate in whichever way I can to make it safe for my fellow riders.
2003 Toyota RAV4 engine complaints
Page 2 of 3: complaints 11 to 40 of 47, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Experience a hard shift jerking motion when driving my car and almost got hit twice due to the car jerking and immediately slowing down. I took it in to kendall toyota of anchorage right away and then read online that there was a class action lawsuit and enhanced warranty of 2001-2003 toyotas because of the malfunction of the ECM and transmission. This car is not safe to drive! Toyota kendall said it would be $6,000 to replace both the ECM and transmission and that toyota would only pay half because the car was 10 years old. This car only has 60,000 miles on it and the enhanced warranty has been extended twice due to complaints with the court. I did not get my car fixed because I could not afford it and I think toyota should pay the full 6k to fix it. I'm amazed at how many other people have had this issue and toyota first issued a recall and was sued in court because they refused to acknowledge the serious malfunction of their vehicles.
Inspect and replace water pump and serpentine belt on feb 2009, engine issue again feb 2012 check engine light is on/flashing - estimate $955.98+tax - four wheel alignment $69.95+tax tech road tested and found front sway bar end links are worn/loose $435.82+tax (repairs completed) feb 2012 brake noise ~|~customer states noise when braking ~|~front and rear brake inspection done at this time ~|~inspection only no concerns found at this time (another mechanic replaced entire front brakes shortly after as they were found highly damaged) transmission service ~|~customer requests transmission service w/differentials ~|~maintenance ~|~drained and refilled automatic transmission fluid w/transfer case and differentials as needed (less than year later had trans fluid again replaced as continued issues) now is seemingly worse and more often. Step on gas and nothing happens for several seconds then jerks forward, loud thunking sound, extremely dangerous to drive as unknown when it will occur. Have not been using vehicle very much because of it. If this issue was known about in 2006 why was this never repaired before I even bought it or notify me of when I took it in for services on several occasions?
2003 rav4 with automatic transmission started having trouble accelerating from a stop. There seemed to be hardly any power when the gas pedal was pressed, and then about 5-8 seconds later the car would jolt into gear. This problem would happen also when increasing speed, or any time the gas pedal was pressed down. The car was taken to an auto shop where they said the transmission was broken and needed to be replaced. I am a very conservative driver (I never try to accelerate too quickly), and this trusty toyota hasn't ever had any engine problems... Ever! There are less than 77,000 miles on the vehicle.
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).
Tl* 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.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota rav4. The contact stated that while traveling approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle lost acceleration power. The vehicle was taken to a private mechanic where it was determined that the ECM needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted about the failure. The failure mileage was 55,000. The VIN was not available.
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.
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. *tr 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
Tl* the owns a 2003 toyota rav 4. The contact stated that while driving the vehicle, the check engine light illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the air filter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance since the vehicle had surpassed the statue of limitations. The failure mileage was 112,700.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota rav4. The contact stated that the vehicle did not shift properly. The contact also stated that there was an increams in the engine rpms and the vehicle would hesitate before accelerating. The contact spoke with a dealer and was informed that the engine control unit was failing and would cause the transmission to fail. The failure mileage was 210,000 and the current mileage was 215,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota rav4. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, she noticed that the engine was overheating. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis. The dealer stated that the head bolts would need replacing. The vehicle was repaired and the manufacturer was contacted who stated that there was nothing they could do to assist with the defect. The failure mileage was 89,000 and the current mileage was 89,500. The VIN was not available.
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. *tr updated 06/22/2012
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota rav4. The contact stated the accelerator pedal became stuck intermittently while driving. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and was told that all toyota vehicles accelerator pedals were sticking. The contact was also advised that accelerator pedal, engine control module and throttle body were defective. The failure mileage was unknown, but the current mileage was 165,000.
Check oil light came on and would go out, after checking the oil level all appear fine, the car would burn 1 quart every two months. After driving along the express way for 30 miles and using a two lane road for about 3 miles the check engine light and oil light all came on at a stop light and then the engine make noise and quit running, after towing the car to a auto repair shop we were told the car needed a new engine. The car is a rav 4 2003 with about 89,000 miles on it.
While driving, my 2003 toyota rav4's engine light starts flickering. The car starts hesitating, even with applying more gas. The car then loses power and cuts out. The car will then restart, but continue to hesitate and cut out the issue has occurred 3 times over the past month. The dealer could not isolate the problem and simply recommended replacing the spark plugs. My wife happened to be driving the car on the interstate during rush hour yesterday with my two toddlers in the car when it cut out again.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota rav 4. While attempting to accelerate from a stop light the contact stated that the vehicle would not respond. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic where the contact was informed that the computer needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The current and failure mileages were 115000.
My 2003 rav4 has always been very sluggish from a dead start and any kind of sudden acceleration but I knew that I would eventually reach the legal speed limit. Driving 1 1/2 weeks ago, however, brought my attention to another, far more serious acceleration problem, far worse than just sluggishness. The SUV was shifting out of gear automatically and I feared for my safety as I was in moving traffic and I was having trouble moving. I immediately decided to take it to the toyota dealer. Luckily, the dealership was close to where I was. They kept my car from approx. 3:30 pm that friday until the following monday. At first, they thought it was the transmission and said they needed until monday to know for sure. I was told by the service rep. To not worry, that it may be far less expensive than I think. That monday, I got a call from the serviced rep that he had both good news and bad news. They found the problem - an ecu problem but that I was out of warranty and I would have to buy a new one. I told them to go ahead and install it as I couldn't see any alternative. The work was done and the final cost for the unit and labor was $1,300.00. I told the service rep that I felt shafted because the warranty expired after 80,000 and I had 84,000 miles at the time. Further, I had the SUV for just 7 years, not the limit of 8 years under the original warranty for the ecu. I went on the internet and discovered the ny times july, 2010 letter announcing many problems like mine with transmission damage as well and toyota would now cover it all. According to the letter, toyota had extended its warranty for the transmission to 150,000 miles and 10 years for the ecu ! I called the service rep and he said toyota headquarters rep was there and said I had no extended warranty. The service manager never returned my call. I finally called toyota headquarters and filed a complaint with them. I received a letter from a toyota manager offering me $1,000 to buy a new toyota vehicle. 11/03/10
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota rav 4. While traveling 10 MPH, the contact attempted to accelerate yet the vehicle would not respond. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic where the contact had the transmission and engine control module was replaced, however the failure persisted. There were no prior warnings of the failure. The failure mileage was 126,000 and the current mileage was 146,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota rav4. The contact was driving approximately 30 MPH when the check engine light illuminated and the vehicle lost power. When the contact shifted into reverse gear, the vehicle began to shake violently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that the electronic control module and the transmission had failed. The manufacturer stated that the warranty was no longer valid; therefore, they would not provide any assistance with the repair repair cost. The VIN was not available. The failure and the current mileage was 86,000.
Transmission problem on a 2003 rav4 4 wheel drive. It started at 100,456 miles. Never had problem with the car before. It started to occur once in a while in first gear, then the engine light came on, got it check. Came up code po755. Now is occurring more often. Light goes off and after a couple of day goes on again. Took it to toyota. They said it needs a remanufacture transmission and they need to change the ECM. Cost 5,995 they told me I'm better off trading the car.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota rav 4. The contact stated that the check engine light had illuminated on the instrument panel and when accelerating, the vehicle would hesitate to increase in speed. The vehicle was taken to a local repair shop where the independent mechanic replaced the engine control module sensors. The failure persisted. The dealer advised there was a technical service bulletin addressing the failure but were no recall for the failure and repairs would be at the owners expense. The failure mileage was approximately 94,000 and the current mileage was 96,400.
In 2009, without notice my 2003 toyota rav 4 was "jerking and going". Then it would barely move once stopped. Then when it would move, it would drag. In august of 2009, the transmission was replaced by palmer's toyota superstore. This cost $1,721.93.
Toyota issued a technical alert in 2006 for a defective engine control module in their 2201-2003 rav4's. The alert was only sent to the dealerships, not to the consumers. This defect slowly destroys the transmission and without warning your car stalls like your running out of gas. A recall should have been issued but toyota refuses. I never had the opportunity to fix the engine control module that costs $1300 now I have to replace that and my transmission for a total cost of $4400. Please hold them accountable.
2003 toyota rav was stop instead of accelerating on highway starting 12/17, brought to dealership on 12/22/09 and they changed spark plugs; brought back 12/29 they changed water pump and then test drove and called me to tell me it could be transmission but to replace the ECM first since they knew it could cause transmission problems.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota rav 4. While driving 10 MPH and making a left turn the vehicle would not accelerate when the pedal was engaged. The contact was unable to shift gears which caused a vehicle to crash into the rear end of the contacts vehicle. The dealer confirmed that they have had problems with the ECM on this year, make and model vehicle and that they will not help her with the repairs. They estimated repair cost was approximately $1227. There were no injuries. The failure has occurred and was reported to the dealer on two occasions. The failure mileage was 70000 and current mileage was 90,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota rav 4. While entering a highway between 25-30 MPH the transmission down-shifted and would not accelerate. The vehicle was taken to a local repair facility. A mechanic was in the process of repairing the ECM. The current and failure mileages were 80,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota rav4. While driving 30 MPH the engine warning light will illuminated on the instrument control panel, and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was taken to a local repair facility. The diagnostic test revealed code po755s (solenoid b fault). The mechanic could not interpret the error code. A technician from the dealer stated that the vehicle would have to be re-inspected in order to determine the cause of the failure. The current and failure mileages were 49,998.
Car does not proceed into drive after being at a stop. Slow to turn corners - slow to move forward -nearly causing accidents.
Sludge in toyota engine.
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