Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||||
| TSB-0064-10 | 02/04/2010 | 10034284 | Toyota: techstream ecu flash reprogramming procedure. flash reprogramming allows the ecu software to be updated without replacing the ecu. flash calibration updates for specific vehicle models/ecus are released as field-fix procedures de | 11/01/2010 | |
| 601 | 10021263 | Reprogram the engine control module (ecm). *kb | 03/26/2007 | ||
| 00703 | 05/05/2003 | 10001997 | Malfunction indicator lamp on condition with diagnostic trouble code p1349, indicating a variable valve timing (vvti) malfunction. *tt *jb | 07/31/2003 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE | |||
| 10/08/2012 | 114800 | 1 | |
| October 11, 2012. on or about october 8 2012 i began having hesitation and jumping into gear as i am driving my 2001 rav4. this happens mainly when accelerating from a stop sign/light. i am aware there has been a recall on many 2001 rav4 vehicles. i bought my rav4 from carmax in north attleboro mass on april 19 2012. so, i have not even had my vehicle for 5 months yet. on thursday october 11 2012 i took my rav4 back to carmax in attleboro with my complaint--i will be leaving the vehicle with them on friday october 12 2012 so they can diagnose the transmission and the tcm (the transmission module which has had the recall). if it is found that my rav4 is one of many under this recall, i will hope that toyota will honor its' commitment and fix my rav. i do hope that lodging this complaint with you will help me in this plight, as i do not have the money to fix this problem and nor should i have to as to the above, and due to the fact that is was a recall with toyota. thank you. *tr | |||
| 10/08/2012 | 114800 | ||
| October 11, 2012. on or about october 8 2012 i began having hesitation and jumping into gear as i am driving my 2001 rav4. this happens mainly when accelerating from a stop sign/light. i am aware there has been a recall on many 2001 rav4 vehicles. i bought my rav4 from carmax in north attleboro mass on april 19 2012. so, i have not even had my vehicle for 5 months yet. on thursday october 11 2012 i took my rav4 back to carmax in attleboro with my complaint--i will be leaving the vehicle with them on friday october 12 2012 so they can diagnose the transmission and the tcm (the transmission module which has had the recall). if it is found that my rav4 is one of many under this recall, i will hope that toyota will honor its' commitment and fix my rav. i do hope that lodging this complaint with you will help me in this plight, as i do not have the money to fix this problem and nor should i have to as to the above, and due to the fact that is was a recall with toyota. thank you. | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||
| 02/01/2012 | 109008 | ||
| My vehicle has begun experiencing harsh shifting. it will not accelerate immediatly and it will jump forward at times. this is a reported problem with the 2001 rav 4. i recieved a letter stating there was the possibility of compensation after one has this fixed. as one a person who cannot afford to fix this out of pocket that is not a lot of help. this is a known issue and should be recalled! | |||
| 02/27/2012 | 120000 | ||
| When accelerating and decelerating, the engine jumps and fails to change gears. this is extremely dangerous in situations where one must get out of the way of other cars (generally every time driving). when taken to the dealer, i was told there was a malfunction in the internal engine control module. | |||
| 05/29/2011 | 136000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2001 toyota rav4. while the contact was driving 35 mph, the engine warning light illuminated, and the transmission began to exhibit severe hesitation in a jerking motion. the vehicle was to an authorized dealer for diagnosis who stated the transmission and ecm module would need to be replaced. in addition, the faulty trans axle required replacement. the contact discovered there was a prior voluntary recall issued by the manufacturer pertaining to the ecm module; however the contact did not receive notification of the recall. the manufacturer was notified whom informed the recall expired in january 2011 and was unable to provide further assistance. the vehicle had not been repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 136,000. js | |||
| 09/14/2010 | 150000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2001 toyota rav4. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for inspection. the technician detected that the front engine cross member completely rusted. the vehicle was also taken to an authorized dealer where a diagnostic test was performed at the owner's expense. in addition, pictures were taken of the defective component and forwarded to the manufacturer for further investigation. the vehicle was not repaired. the technician recommended that the vehicle not be driven due to safety risks. the contact was waiting for a response from the manufacturer. the failure mileage was 150,000. the vin was unavailable. | |||
| 09/14/2010 | 150000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2001 toyota rav4. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for inspection. the technician detected that the front engine cross member completely rusted. the vehicle was also taken to an authorized dealer where a diagnostic test was performed at the owner's expense. in addition, pictures were taken of the defective component and forwarded to the manufacturer for further investigation. the vehicle was not repaired. the technician recommended that the vehicle not be driven due to safety risks. the contact was waiting upon a response from the manufacturer. the failure mileage was 150,000. the vin was unavailable. js | |||
| 05/15/2010 | 132000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2001 toyota rav4. she stated that while driving whenever she accelerated the engine stalled for a few seconds, causing the engine light to illuminate. the vehicle was taken to a dealer who advised that the ecu was damaged and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was contacted and she was informed to contact the national highway traffic safety administration. the failure and current mileages were 132,000... | |||
| 05/24/2010 | 130940 | ||
| Suddenly, while merging onto the highway, my toyota rav4 (2001) seemed to go into neutral gear and then harshly shift into 2nd then 3rd gear with a lurch. now, whenever i accelerate after a stop, the same thing happens. i have been told my ecm and possibly transmission needs replacement. | |||
| 12/20/2009 | 69840 | 1 | |
| My 2001 rav4 toyota jerks forward after a complete stop. had it checked at toyota dealership, they didn't see what was the problem but they told me it may be the transmission or the engine control. if i decide to do the job, they cannot guarantee that will fix the problems but it will cost about $6,000. took it a local mechanics they could not help me as well. *tr | |||
| 12/09/2009 | 128881 | 1 | |
| My 2001 toyota rav4 threw a rod, resulting in a total engine failure. the connecting rod endcap bolt broke. this is not a maintenance item and it should never brake. the rod punched a hole in the engine block. the whole engine has to be replaced. the toyota dealership says there's nothing they can do about it since it's not under warranty. *tr | |||
| 08/24/2009 | 69400 | 1 | |
| Check engine light comes on 2001 toyota rav4 vehicle. vehicle stops running at any point during driving operations. this issue affects the engine/emission/transmission systems and are a severe hazard to owners of this vehicle. toyota is ignoring the growing number of owners of this vehicle until enough deaths/serious injuries occur. *tr | |||
| 06/25/2009 | 97323 | 1 | |
| Somewhere around the later part of june, 2009 my car began hesitating. i took it to the dealer and they could not find what was wrong with it. i took it back and then was informed the it was my ecm. i contacted toyota to have this problem fixed since it was a manufacturing problem during production. they informed me that it was my responsibility to get it fixed. my vehicle has around 97,000 miles on it. this is happening on a regular basis. several times my family and i were endangered because someone almost hit my vehicle from the back because of the hesitation. as of today, i have not been successful at getting toyota to offer any assistance in getting this repairs. the consumer stated the vehicle would loose acceleration and the rpm spiked. whenever the consumer stopped at a light, the vehicle failed to move immediately. the technician informed the consumer the transmission was slipping, due to a problem stemming from the ecm, which was not reading properly which was affecting the transmission. updated ivoq. 08/07/09.*jb | |||
| 03/25/2004 | 2 | ||
| While driving, the engine light would illuminate and the vehicle stalls intermittently. the dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. the cause has yet to be determined. *la | |||
| 12/22/2002 | |||
| Consumer states that while driving at any speed the engine light comes on and will stay on the remainder of the time the vehicle is being operated. dealer notified. ts | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||
| 07/25/2011 | 113000 | ||
| Tl - the contact owns a 2001 toyota rav 4. the contact stated that while driving 30 mph the vehicle started to hesitated and the transmission would not go into gear. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the engine control module was defective and needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offered any assistance and referred him to the dealer. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the failure and current mileage was 113,000. pm | |||
| 09/29/2006 | 135000 | 2 | 04/30/2001 |
| I have a 2001 toyota rav4 ( vin jtegh20v710019060 ) the engine type is a 1azfe. i recently learned about a toyota oil gel problem with engine type 5s-fe. the motor may be different, but my story is the same. this is a work vehicle that was maintained. in sept 2006 i called toyota to complain about the $2800 repair due to what they had called oil gel. the reference number for this call is 2006-09290437. at the time i was unaware of the law suit in process for some toyota engines due to this exact thing! jan 19th 2007, while driving, my car's engine light went on and 30 seconds later there was a plume of blue smoke ( the bartow fire department was called as i was on i-75 in georgia and someone thought the car was on fire). there was no fire, just smoke. i pulled over immediately. the car was towed to the service dealership where they told me i had thrown a rod. they claim the two are unrelated occurrences. from what i have read on web sites, they seem very related to me. the repair in sept was costly, to have the rod thrown 4 months later makes me think the 1azfe engine may have some defect as well. the car could not be repaired without a totally new engine. we chose not to repair it. i believe toyota should pay for the repairs in sept 06 and the tow in jan 07, as i am convinced this is a defect. i can provide all the oil changes and maintenance records as this has been a work vehicle for me. i wonder if other toyota engines should be examined and reported. the dealership and toyota have both claimed this engine is not involved. i disagree. had i not pulled over i am certain a fire would have begun with all the engine oil on the motor. *nm | |||
| 05/11/2001 | 5000 | 15 | 12/10/2000 |
| 5 months after purchase the service engine light came on. a dealer reset it and said it was the gas we used. every year we go through the same thing when we purchase cheap (no-name brand) gas and had to be reset by a garage or dealer. now we run a tank or two of better (name brand) gas and the light may go off. i know that this happens to other toyotas. *nm | |||
| 01/03/2006 | 51000 | 1 | 07/15/2003 |
| Dt*: the contact stated while driving 30 mph the engine stalled and the vehicle lost all power. the vehicle was towed to the dealer for inspection. upon inspection it was determined the baffle under the oil cap broke off. as a result metal pieces went into the timing chain, causing the engine to seize. the engine was replaced. updated 3/20/2006 - the consumer was able to locate a tsb which referenced this problem. *nm | |||
| 49000 | 1 | ||
| The vehicle intermittently stalled without warning, but would restart within seconds. this occurred while driving at any speed or stopping. sometimes the engine warning light flashed before the vehicle stalled. a diagnostic test was performed but no failure code was found. *ak *sc *jb | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | |||
| 1 | 10/01/2000 | ||
| Conusmer brought vehicle to dealer for engine light repairs. *jg | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM | |||
| 03/26/2010 | 125841 | 1 | |
| Toyota 2001 rav4: check engine light has been on since at least august, 2004 (documented). toyota claimed to fix per a recall notice. from february 2002 to date, there has been intermittent groaning beneath car, whining in first gear, and what felt like clunking. could not pass smog tests because of check engine light code. in october, 2009, car died. could not restart, had to wait for tow (midnight on a dark road). had work done in oct, 2009, and i requested the parts. they replaced my coils, plugs and air filter for $1,330. i have had brakes replaced , fluids changed, o2 sensors replaced ( since then, the car is mis-shifting, clunking or groaning, rough engine. on 3/25/2010, i took it in and toyota service recommended that i let it go and buy another car. they told me to just come and get the car without any work done, because it would cost me between $6,000-$7,000 for repairs. i was never told that i had ecm and transmission problems throughout all of these visits to toyota service. i believe that toyota waited me out so that they could just sell me another car instead of revealing the true cause of my problems. the ecm and transmission for this car is no longer available as a new item, so i would have to get a rebuilt transmission, which the defective ecm would end up destroying. i am afraid to drive the car because of the possibility that the transmission will fail. *cn | |||
| 02/03/2004 | 2 | ||
| Engine light on two different times. repaired 2nd time on warranty for $1500 for catalytic conv, 4 egr sensors etc. i fear i will pay next time out of warranty. bought new. well maintained, by the book.*jb | |||
| 07/30/2001 | 25 | 07/01/2001 | |
| I am experiencing a 5 to 10 second dead spot in the acceleration of my new rav4 several times a week. based on internet web page forum postings, i have found other new rav4 owners that have the same problem. i have been told by the dealer that sluggish accleration is the result of a new emmisions control computer. this is beyond sluggish, the car barely moves. pulling into traffic, accross streets and intersections, i am at risk and never know if the car is going to move or not. a new emmisions control computer has been installed in ravs since 4/01 so this problem appears to be new. i'm not getting anywhere with toyota on this, and neither are the other owners that have this problem. | |||
| 1 | |||
| Consumer states exhaust fumes could be smelled inside vehicle. *slc | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL | |||
| 04/23/2007 | 61000 | 1 | |
| On the 2001 toyota rav 4 the check engine light came on. i had it checked and the fuel-oxygen sensor needed to be replaced. if the sensor was not replaced, i was told it would damage the catalytic convertor. unfortunately, it was out of warranty when the problem occurred.*ak | |||
| 12/11/2003 | 50423 | 3 | 05/04/2001 |
| Dt: the consumer stated that the engine light kept illuminating in the 2001 toyota rav 4. the vehicle was taken to the dealership three times. the first time they reprogrammed the computer, the second time they replaced the oxygen sensors and the third time they determined that the catalytic converter needed to be replaced. the consumer planned to replace the catalytic converter in the future. currently the contact was driving the vehicle with the engine light on. the vehicle was not driving differently. the consumer contacted toyota and they urged the consumer to work with the dealer, and maybe they would help her with the cost. *ak (11/21/05) the consumer was aware of other same make model and years that have experienced this same problem. *sc | |||
| 07/16/2001 | 15000 | 1 | 11/03/2000 |
| I bought a brand new 2001 toyota rav4 from cox toyota in burlington, nc in november of 2000. the vehicle had 28 miles on it when i bought it. in may of 2001 i had my 15,000 mile service done at cox toyota and everything was fine. in july of 2001, the check engine light came on and that day,7/16/01, i went to cox toyota to have it checked out. they told me it was just the o2 sensors and i didn't need to worry about it. being that i have a degree in english and not auto mechanics, and i was dealing with the dealership, i took their word and left it alone. they were able to turn the check engine light off, even though they didn't fix anything. later in 2001, the check engine light came back on and i went to toyota of durham to have it checked out. i went to them twice about it and they told me that nothing was wrong with the vehicle and it was just the light itself. so the light just stayed on, and since i was told to basically ignore the light by two toyota dealerships, that's what i did. now i am having a problem passing the nc vehicle inspection, because of this problem. fred anderson toyota in raleigh, nc told me in may of 2004 that it'll cost 1,945.00 to fix my car in order to pass inspection, and the o2 sensors are the root of the problem. my car isn't performing as it should and it may have permanent engine damage. i am working with a mechanic in elon, nc to get the problem fixed. he has taken the time to learn what will solve the problem with the sensors, so it can pass inspection. if cox toyota had fixed my car when i brought it to them in july 2001, i wouldn't be having these problems now. *ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL - CATALYTIC CONVERTOR | |||
| 09/15/2001 | 20000 | 3 | 12/16/2000 |
| 2001 rav4 catalyst system fail. many owners for 2001-2002 are having problem getting engine error code po420/430 (catalyst system efficiency below threshold) i had this error since new. they changed converter and rebooted software, but never got fixed. i just found out that there is tsb eg010-02. it shows software was updated 4 times. misprogammed fuel map. i went to dealer with copy of tsb. i spent $80 for soft update because over warranty. it came back 2 days later. i checked www.rav4world.com everybody talking about same issue and they are saying catalytic converter is on back order about 2500. dealer tell you that they don't know when you can get. some have waited 2 mo.the cost is more than $2000. *jb | |||