Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | |||||
| 00207 | 04/26/2007 | 10022143 | Techstream ecu flash reprogramming procedure. *kb | 07/06/2007 | |
| SS00301 | 08/30/2002 | SS00301 | 634014 | Special service tools - the new immobilizer reset feature that allows the registration of a new master key even if all original master keys are lost. *tt | 09/26/2002 |
| EG01002 | 04/12/2002 | EG008 | 634045 | Subject regarding engine control module (ecm) calibration update - malfunction indicator light on with diagnostic trouble codes p0420 or p0430 and enhanced engine performance. *tt | 09/26/2002 |
| NV01301 | 12/07/2001 | 628678 | Information on noise from top of dash. *tt | 03/19/2002 | |
| NV00501 | 11/02/2001 | 627397 | Squeak and rattle service tips. *yd | 02/07/2002 | |
| SS00601 | 08/24/2001 | 622975 | Subject regarding branick spring adapter. *et | 10/25/2001 | |
| EL00401 | 07/13/2001 | 621982 | This bulletin clarifies information provided in the repair manual regarding the programming of oem wireless remotes on certain 2001 model year vehicles. *tt | 10/09/2001 | |
| 617 | 07/16/2001 | 621993 | Electronic message regarding programming of oem wireless door lock remote transmitters. *tt | 10/09/2001 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | |||
| 12/20/2012 | 114000 | ||
| Defective ecm causing the transmission to shift harshly. my car is in the shop right now getting fixed because of this problem. not only am i paying over $1,000.00 for the new ecm from the dealer i am having to get a rebuilt transmission put in. that is costing me over $2500.00. i feel like this is toyota's problem. i shouldnt have to put out over $4000.00 to get it fixed. why doesnt toyota own up to this and pay me and everyone else that has had to get these very expensive repairs done? | |||
| 04/01/2012 | 120 | ||
| Started having problems shifting gears, accelerating. | |||
| 12/09/2011 | 115790 | ||
| The transmission suddenly began slipping and jerking when accelerating from a stop or while in low gear and shifting from a low speed. i became aware of the ecm problem known to occur in my make and model of toyota upon calling the dealership; however, i am being told that the warranty only covers ten years from the date of purchase (i purchased my car 11 years ago) despite the fact it is known that the ecm, the computer that controls the transmission, is defective and causes transmission problems. this is a dangerous problem as the car will not accelerate and the transmission slips. it is difficult to understand how toyota cannot ethically cover this knowing it is defective and is probable to cause owners problems in the future, regardless if it's 8, 10, or 12 years down the line. | |||
| 12/01/2011 | |||
| My vehicle was experiencing harsh shifting and hard engagement. i took it to the dealer today and was told the ecm needed to be replaced. i did some internet research and discovered toyota received thousands of complaints regarding this issue as far back as 2006 in the 2001-2003 models. they extended the warranty to 10 years and 150, 000 miles. however, my vehicle is 6 months beyond the date (only 103,000 miles). i contacted toyota and they will not pay for any repairs. in addition, i discovered that owners had issues with the replaced emc unit within 2 years-causing transmission failure or repeated ecm failure. i questioned toyota as to why this was not a recall issue. they couldn't tell me. if it had been a recall issue, toyota would be responsible for the repair and not me. in addition, how do i know that once i have my car repaired today, that i won't have the same issue or worse in 2 years--like many other customers? toyota should be required to make this a recall issue--especially since there are thousands of people with this issue. | |||
| 10/17/2011 | 132000 | ||
| Transmission slippage/failure did not allow me to accelerate to highway speeds on an on-ramp | |||
| 08/20/2011 | 81000 | ||
| We received a letter last year from toyota notifying us about an extended warranty on a part that they expected to malfunction, the ecm - something to do with transaxle and a harsh shift condition. we were not currently experiencing the problem, so we did as the document recommended and filed it. last week out of no where, we started experiencing this harsh shift condition. the car stalled out when we attempt to accelerate and then jerks into gear quickly and on traffic filled roads, dangerously. we promptly took it to the dealership and they diagnosed the car as needing that part replaced. then they told us sorry, the extended warranty expired december 2010. two months after we'd received the notification. i am unemployed, we are a one car family and now we have a vehicle we can't drive and can't afford to fix through no fault of our own and because of this extended warranty instead of a proper recall toyota refuses to take responsibility for the malfunction of their product which could cause hazardous road conditions and jeopardize the safety of my family, so now due to transportation issues, my husband's job and our one source of income is at stake. toyota has put my family in a bad situation and refuses to take responsibility. i want the ecm recalled and for them to take responsibility for their product. | |||
| 06/05/2011 | 102000 | ||
| The transmission will not accelerate and then something suddently kicks in and the truck will go- nearly been rear-ended numerous times- this is a big safety issue- told it's going to be a $4,000 transmission replacement- only 102k miles, like new. also, at traffic lights, won't accelerate and people get ticked and need to pass and can't- numerous online complaints- add this. unacceptable for toyota. | |||
| 06/06/2006 | 84717 | ||
| Engine control module (ecm) first failed & was replaced 6/6/06. ecm replaced 2nd time under open recall 10/25/07. under enhanced warranty program, ecm & transmission replaced 3rd time after 3 month repair time 12/21/10. vehicle traveled 300 miles when ecm & transmission failed again. vehicle returned to dealership for 4th repair to ecm & transmission on 12/21/10. to date (2/22/11) vehicle is still at dealership awaiting parts to repair. vehicle has been our of service approaching 5 months. we have no confidence toyota can successfully repair vehicle. safety issue arises when harsh shift condition occurs causing the vehicle to slow down as it shifts from 2nd to 3rd gear, creating possibility of rear-end collision. | |||
| 10/16/2010 | 87900 | ||
| 2001 rav4- automatic transmission the car started shifting gears and having problems taking off from a stop position a week ago. there was no check engine light blinking to let me know what the issue was. i took it to the toyota dealership where they couldn't find any problems and think it might be the computer. when it first happened i almost got into a accident with another vehicle in front of me. after i left the dealership, sure enough the car starts jerking back and forth. i called toyota customer service where they told me they recognize the problem as the ecm (seems to be the problem with other complaints i have looked into), but nothing can be done about it as it is not on the recall list and the car came from japan to canada then to the united states (seriously?). i guess toyota will not do anything until someone is killed in an accident. | |||
| 06/05/2010 | 154000 | ||
| On 06/05/10, my personal vehicle (2001 toyota rav4) began to experience transmission slippage which developed into harsh shifting; this problem worsened over the next several weeks but, due to the car's electronics failure (from a known malfunction which toyota was aware of but failed to ever notify me about) this was not immediately identified as a transmission-related issue. upon finally reaching dangerous levels of jerking and decelerating on major highways, etc., i finally took the rav4 to a toyota dealership, where they informed me of an ecm recall related to the transmission -- of which i had never received notification. the reprogramming did not work and the harsh shifting worsened. i had to take the vehicle back about a week later, at which point the dealership told me i would have to pay to replace the computer. i did so, only to receive a notice 3 weeks later from toyota headquarters stating that they knew about a harsh shift malfunction related to the ecm in 2001-2003 rav4 models. however, all toyota did was extend the warranty to 150,000 (my repair was done at 154,000) rather than issue a safety recall. this is utterly ludicrous, as my car had the potential to just suddenly stop moving in the middle of heavy highway traffic, which could have resulted in my severe injury or even death. the issue apparently developed around 06/05/10 and led to the vehicle needing transmission replacement as of 08/21/10. the harsh shifting took place over several weeks between those dates. | |||
| 05/12/2010 | 82500 | ||
| Transmission failure due to faulty ecm on 2001 toyota rav 4. toyota issued a service bulletin in 2006 to the dealers but failed to notify me, the only owner of the vehicle. | |||
| 04/12/2010 | 103690 | ||
| My 2001 toyota rav4 was jerking forward while driving causing me to almost cause a major accident while my 3 year old was in the car. the car would do this intermittently then it became worse. i was very scared to drive the car and had no choice but to borrow money so i could take the car in for repair costing me approx. 1800.00 to replace the ecm. | |||
| 09/05/2009 | 177700 | 1 | |
| My 2001 rav4 had been exhibiting a harsh shift when put in reverse,very poor acceleration from a stopped position,loss of power,unusual sounds and finally a p0758 trouble code. i have taken it to stonecrest toyota 3 times and was told on 9/28/09 that the ecm needed to be replaced with no guarantee that the problem would be solved. before taking the vehicle to the dealer, i've had a tune up,oil change,a new battery and a computerized engine diagnosis. the problems occur quite often and in heavy traffic poses an injury risk as they are unpredictable,cannot be controlled and other motorists are unaware that there is a problem vehicle beside,in back of or in front of them. since the required repairs are so expensive, i have stopped driving this vehicle until i can have it fixed. *tr | |||
| 06/20/2008 | 120000 | 1 | |
| My 2001 rav4 began having transmission slippage issues. i researched it online and found numerous issues regarding a defective ecm being the cause of the slippage. all the symptoms that were described in the forum matched mine exactly. i have spoken with my local toyota dealer and the only thing he can do is discount the new ecm by 10%. i need to use my car so i reluctantly agreed to the repairs. once the ecm is replaced i am hoping this will fix the issue. if not i will have to pay for a rebuilt or new transmission. toyota knew of this issue in 2006 but decided not to inform their customers of the issue but instead only issue a technical bulletin on how to fix the issue. i will never buy another toyota product again! *tr | |||