Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - CONTROL MODULE (TCM, PCM) | |||||
| TSB-0184-09 | 06/24/2009 | 10032729 | Toyota: vehicles with 2gr fe engines may exhibit a mil on condition with diagnostic trouble code (dtc) p0505 stored in the engine control module or ecm (sae term: powertrain control module/pcm). *pe | 05/05/2010 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN | |||
| 08/01/2010 | 40000 | 1 | |
| Steering wheel clunks at relatively low speeds - clunking increases over time. concern is if steering fails as a result. toyota's fix is to replace intermediate driveshaft and an alignment. apparently this is a pervasive problem on a number of rav4 model years (based on hundreds of postings on internet discussion sites, at least one of which claims failed steering resulting in multicar crash). per these online discussions, some toyota dealers have stated it is a serious safety issue, some have not. given this problem has existed for a number of years (toyota has two service memos issued on the problem and even developed new replacement parts), if the nhtsa has investigated this issue and determined there is no consumer safety issues, is that conclusion available to the public? would appear this would be proper to disclose, as consumers get very concerned with a potential loss of steering and its potential crash ramifications. *tr | |||
| 05/15/2012 | 107000 | 1 | |
| There was a rumble in the rear @ 40 mph. i had maplewood toyota check it 2-3 times, they said they couldn't hear it, car was fine; they checked the trans oil once and said it was fine. it's a closed system-you never need to change its oil. (i had asked this question several times over the years and they always told me that i never needed to change the trans oil & the manual does not list it either). they took it for a drive and checked it good-said that 1st gear was going, but it was fine to drive-come back when i couldn't stand the noise and they'd put in a new trans for $4,500. i was going out of town, they said ok, car will be fine. since the rumble was so loud, 3 days later i got a second opinion at a transmission specialist's shop recommended to me by several friends. they put it up on a rack and tested it with a stethoscope type device. they said that the bearing was very bad and that i should not take the car out of town or drive it as it was not safe to drive and could stop at any time. they replaced m,w/s, u240/24e 00-up (cork); filter; bushing, a40 series pump; tc, rav4, med stall, ink 14; center gear bearing, etc. when the toyota technician checked the trans oil, i realized that it was not a closed system! also, the oil was black and i now know that it should be red. i think i should have been changing the trans oil all along and my transmission probably would not have failed. i think they should order a recall on all these transmissions - and pay for the work that i had to have done before my car failed on a freeway somewhere. a transmission should last forever, especially since half of the miles have been freeway miles and i drive my car very gently. i just put in new brake pads for the first time recently and there was still 20-30% left on them. previously i had to pay toyota $400 to repair the steering column-another defect that should be a recall. *tr | |||
| 05/15/2012 | 107000 | ||
| There was a rumble in the rear @ 40 mph. i had maplewood toyota check it 2-3 times, they said they couldn't hear it, car was fine; they checked the trans oil once and said it was fine. it's a closed system-you never need to change its oil. (i had asked this question several times over the years and they always told me that i never needed to change the trans oil & the manual does not list it either). they took it for a drive and checked it good-said that 1st gear was going, but it was fine to drive-come back when i couldn't stand the noise and they'd put in a new trans for $4,500. i was going out of town, they said ok, car will be fine. since the rumble was so loud, 3 days later i got a second opinion at a transmission specialist's shop recommended to me by several friends. they put it up on a rack and tested it with a stethoscope type device. they said that the bearing was very bad and that i should not take the car out of town or drive it as it was not safe to drive and could stop at any time. they replaced m,w/s, u240/24e 00-up (cork); filter; bushing, a40 series pump; tc, rav4, med stall, ink 14; center gear bearing, etc. when the toyota technician checked the trans oil, i realized that it was not a closed system! also, the oil was black and i now know that it should be red. i think i should have been changing the trans oil all along and my transmission probably would not have failed. i think they should order a recall on all these transmissions - and pay for the work that i had to have done before my car failed on a freeway somewhere. a transmission should last forever, especially since half of the miles have been freeway miles and i drive my car very gently. i just put in new brake pads for the first time recently and there was still 20-30% left on them. previously i had to pay toyota $400 to repair the steering column-another defect that should be a recall. | |||
| 04/28/2006 | 1000 | 1 | |
| When first driving my new 2006 toyota rav4, i noticed at slow speeds it would sometimes accelerate when i hit the brake. i attributed this to big feet and a new car where i did not yet master the relative positions of the pedals. i started driving with two feet, just as i was taught as a teenager in drivers ed. occasionally, this has happened again in the ensuing 3 years. until this unintended acceleration problem came to light in 2010, i thought it was just operator error. now, i am beginning to think there is some defect - maybe it's hardware linkages, but i suspect there is a software problem in the electronic computer of the car. i also had the steering mid-shaft problem after warranty and screamed until they fixed it under warranty for $50. there was also a runaway fuel pump service bulletin i made them cover as well. i have worked with toyota quality engineers since the 1980s and am disgusted by their responses reported in this odi site. toyota's claim to fame was there quality and customer focus. looks like the current generation of toyota people have lost this, and that points directly to top management there. shame, shame, shame. as they say in japanese, they are on shirazu (do not understand their obligation to their customers). *tr | |||
| 09/12/2009 | 31700 | 1 | |
| The power steering in my 2006 toyota rav4 went out suddenly when i was driving this month. i pulled over and turned off the motor. when the car started again the power steering was working. the toyota dealer had reports of this problem on this car from toyota. the power steering goes out suddenly. toyota would not reimburse me the cost of fixing this safety defect. it costs about $1000. had i been on a highway, i could have been in a serious accident. toyota should recall these cars and fix this safety defect. *tr | |||
| 07/25/2009 | 38000 | 1 | |
| 2006 toyota rav4 v-6 engine. sudden and massive loss of all engine oil. dealer is aware that this is caused by a defective oil hose. no recall issued yet. dealer states we're just fixing them as they come in. i was fortunate i was close to home. engine was bone dry of oil in less than 3 miles. should this have happened further away; 1. engine would have seized. 2. potential fire - the underside of vehicle was covered in oil and could have easily ignited. toyota needed to recall this defective part. not just repair as they come in. *tr | |||
| 07/14/2009 | 61000 | 1 | |
| 2006 toyota rav 4 rubber oil hose (part no. 15707-31010) rupture spewed oil all over engine and road. vehicle has 61000 miles. the 2008 and later model rav 4's now use a different metal part (part no. 15772-31030). luckily i was able to get to the breakdown after noticing engine smoking from excess oil. the dealership will only install original part number for the 2006 and 2007 rav 4 models, even though apparently the 2008 metal part is superior. *tr | |||
| 02/03/2009 | 59177 | 1 | |
| On freeway, other motorist notified me my car was on fire! i saw excessive smoke in rearview mirror. i took the next exit which was dixon, ca off interstate 80 west in california. the side of the freeway there is grassy, did not think it was safe to stop...i stopped the car and smoke was everywhere, coming up through the hood & under the car. this was tues, 2/3/09. i has the car serviced the fri before, 1/30/09 at toyota vallejo in vallejo, ca. i called the dealership after calling aaa for a tow. the service advisor, ryan said it couldn't have been from anything they had done. but there is an 'oil hose' that had been coming off alot of the rav4's. i was already upset & that made me livid!! if it were a known problem the dealership should have checked during the scheduled maint. my car was towed to lithia toyota of vacaville #47 at 500 orange drive, vacaville, ca. work order 394212. as of yesterday, 2/12/09, the assistant service manager, megan, told me there was no tsb she was aware of, yet the part that came off (vvti oil pipe) was not found at any other dealership or supplier in the united states, and was on order from toyota in japan. i am furious that it appears toyota was well aware of this problem and has failed to initiate any steps to prevent risk to its consumers. i am asking for a full investigation which hopefully will lead to a recall of the 2006 rav4's and any other year this affects. megan, the assistant service manager at lithia toyota confirmed with my insurance adjuster, jose lara (geico 707-688-3318) the cost is covered under the powertrain warranty....what about the cost of my life, and the lives of the other motorist surrounding me??? the risk of fire is never to be taken lightly. please investigate this matter to avoid any cost of life. *tr | |||
| 09/20/2006 | 1 | ||
| I have a serious delay in the acceleration of my 06 toyota rav4. it is dangerous especially when pulling into traffic. i have gotten no help from the dealer or toyota. it happens about 5-10 times per week. *nm | |||
| 08/15/2006 | 150 | 18 | 07/28/2006 |
| New 2006 rav 4 was purchased at grappone toyota, concord nh, on 7-28-06. during he first 600 miles of operation per the manufacturer. break in recommendations it became apparent that the vehicle had a serious malfunction regarding normal acceleration and throttle use. this condition leads in an intermittent fashion to failure to accelerate when merging on the highway, failure to resume steady throttle setting after rounding a corner, sudden and serious hesitation when attempting to accelerate normally and sudden and serious losses of power on the road. these symptom are accompanied by a full time throttle lag, which prevents normal use of the throttle and often, after a varied period of delay, is followed by a sudden downshift and rush of power and acceleration. i complained to the dealer on 8-22-06 and was deferred until 8-25-06 at which time the dealer checked the engine computer and told me that the degree of malfunctioning is normal and could not be addressed. i told them that was unacceptable and that since this uncertain and erratic performance compromised the safety of my wife and myself we would not be able to resume normal use of the car until the dealer or manufacturer chose to address the problem. after 43 years of safe driving, i'm not about to drive an uncontrollable car in traffic on public roads when it may suddenly fail to accelerate or fail to resume normal speed after braking. any sudden erratic moves can be dangerous to ourselves and to surrounding traffic and i find it deeply disturbing that neither toyota nor grappone toyota will bother to return my calls nor address this matter. i have spoken with toyota and they have not returned my calls, facilitated a repair or even bothered to try to fix the car. please investigate this situation which i now believe is common to about 10% of rav 4s before it costs someone their life. thank you. *nm | |||
| 08/24/2006 | 500 | 20 | 02/23/2006 |
| My 2006 toytoa rav4 has displayed non responsive throttle on many occasions where you give it gas and it does nothing, then it takes off like a rocket. i have nearly been in accidents because i pull out from a stop and the throttle is unresponsive while traffic is bearing down on me. *jb | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | |||
| 07/10/2010 | 70000 | ||
| When starting up from a stop, the automatic transmission shifts properly from 1st to 2nd gears however when it shifts from 2nd to 3rd gear, it appears to momentarely go in to neutral where the engine wines out before quickly banging into third gear. very harsh shifting. this appears to occure only after the transmission heats up after driving for about 30 minutes or longer. after this occures, it will do this every time when starting from a stop. i have complained about this to the dealer for some time however was only recently able to prove it to them. i was then told that i would need a new transmission for about $4000.00 | |||
| 05/11/2009 | 30000 | ||
| My 2006 rav4 sport that occationally has problems with exceleration, this usually occurs right after starting the vehicle and can last up to 15 min into the drive. occurs when excelerating from a stop, you press the gas pedal and receive a very slow response from the vehicle; almost as if trying to drive with the e brake on. once you have reached 5-10mph it engages and goes, but until then it is very unsafe. this is especially true when making a left hand turn, although you would normally have enough room and time to turn and be out of the way for incoming traffic, if you don't compensate for that additional lag , you could get t-boned. | |||
| 05/27/2010 | 119000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2006 toyota rav4. she stated that on may 27, 2010, while attempting to drive the vehicle it lost power, all electrical systems failed. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and she was informed that the repair would be at her expense. the maufacturer was not contacted. the failure and current mileage were 119,000...mr | |||
| 01/15/2010 | 61000 | ||
| At approximately 60,000 miles i noticed when i backed up i heard a loud clunking noise in what seemed to be the rear. at approximately 62,000 miles i took it to my dealer and it was diagnosed as a transaxle problem. | |||
| 11/01/2009 | 100203 | 1 | |
| 2006 rav4 unsafe to drive!!! le brun toyota, canadaigua, ny, made me pay to exchange lemon with only 150-200 miles 2 days after purchase, they made me pay an additional 7k to trade for the v-6 i have now, because of the transmission accelerated downhill, on both 4cyl and v-6, it still does it though not as severe, still scary at times. recently,my steering went out on the exit ramp luckily and locked a few times, it now makes a thump and caused a minor accident, next time i won't be so lucky. really loud noise from rear also. antifreeze smell inside car too.h.e.l.p. *tr | |||
| 10/01/2008 | 1 | ||
| This is in reference to the electrical problem referenced recently. i have had the same experience of the car just not starting. i discovered that it is related to the stick shift. it looks like it is engaged. if you give it the tiniest jiggle it engages and the car will start. i don't know what the deal is, but planned to bring it up when i take car to be serviced next. *tr | |||
| 03/17/2008 | 17687 | 1 | 06/03/2006 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2006 toyota rav4. on march 17, 2008, while coasting into a parking space with her foot on the brake, the engine revved and the vehicle accelerated at a high rate of speed and crashed into another vehicle. there were no warning signs prior to the failure. the vehicle had undergone regularly scheduled maintenance before the crash occurred. the weather was dry on the day of the crash. the vehicle was released back to the contact; however, it had to be taken back to the shop due to riding roughly when placed into overdrive. the dealer stated that the torque converter was locking everytime the transmission was placed into overdrive. a police report was filed. there were no injuries and the contact was not cited. the current mileage is 17,690 and failure mileage was 17,687. updated 5/13/08 *cn the dealer determined there was a problem with the overdirve. updated | |||
| 10/30/2006 | 5070 | 4 | 07/16/2006 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2006 toyota rav4. the drivetrain in the transmission makes a whining sound. the dealer replaced the transmission. a regional engineer recently stated that the noise was typical of a 2006 rav4 and there was nothing to repair. the noise began while driving 40 mph hour and is currently ongoing while driving between 30 to 55 mph. the engineer also stated that the sound of the transmission is inherent to the vehicle. the failure mileage was 5,070 and current mileage was 24,100. updated 04-08-08 *bf updated 04/08/08 *tr | |||
| 01/16/2006 | 1000 | 01/15/2006 | |
| Purchased rav in 1/2006 and have had many acceleration issues with this car. from a slow/start or stop/start, i have experienced the car hesitate on acceleration. this occurrence is all the time, creating a very unsafe situation. have complained to the dealer several times about this issue and was told that it was a safety mechanism to prevent hard shifting in the transmission. this situation still occurs several times daily. *tr | |||
| 10/16/2007 | 5000 | 40 | |
| Details: the vehicle has frequent problems with acceleration when cold. car has no power when trying to enter traffic. i will step on the gas, begin moving, then the engine will bog down and i will have no acceleration at all. i have taken this up to my dealer, and their explanation is that nothing is wrong. however, this problem can occur when ever it is cold. *jb | |||
| 09/17/2007 | 16000 | 20 | 03/20/2006 |
| Our 2006 toyota rav4 has had issues on several occasions of either hesitating when the gas pedal is pressed or lunging forward when trying to slow down for traffic or a stop light. we have made several complaints to our dealer, but they keep saying nothing is wrong. we feel this car is unsafe/ reliable at this point. *jb | |||
| 08/10/2007 | 14400 | 1 | 07/31/2006 |
| Throttle lag when requesting immediate acceleration from either a stop or a t low speeds. | |||
| 01/26/2007 | 9400 | 1 | 06/08/2006 |
| I was driving my 2006 toyota rav4 when i applied the brakes from about 25 mph to stop for traffic at a light. as i applied the brake the engine accelerated and i had to stand hard on the brake to keep from hitting the car in front of me. after a few seconds the engine speed came back to normal. at that time i double checked my foot position on the brake pedal and am confident that i was in no way contacting the accelerator pedal. *jb | |||
| 08/05/2006 | 1 | 04/20/2006 | |
| I have the 2006 toyota rav4 base model with an automatic transmission. i have noticed that the transmission is very sluggish to respond to braking, such that the engine sometimes continues to rev forward for a second or two even after the brake pedal is depressed. this leads to excessive braking distances. i believe this problem is the cause of an automobile accident that we suffered on 8/5/06. in dense highway traffic, i was about 20 feet behind an older toyota pathfinder and had just accelerated from about 15 mph to about 25 mph, as the distance between the vehicles was growing. then the pathfinder in front of me suddenly slammed on his/her brakes because another vehicle swerved directly in front of it. i slammed on my brakes too, but the rav4 did not immediately begin to slow. instead, i could feel the engine still pushing the car forward. the rav4 finally did begin to slow down right about the same time the pathfinder came to a complete stop. as a result, we hit the now-stationary pathfinder in front of us at a speed of about 5 mph. fortunately, no one was hurt, but the front end of the rav4 was mashed in. i have driven dozens of different vehicles over nearly 20 years of driving experience, and i think every other one would have come to a complete stop well before the point of impact (as did the pathfinder in front of me, despite a vehicle cutting directly in front of it). this leads me to suspect there must be something wrong with the rav4 transmission. the transmission should immediately disengage from drive whenever the brake is depressed, but there seems to be a dangerous time lag. when i took the vehicle to the dealership and explained what happened, they road-tested and examined the vehicle and said nothing was wrong. they claimed what i experienced was the vehicle down-shifting, which results in higher rpms but less forward motion. i don't buy it. i have tried jamming on the brakes to cause such downshifting and it doesn't happen. *jb | |||
| 03/01/2006 | 0 | 1 | 03/01/2006 |
| Dt*: the vehicle had an acceleration lag issue causing the transmission to not switch gears in a timely manner. the service dealer could not duplicate the problem. | |||
| 09/16/2006 | 800 | 10 | 08/15/2006 |
| On several occasions there is a severe hesitation when pressing on the accelerator. this is most notable when accelerating from a stop or a near stop. i thought it was just the a/c being on or in my head, but i have ruled out the a/c, and sometimes it will work wonderfully one night and the next morning, the throttle response is very sluggish. sometimes seems to bog down if you give it more gas and then you have to ease way back on the accelerator pedal once it gets going. *nm | |||
| 01/27/2006 | 1 | 01/26/2006 | |
| My rav4 lags or hesitates when i try to accelerate in order to get up to speed-especially when i am trying to merge into oncoming traffic. i have been told by technicians that others are experiencing the same problem and that there is no fix for this problem. *nm | |||
| 06/30/2006 | 1000 | 4 | |
| Serious hesitation problem in my 2006 toyota rav4. i've reported to toyota, but they indicate it's normal. problem has happened seriously 3-4 times. when slowing to a near stop or from a stop, accelerating, i get nothing when i push on accelerator. this is beyond hesitation. the first 2 times i panicked since i was merging in traffic, floored the pedal and after perhaps 1/2 to 1 second (might not sound long, but imagine no response to pushing you pedal with oncoming traffic doing 60-70)....it kicked in/downshifted or whatever. really scary. again, i noted this to toyota. i noted a post on edmunds site today with a 2005 article on past hesitation problems with toyota/lexus. and other complaints as well on this serious safety issue. i've posted a date of june 30 for incident, but actually 3-4 separate times in past 4 months. *jb | |||
| 06/29/2006 | 2312 | 1 | 03/23/2006 |
| Hesitation problem - '06 rav4 i4 sport model when trying to overtake, when pressing the pedal harder, engine didn't respond right away. *jb | |||
| 06/15/2006 | 2400 | 1 | 04/30/2006 |
| A 2006 toyota rav4 v6 limited 4x2. problem: automatic transmission defect? sometimes when i step on accelerator there's lag time before car shifts and gets going. also there's an ongoing (month or so) droning noise. i took car to toyota dealer 6/15/06. service writer and 2 techs heard droning noise while i was there. with the car. i asked to bring the car in the following saturday as i work during the week, but they said saturdays not good so i made appointment for 6/26/06. they told me it wasn't dangerous to drive the car. i took car in 6/26/06 & rode with master tech who was able to hear the droning noise. he drove car, also sat in parking lot with engine running and shifted into park and into reverse etc. with his foot on the brake and noise changed in intensity in different gears. he took car back to service center and checked it out. the service writer said the tech not able to pinpoint problem, but tech would call toyota engineering the next morning because he didn't want to try a fix when he didn't know what the problem was. they gave me my car back, said they'd call me after talking to toyota engineering. they called me 6/27/06, said master tech had talked to toyota engineering and they've had other complaints re same droning noise, are working to find cause so they can create a tsb and either reduce or eliminate the noise. service writer told me t there is no timeline for a fix and to just sit tight and wait until they call. they agree the noise should not be there. i'm worried that ongoing noise indicates that some part is overworking and may wear out and since the noise changes in intensity sometimes depending what gear the car is in i worry that it is the transmission and that a failure may result. i don't understand how they can tell me the vehicle is safe to drive when they claim they don't know what the problem is. it is very unsettling to have to just wait for who knows how long for them to fix the problem. *nm | |||
| 06/20/2006 | 1900 | 3 | 01/31/2006 |
| I have a new 2006 toyota rav4 with automatic transmission and, in the first 2000 miles, it has failed to shift correctly on 3 separate occasions. this has created dangerous situations when merging in traffic. specifically, when i step on the gas pedal, the rpms shoot above 4-5k but there is no accompanied increase in speed. given the repeated postings on edmunds.com about these problems, it does not appear to be an isolated case with my vehicle. *jb | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - CONTROL MODULE (TCM, PCM) | |||
| 08/11/2007 | 10846 | 7 | 02/19/2006 |
| Two separate problems: 1) left rear suspension, reported to two dealers starting 8/11/07 followed by three other complaints, diagnosed as worn bushing. parts on order; problem getting worse. notified dealer through factory rep; dealer has not indicated that driving vehicle is a safety issue. 2) hesitation downshifting when depressing gas pedal. first reported to two dealers on 9/8/07 followed by two other complaints. informed it was/is a software problem corrected at the factory, yet problem persists. *tr | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AXLE HUBS | |||
| 05/16/2006 | 144 | 1 | 05/13/2006 |
| I have a brand new 2006 toyota rav4 v6 sport 4wd and within 4 days of collection, the rear left wheel was in the process of falling off. while this probably sounds dramatic and an exaggeration, it is not. with 144 miles on the odometer, i took it back to the dealer to have the source of a squealing sound looked at. the sound began around 50 miles as a very faint, brief noise and gradually got worse until at 144 miles i was at the dealer. on the shop lift, it was apparent the noise was the wheel bearing/hub assembly coming apart. the lug nuts were tight and the wheel was loose - very loose. i am thankful i did no highway driving in those 144 miles. the technician said the wheel would have fallen off. toyota have since replaced the parts under warranty but i am very unhappy with them and how they dealt with the whole potentially fatal situation. i have video of the loose wheel in the shop that i would be happy to share with you. *jb | |||
| POWER TRAIN - DRIVELINE - CONSTANT VELOCITY JOINT | |||
| 04/10/2007 | 17000 | 10 | 04/04/2006 |
| Tl*- the contact owns a 2006 toyota rav 4. when starting the vehicle the cvs, abs, 4 wheel drive, and brake warning lights remained illuminated on the dashboard. the failure occurred twice and for as long as 1 week. the dealer stated that they were unable to diagnose the failure, but that they would research it. as of this date the dealer had not informed the contact of their findings. the failure mileage was 17,000, and the current mileage was 21,000. *ak | |||
| POWER TRAIN - TRANSFER CASE (4-WHEEL DRIVE) | |||
| 04/10/2007 | 17000 | 10 | 04/04/2006 |
| Tl*- the contact owns a 2006 toyota rav 4. when starting the vehicle the cvs, abs, 4 wheel drive, and brake warning lights remained illuminated on the dashboard. the failure occurred twice and for as long as 1 week. the dealer stated that they were unable to diagnose the failure, but that they would research it. as of this date the dealer had not informed the contact of their findings. the failure mileage was 17,000, and the current mileage was 21,000. *ak | |||