2001 Toyota RAV4 Electrical System Problems
- 56
- Owner complaint records in our dataset
Records are owner complaints, not a measured failure rate.
Owner complaint recordsComplaint records reflect reports in our dataset and do not measure how frequently the problem occurs across all vehicles.
Among these 56 stored complaint records:
- 0 indicate a crash
- 0 indicate injury
- 1 indicate fire
What owners report
- engine light · 13 records
- check engine · 11 records
- control module · 10 records
- same problem · 6 records
- electronic control · 6 records
- engine control · 5 records
Mileage in stored records
| Band | Records |
|---|---|
| 100–150k mi | 22 |
| 60–100k mi | 16 |
| 150–400k mi | 5 |
| 1–30k mi | 3 |
| 30–60k mi | 2 |
Complaint records
Owner-submitted complaint content, presented as stored.
Electrical System · Power Train
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. *tr
ODI 10325602
Automatic Transmission · Electrical System
My 2001 toyota rav4, 98,000 miles, has a problem. Transmission shift around 30miles and engaging shift 2nd to 3rd, rpm gauge jumping up 5,000~6,000 rpm on every driving and finally check engine light came up. Dealer ship said it was out of warranty and needed reprogram ecm. After fixed it happened again they said it needs new ecm and reprogram. And had same problem. Now they say it needs transmission rebuild too.…
ODI 10325712
Automatic Transmission · Electrical System
In our 2001 toyota rav4 we recently began experiencing difficulty transitioning between gears. The car jerks and takes a moment to shift. We took it into the dealership and were told that the computer and transmission needed to be replace. Upon researching this i have found hundreds on cases of the same thing happening to 2001-2003 rav4 owners. *cn
ODI 10302881
Automatic Transmission · Electrical System
My transmission needs to be replaced on my 2001 rav4 due to a faulty computer. *tr
ODI 10302032
Automatic Transmission · Electrical System
I have an automatic 2001 rav4. While driving we noticed the hard shifting into different gears. Then it started to lurch and stall. It happened sporadically. Then within a week's time every instance you drove it this happened. It took two times before my mechanic saw that it needed a new transmission, and a new computer that talks to the transmission(ecm engine control module) which they installed. *tr
ODI 10302053
Automatic Transmission · Electrical System
Transmission started jerking and slipping in second gear then jumping to third gear, then taking off in third gear, flush tranny and reprogram ecm, din"t 'help also check engine light is on for code p0758, i was told i need a new ecm and a new transmission. Toyota knew of this ecm problem and fail to notified its customers
ODI 10325997
Electrical System
The ecm on my 2001 toyota rav4 stopped working at 76k miles and needed to be replaced. I did not experience an incident because i stopped driving it and got it fixed quickly within a few weeks of the failed transmission symptoms - lurching and jerking and lack of power in the engine. I have done the research and realize this is a significant problem with this make, model and year and am hoping if enough people…
ODI 10294341
Electrical System · Power Train
2001 toyota rav4 began shifting very jerky while on way home from store. Very scary. Would lunge and jerk to start out but after 2nd or 3rd gear was okay. Was told by toyota i needed a new transmission. Took it to my mechanic and his transmission servicer had a much better price. The transmission co reported back to me that i needed a new computer as well as a rebuilt transmission ($2700) and that this (faulty…
ODI 10323892
Electrical System
I bought new[ dec. 2000] a 2001 toyota rav.4 limited ..with 4cyl/.automatic 4spd.o.d.transmission +all the xtras...i have kept it up -mechanically and body wise near perfect...almost all thru toyota dealers,as i plan to pass it on to my granddaughter. During the first week of aug. 09 i was driving on a 4 lane local highway @35/40 mph and the "check engine light "came on and then a loud bang and growl all while…
ODI 10312907
Automatic Transmission · Electrical System
I bought my 2001 toyota rav 4 in 2004. In july 2009, my transmission started slipping and bucking. I have done some research and it seems that this has been an issue for many others with a 2001-2003 rav4. It is terrifying to drive this vehicle but it's all i have. It would cost me more to replace the transmission than it would to just pay it off. I am concerned that i will have an accident, as i do a lot of…
ODI 10303145
Automatic Transmission · Electrical System
Faulty computer. I am the original owner. The computer caused the transmission to engage into wrong gears,resulting in transmission failure. Cost to me of $4,847.00. I was never notified by toyota of this problem. Technical bulletin #1046. *tr
ODI 10317519
Automatic Transmission · Electrical System
Our toyota rav 4 is having electronic control module is a bust. It controls among other things our transmission, and the shifting of gears. The ecm has pretty much ruined our transmission. There has been many rav 4 owners with this same problem. And toyota is (was) a reputable company. One would think they would make this right. Our warranty was up last year. And there was recalls on different computer things from…
ODI 10277659
Automatic Transmission · Electrical System
Faulty ecu in 2001 rav4 automatic causes internal transmission failure. Slipping & double-shifting between 2nd & 3rd gear, longer ecu is used the worse the slipping occurs. Resetting ecu fixes problem for several hours and tranny will work perfect, then it starts acting up again. *tr
ODI 10278393
Automatic Transmission · Electrical System
2001 toyota rav4 ecm and transmission replaced in may of 2009. Paid out of pocket. Replacement was a rebuilt transmission installed by dealer (victory toyota in canton, mi) second transmission failed after 17,000 miles. Paid out of pocket again. No help from dealer or toyota corporate. Found out that dealer just swapped trans, did not actually rebuild trans. Took it to an independent trans shop. Independent…
ODI 10359074
Electrical System · Power Train
My car is toyota rav4 2001 2wd automatic. Recently, the car on acceleration started doing hard shift. Many people have complained about it. Http://www.carcomplaints.com/toyota/rav4/2001/transmission/problems_shifting.shtml. When i purchased the car from private party, i had asked toyota of kirkland (wa) to check for ecu module. I was told it is the right module and not the recalled one. So, i purchased this car from…
ODI 10273565
Automatic Transmission · Electrical System
Engine control module and auto transmission failure. Bought rav used july 2007 with 109,230 mi. Check engine light was on (has remained on) but was diagnosed as o2 sensor & rav operated perfectly (live where emissions check not required). May 2009 tranny started alternating between working good, shifting rough, slipping between gears, and not downshifting at slow down or stop. Had mechanic with over 15 yrs…
ODI 10303397
Automatic Transmission · Electrical System
March 2009 vehicle check engine light came on and i took vehicle to autozone for a diagnostic check. Check indicated that the shift solenoid was bad. I took vehicle to toyota of bedford and was told i had to get another diagnostic because they don't take diagnostic from other places, so that cost me $100. After their diagnostic check was performed, they claimed it was just the gas cap and turned the light off.…
ODI 10344668
Automatic Transmission · Electrical System
On november 8, while traveling to worcester to see a friend recovering from a serious medical next i called two of the major transmission specialists in the area; cottman transmission in northampton and the tranny shop in palmer, where brian and scott told me that toyota's reprogramming didn't work, and that i'd need to buy a new module out of pocket for $900-1100. They both said that if i caught it early, i…
ODI 10249511
Electrical System
2001 toyota rav4 trouble code p0750. When consulting mechanics and toyota dealership unable to help fix the problem efficiently. I was told replacing shift solenoid a might take care of the problem but then again unknowingly could be a ecm issue or even the whole transmission that needs to be replaced. Dealer should be able to solve this problem at the costumers best interest, with an importance of such magnitude…
ODI 10247437
Electrical System · Power Train
2001 toyota rav 4 started with check engine light coming on and off then toyota sent ssc-601 in march of 08 that i needed to have ecm reprogrammed which i did{took tech 2 times to get it right} now my transmission started slipping so i took it in to toyota and they did a diagnostic and sure as pie they said ecm has failed and they want 940.00 to replace it. This is a widespread problem that has been seen by toyota…
ODI 10241993
Electrical System · Steering
First my 2001 rav4 started shifting really hard (the lower gears) and i could see the rpm going up high. After a day of having this problem my check engine light came on. The transmission fluid is at a good level and it's nice and pink. *tr
ODI 10230854
Electrical System
I have a 2001 toyota rav4 which until recently had been what i thought was a good purchase. In december 2007, we received a letter instructing us to bring our vehicle in to have the ecm (engine control monitor) reprogrammed which we had done in january 2008. On tuesday, june 3, 2008, i experienced a sudden stutter followed by a loud noise while driving, almost like what i would imagine a muffled backfire might sound…
ODI 10246791
Electrical System
Own 01 toyota rav 4 that has faulty computer, toyota will not admit that these models are faulty. Vehicle is no longer under warranty. Replacing computer can also make transmission go out. A very expensive mistake by toyota at my cost. I paid 12,400 for this vehicle less than 2 yrs ago. It is shifting so hard that it is dangerous to drive. I wish i had read car complaints.com before i purchased it, there are tons of…
ODI 10235643
Automatic Transmission · Electrical System
Rough shift in low gears causing engine to rev but car does not move. Had solenoids replaced, problem still exists. Told ecm needs to be replaced but other owners said this has not corrected the problem. Car revs but goes no where and creates dangerous situation especially in dense traffic with big trucks. *tr
ODI 10209254
Electrical System
My wife drove the 2001 toyota rav 4 to work this morning. It was a [redacted]. After parking the car a fellow employee told her the car was on fire. The fire department responded and put the fire out. But the car was a total loss. The fire inspector located the origin of the fire, along the firewall directly in the middle of the wall, but said he was unable to determine the cause. He said no accelerant was used, and…
Fire reported
ODI 10186033