2001 Toyota RAV4 Power Train Problems
- 62
- 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 62 stored complaint records:
- 1 indicate a crash
- 1 indicate injury
- 0 indicate fire
What owners report
- control module · 12 records
- check engine · 8 records
- light came · 7 records
- engine light · 7 records
- needed replaced · 6 records
- automatic transmission · 6 records
Mileage in stored records
| Band | Records |
|---|---|
| 100–150k mi | 29 |
| 60–100k mi | 15 |
| 150–400k mi | 9 |
| 1–30k mi | 1 |
Complaint records
Owner-submitted complaint content, presented as stored.
Engine · Power Train · Vehicle Speed Control
My 2001 silver toyota rav 4 had a sudden unintended acceleration problem when i was decelerating to a complete stop at an already congested intersection with traffic lights. I was applying brake pressure from 20 mph, down to 15,10,5, down to 2 mph, coming to a complete stop, my rav 4 engine suddenly started to rev-up/race wildly and very loud in a matter of 3, or 4-5 seconds (the engine/rpm sounded similar one would…
Crash reported · 1 injury
ODI 11185532
Power Train
My rav 4 2001 has about 140,000 miles on it and has developed a serious problem. To clarify, a massive acceleration problem is occurring when i've been driving the car for 15 to 20 minutes, then suddenly - while i'm at a stop light, the suv's engine races wildly loud like what you hear at the indy 500... It jerked and felt like it internally controlled my accelerator foot pad! I had to apply a massive amount of…
ODI 11076197
Power Train
The rav4 would not shift. The transmission needed to be replaced
ODI 11055666
Power Train
The ecm on my 2001 rav4 was calibrated in 2008 by a local dealer. Under recall 601. In 2008 the car had just over 63000 miles. It now has 124000 and the transmission is hard shifting again.
ODI 11002714
Power Train
The automatic transmission is shifting irratically, sometimes it will take off slowly until the gear engages. Sometimes there is a clunking sound as the transmission shifts gears.
ODI 10979670
Electrical System · Electronic Stability Control · Power Train
My wife was driving car and it started doing strange changes with the transmission, such as slipping between gear changes and jerking movements. At one point, she told me getting on freway on ramp was a hazard, because of irratic behavior of transmission!!
ODI 10970991
Power Train · Vehicle Speed Control
My 2001 toyota rav4 has 63192 miles on it. It began exhibiting transmission/acceleration problems yesterday while driving my granddaughter from school, about a 2 mile round trip on city street traveling approximately 35-40mph. The car refused to pick up speed and began to jerk due to shifting/missing gears, all by its self. The car has an automatic transmission so should not exhibit these problems. I found out today…
ODI 10924431
Power Train
Have been experiencing harsh shifting for the last week or so but the most debilitating transmission problem occurred on 6/5/2015 while driving 35 mph. I ended up driving directly home using "low" gear because i was afraid of damaging the car further. I am the original owner of this car and purchased it new in 2001. 7 years after purchase, back on 3/10/2008, it was serviced by toyota under a "special service…
ODI 10723847
Power Train
Vehicle shifts very harshly and jerks. I suspect it has something to do with the transmission and the electronic control module.
ODI 10721721
Electrical System · Power Train
Harsh shift between 2 and 3, probably due to ecm failing
ODI 10716160
Power Train
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 toyota rav4. While driving approximately 40 mph, the vehicle failed to shift gears without warning. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the ecm computer module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 147,295.
ODI 10716452
Electrical System · Power Train
I bought a toyota rav4 two weeks ago, and saw there was a recall on the engine control module, but assumed that toyota would replace it if mine needed replaced. My vehicle's ecm had been reprogrammed, so i assumed it would be fine. I was wrong. After about a week, my vehicle started shifting harshly, and i had to crawl along a busy expressway with my four-way lights on with cars flying past me. And i had to limp…
ODI 10682923
Engine · Power Train
I purchased my 2001 toyota rav4 in july 2012,. Now 2 years later and still owe a good amount on my car i am having the same issues with the ecm as the others. I called toyota and there is nothing they can do to assist people that are purchasing these cars that have not been taken care of. This issues i am dealing with include the transmission slipping and revving higher, or the loss of power when going from a…
ODI 10679047
Power Train
We were almost hit at a street light. Upon accelerating our car the engine died due the transmission or malfunction of the electric control module. We were lucky if the person behind had not slammed on brakes we would have been hit. Also the car has problems with shifting while drive on freeway. We always now stay in the slow lane because we fear to pass,
ODI 10810171
Electronic Stability Control · Engine · Power Train
I was driving along and came to a stop. When i started to go, my rav had no power, then it lurched and almost stopped. I had to nurse it-slowly accelerate-in order for it to move. Every time i stopped and started it did this. Once it made a noise like a hard shift from the rear of the car. I had to put my emergency flashers on to drive it safely, and drove to a transmission shop. In speaking with them, they said…
ODI 10632564
Electrical System · Power Train
Recently the check engine dashboard light on our 2001 toyota rav4 came on. I took the vehicle to an auto parts store that offered a free diagnostic check; it indicated troubleshooting code p0770; the technician explained that the transmission tries to simultaneously shift into 2nd and 3rd gears due to faulty signals from the ecm (electronic control module) that regulates the transmission. This explanation seemed…
ODI 10628220
Electrical System · Power Train
Ecm was replaced in 2007. No problems at that time. In may 2014 brakes plus misdiagnosed problem and fixed almost everything possible. Check engine light never went on until the day before the problem. Transmission started acting up and when i went to pass a person on a bicycle slipped into neutral. Then it jumped back and forth like trying to go from one gear to another, with nothing happening. I could have been…
ODI 10625812
Power Train · Service Brakes
Vehicle accelerated by itself while driving at 45mph. I had to use both brakes to stop the car and experienced a harsh shift condition while trying to shift to park. Dealership checked it out and stated that the ecm has been reprogrammed in 2007 and they were unable to duplicate anything at this time because no warning light came on during the incident even though i reminded them about the class action lawsuit for…
ODI 10627223
Power Train
Sudden issue of erratic shifting and acceleration. The ecm was replaced. Hopefully the transmission has been spared. I've researched online and uncovered many many similar complaints. I understand there was an extended warranty, however, i am still not covered as the car is over 10 years old. *tr
ODI 10614811
Electrical System · Electronic Stability Control · Power Train
My 2001 toyota rav4 had the same problem that was covered in toyota's extended warranty and recall for this make and model. According to a july 10, 2010 article online at thecarconnection.com it is an issue with the automatic transmission and electronic control module. The issue, which affects around 235,500 vehicles, can lead to a damaged, rough-shifting transmission. While the rav4 for those model years was…
ODI 10637495
Electrical System · Power Train
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 toyota rav4. The contact stated while driving various speeds on an icy and snow covered road, the transmission slipped gears without any warning. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for diagnosis. The technician informed that the electronic control module was faulty. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was…
ODI 10573766
Electrical System · Power Train
Car had no spark when cranking, my mechanic checked and traced the problem to the car's main engine and transmission computer (ecm), i ordered a used ecm for the same vehicle, car started but transmission was shifting was very abnormal, shifting was harsh making a loud thump when put into drive or reverse and starting off on third gear. The damage on the transmission was already done so i went and ordered a…
ODI 10567097
Electrical System · Power Train
Traveling at 30 mph or less the vehicle will stumble. This is a road hazard as traveling through an intersection the vehicle could have an incident whereby the ensuing traffic could cause a crash.this is a manufacturer defect that involves the ecu(electronic control module) that is the computer which controls the transmission. The problem is verified by toyota as they extended the warranty for this vehicle for this…
ODI 10565617
Engine And Engine Cooling · Power Train
Just purchased this vehicle in september of 2013 with only 95,000 miles. Two days after purchase, the check engine light came on. Dealer said it was the catalytic converter. So it was replaced at a cost of over $600. Then two days later, the check engine light came back on. Dealer said it was the o2 sensor, that bill was nearly $350. Now for the icing on the cake. Four days after that repair, i was pulling out of my…
ODI 10551642
Fuel System, Gasoline · Power Train · Vehicle Speed Control
Was entering a limited access highway and wanted to merge onto highway. When i pressed down on gas pedal to speed up, the car hesitated, lurched forward, stopped, and then shifted harshly once again. I had thought i gave myself plenty of room to enter but because of the possible transmission problem, my car almost ended in a car wreck - an approaching car had to take drastic moves in order to avoid hitting my car. I…
ODI 10545673