2002 Toyota RAV4 Power Train Problems
- 112
- 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 112 stored complaint records:
- 1 indicate a crash
- 1 indicate injury
- 0 indicate fire
What owners report
- Automatic Transmission · 3 records
Mileage in stored records
| Band | Records |
|---|---|
| 60–100k mi | 44 |
| 100–150k mi | 34 |
| 150–400k mi | 13 |
| 30–60k mi | 11 |
| 1–30k mi | 5 |
Complaint records
Owner-submitted complaint content, presented as stored.
Engine · Power Train
Attempting to enter highway, car lost power, eventually kicked in, immediately brought car to dealer. They serviced fuel injection, fuel system, spark plugs. Found no problem with transmission. 4 weeks following repair, hesitation happened again, this time check engine light came on, returned to dealer and was told the transmission and ecm unit needed replacement. Going through all my previous service records, came…
ODI 10552441
Power Train
Going from a very slow speed or from stop it has a hard time getting out of first and or second. I will jerk or shift very harshly. Sometimes it feels like i've been rearended. As it's picking up speed in the 15-25 mph range it will start to slow on it's own when i'm still giving it gas. It feels like there's a rubberband in the transmission stretching and as it gets tight it's slowing down then it will just release…
ODI 10628721
Power Train
This is a well-known problem with the engine control module (ecm) malfunctioning, causing hard shift conditions, transmission damage, possible accidents and injury.this problem is affecting up to 235,500 toyota rav 4 models between 2001-2003. My experience is typical of the numerous complaints that can be seen posted here; http://www.carcomplaints.com/toyota/rav4/2002/transmission/problems_shifting.shtml toyota…
ODI 10546701
Electrical System · Power Train · Vehicle Speed Control
Today my toyota rav4 2002 began to have automatic transmission shifting issues. It has an excessive jerk when shifted from park to reverse, it is slow to shift from 1 to 2, and it jerks like i was rear ended when shifting to the next gear. I contacted my local toyota dealer and was told there are no outstanding recalls on my car, the ecm software was updated before i purchased it used. I asked if they had any issues…
ODI 10544801
Power Train
When i was driving about 40mph the car would lurch, not all the time, but every so often. When i was backing up the car would make a clunking noise. I took my car to have the transmission repaired with my mechanic, it was repaired but the local but he said that if the computer part of the transmission isn't dealt with, it would happen again. I went to the toyota dealership with the recall paperwork that my mechanic…
ODI 10557094
Electrical System · Power Train · Vehicle Speed Control
Original owner of 2002 toyota rav4 awd. Was driving home from a friend's house and stopped off near my home for an errand. Left the store, (car was running, family inside) and proceed to drive towards my house. The engine was running but the car was barely moving. The tach was at 4,000 and i was barely going 5 mph. Suddenly and without warning the car raced forward at a high rate of speed. I slammed on the brakes to…
ODI 10543808
Power Train · Unknown Or Other · Vehicle Speed Control
I just got a toyota rav 4 2002 auto and when driving with family the vehicle started to run sluggish, jerks when pressing gas, starts slow real slow after coming to a stop and this situation almost got us into an accident in us 81 near front royal virginia. Additionally the check engine light came on. After taking vehicle to a mechanic it shows a code p0755 and reading about the problem is not a solenoid but it is…
ODI 10543049
Engine · Power Train
On september 9, 2013 while driving my rav 4 to work , i experienced a strange behavior , the car suddenly stopped moving and i had to press on gas several times and it would move as if like it is choked , in a minute everything went normal as it has always been, i was a little worried but then after driving about 2 miles and stopping at a stop light , this thing happens again and when i try to push on gas it started…
ODI 10546511
Power Train
Transmission slipping, engine racing, hard shift with a loud noise. *tr
ODI 10536260
Power Train
We were just informed from our local toyota dealership (gateway toyota in toms river, nj) that there is a known problem with the 2002 toyota rav 4 automatic transmissions (high failure rate) and we were just informed that our transmission needs to be replaced. I believe nhtsa needs to investigate toyota to see if a recall is in order. *tr
ODI 10535211
Power Train
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota rav4. The contact stated that when shifting gears, there was a delay before the vehicle would engage, causing the vehicle to hesitate and lunge forward abnormally. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the ecm was defective and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was…
ODI 10535182
Power Train
The dreaded 2001-2003 toyota well known ecm safety defect began causing the transmission to shift harshly, and start in high gear instead of first gear, especially dangerous when pulling out in traffic. Sometimes it would cause the transmission to slip, causing high rpms. If not fixed the ecm failure will eventually destroy the transmission. Toyota increased the warranty as a result of a class action suit to 10 yrs…
ODI 10532777
Power Train
My rav4 started having issue with the transmission. I brought it to a toyota dealer in escanaba, michigan and they told me i needed a transmission and a brain and the cost was over $4,000. I could not afford at the time so i waited a short time before i could get a loan to repair. After it was repaired, it started acting up again and i brought it back to the dealer in escanaba and they told me it was the motor this…
ODI 10680701
Automatic Transmission · Power Train
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota rav4. The contact stated that the vehicle hesitated and jerked while accelerating. The vehicle was taken to a transmission specialist where a diagnostic was performed that indicated that the transmission needed to be replaced. The manufacturer advised the contact that the transmission replacement warranty was expired. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure and…
ODI 10525198
Electrical System · Power Train
While driving on hwy i85 at 70mph my toyota rav4 suddenly locked up and caused vehicle to skid off the road. Thankfully, no one was injured, but car was towed to mechanic and estimated that the transmission transfer case may be cause...since then i have learned that toyota had a recall on their ecm for rav 4 cars 2001-2003 that resulted in transmission shifting problems yet i was never notified because my vin number…
ODI 10523754
Power Train
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota rav4. The contact stated that while driving approximately 15 mph, the accelerator failed to respond to acceleration attempts. The contact also mentioned that the vehicle erroneously decelerated while the accelerator pedal was being depressed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the technician stated that the transmission was causing the problem and the computer would need to…
ODI 10550147
Power Train
My wife drive a 2002 rav4 to work. On april 15 2013 while on her way to work like always she stopped at a red light . As the light turn green she pressed the gas the car started moving and suddenly lost acceleration, the driver behind her did not have time to reacted and rear ended them. My 2 year son and my wife shocked my son cried for a little bit and my wife had a sore back . An the beginning when she told me…
Crash reported · 2 injuries
ODI 10512298
Electrical System · Power Train
Trans began to race, while car was moving slowly. Shifting became slow and loud. Acted like it was stuck in the low gears and was having difficulty shifting from 1 to 2 to 3, etc. The trans was laboring to make the necessary shift from the low to the higher gears have not driven car since that date except for analysis, etc.. To date, the various experts (joke) ( toyota included ) say i need either the ecm, trans.,…
ODI 10515772
Engine · Power Train
About a week ago my car began having issues shifting gears. If i pulled into a turn lane i would slow and start creating a danger for both me and other drivers. I took my car to a transmission specialist, with over 30 years of experience. He let me know that 2002 rav4's have a recall on the computer that controls the transmission. He also said that in certain cases he knew toyota had replaced the transmission as…
ODI 10504441
Electrical System · Engine · Power Train
This past summer the 2002 rav 4 started giving indications that something might not be right. The car had always gotten its required mileage maintenance which was also due at the time. So those things were done. However, over the last three weeks the following started: --the engine light came on, then off; --there was hesitation when accelerating/ a harsh jerk and shift when changing gears --the vehicle would…
ODI 10487613
Power Train
My car started to shift gears erratically and uncontrollably. I found out that toyota has a technical service bulletin on this problem for 2001 - 2003 rav4 cars and have extended the warranty to 150,000 miles. When i contacted toyota they said my vin# is not included even though my date of manufacture and symptoms are the same. My mechanic says this is the same problem as other rav4s. Toyota refuses to explain why…
ODI 10493517
Engine · Power Train · Vehicle Speed Control
Out of the blue while in rush hour traffic, my car started shaking, jerking, slamming into gear, not accelerating, and at times it felt like the brake was being applied when i stepped the gas. When i first took it to the dealership a day after this happened the first time, they could not find anything because they could not duplicate the issue during a test drive. Literally minutes after picking my car up and…
ODI 10483506
Electrical System · Power Train
I was driving my 2002 toyota rav4 down the interstate when the check engine light came on at the same time that the rpm's of the vehicle began escalating far beyond where they normally would. After testing the vehicle at different speeds, i determined that the car would not shift from fourth to fifth gear. Took it to my local mechanic, who determined that there is nothing wrong with my transmission. What's wrong is…
ODI 10482331
Power Train
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota rav4. The contact stated that while trying to shift into reverse she encountered extreme difficulty. The contact was able to shift into drive and the vehicle was able to be driven to a private mechanic where it was determined that the transmission failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted about the issue. The failure and current mileages were 71,300.
ODI 10483137
Engine And Engine Cooling · Power Train
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota rav4. The contact stated that the vehicle jerked abnormally while driving and would lose acceleration. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who performed a diagnostic which located the failure at the electronic control module (ecm). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and denied any assistance with the repairs. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage…
ODI 10476680