2003 Toyota RAV4 Vehicle Speed Control Problems
- 26
- 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 26 stored complaint records:
- 2 indicate a crash
- 1 indicate injury
- 0 indicate fire
What owners report
- needed replaced · 4 records
Mileage in stored records
| Band | Records |
|---|---|
| 100–150k mi | 11 |
| 60–100k mi | 8 |
| 30–60k mi | 2 |
| 1–30k mi | 2 |
| 150–400k mi | 1 |
Complaint records
Owner-submitted complaint content, presented as stored.
Power Train · Unknown Or Other · Vehicle Speed Control
Takata recall" i was driving on a city street on my way home late afternoon...auto started to jerk and felt like something was pulling at it...it slowed up then jerked again...it continued on...i was driving at 45 speed limit...as i was turning the shifting was sounding like it was sticking...i parked it at home and next morning i had it checked and diagnosed as solenoid problem causing transmission burnout...also…
ODI 11119009
Electrical System · Unknown Or Other · Vehicle Speed Control
Harsh shifting, jumping from gear-to-gear, sluggish acceleration and transmission/electronic control module failure. Called toyota regarding the extended warrenty. They refused to honor the extended warranty despite not providing notice to the correct address.
ODI 10906740
Electrical System · Power Train · Vehicle Speed Control
Last week, on the freeway entrance the car would not accelerate, then "bucked" and "raced". I nearly got rear-ended by the car behind me - a frightening experience. Then, driving city streets - to the mechanic - the same experience - stalled then raced ahead. After replacing the transmission fluid and filter ($400), the problem continues and the mechanic advised replacing the ecm ($928.46 plus labor). This is a…
ODI 10653967
Power Train · Vehicle Speed Control
On 9/30/2014 was trying to pull out of a parking lot to turn left and my car would not accelerate. I almost got hit by approaching cars that i would have ordinarily had plenty of time to clear. I was able to steer into the left turn lane and stop to avoid collision but had trouble after that picking up enough speed to get to the right lane. I took my car in immediately for inspection and it was noted that the…
ODI 10641291
Body · Engine · Power Train · Vehicle Speed Control
Experience a hard shift jerking motion when driving my car and almost got hit twice due to the car jerking and immediately slowing down. I took it in to kendall toyota of anchorage right away and then read online that there was a class action lawsuit and enhanced warranty of 2001-2003 toyotas because of the malfunction of the ecm and transmission. This car is not safe to drive! Toyota kendall said it would be $6,000…
ODI 10551328
Power Train · Vehicle Speed Control
Hi i own a toyota rav4 2003 since 2009 this is a serious safety issue. I am asking the nhtsa to order a recall to have toyota fix this problem before someone gets killed or seriously injured. The problem is that the car often does not accelerate as it should. When headed up and accelerating from a stop, the car sputters before jerking into gear and accelerating. And then about 5-8 seconds later the car would jolt…
ODI 10552175
Engine · Fuel System, Gasoline · Power Train · Vehicle Speed Control
2003 rav4 with automatic transmission started having trouble accelerating from a stop. There seemed to be hardly any power when the gas pedal was pressed, and then about 5-8 seconds later the car would jolt into gear. This problem would happen also when increasing speed, or any time the gas pedal was pressed down. The car was taken to an auto shop where they said the transmission was broken and needed to be…
ODI 10548647
Engine · Power Train · Vehicle Speed Control
I purchased the rav4 in late july, 2013. The rav4 had 78,000 miles on the odometer. I paid $9,000+ for the rav4. At 80,000 miles the automatic transmission began having shifting problems such as jerking between gears, very sluggish response during acceleration and horrendous gas mileage. I get about 8 miles per gallon. Took it to the dealer, they ran diagnostics on my car and discovered that the problems fall…
ODI 10546218
Power Train · Vehicle Speed Control
The car would engage 2nd and 3rd gears at the same time causing temporary lock up of the rear wheels and loss of control. Found out about a tsb and class action suite regarding this issue affecting the ecu while researching the problem. Contacted toyota regarding the issue and they informed me that my 2003 rav4 was not covered because it had been put in service june of 2003. I am appalled this is not a recall as it…
ODI 10522762
Vehicle Speed Control
10/28/11 while driving approx 25-30 mph without applying the gas, the car began to accelerate unexpectedly i was able to get the car off the road braking was very difficult when the car was placed in park rpm revved to 4. My husband looked under the hood and the throttle was out a little and when he touched the area it snapped back. 10/29/11 driving at a low speed, approx 35-40 mph car began to accelerate…
ODI 10436689
Vehicle Speed Control
Pulling into parking space, vehicle suddenly accelerated. Had i not already had my foot on brake pedal to stop, damage to other vehicle would have been much worse. Witness' said vehicle lurched upward just before acceleration. I slammed it into park and cut engine to make it stop. Afterwards, trying to get it home, when i took foot off gas pedal, the car would shutter and almost die, causing me to have to put it…
ODI 10424676
Vehicle Speed Control
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota rav4. While driving 45 mph the contact noticed that the vehicle would occasionally surge forward without warning. The vehicle would also suddenly decrease in speed without the contact applying the brakes. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the contact was informed that the computer system needed to be replaced. There were no prior warnings. The vehicle was not repaired. The…
ODI 10348528
Vehicle Speed Control
My son was driving his car, a 2003 toyota rav4 -l when he experienced sudden unintended acceleration. There were no floor mats in the car at the time. He was able to get control of the car by slamming on the brakes and putting the car in neutral. The dealer was contacted and the car was scheduled to be brought in the next day after this event occurred. *tr
ODI 10345366
Vehicle Speed Control
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota rav4. While driving 60 mph, there was resistance when he tried to accelerate and rpms increased instead of the vehicle responding to the accelerator pedal being engaged. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer who stated that the ecm needed to be replaced. No repairs were made when the complaint was filed. The failure and current mileages were 58000.
ODI 10341850
Vehicle Speed Control
Our 2003 toyota rav 4 has begun to have a very serious problem. When driving, the car will suddenly lurch forward or hesitate to accelerate. We immediately had this investigated, only to find out that the onboard computer needed replacing at a ridiculous dollar amount. This expensive repair has yet to be completed. Meanwhile, we've had time to research the problem, only to find thousands of other toyota rav4 owners…
ODI 10329925
Vehicle Speed Control
I own a 2003 rav 4 purchased used two years ago this april 2010. The car has 80,188 miles the vin # is xxxxx my wife and i along with my 1 year old boy in the back seat (car seat) were driving into a parking lot of the local gym. When the car suddenly lunged forward almost causing her to run over a pedestrian. (i really mean run over, not just hit). I had a mechanic look at the car... He mentioned that this make and…
ODI 10327984
Vehicle Speed Control
I have a toyota rav4 2003. My car is running so weird and i am afraid that it will cause an accident and put my life at risk. I am driving on a freeway (65-70 mph ' 36miles everyday) a dangerous failure to speed up and suddenly slowing down and choking. We took my car at the dealer twice and tell them what happened. At first they told us the problem, that we need to replace/change/repair the air filter/air…
ODI 10313895
Vehicle Speed Control
Pulled up to an intersection on a highway where speed limit is 80 km/h. Stopped. Light goes green and i step on the gas only to have my vehicle lurch forward slowly and the car would jump in short spurts. I managed to pull off to the side as traffic came flying from behind. After a few minutes of sitting, i hit the gas again and got going like normal. Parked the car for four hours and then headed back home. Was…
ODI 10316879
Vehicle Speed Control
Acceleration increases while using brakes at low speeds. Vehicle does not stop slow down when accelerator is not being applied. *tr
ODI 10316183
Vehicle Speed Control
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota rav4. While driving in reverse, the vehicle began to hesitate. The contact lightly engaged the brake pedal and the vehicle continued to hesitate. The contact also applied pressure to the brake pedal and the vehicle accelerated in reverse at a higher speed. The failure caused the contact to crash into a vehicle, a tree, and a pole which also caused the passenger side window to…
Crash reported · 1 injury
ODI 10286022
Automatic Transmission · Vehicle Speed Control
The first thing i noticed was a hard shift into reverse. Like a lurch. About 2 days later i noticed the shift from 2nd to 3rd was taking longer than it should. On about the 4th day, at a light when stopped, i hit the gas and didn't move. There was a notable hesitation and i nearly was rearended. Finally on about the 5th day, i had the pedal to the floor and was crawling along the road basically. We turned around and…
ODI 10304403
Vehicle Speed Control
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota rav4. The driver was traveling in a parking lot at about 8 mph. The driver stated that she engaged the brakes and her vehicle immediately accelerated up to 35 mph. The driver stated that she crashed into a guard rail, into an embankment, and into an office building. She has mailed a letter to the dealer and she has also called them. The vin was not available. The failure mileage was…
Crash reported
ODI 10314240
Vehicle Speed Control
Driving on highway and had a runaway gas pedal acceleration of toyota rav4. The failure happened once and after braking and working with the cruise control lever, i was able to get it slowed down. I went from 70 mph to 87 mph in a split second as a result of the acceleration problem. I have called the local dealer and the dealer that we bought the toyota from and they are not offering concern or a solution. One…
ODI 10313863
Engine And Engine Cooling · Vehicle Speed Control
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota rav4. The contact stated the accelerator pedal became stuck intermittently while driving. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and was told that all toyota vehicles accelerator pedals were sticking. The contact was also advised that accelerator pedal, engine control module and throttle body were defective. The failure mileage was unknown, but the current mileage was 165,000.
ODI 10411725
Vehicle Speed Control
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota rav-4. While driving at 20 mph, the vehicle began to accelerate on its own. The consumer was able to remove the floor mat thinking that was the problem, but the vehicle continued to accelerate. The consumers wife went up hill and the vehicle stopped accelerating. The consumer stated he drove up the same hill about an hour later, and the vehicle accelerated on its own. 3/12/2010…
ODI 10304022