We got a recall for the ECM AND PUT IT OFF FOR A MONTH THE DEALER IS 60 MILES AWAY no problems with the car. After they did their thing on the ECM they told me they took it for a test and everything is A-OK. As we are leaving the car starts to shudder like its running on 3 cyl, still in their lot! They check it out tell me its the ECM doing some adjustments it will be fine and send us on our way. Next attempt to leave their lot I have to stop for a car, when I step on the gas the tack goes to 2500 before the car starts to move( like slipping the clutch on a std. trans.) Both service manager and his best mechanic take it for a spin when they return, we are told that 1st gear is totally torn out of the trans, in antisapation of my next question the service guy hands me a print out for a new trans for 3600.00 and said they dont have good luck with rebuilding them so they want to put a new one in.

In reality 1st gear does work because it has reverse It wants to slip shifting into 3rd, get off the gas then it will go into 4th.

Like the rest of you guys I dont want to pay 3600.00 for a repair that I think is a ripoff, Toyota has a problem that they dont know how to fix so they just replace everything at our expence, even their best tech. doesnt know what he is talking about. We are still driving the RAV because we dont have a choice right now. The tranny fluid is not burnt or dirty and I think that it is ok. I am checking on some servo issues with the valve body, but I could use some help with the ECM ISSUES I was a good mechanic till the computers started to run the engines, If and when I get ours fixed I will get back with you, and if some one wants to take Toyota to task in the courts count me in.

We are the original owners of a 2002 RAV4 and now are faced with maintenance cost of replacing the Auto Transmission due to hard shifting and high revving during acceleration. We have taken the RAV to Aamco for diagnostic and repair to determine what went wrong. We were informed that there was a hardware failure in the transmission; not due to driving conditions or lack of maintenance. We have always kept up on the maintenance on our vehicles and driven them with the upmost care. The transmission techs have informed us that a thrust washer failed internally causing serious damage to the transmission. After rebuilding the transmission the shifting problems still exists. The techs at Aamco disconnected the ECU from the transmission and found that the transmission runs like a brand new transmission. So it seems the ECU was the problem the entire time, which eventually destroyed the transmission. I am currently dealing with the Customer Relations Manager at my local Toyota dealership to resolve my problem. The down fall is they seem very hesitate to even try to help. I can see this is going to be a battle. I have filed complaints with the Better Business Bureau and the NHTSA. By looking at everyone�s complaints we all have the same issue. If your problem has not been resolved contact Toyota headquarters and file a complaint. They will put you in contact with your local dealership�s Customer Relations Manager.

Same random harsh shift others have described. An independent shop found a bad transmission solenoid ($600), but the problem came back. The dealer got Toyota to cover half of a new computer (my half was $600), but now they're saying that was just a symptom, not the cause. I brought it with printouts of online forums describing the identical symptoms with everybody saying that the apparent solutions don't really solve anything, and they insisted on working in a vacuum. I don't know whether to cut my losses -- has anybody actually solved this problem?

I've read most of these complaints, and think I'm facing the same problem. I noticed the shifting problem Thursday, drove it directly to Toyota. The next day they told me they couldn't find anything wrong, and I asked "did you drive it?"! They said later in the day it was running OK, they did the service I had also requested, and went to pick it up. I never made it around the block without the same problem, and getting worse. I went directly back and asked the guy to drive it right on the spot - he never made it off the lot. he said it could be a transmission problem but would have to wait until Monday morning (tomorrow Aug 20) to check it.

It only has 50,00 miles and has been 100% serviced by Toyota on a regular maintenance schedule. This is infuriating for such low mileage and proper service. Several months ago I went through the ECM recall, and had that done. Then a few months later had the engine light come on, took it back and they updated it again. Now this...... it seems the two issues could be related based on what I've read. I see lots of complaints, and "threats" of law suits, anger... I have to talk Toyota first thing ion the morning - can anyone update me the outcome of your problems, especially those who were going to refuse to pay for this and hold Toyota responsible, which is what I hope to do. Thanks for any information. Is there any official claim by Toyota that they take responsibility for this problem? Thanks again!

Bought the car used. Drove from the dealer to the gas station put in 85 octane gas. On the way out of the state the check engine light came on and the thing wouldn't shift. Went right back to the dealer. They reprogrammed the ECM. I have noticed that when I am short on dough and buy the cheaper gas it starts to shift really hard. Revs up over 5000 then gets the gear. Like it missed a gear. After reading the other posts, I think I will splurge on the recommended 87+ octane and try and save myself the $3000-4000 repair. Would like to know if anyone else can verify the octane correlation

Our 2002 rav4 is doing the same shifting or not shifting thing. It is getting scary for my daughter because she worries about pulling out into traffic and getting t-boned and killed because the transmission doesn't shift. It is more than in inconvenience, it is a safety issue and needs some attention from Toyota or someone that comes forward and tells us how to fix the problem instead of just keep pouring money into it and still having the problem. I have friends with older Ravs that have never complained of any such problems. What gives Now?

P.S. After I listed this complaint, I saw a link to file a complaint with the NHTSA. I'm doing so and wish all who know of the similar problem will do so as well before someone is actually hurt trying to pull into traffic and is killed. PLEASE make them aware and perhaps Toyota will listen to that. Thanks

Car started shifting roughly a few wks. ago... took it into Toyota and they told me it was a recall problem, and the computer needed to be fixed. Got my car back.. worked wonderfully, then over night, started having problems again. Took it back there, and they replaced the entire computer (free), but said they were still having problems, and most likely it was due to metal being run through the transmission... it would cost about $4300.00 to fix. !!!!! My brother (very car savy) located on the other side of the country said it sounds pretty fishy... why would it work great for 2 weeks if I had a transmission problem?? He thinks it may be an issue with the sensor. ????? Let's hope so. I sure as hell can't afford $4300.00!!!

This Rav4 has been trouble free and had no major mechanical problems for 5 years. The only thing that was replaced was a serpentine belt. At around 103,000 the transmission started skipping first gear. I took it to AAMCO and they said it's something internal. Then I took it to another transmission specialist and went on a road test. The mechanic had a OBII scanner hooked up and said that it was skipping first gear. He then told me the transmission had to be rebuilt. Then after he unhooked the scan tool, the check engine light came on. He hooked it back up and a P0755 code came up (Solenoid error). The solenoid was r&r for $378.00. This didn't fix the problem either. Upon driving that day the trans. did a 2-3 shift bang. It almost seemed like the trans. dropped. The light came on again and the same error has come up. I went back to the garage and the mechanic told me it's def. something internal. He then gave me an article in a trans. publication that's titled "When in doubt, reset" So he told me to go to Toyota and have them reprogram the ECU. He said that can be done before or after the trans. is rebuilt. He gave me 3 options- 1.)Have them rebuild for $2500-3500, 2.)get a remanufactured trans from toyota with a 12mon/12k war., 3.) Get a remanu trans from some accutech company with a 3yr/75k war. for $3500. -- the last option seems best but i have to wait approx 2-3 weeks. This seems to be a widespread problem b/c it's in the August 2006 of the Transmission Digest. Toyota needs to do something about this, right now.

I took my car in to have an oil change. When I picked it up, it wasn't shifting properly. I took it to my Toyota dealership for a diagnostic check. They told me I needed a new transmission for $3600. Three days later they had "good news and bad news".... the good news was that the transmission was in; the bad news was that the ECM was gone and needed to be replaced. I can't believe with Toyota's reputation for reliable vehicles that a 99K mileage car that has had 95% of its scheduled maintenance completed has to have a new transmission. The service dpt told me that the ECM is what caused my transmission problem. I've had the ECM replaced under warranty in 2005 then had the same recalled in 2007 and now I have to replace it again. I love my RAV but this is utterly ridiculous for a Toyota. I don't think my transmission went bad on its own... I think the ECM is what caused it and the technician pretty much said as such.

This has been one of the worst experiences of my life. Everything started with a delay in shifting until the RAV4 lost the reverse gear. I took it to the Toyota dealer who asked for $4100 to replace the transmission. Then got a second opinion from AAMCO who charged $3900 to rebuid the transmission. A week after the problem was 'fixed' I started experiencing the same delays in shifting, this time, however, the check engine light had come up. I took the truck back to AMMCO who in turn contacted the dealer. Apparently, the faulty logic in the ECM might have caused the issue in the first place. The dealer replaced it at no cost. The transmission problem seemed to go away until a day later it started to shift hard again... In summary, after paying $3900 and going thru so much aggravation I still have the issue.

In looking at everyone's comments here, I noticed a common theme across the board... I wonder if we could all escalate this problem thru the proper channels as it is not fair that we have to go thru this bad experience and on top of it, pay for what appears to be a manufacturer's defect. Any thoughts?

I was reading about the problems everyone was having about the hard shifting here on autobeef. Then I received a RECALL letter in the mail about my reprogramming of the ECU. I am also having a shifting problem. This happened after I had my transmission fluid flushed. The station I had done it done in put in the wrong fluid. I couldn't leave the station it was so bad. They brought it back in and changed it with the right fluid 2 more times. But I still had the same problem . Not as bad as before. Now I contacted Toyota about this recall. They took in my car reprogrammed the ecu. It was fine for about 2 days. The 3rd day the shifting was back . The thing is it only happens once in a while. Some days it doesn't happen at all. The day I took it back to Toyota. I took the tech for a ride. It did not shift hard at all. The car went through all gears fine. He told me he would look up this problem. He told me possible the ECU was bad. I told him you guys just reprogrammed it. I guess it did not work . So now I had to replaced it $1,333.00 later. I can't believe if Toyota recalls the ECU for reprogramming and it does not work. Why should I have to buy a new one. I kept the old one for safe keeping. P. S to all. The hard shifting was like the car wanted to go in what ever gear it wanted. Like went I pulled out of my driveway it went to 2nd gear a banged back to 1st gear and banged back to 2nd again. This also happened in traffic on the highway. Best of luck to all with this problem. John in PA.

My 2002 Rav-4 (98,000 miles) started having shifting problems when the gears were automatically changing---just occasionally--one afternoon. We took it to the dealer to be checked, for safety's sake. After a couple of days, we were questioned about the transmission fluid. We had the papers where Firestone put in the kind listed in the car's manual. Then we were told it was one of the five solenoids. Four days later, we were told it had to have a $3500 new transmission. After the transmission was in, the service consultant started having problems getting the car from park to reverse (I never had this problem). He called and said it was a computer problem and would cost another $1000.

I truly believe it was a computer problem from the beginning, but after not having my car for 11 (ELEVEN) days, I had no alternative but to pay for its "release" from this nightmare. $4,500.00. This is unbelievable.

I have probably sold more Toyotas than any salesman. I have owned 5 (Camrys and Celica), my husband owns them, my sons own them. Many of our family and friends have bought Toyotas after our recommendation. I feel that I have been treated poorly by this experience.

Took the car to the local Toyota dealer to have them check out the car was shifting hard. Just had the 90,000 mile check up done. They told me it was the ECU that was bad and that it would be $1,400. I told them I was going to get a second opinion. Took it to AMACO Transmission. Found out that the error code that had been displayed was for the plugs in the transmission not the ECU unit. When they went to replace the plugs, found out there were lots of metal shavings in the pan and that the transmission fluid was burnt. Glad I got a second opinion since changing the ECU would not have solved my problem. Estimate to fix is $2,800. The people at AMACO said they had never heard of a Toyota with transmission problems. I will not take my car back to the dealer to be serviced ever again.