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7.3

pretty bad
Typical Repair Cost:
$20,000
Average Mileage:
3,450 miles
Total Complaints:
50 complaints

Most Common Solutions:

  1. not sure (38 reports)
  2. reprogram engine ecu (3 reports)
  3. software update (3 reports)
  4. toyota says this is normal (3 reports)
  5. replaced magnetic clutch (1 reports)
  6. the issue is now resolved by toyota t-sb-0107-19 - ecu/at (1 reports)
2019 Toyota RAV4 transmission problems

transmission problem

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2019 Toyota RAV4 Owner Comments (Page 1 of 3)

problem #50

Dec 122019

RAV4 Adventure

  • Automatic transmission
  • 500 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

My son just bought this 2019 RAV 4 (in Adventure trim) last Thanksgiving and suddenly it is hesitating to accelerate every time it shifts to the next gear. Where do I go from here? Because it is not safe when you need to accelerate to escape a bad situation.

- Nole P., Monrovia, CA, US

problem #49

May 282019

RAV4 Limited 2.5L I4

  • Automatic transmission
  • 1,230 miles

When coming to stop sign or stopping the car in a stop and go traffic, the car jerks forward very harsh. I have to leave the acceleration pedal and apply it slow so my car doesn't move forward very fast. It is easily reproducible problem. Happens in normal mode very often. I guess the transmission doesn't know when to switch gears. Pathetic on Toyota's behalf of not testing the car thoroughly before selling it.

- thesmartguy, Santaclara, US

problem #48

Jan 072019

RAV4

  • Automatic transmission
  • 100 miles

My 2019 Rav4 Xle awd has a problem when coming to a stop. There is a hard down shift from 2-1, and the problem is always present when the car is cold. Another problem I'm having when stopping but not fully and pressing gas, there is a hesitation and a jerk from transmission. I called Toyota Corp and told them about problem, and case manager Joan Collins took the case. This person is useless, they don't want to help at all.

Toyota is saying this is normal vehicle behavior. I spend $32k on this car and the transmission behavior is unacceptable. Seems like Toyota put out a product that they never tested and are testing this on customers expense. This is my last Toyota after being a loyal customer and spending over $100k on your vehicles throughout the years, and you treat your customers like this. Go to hell, Toyota.

- Alex Z., warminster, PA, US

problem #47

Jun 182019

RAV4 LE 2.3L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 125 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Transmission has a mind of its own. When stop and go accelerating, the transmission doesn't seem to know what to do. It jerks and lurches when speeding up after slowing for traffic. Should not have this issue in what was a quality vehicle.

- Danny H., Louisville, US

problem #46

Feb 252019

RAV4 XLE 2.5L I4

  • Automatic transmission
  • 15 miles

Bought the 2019 RAV4 XLE in Feb 2019. Though it was a first year redesign, I had ridden in, driven, then owned a Toyota since 1969 and never had issues. Based on that, I bought it. I first experienced it that Monday going to and from work. At 5-10 mph when I gave it the gas, the engine revved really high, then the transmission jerked and shifted upwards. Initially I thought what the hell is wrong with it? A work around was at that speed, gradually accelerate... but who wants to do that? But I did it and when I took the vehicle in for the 5k, I mentioned it and the dealership said it's the way it's designed... I took it in for the 10k end of August, told them again and they said the same thing. No one volunteered to go for a drive.

Finally, I opened up a complaint with Toyota corporate website. They called me and I basically stated my total frustration with the situation, that I bought it based on 50 prior years of no issues, and I felt let down. My expectation was to fix the problem... I didn't care how (reprogram, replace, whatever), just fix it and give me a free loaner car if it took any extended time as I had to still make payments. So they contacted the dealer who got me in the same day (13 Sept) and told me a fix had come out mid August.

After the fix, it runs just great. It accelerates and shifts just like it should. The Eco mode is a real Eco mode, not sluggish and reluctant...

- Umesh R., Garland, TX, US

problem #45

Jun 152019

RAV4 XLE Premium

  • Automatic transmission
  • 50 miles

I'm also experiencing the "jerk/lurch' at slow speeds.

- C O., Los Angeles, US

problem #44

Dec 212019

RAV4 XLE Premium 2.5L 4

  • Automatic transmission
  • 6,173 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Was in the passenger seat. My wife was driving slowly through a busy parking lot when the car hesitated and took off like a shot. I asked her what the heck she was doing as I thought it was her spazzing out only to have her tell me that the car does this often but only in "normal mode". If in sport mode, she's okay. We had a similar issue with a new '06 Avalon which was deemed "normal" until I found a TSB printed it, showed it to the dealership and insisted it be fixed. This is unacceptable as I can see this car very easily rear-ending another car out on a congested road.

I forced my wife to ditch her 17 Honda Civic for this car as I felt it would be much safer. Right now nothing is further from the truth with this dangerous and unpredictable situation. I hope the dealership doesn't give us any trouble and fixes it right away. What is sad is it happened at another dealership when we were test driving a different Rav4. We were creeping through the parking lot and it happened. Not knowing anything about the vehicle, I thought it had automatic start/stop as that was how it felt. I told my wife not to worry because that feature can be shut off. We didn't buy the car on that trip, so I thought nothing more of it. Now we're two for two, so I'm guessing it has to be happening to nearly all of them.

- Tracy T., Westerville, US

problem #43

Mar 022022

RAV4 XLE Premium 2.5L L4

  • CVT transmission
  • 19,000 miles

We bought a new 2019 Toyota Rav4 and at first, we thought the lurching and hesitation at low speeds would go away due to being a "new" car. Not the case. Finally, I googled the problem on youtube, (Gary Pollard, the Fist Pump Guy) and I found that that although Toyota didn't recall this problem there is a case number (T-SB-0107-19). I made an appointment with Toyota Service and mentioned the problem. You will need this case number if the check engine light isn't on. My check engine light never came on. It took about an hour and a half to get the problem resolved. The tech said they performed a software update. So far it has worked!!! I'm so pleased. Our Rav4 is 3 years old with 19,000 miles and the lurching had been going on since we purchased the car.

- Suzanne M., Glen Carbon, US

problem #42

Apr 012019

RAV4 XLE

  • Automatic transmission
  • 4,900 miles

I leased a new 2019 Toyota Rav4 XLE in April and since that day have had issues with it having a rough drive. If you come to a complete stop and then try to either turn into oncoming traffic or turn left across an intersection, the car will HESITATE and go slow, and then if you push harder you will rocket forward. This is extremely scary and unsafe on both aspects.

I have had 3 near accident situations due to the car "thinking" and not shifting into gear properly. I have been driving more cautiously to prevent these types of scenarios, however, if someone else is driving poorly and I need to quickly respond to a situation, I cannot rely on my car to respond correctly. This makes you question your driving, feel not confident, and therefore is an unsafe vehicle to drive at this time.

I have brought the car into the service department 4 times now, also for a jerking issue, and they cannot recreate this one and so therefore there is nothing that they can do. I have also worked with Toyota Corporate and tried to Lemon Law the car, but cannot as they cannot recreate the situation. This car is extremely uncomfortable to drive and you cannot rely on it to react as you expect it to. Making driving it unsafe.

- Lindsey L., Largo, FL, US

problem #41

Apr 012019

RAV4 XLE

  • Automatic transmission
  • 4,900 miles

I leased a new 2019 Toyota Rav4 XLE in April and since that day have had issues with it having a rough drive. If you are stopping and then go to push the gas again, you will lurch forward. Also if you ease off the break, it will rock back and forth. I describe it like trying to drive a stick shift when you don't know how to use the clutch.

I called Clearwater Toyota about the issue right away and they said they didn't know anything about it. I then called their Customer Relations Manager about this issue and he said the car needs to learn my driving habits, it could take up to 10k miles, and that it's normal. I told him I wasn't happy and wanted out of the vehicle as it's a safety issue, uncomfortable, and kind of scary. He told me I signed a contract and there wasn't anything they could do. I called and informed Toyota Corporate. I brought the car in for a full diagnosis in June. They said everything was normal. I called and complained again. I then requested they look at it again in October.

The day before my Sales Manager called to let me know a software update had just come out and have the Advisor add it to my RO for the following day. I did this. The car drove better for about 3 weeks to a month and then started up again. I called and let them know and scheduled to bring it in. I brought it in November and they said the software update hadn't taken fully and needed to be re-run and then parts manually added. I left and still had the issue. I called Toyota Corporate again. I started the process for the Lemon Law with Toyota Corporate and Clearwater Toyota had my car for 3 days. They could not get the car to re-create the issues and so therefore there is nothing they can do and they will not be sending our the Corporate Master Technician. They said the 1-2 second delays are normal for the computer while it tries to determine if it should shift up or down.

I have driven Toyotas for over 20 years and honestly will never purchase a new one again after this experience. This car is extremely uncomfortable to drive and you cannot rely on it to react as you expect it to. Making driving it unsafe.

- Lindsey L., Largo, FL, US

problem #40

Jul 012019

RAV4 LX 4 cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 10,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Can't believe Toyota would put something so worthless out on the showroom floor. How long have they been making cars for? To have a car that shifts like junk in first gear is awful. Fix the problem - nobody likes being jerked around in a brand new car.

Also why in the world would you add Apple services and not have Android?? Half the world uses Android, put it in your car's for heavens sake!

- Nate C., Kaysville, UT, US

problem #39

Oct 212019

RAV4 Adventure 4WD 2.5L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 932 miles

When the car is going at slow speeds, the jerking starts. It can cause an accident easier than normal. Toyota must find a solution.

Update from Feb 9, 2022: Not fixed

- Zaazou .,

problem #38

Aug 232019

RAV4 LE V4

  • Automatic transmission
  • 5 miles

I just bought a 2019 RAV 4 (my fifth RAV4), but am disappointed in many things which I share with large numbers of other owners on RAV 4 online. The lurching at slow speeds is particularly annoying. But Toyota sent out a "Technical Service Bulletin" on 8/15/19 which addresses the issue. It is called "Hesitation On Acceleration From A Slow Roll Or Rolling Stop". The number is T-SB-0107-19. You can find it on Google and then use that when you speak to a service rep and get it fixed.

- Moran 1., Mc Lean, VA, US

problem #37

Nov 012019

RAV4 LE

  • Automatic transmission
  • 5,000 miles

At low speed, if you do not come to a complete stop and accelerate, the vehicle lunges quite significantly. Also when you come to a complete stop, you hear a clunk and it's not the engine disengaging. It just clunks at a complete stop but most annoying part is it lunging.

- Gary C., Horn Lake, US

problem #36

Aug 282020

RAV4 Adventure

  • Automatic transmission
  • 15,885 miles

2019 Toyota RAV 4 Adventure, 15,885 miles. Started making a type of grinding noise on breaking for turning, then began making same noise on slow stopping at stop light or stop sign and accelerating from there. Took to Toyota dealer, head of service department rode with us to hear the noise. Turns out it was the magnetic clutch, Toyota has sent out a Technical Bulletin on this, so they are aware of the problem. Toyota fixed it a couple days ago, so far so good. RAV seems to drive better, no more of the hesitating on acceleration either.

- Johnesse N., Queen Creek, AZ, US

problem #35

Oct 012019

RAV4 LE 2.2L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 3,728 miles

My 2019 Rav4 drives like a vehicle with a manual transmission and the driver is learning how to drive a stick shift for the first time. It jerks and lurches at slow speeds and when I approach a stop sign. I have had to adjust my driving habits to try and get it to drive as smooth as possible. The Toyota dealer could not find any problems with the vehicle.

Update from Jul 23, 2021: Anyone thinking of buying this vehicle should do their research.

- John P., Ajax, ON, Canada

problem #34

Sep 262020

RAV4

  • Automatic transmission
  • 10,000 miles

I bought my My Rav4 2019 brand new. It has been a decent vehicle but I have noticed small hesitations/surges at stops and occasional lane changes. Since it was newer I was told that this was normal when breaking in a new car. At about 10,000 miles I was pulling up in my driveway with my foot on the brake ready to put the car in park when suddenly the car lurched forward and jumped into gear and hit the garage(I was not pulling into the garage, just parking in the driveway) It felt like a self driving component was involved. Front end of car was seriously damaged and my airbags did not deploy. I had a passenger/witness in my car and my son was inside the garage very near to where the car hit. I bought the Toyota Service plan and have taken it in twice for servicing and was never asked anything about the surges Toyota knows are occurring.

To date, there is $4,400.00 in damages to my garage and $13,000 in damages to the car. Add insurance deductibles for both the garage and car another $4000.00 in deductibles. I will be without my car for 1 month while repairs are being made. Now I am paying for a car that is significantly depreciated that I can't in good conscience sell. I am attempting to work with my insurance company and Toyota for restitution. Any advice would be appreciated.

- Monica L., Queen Creek, US

problem #33

Feb 122020

RAV4 XLE 2.5L V4

  • Automatic transmission
  • 8,200 miles

Should have done more research before buying. I did buy it used with 8K on it so now I know why it was traded in, not what the salesman told me, buyer beware!

- Bill G., Summit Hill, PA, US

problem #32

Nov 202019

RAV4 LE

  • Automatic transmission
  • 28,000 miles

Purchased my 2019 Rav4 LE in October of 2018. It had 17500 miles on the car when I purchased it used. I started feeling a weird jolting with the engine at lower speed around 19k miles. It seems like the gears do not shift properly. I did a google search to see if others had a similar problem as me and I came across additional forums with people stating they had the same issue. I took it to the local Toyota dealership to have it checked out. I told them I was having these issues and stated that other people were too, referring to the car forums. They took my car in and said they updated the software and it should be good now. It seemed to be fine for one day and then it started again with the lurching/jolting with the gears when driving. I took it to the Toyota dealership for a second time, telling them it is having the issue again and they said they would check it out. They had it for a day and then returned it back to me stating they couldn’t find anything wrong.... I am still having these issues and i’m furious. I purchased a Toyota because they were supposed to be reliable and safe. If I had known this was an issue with these cars I would have never bought a 2019 Rav4. There have been news articles on this issue and Toyota is still playing dumb. It’s about time they take some responsibility and make it right for their customers.

- sandiegob, San Diego, US

problem #31

Nov 042019

RAV4 LE 2.5L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 326 miles

Bought new 2019 Rav4 had less then a week 525Km on it transmission banged into gear car jerking forward. Toyota reset the car still jerking got Toyota Canada to admit to having transmission problems. They do not have a fix. Wish Canada had lemon laws like the US. Trying to get Toyota to take car back.do not want it first Toyota I bought and will be the last. Do not buy this car big pain in the ASS.

- Derek B., Stratford, ON, Canada

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