10 of the 92 complaints about the 1998 Toyota RAV4 are about the transmission — 11% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 111,500 miles.
10
Complaints
2
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.
POWER TRAIN
MY 98 RAV4 STARTED ACCELERATION PROBLEMS AFTER WE HIT 120,000 MILES. IT HAS DONE IT ABOUT A DOZEN TIMES BUT IT SEEMS LIKE IT HAS ONLY HAPPEND WHEN WE ARE STOPPED AT A LIGHT OR STOPPED TO PULL OUT INTO TRAFIC, IT MAY HAVE DONE IT ONLY 1 OR 2 TIMES WHILE DRIVING.
NHTSA complaint #10307109 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
TOYOTA RAV4 2000 HAS A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. TRANSMISSION IS MAKING NOISES AND ACTING STRANGE. PROBLEM PRESENTED FIRST IN HIGHWAY 15 IN CONNECTICUT, WITHOUT ANY WARNING. VERY DANGEROUS WITHOUT WARNING INCIDENT. NO ACCIDENT OCCURRED, BUT VERY FRIGHTENING. AFTER INCIDENT TRANSMISSION START SLIPPING AND MAKING STRANGE NOISES. THE CAR IS PARKED AND I DO NOT KNOW WHAT IS THE PROBLEM. I SAW AN ARTICLE IN THE NY TIMES INDICATING THIS SITE FOR RECORDING COMPLAINTS.
NHTSA complaint #10295470 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN
I PURCHASED A USED 1998 TOYOTA RAV4 IN OCTOBER 2009. THE VEHICLE HAS 42,000 MILES. WHEN DRIVING HOME ON THE INTERSTATE THE TRUCK BEGAN TO JERK AND LOOSE POWER. WE GOT OFF ON THE NEAREST EXIT AND MADE IT HOME SAFELY. THE TRUCK CONTINUES TO DO THE SAME. I TOOK IT TO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO BECAUSE THERE WAS NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON. THE TRUCK HAS DONE THIS AND 4 OCCASIONS. IT PUTS MY DAUGHTER AT RISK FOR BEING REAR ENDED.
NHTSA complaint #10292432 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
NOT SURE WHAT CATEGORY THIS FALLS INTO, BUT EQUIPMENT SEEMS LIKE THE MOST FITTING: I HAVE A 1998 TOYOTA RAV4. THE VEHICLE HAS SLIGHTLY HIGH MILES (APPROX. 121,000), IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN MAINTAINED ACCORDINGLY AND HAS WORKED GREAT UNTIL RECENTLY. WHILE DRIVING TO WORK, VIA HIGHWAY, FIFTH GEAR MYSTERIOUSLY WOULD NOT STAY ENGAGED. ONCE PLACED INTO FIFTH, THE GEAR WOULD POP BACK OUT. IN ORDER TO KEEP THE TRANSMISSION IN FIFTH GEAR, IT WAS NECESSARY TO PHYSICALLY HOLD THE STICK INTO POSITION, OTHERWISE IT WOULD POP OUT. UPON RESEARCH INTO THE PROBLEM, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT TOYOTA HAS NOT RECALLED FIFTH GEAR, ALTHOUGH IT HAS BEEN AN ISSUE WITH THE MAJORITY OF THEIR MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS. THE ONLY ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THE ANOMALY BY TOYOTA FOUND WAS THAT OF A "RE-ISSUE", NOT A RECALL. THIS COULD POTENTIALLY BE HAZARDOUS TO THE AUTOMOBILES' DRIVER, AS WELL AS OTHERS ON THE ROAD DUE TO AN UNEXPECTED JERK CAUSED BY THE GEAR NOT ENGAGING. ANOTHER CONCERN THAT ARISES IS THE FACT THAT ATTENTION IS DIVERTED AWAY FROM DRIVING. I HAVE HEARD THAT TOYOTA IS NOTORIOUS FOR ISSUING WHAT I'VE HEARD CALLED "SILENT RECALLS". IF THIS PROBLEM FALLS INTO SUCH A CATEGORY IT IS ASSUMED THAT TOYOTA DOES ACKNOWLEDGE THE HAZARD AND PROBLEM AND WOULD PAY FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE GEAR, RIGHT? SINCE THE MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT, THE VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT TO A TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST AND THE FIFTH GEAR WAS REPLACED OUT OF POCKET. MANY ISSUES HAVE COME TO FRUITION SINCE THE REPLACEMENT, BUT THAT IS A CONCERN BETTER BROUGHT UP WITH THE BBB REGARDING THE "TRANSMISSION SPECIALISTS" RATHER THAN WITH NHTSA. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION.
NHTSA complaint #10249709 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS OVER A TWO WEEK PERIOD, THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION POPS OUT OF 5TH GEAR WITHOUT WARNING. THIS LEADS TO A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION WHEN IN TRAFFIC AS IT CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO REDUCE MOMENTUM RAPIDLY AND COULD BE EASILY REAR-ENDED. THE LAST EVENT OCCURRED ON 6/7/2007, THE DAY BEFORE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BY A PRIVATE GARAGE. I HAVE ASKED TOYOTA FOR ASSISTANCE ON THIS PROBLEM, BUT WAS DECLINED. THEY HAVE A SERVICE BULLETIN OUT ON THE PROBLEM, BUT THE COVERAGE IS NOT ADEQUATE. THIS PROBLEM CAN OCCUR AT ANYTIME AFTER THEIR COVERAGE EXPIRES.
NHTSA complaint #10198870 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT
I WAS DRIVING UPHILL ON 4 LANE HIGHWAY WHEN I NOTICED SPEED DROPPING, I HAD DROPPED TO 50 MPH, THEN STARTED TO HEAR METAL BANGING, I WAS STARTING TO HEAD TO BURM WHEN SOME VERY LOUD METALLIC BANGS HAPPENED, AND ONE OR MORE WHEELS LOCKED UP AND SENT ME INTO A SPIN TO THE RIGHT, AND I HIT GAURD RAILS. I WAS ON RT. 68 EASTBOUND IN MARYLAND, ON SIDELING HILL. AFTER HAVING IT IN THE GARAGE THE MECHANICS TOLD ME THAT A GASKET OR SEAL LEAKED ON THE DIFFERENTIAL, THEY TOLD ME THEY HAVE NEVER HAD IT HAPPEN, NOR DO THEY NO WHY.
NHTSA complaint #10098588 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH FAILED FIRST TIME 5/19/00 AT 35379 MILES. BRAKE LIGHTS DID NOT WORK AND COULD NOT SHIFT TRANSMISSION OUT OF PARK. DEALER REPLACED AT NO CHARGE BECAUSE VEHICLE WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. REPLACEMENT BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH HAS NOW FAILED AGAIN 12 MONTHS LATER. DEALER HAS SAID WILL REPLACE UNDER HIS 12-MONTH WARRANTY. DEALER SAYS IS NOT AWARE OF ANY TECH SERVICE BULLETINS OR RECALLS ON THIS PROBLEM.
NHTSA complaint #745239 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT
IN COLD WEATHER DRIVESHAFT FREEZES, CAUSING VEHICLE TO STOP. VEHICLE SLAMS TO A HALT AFTER A KNOCKING SOUND IS HEARD FROM THE UNIVERSAL JOINTS.
NHTSA complaint #854007 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
TRANSMISSION FAILED TO HOLD VEHICLE IN PLACE WHEN STOPPED ON INCLINES. TRANSMISSION WOULD MAKE A THUNKING NOISE. TRANSMISSION WOULD BE RELEASED. VEHICLE ROLLED DOWN THE DRIVEWAY & HIT A TREE. VEHICLE HAS A STANDARD TRANSMISSION WHICH WAS IN GEAR. THE HAND BRAKES WERE NOT APPLIED. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME IT HAPPENED (12/97).
NHTSA complaint #851567 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
SHIFT LOCK JAMMED PREVENTING ANY OPERATION OF VEHICLE
NHTSA complaint #701428 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.