2004 Toyota Rav4 Electrical Problems

Your transmission is shifting hard, slipping between gears, and triggering warning codes about transmission solenoids. A transmission specialist has determined the root cause is a faulty engine control module (ECM), which is a known issue that Toyota has declined to replace. This unpredictable transmission behavior creates a safety concern, especially with children in the vehicle. Fixing this issue will likely require replacing the ECM (engine control module) to restore proper transmission operation.

Your car's TRAC system (which automatically applies the brakes when it detects wheel slippage) is activating unexpectedly on curves even when you've turned it off. On wet roads, this has caused your car to skid out of your lane. The TRAC warning light comes on and beeps when this happens, but the issue occurs randomly and hasn't been reproduced by a mechanic yet.

MY CARS CHECK ENGINE AND VSC TRAC LIGHTS CAME ON AT THE SAME TIME WHEN I STARTED THE CAR. I THEN PUT IT IN DRIVE AND PRESSED ON THE GAS PEDAL AND NOTHING HAPPENED, BUT SOMETIMES THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATES. MY HUSBAND HAD TO DRIVE MY CAR AND I HAD TO FOLLOW HIM HOME B/C THE CAR WAS SO UNPREDICTABLE. HE WOULD HAVE TO PUSH DOWN HARD ON THE GAS PEDAL AND IT WOULD HESITATE BUT THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN IT WOULD THEN JERK FORWARD. HE WAS TERRIFIED THAT HE WOULD GET STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION! I FOUND AN ARTICLE ONLINE ABOUT HOW TOYOTA PROVIDED EXTENDED WARRANTYS TO 2001-2003 RAV4 VEHICLE OWNERS FOR THIS EXACT ISSUE. PLEASE SEE ARTICLE: HTTP://WHEELS.BLOGS.NYTIMES.COM/2010/02/18/TOYOTA-OWNERS-COMPLAIN-THIS-TIME-ABOUT-THE-RAV4/?_PHP=TRUE&_TYPE=BLOGS&_R=0 PLEASE HELP ME WITH THIS! ITS NOT FAIR THAT PEOPLE WITH A 2004 OR LATER CAN'T BENEFIT FROM THIS! I ALSO CALLED TOYOTA AND LEFT A COMPLAINT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH THE CONTACT HEARD A CLANKING SOUND AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO DECELERATE AND LOOSE POWER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED THAT THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY THE ECM. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 91,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY BETWEEN 35-40 MPH, THE ANTI-SKID AND CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATORS SUDDENLY ILLUMINATED AND WOULD REMAIN ON UNTIL THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. THE CRUISE CONTROL FAILED TO SET ANY SPEED DURING THE ILLUMINATION OF THE WARNING INDICATORS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY WERE UNABLE TO REPLICATE THE FAILURE; HOWEVER, TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM THE TECHNICIAN RESET THE COMPUTERIZED SYSTEM. IN ADDITION, THE LOW TIRE PRESSURE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL CONTINUOUSLY. ALSO, THE DEAD BATTERY FAILED TWICE AND REQUIRED A JUMP START. THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED BY DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 40,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

VEHICLE HAS A FLAT SPOT, OR THROTTLE RESPONSE LAG, ESPECIALLY NOTICEABLE WHEN COLD, AND STARTING OFF IN 1ST GEAR. SUSPECT THE ECU MAY NEED UPDATING, WITH THE THROTTLE BY WIRE SYSTEM. *TR

WHEN MY CAR IGNITION KEY IS IN THE "ACCESSORY" POSITION THE FM CHANNELS OF MY RADIO ARE CLEAR. WHEN I PUT THE KEY IN THE "ON" POSITION THE FM CHANNELS CANNOT BE HEARD OVER THE STATIC.

MY 2004 TOYOTA RAV 4 CAUGHT FIRE IN MINUTES WHILE I WAS DRIVING TO WORK. IT WAS ONLY ONE YEAR OLD, I HAD OIL AND FILTER CHANGES DONE ON SCHEDULE BY TOYOTA AND THE VEHIVLE WAS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. I SMELLED SOMETHING WHILE I WAS DRIVING AND WITHIN A COUPLE OF MINUTES MY CAR WAS FILLED WITH SMOKE AND WENT UP IN FLAMES.*AK

I PURCHASED THE 2004 RAV4 THE LAST WEEK OF NOVEMBER 2003. - AFTER MY 1ST INITIAL OIL CHANGE, I NOTICED AFTER GETTING MY CAR BACK FROM THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT THAT ALL OF MY PANEL LIGHTS WERE ON. I.E., TIRE GAUGE, VCS, TRAC OFF, MAINT REQ., & CHECK ENGINE LIGHT.. I TOOK MY CAR BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP THE DAY AFTER HOPING IT WOULD JUST TURN OFF DURING THE DAY & THEY SAID THAT I NEEDED TO RESET MY CAR. LIKE I'M SUPPOSE TO KNOW THIS & WHY DOES MY CAR HAVE TO BE RESET IF ITS BRAND NEW? - AFTER THE SECOND OIL CHANGE EVERYTHING WAS OKAY, AND NOW I'M UP TO MY 3RD OIL CHANGE AND THE SAME THING HAS HAPPENED ALL OVER AGAIN A FEW DAYS AFTER I WENT ON A TRIP.. THIS TIME THE LIGHTS KEEP COMING BACK OVER AND OVER.. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP, ONLY TO BE TOLD THAT MY AIR FUEL RATIO SENSOR HAD BLEW & THAT I NEEDED TO LEAVE IT.. THE DEALERSHIP KEPT MY CAR THERE ALL DAY WHEN THEY SAID IT WOULD ONLY TAKE 3 HOURS.. I HAD TO FINALLY CALL AND ASK WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS, AND COME TO FIND OUT, THAT THEY ORDERED THE WRONG PART.. SO NOW I HAVE TO WAIT AN EXTRA 2 WEEKS FOR THE PART TO ARRIVE. WHY AM I HAVING PROBLEMS LIKE THIS AND MY CAR ISN'T EVEN A YEAR OLD YET? - *AK