All About Japan Autos

Daily Auto News

The New York Times reports, “Although customer satisfaction studies have often given Toyota’s RAV4 “cute ute” high marks for quality, some owners are furious at the automaker because it failed to warn them of a serious transmission problem. Had Toyota warned them, they say, they could have avoided expensive repairs..

Autoblog explains, “According to the reports (more than 120 complaints have been lodged to the [National Highway Traffic Safety Administration] so far), the engine control module (ECM) may fail and send mixed signals to the transmission. Once the tranny starts to misbehave (noticed through rough or missed shifts), the ECM needs to immediately be serviced to avoid major transmission damage.” Toyota has sent a service bulletin to its dealerships explaining how to correct the problem, “but has failed to notify consumers who are facing costly repair bills to replace transmissions when all many needed was a simple electronic module.”

Kicking Tires adds, “Toyota has said that while it acknowledges the glitch in some ECMs, it did not notify consumers because it was not considered a safety threat, and the repairs are covered by warranty. Now Toyota is studying the issue further and deciding whether to send out notices.”

Some owners, meanwhile, are demanding a recall. The Times notes, “Many owners have turned to the federal safety agency, saying they feel their vehicles are not safe and asking for help in the form of a recall. But the agency has not undertaken a defect investigation, which could lead to a recall.” The safety agency, however, is traditionally “is reluctant to open investigations into transmission problems unless they involve vehicles that stall or have problems on the highway, which constitutes a clear safety problem.”

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