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Toyota RAV4 Cruise Control Problems

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Comments

  • ces1938ces1938 Member Posts: 61
    Kay it is really hard to win against the car manufacturers, I am 70 years old and have had countless new cars in my life, I had problems with GM over a Buick car one time and a 1978 Ford, the last time I bought a Ford was 1978 and the last time I bought a Buick was 1985, but I believe this Rav 4 is the most blatantly obvious defective car of them all, also the 2006 [Rav 4] will be the last Toyota I will own, even tho my 2005 Camry is a darn nice car, but I still will never buy a Toyota again, now that I know how they deal with problems...good luck Kay and maybe you can trade it off to some sucker for another car soon, that is what I intend to do. :mad: :cry:
  • sumrx4sumrx4 Member Posts: 40
    When talking to a lawyer last week about this posibility he stated that it didn't have to be a issue that impaired the safety,value, or use of the vehicle. Which by the way was the same reason I was denied. He stated that according to VA lemon law if something does not function properly that's all you need.
    At this time I think we are simply going to sell the piece of crap and be finished with Toyota. Oh and by the way, since Toyota says there is nothing wrong with the vehicle I don't see the legal abligation to disclose the maint. history when selling it. :lemon:
  • thrthr Member Posts: 10
    We completed our arbitration hearing last week. We now await the decision. Thanks to all of you for sharing your thoughts on this subject. We think we presented our case well, partly because of your recommendations. We had a thorough written brief, verbal comments, and a perfect demonstration of the buck n jump. The Toyota representative had to admit that what we presented was true. Yet, he indicated all RAV4 2wd. 4cyl. have this characteristic. We were hopeful as we left the hearing.

    Those of you that have not yet gone through arbitration should check out the 2005 US FTC audit of the NCDS/Automobile Warranty Arbitration Program [awap]. The audit report is found at WWW.ftc.gov/os/rule703/2005auditncdsawap.pdf
    It is 87 pages of history,procedures,methods, training,and statistical data. The report basically said that the NCDS was doing its job within federal rules. However, the statistic that shows just how difficult it is to win was the overall awap reported numbers. In 2005 3,317 dispute cases were filed. Some were ineligible for review, some were closed by mediation [with the dealer], and 1,888 were actually arbitrated. Only 364 [19.3%] were in favor of the consumer. 1,524 [80.7%] were adverse to the consumer. HAL
  • thrthr Member Posts: 10
    Received the results of our arbitration exercise: DENIED!

    It seemed to be a fair and straight forward hearing. We felt our case was a winner.
    However, considering that only 19.7% of consumers win at arbitration, we are not surprised. I would never recommend arbitration to anyone.

    If a case exists skip arbitration and go straight to the lemon law. Arbitration just slows efforts to get a resolution, and kind of muddies the waters. HAL
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Was it binding, and if not, are you going forward with lemon law or ?
  • rcmanrcman Member Posts: 6
    I have a 6 cyl 2008 RAV 4. I don't have a problem with it changing in and out of gear but do have a problem with it down shifting on a hill. But it only does it if I'm going down a hill and start up another hill. It seems to lag to long in coast mode and does not make a smooth power transition. I can tell a difference when I have a full tank of gas. If I approach a normal size hill straight on, I don't down shift.
  • mlmcgaheemlmcgahee Member Posts: 102
    Toyota has agreed to buy-back my 2007 RAV4 under the Georgia Lemon Law process. I am to meet at the dealership sometime next week for the buy-back to take place. I have just purchased a 2008 Nissan Rogue SL to replace the RAV4. It is a great small crossover SUV and fits my needs nicely. This makes my 4th Nissan purchase and I have great service and reliability from them. Buy the end of next week I should be done with Toyota. Good luck to all on this forum who are dealing with defective RAV4's.

    Mike
  • urchieurchie Member Posts: 1
    I looked at RAV4, along with a few other cars. Just for the fun of it, I printed out the worst of it and left it with the salesperson, explaining why I would not be buying a Toyota. I wasn't going to anyhow, but just figured I'd do my part. I wish you all the best with this problem.
  • rcmanrcman Member Posts: 6
    Ref #213 Is anyone else having this problem with the 6 cyl 2008 RV 4.
  • jacksafejacksafe Member Posts: 1
    I have the same problems with my 2007 RAV4 4 cyl. It now has 6800 miles. Toyota tells the they are working on this problem. When I bought the car it had been on the market for about 1 year. How long does it take for them to figure out how to fix this problem. My problem is the same as most other people . I have auto transmission. The vehicle will shift rapidly many times between 2nd and 3rd gears. This happens on the slightest incline. I recently took a trip, drove through the AL mountains and it was a real "nightmare"I thought the transmission would come apart with all the jerking. I am 74 years old and I want cruise control;. I was told by service technician at dealer that if it bothered me, "just cut the cruise control off" I will never do business with Toyota again. I have a consumer lawyer and I am suing under SC lemon law Please wish me good luck. :lemon:
  • ces1938ces1938 Member Posts: 61
    come on jacksafe, what in the heck is wrong with you that you would buy a 2008 Rav 4?? I guess you did not read this blog on that piece of crap.... geezz, we have been bitching about this Toyota disaster for two years and still you bought one, ha,,ha.... sorry but I find that a bit funny....will ole pal, suck it up and live with it till you can dump it on the unsuspecting that is all you can do now, Toyota will never fix this problem, they told me they did not need to, they have a fine reputation and can sell cars on their reputation, well it seems they are right huh....well it will catch up with them just as it did with the big 3 auto companies in good ole America... good luck dude suck it up and make the best of it, cause this is all you are going to get.... ces1938, been there done it.... :mad: :cry: :lemon:
  • rcmanrcman Member Posts: 6
    I think you meant rcman. That's why I purchased the V6. As I said, it will down shift on a hill but does not jump in and out between gears. Other than that, I like the car. From what I've read here, the cruise control with the 4 cyl is the main problem. I drove the 4 cyl before I drove the 6 cyl and decided to get the 6 cyl. Good choice huh. I got 27.5 mpg with mixed driving. 75% highway and 25% town.
  • thrthr Member Posts: 10
    Well Jacksafe, I feel like you do. I'm 72 and rely on a vehicle with a cruise control. I have to say the biggest mistake I've made is going thru arbitration .It was a waste of time for me. A good deal for the Toyota Motor car co. The Toyota representative pretty much agreed with what I presented in a 1 hour presentation written and read with a dozen supporting enclosures. The road test with ample bucks n jumps ended when the arbitrator said he had seen enough. The Toyota rep, indicated that the 4cyl did not have enough power and it was nornal for the RAV4 to perform the way mine does. Toyota simply sez a problem does not exist. I do not expect a fix from Toyota. A week later the letter came saying DENIED..Luck to us both.
    I'm also working toward a Lemon law settlement. HAL
  • sumrx4sumrx4 Member Posts: 40
    It really doesn't matter who you were referring to here you are out of line with your comments. Just because we have been writing and reading here for months that dos not men everyone has. Give the man a break.

    Jacksafe, Good luck getting it fixed. My dealer told me Toyota was working on a fix but in the arbitration hearing I was told that it was a "characteristic" of the vehicle not a problem and that Toyota had no intentions of addressing the situation.

    again good luck
  • crtzlowcrtzlow Member Posts: 16
    If this problem was a "characteristic of the vehicle" it would do it when you are "NOT" using the cruise control. The one we had would operate perfectly when the cruise was off. It would not even drop out of overdrive when going up an incline without pushing the pedal further.The motor has plenty of power for the vehicle.
    As far as the comments are concerned I too think they are totally out of line. I think that the majority of us found this forum "after" buying the RAV 4, 4 cylinder and realizing the problem it had with the cruise control. If anyone that is considering buying a 4 cylinder RAV 4 found this forum before buying do you really think they would have bought one? Everyone here has had to deal with enough grief over this without someone trying to make things worse.

    Don
  • ronnronn Member Posts: 398
    Hey.... I am sorry that you guys with the 4 cyl are having a problem, but I do not feel you should judge the RAV4 because you have had the problem with others that have the 4 cyl. The RAV4 comes in different models, and the V6 is totally different from the 4 cyl. I test drove both of them, and it doesn't even feel like the same SUV. I have had other friends comment the same way. I do not blame you for being upset with the problems you are having or have had, but it is not all the RAV4 's. People depend on these reviews to help them decide on SUV's, and they should not be discouraged with the RAV4 V6. It is a great SUV, and those that have them are not having the problems you have had as well as others.
    I have had 6 Toyotas, and never had a problem with any of them.
  • rcmanrcman Member Posts: 6
    I totally agree. But having said that, I'm glad to see so many people expressing the problem with the RAV4 4 cyl. Toyota should do something about it. Keep the pressure on them. If you could get some TV time with your local TV trouble shooter it just might help get the word out. The one we have in this area gets results.
  • ces1938ces1938 Member Posts: 61
    Well guys, I got my problem FIXED, not from :P Toyota tho, I have an old friend that is quite the car expert, I told him of my problem and he said "no problem" , he checked out my cruse and had a real ha,ha. with that he said he could not believe how much Toyota has come down hill with their quality control problems but looks like they have got to being bigshots and no longer care about their customers, they just want to sell more cars than GM.... but anyway, he went down to a local auto parts store and paid $140.00 for a cruse control that would fit a 1996 Camry 4 cyl. 4 speed, he pulled the computer module out of my Rav's computer and just disconnected the darn thing... he installed the 1996 cruse control, than we took her out for a spin.....FOLKS IT WORKED PERFECTLY, how about that, Toyota made such a big deal out of fixing the damn think... but my ole shade tree mechanic fixed it in 45 minutes.... how does that build your confidence in Toyota, huh..... Charles :P ;) :surprise:
  • ronnronn Member Posts: 398
    Hey Dude...while I'm not having any problems since I have the V6, I am glad you got yours fixed!!!! I do have a question though.... why did you need the 1996 Camry part instead of a later model?? I thought that was interesting, and it may help those who are having the same problem. Just curious..by the way Have a great Thanksgiving !
  • ces1938ces1938 Member Posts: 61
    ronn, not sure why he used the 1996 cruse equipment other than in 1996 they had not started messing around with "drive by wire" like they do now and have been for a few years, it is much cheaper to put in a $20.00 computer and call it a cruse control than to buy a real cruse control and install it I guess, regardless if it works or not... I drove it on a 400 mile trip with quite a few hill and drove the speed limit, I got almost 29 mpg out the little suv... great huh, looks like I will be keeping it for a while now, but it will be my last Toyota, I don't trust them anymore...have a great turkey day... :)
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    Hard to understand...

    Since the newer RAV4s use DBW the DBW throttle valve positioning servomotor is also used for CC (and idle airflow) throttle positioning rather than have a separate servomotor(s) as was required with a mechanical coupling.

    How did he manage to rig the '96 CC servomotor system into the DBW throttle valve/body..??
  • ces1938ces1938 Member Posts: 61
    I didn't do it, I know nothing about stuff like that, I do not know what a DBW, or CC throttle coupling is... this guy lives down in southern Al. and was up here visiting family, I used to be friends with him when we both worked for Boeing in Seattle Wa. he was an aircraft engine mechanic in the Renton plant... We both retired about the same time, he knows a lot about all kinds of engines....My self, I was a quality control engineer in the composite plant in Auburn...
  • wdpcpawdpcpa Member Posts: 21
    thr said:

    "The Toyota representative had to admit that what we presented was true. Yet, he indicated all RAV4 2wd. 4cyl. have this characteristic."

    Not true really. Mine stopped misbehaving. That means that it can perform properly. If yours doesn't, it is broken. If it is broken, they should fix it. That's what the warranty is about.

    Even if all of them did, it isn't desinged to buck like a bronco. It's stll broken.

    Good luck. Hope they fix it for you.

    Bill
  • wdpcpawdpcpa Member Posts: 21
    crtlow said:

    "If this problem was a "characteristic of the vehicle" it would do it when you are "NOT" using the cruise control. The one we had would operate perfectly when the cruise was off. It would not even drop out of overdrive when going up an incline without pushing the pedal further.The motor has plenty of power for the vehicle. "

    This is exactly right. If the car is gear hunting when the cruise is on, the cruise is broken. That's why we have a warranty. Toyota should fix it.

    You know, I reported to them that mine had stopped gear hunting. You would think they would want to examine it to see why mine is different than the 4 cylanders reported here. They don't seem to interested.

    Bill
  • wdpcpawdpcpa Member Posts: 21
    ces 1938 wrote:

    "Well guys, I got my problem FIXED, not from Toyota tho, I have an old friend that is quite the car expert, I told him of my problem and he said "no problem" , he checked out my cruse and had a real ha,ha. with that he said he could not believe how much Toyota has come down hill with their quality control problems but looks like they have got to being bigshots and no longer care about their customers, they just want to sell more cars than GM.... but anyway, he went down to a local auto parts store and paid $140.00 for a cruse control that would fit a 1996 Camry 4 cyl. 4 speed, he pulled the computer module out of my Rav's computer and just disconnected the darn thing... he installed the 1996 cruse control, than we took her out for a spin.....FOLKS IT WORKED PERFECTLY."

    This is an importent post. It shows that Toyota can fix this warranty issue today. They just have to do it.

    Bill
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    First, no car manufacturer can readily, easily, modify/retrofit any vehicle that has already passed the EPA, CARB, testing/qualification procedures in any way that might affect fuel emissions, adversely or otherwise.

    For me, I'm quite satisfied that all this "shiftiness" going on with the '07 and later models are directly related to industry efforts to improve FE, even in rather small increments.

    The basic idea is to keep the engine operating at the LOWEST possible RPM, LOWEST frictional losses, at which the engine can JUST BARELY maintain your desired speed. "Set" speed in the case of CC. On vacation this past February I drove a new Mazda Minivan the first week and a new Chrysler Sebring the second week, both with V6 engines. I was astounded, literally, at the number of shifts these vehicles would go through, especially in CC, traveling over only slightly rolling terrain.

    At first I thought that I could do better not using CC, but that proved to not be the case. What was happening was the fact the the transaxle was doing more shifts than a expected, a lot more shifts, made the CC shifts more noteable.

    " It would not even drop out of overdrive when going up an incline without pushing the pedal farther..."

    Yes, exactly, you SEE the upcoming incline and add a bit more gas to hold your desired speed even with the harder climb...The CC, being totally BLIND, must want for the speed to fall off and then command the downshift. In order to reduce the number of those downshifts it might delay to be certain the "event" is sustained. Then the downshift might become HARSHER, double gear "grab", if the incline increases before the decision to downshift is made.

    The thing to remember, keep in mind, is that you have forward vision of the upcoming roadbed while the CC does not. So the CC system must wait until the speed falls off before realizing that the going has gotten harder. That often results in a much harsher downshift than if you were driving, and automatically, UNCONSCIOUSLY, depressed the gas slightly as you reached the inclined section of the roadbed.

    And obviously a 4 cylinder, lower HP, engine, typically also with fewer gear ratios, 4 speed (WHY??), would be more prone to shifting, HARSHER shifting than the V6 6 speed transaxle counterpart.

    This is a horrible thing for me to suggest, but try a full tank of premium fuel and see if the "shiftiness" doesn't lessen.
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    I walked out of the Boeing Auburn '07 building one night in '68 and never looked back.

    (ww1940)
  • ces1938ces1938 Member Posts: 61
    Sorry guys I can not buy the crap about the 4 cyl. Rav is causing the problem, because it is not....a 1996 Camry with a 4 cyl does have NO problem with the cruse and that is a fact.... accept it... it is that darn drive by wire set up that Toyota has come up... really don't matter to me, I got mine fixed for $140.00 and that is done with, and this will be my last Toyota... I have nothing else to say about it... so long guys and good luck... ces 1938... I am done with all of this crap... but I will check out the blog to see what happens... and that is it.... ces1938
  • ces1938ces1938 Member Posts: 61
    Hey guy, you must be an ole fart.... that is a long time ago, how much time did you have in.... my son has 25 years in at the wind tunnel... take care...
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    " a 1996 Camry with a 4 cyl does have NO problem with the cruse and that is a fact...."

    This is 2007 and gasoline is now above $3.00/gallon besides which general wisdom aside, programmer do learn. Yes, it takes more time than for most of us....

    My 2001 911/996 C4 has DBW and I have absolutely no complaints.
  • mlmcgaheemlmcgahee Member Posts: 102
    I feel your pain brother Charles.... Like you, my problem will be resolved this evening at 5:30pm when I turn my 2007 RAV4 back in at the dealership for the Lemon Law buy back. After that I am done with Toyota. I am very happy with my new 2008 Nissan Rogue that I purchased last week......
    :)
    http://www.nissanusa.com/rogue

    http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/WebX/.f151681/

    Mike
  • jmwpjmwp Member Posts: 4
    I found this just in time for my arbitration hearing. Using ideas from this forum,I dashed around and got everything I needed to present my case on Nov. 15. I had my repair invoices from 2 different Toyota dealers, 2 trade offers, (one from Toyota, and one from a GM dealer), and a list of case numbers from this forum that Toyota was repurchasing. Had my hearing, and Toyta rep. stated that Toyota would have a TSB for the cruise during the first quarter of 2008. Went for a drive, and the dumb thing worked perfect, NO gear hunting! Went around and over the same road again, and only did it 2 times. Usually in this spot it will gear hunt 4 or 5 times!!! Thought that would do me in, but not so! Just got my mail and Toyota has to repurchase my Rav 4. So, thanks to all of you and all of your good ideas. My case number is 2107156. JMWP
  • wdpcpawdpcpa Member Posts: 21
    wwest said:

    "First, no car manufacturer can readily, easily, modify/retrofit any vehicle that has already passed the EPA, CARB, testing/qualification procedures in any way that might affect fuel emissions, adversely or otherwise. "

    Response:

    I am not buying it. Part is broken. They can fix it. I am not so sure you couldn't take it off completely if you want to do so. Not all cars have cruise control.

    wwest said:
    "The basic idea is to keep the engine operating at the LOWEST possible RPM, LOWEST frictional losses, at which the engine can JUST BARELY maintain your desired speed. "Set" speed in the case of CC. On vacation this past February I drove a new Mazda Minivan the first week and a new Chrysler Sebring the second week, both with V6 engines. I was astounded, literally, at the number of shifts these vehicles would go through, especially in CC, traveling over only slightly rolling terrain. "

    Response:

    I drove the Sebring and that isn't this. This thing is bucking like a bronco and jumping upwards to 5K RPMs and then back to 2K up to 3K. It's broken.

    wwest said:

    "The thing to remember, keep in mind, is that you have forward vision of the upcoming roadbed while the CC does not. So the CC system must wait until the speed falls off before realizing that the going has gotten harder. That often results in a much harsher downshift than if you were driving, and automatically, UNCONSCIOUSLY, depressed the gas slightly as you reached the inclined section of the roadbed."

    Response:

    If that theory were true it would be consistent both within one particular vehicle and then across the product line. That is, all the RAV4, 4 cylanders would react the same on the same road. They don't. And mine used to buck and then stopped.

    This gear hunting isn't engineering. It's broken. And that's why the trade in value has dropped on this particular model.

    wdpcpa
  • wdpcpawdpcpa Member Posts: 21
    Hi JMWP,

    Congrats on winning your case. I think that is good news for all of us. I am going to alert my dealer, just so he knows.

    Also, thanks for the information on the TSB.

    wdpcpa
  • sumrx4sumrx4 Member Posts: 40
    No offense to anyone here but this is all a load of crap.

    If Toyota is using the same co. for it's arbitration than why are we each getting different stories and different results for the same problem with the same vehicle!!!

    It is very apparent that the determining factor here has nothing to do with your plea. It seems that the attitude and personal mood of the arbitrater is key in the decision and as with any court case this should not be allowed.

    Between the denial verdict I received and constant checking here I get madder and madder (if that's a word) every time I read new posts.

    All I can say is that it's a huge load of crap from Toyota not stepping up to the plate when it comes to customer service and I am sick of it :mad: :mad:

    I guess I just need to stop reading here to help my blood psi. :)
  • mlmcgaheemlmcgahee Member Posts: 102
    There is only ONE true fix for this problem......

    :lemon: (Your State) Lemon Law Buy Back :lemon:

    :D It worked for me.......

    Mike
  • sumrx4sumrx4 Member Posts: 40
    This is true but it still urks me. I have to take my time and money to try to get a problem that I didn't cause fixed. I allready missed a day of work for the arbitration waste of time. I have talked with a lawyer about the issue and there really isn't any fees to me except a few hundred bucks, but what really concerns me is that it may take 6 months or more for a decision. Personally I can't see us driving this piece of crap that long. If I pull the plug on the case myself I am liable for all charges. Not willing to commit to this knowing I might trade at any time.

    It's still a load of crap. :mad:

    Did I tell you how I felt about the issue? :P
  • jmwpjmwp Member Posts: 4
    I understand your feelings completely! My decision says "I have reached this conclusion because the customer established their claim by a fair preponderence of the credible evidence that the vehicles driving characteristics amount to a nonconformity, which significantly affects the use , and value of the vehicle. The use issue was substantiated by the performance on the test drive, and value was substantiated by oral and written testimony regarding appraised valuations." (trade in offers) I don't understand why they all aren't taken care of by Toyota. If the cruise doesn't work, and they can't fix it, they should have to buy all of them back. Although it isn't much, they are coming out with a TSB to repair the cruise sometime between Jan. & Mar. 2008. Good luck and thanks for posting the idea to get trade offers. I think that is what helped me more than anything. JMWP
  • brookecobrookeco Member Posts: 1
    My name is Brooke, I live in southern Louisiana. I have the same problems just going over a regular over pass. I also have a case number it is 200711020223. The dealership is willing to put me in another car using my rav as a trade in. I just don't know if that is the right thing to do. They are getting the numbers for a 2008 rav and a camry, but I have been reading that they both have the same issues. I really don't know what to do. I think I would rather get something else besides a toyota.
  • sumrx4sumrx4 Member Posts: 40
    From all I have read this does not effect the 6 cylinder Rav4 models. Personaly I would go to another manu. But that is strictly based on my experience with this issue. You have to also think about your trade in value. One would only assume the dealer in question would give you a better offer than any other especially a different manu. The best advise I could give is to shop around and see what's out there and what kind of deal you can get.
    The Rav4 is a nice vehicle except for this issue. My wife loves her's
    And by the way, I drove her's yesterday for the first time in a few months and just as others have posted here the problem seemed to be almost nonexistant. I tried my best and could not make it happen. It currently has just over 20K miles.
  • rcmanrcman Member Posts: 6
    I have an 08 RAV4 Limited V6. I just turned over 2000 miles and so far I like this vehicle. The V6 has a 5 speed transmission and it will down shift one gear on a grade, but that is all. It does not shift in and out of gear like the 4 cyl does. The V6 has a lot of power, in fact maybe to much. When you want to pass another car, it gets the job done.
  • cc2caracc2cara Member Posts: 7
    I have had a problem just a couple times with my 2007 RAV4 -4 cylinder. Just this past week it happened again. Always when I'm going up hill and re-engage the cruise. I had it set at about 70. I kicked the cruise off and then re-engaged it going uphill and it downshifted (all the way?) till the tach hit the red line. By then it was going 75, and I kicked the cruise off. It only took a few seconds to ramp up to that speed. The previous times it red-lined going uphill, too. The first time was just going up an overpass. I had stopped at a light and then manually accelarated slowly to about 10 mph from the set point. I have driving with cruise controls for more than 20 years and have never had one behave like this before. I'm thinking of taking it to the dealer.
  • thrthr Member Posts: 10
    Welcome cc2cara to the 4cyl 2wd RAV4 group with cruise control/erratic gear shifting problems. My first experience with my RAV4 was similiar to yours. Going uphill at 65mph, a sudden down shift to 2nd or 1st gear, RPM jumping to 5000+, then just as suddenly an up shift to 4th gear, followed by repetitions of the cycle. I purchased my RAV4 in May 2007. What I discovered was a group of 12-15 owners experiencing the same problem. I went through the dealer visit, letter to the customer relations assoc., letter to Consumer Reports, and finally the "recommended" arbitration. Throughout, Toyota representatives claimed that the "buck n jump" was normal, not abnormal, performance as designed, and no they could not or would not fix the problem. To make a long tale short, I took the case to arbitration..and lost. The arbitrator seemed honest and experienced. I thought finally someone would recognize the need for a warranty fix.

    So go see the dealer, describe/demonstrate the problem, ask for a fix, even plead for a warranty fix. I wish you luck maybe thay will offer you a good deal on a V6. If they do... take it.

    If they stonewall and recommend arbitration to settle your case. Don't hesitate, locate and consult with a lawyer specializing in state lemon law cases. I've talked to one who indicated he only takes cases he can win at no cost to the client.

    I'm considering the lemon law course of action....However losing in arbitration will make winning more difficult. Good luck !
  • kari3kari3 Member Posts: 8
    I just want to let everyone know in the case of the shifting gears while in cruise control. A hint...SET YOUR CRUISE CONTROL TO A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT SPEED! I have a 2004 Corolla and it too will shift at around 65 mph while in cruise control, especially if I have to go up a hill. It will shift up and down and the rpms will go up higher, but not to the redline. It has to downshift in order to make it up hills. I have discovered that if I set the cc at about 68-69 mph it will not do that at all. It will ride nice and smooth. I think Toyota has the gears to change at about 65 mph so when you have it set at 65 mph YOU ARE IN BETWEEN GEARS. Set it a little under or a little over 65 mph and it's fine. Just be patient and experiment with the cruise control. You have to learn about your vehicle because every vehicle is different in their own way. Be patient and experiment...not every car is perfect. Unless you want to spend $300,000 on a Bentley, don't expect any car to be perfect. After all, they are built by humans just like you and me...and we're not perfect either.
  • jmwpjmwp Member Posts: 4
    I had the same problem, and it got worse as time went on. Be sure you try the cruise with the air conditioning on. That is when mine really acted up! I won my arbitration hearing and Toyota repurchased my 2007 Rav 4. You can read the results of my arbitration hearing, and what the arbitrator said if you go to #239 by jmwp. I live in Illinois, but I think most lemon laws are pretty much the same. Also, the Toyota representative at the hearing told us that Toyota will have a TSB (technicle service bulletin) for this problem by March 2008, that will fix this problem. I would take the vehicle to the dealer and take them for a ride and demonstrate the problem. BE SURE to get a repair invoice showing that you were there with your milage on it. If something happens that you go to arbitration and win, they will deduct for mileage from the first time you were in for this problem. In that case, the lower the miles, the better. Mine had 8,000 the first time in. When I won my case, it had 13,000, but they only deduced for 8,000. Good Luck! jmwp
  • cc2caracc2cara Member Posts: 7
    What kind of gear change would happen at 60 to 65 mph?????
  • cc2caracc2cara Member Posts: 7
    Thanks for the info, jmwp. I will have to take it for a test today with the AC on. I've had the car since June 07, and have 23,000 mile on it. It's only started doing this the last 3 months. If it's going to get worse, that's not good. I wonder what the TSB will have them do?
    Cara
  • jmwpjmwp Member Posts: 4
    Your welcome! The Toyota rep. did not say what they would do. My concern was , when they "fix" it, would it really work?? Also, concern about any damage to the trans. & engine from all of the gear hunting. I know I said read # 239, but # 245 is where I told what the arbitrator said in his decision, in case you want to read it. If I can help you in any way, let me know. jmwp
  • cc2caracc2cara Member Posts: 7
    Well, I tried out the thing with the AC. It didn't actually jump down to first gear, ramping the tach up to 5500 like it had before. Those episodes are what is really troubling. I did replicate the gear hunting a couple times when if I slowed to 10 mph below the cc set-point going up hill and then re-engaged the cruise. However, it didn't happen every time. Quite entertaining to see the tach jump around like that.
  • crtzlowcrtzlow Member Posts: 16
    We took our Highlander to be serviced this morning and while talking to the service manager I asked about a fix for the RAV 4 cruise problem. He told me that just this week that Toyota had contacted them about a fix for the problem and it should be out within a month. That was all he knew at the moment concerning it. Hopefully there is some light at the end of the tunnel for everyone.
    On another note Cindy loves the Highlander and has not looked back since Toyota bought the RAV back. :shades:

    Good Luck Everyone,

    Don
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