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Toyota RAV4 Class Action Settlement
By Mike Holter
Toyota has reached a class action lawsuit settlement over allegations that some 2001-2003 model year RAV4s have defective automatic transmissions. Under the RAV4 settlement, Toyota will provide a warranty enhancement and reimbursement to current and former RAV4 owners and lessees who submit valid claims.The Toyota RAV4 class action settlement will resolve a class action lawsuit, entitled Milligan v. Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc., that claims some 2001-2003 RAV4s equipped with automatic transmissions have experienced a “harsh shift condition.” When this occurs, the vehicle may suddenly not shift smoothly and/or it may exhibit harshness in shifting operations during driving. The “harsh shift condition” may be attributed to a malfunctioning Electronic Control Module (ECM).
Toyota denies wrongdoing but has agreed to establish a class action lawsuit settlement to resolve the litigation.
Class Members of the Toyota RAV4 class action settlement include all persons in the United States, including the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, who currently own or lease or formerly owned or leased a model year 2001 through 2003 Toyota RAV4 equipped with an automatic transmission. (Toyota previously mailed a notice regarding this issue to current owners as part of a separate Customer Support Program. However, this class action settlement expands that Customer Service Support Program to include prior owners and lessees.)
Class Members can receive the following benefits under the Toyota RAV4 class action settlement:
(1) Warranty Enhancement. Toyota will continue to provide a warranty enhancement to any Class Member, for a period of 10 years or 150,000 miles from the Class Vehicle’s in-service date, whichever occurs first, for a harsh shift condition and/or illumination of the check engine light with the following codes: P0750, P0753, P0755, P0758, and/or P1760.
(2) Reimbursement Under the Existing Customer Support Program. Toyota will continue to offer reimbursement to current owners pursuant to the existing Customer Support Program. The class action settlement will extend this reimbursement to prior owners.
(3) Reimbursement for Repair Costs. Class Members who paid for a repair or replacement of the ECM and/or automatic transmission for the specific condition covered by this settlement during the enhanced-warranty period will be reimbursed.
To submit a claim form for reimbursement, you must download a claim form at www.RAV4ECMSettlement.com and mail it, along with the required documentation, during the Reimbursement Period, which is from the date of the Final Approval Order and Judgment through December 31, 2014.
Class Members who fail to submit valid reimbursement claims during the Reimbursement Period will not receive a payment from the RAV4 ECM settlement.
Detailed instruction on how to file a claim for the Toyota RAV4 ECM Class Action Lawsuit Settlement can be found in our Open Lawsuit Settlements section.
Updated August 17th, 2012
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27 thoughts onToyota RAV4 Class Action Settlement
4/13/17 I’m disgusted with toyota. they lie to owners with this problem. I bought a rebuilt ecm 150 bucks online. It corrected my transmission problems for now. I feel like picketing the dealership. hope you didnt pay to much to get fixed
I just started having issues. I’m deeply concerned…and I cannot afford repairs or a new car!! I bought this vehicle brand new from dealer, NEVER received any correspondence about this issue. Up until 2008 I was regularly having my vehicle serviced at a Toyota dealer.
Afraid I’m screwed!
Hi. I contacted the attorneys above and Toyota about this issue and basically there is nothing to be done. I did not receive a notification and my Rav4 had all the symptoms and mechanic said that was normal on that vehicle. Now the vehicle won’t even move and only has 129,000. This should have been a recall on these vehicles and not a settlement.