I have a 2002 Rav-4 and sometimes when it shifts I get this jerking shift. The ecm was replaced in 2007 with 61,000 miles on the car. Now the car has 83000 miles on it. The dealer put in a speed sensor in dec. 2009 and it resolved the problem for a month. Then they said the fuel injection system needed to be cleaned and the spark plugs needed replacement. That was done the car was good for a week. I think it is the ecm again base upon the 107 complaints on the internet. How much does it cost to recalibrate the ecm and how much does it cost to replace the ecm.
My mom just had her 03 Rav4 begin the same problems. We took it to one of the best mechanics that we know. He told us for a brand new ECM would cost $1200. Now if the car is still under warrenty...which I don't think yours is anymore, it could cost only about $550. It also maybe a good idea to look at Rav4's of the same year that may have been in an accident or something, and see if you can have that ECM salvaged. I would also like to mention that the guy above says that they can't be reprogramed...they can be, its just recommended that you don't because then basically it would breach the conditions of the warrrenty. Also, there was a warning sent to Toyota when this problem arose, but it was never put out as a recall therefore no one knew about it until it began to happen...I hope this helps you. It helped my mom out, I wish you the best of luck.
The bad news is an ECM will cost anywhere from 1700 to 2400 dollars. They aren't hard to replace but they do cost a lot. Once an ECM is programmed it is not really reprogrammable. They have to be set for your particular vehicle and once the eprom is burned there is no going back on it. Sometimes they can be refreshed but that will depend on the vehicle. My question is why is your ECM going out. That is not meant to be replaced at any particular mileage. It controls all teh electronics in the vehicle and should not be going out unless you have a short and are banging it around on things which is pretty hard to do. The computer boards used are pretty tough and are packed in a silcon protective substance that absorbs most impacts. So again I have to ask the dealer, what is wrong with the vehicle that is causing this or is it something that Toyota should have caught and replaced as a warranty repair. The jerking when shifting could be something like a bad solenoid in the transmission or a sensor in the transmission which is the most likely cause of the problem.
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