21st Oct 2010, 15:27
"I got no help from the dealer because it was out of warranty, and I was not going to have them do the repairs for close to $3,400. Got it done for $2,500, then traded it in for another brand crossover. If you feel your trans. acting up, don't wait, get rid of it. It's not worth the aggravation."
You won't get help from pretty much any dealer after the warranty expires, so I am not sure what your point is mentioning that. How are they to know what the vehicle has been subjected to that may have caused the transmission failure?
You are right about trading it before it fails. I did that on my Trailblazer when I traded it in for the RAV 4. The fluid was burning every time I drove it. I was lucky to get it to the dealer! It needed about $2K worth of repairs when I traded it, and I never have looked back or regretted it!
21st Oct 2010, 19:35
"You are right about trading it before it fails"
Well, at least with Honda and Toyota, which are noted for early transmission failures. Keeping any Japanese import beyond the warranty is playing Russian Roulette.
22nd Oct 2010, 16:30
I'd have to say the same for GM, as my depleted bank accounts will prove! Of course with mine it was transmissions, front ends, and every other expensive odd part that you could think of!
21st Oct 2010, 12:53
"8:27, Your Rav 4 is less than a year old with a lot less miles than mine."
So what is your point? I mentioned my cousins 2007, which I based my purchase on and that one is still pretty much in perfect condition as far as wear and they've had no trouble with it. I also don't expect the mileage to drop from 25 mpg to 10. I will get it fixed properly if that ever is the case, but I have never experienced that kind of a mileage drop on any car. Usually they are better at 40K miles than they are new, so I should be looking at 27 or so by the time it is three years old.
Look, yours is a lemon plain and simple. There are so many of these trucks on the road. Had there been so many issues as you've had they wouldn't be selling like they are, plain and simple. Every model of every car line has weak examples. The multitude of parts that go into a car leaves a ton of room for a lemon to pop up now and again.
You obviously have an electrical problem somewhere, which is causing most of your major issues. It is not being diagnosed properly, and therefore it is not being fixed properly. Electrical problems, once they surface, are a really tough thing to get right, as many times one fix adds to the problem, and it is kinda like a snowball effect.