Transmission Woes Prompt Warranty Extension On Toyota RAV4 Models
Toyota has announced that it will provide an extended warranty on 2001-2003 model-year Toyota RAV4 models, according to the New York Times Wheels Blog, for an issue with the automatic transmission and electronic control module.
The issue, which affects around 235,500 vehicles, can lead to a damaged, rough-shifting transmission.
So far, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration had logged more than 300 owner complaints, reporting sluggish acceleration, although no accidents have been directly attributed.
While the RAV4 for those model years was originally covered for five years or 60,000 miles on powertrain components, Toyota is extending coverage to ten years or 150,000 miles.
The automaker is also offering to reimburse current or former owners for repairs already made.
The extended coverage came after pressure from the California Air Resources Board; under state law that agency can force an automaker to repair vehicles or provide a warranty extension if such an issue could lead to greater air pollution.
Although Toyota is making good by not only offering the extension in California, where it's required, but throughout the U.S., the NY Times outlines that the automaker has been slow to react to this issue, as it's known about it for four years and yet had previously rejected many owners' claims when transmissions had to be replaced.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
