2002 Toyota MR2 Owner Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA MR2 SPYDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR A CLUTCH REPLACEMENT WHEN HE WAS ADVISED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD ALSO NEED REPLACING. BOTH WERE REPLACED HOWEVER, WHEN THE CONTACT DROVE THE VEHICLE OFF THE DEALER'S LOT, THE ENGINE SEIZED. THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED BY A DIFFERENT DEALER. THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO BECOME STUCK IN CERTAIN GEARS AND WOULD STALL SPORADICALLY. THE TRANSMISSION WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED SINCE THE DATE THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT FURTHER DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 47,000. UPDATED 01/31/11/ *BF THE ENGINE GASKETS AND CATALYTIC CONVERTER WERE REPLACED. UPDATED 04/20/11

NHTSA ID

10356100

Incident

Oct 27, 2009

Mileage

47,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA MR2. WHILE DRIVING AT 55MPH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE STARTED TO LOOSE POWER AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE OVER 30MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE GARAGE. THE DIAGNOSTIC TESTING LOCATED THE FAILURE AT THE CATALYTIC COVERTER, WHICH HAD BLOCKAGE CAUSING THE SENSORS TO FAIL. THE ESTIMATED COST TO REPLACE THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND SENSORS WAS $3,800.00. THE MANUFACTURER TOOK A REPORT 1004210579;AND STATED THE VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY THEREFORE THEY WILL NOT ASSIST WITH THE REPAIR. THE VEHICLE WILL BE REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 118,000.

NHTSA ID

10326866

Incident

Mar 12, 2010

Mileage

118,000 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA MR2. THE VEHICLE HAS EXPERIENCED UNEXPECTED ACCELERATION. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVING 35 MPH OFF OF AN ON RAMP AND STARTING TO ACCELERATE, THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE EVEN AFTER TAKING HIS FOOT OFF OF THE GAS PEDAL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 43,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 60,000.

NHTSA ID

10314209

Incident

Apr 16, 2007

Mileage

43,000 mi

2002 TOYOTA MR2 SPYDER MID-DRIVING, SMT SLIPS OUT OF GEAR INTO NEUTRAL. ONLY WAY TO FIX IT IS TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY & LET IT SIT OVERNIGHT, DISCONNECTED. THIS RESETS THE COMPUTER & THEREAFTER THE GEARS WORK AGAIN UNTIL IT HAPPENS AGAIN. I'VE SEEN AT LEAST 50 COMPLAINTS ONLINE ABOUT SAME PROBLEM, WHICH IS HOW I LEARNED HOW TO FIX IT. TOYOTA IGNORES COMPLAINTS. IT WILL HAPPEN WHILE DRIVING IT, ON THE ROAD. RECURS, NOT A ONE TIME INCIDENT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10313851

Incident

Apr 15, 2009

Mileage

30 mi

TOYOTA MR2 SPYDER SMT TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. (5 SPEED - CLUTCHLESS SHIFTING SYSTEM) SMT TRANSMISSION WENT OUT ON MY MR2 SPYDER CAR. GOT IT FIXED (OR SO I THOUGHT)AT THE DEALERSHIP AFTER EXCESSIVE EXPENSE ($3,500) REPLACING TWO ASSEMBLIES WITHIN THE SYSTEM. AFTER THIS INITIAL FIRST TRIP TO THE DEALERSHIP AND SUPPOSEDLY REPAIR, I WAS ADVISED BY DEALERSHIP THAT THE CAR WAS THOROUGHLY TESTED, ALL CODES ERASED ON THE ON BOARD COMPUTER, AND CAR TRANSMISSION WAS FIXED AND WORKING PROPERLY. SO I DROVE IT HOME. DROVE AND SHIFTED FINE FOR ABOUT 1 1/2 WEEKS AND I THOUGHT IT WAS FIXED. THEN ONE NIGHT WHILE DRIVING, SURROUNDED BY TRAFFIC AND A FEW TRUCKS, THE TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING, BEGAN LURCHING - MIS SHIFTING WITH NEW SQUEALING NOISES COMING FROM THE BACK. I ALMOST LOST CONTROL OF THE CAR - NOT THE STEERING - THE MOMENTUM OF THE CAR VANISHED ALMOST IMMEDIATELY - WITH RANDOM SHIFTING OCCURRING WITHOUT EVEN TOUCHING THE STICK SHIFT. I WAS VERY, VERY LUCKY GETTING THE CAR OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITHOUT GETTING HIT BY ANY OF THE TRAFFIC AROUND ME AT THAT TIME. THE CAR IS VERY SMALL AND COULD EASILY BE CRUSHED BY LARGER VEHICLES IN THAT REDUCED OPERATION CONDITION. IT WAS ALSO DARK. I ALSO WAS VERY LUCKY THAT I COULD "LIMP" IT HOME FROM THERE AFTER I TRIED TO SURMISE WHAT HAD HAPPENED TO IT. SO IT SQUEALED AND MISSHIFTED ALL THE AWAY HOME - I HAD TO STAY IN SECOND OR THIRD GEAR GOING SLOW ON SECONDARY ROADS WITH MY FLASHERS ON. AFTERWARDS - I HAVE REQUESTED HELP FROM TOYOTA THE CORPORATION AND DEALERSHIP FOR WHAT I FEEL IS A DEFECTIVE SMT SYSTEM. THIS SHOULD NEVER HAPPEN ESPECIALLY AFTER IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE FIXED AFTER ALL OF THE DIAGNOSTICS/TESTING/ASSEMBLY REPLACEMENTS, ETC. THAT THEY PERFORMED! WHY WOULD TOYOTA ALLOW SOMEONE TO DRIVE AWAY WITH SUCH A POTENTIAL HAZARD LIKE THAT? RIDICULOUS AND DANGEROUS! I TOOK IT BACK TO DEALERSHIP, THEY SAID THEY DID MORE DIAGNOSTICS - RECOMMEND MORE REPLACEMENT OF VERY VERY EXPENSIVE PARTS - HELP!!!! *TR

NHTSA ID

10305887

Incident

Dec 19, 2009

Mileage

145,720 mi

ON JUNE 3, I HAD A COLLISION WITH ANOTHER AUTO THAT HAD RUN A RED LIGHT. THE OTHER VEHICLE WAS CROSSING IN FRONT OF ME ABOUT 30 MPH AND I IMPACTED HER CAR ON THE PASSENGERS SIDE AT ABOUT 25 MPH. THE AIR BAG ON MY 2002 TOYOTA MR2 DID NOT DEPLOY. HAVE NOT HAD THE CAR REPAIRED YET. *JB

NHTSA ID

10158921

Incident

Jun 3, 2006

Mileage

21,500 mi