Hi Scotty,
We bought a new 2021 Toyota RAV4 Limited with the 8AT transmission four months ago and have less than 800 miles on it. Most of the driving is under 35 mph, and limited to only a few miles each way to my wife's workplace and back. When I drive mostly on the weekends, I've noticed a problem with the shifting from 1st to 2nd to 3rd, especially when slowly accelerating from a stop. It barely spends any time in 2nd. It seems to hesitate and surge back and forth as though it's unsure of when to shift to 3rd. If I do get to 3rd and then have to back off the accelerator, it drops back to 2nd and it really gets confused. If I accelerate a little more aggressively, the time spent in 2nd is a little longer, but the hesitation/surge is still present. It seems a little better in Sport mode than Normal mode, but not much. I'm beginning to see about reported problems with this transmission in RAV4's going back to at least the 2018 models. Any ideas?
Thanks,
RandyR58 in Tomball
Call Toyota. Hopefully they can fix it with a software update.
This transmission that has been terrorizing Volvo owners for a decade, I doubt it's software...
when these 8 speeds go bad it's impossible to figure out what's wrong with it.
The 8 speed AT is not as crisp as the 6 speed and it is because they are designed to get the best mpg. The reason that you experience it less in the sport mode is that. If there is any software update, Toyota will do it for your for free since your car is under warranty.
"Most of the driving is under 35 mph, and limited to only a few miles each way to my wife's workplace and back. When I drive mostly on the weekends, I've noticed a problem with the shifting from 1st to 2nd to 3rd, especially when slowly accelerating from a stop."
——————————————-
I’m sorry to say, but there is no solution to your problem - your car is perfectly fine! But, … the problem is: you and your wife are two different type of user of your RAV. Too wide of a gap to bridge by a transmission that is designed to adopt to its driver. No matter what you do, … no matter how many times you refresh software, … same situation will persist.
The only solution to this problem is: you let your wife drive as she currently does, … and when you are driving, you shift manually, … place shifter in manual mode and you do your shifting from gear to gear. Easy-peasy.
F.S.
