My 4 cyl auto 96 rav4 started shaking on slow acceleration one day out of the blue by that night the engine light came on it got so sluggish the only way to get home was to drive in reverse....works beautifully backwards but eill only roll and rev in any other gears. you can notice the shift into park and neutral and the car actually lurches noticeably when it slides into reverse! i really hope its not a transmiossion problem as i've just bought it and spent more than i could afford..can anyone please offer some suggestionsz. thanx

SOURCE: Idle and gear shifting 1987 celica automatic

I would suggest hat you replace the timing belt. The noise that you hear is the belt.

SOURCE: how to use the overdrive on the auto.transmission.

the overdrive button on your automatic transmission is for cruising on the highway basically like having another gear for better economy careful not to use it when your not on the highway because lugging the car in overdrive when its not needed will cause higher fuel consumption other than that you should have no problems just get out on the highway and push and away you go

SOURCE: My car shakes every time I hit the gas. I revs

Your transmission is dying.

SOURCE: I changed the gear box of my 2007 corolla about 5

A delay of more than a second in shifting from the neutral to drive or reverse gear, could mean that there is a problem with the transmission. If on changing from a neutral or park position to the drive or reverse gear, the car does not immediately catch the gear and move forward or backward, then it could mean a problem in the transmission. If you change gears, and you hear a sudden clunk or sudden jolt or shudder, then the shifting is not smooth and there could be a problem with the gearbox. If the engine rpm keeps increasing but there is no increase in the speed, then it could be a sign of the transmission slipping.Most automatic transmission systems, nowadays, have a check engine light or an OD light, which flashes if there is a problem with the engine.