2005 TOYOTA AVALON Complaints

INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). WE OWN A 2005 TOYOTO AVALON. AFTER HAVING THE TOYOTA SPECIAL SERVICE CAMPAIGN/RECALL (SSC AOA - ACCELERATOR PEDAL REINFORCEMENT) DONE ABOUT 3 WEEKS AGO MY WIFE EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN ACCELERATION WHILE TRAVELING ABOUT 5 MILES PER HOUR. SHE WAS ABLE TO STOP THE CAR BY APPLYING THE BRAKES VERY HARD. WE REPORTED THE INCIDENT TO TOYOTA. THEY GAVE US A CASE NUMBER, 1003190624, AND SAID THAT SOMEONE WOULD CONTACT US YESTERDAY TO INVESTIGATE. TOYOTA DID NOT CONTACT US ON THE DATE THEY GAVE. WE WERE AT HOME ALL DAY. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS INCIDENT AND FOLLOW-UP WITH TOYOTA. [XXX] *TR

2005 TOYOTA AVALON - SENT CAR IN ON THURS, MAR 11TH FOR FIXES PER RECALL ON ACCELERATOR AND FLOOR MAT. THE NEXT DAY AFTER THE FIX HAD BEEN COMPLETED, WHILE DRIVING, THE CAR ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN AFTER RELEASING THE ACCELERATOR. THE CAR WAS FIXED AT THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP IN REDWOOD CITY, CA. *TR

I HAVE A TOYOTA AVALON (2005) THAT HAS BEEN IN TO TOYOTA FOR ALL THE RECALLS (FLOORMAT, ACCELERATOR). ON MARCH 14, 2010 I WAS LEAVING A PARKING LOT WHEN THE CAR ACCELERATED AND I COULD NOT STOP IT EVEN BY PUTTING 2 FEET ON THE BRAKE. I STEERED THE CAR OVER TOWARDS THE CURB, JUMPED IT AND PUSHED THE IGNITION BUTTON WHILE BOTH FEET WERE ON THE BRAKE. THE CAR THEN STOPPED. I WAITED ABOUT 10 MINUTES THEN DROVE SLOWLY AND APPREHENSIVELY HOME. I CALLED THE DEALER FIRST THING MONDAY MORNING AND WAS UNABLE TO GET THE CAR INTO THE SHOP UNTIL TUESDAY MORNING. THE CAR REMAINS AT THE DEALER'S AS THEY ARE STILL TRYING TO RECREATE WHAT HAPPENED. I WAS TOLD THEY WERE TALKING TO KANSAS CITY AND CALIFORNIA. MY FEAR IS THAT NOTHING WILL BE FOUND, THEY CANNOT ASSURE ME THIS WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN. I AM VERY APPREHENSIVE AS I AWAIT THE OUTCOME. DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE? *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, PROCEEDING TO MAKE A TURN. THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED UNEXPECTEDLY AND CRASHED INTO A LARGE BUSH. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN ADVISED THAT A MANUFACTURER INSPECTION WAS REQUIRED BEFORE REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE WHICH COULD POSSIBLY TAKE MONTHS. THE CONTACT HAD CONCERN OF BEING WITHOUT A VEHICLE FOR SUCH A LENGTHY PERIOD AND UNCERTAINTY OF THE SERVICE REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 55,000.

RE: 2005 TOYOTA AVALON// 11/22/05 WE WERE ENTERING THE FREEWAY AND OUR VEHICLE BEGAN TO ACCELERATE// BOTH FEET ON BRAKE// ACCELERATED TO APPROX 85 MPH// PUT VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL///THE CAR REVVED TO 8000 RPM'S// HEARD A POP AND THE VEHICLE STOPPED ACCELERATING. WE DROVE IMMEDIATELY TO NEAREST TOYOTA DEALER AND HAVE ALL OF THIS DOCUMENTED. *TR

I WAS GETTING INTO A TURN LANE WHICH HAD A RED LIGHT, THERE WERE NO CARS AHEAD OF ME. WHEN I HIT THE BRAKES TO STOP THE CAR A 2005 TOYOTA AVALON WOULD NOT STOP. I PUT THE SHIFT IN NEUTRAL AND THEN IN PARK AND THEN TURNED THE KEY OF AND GOT IT BY ANOTHER CAR AND MY CAR STILL KEPT GOING, ALTHOUGH IT DID SLOW DOWN AND STOP AFTER BEING HIT. I BROUGHT THIS SAME CAR IN FOR THE RECALL FIX ON FEB 24 2010. AND THIS HAPPENED AFTER THE RECALL FIX. *TR

WE PURCHASED A 2005 TOYOTA AVALON. SINCE 2007. WE COMPLAINED OF ERRATIC ACCELERATION AND DOWNSHIFTING PROBLEMS. WE ALSO REPORTED ELECTRICAL ISSUES INVOLVING THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS BLINKING ON AND OFF. EACH RESPONSE WAS YOUR CAR PASSED ALL OF OUR DIAGNOSTIC TESTS'. LAST YEAR, WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A TRAFFIC LIGHT, OUR CAR SURGED FORWARD HITTING A VEHICLE. LUCKILY, NO ONE WAS HURT. ON JANUARY 25, 2010, WHILE ACCELERATING ON A BRIDGE INCLINE, THE CAR DID NOT SLOW WHEN THE GAS PEDAL WAS RELEASED. I APPLIED THE BRAKES AND STEERED OFF THE ROAD HITTING A CURB. I CONTACTED OUR LOCAL DEALER. AFTER PERFORMING DIAGNOSTIC TESTS, WE WERE INFORMED THE VEHICLE WAS FINE. THE SURGING COULD NOT BE EXPLAINED. WHEN ASKED IF THE CAR HAD THE CTS GAS PEDAL, THE SERVICE MANAGER WASN'T SURE. AFTER CHECKING, HE CONFIRMED IT DID HAVE THE RECALLED PEDAL. WE EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT DRIVING THE VEHICLE. THE SERVICE MANAGER ASSURED US THEY FOUND NO PROBLEMS AND SAID THE TWO INCIDENTS WERE NOT RELATED TO THE FAULTY GAS PEDAL BECAUSE THEY TOOK PLACE TOO FAR APART. AFTER CONTACTING TOYOTA CORPORATE (REPEATEDLY) WE FINALLY HAD THE 'PEDAL FIX' TAKEN CARE OF YESTERDAY. FROM THE START, WE FELT THE DEALER IGNORED US. . ONE EMPLOYEE TOLD US 'IF IT IS RELATED TO THE GAS PEDAL, IT WILL BE THE FIRST COMPLAINT ON THE EAST COAST.' WE HAVE OWNED TOYOTAS FOR OVER 25 YEARS. WE FULLY UNDERSTAND RECALLS. IT IS DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND DOWNPLAYING THE CONCERNS OF CUSTOMERS. TRUTHFULLY, WE FEEL NO SAFER AFTER THE NEW PART WAS INSTALLED. THIS DOES NOT SEEM AS IF IT WILL TAKE CARE OF THE PROBLEM ANY MORE THAN THE FLOOR MAT RECALL. WE ALSO CONTINUE TO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (DASHBOARD LIGHTS BLINK ON AND OFF). *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA AVALON. WHILE DRIVING AT 5 MPH, TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL, IT WOULD NOT ENGAGE. SHE ALSO NOTICED THE STEERING WHEEL WAS IMPROPERLY ALIGNED. THE DEALER PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC AND FOUND THE RETAINING CLIP THAT HOUSED THE STEERING WHEEL HAD FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. REPAIRS WERE MADE AT THE OWNER'S EXPENSE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 52,024 AND THE CURRENT WAS 54,381. UPDATED 4/28/10 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED THE STEERING WHEEL TELESCOPING FEATURE WOULD NOT LOCK AND MOVE FORWARD WHILE DRIVING. THE DEALER STATED THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. UPDATED 07/06/10 *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE INTO THE DEALER TO BE SERVICED PER THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SURGE FORWARD AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH. THE CONTACT DID NOT HAVE TIME TO DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL AND ALLOWED THE VEHICLE SLOW DOWN ON ITS OWN. A DIFFERENT DRIVER EXPERIENCED THE IDENTICAL FAILURE WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT 30 MPH. THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WERE INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 48000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 48103.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA AVALON. HE STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 20 MPH, WHEN COMING TO A STOP THE STEERING WHEEL PULLED TO THE LEFT AND HE COULD NOT KEEP IT POSITIONED STRAIGHT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE HAD EXPERIENCED THIS ISSUE ABOUT 8 TIMES SINCE HE PURCHASED IT. THERE HAD BEEN NO REPAIRS DONE TO THE VEHICLE AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT.THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 48000.