2014 TOYOTA AVALON Complaints

I WAS STOPPING IN A TENNIS COURT PARKING LOT WHEN THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AND HIT A TREE. THE DAMAGE CAME TO ABOUT $7,000. THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAPPENED. THE FIRST TIME WAS 4/2/2014. THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED WHEN I WAS GOING APPROX. 5 MILES AN HOUR BUT I WAS ON A STRAIGHT STRETCH OF ROAD AND STOPPED THE CAR WITHOUT DOING ANY DAMAGE. THE FIRST TIME I TOOK THE CAR TO THE TOYOTA DEALER AND THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. I FELL THAT THIS CAR HAS A SERIOUS DEFECT AND SHOULD NOT BE DRIVEN UNTIL THIS PROBLEM IS FIXED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CENTER CONSOLE BECAME EXTREMELY HOT TO THE TOUCH AND A BURNING ODOR WAS PRESENT INSIDE THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE DEALER TESTED THE TEMPERATURE INSIDE THE CENTER CONSOLE, WHICH READ MORE THEN 140 DEGREES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

I HAVE HAD A DRIVING LICENSE FOR 68 YEARS WITH 3 MINOR COLLISIONS WITH NO FATALITIES OR HOSPITALIZATION. WHEN I WAS TAUGHT TO DRIVE A VEHICLE WITH AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, I WAS INTRODUCED TO LEFT FOOT BRAKING AND TOLD IT WOULD RESULT IN FASTER BRAKING AS WELL AS INSURING THAT I WOULD NOT DRIVE INTO OR THROUGH A STORE OR BUILDING WHEN MY RIGHT FOOT SLIPPED OFF THE BRAKE PEDAL ONTO THE ACCELERATOR. WE TOOK POSSESSION OF THE AVALON ON AUGUST 6, 2014. THIS FIRST FRIGHTENING INCIDENT OCCURRED AUGUST 11, 2014. I WAS ATTEMPTING A U TURN TO REVERSE DIRECTION AT AN ISLAND ON A DIVIDED HIGHWAY, EASING OFF ON THE GAS PEDAL, BUT NOT REMOVING MY FOOT FROM IT COMPLETELY, WHILE MODERATING MY SPEED WITH SLIGHT APPLICATIONS OF THE BRAKES WITH MY LEFT FOOT. I REMOVED MY FOOT FROM THE BRAKE PEDAL AND APPLIED A BIT MORE GAS, AND NOTHING HAPPENED, AND I THOUGHT THAT MY ENGINE HAD STALLED. MY TACHOMETER SHOWED THE ENGINE WAS REVVED TO 1200 RPM, BUT THE CAR WAS SLOWING DOWN. AFTER A DELAY I ESTIMATE WAS 3 OR 4 SECONDS, THE TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY ENGAGED, AND THE CAR TOOK OFF. I HAD A FEW MORE SIMILAR INCIDENTS ENTERING OR LEAVING PARKING LOTS IN THE FOLLOWING WEEKS. I WAS TOLD BY A TOYOTA SERVICE REP. AT THE DEALER THAT THE TOYOTAS ARE DESIGNED TO DISCOURAGE LEFT FOOT BRAKING. AFTER GOING THROUGH MY SEVERAL TOYOTA MANUALS I DISCOVERED ON PAGE 27 OF THE 2014 TOYOTA QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE A PARAGRAPH ENTITLED "SMART STOP TECHNOLOGY", WHICH EXPLAINS A FEATURE INCORPORATED TO KEEP A CAR FROM ROLLING BACKWARDS WHEN STARTING ON A HILL I BELIEVE THAT THIS COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT FOR A DRIVER WITH MANY YEARS OF LEFT FOOT BRAKING. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 TOYOTA AVALON HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE DROVE OVER BUMPS AND POTHOLES VERY ROUGHLY. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT'S BODY WAS VERY SORE AFTER DRIVING. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON TEN OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 400.

DUE TO THE DESIGN OF THE FRONT SEATS, THERE IS A METAL BAR THAT IS NOT WELL PADDED. FROM ALL INDICATIONS THIS BAR AFFECTED EITHER THE NERVES OR BLOOD FLOW IN MY LEGS CAUSING THEM TO GO NUMB. THIS WAS 1.5 HOURS INTO A 5 HOUR DRIVE THAT WE MAKE SEVERAL TIMES A MONTH AND HAVE NEVER HAD THIS ISSUE WITH ANY OTHER CAR. THIS WAS THE FIRST TRIP WITH THE NEW TOYOTA AVALON HYBRID. THE DRIVER SIDE HAS MORE PADDING THEN THE PASSENGER SIDE MAYBE IN ATTEMPT TO MINIMIZE THIS PROBLEM? THE LIGHTER THE PERSON, THE LESS OF AN ISSUE THIS MAY BE. WHILE TRYING TO FIND A SAFE PLACE TO PULL OVER, I WAS QUESTIONING MY CONTROL OF THE CAR. DEALER RESPONSE WAS TO OFFER TO TRADE ME INTO A DIFFERENT CAR, SINCE HAVING THIS ISSUE SEARCHING THE INTERNET HAS FOUND OTHERS THAT HAVE SIMILAR ISSUES, A FEW TRADED, IN AT LEAST ONE CASE THE DEALER COVERED THE COST OF HAVE A UPHOLSTERY SHOP ADD PADDING. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE SUNROOF GLASS SHATTERED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS INFORMED THAT THE SUNROOF GLASS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 11,144. UPDATED 10/7/14*CN

DRIVING DOWN ROAD.. NO CARS IN FRONT OF ME NO OBJECTS IN ROAD. CLEAR SUNNY DAY WHEN THE PRE-COLLISION SYSTEM ALARM SOUNDED AND THE PCS INDICATOR LIGHT LITE. THE ABS ENGAGED. AND THE CAR CAME TO A COMPLETE AND SUDDEN HALT. LUCKILY NOONE WAS BEHIND ME, BECAUSE IF THERE WAS, A REAR END COLLISION COULD HAVE OCCURED. THIS ISSUE DID OCCUR TO A LESSOR EXTENT ON TWO PRIOR OCCASIONS (ABOUT 1 MONTH AGO) BUT THE CAR DID NOT COME TO A COMPLETE HALT AS IT DID ON 7/6. IN BOTH OF THOSE INSTANCES, THERE WERE NO CARS IN FRONT OF ME AND NO OBSTRUCTIONS IN THE ROAD. THE ROAD(S) WERE STRAIT. NO CURVES. TOOK CAR TO TOYOTA AND THEY REFUSE TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT THE ISSUE BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. IM AFRAID THAT THIS WILL HAPPEN AGAIN, WHICH COULD HURT MYSELF, OTHERS OR CAUSE PROPERTY DAMAGE. *TR

WHILE DRIVING SOUTH ON A CITY STREET MIDDAY, IN SUNNY CLEAR CONDITIONS, SUDDENLY EXPERIENCED THE SUNS GLARE FROM AT LEAST 3 SPOTS ON SHINY CHROME COVERED DASHBOARD ALL AT SAME TIME, FROM DIFFERENT SPOTS, BLINDING AND DISTRACTING ME AND ALMOST MAKING ME RUN A RED LIGHT SINCE I COULD BARELY SEE. IT WAS LIKE 3 SUNS IN MY FACE. CHROME IS MIRROR LIKE, QUITE THICK, AND AT AN ANGLE THAT CAUSES SUN TO REFLECT STRAIGHT INTO YOUR EYES WHEN IT'S MIDDAY AND THE SUN SHINES DOWN THROUGH WINDSHIELD FROM OVERHEAD. I HAD TO BREAK HARD WHEN I NOTICED LIGHT WAS RED AT THE LAST MINUTE. ALMOST CAUSED ME TO RUN THE RED LIGHT. *TR UPDATED 2/20/15 *JS

WHILE DRIVING DURING THE DAYTIME THE SUN LIGHT REFLECTS FROM CHROME LINING OF THE DASH AND AROUND AND UNDER SPEEDOMETER. THIS CAUSES GLARE AS IF I WERE WATCHING A WELDER AT WORK WITH NO SHEILD. THIS WILL BLIND YOU, THIS WILL BLIND YOU, THIS WILL BLIND YOU. NOT ONLY WHILE YOU ARE DRIVING BUT PERMANENTLY,PERMANENTLY, AND EVEN MORE QUICKLY FOR DRIVERS THAT REQUIRE GLASSES THAT MAGNIFY, THAT MAGNIFY THE WELDING SPOTS. THE WELDING SPOTS DO NOT OCCUR IN ONLY ONE SPOT BUT SEVERAL AS THE CAR AND SUN MOVE. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

VEHICLE DASHBOARD CHROME ACCENTS REFLECT THE SUN AT MID-DAY LIKE A MIRROR, BLINDING THE DRIVER. THIS HAPPENED TO ME TODAY WHILE DRIVING. THIS MAKES THE VEHICLE UNDRIVEABLE FOR NEARLY 2 HOURS EACH DAY. THERE ARE MANY SIMILAR REPORTS ONLINE, INCLUDING THIS ONE FROM A PROFESSIONAL REVIEWER: " ALTHOUGH THE CHROME USED IS ?SMOKED? TO LESSEN BRIGHTNESS, MATTE ALUMINUM WOULD HAVE IMPROVED THE OVERALL AMBIANCE IMMENSELY. AT ONE POINT, I WAS ACTUALLY BLINDED BY DAZZLING REFLECTIONS OFF THE BEZEL OF THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER." - HTTP://REVIEWS.CARREVIEW.COM/2013-TOYOTA-AVALON-LIMITED-REVIEW *JS