2013 TOYOTA AVALON Complaints

DESIGN FLAW CHROME STRIP ON DASH CAUSES GLARE FROM SUN WHICH IS BLINDING WHEN DRIVING IN SUN AND POSSIBLY CAUSING DAMAGE TO RETINA. ESP BAD FOR SENIOR DRIVERS WHO HAS CATARACTS --[XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

WHILE DRIVING FROM KNOXVILLE TN TO ATLANTA GA, ON A DOWNGRADE JUST OUTSIDE OF CHATTANOOGA ON INTERSTATE 75 I WENT TO USE THE BRAKE PEDAL. IT DEPRESSED ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR AND DID NOT COME BACK. I HAD NO BRAKES WHATSOEVER AND ONLY BY THE GRACE OF GOD WAS I ABLE TO SAFELY MAKE IT OVER TO THE EMERGENCY LANE, WHICH WAS CLEAR, AND WAIT UNTIL I GOT TO THE BOTTOM OF THE GRADE FOR THE VEHICLE TO COAST TO A STOP ON IT'S OWN. I HAD TO USE THE GRASS AND GRAVEL JUST OFF THE EMERGENCY LANE TO HELP BRING THE VEHICLE TO A STOP. I HAD VEHICLE TOWED BACK TO TOYOTA OF KNOXVILLE, WHERE PURCHASED, AND WAS TOLD THERE IS NO PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE. HAVE DRIVEN ANOTHER 500 MILES WITHOUT INCIDENT AND NO PLAUSIBLE EXPLANATION FOR WHAT HAPPENED HAS BEEN OFFERED BY TOYOTA. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SUN REFLECTION FROM THE CHROME ON THE DASHBOARD AND ARM REST DISTORTED HIS VISION WHILE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15. UPDATED 07/16/13*LJ

2013 AVALON TOURING ON APRIL 2013 EXPERIENCE WITH THIS CAR HASN'T BEEN VERY GOOD CONSIDERING THAT IT IS A NEW CAR. THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH THE LEATHER ON THE BACK SEAT BUCKLING AND A STAIN THAT WAS ON THE HEADLINER IN THE DRIVER'S SIDE REAR AREA BECAUSE OF A WATER LEAK FROM THE ROOF. IT WAS TAKEN TO CLINT'S AUTO TRIM TO CORRECT THE LEATHER. HE FELT IT WAS A WATER STAIN THAT WAS THE RESULT OF WATER LEAKING FROM AN AREA ON THE ROOF THAT WASN'T SEALED CORRECTLY. BASED ON WHAT WE HEARD FROM CLINT'S AUTO TRIM, WE TESTED THE CAR BY PLACING WATER ON THE CAR OVER THE AREA WHERE THE STAIN WAS PRESENT. IT REVEALED A NEW WATER STAIN ON THE HEADLINER. WE IMMEDIATELY TOOK IT TO SERVICE ABOUT OUR FINDING. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO STEPHEN'S AUTO GLASS TO FIX THE LEAK. THE STAIN ON THE HEADLINER WAS CLEANED. HOWEVER, THE STAIN CAN STILL BE SEEN. WE REQUESTED THAT THE HEADLINER BE REPLACED BECAUSE OF THE STAIN. HOWEVER, MY WIFE IS HAVING ISSUES WITH HER EYES BURNING AND NOSE RUNNING WHILE IN THE CAR DUE TO THE SMELL OF MILDEW. WE TURNED OUR CAR IN FOR SERVICE YESTERDAY TO GET THE HEADLINER REPLACED. NOW, THEY TELL US THAT THE HEADLINER IS TOO SHORT TO INSTALL. SO ANOTHER ONE WILL HAVE TO BE ORDERED. SO OUR CAR WILL HAVE STAY UNTIL TUESDAY. I AM HIGHLY UPSET THAT A BRAND NEW CAR HAS SO MANY ISSUES. FIRST, IT WAS THE LEATHER, THEN A WATER LEAK, AND THE HEADLINER IS TOO SHORT FROM THE FACTORY. PROBLEMS JUST CONTINUE TO STACK ON TOP OF ONE ANOTHER. THE TOYOTA EXPERIENCE HARDLY LIVES UP WHAT IS STATED ON YOUR WEBSITE THAT IT IS SUPPOSED TO BRING A SMILE TO SOMEONE'S FACE AS AKIO TOYODA SAID IT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE SURGED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIANS WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSED THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PERFORMING UP TO SPECIFICATIONS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE BUT DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE SINCE AN ENGINEER TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE AND AGREED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PERFORMING UP TO SPECIFICATIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 300 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 2,000. *TR

IN THE 2013 TOYOTA AVALON, DRIVER VISIBILITY IS DANGEROUSLY DISTORTED WHEN LOOKING THROUGH THE REAR VIEW MIRROR AT APPROACHING CARS (ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT), DUE TO A DEFECT IN THE NEW 2013 ENGINEERING DESIGN OF THE REAR GLASS MATERIAL, REAR GLASS CONTOUR AND ANGLE, TINTING, AND DEFROST STRIPS. ALL LIGHTS (ESPECIALLY VEHICLE HEADLIGHTS, STREET LIGHTS, TRAFFIC LIGHTS, ETC.) OBSERVED THROUGH THE REAR GLASS HAVE LONG, BRIGHT, VERTICAL LINES RADIATING AT THE TOP AND BOTTOM FROM THE MAIN LIGHT SOURCE VIEWED THROUGH THE REAR VIEW MIRROR. THESE VERTICAL LINES SHINING FROM ALL OF THE NUMEROUS LIGHT SOURCES OBSCURE THE REAR VIEW VISION, CAUSING CONFUSION FOR THE DRIVER IN MANY WAYS: 1) NOT BEING ABLE TO CORRECTLY JUDGE REAR CAR DISTANCE, 2) NOT BEING ABLE TO IDENTIFY THE TYPES OF VEHICLES IN THE REAR, 3) NOT BEING ABLE TO CHANGE LANES SAFELY BECAUSE OF DISTORTIONS THROUGH THE REAR GLASS PANEL, 4) NOT BEING ABLE TO JUDGE HOW MANY VEHICLES ARE APPROACHING AND/OR PASSING, AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, 5) CAUSING THE DRIVER TO STARE LONGER THROUGH THE REAR VIEW MIRROR IN AN ATTEMPT TO DISCERN WHAT IS TAKING PLACE BEHIND WHICH TAKES THE DRIVER'S EYE OFF OF THE FRONT VISION FOR TOO LONG. ALTHOUGH THE BRIGHT VERTICAL LINES CAN BE SEEN MORE DISTINCTLY AT DUSK AND NIGHT, THEY ARE ALSO OBSERVABLE DURING THE DAYTIME IF THE VEHICLES COMING FROM BEHIND HAVE FRONT LIGHTS ON, AND/OR THE SUN SHINES ON THE CHROME. THESE RADIATING VERTICAL LINES TAKE ON THE COLOR OF THE MAIN LIGHT SOURCE SEEN FROM BEHIND SO THE DRIVER MAY OBSERVE WHITE, YELLOW, RED, GREEN, ETC. COLORS. THIS CAUSES CONFUSION WHEN TRYING TO JUDGE WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH APPROACHING VEHICLES FROM BEHIND. ON A MULTI-LANE HIGHWAY AT NIGHT, THESE MANY-COLORED VERTICAL LINES RADIATING UP AND DOWN FROM THE VARIOUS TYPES OF HEADLIGHTS, STREET LIGHTS, ETC. CAUSE A CONFUSING AND DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR THE DRIVER.