2004 TOYOTA AVALON Complaints

MY 2004 AVALON XLS HAS ISSUES WITH BOTH FRONT INNER DOOR HANDLES CHROME PEELING AND LEAVING RAZOR SHARP EDGES AND LEAVING LACERATIONS TO HANDS WHEN PULLING TO OPEN DOORS AT TIMES. THE REAR INNER DOOR PULL HANDLES ARE BEGINNING TO BUBBLE AND WILL BEGIN TO PEEL AS WELL. I PAID A VISIT TO MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER AND THEY STATED THERE WAS NOT A RECALL OR ASSISTANCE FOR THIS ISSUE. THIS IS A BIG PROBLEM IN MY EYES AND DO NOT THINK I SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COST OF REPAIRS. PLEASE HELP ME IN MY NEXT STEP. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATE SPEEDS OF 30 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING TWICE AND THE DEALER REPLACED THE LOWER STEERING SHAFT ON EACH OCCASION. THE REPAIRS DID NOT CORRECT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 35,000.

1. I WAS AT NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE PERFORMING A CEREMONY. AFTER THE CEREMONY I ENTERED THE VEHICLE WITH WIFE TO GO TO THE BASE SHOPPING AREA. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN A PARKING SPACE WITH A CONCRETE TIRE STOP, AND WALL IN FRONT. ENTERED THE VEHICLE TO BACK OUT. IT CAME OUT QUICKER THAN NORMAL OFF AXIS AND THE REAR BUMPER IMPACTED THE CONCRETE PROTECTOR TO A POLE WITH VERY LITTLE DAMAGE. I PUT THE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL AND FELT NO OUT OF THE ORDINARY INDICATIONS. 2. I PUT IT INTO DRIVE WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE TO PULL FORWARD THEN BACK OUT. THE CAR ACCELERATED AT FULL POWER SUFFICIENT ENOUGH TO KICK OUT THE CONCRETE TIRE STOP BEHIND THE VEHICLE, AND TOTAL THE FRONT END OF THE 2003 TOYOTA AVALON X LS TO THE TUNE OF 17684 DOLLARS.. I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IN DECEMBER OF 2008 AND HAD NO PRIOR PROBLEMS, AND NOT BEING A RECALLED AVALON NO WARNING. I WENT THROUGH THE NHTSA DATABASE FOR AVALON FROM 2000--2010 AND FOUND I HAD THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM OTHERS REPORTED. 3. TOYOTA DEALERSHIP WAS CONTACTED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. WHEN I CALLED CORPORATE LATER IN THE MONTH THEY DID NOT EVEN HAVE THE VEHICLE IN MY NAME. I ASKED FOR AN INSPECTOR AND THEY SENT ONE HIS NAME EMAIL ETC IS ON FILE. WHEN I CALLED TOYOTA CORPORATE AGAIN THEY SAID I WOULD GET A LETTER FROM THEIR CLAIMS DEPARTMENT. ABOUT THE FINDINGS.IN 2-4 WEEKS. THEY DID NOT OFFER TO PICK UP THE RENTAL OR TO PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE.. NOTE: I PUT IN SPEED CONTROL AND AIR BAGS FOR I HAD TO PUT IN SOMETHING TO MAKE THE MENU WORK. IT ACCELERATED OUT OF CONTROL WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE THE EXACT CAUSE IS TO BE DETERMINED, I COULD NOT CONTROL THE SPEED SO THAT FIT CLOSEST. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY FOR IT HIT ON AN ANGLE, A FLAW IN THE DESIGN. IF YOU ACCELERATE AT FULL POWER INTO A BRICK WALL THEY SHOULD DEPLOY. PARKING SPACE SPEED UNKNOWN PUT IN 30 MPH TO MAKE THE FORM WORK. FORM NEEDS UPDATING THIS SHOULD BE OPTIONAL. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA AVALON. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING 40 MPH THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO ENGAGE THE BRAKES AND THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO SLOW DOWN THE VEHICLE BUT THE BRAKES WOULD NOT ENGAGE. IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE THE CONTACT HAD TO SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL GEAR AND APPLY THE EMERGENCY BRAKE; HOWEVER, WHEN THE VEHICLE CAME TO A STOP THE ENGINE WAS STILL SURGING. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 77000.

2004 TOYOTA AVALON XLS- WHILE DRIVING ON THE EXPRESSWAY ONE DAY LAST WEEK, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME VERY HARD TO TURN. TOOK THE CAR IMMEDIATELY TO THE TOYOTA DEALER THE SAME DAY. WAS TOLD THERE WASN'T ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. THE NEXT DAY THE SAME PROBLEM, TOOK THE CAR BACK TO DEALER AND ASKED FOR SOMEONE TO TEST DRIVE THE CAR WITH ME. THE MECHANIC COULD NOT TURN THE STEERING WHEEL WITHOUT STRONG FORCE. MY CAR HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR 6 DAYS. *TR

MY 2004 TOYOTA AVALON SUDDENLY ACCELERATED WHILE BACKING OUT OF OUR GARAGE. IT SPED BACKWARDS ONLY STOPPING WHEN IT SLAMMED INTO OUR FRONT DECK. OVER $5000 DAMAGE, BUT NO INJURIES. *TR

WHILE BACKING SLOWLY, THE RIGHT FOOT WAS MOVED FROM ACCELERATOR TO FOOT BRAKE PEDAL. AS PRESSURE WAS APPLIED TO THE FOOT BRAKE, THE CAR ACCELERATED IN REVERSE, CONTINUED TURNING, SMASHED ALONG SIDE OF ANOTHER VEHICLE AND TURNED A HALF CIRCLE. DRIVER'S LEFT FOOT PRESSED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE CAUSING CAR TO STOP. TOTAL ELAPSED TIME NO MORE THAN TWO SECONDS. *TR

2004 TOYOTA AVALON, SRS LIGHT COMES ON WHILE DRIVING, TOYOTA CAN NOT GET A FIX BECAUSE THEY STATE THAT THE LIGHT HAS TO BE ON WHEN I BRING IT IN. I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO IT ONLY ONCE AND THEN IT WENT OFF BEFORE THEY COULD GET A DIAGNOSTIC READING. THE LIGHT WILL COME ON STEADY THEN FLICKER RANDOMLY. I WAS TOLD BY A TOYOTA REPRESENTATIVE AT THE DEALERSHIP THAT IF A ACCIDENT WERE TO OCCUR WHILE THE LIGHT IS ON THAT THE AIR BAGS WOULD NOT DEPLOY. THEY ALSO STATED THAT THE COMPUTER IS NOT HOLDING THE ERROR CODE WHICH WOULD ASSIST IN FINDING THE PROBLEM. I HAVE TAKEN PHOTOS OF THE LIGHT ON WHILE DRIVING AND THIS WAS AT 43952 MILES. TO DATE THE CAR IS JUST ABOVE 90K MILES AND THE SRS LIGHT IS STILL RANDOMLY COMING ON. I HAVE TRIED MANY A TIMES TO GET TO A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP WHILE THE LIGHT IS ON BUT IT EITHER GOES OUT WHILE IN TRANSIT OR GOES OUT PRIOR TO DEALERSHIP HOOKING UP DIAGNOSTIC EQUIPMENT. I FEEL THAT THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM TO SAFETY OF MY FAMILY SINCE THE AIRBAGS WILL NOT DEPLOY IF THE SRS LIGHT IS ON. TOYOTA SHOULD LOOK FURTHER INTO THESE TYPES OF ISSUES SINCE IT IS IN MY ESTIMATION A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE. I HAVE PHOTOS IF NEEDED. *TR

MY 2004 TOYOTA EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN ACCELERATION ON A SLIGHT UPGRADE WHICH CAUSED THE CAR TO GO INTO A RAPID UNCONTROLLABLE SPIN. THIS RESULTED IN A HEAD ON COLLISION WITH A PICK UP TRUCK. MY WIFE SUFFERED INJURIES TO HER HEAD WHEN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR FLEW OFF THE WINDOW AND STRUCK HER IN THE HEAD. THIS RESULTED IN MEMORY LOSS AND SHE NOW SUFFERS FROM RECURRING HEADACHES. THE CAR WAS A TOTAL LOSS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA AVALON. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS ATTEMPTING TO PULL OUT OF A PARKING SPACE AT A LOW SPEED THE VEHICLE HAD SUDDENLY ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING CAUSING THE CONTACT TO CRASH INTO A NEARBY VEHICLE. NO ONE WAS INJURED DURING THE CRASH. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED FOR THE INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER AND THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 67,000. UPDATED 3/30/2010 AFTER BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE, THE CONSUMER SHIFTED THE VEHICLE INTO DRIVE AND IT ACCELERATED. UPDATED 06/04/10