1997 TOYOTA AVALON Complaints

BOUGHT USED 97 TOYOTA AVALON AT 96,000 MILES COUPLE OF YEARS AGO. FROM DAY ONE, NOTICED CRANKLING AND RATTLING NOISE AT THE FRONT AND BACK. AS THE TIME WENT BY, IT GOT WORSE. FINALLY JUST HAD MY REAR STRUTS REPLACED BUT THE FRONT IS STILL BAD. EVERYTIME GOING SLOW 20/35 MPH I COULD HEAR THINGS ARE SHAKING, RATTLING. NOW THE DELAER JUST TOLD ME THAT RACK AND PINION IS LEAKING TOO. DID A SEARCH ON MY OWN ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND OUT THAT THESE HAPPEN TO BE KNOWN ISSUES WITH AVALON. HAVE HAD EVRYTHING DONE BY A LOCAL DEALER HERE IN HOUSTON BUT MUCH TO MY CHAGRIN DEALERSHIP GUYS NEVER MENTIONED OR ACKNWLEDGED THESE KNOWN ISSUES. DO WANNA GET RID OF IT BUT IT WOULD BE UNFAIR WITH THE PURCHASER. SO NOW KEEPING IT AND GOING TO REPLACE THE FRONT STRUTS WITH MOUNTS AS WELL, HOPING THAT CRANKLING AND RATTLING WOULD GO AWAY COMPLETELY. SPENDING MORE BUCK . FEEL SORRY FOR THOSE WHO BOUGHT AVALONS AT VERY LOW MILEAGE. LAST BUT NOT THE LEAST ONE CAN EASILY FIND THESE COMPLAINTS FROM DIFFERENT WEBSITES FROM LOT OF PEOPLE , I THINK ITS ABOUT TIME SOMEBODY STEPS UP AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. THANKS. *NM

DT: THE OTHER DAY THE CONSUMER PARKED CAR WHILE RUSHING AND TOOK THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN DRIVE. THE VEHICLE ROLLED BACKWARD AND HIT THE NEIGHBOR'S FENCE. THE CONSUMER HAD THE KEY. IT FELT LIKE THE VEHICLE SHOULD HAVE HAD SOME TYPE OF SAFETY FEATURE TO KEEP THE KEY FROM COMING OUT OF THE IGNITION. THIS HAPPENED ON SEPTEMBER 12, 2005. HAD NOT CONTACTED THE DEALER. *AK

LEAK IN POWER STEERING MECHANISM CAUSING SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER STEERING CONTROL,I.E. STEERING BECOMES VERY DIFFICULT.

COMPLAINT AGAINST TOYOTA OF GREENVILLE/TOYOTA CORP. *BF THE VEHICLE EXHIBITED OIL CONSUMPTION PROBLEMS. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER WHO INDICATED THE MANUFACTURER WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT NO RECALL HAD BEE INITIATED. A SPECIAL PROGRAM WAS INITIATED FOR THE ENGINE PROBLEM BUT THE DEALER REFUSED TO PROVIDE THE CONSUMER WITH ANY ASSISTANCE. *NM

1997 TOYOTA AVALON WITH 50,000 MILES DEVELOPED LEAK IN RACK AND PINION STEERING. DEALER REFUSED TO ASSIST WITH COST OF REPAIRS DUE TO EXPIRATION OF WARRANTY. DEFECTIVE PARTS REPLACED BY A REPUTABLE MECHANIC.*AK

SEEMS I'M ALSO THE VICTIM OF A COMMON 1997 AVALON PROBLEM. THE POWER STEERING PUMP/RACK WERE LEAKING AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. IN REVIEWING ALL OF THE NHTSA COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, IT SEEMS A RECALL SHOULD HAVE OCCURRED FOR THIS ALL TOO COMMON (AND EXPENSIVE) PROBLEM.*AK

THE CONSUMER STATED THAT WHILE PARKING, SHE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION WHEN SHE APPLIED THE BRAKE. THE VEHICLE COLLIDED WITH TWO OTHER VEHICLES. *AK THE CONSUMER WAS STEPPING ON THE BRAKE WHEN THE VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD. THE VEHICLE HAD A HISTORY OF EGR VALVE REPAIRS. THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AT THE SERVICE DEALERSHIP AS WELL. THE PROBLEM HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE THROTTLE BODY INJECTOR. THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED UP TO 4K RPM'S. *SC THE POWER STEERING PUMP, RACK AND EGR VALVE WERE REPLACED. UPDATED EVOQ 08/27/10 UPDATED EVOQ 11/17/10

THE CAR HAS A SERIOUS FLAW IN THE HANDLING, RIDE AND SUSPENSION!THIS CAR HAS THE SUSPENSION THAT ROCKS LIKE A BOAT; AND EVEN THE SMALLEST BUMP RATTLES THE ENTIRE FRAME AND REMINDS ME OF A THUNDER-LIKE NOISE . *AK I HAVE ALWAYS MAINTAINED SERVICING AT THE DEALER, AND HAVE A HISTORY OF COMPLAINING ABOUT IT --NEARLY EVERY TIME I TOOK IT IN, I WOULD ASK TO INSPECT IT - SEEMS LIKE THEY NEVER DID A THOROUGH REQUIRED ANALYSIS, UNTIL RECENTLY THE SERVICE DIRECTOR WAS NICE ENOUGHT TO TAKE IT FOR A DRIVE AND CONFIRMED THAT IT NEEDS ALL NEW STRUTS AND ARMS FOR $2000. PROBLEM IS IT WAS ALWAYS BAD AND COULD HAVE CAUSED OTHER PARTS OF THE CAR TO BREAK PREMATURELY AND BE REPLACED AS WELL IN CAR I'VE BEEN IN CARS WITH WORKING SUSPENSIONS BEFORE AND THIS ONE IS ***NOT*** THIS WASN'T THE SAME CAR I TEST DROVE OR TOYOTA HAS EARNED IT'S REPUTATION ON. PLEASE LAUNCH AN INVESTIGATION

WHEN THE CAR WAS PUT ON REVERSE TO BACK OUT FROM A PARKING LOT, THE CAR ACCELERATED FAST FORWARD, RUNNING INTO A POLE.*AK

I NOTICED A WOBBLE IN THE STEERING AND TOOK THE CAR TO A TIRE DEALER. DEALER BALANCED TIRES AND SAID ALL WOULD BE OK. IN LESS THAN 10 MILES WOBBLE REAPPEARED AND TOOK CAR TO ANOTHER SHOP OF TIRE DEALER. WOBBLE WAS LESS NOTICIBLE AND NEXT DAY NOTICED POWER STEERING OIL ON DRIVEWAY. I TOOK CAR INTO TOYOTA AND WAS TOLD I NEEDED TO REPLACE THE RACK & PINIPN STEERING UNIT AT A COST OF 1200.00. I WAS ABLE TO NEGOTIATED PRICE OF REPAIR DOWN TO 1044.15, APPARENTLY BECAUSE I WAS A GOOD CUSTOMER. I YELLED A LOT! *AK