2006 TOYOTA AVALON Complaints

2006 TOYOTA AVALON HEADLIGHTS ARE TO DIM AFTER DARK AND DOES NOT PROJECT FAR ENOUGH TO SEE IN FRONT OF VEHICLE. *KB *JB

I WAS ON MY WAY TO THE DEALER FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND TO HAVE OUR NEW (PICKED-UP 26 JAN 06) TOYOTA AVALON LOOKED OVER AS IT HAD 3,500 MILES. WE LIVE IN THE OZARKS AND OF COURSE IT IS VERY HILLY. I NORMALLY USE THE "MANUAL" MODE ON THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION TO SLOW THE CAR DOWN AS TO DESCEND THE HILLS LEADING INTO AND OUT OF OUR SUB-DIVISION. HOWEVER, ON 23 JUN I JUST LEFT IT IN THE REGULAR AUTOMATIC MODE AND USED THE BRAKES. WHEN I SAW THERE WAS NO ON-COMING TRAFFIC, I STEPPED ON THE ACCELERATOR TO GO---THE RPM'S JUMPED TO OVER 3,000 AND THEN THE CAR LURCHED FORWARD. THANK GOODNESS THERE WAS NO ON-COMING TRAFFIC--I CAN ONLY IMAGINE WHAT MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED. I ASKED THE DEALER TO CHECK THIS OCCURRENCE OUT--THEY COULDN'T DUPLICATE. SINCE THE FIRST INCIDENT I'VE HAD THE SAME THING HAPPEN ON 4 SEPARATE OCCASIONS--ALWAYS WHEN LEFT IN THE AUTOMATIC MODE AND AFTER YOU'VE SLOWED DOWN AND THEN PRESS THE ACCELERATOR TO GO. I'VE READ ON THE WWW.EDMUNDS.COM WEBSITE ABOUT OTHERS WHO'VE EXPERIENCED THE SAME THING. THERE IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING WRONG AND BEFORE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT OCCURS TOYOTA NEEDS TO FIX THE AUTO TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. *JB

CAR DID NOT START FOR SEVERAL TRIES. ON ABOUT THE 5TH TRY, THE MOMENT I SHIFTED INTO REVERSE, THE THROTTLE STUCK AND THE CAR HURTLED OUT OF THE GARAGE. IT VEERED TO THE LEFT (AS YOU FACE THE GARAGE) IMMEDIATELY AFTER CLEARING THE GARAGE, CUT UNDER THE BRANCHES OF A BIG SPRUCE TREE ON THE CORNER OF MY NEIGHBOR'S LOT, CROSSED HIS DRIVEWAY, ACROSS A SMALL DRAINAGE DITCH AND SLAMMED INTO THE TRUNK OF A HUGE SPRUCE TREE. CAR STOPPED THEN, WITH EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO REAR, AND ENGINE DIED. CAR WAS DRIVABLE AND I DROVE IT TO THE DEALER, WHO CHOSE TO NOT EXAMINE ANYTHING. DURING THE EVENT, I HAD MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL BUT THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES KEPT IT FROM LOCKING THE WHEELS AND I TRIED TO KILL THE ENGINE BY HITTING THE START BUTTON (THERE IS NO KEY ON THIS MODEL CAR). THAT DID NOT WORK AND I HIT THE TREE BEFORE I COULD THINK OF ANYTHING ELSE TO DO. I WAS NOT HURT. *JB

RE: TOYOTA 2006 AVALON I RECENTLY BOUGHT A TOYOTA AVALON. IT NOW HAS 3800 MILES ON IT. IN THE SECOND WEEK AFTER THE PURCHASE, I WAS DRIVING ON A RAMP TO ENTER A LIMITED ACCESS HIGH WAY. SPEED WAS ABOUT 50 MPH AS I BLENDED IN WITH THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC. THE LANE I WAS IN STARTED TO SLOW DOWN AND THE LANE TO MY LEFT HAD AN OPEN SPACE. I PRESSED ON THE ACCELERATOR TO GAIN SPEED AND TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL TOWARD THE LEFT LANE. THE CAR, INSTEAD OF ACCELERATING, APPEARED TO GO INTO NEUTRAL, THE TACHOMETER REACHED ALMOST 7000 RPM, THEN THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTED INTO THE PASSING GEAR AND LEAPED FORWARD. I ALMOST HIT THE REAR END OF THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME, BUT SINCE MY CAR HAD SLOWED DOWN A LITTLE I WAS ABLE TO STEER AROUND AND GET INTO THE LEFT LANE. I HAVE GONE INTO THIS DETAILED EXPLANATION TO DEMONSTRATE THE DANGER, AND POTENTIAL TERRIBLE ACCIDENT AT 50MPH THAT THE ??BUILT IN?? HESITATION OF THE 2006 TOYOTA AVALON COULD HAVE CAUSED. AFTER THIS EXPERIENCE, I WENT BACK TO THE DEALER, GOT THE EXPLANATION THAT THE HESITATION WAS NORMAL FOR 2006 TOYOTA AND NOTHING COULD BE DONE ABOUT IT. I TOLD THE DEALER I DID NOT WANT THE CAR AND WANTED MY MONEY BACK. OF COURSE THAT WAS REFUSED. SO I??M STILL DRIVING A CAR I THINK IS DANGEROUS. I THINKTOYOTA SHOULD MAKE A RETRO FIT TO CORRECT THE HESITATION PROBLEM. *NM

LTR FM (FL) RE THE DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSION IN HER 2006 TOYOTA AVALON. *TS THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER OVER FIVE TIMES WITHIN IN A SIX WEEK PERIOD. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WOULD HESITATE AND THEN SURGE FORWARD WHEN GENTLY DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR. THE REAR SEAT BELT WAS DEFECTIVE AND THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG SENSOR DIDN'T COME ON AT THE PROPER WEIGHT AS DESCRIBED BY THE SALESMAN. *JB

WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY IN MY 2006 TOYOTA AVALON LIMITED, I REACHED DOWN ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE DASHBOARD TO ACTIVATE A SHADE SCREEN FOR THE BACK WINDOW IN ORDER TO DEFRAY GLARE FROM HEADLIGHTS AND I PRESSED THE TRUNK BUTTON BY MISTAKE. (WHICH IS LOCATED VERY NEAR BY) THE TRUNK OPENED WHILE I WAS DRIVING CAUSED ME TO DIVERT MY ATTENTION FROM THE ROAD MOMENTARILY TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT HAD HAPPENED. I FEEL THAT THIS IS A DANGEROUS FEATURE, ALLOWING THE TRUNK TO BE OPENED BY ACCIDENT WHILE DRIVING. I WAS TOLD THAT THERE IS A SWITCH IN THE GLOVE BOX THAT WILL LOCK OUT THE TRUNK BUTTON. THE PROBLEM WITH THAT IS, WE HAVE A SMART KEY SYSTEM AND THERE IS NO WAY TO OPEN THE TRUNK FROM THE OUTSIDE OF THE CAR WHEN THAT BY-PASS SWITCH IS USED. *JB

HID HEADLIGHTS ON THE TOYOTA AVALON LIMITED ARE UNSAFE AT NIGHT ESPECIALLY ON HILLS IN UNLIT COUNTRY AREAS WHEN THE ARC OF LIGHT EXTENDS LESS THAN 2 CAR LENGTHS IN FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. I HAVE DVD THAT I WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE FOR YOUR VIEWING. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE BRAKE INDICATOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE FOLLOWING DAY WHILE DRIVING 55MPH THE BRAKE PEDAL VIBRATED AND TRAVELED TO THE FLOOR. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. UPON INSPECTION THE DEALER DETERMINED THERE WAS NO BRAKE FLUID IN THE RESERVOIR. THE DEFECTIVE SEALS ALLOWED BRAKE FLUID TO DRAIN FROM THE BRAKE BOOSTER AND INTO THE MASTER CYLINDER. THE DEALER REPLACED THE RESERVOIR, BRAKE BOOSTER AND MASTER CYLINDER.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, THE TRANSMISSION MOMENTARILY HESITATES BEFORE PROPERLY SELECTING THE CORRECT GEAR TO ENGAGE. THIS OCCURRED AT SPEEDS OF 5 MPH AND ABOVE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES FOR INSPECTION. THE DEALER DETERMINED THE ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION SOFTWARE NEEDED REPLACED. HOWEVER, THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT HAVE AFTERMARKET SOFTWARE AVAILABLE AND NO REPAIRS WERE MADE. UPDATED 03/17/06. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED AT NIGHT WITH DIM HEADLIGHTS, THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN THROUGH COUNTRY ROADS AND MOUNTAINS, BUT DUE TO THE AUTOMATIC EXTERIOR LEVEL LIGHTING THERE WAS POOR VISIBILITY. THE VEHICLE WAS SEEN BY THE DEALER. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT REALIGNED THE EXTERIOR HEADLIGHTS.