2000 TOYOTA AVALON Complaints

AFTER ABOUT 5 YEARS, MY 2000 TOYOTA AVALON BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE OCCASIONAL CONTINUED ACCELERATION ("STICKING OF GAS MECHANISM") WHEN I REMOVED MY FOOT FROM THE GAS PEDAL. BEING A 230 LB MALE, I WAS ABLE TO OVERCOME THIS OCCURRENCE AT SIGNAL LIGHTS OR STOP SIGNS BY APPLYING EXTREME FORCE ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. I'VE LIVED WITH IT, BUT KNOW FOR CERTAIN IT IS A DEFECT. THIS HAPPENS 3-4 TIMES A YEAR. THIS IS NOT A "ME TOO" COMPLAINT. I SUSPECT THIS "STICKING" ACCELERATION PROBLEM IS MUCH BIGGER THAN REPORTED AS MANY DRIVERS (LIKE ME) DON'T BOTHER. *JB

DEAR SIR OR MADAM, I AM WRITING TO YOU BECAUSE THERE WAS AN INCIDENT WITH MY VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY. MY CAR IS A 2000 TOYOTA AVALON XS, AND THE PROBLEM I EXPERIENCED COULD HAVE BEEN LIFE THREATENING. I DRIVE ABOUT 25 MILES TO WORK DAILY THROUGH THE FREEWAY AND YESTERDAY WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY MY STEERING WHEEL LOCKED ITSELF WHILE THE CAR WAS ON, FOR ABOUT 2 MINUTES I WAS UNABLE TO GO IN ANY OTHER DIRECTION OTHER THAN STRAIGHT BECAUSE IT HAD LOCKED ITSELF. AFTER USING FORCE TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL IT HAD FINALLY DISLODGED, IT WAS A SCARY EXPERIENCE BECAUSE I HAD STARTED TO DRIFT INTO THE OTHER LANE SO I SLOWED DOWN A LITTLE. I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH FOR IT TO BE LOCKED IN A STRAIGHTAWAY INSTEAD OF A TURN. HOWEVER THAT WAS ONLY THE FIRST TIME IT HAD HAPPENED, LATER THAT NIGHT WHEN I WAS DOING ERRANDS IT HAD LOCKED UP ONCE AGAIN, THIS TIME OUTSIDE OUR HOUSE. AFTER TRYING TO BUDGE IT FOR A WHOLE HOUR IT FINALLY UNLOCKED AND I IMMEDIATELY TOOK IT TO OUR CAR SHOP. THE OWNER OF THE SHOP, A FRIEND OF OURS, ENCOURAGED US TO WRITE TO YOU TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING TO ANYONE ELSE. *TR

ON MAY 22, 2009, I BACKED MY 2000 TOYOTA AVALON INTO A PARKING AREA NEXT TO A SHORT PRIVATE ROAD LOCATED ABOUT HALFWAY DOWN A HIGH CLIFF ABOVE A BEACH. AFTER GETTING OUT OF THE CAR, I DECIDED TO MOVE IT ABOUT A FOOT FURTHER OFF THE ROAD. SO I BACKED UP VERY SLOWLY UNTIL THE BUMPER JUST TOUCHED THE CLIFF BEHIND ME. I BRAKED, THE CAR STOPPED, AND THEN I STEPPED VERY LIGHTLY ON THE GAS PEDAL, INTENDING TO BRAKE IMMEDIATELY AFTER MOVING FORWARD A FEW INCHES. TO MY HORROR, THE CAR SHOT FORWARD RAPIDLY, AND I WAS UNABLE TO STOP IT, NO MATTER HOW HARD I PUMPED THE BRAKE PEDAL. I SOMEHOW MANAGED TO TURN IT TO THE LEFT AND THUS AVOIDED PLUNGING OVER THE CLIFF BELOW ME. THE CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE, FISH-TAILING UP A SLIGHT GRADE. THEN IT HIT A PARKED CAR AND TURNED UPSIDE-DOWN ON THE ROAD. I SUFFERED BROKEN VERTEBRAE IN MY BACK AND NECK AND HAD TO BE HOSPITALIZED FOR 12 DAYS AND WEAR A HEAD-NECK BRACE FOR TWO MONTHS. THE CAR WAS TOTALED. *TR

THE FIRST THING THAT HAPPENED WAS THAT THE AIR BAG LIGHT ON THE DASH CAME ON. LOOKED THIS UP IN THE MANUAL AND IT SAID TO TAKE THE CAR IN TO THE DEALER - WHICH I DID. THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEAL SAID THAT THEY RAN A CHECK AND FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. THEIR EXPLANATION WAS THAT A LED LIGHT IN THE DASH WAS MALFUNCTIONING. MY HORN WAS NOT WORKING EITHER - SO THEY WIGGLED THE WIRES UNDER THE HOOD AND SAID THAT IT WOULD BE FINE. THE HORN LASTED UNTIL I WAS OUT OF THEIR DRIVEWAY. THIS FALL I DECIDED TO TAKE MY CAR TO A LOCAL GARAGE TO HAVE THE BRAKES REPLACED. AND ASKED THEM IF THEY WOULD CHECK ON MY HORN, SINCE IT DIDN'T WORK. THEY TOLD ME IT WAS ODD FOR A HORN TO GO OUT - BUT THEY WOULD REPLACE IT IF NEEDED. BEFORE THEY DID ANYTHING TO THE HORN THEY CALLED ME TO LET ME KNOW THAT NOT ONLY DID I NOT HAVE A HORN BUT - I DIDN'T HAVE THE DRIVER AIR BAG OR CRUISE CONTROL. THE PROBLEM IS THAT A SPRING IN THE STEERING COLUMN IS BROKEN. IT IS CALLED THE CABLE HUB ASSEMBLY. PRESENTLY I CAN NOT GET A CLEAN INSPECTION ON MY CAR - BECAUSE THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD ISSUE. USED PARTS ARE NOT SAFE TO USE AND NEW PARTS MUST BE ORDERED FROM TOYOTA - AND ARE COSTLY. THE LABOR FOR INSTALLATION IS COSTLY AS WELL. *CN

WHILE I WAS TURNING A 90 DEGREE RIGHT HAND TURN ONTO A CITY STREET AT APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE STEERING COLUMN COMPLETELY LOCKED UP WHILE THE CAR WAS IN MOTION. NOT POWER STEERING ASSIST FAILURE, BUT COMPLETE LOCK UP. I SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES AND STOPPED THE CAR. AFTER TURNING THE IGNITION OFF, THEN BACK ON, THE CAR COULD AGAIN BE STEERED. THIS HAD NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE, AND WE HAD BOUGHT THE CAR NEW IN 2000. CAR NOW HAS 92,000 MILES. THE DEALER REMOVED THE STEERING COLUMN LOCK AT MY INSISTENCE. NO OTHER PART WAS REPAIRED OR REPLACED, ACCORDING TO THE DEALER. OLD PART IS NOT AVAILABLE. *TR

POWER STEERING BECAME INTERMITTENTLY EFFECTIVE, WITH SECTIONS OF STEERING WHEEL TURNING BEING HARD TO TURN, AND EASY TO TURN. MECHANIC REPLACED THE LOWER STEERING ASSEMBLY U-JOINT, AND STATED THAT WE WERE LUCKY THAT IT DID NOT BREAK. THE OLD UNIT IS OPERABLE ON ONE AXIS, WHEREAS IT IS FROZE UP ON THE OTHER90 DEGREE AXIS. *TR

WHEN MAKING A RIGHT TURN FROM SOUTHBOUND EASTERN AVE. TO WEST BOUND WARM SPRINGS THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED IN THE TURNED POSITION CAUSING THE CAR TO GO OVER A CURB NEARLY HITTING A UTILITY POLE. THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL WAS BENT AND THAT TIRE WAS DESTROYED AND THE FRONT END LIKELY KNOCKED OUT OF ALIGNMENT. IN OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES A DISASTROUS CRASH COULD EASILY HAVE OCCURRED. I HAVE A PHONE CALL IN TO A TOYOTA DEALER TO FIX THINGS. *TR

I OWN A 2000 TOYOTA AVALON. I PURCHASED THE CAR NEW AND IT NOW HAS 94,000 MILES ON IT. THE CAR HAS BEEN REGULARLY SERVICED AND HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT. RECENTLY I HAVE HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKING WHILE I AM DRIVING. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED I WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH AND WAS TURNING RIGHT INTO A PARKING LOT. THE WHEEL LOCKED, I STOPPED THE CAR AND TRIED TURNED THE WHEEL RIGHT AND LEFT TO UNLOCK IT AND IT WOULD NOT UNLOCK. I PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE BACKED UP A FEW FEET AND THEN PULLED FORWARD WHILE TRYING TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL AND THEN IT UNLOCKED. I THOUGHT THIS WAS A FREAK OCCURRENCE. THE SAME THING HAPPENED ABOUT ONE MONTH LATER DURING ANOTHER RIGHT HAND TURN INTO A PARKING LOT AND THEN AGAIN TWO WEEKS LATER WHILE BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE. ALL THREE TIMES THE CAR HAS BEEN MOVING AND THE ENGINE RUNNING. I ASKED A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP ABOUT REPAIRING THE VEHICLE AND THEY HAVE CALLED SEVERAL TOYOTA DEALERS AND NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM. I CALLED TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY HAVE NO RECORD OF THIS PROBLEM. I AM NOW AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR! *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 TOYOTA AVALON. WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH IN RAINY WEATHER CONDITIONS, THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED COMPLETELY WITHOUT ASSISTANCE. THE UNEXPECTED FAILURE CAUSED STEERING DIFFICULTY AND THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO A PARKED VEHICLE ON THE STREET. THE POLICE WAS CALLED TO THE SCENE AND A REPORT WAS FILED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES; HOWEVER, BOTH VEHICLES SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGES. SUDDENLY, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO STEER NORMALLY AND WAS DRIVEN TO HER RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS RELATED TO THE STEERING COLUMN. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY BEING REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 124,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 TOYOTA AVALON. IN THE MORNINGS, ESPECIALLY IN COLD WEATHER, THE CONTACT MAKES SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO START THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT CONTROL PANEL. SHE CALLED THE DEALER AND IS CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF HAVING THE VEHICLE INSPECTED TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT BECAUSE SHE EXCEEDED HER WARRANTY, THEY WOULD NOT PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 63,000.