2000 TOYOTA AVALON Complaints

WENT TO TOYOTA DEALER TO DIAGNOSE/REPAIR CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. CALL FROM DEALER REPORTED AIR/FUEL SENSOR DEFECTIVE -- GAVE PRICE OF $449 TO REPAIR, DEALER WAS AUTHORIZED TO PROCEED. TWO HOURS LATER, ANOTHER CALL FROM DEALER REPORTED THAT SENSOR COULD NOT BE REMOVED (FROZEN OR "WELDED" IN PLACE), WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE COMPLETE MANIFOLD AT COST OF GREATER THAN $1000. I BELIEVE THIS SHOULD BE TOYOTA'S RESPONSIBILITY DUE TO FAULTY ASSEMBLY. (SEE PREVIOUS REPORT OF INSUFFICIENT ANTI-SEIZE COMPOUND USED.) UNLESS ADEQUATE COMPENSATION IS FORTHCOMING, I WILL CONTINUE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE THIS WAY, AS I AM TOLD IT WILL NOT DO DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE, BUT ONLY AFFECT GAS MILEAGE. HOWEVER, AS THIS IS PART OF THE VEHICLE EMISSION CONTROL SYSTEM, I SUPPOSE IT WILL BE FURTHER DAMAGING AIR QUALITY. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TURN SIGNAL WAS INAUDIBLE WHETHER TURNING THE VEHICLE LEFT OR RIGHT AND IT REMAINED ENGAGED AFTER THE SWITCH WAS ACTIVATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE HAS OCCURRED EVER SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED, HOWEVER, THE TURN SIGNAL WAS LOUDER AT ONE TIME. THE SPEED AND POWERTRAIN WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 55,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR FUEL SENSOR FAILED. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING REPAIRED, THE MECHANIC DAMAGED THE MANIFOLD BECAUSE THE VEHICLE LACKED ANTI-SEIZE COMPOUND. THE CHECK ENGINE AND ABS LIGHTS ILLUMINATED DURING BOTH OCCURRENCES. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT BOTH THE 1999 AND 2000 MODELS LACKED SUFFICIENT ANTI-SEIZE COMPOUND TO PREVENT THE DAMAGE. THERE ARE THREE SENSORS THAT MAY FAIL AND THE CONTACT IS CONCERNED THAT THE MANIFOLD WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED AFTER EACH FAILURE. THE MECHANIC EXPLAINED THAT THE FAILURE HAS BEEN CORRECTED IN SUBSEQUENT MODEL YEARS. THE CONTACT FELT THAT SHE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR THE MANUFACTURER DEFECT. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 62,000.

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR ORIGINALLY PURCHASED 2000 TOYOTA AVALON WHICH HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT AND HAS ROUTINELY BEEN SERVICED BY TOYOTA DEALER. UPON LEAVING A STREET PARKING LOCATION AND PULLING AWAY FROM THE CURB THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED FORCING THE VEHICLE TO PROCEED IN THE "FROZEN" DIRECTION INTO THE LANE OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC. LUCKILY ALL ONCOMING TRAFFIC WAS AVOIDED AND NO ONE WAS INJURED. SHE HAD JUST COME OFF THE FREEWAY WITH GRANDCHILDREN IN THE CAR AND HAD JUST DROPPED THEM OFF. SHE STOPPED THE VEHICLE IN A RELATIVE SAFE POSITION, ANGLED INTO THE LANE OF TRAFFIC AND AWAITED A TOW FROM AAA TO OUR TOYOTA DEALER IN EL CAJON. THERE WAS NO ADVANCE WARNING OF THIS CONDITION. THE DEALER DISMANTLED THE STEERING COLUMN AND FOUND THE LOCKING MECHANISM FAILED AND SLIPPED INTO THE LOCKED POSITION. THEY REPAIRED THE VEHICLE AT A COST OF $581. IT COULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC! *TR

2005 TOYOTA AVALON WAS INVOVLED IN A CRASH. IT HIT THE REAR END OF ANOTHER CAR. THE AVALON WAS GOING 55 MPH AND THE CAR IT HIT WAS GOING 35 MPH. BOTH CARS WERE TOTALLED. THE AVALON'S AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE DRIVER OF THE AVALON HAD MINOR INJURIES.*AK

DETAILS: FRONT END "BOTTOMS OUT" AND HITS THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT TIRE WHEN EXITING AND /OR ENTERING INCLINES TO STRIP MALLS, ETC. AND V DITCHES ON PUBLIC STREETS WHEN TRAVELING AT SPEEDS LESS THAN 25 MPH, AND DURING HIGHWAY DIPS. THE TIRE HITS THE ENGINE SHROUD. THIS COULD CAUSE LOSS OF CONTROL OF VEHICLE AND DAMAGE TO TIRES WHEN GOING AT HIGHER SPEEDS. THIS PROB WAS ADDRESSED WILE VEHICLE WAS IN WARRANTY, BUT THE PROBLEM SOON RETURNED. *JB

TL* - THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 GMC ENVOY XUV. THE CONTACT PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IN 12/04, AND HAD A WARRANTY FOR 3 YEARS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT IN DECEMBER 2006 THE VEHICLE WAS IN A REAR END CRASH. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO BE REPAIRED IN DECEMBER 2006, AND THE REPAIRS HAVE NOT BEEN MADE TO DATE BECAUSE OF UNAVAILABLE PARTS. THE CONTACT WANTED THE VEHICLE TO BE EITHER REPAIRED OR REPURCHASED. AN AGREEMENT WAS REACHED WITH THE MANUFACTURER TO REPURCHASE THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT AND MANUFACTURER WERE SUPPOSED TO GO TO SETTLEMENT ON FEBRUARY 9, 2007, AND THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT RESPONDED TO THE CONTACT SINCE HE SIGNED THE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT AND FAXED IT BACK TO THEM ON FEBRUARY 5, 2007. THE CONTACT STATED THAT GMCWAS NOT IN COMPLIANCEWITH THE AGREEMENT BY NOT HAVING THE PARTS TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE BODYSHOP WONT RELEASE THE VEHICLE BECAUSE IT WAW PART OF A SAFETY ISSUE, AND THEY WERE WAITING ON THE PARTS TO COMPLETE THE REPAIR. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILAGE WERE 22000.*AK

I OWN A TOYOTA AVALON 2000 WITH <87000; 4 WEEKS AGO THE CAR EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE THAT WAS DETERMINED TO BE AS A RESULT OF LOW OIL VOLUME MOST LIKELY DUE TO OIL SLUDGE BUILD-UP. I HAVE REGULARLY MAINTAINED THE VEHICLE, AND HAVE ALL THE RECEIPTS. THE DEALERSHIP HAS TRIED TO AVOID TAKING BLAME, BUT AFTER TWO INDEPENDENT ADJUSTED VIEWED THE CAR, THE DEALERSHIP HAS PUT ME IN A LOANER VEHICLE. I AM AWAITING A RETURN CALL FROM THE REGIONAL MANAGER, BUT THEY ARE TAKING A LONG TIME TO RESPOND; THEY HAVE HAD MY CAR 4 WEEKS. I HAVE DONE EXTENSIVE RESEARCH AND FOUND TOYOTA REPORTED OIL SLUDGE PROBLEMS AND HAS COVERED COSTS OF REPAIRS. I AM, HOWEVER, HAVING GREAT DIFFICULTY GETTING SOMETHING DONE WITH MY CAR. *JB

WHILE CAR PARKED STEERING LOCKED WOULD NOT RELEASE, LATER THE SAME EVENING STEERING LOCKED WHILE CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN, CAUSING NO STEERING ABILITY, ALMOST CRASHED INTO FENCE. CAR TAKEN TO DEALER NEEDS STEERING COLUMN REPLACED, AT MY EXPENSE. I CAN HAVE OLD PART AS SOON AS I RECEIVE CAR BACK FROM DEALER. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP FOR 20 SECONDS, WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN NEARLY CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO CORRECT THE STEERING BY MANEUVERING THE STEERING WHEEL. THE SERVICE DEALER WAS NOT ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE ISSUE.