2000 TOYOTA AVALON Complaints

AFTER DRIVING TWO HOURS MY WIFE ARRIVED AT HER DESTINATION AND FOUND ONE TIRE NEARLY FLAT. THE TIRE WAS FINE, THE LEAK WAS ACTUALLY THROUGH A PINHOLE LEAK IN THE STEEL RIM OF THE WHEEL. NO ONE WAS HURT BUT A SERIOUS ACCIDENT COULD HAVE OCCURRED. WE BELIEVE THIS WHEEL HAD A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT FROM DAY ONE, BUT THE DEALER DID NOT REPLACE THE WHEEL BECAUSE HE SAID IT WAS BEYOND THE 3-YEAR 36000 MILE WARRANTY. *JB

THE CONSUMER PAID FOR REPAIRS OF TIMING BELT, ALTERNATOR BELT, POWER STEERING BELT, HUB AND WHEEL BEARING, AND O-RING ON 2000 TOYOTA AVALON XLS. CONSUMER VIN NOT INCLUDED IN REAR HUB ASSEMBLY RECALL. *KB THE CONSUMER HAD THE LEFT REAR AXLE BEARING REPLACED PRIOR TO RECEIVING RECALL NOTIFICATION. THE REPAIR FACILITY INDICATED THAT THEY COULD NOT HONOR THE REPAIRS BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT MANUFACTURED WITHIN THE LIMITATIONS OF THE DATES LISTED ON THE RECALL. *NM

IT WAS A CLEAR DAY DRY ROAD, ABOUT 5:30 PM ON AUG. 16, 2005. I WAS WESTBOUND ON STATE RT 9, IN LOUDOUN COUNTY VA TRAVELING AT ABOUT 30 MPH. A 2005 HONDA CRV, SUV, CROSSED MY LANE DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ME. I WAS SO CLOSE THAT THERE WAS NO TIME TO AVOID THE ACCIDENT, NO TIME TO SLOW DOWN. I PUSHED THE SUV SIDEWAYS ABOUT 30 FEET BEFORE COMING TO A STOP. DURING THE ACCIDENT MY TOYOTA AVALON AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY, (OPERATE). DURING THE ACCIDENT I COULD SEE THE SIDE AIR BAGS ON THE HONDA OPERATE. AS A RESULT OF THE ACCIDENT I WAS INJURED BY THE SEAT BELT AND MY CAR WAS A TOTAL LOSS. NO CORRECTIVE ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN BY TOYOTA WITH RESPECT TO THIS ACCIDENT. *NM

ENGINE WARNING LIGHT AND VSC AND VSC OFF LIGHT WENT ON WHILE DRIVING. DEALER INDICATED THAT A VALVE IN THE CHARCOAL CANISTER AND THE CANISTER ITSELF NEEDED REPLACEMENT. THE COMPONENTS ARE PART OF THE EMISSIONS SYSTEM AND THE VSC IS PART OF THE SAME CIRCUIT HENCE BOTH SETS OF WARNING LIGHTS WENT ON. DEALER INDICATED THAT IF YOU TOP OFF THE TANK THE EXTRA GAS SPILLS OVER INTO THE CANISTER AND CAN OVERWHELM THE VALVE CAUSING EXCESSIVE USAGE AND POSSIBLE SHORTING. I INDICATED THAT I HAVE NEVER TOPPED OFF THE TANK IN THIS CAR, DEALER HAD NO OTHER EXPLANATION. PART IS NOT COVERED UNDER THE TOYOTA $1800 EXTRA CARE GOLD EXTENDED WARRANTY, AND COST TO REPLACE CANISTER WAS $285.00, AND $31.00 FOR VALVE, PLUS $285.00 LABOR. NOTE:78K MILES ON VEHICLE, SAME EXACT PROBLEM ON THREE OTHER OCCASIONS: 6/11/03 NEW VALVE, VACUUM SWI INSTALLED, TOTAL CHARGE $152.11 52,587 MILEAGE 10/16/03 DIAGNOSIS & CLEAN SENSOR REINSTALL CODE, TOTAL CHARGE $130.50 56,694 MILEAGE 6/24/04 DIAGNOSIS & REINSTALL CODE, TOTAL CHARGE $43.50 60,252 MILEAGE. *NM

I TOOK MY AVALON IN BECAUSE THERE WAS SMOKE COMING FROM THE TAILPIPE UPON ENGINE START. THEY TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS SLUDGE BUILDUP CAUSED BY THE IMPROPER MAINTAINANCE AND THAT THEY WOULD CLEAN OUT THE ENGINE AND THAT SHOULD HELP. BUT THE FACT IS THE CAR NOW PINGS SO LOUD YOU CAN NOT HEAR THE RADIO. NO IT IS NOT THE GAS. THEY BLAMED THE SLUDGE PROBLEM ON MY MAINTENANCE. I HAVE ALWAYS KEPT THE CAR UP TO DATE ON THE OIL CHANGES. THE MILES AT THAT TIME WERE APPROXIMATELY 30,000. I HAVE HEARD MANY TOYOTA'S HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. THE MILES I HAVE NOW ARE 50,000. *NM

STEERING WHEEL LOCKED WHILE DRIVING IN A RIGHT HAND TURN. TOYOTA DEALER REPLACED THE IGNITION CYLINDER HOUSING ASSEMBLY AND CHARGED CONSUMER $464.13. I HAVE POSESSION OF FAILED PART WHICH CLEARLY DEMONSTRATES LOOSE LOCKING PIN. VEHICLE IS A 2000 TOYOTA AVALON WITH 102029 MILES. *JB

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THIS VEHICLE WAS EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEMS AS MENTIONED IN NHTSA RECALL 00V154000 CONCERNING REAR SUSPENSION. HOWEVER, THIS VEHICLE WA S NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. THERE HAVE BEEN NO REPAIRS MADE TO THE VEHICLE AT THIS TIME. *AK

2000 AVALON XLS - MY WIFE WAS HIT BROADSIDE BY ANOTHER CAR THAT RAN A RED LIGHT @~50 MPH. THE IMPACT OCCURRED ON THE DRIVERS SIDE AND KNOCKED THE VEHICLE 25 FEET SIDEWAYS DOWN THE ROAD. THE SIDE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CAR WAS DEEMED A TOTAL LOSS BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY AND THEY TOOK POSSESSION OF THE VEHICLE.*JB

DT: THE CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THERE WAS NO INDICATION THAT THE AIR BAGS WOULD NOT DEPLOY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CALLED AND THE CONSUMER IS WAITING FOR A REPLY. THE DEALER HAD NOT BEEN CONTACTED YET. *AK THE DRIVER SUSTAINED BRUISES TO HER STERNUM, ABDOMEN AND LEFT SIDE FROM THE SEAT BELT. *NM THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS ON WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN A HAIL STORM HIT AND INSTANTLY CHANGED THE ROAD INTO ICE. THE CONSUMER SWERVED FROM THE OUTER LANE ACROSS THE HIGHWAY AND INTO THE MEDIAN WHERE THE VEHICLE STRUCK TWO VEHICLES. THE TRACTION CONTROL DID NOT ACTIVATE AND THE STEERING HAD BECOME INOPERATIVE. *SC THE TRACTION CONTROL WAS NON-EXISTENT ON ALL 4 WHEELS. *JB

DT: 2000 TOYOTA AVALON HAS POWER SEATS. ON JANUARY 22, 2002 BOTH SEATS RECLINED ALL THE WAY WITHOUT ANYONE OR KEYS IN THE VEHICLE. THE DOORS WERE LOCKED, AND THE CONSUMER WATCHED THIS HAPPEN. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER, WHO COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE SAID IT COULD NOT HAPPEN. THE SECOND TIME ONLY THE PASSENGER'S SIDE SEAT RECLINED WITH NO ONE IN THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER JUST STEPPED OUT OF THE VEHICLE, AND WHEN HE LOOKED BACK THE SEAT WAS RECLINED.*AK SECOND OCCURANCE WAS MAY 26, 2005. THE MILAGE OF THE VEHICLE WAS 56,900. THE DEALERSHIP THAT IS ON QUESTIONAIRE IS NO LONGER OPEN. *SB *NM