2000 TOYOTA AVALON Complaints

I STARTED MY 2000 TOYOTA AVALON LX AND FOUND THE STEERING WHEEL TO BE LOCKED. THE KEY EASILY STARTED THE CAR AND I WAS ABLE TO SHIFT EASILY INTO ANY GEAR, AND DRIVE OR GO FORWARD. BUT THE STEERING REMAINED LOCKED. I HAD TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE IGNITION CYLNDER HOUSING AND BRACKET ASSY. STEERING. NO EXPLATION WAS GIVEN AS TO WHY THE LOCKING HAPPENED. THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER SAID HE HAD NEVER SEEN SUCH A THING IN HIS 20 YEARS OF TOWING CARS.

PROBLEMS WITH CONSUMER GETTING LOCKED IN VEHICLE AS WELL AS BRAKE PROBLEMS. *MR THE PROBLEM HAD BEEN PRESENT SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED. THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD NOT TURN, NEITHER WOULD THE KEY TURN THE IGNITION. THE BRAKE PROBLEM REMAINED UNRESOLVED. ON ANOTHER OCCASION THE CONSUMER TRIED TO SLOW DOWN TO MAKE A TURN AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED UNCONTROLLABLY. THE ONLY WAY THE VEHICLE WOLD STOP, WAS TO TURN THE KEY AND THE SHUT THE MOTOR OFF. THE VEHICLE LOST POWER WHEN BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE, THE IGNITION PROBLEM WAS INTERMITTENT AND THE BRAKE PROBLEM WAS INTERMITTENT. *SC *JB

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND WHEN ACCELERATOR WAS RELEASED VEHICLE STALLED AND LOST POWER. ONCE VEHICLE STOPS ONLY THEN CAN IT BE RESTARTED. VEHICLE HAD BEEN TO THE DEALER TWICE FOR THIS PROBLEM, AND DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK *NM

MY 2000 TOTYOTA AVALON HAS A "LOOSE" AND "TWITCHY" FRONT SUSPENSION THAT PRESENTS ITSELF AS YOU APPROACH NORMAL HIGHWAY SPEEDS. AS ROAD FEEL AND CONTROL DIMINISHES WITH INCREASED SPEED, THE CARE BECOMES STRESSFUL TO DRIVE. THIS RESULTS IN A "WANDERING" FRONT END CAUSING THE DRIVER TO OVER-CORRECT IN EVEN MODERATE TURNING MANEUVERS. THIS IS MOST PRONOUNCED WHEN SEVERAL PASSANGERS OR LUGGAGE IS IN THE CAR. THIS IS EVEN NOW REPORTED BY CONSUMMER REPORTS.

AMONG THE FOUR TOYOTA VEHICLES OWNED BY THE CONSUMER ONLY THE 2000 AVALON WOULD SURGE FORWARD WHILE SITTING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT. *PH PUSHING HARD ON THE BRAKES WOULD KEEP THE VEHICLE FROM HITTING OTHER VEHICLES AND THE SURGE WOULD STOP AS QUICKLY AS IT STARTED. THIS WAS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. *SC *JB

WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH CONSUMER HEARD A LOUD EXPLOSION OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. LATER, THE CONSUMER REALIZED THAT THE SUN ROOF EXPLODED OUTWARD. *AK

VEHICLE HAD ELECTRICAL DOOR LOCKS . THE DRIVER WENT TO OPEN THE DOOR, AND NEITHER DRIVER'S LOCK NOR PASSENGER'S LOCK WOULD OPEN WHILE INSIDE OF VEHICLE. PASSENGER HAD A PANIC ATTACK BECAUSE THE DOORS WOULD NOT RELEASE FOR SAFETY. PASSENGER HAD TO BE TRANSPORTED BY AMBULANCE.*AK

VEHICLE TIRE EQUIPMENT WAS CONSIDERED CHEAP.*MR THE TIRES FAILED AT A LOW MILEAGE. *TS *JB

2000 TOYOTA AVALON XLS STEERING WHEEL VIBRATIONS. NAR 07/10/2003.*MR THE CONSUMERS VEHICLE PULLED TO THE LEFT AND THE STEERING WHEEL VIBRATED AND BECAME STIFF ON FREQUENT OCCASIONS. PLEASE TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION IN RESOLVING MATTERS. *CB THE DEALER ROTATED AND BALANCED THE TIRES, AND PERFORMED SEVERAL ALIGNMENTS, BUT THE PROBLEM CONTINUED. *JB

CONSUMER STATES THAT BRAKES FAILED WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING. DEALER HAD TO REPLACE BOTH SIDES OF THE REAR BRAKES AND 1 ROTOR. THE FRONT BRAKES WERE WORN TO 50% CAPACITY.*AK