1998 Toyota Avalon

AT 49,000 MILES, THE ENTIRE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM FAILED. BOTH THE COMPRESSOR AND THE CONDENSOR HAVE LEAKS AND THE WHOLE SYSTEM MUST BE REPLACED. TOYOTA HAS FAILED TO OFFER ANY GOODWILL ASSISTANCE FOR THIS REPAIR WHICH COSTS IN EXCESS OF $ 1200.00 SIMPLY CLAIMING "ITS OUT OF WARRANTY." ALL THIS IS A "LUXURY, FLAGSHIP" VEHICLE. DON'T BUY THIS CAR! TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE STINKS!! THEY ARE ALOT OF TALK ABOUT REPUTATION BUT THEY FAIL TO LIVE UP TO THEIR PROMISES!! I AM VERY DISSATISFIED WITH THIS CAR! ADDITIONALLY, MY MECHANIC HAS TOLD ME THAT HE HAS SEVERAL AVALONS WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM WHICH HE WILL BE REPAIRING. TOYOTA FAILS TO ACCEPT IT IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT IN THEIR AIR CONDITIONING PARTS!*AK

AN ALLDATA TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN ISSUED 12/03/1999: "A/C - ATC SYSTEM INTERMITTENTLY FAILS/BECOMES INOPERATIVE. AUTO A/C SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT. INTRODUCTION: A PRODUCTION CHANGE HAS BEEN MADE FOR THE 1998-1999 AVALON A/C AMPLIFIER. THE INTERNAL LOCIC HAS BEEN CORRECTED TO ELIMINATE EXCESSIVE AIR INLET SERVO MOTOR TRAVEL, WHICH MAY EFFECT THE MOTOR AND/OR THE SERVO LINK. VEHICLES WITH AUTOMATIC A/C MAY INTERMITTENTLY EXPERIENCE ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS: 1)THE AMBIENT TEMPERATURE DISPLAY MAY GO BLANK; 2)FRESH/RECIRC INDICATOR LIGHT INOPERATIVE; 3)MODE INDICATOR LIGHT INOPERATIVE; 4)BLOWER INDICATIOR INOPERATIVE. NOTE: A/C SYSTEM MAY RESTORE TO NORMAL CONDITION UPON CYCLING THE IGNITION SWITCH. ALL APPLICABLE VEHICLES: ALL 1998 MODEL YEAR AVALON XLS PRODUCED BEFORE VIN:4T1BF18B*WU273780." I FIRST EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM IN SUMMER OF 2003. A LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER DENIED KNOWLEDGE OF THE PROBLEM. EVENTUALLY ISOLATED THE PROBLEM AND ALLDATA BULLETIN WITH THROUGH AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. NOTIFIED TOYOTA CORPORATE, WHO IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND UNWILLING TO COVER THE COSTS TO CORRECT: $800 PER INDEPENDENT MECHANIC & $1,000 PER LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. DURING THE SUMMER, THE ATC FAILURES CREATED POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS DRIVING CONDITIONS AS WINDOWS QUICKLY FOGGED AND VISIBILITY DROPPED TO ZERO. CURRENTLY, THE ATC SYSTEM HAS FAILED AND HAS NOT RESTORED BY ALLOWING THE CAR TO SIT AND CYCLING THE IGNITION SWITCH, CREATING INABILITY TO DE-ICE AND DE-FOG THE CAR WINDOWS. ALL EVIDENCE INDICATES: 1)PROBLEM IS CAUSED BY INCORRECT INTERNAL LOGIC OF THE A/C AMPLIFIER, NOT NORMAL USE/WEAR OF THE VEHICLE; 2)TOYOTA IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND IS UNWILLING TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE; 3)THE PROBLEM QUICKLY AND UNPREDICABLY HAS CREATED DANGEROUS DRIVING CONDITIONS FOR THIS AND OTHERS DRIVERS, AS INDICATED BY THEIR NHTSA COMPLAINTS. PLEASE INITIATE AN INVESTIGATION AND RECALL, HOLDING TOYOTA ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE DEFECTIVE NATURE AND FAILURE OF THIS PRODUCT. *AK

WHEN APPLYING BRAKES, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. DEALER STATED THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK THREE TIMES WHEN ALMOST COMPLETELY STOPPED, THE CAR SUDDENLY LUNGED FORWARD. THE VEHICLE WENT OVER THE CEMENT AND SCRAPPED THE BOTTOM OF THE CAR, THE TIRES HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE CONSUMER HAS A VERY DANGEROUS UNCONTROLLABLE VEHICLE. *CB *JB

A/C CLIMATE CONTROL SHUTS ITSELF OFF AUTOMATICALLY AFTER A SHORT PERIOD USAGE. THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATUR EINDICATOR,FAN SPEED,VENTILATION DIRECTION, AND OUTSIDE AIR RECIRCULATION CONTROLS ALL GO OUT. ALMOST GOTTEN INTO AN ACCIDENT WHEN THE WINDSHIELD A/C DEFROST DID NOT WORK DUE TO THIS PROBLEM. STILL UNDER THE MILAGE WARRANTY(>36000), AND WENT TO TOYOTA DEALER AND WAS QUOATED $900 TO GET THIS PROBLEM FIXED. WILL CONTACT TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE NEXT. *AK

A/C CLIMATE CONTROL SHUTS ITSELF OFF AUTOMATICALLY AFTER A SHORT PERIOD USAGE. THE OUTSIDE TEMP.INDICATOR,FAN SPEED,VENTILATION DIRECTION, AND OUTSIDE AIR RECIRCULATION CONTROLS ALL GO OUT. ALMOST GOTTEN INTO AN ACCIDENT WHEN THE WINDSHIELD A/C DEFROST DID NOT WORK DUE TO THIS PROBLEM. STILL UNDER THE MILAGE WARRANTY(>36000), AND WENT TO TOYOTA DEALER AND WAS QUOATED $900 TO GET THIS PROBLEM FIXED. WILL CONTACT TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE NEXT. *AK