2000 Toyota Avalon

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 TOYOTA AVALON. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED WITHOUT WARNING. AS A RESULT, THE DRIVER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE DROVE OVER A CURB, SPUN AROUND ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE ROAD, AND CRASHED INTO A BRIDGE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE DRIVER SUFFERED NECK AND BACK INJURIES THAT DID NOT REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 167,000.

THIS IS AN INTERMITEND PROBLEM AND IT HAPPENS WHEN STARTING ON THE CAR. TO TURN THE CAR ON I HAVE TO TAKE THE STEERING WHEEL AND FORCEFULLY TURN IT LEFT AND RIGHT. MOVE ALSO THE SHIFTER TO NEUTRAL. I ALSO TRY TO PRESS THE BRAKE AT THE SAME TIME. MECHANICS HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE CAR WAS ALSO CHECKED BY A TOYOTA DEALER AND THE PROBLEM WAS NOT IDENTIFIED. THE BATTERY AND THE CABLES ARE WORKING PROPERLY. NOW IT IS HAPPENING VERY OFTEN AND CREATING A SECURITY AND SAFETY ISSUE. I CHECKED THE RECALLS FOR THIS CAR ASSOCIATED WITH THIS SITUATION I DID NOT FIND AN ANSWER ALTHOUGH I HAVE READ LOTS OF RELATED COMPLAINS. I AM PLANNING TO CHANGE THE IGNITION OR THE STARTER BUT PROBABLY IS A TRY AND ERROR SOLUTION.

THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED ON FEBRUARY 10, 2015 WHILE I WAS DRIVING TO WORK, I TOOK THIS RAMP AT 30 MPH WHICH IS A LEFT TUNING CURVE THAT TAKES YOU TO THE HIGHWAY. AT THE END OF THE RAMP I HAD TO GRADUALLY ACCELERATE AND MAKE A MODERATE RIGHT TURN TO JOIN THE HIGHWAY TRAFFIC. AFTER FINISHING THE RIGHT TURN, I COULDN'T KEEP THE CAR RUNNING STRAIGHT ON THE HIGHWAY. THE STEERING WHEEL WAS LOCKED AND I WASN'T ABLE TO STEER THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE KEPT ON GOING THE RIGHT TURN AND CRASHED INTO A GUARD RAIL CAUSING THE BUMPER COVER, BUMPER REINFORCEMENT, WIND SHIELD WASHER TANK, FRONT BUMPER GRILL AND LEFT AND RIGHT LIGHTS TO BE DAMAGED. THE STEERING SYSTEM AND ITS COMPONENTS ARE IN GOOD WORKING CONDITION. THIS ACCIDENT HAPPENED BECAUSE "STEERING INTERLOCK ASSEMBLY" RECALL OF JULY 29, 2010 (NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 10V345000) WAS NOT DONE TO MY 2000 TOYOTA AVALON. TOYOTA DID NOT NOTIFY ME OF THIS RECALL. I BELIEVE THAT TOYOTA IS AWARE OF THE FACT THAT THERE ARE VEHICLES LIKE MINE THAT BEING DRIVEN ON THE STREETS WITHOUT THE STEERING INTERLOCK ASSEMBLY RECALLS TAKEN CARE OF. THE CONSEQUENCE OF THE RECALL STATES THAT: SHOULD THE STEERING LOCK BAR BREAK, THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD LOCK AND THE DRIVER WOULD LOSE THE ABILITY TO STEER THE VEHICLE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH. TOYOTA FAILED TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE THAT I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT. TOYOTA PERFORMED AN INSPECTION WHICH NOT RELATED TO THE STEERING COLUMN RECALL. PLEASE HELP THE STEERING LOCK ASSEMBLY BE INSPECTED. *TR

WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STARTED IN THE WINTER, THE STEERING COLUMN IS SOMETIMES LOCKED, MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER THE VEHICLE UNTIL THE STEERING WHEEL IS TURNED BACK AND FORTH REPEATEDLY, THE VEHICLE WARMS UP, OR THE VEHICLE IS TURNED ON AND OFF. INTERNET RESEARCH SUGGESTS THIS IS PART OF ESTABLISHED STEERING PROBLEMS WITH THE 2000 AVALON AND LIKELY RELATED TO THE STEERING LOCK BAR OF THE INTERLOCK SYSTEM. NO STEERING ISSUES HAVE OCCURRED AS OF YET WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. *TR

2000 TOYOTA AVALON. CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE LOCKS UP WHILE DRIVING *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED TOYOTA REFUSED TO HONOR THE STEERING RECALL. THEY STATED THE CREDIT CARD RECEIPTS WERE NOT ADEQUATE PROOF OF PAYMENT FOR REPAIRS. THE CONSUMER STATED SHORTLY AFTER SHE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE FOR HIS DAUGHTER, THE STEERING BEGAN TO LOCK UP WHILE DRIVING. IT HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES FROM NOVEMBER 2007 TO JANUARY 2008. *JB

2000 TOYOTA AVALON. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO TOYOTA RECALL STEERING COLUMN UPPER BRACKET *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED THE STEERING BRACKET IN HIS VEHICLE HAD TO BE REPLACED, PRIOR TO TOYOTA ISSUING A RECALL. THE CONSUMER WROTE TOYOTA TWO MONTHS LATER REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT. TOYOTA RESPONDING BY SAYING THE REPAIRS THAT WERE DONE ON THE CONSUMERS VEHICLE, WERE NOT RECALLED REPAIRS. THE CONSUMER STATED THE RECALL AS WELL AS HIS INVOICE STATED THE STEERING BRACKET WAS THE PROBLEM. *JB

ON JULY 3, 2008, MY 2000 TOYOTA AVALON STEERING COLUMN LOCKED WHILE ON VACATION IN SEDONA, AZ. IT WAS TOWED TO THE NEAREST TOYOTA DEALERSHIP WHICH WAS IN PRESCOTT, AZ. THE DEALERSHIP REPAIR RECEIPT READS: FAULTY LOCK PIN, REMOVED IGNITION LOCK BRACKET, REMOVED LOCK PIN, REINSTALLED BRACKET. NEEDS NEW LOCK BRACKET AND BREAK-OFF BOLTS. (PLEASE REFER TO THE MECHANIC NOTES THAT I NEEDED A NEW LOCK BRACKET AND BREAK-OFF BOLTS - DID TOYOTA KNOW AT THIS TIME THIS WAS A DEFECTIVE PROBLEM?) RECENTLY I RECEIVED A SAFETY RECALL NOTICE FOR CERTAIN 2000 - 2004 TOYOTA AVALON STEERING COLUMN UPPER BRACKETS. I HAVE CONTACTED TOYOTA BY MAIL AND PHONE AND THEY REFUSE TO REIMBURSE ME FOR THE EXPENSES I HAVE INCURRED BECAUSE OF THEIR DEFECTIVE MANUFACTURING. THE RECALL NOTICE DESCRIBES THE RECALL CONDITION AS FOLLOWS: DUE TO THE IMPROPER CASTING OF THE STEERING LOCK BAR, WHICH IS A COMPONENT OF THE STEERING INTERLOCK SYSTEM, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT MINUTE CRACK MAY DEVELOP ON THE SURFACE. SUCH A CRACK MAY EXPAND OVER A LONG PERIOD OF REPEATED LOCK AND UNLOCK OPERATIONS, AND EVENTUALLY THE BAR COULD BREAK. IT THIS OCCURS, THE INTERLOCK SYSTEM MAY BECOME DIFFICULT TO UNLOCK WHEN STATIONARY. ..... *TR