2000 Toyota Avalon

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

MY FATHER WAS DRIVING DOWN THE STREET IN A RESIDENTIAL SUBDIVISION IN MY 2000 TOYOTA AVALON WHEN THE CAR BEGAN TO SUDDENLY ACCELERATE ON ITS OWN. MY FATHER LOST CONTROL AS HE WAS UNABLE TO BRAKE. HE ENDED UP SIDE SWIPING A TREE THEN HITTING A PARKED CAR HEAD ON PUSHING IT ONTO SOMEONES FRONT LAWN. LUCKILY HE WAS ABLE TO STOP THE CAR BY PUTTING IT IN NEUTRAL AND TURNING THE IGNITION OFF. *TR

CAR WAS PARKED IN THE GARAGE. I NOTICED THAT THE EYEGLASS COMPARTMENT THAT IS LOCATED INSIDE THE CAR BETWEEN THE TWO FRONT VISORS WAS HANGING DOWN AND COVERING THE INSIDE REAR VIEW MIRROR. I TRIED TO CLOSE IT SHUT BY PUSHING IT UP INTO PLACE, BUT IT KEPT FALLING DOWN. I PUT ON MASKING TAPE TO KEEP IT CLOSED, SINCE I DID NOT WANT TO DRIVE WITHOUT THE USE OF MY INSIDE REAR VIEW MIRROR. THAT SAME DAY, I HAD AN APPOINTMENT TO GET NEW TIRES AT AN AUTO REPAIR PLACE. I DROVE DIRECTLY THERE AND ASKED THE AUTO MECHANIC TO REMOVE THE COMPARTMENT COVER ENTIRELY. HE REMOVED THE COVER, IT WAS HELD IN PLACE WITH TWO LITTLE SCREWS, AND HE ALSO FOUND IN THE CAR A TINY PIECE OF ALUMINUM, IN A V SHAPE, THAT MUST HAVE BEEN PART OF THE COMPARTMENT LOCKING MECHANISM. I HAVE HAD THIS CAR FOR 14 YEARS AND NEVER HAVE PUT ANYTHING IN THAT COMPARTMENT. I MAY HAVE OPENED IT ONCE TO SEE HOW IT WORKED WHEN I FIRST GOT THE CAR. I AM GLAD THAT THIS DID NOT HAPPEN WHILE I WAS DRIVING IN TRAFFIC, AND THAT THIS COVER IS NOW COMPLETELY GONE FROM THE CAR. THIS CAR DOES HAVE VERY LOW MILEAGE. *TR

WHILE PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE IN FRONT OF A RETAIL STORE. THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED WITH ENGINE AT HIGHEST RPM.... FRONT END HITTING CONCRETE WALL . POLICE AND EMT'S CALLED AND REPORT GIVEN. RELATIVELY MINOR HEAD AND CHEST INJURIES TO 88 YEAR OLD DRIVER. NO AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT. CAR TOWED TO REPAIR SHOP.WHERE IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE STEEL CABLE FROM THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WHERE IT IS LOCATED JUST INSIDE THE FIRE WALL WAS STUCK IN THE FULL ACCELERATE POSITION. THE LOCATION OF THIS CABLE WAS NOT AFFECTED BY THE RESULTING CRASH. THERE WERE NO CARPET PADS OR OTHER SUCH ITEMS WHICH COULD HAVE INTERFERED WITH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL ( AS PREVIOUSLY REPORTED IN PAST HIGH SPEED TOYOTA CRASHES).FURTHER, THE DRIVER'S FOOT WAS OFF THE ACCELERATOR AND MOVING TOWARDS THE BRAKE AT THE TIME OF ACCELERATION BUT THE DISTANCE TRAVELED WAS ONLY ABOUT 10 FEET BEFORE THE CRASH! *TR

THE AIR BAG LIGHT IS ON. POSSIBLE AIR BAG MALFUNCTION. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED THREE YEARS AGO. DEALER FAILS TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM DEALER WANTS TO CHARGE $750 FOR REPLACEMENT. A DEFECTIVE AIR BAG IS NOT DRIVER'S FAULT. AIR BAG IS DEFECTIVE AND MAY FAIL TO FUNCTION SHOULD THERE BE AN ACCIDENT. VEHICLE IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE WITH A DEFECTIVE AIR BAG. I AM UNABLE TO PAY $750 FOR SOMETHING THAT I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR. THAT IS THE DEALER'S RESPONSIBILITY. *JS

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

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, THE FRONT SIDE OF HIS FOOT BECAME PARTIALLY STUCK BEHIND THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE FAILURE OCCURRED SPORADICALLY. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO REMOVE HIS FOOT. THE DEALER INFORMED THAT THERE WAS NOT A REMEDY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000.

TOYOTA AVALON 2000 "CHECK ENGINE' LIGHT COMES ON. I TAKE IT TO TOYOTA DEALER FOR REPAIR 9/1/12 . THIS LIGHT COMES ON AGAIN ON 10/9/12. TOYOTA DEALER AGAIN REPAIRS. LIGHT COMES ON AGAIN 12/14/12. TOYOTA DEALER REPAIRS AGAIN. LIGHT COMES ON AGAIN 01/18/13. TOYOTA DEALER REPAIRS AGAIN. 'CHECK ENGINE LIGHT' COMES ON AGAIN 1/25/13. TOYOTA DEALER WANTS TO REPAIR. I REFUSE. I INFORM TOYOTA DEALER AND TOYOTA CORP. AND REQUEST A REFUND OF ALL MONEY ($824.47) CHARGED. NO REFUND AS OF 2/8/13. ON 8/18/12, THE DRIVER FRONT WINDOW WON'T ROLL. TOYOTA DEALER REPAIRS IT AT A COST OF $274.24. *TR