2000 Toyota Avalon

TL* THE CONTACT 2000 TOYOTA AVALON XLS. THE STEERING ON THE VEHICLE HAS A TENDENCY TO LOCK UP ON THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER WAS ABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM, BUT THEY HAD NEVER HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE HAPPENED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS MAKING A RIGHT HAND TURN ON A STREET CORNER AT A 90 DEGREE ANGLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 81000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 98,000. UPDATED 03/30/10. *LJ THE DEALER REPLACED THE STEERING COLUMN. UPDATED 07/01/10.*JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 TOYOTA AVALON XLS. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH ON THE INTERSTATE AND TRYING TO ENGAGE THE CRUISE CONTROL, IT WOULD NOT RESPOND AND FAILED TO ACTIVATE. FOLLOWING THAT FAILURE, ON THREE DIFFERENT OCCASIONS WHEN HE EXITED THE HIGHWAY, THE VEHICLE WOULD SUDDENLY ACCELERATE. HE WAS ABLE TO APPLY THE BRAKES AND TURN THE VEHICLE OFF TO AVOID A POTENTIAL CRASH. A FEW DAYS LATER, WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 3-5 MPH, THE VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD OVER THE CURB AND INTO A BUILDING. THE DRIVER WAS NOT INJURED. A POLICE REPORT WAS TAKEN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP AND THEN IT WAS RELEASED TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. HE CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS TOLD THAT SOMEONE WOULD CONTACT HIM. WHEN HE WAS CONTACTED BY A REPRESENTATIVE, HE WAS TOLD THAT THEY COULD NOT OFFER HIM ANY ASSISTANCE. THE BODY OF THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE ACCELERATION PROBLEM WAS NOT ADDRESSED WHEN THE COMPLAINT WAS FILED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 64,000. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 63,836. UPDATED 04/30/10

FOR YOUR INFORMATION, I HAD A 2000 TOYOTA AVALON WHICH I PURCHASED NEW AND WAS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. THE CAR HAD A POWER SURGE, WHICH CAUSED THE CAR TO GO THROUGH A BRICK WALL AT A CAR WASH IN CLINTON, MS. INSURANCE COMPANY TOTALED THE CAR. SINCE MY CAR WAS IDLING AT THE TIME AND NO FOOT WAS ON THE ACCELERATOR I BELIEVE IT WAS A COMPUTER GLITCH WHICH CAUSED THE CAR TO ACCELERATE. I HAD NO CONTROL OVER THE CAR WHAT SO EVER. I AM BEING PENALIZED FOR THIS. TOYOTA SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE. I FEEL FORTUNATE MY WIFE AND I WERE NOT KILLED OR INJURED. FORTUNATELY NO ONE AT THE CAR WASH WAS KILLED OR INJURED. PLEASE TAKE ACTION ON THE PROBLEM. IT IS NOT THE ACCELERATOR, IT IS A COMPUTER PROBLEM. YOUR PROMPT ACTION N THIS MATTER WITH TOYOTA WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. *TR

MY 2000 TOYOTA AVALON STEERING WOULD RANDOMLY LOCKUP WHEN MAKING TURNS. THE PIN THAT LOCKS UP THE STEERING WHEEL FOR THEFT PROTECTION WOULD ACTIVATE WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WHICH IN TURN WOULD LOCK THE STEERING UP MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER THE VEHICLE. MY SON WAS DRIVING THE CAR WHEN THE STEERING LOCKED UP WHEN HE WAS MAKING A RIGHT TURN RUNNING CAR INTO THE CURB. A WEEK LATER I WAS MAKING A LEFT TURN AND THE STEERING LOCKED CAUSING ME TO VEER INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. LUCKILY THERE WAS VERY LITTLE TRAFFIC AND I AVOIDED A COLLISION. MY TOYOTA DEALERSHIP HAD NO EXPLAINATION FOR THE PROBLEM. THE ESTIMATE FOR REPLACING THE PART WITH LABOR WOULD BE ABOUT $800.00. I HAD A MECHANIC AT A LOCAL GARAGE JUST REMOVE THE LOCKING DEVICE FOR $200.00 AND NOT REPLACE IT. *TR

AFTER ABOUT 5 YEARS, MY 2000 TOYOTA AVALON BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE OCCASIONAL CONTINUED ACCELERATION ("STICKING OF GAS MECHANISM") WHEN I REMOVED MY FOOT FROM THE GAS PEDAL. BEING A 230 LB MALE, I WAS ABLE TO OVERCOME THIS OCCURRENCE AT SIGNAL LIGHTS OR STOP SIGNS BY APPLYING EXTREME FORCE ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. I'VE LIVED WITH IT, BUT KNOW FOR CERTAIN IT IS A DEFECT. THIS HAPPENS 3-4 TIMES A YEAR. THIS IS NOT A "ME TOO" COMPLAINT. I SUSPECT THIS "STICKING" ACCELERATION PROBLEM IS MUCH BIGGER THAN REPORTED AS MANY DRIVERS (LIKE ME) DON'T BOTHER. *JB

DEAR SIR OR MADAM, I AM WRITING TO YOU BECAUSE THERE WAS AN INCIDENT WITH MY VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY. MY CAR IS A 2000 TOYOTA AVALON XS, AND THE PROBLEM I EXPERIENCED COULD HAVE BEEN LIFE THREATENING. I DRIVE ABOUT 25 MILES TO WORK DAILY THROUGH THE FREEWAY AND YESTERDAY WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY MY STEERING WHEEL LOCKED ITSELF WHILE THE CAR WAS ON, FOR ABOUT 2 MINUTES I WAS UNABLE TO GO IN ANY OTHER DIRECTION OTHER THAN STRAIGHT BECAUSE IT HAD LOCKED ITSELF. AFTER USING FORCE TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL IT HAD FINALLY DISLODGED, IT WAS A SCARY EXPERIENCE BECAUSE I HAD STARTED TO DRIFT INTO THE OTHER LANE SO I SLOWED DOWN A LITTLE. I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH FOR IT TO BE LOCKED IN A STRAIGHTAWAY INSTEAD OF A TURN. HOWEVER THAT WAS ONLY THE FIRST TIME IT HAD HAPPENED, LATER THAT NIGHT WHEN I WAS DOING ERRANDS IT HAD LOCKED UP ONCE AGAIN, THIS TIME OUTSIDE OUR HOUSE. AFTER TRYING TO BUDGE IT FOR A WHOLE HOUR IT FINALLY UNLOCKED AND I IMMEDIATELY TOOK IT TO OUR CAR SHOP. THE OWNER OF THE SHOP, A FRIEND OF OURS, ENCOURAGED US TO WRITE TO YOU TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING TO ANYONE ELSE. *TR

ON MAY 22, 2009, I BACKED MY 2000 TOYOTA AVALON INTO A PARKING AREA NEXT TO A SHORT PRIVATE ROAD LOCATED ABOUT HALFWAY DOWN A HIGH CLIFF ABOVE A BEACH. AFTER GETTING OUT OF THE CAR, I DECIDED TO MOVE IT ABOUT A FOOT FURTHER OFF THE ROAD. SO I BACKED UP VERY SLOWLY UNTIL THE BUMPER JUST TOUCHED THE CLIFF BEHIND ME. I BRAKED, THE CAR STOPPED, AND THEN I STEPPED VERY LIGHTLY ON THE GAS PEDAL, INTENDING TO BRAKE IMMEDIATELY AFTER MOVING FORWARD A FEW INCHES. TO MY HORROR, THE CAR SHOT FORWARD RAPIDLY, AND I WAS UNABLE TO STOP IT, NO MATTER HOW HARD I PUMPED THE BRAKE PEDAL. I SOMEHOW MANAGED TO TURN IT TO THE LEFT AND THUS AVOIDED PLUNGING OVER THE CLIFF BELOW ME. THE CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE, FISH-TAILING UP A SLIGHT GRADE. THEN IT HIT A PARKED CAR AND TURNED UPSIDE-DOWN ON THE ROAD. I SUFFERED BROKEN VERTEBRAE IN MY BACK AND NECK AND HAD TO BE HOSPITALIZED FOR 12 DAYS AND WEAR A HEAD-NECK BRACE FOR TWO MONTHS. THE CAR WAS TOTALED. *TR

THE FIRST THING THAT HAPPENED WAS THAT THE AIR BAG LIGHT ON THE DASH CAME ON. LOOKED THIS UP IN THE MANUAL AND IT SAID TO TAKE THE CAR IN TO THE DEALER - WHICH I DID. THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEAL SAID THAT THEY RAN A CHECK AND FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. THEIR EXPLANATION WAS THAT A LED LIGHT IN THE DASH WAS MALFUNCTIONING. MY HORN WAS NOT WORKING EITHER - SO THEY WIGGLED THE WIRES UNDER THE HOOD AND SAID THAT IT WOULD BE FINE. THE HORN LASTED UNTIL I WAS OUT OF THEIR DRIVEWAY. THIS FALL I DECIDED TO TAKE MY CAR TO A LOCAL GARAGE TO HAVE THE BRAKES REPLACED. AND ASKED THEM IF THEY WOULD CHECK ON MY HORN, SINCE IT DIDN'T WORK. THEY TOLD ME IT WAS ODD FOR A HORN TO GO OUT - BUT THEY WOULD REPLACE IT IF NEEDED. BEFORE THEY DID ANYTHING TO THE HORN THEY CALLED ME TO LET ME KNOW THAT NOT ONLY DID I NOT HAVE A HORN BUT - I DIDN'T HAVE THE DRIVER AIR BAG OR CRUISE CONTROL. THE PROBLEM IS THAT A SPRING IN THE STEERING COLUMN IS BROKEN. IT IS CALLED THE CABLE HUB ASSEMBLY. PRESENTLY I CAN NOT GET A CLEAN INSPECTION ON MY CAR - BECAUSE THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD ISSUE. USED PARTS ARE NOT SAFE TO USE AND NEW PARTS MUST BE ORDERED FROM TOYOTA - AND ARE COSTLY. THE LABOR FOR INSTALLATION IS COSTLY AS WELL. *CN

WHILE I WAS TURNING A 90 DEGREE RIGHT HAND TURN ONTO A CITY STREET AT APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE STEERING COLUMN COMPLETELY LOCKED UP WHILE THE CAR WAS IN MOTION. NOT POWER STEERING ASSIST FAILURE, BUT COMPLETE LOCK UP. I SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES AND STOPPED THE CAR. AFTER TURNING THE IGNITION OFF, THEN BACK ON, THE CAR COULD AGAIN BE STEERED. THIS HAD NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE, AND WE HAD BOUGHT THE CAR NEW IN 2000. CAR NOW HAS 92,000 MILES. THE DEALER REMOVED THE STEERING COLUMN LOCK AT MY INSISTENCE. NO OTHER PART WAS REPAIRED OR REPLACED, ACCORDING TO THE DEALER. OLD PART IS NOT AVAILABLE. *TR