2000 Toyota Avalon

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR ORIGINALLY PURCHASED 2000 TOYOTA AVALON WHICH HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT AND HAS ROUTINELY BEEN SERVICED BY TOYOTA DEALER. UPON LEAVING A STREET PARKING LOCATION AND PULLING AWAY FROM THE CURB THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED FORCING THE VEHICLE TO PROCEED IN THE "FROZEN" DIRECTION INTO THE LANE OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC. LUCKILY ALL ONCOMING TRAFFIC WAS AVOIDED AND NO ONE WAS INJURED. SHE HAD JUST COME OFF THE FREEWAY WITH GRANDCHILDREN IN THE CAR AND HAD JUST DROPPED THEM OFF. SHE STOPPED THE VEHICLE IN A RELATIVE SAFE POSITION, ANGLED INTO THE LANE OF TRAFFIC AND AWAITED A TOW FROM AAA TO OUR TOYOTA DEALER IN EL CAJON. THERE WAS NO ADVANCE WARNING OF THIS CONDITION. THE DEALER DISMANTLED THE STEERING COLUMN AND FOUND THE LOCKING MECHANISM FAILED AND SLIPPED INTO THE LOCKED POSITION. THEY REPAIRED THE VEHICLE AT A COST OF $581. IT COULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC! *TR

DETAILS: FRONT END "BOTTOMS OUT" AND HITS THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT TIRE WHEN EXITING AND /OR ENTERING INCLINES TO STRIP MALLS, ETC. AND V DITCHES ON PUBLIC STREETS WHEN TRAVELING AT SPEEDS LESS THAN 25 MPH, AND DURING HIGHWAY DIPS. THE TIRE HITS THE ENGINE SHROUD. THIS COULD CAUSE LOSS OF CONTROL OF VEHICLE AND DAMAGE TO TIRES WHEN GOING AT HIGHER SPEEDS. THIS PROB WAS ADDRESSED WILE VEHICLE WAS IN WARRANTY, BUT THE PROBLEM SOON RETURNED. *JB

TL* - THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 GMC ENVOY XUV. THE CONTACT PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IN 12/04, AND HAD A WARRANTY FOR 3 YEARS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT IN DECEMBER 2006 THE VEHICLE WAS IN A REAR END CRASH. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO BE REPAIRED IN DECEMBER 2006, AND THE REPAIRS HAVE NOT BEEN MADE TO DATE BECAUSE OF UNAVAILABLE PARTS. THE CONTACT WANTED THE VEHICLE TO BE EITHER REPAIRED OR REPURCHASED. AN AGREEMENT WAS REACHED WITH THE MANUFACTURER TO REPURCHASE THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT AND MANUFACTURER WERE SUPPOSED TO GO TO SETTLEMENT ON FEBRUARY 9, 2007, AND THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT RESPONDED TO THE CONTACT SINCE HE SIGNED THE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT AND FAXED IT BACK TO THEM ON FEBRUARY 5, 2007. THE CONTACT STATED THAT GMCWAS NOT IN COMPLIANCEWITH THE AGREEMENT BY NOT HAVING THE PARTS TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE BODYSHOP WONT RELEASE THE VEHICLE BECAUSE IT WAW PART OF A SAFETY ISSUE, AND THEY WERE WAITING ON THE PARTS TO COMPLETE THE REPAIR. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILAGE WERE 22000.*AK

I OWN A TOYOTA AVALON 2000 WITH <87000; 4 WEEKS AGO THE CAR EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE THAT WAS DETERMINED TO BE AS A RESULT OF LOW OIL VOLUME MOST LIKELY DUE TO OIL SLUDGE BUILD-UP. I HAVE REGULARLY MAINTAINED THE VEHICLE, AND HAVE ALL THE RECEIPTS. THE DEALERSHIP HAS TRIED TO AVOID TAKING BLAME, BUT AFTER TWO INDEPENDENT ADJUSTED VIEWED THE CAR, THE DEALERSHIP HAS PUT ME IN A LOANER VEHICLE. I AM AWAITING A RETURN CALL FROM THE REGIONAL MANAGER, BUT THEY ARE TAKING A LONG TIME TO RESPOND; THEY HAVE HAD MY CAR 4 WEEKS. I HAVE DONE EXTENSIVE RESEARCH AND FOUND TOYOTA REPORTED OIL SLUDGE PROBLEMS AND HAS COVERED COSTS OF REPAIRS. I AM, HOWEVER, HAVING GREAT DIFFICULTY GETTING SOMETHING DONE WITH MY CAR. *JB

AFTER DRIVING TWO HOURS MY WIFE ARRIVED AT HER DESTINATION AND FOUND ONE TIRE NEARLY FLAT. THE TIRE WAS FINE, THE LEAK WAS ACTUALLY THROUGH A PINHOLE LEAK IN THE STEEL RIM OF THE WHEEL. NO ONE WAS HURT BUT A SERIOUS ACCIDENT COULD HAVE OCCURRED. WE BELIEVE THIS WHEEL HAD A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT FROM DAY ONE, BUT THE DEALER DID NOT REPLACE THE WHEEL BECAUSE HE SAID IT WAS BEYOND THE 3-YEAR 36000 MILE WARRANTY. *JB

THE CONSUMER PAID FOR REPAIRS OF TIMING BELT, ALTERNATOR BELT, POWER STEERING BELT, HUB AND WHEEL BEARING, AND O-RING ON 2000 TOYOTA AVALON XLS. CONSUMER VIN NOT INCLUDED IN REAR HUB ASSEMBLY RECALL. *KB THE CONSUMER HAD THE LEFT REAR AXLE BEARING REPLACED PRIOR TO RECEIVING RECALL NOTIFICATION. THE REPAIR FACILITY INDICATED THAT THEY COULD NOT HONOR THE REPAIRS BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT MANUFACTURED WITHIN THE LIMITATIONS OF THE DATES LISTED ON THE RECALL. *NM

IT WAS A CLEAR DAY DRY ROAD, ABOUT 5:30 PM ON AUG. 16, 2005. I WAS WESTBOUND ON STATE RT 9, IN LOUDOUN COUNTY VA TRAVELING AT ABOUT 30 MPH. A 2005 HONDA CRV, SUV, CROSSED MY LANE DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ME. I WAS SO CLOSE THAT THERE WAS NO TIME TO AVOID THE ACCIDENT, NO TIME TO SLOW DOWN. I PUSHED THE SUV SIDEWAYS ABOUT 30 FEET BEFORE COMING TO A STOP. DURING THE ACCIDENT MY TOYOTA AVALON AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY, (OPERATE). DURING THE ACCIDENT I COULD SEE THE SIDE AIR BAGS ON THE HONDA OPERATE. AS A RESULT OF THE ACCIDENT I WAS INJURED BY THE SEAT BELT AND MY CAR WAS A TOTAL LOSS. NO CORRECTIVE ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN BY TOYOTA WITH RESPECT TO THIS ACCIDENT. *NM