2000 Toyota Avalon

ENGINE WARNING LIGHT AND VSC AND VSC OFF LIGHT WENT ON WHILE DRIVING. DEALER INDICATED THAT A VALVE IN THE CHARCOAL CANISTER AND THE CANISTER ITSELF NEEDED REPLACEMENT. THE COMPONENTS ARE PART OF THE EMISSIONS SYSTEM AND THE VSC IS PART OF THE SAME CIRCUIT HENCE BOTH SETS OF WARNING LIGHTS WENT ON. DEALER INDICATED THAT IF YOU TOP OFF THE TANK THE EXTRA GAS SPILLS OVER INTO THE CANISTER AND CAN OVERWHELM THE VALVE CAUSING EXCESSIVE USAGE AND POSSIBLE SHORTING. I INDICATED THAT I HAVE NEVER TOPPED OFF THE TANK IN THIS CAR, DEALER HAD NO OTHER EXPLANATION. PART IS NOT COVERED UNDER THE TOYOTA $1800 EXTRA CARE GOLD EXTENDED WARRANTY, AND COST TO REPLACE CANISTER WAS $285.00, AND $31.00 FOR VALVE, PLUS $285.00 LABOR. NOTE:78K MILES ON VEHICLE, SAME EXACT PROBLEM ON THREE OTHER OCCASIONS: 6/11/03 NEW VALVE, VACUUM SWI INSTALLED, TOTAL CHARGE $152.11 52,587 MILEAGE 10/16/03 DIAGNOSIS & CLEAN SENSOR REINSTALL CODE, TOTAL CHARGE $130.50 56,694 MILEAGE 6/24/04 DIAGNOSIS & REINSTALL CODE, TOTAL CHARGE $43.50 60,252 MILEAGE. *NM

I TOOK MY AVALON IN BECAUSE THERE WAS SMOKE COMING FROM THE TAILPIPE UPON ENGINE START. THEY TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS SLUDGE BUILDUP CAUSED BY THE IMPROPER MAINTAINANCE AND THAT THEY WOULD CLEAN OUT THE ENGINE AND THAT SHOULD HELP. BUT THE FACT IS THE CAR NOW PINGS SO LOUD YOU CAN NOT HEAR THE RADIO. NO IT IS NOT THE GAS. THEY BLAMED THE SLUDGE PROBLEM ON MY MAINTENANCE. I HAVE ALWAYS KEPT THE CAR UP TO DATE ON THE OIL CHANGES. THE MILES AT THAT TIME WERE APPROXIMATELY 30,000. I HAVE HEARD MANY TOYOTA'S HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. THE MILES I HAVE NOW ARE 50,000. *NM

DT: THE CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THERE WAS NO INDICATION THAT THE AIR BAGS WOULD NOT DEPLOY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CALLED AND THE CONSUMER IS WAITING FOR A REPLY. THE DEALER HAD NOT BEEN CONTACTED YET. *AK THE DRIVER SUSTAINED BRUISES TO HER STERNUM, ABDOMEN AND LEFT SIDE FROM THE SEAT BELT. *NM THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS ON WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN A HAIL STORM HIT AND INSTANTLY CHANGED THE ROAD INTO ICE. THE CONSUMER SWERVED FROM THE OUTER LANE ACROSS THE HIGHWAY AND INTO THE MEDIAN WHERE THE VEHICLE STRUCK TWO VEHICLES. THE TRACTION CONTROL DID NOT ACTIVATE AND THE STEERING HAD BECOME INOPERATIVE. *SC THE TRACTION CONTROL WAS NON-EXISTENT ON ALL 4 WHEELS. *JB

DT: 2000 TOYOTA AVALON HAS POWER SEATS. ON JANUARY 22, 2002 BOTH SEATS RECLINED ALL THE WAY WITHOUT ANYONE OR KEYS IN THE VEHICLE. THE DOORS WERE LOCKED, AND THE CONSUMER WATCHED THIS HAPPEN. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER, WHO COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE SAID IT COULD NOT HAPPEN. THE SECOND TIME ONLY THE PASSENGER'S SIDE SEAT RECLINED WITH NO ONE IN THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER JUST STEPPED OUT OF THE VEHICLE, AND WHEN HE LOOKED BACK THE SEAT WAS RECLINED.*AK SECOND OCCURANCE WAS MAY 26, 2005. THE MILAGE OF THE VEHICLE WAS 56,900. THE DEALERSHIP THAT IS ON QUESTIONAIRE IS NO LONGER OPEN. *SB *NM

I STARTED MY 2000 TOYOTA AVALON LX AND FOUND THE STEERING WHEEL TO BE LOCKED. THE KEY EASILY STARTED THE CAR AND I WAS ABLE TO SHIFT EASILY INTO ANY GEAR, AND DRIVE OR GO FORWARD. BUT THE STEERING REMAINED LOCKED. I HAD TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE IGNITION CYLNDER HOUSING AND BRACKET ASSY. STEERING. NO EXPLATION WAS GIVEN AS TO WHY THE LOCKING HAPPENED. THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER SAID HE HAD NEVER SEEN SUCH A THING IN HIS 20 YEARS OF TOWING CARS.

PROBLEMS WITH CONSUMER GETTING LOCKED IN VEHICLE AS WELL AS BRAKE PROBLEMS. *MR THE PROBLEM HAD BEEN PRESENT SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED. THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD NOT TURN, NEITHER WOULD THE KEY TURN THE IGNITION. THE BRAKE PROBLEM REMAINED UNRESOLVED. ON ANOTHER OCCASION THE CONSUMER TRIED TO SLOW DOWN TO MAKE A TURN AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED UNCONTROLLABLY. THE ONLY WAY THE VEHICLE WOLD STOP, WAS TO TURN THE KEY AND THE SHUT THE MOTOR OFF. THE VEHICLE LOST POWER WHEN BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE, THE IGNITION PROBLEM WAS INTERMITTENT AND THE BRAKE PROBLEM WAS INTERMITTENT. *SC *JB