2001 Toyota Avalon

WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING THE ENGINE AND VEHICLE SKID CONTROL LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD. *AK THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE FUEL TANK CAP WHICH CAUSED THE LIGHTS TO ILLUMINATE. THE LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AT LEAST FIVE TIMES, AND THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. ALSO THE VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD AT TIMES, HOWEVER THE DEALER FOUND NO PROBLEM. *JB *NLM

THERE WAS A THUMPING NOISE IN REAR WHEN COMING TO A STOP AND PULLING OFF FROM A STOP. GAS IS SHIFTING AROUND IN GAS TANK. *AK THE NOISE WAS PROMINENT. THE SERVICE MANAGER AGREED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS IN NEED OF A NEW TANK. THE ORDER WAS PLACED FOR A NEW TANK BUT WAS CANCELLED BY A REPRESENTATIVE BECAUSE IT WOULD MEAN THAT TOYOTA ADMITS THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE FUEL TANKS ON THESE VEHICLES. THE PROBLEM, BECAUSE THE TANK COULDN'T BE REPLACED, BECAME MUCH WORSE. CONSUMER IS NO LONGER IN POSSESION OF THE VEHICLE. *JG

CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 35 MHP ON A SIDE STREET AND NOTICED THAT VEHICLE WAS SLOWING DOWN, CONSUMER TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE BECAUSE WHEN APPLYING GAS PEDAL, VEHICLE WOULD BEGAN TP COAST, CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER TO SHOULDER AND NOTICED THAT GASOLINE WAS LEAKING FROM UNDERNEATH VEHICLE, VEHICLE WAS TOWED, AND MECHANIC STATED THAT CONNECTION TO FUEL AND IGNITION WAS DEFECTIVE. *AK. CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT THE GASOLINE LINE HAD DISCONNECTED FROM THE MOTOR, AND THAT THE FLANGE ON THE CONNECTOR APPARENTLY HAD NOT ENGAGED PROPERLY. *YD

MULLER TOYOTA TECHNICIAN STATED THAT FUEL LINE FELL OFF FILTER. INCIDENT: CAR STALLED WHILE PROCEEDING ON NYC STREET. PULLED OUT OF TRAFFIC. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO RESTART, LARGE AMOUNT OF GASOLINE FLOWED OUT FROM UNDER CAR. GOT THE THREE PEOPLE OUT OF CAR TO SIDEWALK. NYC FIRE DEPARTMENT CALLED OUT-THEY COULD NOT DETERMINE SOURCE OF GASOLINE AND ADVISED THAT NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. CAR WAS FLATBEDDED TO MULLER TOYOTA IN CLINTON, NJ. ADDITIONAL GASOLINE SPILL NOTICED ON FLATBED. OWNER WAS TOLD THAT FUEL LINE CONNECTION CAME APART AND TECHNICIAN CLICKED IT BACK TOGETHER. THEY SUGGESTED THAT THE FUEL LINE CONNECTION CAME APART AS A RESULT OF AN IMPACT WITH AN OBJECT, A ROAD BUMP, OR IMPROPER FACTORY ASSEMBLY. NO EVIDENCE OF ANYTHING IMPACTING A COMPONENT WAS FOUND. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY DESIGN DEFECT IN THE DESIGN OF THE FUEL LINE THAT COULD HAVE HAD A CATASTROPHIC RESULT WITH FATALITIES IF THE FUEL LINE SEPARATION OCCURED ON A HIGHWAY, AT SOME HIGHER SPEED, OR WITH THE CAR AT A HIGHER TEMPERATURE. IT MAY REQUIRE A REDESIGNED COMPONENT PRECLUDES AN UNSAFE INSTALLATION AND RESISTS SEPARATION DUE TO NORMAL ROAD BUMPS.