2001 Toyota Avalon

2001 TOYOTA AVALON WHILE DRIVING IN A RESIDENTAL AREA AND TURING RIGHT FROM ONE STREET TO ANOTHER, THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED AND I WAS UNABLE TO STRAIGHTEN THE WHEEL. I HAD TO APPLY THE BRAKES TO AVOID RUNNING INTO A RESIDENTAIL WALL. AFTER APPLYING THE BRAKES, I MOVED THE TRANSMISSION FROM DRIVE TO NEUTRAL AND THEN REVERSE. THE STEERING WHEEL UNLOCKED. I DROVE THE TWO BLOCKS TO MY HOME AND HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE NEAREST TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. THEY SAY THEY HAVE FIXED THE PROBLEM. *TR

I HAVE A 2001 TOYOTA AVALON THAT I PURCHASED USED FROM KINGS TOYOTA IN JULY 2005. THE CAR WAS TOYOTA CERTIFIED. MY CAR'S ENGINE DIED ON 8/14/2010 50 MILES FROM MY MECHANIC. I HAD THE CAR TOWED ON 8/14/2010 AND HE CALLED ME TO SAY HE COULD PUT A JASPER MOTOR IN MY CAR FOR $6700. I CALLED TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE AND HEARD FROM THEM THE FOLLOWING DAY THAT I WAS TOO LATE TO GET THE ENGINE REPAIRED. I EXPLAINED THAT I NEVER RECEIVED ANY LETTERS FROM TOYOTA ABOUT THE VOLUNTARY RECALL AND I WAS TOLD TOO BAD. THE GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO PROTECT ITS CITIZENS FROM FAULTY TOYOTA ENGINES. OIL GEL OR SLUDGE CAUSED MY ENGINE TO SEIZE. IT IS SITTING DEAD AT MY MECHANIC'S SHOP WAITING FOR ME TO DECIDE WHERE TO MOVE IT TO NEXT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA AVALON. WHILE PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE AT 5 MPH WITH HER FOOT APPLYING THE BRAKES, THE VEHICLE ABNORMALLY ACCELERATED AND CRASHED INTO A BRICK WALL. THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED UPON IMPACT BUT THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 98,000.

INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) ON OCT. 7, 2009, AT ABOUT 3:00 PM EDT ON A SUNNY DAY IN BRADENTON, FL, I WAS DRIVING ALONE WHILE SOBER, ALERT, AND HEALTHY AT ABOUT 35 MPH ON A PAVED SIDE ROAD [XXX] APPROACHING A RED STOPLIGHT AT U.S. 41 SO. WITH 2 OR 3 CARS STOPPED AHEAD OF ME FOR THE LIGHT. ABOUT 100 YARDS BEFORE THE STOPLIGHT, I APPLIED MY FOOTBRAKE,[XXX] (OK WHEN INSPECTED &DRIVEN A WEEK EARLIER AS PART OF OIL CHANGE &GENERAL CHECKUP). THE FOOT PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR, WITH NO BRAKING EFFECT. I SWERVED TO THE LEFT OF THE CARS AHEAD OF ME AND MADE A SHARP LEFT TURN WHEN I REACHED U.S. 41, TO AVOID HITTING/BEING HIT BY ONCOMING TRAFFIC. MY CAR ROLLED OVER AND CRASHED. I HIT MY HEAD ON THE CAR'S ROOF[XXX] . I NEVER LOST CONSCIOUSNESS, BUT THE PAIN WAS TERRIBLE. I BLED, UPSIDE DOWN, FOR ABOUT 10-15 MINUTES, FEARING ANOTHER CRASH FROM ONCOMING CARS, HANGING FROM MY SEATBELT. A BYSTANDER STANCHED THE BLOOD EVENTUALLY. THE PARAMEDICS SHOWED UP IN AN AMBULANCE& TOOK ME TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM AT MANATEE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL IN BRADENTON. THE DR. CLEANED VERY PAINFUL GLASS SHARDS FROM MY MULTIPLE SCALP WOUNDS, THEN PUT IN FIVE STAPLES& RELEASED ME. TWO SHERIFF'S DEPUTIES INTERVIEWED ME& SAID MY CAR'S TIRE-MARKS SHOWED SIGNS OF ACCELERATION. I DENIED ACCELERATING; IT MADE NO SENSE TO ME UNTIL RECENT STORIES IN THE NEWSPAPER ABOUT TOYOTA BRAKE PROBLEMS AND SUDDEN UNEXPLAINED ACCELERATION IN OTHER CASES. A FRIEND PICKED ME UP. THE NEXT DAY I WENT TO THE GARAGE OF ELMER'S TOWING, WHICH HAD TOWED MY TOTALLY WRECKED CAR. I ASKED FOR THE FOOT BRAKES TO BE CHECKED. THEY WERE NORMAL. I FOUND THIS VERY PUZZLING; IT ONLY MADE SENSE RECENTLY AS I READ AND HEARD ON TV ABOUT SIMILAR PROBLEMS BY OTHER WITH TOYOTAS. SHELLY DEVANE OF ELMER'S IS A WITNESS TO THE REPORT OF OK BRAKES. I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT AN INTERMITTENT ELECTRONIC PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES CAUSED THE WRECK. I DID NOT FILE THIS COMPLAINT EARLIER BECAUSE THE EVIDENCE IS CIRCUMSTANTIAL & THE CAR NOW GONE. *TR

2001 TOYOTA AVALON. CONSUMER STATES UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED HIS DAUGHTER WAS ATTEMPTING TO PARK THE ABOVE REFERENCED VEHICLE, WHEN IT ACCELERATED OUT OF CONTROL AND HIT A FENCE. THE CONSUMER DROVE TO WORK THE NEXT DAY AND SHE NOTICED SHE COULD NOT ACCELERATE MORE THAN 45 MPH. *JB UPDATED 05/25/10.*JB

GOING HOME ON NORTH ON LOS OLIVOS RD (25 MPH ZONE) AND ROLLING TO A FOUR WAY STOP CROSSING MANZINITA RD (NE SANTA ROSA, CA) MY 2001 AVALON ACCELERATED AT FULL THROTTLE (ROAR). I HAD MY FOOT ON BRAKE SO I WAS SHOCKED. PRESSING HARD ON BRAKE THE ACCELERATOR DISENGAGED AFTER ABOUT 3 SECONDS. I TOLD MY WIFE THAT I HAD A SENIOR MOMENT, THINKING I HAD PRESSED ACCELERATOR AND BRAKE AT SAME TIME. NEVER HAPPENED AGAIN. SEEING 2001 AVALON MENTIONED USA TODAY MOTIVATED THIS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA AVALON. WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH INTO THE DRIVEWAY THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE GARAGE. NO ONE WAS INJURED DURING THE CRASH. THE VEHICLE SUFFERED DAMAGE TO THE BUMPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HER FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE PEDAL WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS ACCELERATING. THE CONTACT DOES NOT KNOW WHAT CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 34,700. UPDATED 4/13/10 *CN UPDATED 0/17/10*JB

ON 11/26/2005 I EXPERIENCED AN ACCELERATION PROBLEM WITH MY 2001 TOYOTA AVALON WHILE BACKING MY CAR INTO OUR GARAGE. WHILE SLOWLY BACKING IN, THE CAR ACCELERATED & I BACKED INTO OUR FAMILY ROOM WALL. I PUT THE CAR IN DRIVE, THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO REV UP AND THE CAR SHOT OUT OF THE GARAGE LIKE A BULLET (ONE NEIGHBOR WITNESSED IT). I QUICKLY TURNED TO AVOID A 2ND NEIGHBOR'S BRICK HOUSE ACROSS THE STREET, BRAKING DIDN'T SEEM TO HELP. I HIT A 3RD NEIGHBOR'S CAR PARKED IN HIS DRIVE AND ENDED UP IN A 4TH NEIGHBOR'S DRIVE ON MY SIDE OF THE STREET!. AS I GOT OUT OF THE CAR, I REMEMBER SAYING TO THE 1ST NEIGHBOR THAT I COULDN'T STOP THE CAR. IT'S A MIRACLE I DIDN'T HIT NEIGHBOR #2 WHO IS ALWAYS OUT IN HIS YARD, ANY ONE OF A NUMBER OF KIDS OR PEOPLE WHO WALK THEIR DOGS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OR ANOTHER VEHICLE COMING DOWN THE STREET. I WAS ALSO NOT INJURED. THERE WAS DAMAGE TO OUR HOUSE, MY CAR AND MY NEIGHBOR'S CAR. I WAS TOLD BY SOMEONE AT TOYOTA ORLAND PARK, IL (WHERE MY 2008 CAMRY IS BEING SERVICED TODAY) THAT THE ACCELERATION PROBLEM IN THE 2001 AVALON IS OF A DIFFERENT NATURE THAN THE CURRENT PROBLEMS. *TR

ON JUNE 23, 2001 MY FATHER WAS DRIVING A TWO-WEEK-OLD 2001 TOYOTA AVALON ON WV ROUTE 2 NEAR HUNTINGTON, WV. ACCORDING TO EYE WITNESS ACCOUNTS, MY FATHER WAS DRIVING NORTH AT AN ACCELERATING SPEED AND QUICKLY CAME UPON ANOTHER NORTHBOUND CAR FROM THE REAR. HE CUT OVER IN THE ONCOMING LANE, PASSED THE CAR, RETURNED TO THE NORTHBOUND LANE AND CONTINUED OUT OF SIGHT. THE DRIVER OF THE CAR ESTIMATED MY FATHER WAS TRAVELING PROBABLY 90 MPH. AT THE INTERSECTION OF THREE MILE AND WV ROUTE 2, MY FATHER'S CAR LEFT THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROADWAY, CONTINUING AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED ACROSS A GRASSY YARD AND OVER A KNOLL, WHERE THE CAR BECAME AIRBORNE AND FLIPPED MULTIPLE TIMES ACCORDING TO A SECOND WITNESS. THE CAR TORE THROUGH SOME TREE LIMBS, THEN SHEARED A TELEPHONE POLE AND CAME TO REST IN THE DITCH NEXT TO THE HIGHWAY. MY FATHER WAS KILLED INSTANTLY. AFTER LEAVING THE HIGHWAY, THE VEHICLE TRAVELED 250' ACROSS THE GRASSY AREA, THEN WENT AIRBORNE AND TRAVELED ANOTHER 278' BEFORE LANDING IN THE DITCH NEXT TO THE HIGHWAY. THERE WAS NEVER ANY GOOD EXPLANATION FOR WHY HE WAS TRAVELING THAT FAST PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, BUT IN LIGHT OF THE RECENT NEWS ABOUT THE TOYOTA SUDDEN ACCELERATION PROBLEMS, WE NOW BELIEVE MY FATHER'S DEATH WAS THE RESULT OF A FAULTY VEHICLE. I HAVE THE ETCS (ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL SYSTEM) MODULE FROM THE CAR IN MY POSSESSION. UPDATED 04/05/10 *BF *TR UPDATED 08/06/10*JB UPDATED 9/29/2011*CW

ENGINE SLUDGE IS CREATING EXCESSIVE SMOKING AND THE CAR USES 2 QUARTS OF OIL EVERY 2 FILLUPS. THE VEHICLE STARTED SMOKING IN JULY OF 2009 AT 120,000 MILES AND WAS STILL UNDER AN 8 YEAR WARRANTY ON THE ENGINE. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP IN REDDING AND THEY REFUSED TO HONOR THE 8 YEAR WARRANTY BECAUSE I WAS UNABLE TO PROVIDE ENOUGH RECEIPTS THAT I HAD CHANGED THE OIL ON A REGULAR BASIS. THEY SAY THE ENGINE IS RUINED. *TR