2004 Toyota Avalon

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AS SHE SHIFTED INTO DRIVE AND DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL LIGHTLY, THE VEHICLE RAPIDLY ACCELERATED TO 50 MPH. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO STOP THE ABNORMAL ACCELERATION BY DEPRESSING THE BRAKES BUT TO NO AVAIL. SHE CRASHED INTO THREE CARS AS A RESULT OF THE SUDDEN ACCELERATION AND WAS REPORTED AS INJURED. A POLICE REPORT WAS AVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WHO ADVISED THAT THEY WOULD SEND SOMEONE TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE ALSO PICTURES AVAILABLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 37,000.

1. I WAS AT NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE PERFORMING A CEREMONY. AFTER THE CEREMONY I ENTERED THE VEHICLE WITH WIFE TO GO TO THE BASE SHOPPING AREA. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN A PARKING SPACE WITH A CONCRETE TIRE STOP, AND WALL IN FRONT. ENTERED THE VEHICLE TO BACK OUT. IT CAME OUT QUICKER THAN NORMAL OFF AXIS AND THE REAR BUMPER IMPACTED THE CONCRETE PROTECTOR TO A POLE WITH VERY LITTLE DAMAGE. I PUT THE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL AND FELT NO OUT OF THE ORDINARY INDICATIONS. 2. I PUT IT INTO DRIVE WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE TO PULL FORWARD THEN BACK OUT. THE CAR ACCELERATED AT FULL POWER SUFFICIENT ENOUGH TO KICK OUT THE CONCRETE TIRE STOP BEHIND THE VEHICLE, AND TOTAL THE FRONT END OF THE 2003 TOYOTA AVALON X LS TO THE TUNE OF 17684 DOLLARS.. I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IN DECEMBER OF 2008 AND HAD NO PRIOR PROBLEMS, AND NOT BEING A RECALLED AVALON NO WARNING. I WENT THROUGH THE NHTSA DATABASE FOR AVALON FROM 2000--2010 AND FOUND I HAD THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM OTHERS REPORTED. 3. TOYOTA DEALERSHIP WAS CONTACTED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. WHEN I CALLED CORPORATE LATER IN THE MONTH THEY DID NOT EVEN HAVE THE VEHICLE IN MY NAME. I ASKED FOR AN INSPECTOR AND THEY SENT ONE HIS NAME EMAIL ETC IS ON FILE. WHEN I CALLED TOYOTA CORPORATE AGAIN THEY SAID I WOULD GET A LETTER FROM THEIR CLAIMS DEPARTMENT. ABOUT THE FINDINGS.IN 2-4 WEEKS. THEY DID NOT OFFER TO PICK UP THE RENTAL OR TO PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE.. NOTE: I PUT IN SPEED CONTROL AND AIR BAGS FOR I HAD TO PUT IN SOMETHING TO MAKE THE MENU WORK. IT ACCELERATED OUT OF CONTROL WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE THE EXACT CAUSE IS TO BE DETERMINED, I COULD NOT CONTROL THE SPEED SO THAT FIT CLOSEST. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY FOR IT HIT ON AN ANGLE, A FLAW IN THE DESIGN. IF YOU ACCELERATE AT FULL POWER INTO A BRICK WALL THEY SHOULD DEPLOY. PARKING SPACE SPEED UNKNOWN PUT IN 30 MPH TO MAKE THE FORM WORK. FORM NEEDS UPDATING THIS SHOULD BE OPTIONAL. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA AVALON. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING 40 MPH THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO ENGAGE THE BRAKES AND THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO SLOW DOWN THE VEHICLE BUT THE BRAKES WOULD NOT ENGAGE. IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE THE CONTACT HAD TO SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL GEAR AND APPLY THE EMERGENCY BRAKE; HOWEVER, WHEN THE VEHICLE CAME TO A STOP THE ENGINE WAS STILL SURGING. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 77000.

WHILE BACKING SLOWLY, THE RIGHT FOOT WAS MOVED FROM ACCELERATOR TO FOOT BRAKE PEDAL. AS PRESSURE WAS APPLIED TO THE FOOT BRAKE, THE CAR ACCELERATED IN REVERSE, CONTINUED TURNING, SMASHED ALONG SIDE OF ANOTHER VEHICLE AND TURNED A HALF CIRCLE. DRIVER'S LEFT FOOT PRESSED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE CAUSING CAR TO STOP. TOTAL ELAPSED TIME NO MORE THAN TWO SECONDS. *TR

MY 2004 TOYOTA EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN ACCELERATION ON A SLIGHT UPGRADE WHICH CAUSED THE CAR TO GO INTO A RAPID UNCONTROLLABLE SPIN. THIS RESULTED IN A HEAD ON COLLISION WITH A PICK UP TRUCK. MY WIFE SUFFERED INJURIES TO HER HEAD WHEN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR FLEW OFF THE WINDOW AND STRUCK HER IN THE HEAD. THIS RESULTED IN MEMORY LOSS AND SHE NOW SUFFERS FROM RECURRING HEADACHES. THE CAR WAS A TOTAL LOSS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA AVALON. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS ATTEMPTING TO PULL OUT OF A PARKING SPACE AT A LOW SPEED THE VEHICLE HAD SUDDENLY ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING CAUSING THE CONTACT TO CRASH INTO A NEARBY VEHICLE. NO ONE WAS INJURED DURING THE CRASH. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED FOR THE INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER AND THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 67,000. UPDATED 3/30/2010 AFTER BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE, THE CONSUMER SHIFTED THE VEHICLE INTO DRIVE AND IT ACCELERATED. UPDATED 06/04/10

ON JULY 14, 2007 MY PARENTS WERE INVOLVED IN A SINGLE-CAR CRASH IN THE RESIDENTIAL AREA OF NEW BLOOMFIELD, MO. MY 84-YEAR-OLD FATHER WAS DRIVING A 2004 TOYOTA AVALON, SUDDENLY LEFT THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROADWAY, FLIPPED THE VEHICLE, AND LANDED UPSIDE DOWN, BACK ON THE PAVEMENT. MY 79-YEAR-OLD MOTHER WAS KILLED INSTANTLY FROM HEAD TRAUMA, AND MY FATHER PASSED AWAY FROM INJURIES SUSTAINED IN THE ACCIDENT 7 WEEKS LATER. THE AUTHORITIES COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT, AND MY FATHER COULD NOT REMEMBER ANY DETAILS, AS HE HAD EXTRAORDINARY INTERNAL TRAUMA AND WAS IN ICU FOR MOST OF HIS REMAINING 7 WEEKS. I HAVE PETITIONED THE AUTO INSURER, ALLSTATE SEVERAL TIMES, BUT THEY HAVE NOT RESPONDED TO MY E-MAILS, AND ALTHOUGH IT IS LIKELY THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN DESTROYED, BASED ON ALL THE MEDIA ABOUT SUDDEN ACCELERATION OF TOYOTA VEHICLES, THIS COULD CERTAINLY HAVE BEEN A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO, IF NOT THE CAUSE OF, THIS HORRIFIC ACCIDENT. WE HAVE BEEN VEXED BY THE WHOLE INCIDENT, AND IT NEVER OCCURRED TO ME TO REQUEST HAVING THE AVALON INSPECTED (HIGHLY RATED VEHICLE AND ALL...), UNTIL ALL THE RECENT MEDIA OF OTHER DEATHS INVOLVING TOYOTA VEHICLES. UPDATED 03/10/10 *BF *TR UPDATED IVOQ 08/03/10 UPDATED 9/21/2011*CW