2005 Toyota Avalon

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA AVALON. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE JERKED AND THE GEARS SHIFTED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT FURTHER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE LOST POWER. TOYOTA OF BOWIE (16700 GOVERNOR BRIDGE RD, BOWIE, MD 20716, 301-867-1600) WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURES. THE CONTACT CITED THE FUEL SYSTEM AS A POSSIBLE DEFECT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES AND STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL ON THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20.

ON MAY 28, 2016, ME AND MY 4 YEAR OLD TODDLER WERE TRAVELING ON THE INTERSTATE IN OUR 2005 TOYOTA AVALON (APPROX. 142,000 MILES) WHEN IT SUDDENLY LOSS POWER. THE DASHBOARD LIT UP AND HEAVY SMOKE BEGAN POURING FROM UNDER THE HOOD ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE CAR. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO COAST TO RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD AND STOP THE VEHICLE WITHOUT GETTING SLAM FROM BEHIND ON THE INTERSTATE. THE VEHICLE HAD JUST BEEN SERVICED ON 05/18/2016; WITH NO ISSUE PRIOR TO TRAVELING OUT OF TOWN FOR THE HOLIDAY. AFTER A DEALER FULL DIAGNOSTIC WAS COMPLETED; IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE HEAD GASKET BLEW AND THAT ALONG WITH THE ENGINE HAD TO BE REPLACED. THIS WAS THE SECOND OPINION. THE PREVIOUS DEALER FULL DIAGNOSTIC WAS PERFORMED ON THE CAR IN 11/2015, WHEN ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND AN "SYSTEM TOO LEAN CODE" APPEARED. AT THAT TIME, THE FOLLOWING ITEMS WERE REMOVED AND REPLACED. INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET, THROTTLE BODY GASKET, PLEMUM GASKETS AND SPARK PLUGS. OTHER THAN THAT, THE CAR HAS HAVE ROUTINE SERVICE AND MAINTENANCE PERFORMED ON A REGULAR BASIS. HOW DOES A CAR WITH AN EXCELLENT SERVICE RECORD DEVELOP AN ISSUE OF THIS NATURE WITHOUT ANY ADVANCE WARNING? THERE WAS NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, THE CAR WASN'T RUNNING HOT. THERE WERE NO STRANGE NOISES, THUMP, RATTLES, ETC. I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE BASED ON ITS RATINGS AND RELIABILITY FACTOR. --AS I STARTED TO DO A LITTLE RESEARCH, I AM SEEING THAT THIS IS AN ISSUE WITH THIS VEHICLE ALONG WITH THE TOYOTA CAMRY. WHY ISN'T THIS REPORTED AS A KNOW ISSUE WITH THIS PRODUCT. I JUST GET SICK KNOWING THERE WAS NO LIGHT SENSORS OR ANYTHING TO WARN OF AN ISSUE. WE WERE VERY FORTUNATE NOT TO GET STRUCK FROM BEHIND TRAVEL AT SUCH A HIGH RATE OF SPEED ON THE INTERSTATE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA AVALON. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE WITHOUT WARNING. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED INDEPENDENTLY WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 121,500.

FIRST CONTACTED TOYOTA MOTOR SALES U.S.A., INC. IN TORRANCE, CA. AND ADVISED THEM OF MY CAR TROUBLES PRIOR TO GOING TO DEALERSHIP FOR SERVICE. I MADE THEM AWARE THAT I DO NOT TRUST DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENTS. THEY ASSIGNED ME A CASE NUMBER AND DOCUMENTED MY ISSUES WITH ENGINE/POWERTRAIN MALFUNCTION THAT STILL EXIST TODAY AND BOTH THE DEALER AND TOYOTA MOTOR SALES HAVE NOT ADDRESSED PROBLEM. ALSO, I STATED TO DEALER THAT THERE WAS LEAKAGE SURROUNDING THE POWER STEERING PUMP. DEALER WAS QUICK TO RESOLVE PROBLEM BY TRYING TO INDUCE ME TO HAVE PUMP CHANGED WITHOUT PERFORMING TRUE DIAGNOSTIC PROCEDURES TO INCLUDE; FAILURE TO REMOVE FRONT R/H TIRE TO LOOK AT POWER STEERING PUMP FROM THE FRONT SIDE, FAILURE TO CLEAN POWER STEERING PUMP AND SURROUNDING AREAS TO INVESTIGATE TRUE AREA OF LEAKAGE. INSTEAD, DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT CAME TO AN IMMEDIATE CONCLUSION THAT THE PUMP MUST BE LEAKING FROM PUMP SHAFT BEARING. COST TO REPLACE; $750.00 WHICH I DECLINED TO HAVE REPLACED. WITH THE VEHICLE UP ON JACK STANDS AND WITH TRUE DIAGNOSTIC TESTING, I REMOVED FRONT R/H TIRE, THOROUGHLY CLEANED POWER STEERING PUMP AND SURROUNDING AREA AND STEERED LEFT TO RIGHT AND RIGHT TO LEFT MANY TIMES AND CAN NOT LOCATE LEAK AT THIS TIME. COULD BE EVEN ENGINE OIL THAT DRIPPED DOWN OR PUMP HIGH PRESSURE LINE THAT GOES TO STEERING CYLINDER GEARBOX/YOKE AREA. AS FAR AS THE POWER TRAIN/ENGINE PROBLEM THAT HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR A VERY LONG TIME, THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION ARE ALWAYS OUT OF SYNCHRONIZATION. TO BRIEFLY STATE, THE ENGINE WONDERS (HI AND LOW RPMS) AND THE TRANSMISSION WILL BE IN WRONG GEAR. FURTHERMORE, THROTTLE RESPONSE IS MANY TIMES NON-EXISTENT. I DEPRESS PEDAL AND NO ENGINE RESPONSE IS FOUND. NEED TO FURTHER DEPRESS PEDAL FOR ENGINE TO ACCELERATE. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY FACTOR AS FAR AS I AM CONCERNED. HAVE OTHER ISSUES NOT ABLE TO STATE BECAUSE OF YOUR LIMITED WORDS ALLOWED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA AVALON. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 4 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO INDEPENDENTLY CHANGE GEARS AND JERK VIOLENTLY. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR UNRELATED MAINTENANCE AND ADVISED THE DEALER OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED FOR THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE PERSISTED AND BECAME PROGRESSIVELY WORSE. HE CONTACTED THE DEALER AND SECURED AN APPOINTMENT FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AND POSSIBLE REPAIRS. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 600 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 21,500.

ON THE 2005 TOYOTA 3.5 V-6 ENGINE (2FZR ENGINE), THERE IS AN OIL HOSE THAT FEEDS THE LEFT BANK (TOP HEAD OF THE ENGINE) THIS HOSE IS BULGING AND CRACKING AND MY RESEARCH SHOWS THAT THIS HOSE HAS A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN ISSUED BY TOYOTA, BUT WILL NOT BE COVERED UNLESS THE HOSE RUPTURES DURING THE 5 YEAR OR 60,000 MILES WARRANTY. THIS HOSE IS DEFECTIVE AND TOYOTA HAS REPLACED IT. SINCE PART OF THE LUBRICATION HOSE TO THE LEFT BANK OF THE ENGINE IS METAL, THE PORTION THAT IS RUBBER IS THE AFFECTED PART ONLY. FURTHER RESEARCH FOUND THAT LEXUS WITH SIMILAR DISPLACEMENT ENGINE DOES NOT HAVE THIS RUBBER PORTION OF THE LUBRICATION HOSE. INSTEAD, THE LINE IS ALL METAL (AS IS THE CASE IN THE RIGHT BANK OF THE AVALON ENGINE. I AM REQUESTING AN INVESTIGATION AND REQUESTING THAT TOYOTA ISSUE A METAL REPLACEMENT HOSE. NUMEROUS AVALON OWNERS AND NOW HIGHLANDERS ARE BEING RECALLED TO REPAIR THIS DEFECTIVE RUBBER HOSE. *TR

INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). WE OWN A 2005 TOYOTO AVALON. AFTER HAVING THE TOYOTA SPECIAL SERVICE CAMPAIGN/RECALL (SSC AOA - ACCELERATOR PEDAL REINFORCEMENT) DONE ABOUT 3 WEEKS AGO MY WIFE EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN ACCELERATION WHILE TRAVELING ABOUT 5 MILES PER HOUR. SHE WAS ABLE TO STOP THE CAR BY APPLYING THE BRAKES VERY HARD. WE REPORTED THE INCIDENT TO TOYOTA. THEY GAVE US A CASE NUMBER, 1003190624, AND SAID THAT SOMEONE WOULD CONTACT US YESTERDAY TO INVESTIGATE. TOYOTA DID NOT CONTACT US ON THE DATE THEY GAVE. WE WERE AT HOME ALL DAY. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS INCIDENT AND FOLLOW-UP WITH TOYOTA. [XXX] *TR