2005 Toyota Avalon

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA AVALON. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO APPLY THE BRAKES, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED WITHOUT TOUCHING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THE VEHICLE WAS SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL TO DECELERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO TWO DIFFERENT DEALERS, BUT THE TECHNICIANS COULD NOT REMEDY THE FAILURE. A COMPLAINT WAS FILED WITH THE MANUFACTURER, BUT NO ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 45,000 . THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 11,000. UPDATED 11/09/09 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED HIS FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE WHEN THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. UPDATED 11/09/09

WEATHER: SUNNY. ENGINE WARM - DRIVEN ABOUT 10 MILES ON THE WAY TO SMALL SHOPPING CENTER. I'M IN NO HURRY, STOPPING TO BROWSE IN A FAVORITE BOUTIQUE. LOOKING FOR A PARKING SPACE, SLOWED VEHICLE TO A CRAWL WHILE SCANNING THE LOT & THEN TURNED SLOWLY ABOUT 45 DEGREES TO DRIFT INTO AN AVAILABLE SPACE WHEN SUDDENLY THE VEHICLE LURCHED FORWARD OUT OF CONTROL RAMMING THE PARKED VEHICLE FACING THE SPACE I WAS IN. I REMEMBER A LOUD NOISE - WHICH WAS THE ENGINE ACCELERATING: AN UNFAMILIAR SOUND WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS JUST ABOUT STOPPED. THEN, THE NOISE OF THE CRASH - ABOUT 6 FT IN FRONT OF THE AVALON AT THE TIME OF THE NOISE & LURCH. THE IMPACT STOPPED THE CAR. I PUT IT IN REVERSE & BACKED AWAY, THEN TURNED OFF THE IGNITION. MY FOOT WAS NOT ON THE ACCELERATOR BY MISTAKE AS IT HAD BEEN ON THE BRAKE WHILE DRIFTING DOWN THE AISLE TOWARD THE OPEN SPACE - THERE HAD BEEN NO ACCELERATION WHILE IN THAT AISLE. TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP IN THE SPACE I WOULD HAVE HAD TO APPLY ONLY THE SLIGHTEST PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE ; THEREFORE, IF I HAD TOUCHED THE ACCELERATOR BY MISTAKE I WOULD HAVE NOT DONE SO WITH ENOUGH PRESSURE TO CAUSE THE WILD ACCELERATION. WITH MY FOOT ABOVE THE BRAKE IN THAT INSTANT WHEN I TOUCHED THE BRAKE TO STOP THE LURCH IT DIDN'T AFFECT THE SPEED OF THE CAR BEFORE IMPACT: THERE WAS NOT ANY HESITATION IN THE ENGINE. NO DAMAGE TO THE OTHER VEHICLE. THE AVALON SUSTAINED SOME BUMPER DAMAGE AND A BENT HOOD - DRIVABLE, BUT I REFUSED TO DRIVE IT. WHILE WAITING FOR A TOW TRUCK I DROVE TO THE EMPTY LOT BEHIND THE STORES AND TRIED TO REPEAT THE EVENT, UNSUCCESSFULLY. I DISCOVERED THAT IN ORDER TO ACCELERATE THAT QUICKLY, I WOULD HAVE HAD TO HAVE PUSHED THE ACCELERATOR TO THE FLOOR - AN IMPOSSIBILITY AT THE 0 MILES PER HOUR I WAS DRIFTING INTO POSITION IN THE PARKING SPACE. THE CAR ACCELERATED SUDDENLY AND UNINTENTIONAL THROUGH NO ACTION ON MY PART. THE TOYOTA DEALER FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA AVALON. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED AUTOMATICALLY TO 80 MPH. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO SHIFT BACK INTO AUTO MANUAL MODE, BUT THE TRANSMISSION FAILED TO RESPOND. THE VEHICLE DROVE UP A HILL WITHOUT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BEING DEPRESSED. THE CONTACT WAS FORCED TO APPLY MAXIMUM BRAKE PRESSURE TO MODERATE THE ACCELERATION AND PLACE THE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL. THE VEHICLE RECENTLY HAD A ROUTINE INSPECTION AT 25,300 MILES. THE DEALER DID NOT FIND ANY FAILURES WITH THE VEHICLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 27,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA AVALON. WHEN THE CONTACT DEPRESSES THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE VEHICLE SURGES AHEAD OR SHIFTS TO ANOTHER GEAR. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE CAUSE OF FAILURE. HE HAS SPOKEN WITH THE AVALON DIVISION OF TOYOTA AND THEY STATED THAT SOMEONE WILL CONTACT HIM IN REFERENCE TO THE FAILURE. THE VIN AND ENGINE SIZE WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 22,500 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE CRUISE CONTROL ACTIVATED IT SURGED AUTOMATICALLY AND THEN LEVEL ED OFF TWO GEARS. THE FAILURE GAVE THE IMPRESSION THAT THE VEHICLE LOST CONTROL. WHILE DRIVING IN LIGHT RAIN AT 50 MPH THE CRUISE CONTROL CAUSED THE VEHICLE'S FRONT WHEELS TO SPIN. TOYOTA STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY A PROGRAMMING FAILURE THAT NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 242,000 , AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,000.*AK

TL* - ON 9/24/06 WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING VEHICLE AT 60 MPH AND IT UNEXPECTEDLY ACCELERATED TO 75 MPH. THE CONTACT HAD TO APPLY THE BRAKE WITH BOTH FEET TO DISENGAGE THE ACCELERATION ON THE VEHICLE. ON 10/09/06, WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 40 MPH THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED TO 75 MPH, HAD TO HOLD BOTH FEET ON THE BRAKE AND PULL THE VEHICLE OFF TO SIDE OF THE ROAD. AT THAT POINT THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP,) AND THE DEALER STATED THAT THE GAS PEDAL WAS MOST LIKELY GETTING CAUGHT UNDER THE CARPET. THE DEALER COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. WHILE DRIVING ON 12/23/06 AT 35 MPH THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED TO 75 MPH, AFTER A QUARTER OF A MILE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE BY OUTING BOTH FEET ON BRAKE. ALL THE BRAKES WERE SMOKING AND THERE WAS TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAKING. AT THAT POINT, CONTACT HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO ROSENER TOYOTA. *AK UPDATED 01/29/07. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 40MPH THROUGH A RESIDENTIAL AREA, THE VEHICLE OPERATED AT A REDUCED SPEED AND SUDDENLY LURCHED FORWARD. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER WHO DETERMINED THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATING AS DESIGNED AND WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. ADDITIONALLY, WHILE DRIVING 75MPH THE FRONT TIRE BLEW OUT WITHOUT WARNING. UPON INITIAL INSPECTION, THERE WAS COMPLETE TREAD SEPARATION. THE TIRE WAS A BRIDGESTONE, TIRE LINE SIZE OF P215/55/R17.